The Prince's Christmas Wager

by Caroline Lee

  Marcia whispered back, “Only if you read one to me.”

  “Deal!”

  She smiled fondly at the boy. “Go say goodnight to your father and uncles.”

  The kid was pretty cute. He had a deformed hand, and Enzio learned that’s why his grandfather had kept him out of the public eye for so long. But now Earl Lindqvist was dead—he’d been partly to blame for all the excitement of the previous summer—the title had passed on to the boy, and he was being raised here in his much-less-dreary ancestral home by his doting parents.

  He’d made his rounds, and had saved the best for last. “G’night, Dad!”

  The boy hugged Viggo, who sat forward in his chair to take the little body in his arms. After returning the hug, Viggo clasped his hands on Stefan’s cheeks, and placed a kiss on his forehead.

  “I’m proud of you, son.”

  The boy’s smile was squished between his father’s palms, but he made an effort. “I love you, Dad.”

  “Love you too, Stefan.”

  As the boy ran to take his mother’s hand and head upstairs, Enzio met Naut’s eyes. The other man lifted his drink in acknowledgment, and Enzio looked back at Viggo. What had changed? This time last year, Viggo had been a party animal, boozing and sleeping his way across Europe. Now he appeared a devoted family man, with a son who…well, anyone could see Stefan wasn’t Viggo’s adopted son. The boy was a Magnusson, through and through.

  And Viggo was a good father. Enzio wondered if his own father had ever hugged him the way Viggo had just hugged Stefan. Had His Highness the Royal Consort, Marc Antonio of Velarno, ever told his only son he was proud of him?

  Would Enzio be like him? Or could he take an example from Viggo, and be a better father?

  Enzio snorted softly and lifted his brandy to his lips. Had he ever, once, thought about becoming a father? Easy answer: no. So why now?

  Also easy answer: Nova.

  God help him, she had him thinking about a future.

  “Thanks for having us tonight, Viggo.”

  Caspian was perched on the other end of the couch from his younger brother, but didn’t look quite as at-home. The oldest of William Hayes’ sons was a scientist like his father, and had always struck Enzio as being more comfortable in a laboratory. Maybe that’s why he’d given up his job at that firm in America and moved to Aegiria to help his father with the environmental initiatives they were trying to pass to help the fishing industry.

  Naut, his feet up on the ottoman, lifted his brandy towards Viggo in appreciation as well. “Yes. The food was excellent, and the company even better.”

  From his spot in a chair in the shadow by the window, Kraken snorted. The middle Hayes brother was unlike any of his siblings, and when Enzio had met him that summer, he’d wondered if it was on purpose.

  Kraken Hayes was…hard. Covered in tattoos and often snarling at the world, it was easy to believe everything the tabloids had dug up about prison sentences and addictions and bare-knuckle brawls.

  Not exactly the Christmas cheer the rest of the gathering was trying for.

  Viggo met Enzio’s eyes, and they both smiled a bit ruefully.

  Caspian blew out a breath. “You suck, Kraky. At least try to participate?”

  “I’m participating. I listened to the kid sing, didn’t I?” came the growl from the shadow.

  Naut uncrossed his ankles. “That kid is your nephew now, you know.”

  A pause, then, “Yeah, okay, the company wasn’t terrible.”

  At that begrudging admission, both Enzio and Naut burst into chuckles. This was one Step-Prince the media was going to have a ball with!

  Caspian wasn’t as quick to forgive him. “Sorry, Viggo. I swear he was raised properly.”

  Viggo held up his hands, palm out. “Listen, I know what it’s like to have straight-laced older brothers telling me I’m doing everything wrong.” His smile told Caspian there were no hard feelings. “I’m just glad you’re all here to celebrate with us.”

  “We wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Naut said with sincerity.

  Enzio glanced at Kraken. Caspian had a job in Aegiria now, and Naut could do his “work” anywhere, really. So why was Kraken still hanging around the small island nation? It was hard to believe it was because of Christmas goodwill and cheer.

  “Besides the ball, what are the other plans?” Caspian changed the subject.

