by Peak, Renna
“Little?!” I demand. “That thing is almost as long as I am tall!”
“And completely harmless,” he tells me, drawing me back toward his horse. He glances around. “Did you walk all the way out here?”
“No, actually I rode,” I tell him, my face flaming. “But Arella threw me when she saw the snake.”
All his amusement is quickly replaced by concern. “Are you all right?”
“A little bruised, but I’ll live,” I tell him, rubbing my butt. I glance back at the snake, but he just slithers down toward the lake as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.
When I turn back around, Nick is frowning at me.
“I’m fine,” I insist. “It was more of a shock than anything else.”
“Well, you can ride back with me,” he says. “Tempest doesn’t spook easily.” He grips my waist again, as if he means to lift me up on the horse’s back, but then he hesitates. I don’t like the look in his eyes.
“Perhaps…” He exhales. “Perhaps, since we’re alone, we should chat.”
I don’t like the tone of his voice, either. Suddenly, fear bubbles in my stomach. I don’t know what he’s about to say to me, but I know that it can’t be good, not if he’s looking at me like that.
“I want to say something first,” I blurt. “I’m sorry about the misunderstanding back there. It really was just a misunderstanding. I was trying to help. To understand your cousins a little better. Nothing happened between Caspar and me. And nothing will. There’s only one man I want.” I reach up and place a hand on either one of his cheeks. “Only one man, Nick.”
There’s only one way I know to stop a man from delivering bad news. And so I yank his face down to mine, kissing him like I’ve never kissed anyone before.
Nicholas
Clara’s kiss takes me by surprise. So much so that I forget for a moment what it is I need to say to her and give in, my arms wrapping around her as I deepen our kiss.
What was it I was going to tell her? It’s difficult to think of anything but the way she tastes, the way she smells, the way she feels pressed against my body.
It takes me a few moments, but I finally break our kiss, pulling away from her.
She smiles, lifting her brow suggestively as she looks over at the nearby grove of trees. “We should probably take this over there, cowboy. I wouldn’t mind an outdoor roll in the hay, if you know what I mean.”
I tilt my head. “Why must you do that?”
“Do what?” She tilts her head, almost as though she’s mocking me. “Most men wouldn’t hesitate—”
“I’m certain you’ve already noticed I’m not ‘most men.’” I frown at her. “I was going back to the manor to speak with you.”
“Then we should go back manor.” She shrugs, the same smile plastered on her lips. “The bed’s more comfortable, anyway—”
“Clara,” I interrupt with a shake of my head. “Is this how you dealt with issues in your boardroom?”
Her cheeks instantly stain a dark shade of pink. “I… Of course not. How could you even suggest that?”
My brow furrows as I study her face. I realize again that I know very little about this woman.
“Let’s just go back. We should get ready for dinner, anyway.”
I glance over at my horse before looking back at Clara. We could certainly both ride together, even with the long dress she’s wearing, but at the moment, I’d rather not be in such close proximity. I’m not sure how Clara is able to cast such a spell over me, but I’m certain if we’re that close, I’ll somehow end up bending to her will once again.
She averts her gaze—it’s apparent she’s uncomfortable.
“Let’s walk for a bit, shall we?” I extend my elbow to her, and she takes it.
We walk on the path leading back to the manor in silence but for the crunch of gravel under our feet and the occasional snort from my horse.
“I shouldn’t have interfered. With your political stuff, I mean,” Clara finally says. “I should keep my big mouth out of things.”
I frown, my eyebrows drawing together as I glance over at her. “Is that what you feel happened?”
She gives a small shrug, still unable to look at me. “I tend to get a little over-involved in stuff. Adam got so pissed off at me before I left for doing almost exactly the same thing—”
“I highly doubt it was the same. Did you not tell me you were an advertising executive?”
She laughs. “Yeah. I guess it wasn’t the same thing. But I blew a deal for him. I went around him to try to talk to the owner of a company we were trying to get a deal with…” She shakes her head. “You don’t care about this.”
“On the contrary.” I risk a glance over at her, but she’s still looking straight ahead. “I’ve come to realize I know very little about you, Clara.”
“Yeah. I don’t know much about you, either.”
“And yet, here you are in my home country. Surrounded by my family—”
“You met my family. You already know there’s not much to see.”
“Is that so?” I look over at her again. “As I recall, I was barely given an introduction—”
“Yeah, well, that’s because my sisters were all looking at your pictures online, remember? It wasn’t like I could just say, ‘Oh yeah, this is Prince Nicholas.’ It was complicated. You were there—you know that.”
I suppose it was complicated, but the situation was still handled poorly—probably by my own doing.
She interrupts my thoughts. “Besides, we had a deal.”
I glance over at her again and she finally meets my gaze. “Did we?”
“Yeah. That we weren’t going to share anything about our pasts. Remember?”
“I do remember. But things have changed considerably since that day.”
“No, they haven’t.” She releases my elbow, folding her arms across her chest. “Nothing has changed.”
