Affairs of State(23)
The article said that Lady Sophia Alnwick and Prince Simon had told their closest friends of their planned engagement, and that the queen was thrilled to welcome her new daughter-in-law into the family.
How come she hadn’t seen any of this in the more mainstream press? Prince Simon wasn’t as much in the public eye as his older brother, who was heir to the throne, but the entertainment press still picked up on stories about him quite often. Could Royal Watch simply have made it up?
Apart from the cover picture where they appeared to be cheek to cheek, they didn’t look that intimate. Still…
She showered and dressed with considerably less excitement and more trepidation than she’d been feeling before she saw Royal Watch. How could she bring this up without seeming like a jealous harpy? On the other hand, she certainly didn’t want to kiss a man who was engaged—even unofficially—to another woman.
When Simon’s driver opened the rear door of the car thirty minutes later, she was surprised to find it empty. Did she now expect one of the crowned heads of Europe to arrive in person to pick her up? She was definitely getting a big head.
The car slid through the more exclusive streets of the city. She had no idea where they were going, but somehow it seemed embarrassing to admit it to the driver, so she didn’t ask. Before long, they pulled up in front of a classical façade. The driver opened the door and she stepped out. The building looked grand and impersonal, like an embassy or an exclusive law office. She walked up the front steps and a suited man opened the door and murmured “Good evening.” Still no sign of Simon. If her life wasn’t so unpredictable and over the top already she’d probably be growing alarmed by now.
“Ariella.” His deep, smooth voice called from down a marbled hallway. Immediately her body heat rose.
He walked up to her and kissed her softly on the lips. Who’s Sophia Alnwick? she wanted to ask, but now was not the time. Her mouth hummed under his kiss and she wanted it to deepen, but the man who’d opened the door must be nearby, and maybe others, too. She didn’t want anyone to find out about their clandestine affair.
An affair? That sounded so…sexual. And it wasn’t. At least not yet.
“What is this place?”
“An unofficial annex to the consulate. There’s no one here in the evenings so I’ve requisitioned it so I could entertain you at home, so to speak. We’ll just have to pretend we’re at Whist Castle, since you won’t do me the honor of visiting me at my real home.”
His teasing hurt expression made her laugh. He always managed to diffuse any tension in the situation and make her feel like they were just two people who happened to get along well. “As it turns out, I might be planning a party in England soon.”
He picked up her hand and kissed it, which made her fingers tingle with pleasure. “Then perhaps I’ll have some beefeaters intercept you and whisk you up to Whist.” His eyes glimmered with humor.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t I?” One brow rose as if he was asking the question of himself. “You don’t ever really know what you’ll do in any given situation until you’re faced with it. That’s something I learned during my time in the military. You can only hope you’ll do what you know is right.”
“Speaking of which, are you engaged?” There, it was out. And ringing boldly through the marble-clad hallway. Any staff who were lingering in the corners had just seen them kiss, making the question really embarrassing.
“Engaged as in busy?” He gestured for her to enter a room.
Which she did, glad to get out of the echoing hallway. They were now in a large sitting room, with damask curtains and big armchairs. “Engaged as in betrothed.” She managed to stay fairly calm while she waited for his response. Was he going to deny it?
“Most definitely not.”
He did deny it. “I saw a cover story about it in a magazine in my local deli.”
He didn’t look the slightest bit flustered. “Do you believe everything you read in the papers?”
Her face heated slightly. “No. Especially not if it’s written about me.” She felt a smile creeping across her mouth. “I should have known it wasn’t true.”
“But you had to ask anyway.” His gaze challenged her.
“Yes.” She lifted her chin. “I don’t kiss men who belong to someone else.”
“I’m relieved to hear it. And I love the way you came right out and asked. I get so tired of people beating about the bush. You’re a breath of fresh air.”