  “Well…” Viggo stretched out his legs, clearly ready to relax. “The ball is the public celebration. We’ve done it every year for decades, I think. I don’t know what it’s like in America, but in Aegiria, Christmas Eve is the big celebration.”

  Enzio remembered his conversation with Nova. “Lights in the darkness, and all that.”

  “Exactly!” Viggo nodded. “It’s almost the longest night of the year, you know.”

  I did know that, yeah. Thanks to Nova, he now felt smarter and more capable.

  “So Christmas day is pretty low-key. We’ll all gather in Mom’s chambers and exchange gifts. I pulled Arne’s name for the exchange this year, and he’s a bear to buy for. The guy has everything.”

  “A watch?” suggested Caspian.

  “Wine,” Naut said with a firm nod.

  From the chair in the shadows came a growled, “Socks.”

  Enzio snickered, and nodded. “Socks,” he agreed.

  Viggo shrugged. “Socks it is, then. I’m just looking forward to seeing Johan.”

  The twins had always been close, even living together up until Viggo moved to the nearby Lindqvist Estate with his new family. Johan and his fiancée were visiting her relatives in America before returning to Aegiria for the ball…but Enzio had picked up from Viggo the trip might be more than that.

  “I’m guessing he’s had a lot on his mind lately.”

  “Yeah.” Viggo nodded good-naturedly. “He’s been planning a secret elopement. No time for his brothers! He doesn’t even know about—”

  The way he bit off his words had Naut’s feet slamming to the floor as he sat up. The man could smell intrigue a mile away.

  “Know about what?”

  Viggo’s grin was proud rather than sheepish. “We were going to tell him and Tracy on Christmas Day.” He pointed at each of them. “So don’t you dare open your fat mouths.”

  Kraken drawled, “Scout’s honor,” and his brothers nodded.

  Viggo’s grin grew. “Marcia’s pregnant. We’re going to have another baby.”

  Amid the general well-wishes and excitement, Enzio lifted his brandy once more in salute. When his cousin met his eyes, he smiled. “Congratulations, Viggo. I’m happy for you.”

  His cousin, the once-legendary charmer, shrugged modestly. Was it Enzio’s imagination, or was the other man flushing?

  “I didn’t think I could ever be this happy, honestly,” Viggo admitted. “Marcia changed me.”

  It was a nice thought. Viggo had changed, because he’d fallen in love.

  Have I changed that much?

  The thought made Enzio blink. He had changed, but was it because he was in love? Was he in love?

  Naut must’ve been thinking along the same lines. “Thinking about Nova, aren’t you?”

  “Who’s Nova?” Viggo asked with a suggestive wink.

  Naut nodded. “Exactly who you think. Your mother’s new archivist, that gorgeous blonde. But she’s cold and standoffish—”

  “No she’s not!” Enzio sat forward and placed his drink on the table, glaring at this new cousin of his. “She just doesn’t want anything to do with men like you.”

  “Or you,” Naut pointed out with a smirk.

  Or me. But Enzio was changing that. He was becoming a different man—a better man—for her.

  Naut leaned back again, propping his feet up on the ottoman. “But now you’re properly motivated, and can’t give up, can you?”

  Caspian groaned. “Dear Lord, Nautilus, what did you do?”

  “Made a little bet with him, didn’t I? I wagered he couldn’t kiss her b
y Christmas.”

  Even Kraken growled this time. “Can you go a whole day without gambling? And you,”–he glared at Enzio—“you were dumb enough to take it?”

  Enzio glared right back. “I’d be dumb not to take it.” Only, he didn’t think that way anymore. Now he regretted the wager, because it meant any kiss he did share with her would mean…less.

  Viggo cleared his throat. “Does she know?”

  Enzio’s attention swung back to his favorite cousin. “Know about the bet?” He scoffed. “Why would I tell her?”

  But Viggo’s serious expression didn’t change. “Because you love her.”

  The two men stared at one another for a long moment, before Enzio gave up and looked down at his drink. “It’s that obvious?” he asked quietly.

  Beside him, Naut groaned theatrically. “All hope is lost!”

