Erik
I wanted to laugh but knew better. She was dead serious and, to be fair, it was a serious subject. The only problem was that it wasn’t a problem for me. I was already half in love with her and the thought of her carrying my baby only made me happy. I’d been enamored with her for so long, a baby would be a natural extension of my feelings. I just had to find a way to convince her of that because from any rational person’s perspective, this was happening way too soon.
“I already told you—I’ll never let you fall. Whether it’s meeting royalty or an unplanned pregnancy, I’m not going anywhere. What can I do to convince you of that?”
She was quiet for a while, but then she traced the outline of my lips with her finger. “There’s one rule if I agree.”
“Name it.”
“No sex. At least not for the first week.”
“What?” That definitely wasn’t part of the plan. Not mine, anyway.
“No sex. If you can affect me the way you did this morning all the time, then my thinking in terms of the future will be jaded. Right this second, with your body so close to mine, I would marry you just so we could do this all the time. And we both know sex isn’t a good reason to be together.”
“All right.” I reluctantly nodded. “Agreed.” I would’ve agreed to almost anything to keep her close.
“And it has to be real dating,” she said. “You stay in one room with Sandor, I stay in another, and you arrange dinners and activities, come pick me up, etc.”
“Anything else?” I asked with an indulgent smile.
“We don’t start until tomorrow.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m starving and I just want to cuddle.”
I pressed a light kiss to the tip of her nose. “I’m starving, too, and cuddling sounds like fun.”
We woke the following morning feeling delightfully refreshed. We’d eaten dinner in bed, watched a movie, and then fallen into a peaceful, relaxing slumber. It had been one of the best nights of my life, as far as I was concerned, even taking into account the lack of sex. Casey was still all I wanted, and I’d been lying here dreaming up ways to win her heart for a couple of hours. It was only eight thirty, so she was in the shower and I’d called room service to order coffee, croissants, and a beautiful bouquet of white roses. I didn’t know what kinds of things made her tick, but I was going to find out.
When she came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, with her hair wrapped in a towel, I decided she was the most gorgeous woman in the world. I’d always thought she was, but seeing here like this, with no makeup and her hair wrapped up turban-style, only drove the idea home. She spotted the roses immediately and turned to me with a smile.
“They’re beautiful. Thank you.”
“Not as beautiful as you.” I leaned down to lightly kiss her soft lips. “And you’re welcome.”
“What are they for?”
“Because I wanted to.”
“But we’re leaving today, aren’t we?”
“We can bring them with us or leave them for the maids.”
“You’re crazy.” She shook out her hair and began towel-drying it. It was long and silky, even wet, and I watched in fascination as she ran her fingers through it. “So, where are we going anyway?”
“I have to meet with our banker in Zurich, so I thought we’d start there. I’ve booked you for a spa day while I do boring financial things, and then we can go to dinner. The following day, we’ll head to Monte Carlo. There’s a party with people I think you’ll enjoy, and we can stay there or head over to the south of France, whatever we feel like.”
“Sounds great.”
“We should pack and get ready to go.”
“Okay.” She smiled at me, and my heart ached with wanting her. I’d never felt like this about anyone, and it was a little strange. Sandor was probably going to give me a ration of shit the next time we were alone, but I didn’t give a damn what anyone thought. I finally had the one thing I’d always wanted that had been out of my grasp, and it would take an act of war to keep me from her.
Monte Carlo was warm and sunny, and seeing Casey in a long, sleeveless sundress with a large hat on her head made me smile. She hadn’t wanted me to buy her the frilly dress or the wide-brimmed hat but had given in when I asked her to do it for me. She looked stunning wearing them, her blond hair flowing out behind her as she laughed. I wished for a camera, so I could capture the moment, but she’d already ducked into a shop.
I kept forgetting she was rich in her own right and didn’t need me to buy her things. I tried not to be old-fashioned like that, but something deep inside of me was anxious to take care of her, and watching her shop for herself bothered me. That was probably why I’d insisted she let me buy the dress and hat for her. I’d also picked up some jewelry that I would save for another time. There was a party this weekend that would include Anwar and perhaps even my uncle, so I would need to find her the perfect dress for the evening. The diamond necklace and earrings I’d picked up were stunning accessories that would show my family I was serious about her and make every other woman in attendance jealous.
Hopefully, Casey wouldn’t balk too much when she saw them.
I wandered into the shop she’d gone into and found her with a glass of champagne in her hands, signing an autograph.
“Hey!” She gave me a sweet smile and waved but continued talking to the teenage girl as if she were the most important person in the world.
“She’s actually very nice,” Sandor murmured from where he stood next to me.
“She is.”
“No, I mean, I hadn’t expected her to be like this. She’s beautiful, rich, and successful. I thought she would be a diva.”
“I told you she was different.”
“But you didn’t know either,” he protested. “You hadn’t spent much time with her.”
“No, but I’ve spent some time with her, and my parents watched her grow up. My mother would have told me if she was a spoiled diva. She would never have encouraged me to get to know her if she wasn’t a good person.”
“This is your mother’s doing?!” Sandor looked so horrified I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Have you taken a good look at Casey Hart?” I asked, cocking my head. “I know blondes aren’t your thing, but do you really believe my mother had anything to do with my infatuation? She merely gave me the push I needed to do something about it.”
“Your Highness. I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you.” The owner of the store spotted me, and I inwardly groaned. I hated being recognized when I was just out for a casual day, but it happened too often to count.
“Hello, Mrs. Safleur.” I’d shopped at this boutique with my mother and sister many times, so I knew the owner.
“Is your mother here? Can I show you something?” The middle-aged woman rushed over to assist me.
“Just waiting for my friend.” I motioned with my head toward Casey, and the woman’s eyes widened slightly.
“Yes, of course. Can I get you something to drink?”
“We’re actually leaving,” Casey said, joining me and sliding her hand into mine. “Can you deliver my purchases to our hotel?”
“Of course, Ms. Hart.” Mrs. Safleur smiled. “Thank you for shopping with us, and have a wonderful rest of your day.” She dipped her head. “Give my regards to your mother, Your Highness.”
“How many times have I asked you to call me Erik?” I asked her with an impish smile.
“I’ve lost count,” she responded, grinning.
“Good day.” I walked outside and leaned over to kiss Casey’s cheek. “What did you buy?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“My mother and sister shop there. She sells both formalwear and lingerie.”
She gave me a coy smile. “You’re going to have to wait and see.”
“What if I don’t want to?” I asked playfully. “What if—”
“Casey! Is that you?” An attractive blonde hurried in our direction, and Sandor immediately jumped in front of her.