The Sheikh's Bride Bet

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The Sheikh's Bride Bet Page 21

by Holly Rayner


  In front of him was a stunning cake. The square layers alternated between dark blue and white, and around the white layers ran horizontal solid stripes in a lighter blue and gold, the colors of Spiaggi’s flag. There was a tiny pattern stamped in gold across the dark blue layers, and looking closely, Raffaele realized that the pattern was his monogram.

  A classy white candle in the shape of the number thirty perched on top of the cake, standing out against the dark blue, and the base of the cake was covered in a ring of white blossoms. Leaning in again, Raffaele saw that the blossoms were Spiaggi’s national flower, some real, and some made out of sugar.

  He bent down and looked closer at the blossoms, seeing bits of color tucked in among the white. He almost gasped as he realized the bits of color were tiny shapes: a horse, a seashell, a Mardi Gras mask, a book, a car. He recognized each shape as something that was important to him.

  Raffaele looked at Maggie in amazement and she said, “I wanted you to see it first, without the crowd.” He continued to stare at her, not able to speak, so she added, “I know the cake has to be formal, but I wanted there to be something of you in it.”

  Raffaele finally said, “How did you…” but he couldn’t finish the question.

  Maggie smiled. “I asked Chef Luis if it would be okay when we planned the cake. He got your mother’s approval and gave me a list of things I could include. My pastry chefs at BienVille made the pieces and I carried them over to add here.”

  She looked at him shyly. “The Mardi Gras mask is from me.”

  Raffaele pulled her into an intense embrace. He felt like if he didn’t hold onto her, he might fall down. Maggie tightened her arms around him and he reveled in the feeling of holding her in his arms.

  “Thank you,” Raffaele whispered, not sure he trusted his voice. “It’s incredible.”

  He held Maggie close and marveled that she’d made something so personal and so perfect for him. He knew this was more than just her being a professional chef and wanting to do a good job. This was a gift.

  Raffaele stepped back but kept her hands in his. “You’ll be there when they bring the cake out, right?”

  Maggie shook her head. “They’re planning that during the dancing.”

  Raffaele gave her a look and said in his best royal commanding tone, “You’re joining us for the dancing.”

  Maggie laughed. “I’d love to, Your Highness, but chef whites are not appropriate ball attire.”

  Raffaele gave her a rakish smile.

  “You do know I’m a prince, right?” He leaned close and playfully whispered in her ear, “Remember, I have a fairy godmother on staff.”

  Maggie rolled her eyes, but grinned.

  “Does that mean I get to ride in a pumpkin?”

  Raffaele laughed. “No, it means there’s a dress and everything else you need waiting for you in your room.”

  “Raffa, you didn’t have to…”

  He gave her a look. “I know that. I wanted to. This night is yours as much as it is mine, and I want you to enjoy it. And I want to dance with you.”

  Maggie studied him and nodded.

  “As soon as I can, I’ll change and join the party. I don’t want to just cook and run. Your staff has worked so hard; I’m doing something a little special for them, too, as thanks for their help making this meal possible.”

  Raffaele looked at her, and tucked a stray bit of hair behind her ear. This woman constantly amazed him. She was kind and generous, and Raffaele couldn’t wait to be alone with her again.

  He heard her name being called from the main kitchen, so he quickly brushed a kiss across her forehead.

  “Go, chef. I’ll see you after dinner.”

  Maggie squeezed his hands and left him alone with his cake. Raffaele took another look at it, knowing that even with everything he’d ever been given, no one had ever done something quite like this for him.

  The meal, of course, was exquisite. Maggie outdid herself, and everything from the tiny amuse-bouche at the beginning of the meal to the last course was perfect. Raffaele sat between his uncle and his mother, with his father on the other side of his aunt, who sat next to King Filippo.

  Between courses, Raffaele’s family and friends offered toasts to his health and happiness. He stood for each, acknowledging each person with gratitude and grace.

  At the end of the meal, Raffaele’s uncle said, “If you’d like to do so, now would be a good time for you to make a short speech, Raffaele.”

  Although it was phrased gently, Raffaele knew that his uncle was telling him to speak to the crowd about his upcoming military service.

  His father glanced at him from down the table and nodded. “That’s a wonderful idea.”

  With that, Raffaele knew he didn’t have a choice. He wished Maggie were in the room so he could thank her as part of his speech, but he assumed she would be getting changed since dinner was finished. He stood with his wine glass and waited for the room to quiet.

  “My friends and family, thank you. Your presence means the world to me and I’m delighted to celebrate this milestone birthday with all of you. So many nice things have been said about me tonight—” Raffaele paused and gave the crowd a teasing grin, “and if you’d like to continue saying them, I’ll be happy to drink to each and every one of them.”

  The crowd laughed. Even his father laughed, though he shook his head a little.

  “Seriously,” Raffaele continued, “I am honored at your presence. I also want to thank my parents for their support and love.”

  He leaned down and kissed his mother on the cheek and gave his father a warm look.

  “I know how lucky I am to be part of this family and what a privilege it is to serve this great country.”