“Clara—”
“Just because we’re having sex, it doesn’t mean things have changed, okay? I never agreed to change anything about our deal, except for the stuff about Adam. And I do appreciate how you helped me out of that…situation. But I don’t care what you say about us being here in Montovia. I could take you to my family’s house in New York, and it still wouldn’t change anything.”
“Fine.” I was returning to the manor to end things with Clara, and I thought I was ready. But I can’t deny the ache in my chest at the tone of her voice. Perhaps I’ve misread everything. Perhaps she never cared about me at all. It would make perfect sense—she found herself responding to my advertisement as a ranch manager and did what seemed best for her at the time to end her relationship with her fiancé.
We walk side by side in silence for several more minutes.
I am the one to finally speak. “Perhaps you should return.”
“I thought that was what we were doing.”
“I meant to your country.”
“To my country? You’re the one who owns land in Montana.” I can hear the anger rising in her voice. “And where exactly am I supposed to go, Nick?”
“I don’t—”
She stops, turning to me with her hands on her hips. “I left everything. Everything. Don’t you understand that?”
“I—”
“I gave up my job—my career. And I was good. I was great—”
“Then I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding another job, Clara—”
“You do not understand. You just don’t get it at all, do you? You were born into royalty—you’ve never had to work for anything—”
“Pardon me, but you didn’t have the worst upbringing, either. Things certainly could have been much worse for you—”
“How the hell would you know that?” Her voice has risen to a level I’ve never heard from her before. “You don’t know a damn thing about me!”
“You’re right.” I don’t know why, but it feels as though the woman has driven a spear through my chest. “You’re q
uite right. And you, Clara, don’t know anything about me.”
Clara
Well, this isn’t getting us anywhere.
I cross my arms and glare at Nick. He’s the only person in the world who could understand me, but he’s not trying to understand anything at all. Instead, he’s trying to send me away.
“I don’t get you, Nick,” I say finally. “But maybe that’s my own fault. Maybe I shouldn’t have forced myself on you in the first place.” It’s my own damn fault I ended up here. I was desperate for a new life and I glommed onto Nick. He was going to get tired of me eventually.
Twirling away from him, I start down the path. It only takes him a moment to catch up to me.
“It’s better this way, Clara,” he says softly, as if he’s won.
I don’t dignify his words with a response. I just keep marching down the path, trying to gather my thoughts. Part of me wants to scream at him. Another part wants to sob. And yet another part still longs to lead him off the path and tear his clothes off and forget everything but the heat of our passion for each other.
But I’m not going to throw myself at him. I’ve done that enough already. If Nick wants me, then he’s going to have to fight for me.
And that’s the frustrating part of all this. I know Nick wants me—I’ve seen the way he looks at me. Felt his touch on my bare skin. Seen him take a swing at his own cousin when he thought something untoward happened. Yes, Nick wants me. And he needs me, too. Not just physically, but emotionally. He needs someone to stick by him as he figures out his place in this complicated world. He needs someone to pull him out of his grumps, to make him laugh.
If only the stubborn weirdo would realize it.
Because I need things, too. I need to build a new life for myself, somewhere the rug won’t be pulled out from under me every couple of months. I need to feel excited and alive again.
Nick has no idea how much he’s changed me these last couple of months. Maybe he never will.
I’m pushing myself faster, pulling ahead of him. He lengthens his pace to try and stay beside me, but he still doesn’t speak. Maybe the poor bastard thinks he’s off the hook.
What am I going to do if he doesn’t change his mind, though? I ask myself. If he doesn’t let me stay? Where will I go? What will I do? Just asking myself those questions makes me sick to my stomach. I can’t go back to New York in defeat. My parents will never let me out of their sight again. Maybe my only option is to fly back to Montana, get my car, and keep driving. See where the wind takes me. After all, that worked once before.
It’s getting darker and darker as we walk. I didn’t realize quite how late it was when I left the palace, but now I’m realizing I should have paid more attention. We’ll probably be late for dinner, but I guess that doesn’t really matter anymore. In the meantime, I’d rather not break my neck out here. Or step on another snake.
A moment later, I feel Nick’s hand on my arm, supporting me. I jerk away from his touch.
“I can manage on my own, thank you,” I tell him.
“Clara…”
“If you’re just going to lecture me again, Nick, I don’t want to hear it.” If he wants to throw me onto the grass and have his way with me, that’s a different story, but I can tell by his tone that these long moments of silence haven’t changed his mind.
“I’ll make sure you make it back to the ranch,” he says quietly after a moment. “You can stay there for a while. At least until you figure out what you’re going to do.”
He probably thinks he’s being generous, but honestly, that offer just pisses me off even more. He’s still sending me away.
I’m about to tell him so when I hear the sound of hoofbeats approaching from up the path. In the distance, three horses are heading our way, dark silhouettes among the ever-growing shadows beneath the trees.
They’re moving quickly, but they slow when they spot us. And I get a glimpse at the riders on their backs. All three of Nick’s cousins are heading toward us.