  Viggo chuckled. “Yeah, it is. Take it from me, Nova will be hurt if she hears about this wager from anyone beside you. You’d better step up and tell her, before Naut’s big mouth lands you in trouble.”

  Enzio glared at Naut. “You wouldn’t tell her, would you?”

  The other man pursed his lips and pretended to consider it. “If I do, that would greatly increase my chances of winning the twenty-three American dollars, five Kroner, and sixty-nine øre, wouldn’t it?”

  “I can’t believe you remember the exact amount,” Caspian said from his seat beside his brother.

  Naut looked aghast. “I remember every amount, when it comes to money.”

  From his shadow, Kraken snorted derisively, but made no other comment.

  Enzio wasn’t sidetracked by the brother’s words. “Naut? I mean it.”

  The other man cocked his head and stared at Enzio a few heartbeats longer than was comfortable, then nodded. “I won’t tell her before the ball, deal?”

  Enzio let out a breath. Up until a few minutes ago, it wouldn’t have occurred to him to tell Nova about the wager, but now he was anxious to. He had to tell her before Naut had the chance to, because he didn’t entirely trust this new step-cousin of his.

  He looked back over at Viggo, who dropped his chin once. In agreement? In approval? If Viggo said it was important for Enzio to be the one to tell her the truth, then Enzio believed him. He’d always trusted Viggo’s judgment when it came to women, and now that he was married to Marcia and obviously very much in love, he was even more of an expert.

  Enzio returned the nod. Apparently he had his orders. Tell Nova about the wager. Soon.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Two days before Christmas, and the documentary was complete!

  Nova had spent the day with her team, finalizing details, and now was finishing up a review. For the last hour, she’d been hunched over her desk in the tiny office outside the studio they’d commandeered, pausing the video on her laptop to jot down notes for Karl and Kristine. Most of them were really minor things—dissolves which needed less time and music which cut out too soon—and could be cleared up tomorrow without any problem.

  Then, by the ball tomorrow evening, everything would be perfect.

  With a sigh, she finished typing up her notes and sent them to her team, then closed the laptop. She stretched her arms above her head, bending backwards to get the kinks out of her muscles. What was Enzio up to this evening? She wondered if she should try to find him.

  In all the time they’d spent together, they’d never exchanged phone numbers, and it seemed fitting. They saw one another in person, or sent notes back and forth via the palace staff. It was like they were old-fashioned courting.

  Courting? The man hasn’t even kissed you!

  In fact, Enzio had quit asking for kisses, and Nova wasn’t sure how to feel about that. She’d made it very clear at the beginning she wouldn’t be kissing a charmer, but once she’d gotten to know the man—as Toni had said—she was much more willing.

  Desperate, even.

  Rolling her eyes at her inner monologue, she stood up and gathered her laptop and bag. She hadn’t seen him yesterday at all, thanks to the lovely Christmas concert. But her friends’ words had been rolling around in her head all day.

  She loved Enzio, didn’t she? It wasn’t on purpose, just sort of snuck up on her. But she loved him for all that he was, rather than all he tried to be.

  It was true. She loved him, and wasn’t at all sure how to tell him.

  So she was distracted as she stepped out of her office and pulled the door closed behind her. She then froze and gasped in surprise when she noticed who was sitting in the studio, waiting. For her?

  Enzio looked up from the book he was reading, his dark eyes bright behind his reading glasses. Reading glasses?

  Swoon.

  They stared in silence for a few heartbeats before he inhaled sharply and scrambled to remove the glasses. “Sorry!” he said, folding them and tucking them inside his suit coat. “Sorry, I forgot I had—I mean, uh… Why are you looking at me that way?”

  She had to calm her own pounding heart as she crossed to where he was lounging, one ankle resting on the opposite knee, and the book face down in his lap.

  “I was just thinking you couldn’t possibly be any sexier, then you show up with reading glasses.”

  His eyes widened as he scrambled to his feet. “You think I’m sexy?”

  Ask me to kiss you, she willed him silently.

  When he didn’t, when he just stared into her eyes, she backtracked, not confident enough to broach the subject. “What are you reading?” She reached for the book in his hand.