“Thank goodness,” Caspar says when they reach us. “When Arella came back without you, Clara, we feared the worst.”
“Poor Nico was beside himself,” Benedict says, edging his horse closer. “He said you were nervous about riding side saddle and he never should have sent you out alone. He feared you’d broken your neck.”
I’m glad it’s dark enough that they can’t see me blush. “I had a bit of a fall, but I’m okay now.”
When I glance back at Caspar, I find him looking between Nick and me with a curious look on his face.
“What happened?” he asks finally. I have a feeling he’s asking about more than the fall.
“It was a snake,” Nick says. “Arella spooked and threw her.”
“Mm.” Caspar nods before turning his full attention to me. “Supper will be served in half an hour, and I’m sure you would appreciate as much time as possible to freshen up, Clara. May I offer you a ride back to the manor?”
Nick bristles beside me, and though my first instinct is to comfort him—to assure him that he has no reason to be jealous of Caspar—I’m not sure how sympathetic I’m feeling toward him right now. And hey, if he’s sending me away, then I guess I’m free to engage with any man however I choose.
“Thank you,” I say, stepping forward. “I accept your kind offer.”
I hear Nick take a step forward as Caspar extends his hand to me, but I don’t give him the chance to speak. To Caspar, I add, “I’m afraid I won’t be taking advantage of your hospitality for much longer. Nick has suggested I return to the U.S.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Caspar replies. “But I hope you realize you are welcome here for as long as you like, independent of your situation with our cousin.” He grasps me by the wrist and hauls me up onto the saddle in front of him with one strong, practiced tug.
I grab the saddle, swaying as I try to find my balance, but Caspar is quick to put his arm around me in support. When I accepted his offer I expected to be riding behind him, but I guess my skirts would have made that impossible.
“Come,” he says to his brothers, turning his horse around. “You know Mother will have a fit if we’re late to supper.”
Not one of them says a word to Nick. It takes all of my strength not to look back at him, but I can guess what I’d see—no doubt he’s furious, both at his cousins and me.
Serves him right, I tell myself. Trying to send me away like that.
But if this is the right thing, then why do I feel like I want to throw up?
Nicholas
Rage burns through me at the sight of Clara leaving with my cousins. I start to protest as Caspar pulls her up onto his horse, but then think better of it.
If she wants to leave with them, why should it bother me? After all, I’m the one who just sent her away.
I’ll admit it pains me that she’s already chosen to take up with another so quickly. But as I mount my horse, I wonder why I should be surprised. After all, she did the same thing to her ex-fiancé, didn’t she? She ran away from her problems and tried to find solace in me.
She’s merely doing the same now.
I’ve made the right decision. I know I’m right—I’m just not sure why it pains me so much.
I return to the manor and go to my suite, now thankful that my cousin insisted that Clara and I have separate rooms. What was I thinking, anyway? Insisting that we were betrothed, as if that somehow made sense. Nothing about this situation with Clara has made sense from the start. And it’s become clear—if only in the past few hours—that she never shared any of the same feelings about me.
I’ve been an idiot. Not that I should be at all surprised, as I’ve come to realize I can’t trust myself at all when it comes to matters of the heart.
I start to pack my things. Under normal circumstances, I’d have a member of the household staff come to assist me, but all I can think at the moment is how I need to leave this place. I never should have returned to Montovia at all. And if I’d ignor
ed my cock, I never would have allowed Clara into my life—I’d still be in Montana, happily caring for my horses.
My horses. They’re on their way here now, if they haven’t arrived already. It’s no matter, I think. They’re only animals. And I’ve no doubt they’ll be well cared for here—the stables seem well run, and I’m sure they’ll enjoy their new home.
I’ve lost everything now. Because of her. My hands ball into fists, my fingernails digging into my palms. Why have I been so stupid? Why didn’t I see before what she was really doing?
I’ve been made a fool by a woman for the last time, and I’ll never make that mistake again.
I throw my things into a suitcase and call for a car to be readied. I’ll have to return to the palace, at least for a time. And I’ve no idea where to go from there. Perhaps Leopold will have some ideas for me—he’s the most well-traveled of the five of us, though he’ll likely only have ideas about where to find the most beautiful women.
And that is the last thing I want. I am never—never—going to allow my cock to get in the way of my brain ever again.
It seems an eternity before there’s a soft rapping on my door. As much as I’d like to tell the porter how I feel about being made to wait, I should probably stick to at least a small amount of decorum. I’ll take my frustrations out on something else as soon as I return home tonight—perhaps Andrew will spar with me. It’s been far too long since I’ve fenced.
The porter raps on the door again, and I open it. But it isn’t the porter—it’s Clara.
She gives me a weak smile before she edges through the open door. “You didn’t show up for dinner. I was worried.”
“You’ve nothing to concern yourself about, Clara.” I hold the door open, motioning for her to leave.
“Your cousins said it was rude that you just didn’t show up. Their mom seemed pretty pissed, too.” She glances at my bags before looking up at me. “Going somewhere?”
I’m silent for a moment. “It’s none of your concern.”