  Flipping it over, she had to smile. It was one of hers, The Folklore and People of Dakarta.

  He fumbled for it, and ended up with it pressed against his chest, where he’d hidden away his glasses. Could he be any cuter?

  “Sorry,” he said. “I, uh, I wasn’t sure if I should ask you or what, but I was just—I liked learning all about it, you know?”

  Her smile threatened to take the top of her head off. “I do know, and that’s what I like about you.”

  “You like me?”

  Slowly, his awkward expression relaxed into a smile. His lips were only barely lifted, but his eyes were doing that little crinkle thing which showed her he really meant it.

  Yeah, totally in love.

  She wrapped her arm through his. “I do. I’ve got something important to tell you, and was hoping to see you tonight.”

  Something really important.

  To her surprise, he stiffened for a moment, then exhaled. “Yeah, me too.”

  As they stepped out of the studio, her arm slipped out of his until they were holding hands. It felt natural. She had her laptop, he had his—her—book, and they were holding hands as they walked through the palace halls, as if they were in school, or something.

  Well, she was certainly learning a lot from him, so maybe they were in school. The corny thought made her roll her eyes at herself.

  “I…” He took a deep breath. “I wanted to invite you to dinner with me.”

  “Tonight?”

  “No.” His sexy caramel-smooth voice hiccupped a little. “I mean, yes. But I meant on the thirty-first. Things should be less crazy by then, and my cousins suggested I borrow the yacht, take you out and show you Solrighavn by moonlight.”

  She halted, dragging him around. “Wait, the royal yacht? Only the family uses that!”

  He shrugged. “I’m family.”

  “I don’t have anything to wear!”

  This time he chuckled and squeezed her hand. “Anything you wear would be amazing, I’m sure. But I did see a photo of you last night in that green gown. Maybe that, unless you were planning on wearing it to the ball tomorrow night.” He tugged her into motion once more.

  New Year’s Eve on the royal yacht? Nova couldn’t believe it. She really was dating a prince, wasn’t she? He was Enzio—who wore glasses and researched old family legends for her—but he was also a prince of Velarno, who saw the Aegirian royal family as just cousins to be teased.

 
It was hard to find her voice after that surprise, but she answered him. “I, um-- No. Wow. Yes, I mean. I have a gown. Another gown.” She’d actually had it made a month ago, before the tailor had been overworked with last-minute requests for the ball. It was a simple red strapless number, without all the glitter and embroidery the tailor had wanted to include, but Nova felt it was perfect. It suited her. “And yes, I’ll wear that green dress, if you’d like. I mean—thank you. Yes, I’d love to join you for New Year’s Eve.”

  He was smiling softly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Thank you.”

  Wow.

  They were climbing the grand staircase for the top floors before he spoke again. “Okay, but yes about tonight too, I mean. Would you have dinner with me? I’m really hoping you say yes, because I’ve already ordered it. We’re having salmon in my room, because there’s another Hallmark movie on tonight, and I wanted to decorate cookies with you.”

  “What?” She had to laugh. “Decorating cookies? You’re a prince.”

  He shrugged, not looking at her as they reached the landing. “They all do it in those movies, yeah? So I looked it up and you commoners are supposed to be fond of it. It doesn’t look that hard.”

  Commoners? Chuckling, she admitted, “Sure, I used to do it every year with my mom. But you’re a prince. You could just snap your fingers and a dozen decorated cookies would appear!” Probably delivered by singing woodland creatures or something.

  When he glanced at her, their eyes met and held. “Sure I could,” he said in that smooth voice of his, “But where would be the fun in that?”

  Oh.

  He smiled sheepishly. “Besides, I did order the cookies pre-made from the kitchens. And the frosting. And sprinkles. You’re going to have to show me what to do.”

  Cookie-decorating and Hallmark movie-watching? She sighed happily and gripped his hand tighter. “Your wish is my command, Your Highness!”

  Nothing more was said until they arrived at her room. That’s when she realized he’d been steering her that way since the stairs. He must’ve known she’d want to drop off her stuff and freshen up before heading to his suite.

  Wasn’t that just like him, to think about her? She was smiling as she inserted the key and opened the door.