  Raffaele turned to his uncle and lifted his glass slightly as he ended the sentence, and his uncle returned the salute. Raffaele noticed his father giving him a pointed look, and he sighed internally, but decided now was as good a time as any.

  “I am also honored that I will soon have the opportunity to serve our country more directly, as I intend to fulfill my military service this year. I look forward to supporting Spiaggi’s critical role as an international partner.”

  The crowd applauded and talk buzzed at this revelation, and as Raffaele looked over, he saw that his father and uncle were both giving him approving looks as they added their applause.

  Raffaele lifted his glass and said, “To Spiaggi!”

  The crowd responded with a hearty “To Spiaggi!” and lifted their glasses to the royal family.

  Raffaele took a drink, but as he lowered his glass, he caught sight of Maggie standing near the ballroom entrance looking shocked. He almost dropped his glass; he hadn’t wanted her to find out like this, without him telling her personally.

  His uncle was standing and inviting the crowd to adjourn into the ballroom for dancing. Raffaele barely waited until he was done talking before he rushed through the crowd towards Maggie.

  Half his brain noted that she looked stunning in the dress he’d picked out for her, but mostly he noticed that she looked like she was about to cry.

  Raffaele reached for her hand and pulled her gently away from the crowd. He chose the first door they came to, which led to a little courtyard tucked off to the side of the house.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said, trying to get the words out quickly. “I knew it was something I’d have to do, but I didn’t expect to announce it tonight.”

  “But you knew you were going away.”

  Maggie sounded hurt, and Raffaele didn’t blame her.

  “I knew I’d have to go away some time before the end of this year, but I still don’t know when.” He shrugged. “Or where I’m going when I leave. I imagine I’ll have to do some training, and I may get sent on a mission or two outside the country.”

  Raffaele took a deep breath. “I want to push it to the end of the year if I can. I want…I don’t know how we can make a relationship work, but I want to find out. I’ve fallen
so hard for you; I want to try and find a way to be together.”

  Maggie studied him and Raffaele waited patiently for her to decide. When she smiled, Raffaele felt like the sun had just risen.

  “I want to be with you, too,” she said. She placed one hand on his chest and reached up with the other to touch his face. “I know this is going to be tricky, but I don’t care. I just want to be with you.”

  Raffaele wrapped one hand behind her neck and the other around her waist, drawing her in. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her like she was life itself.

  Maggie raised herself on her toes and pressed closer to his body while he traced her neck with his fingertips and felt her shiver at his touch. She nipped his lower lip, and Raffaele responded by nudging her mouth open with his tongue.

  When Maggie broke the kiss, she looked deep into Raffaele’s eyes. What he saw there made him want to skip the rest of his own party so he could carry her off and kiss her for the rest of the night.

  Like she could hear his thoughts, Maggie grinned.

  “We should get back to your party, birthday boy.”

  Raffaele shook his head. “They won’t miss me.”

  Maggie laughed.

  “Please, after that speech? Every single person in that room is going to want to talk to you.” She patted his chest. “I don’t want to keep you from your responsibilities. But I do want that dance you promised me.”

  He bent her back as he kissed her deeply, but quickly.

  “It’s a deal.” He held her close for a moment longer after their kiss, finally saying, “Spend the next few days with me?”

  She pulled back enough to look at him. “That’s the plan.”

  “No, I mean…let me show you my country. I know we have to talk more about what happens after you leave, but for the next few days, let’s just pretend we’re two normal people who met at a party and are getting to know each other.”

  Maggie grinned at him. He was really beginning to like that grin.

  “You mean, we should date.”

  Raffaele raised an eyebrow. “Well, yes. That’s one way to look at it.”

  “No pressure, no responsibilities, no stress about what happens next?”

  Raffaele nodded and watched her closely. He was becoming more certain that Maggie was the woman for him, and he wanted to spend time getting to know her better.

  “Okay. But only if you ask me out for tomorrow properly.”

  Raffaele brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “I’m asking you out for tonight.”

  She laughed. “You have a ball to attend.”

  “Yes, and you’re my date.”

  Maggie tucked her hand in his hand and nodded toward the door. “You don’t turn into a pumpkin at midnight, do you?”

  Raffaele laughed. “No pumpkins here. Promise.”

  Chapter 12

  Maggie

  Maggie bounded out of bed the next morning. Normally, she would have been looking forward to a quiet day after the hectic pace of the last few days, but all she wanted to do was see what Raffaele had planned for them.

  Dancing at the ball had been magical. She’d felt like a princess in her beautiful, sparkly dress, and when they danced, it felt like there was no one else in the room with them.

  A maid knocked on her door, and then entered carrying coffee. The young woman set the tray down and handed Maggie a note.

  Maggie looked at her in question and the maid said, with a knowing smile, “From the Prince. He requests that you have breakfast with him in town.”

  Maggie smiled, her face lighting up as she read the note. “Of course.” She looked up at the maid in question. “Um, should I send a note back to him?”

  She got a smile in return. “No, miss. I think he’s already waiting on you downstairs.”

  “Okay, then. I should get ready.”

  Maggie dressed in record time, and raced down the stairs. She was excited to see what Raffaele had planned for the day, and even more excited just to see him.

  Raffaele was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs; he kissed her cheek and grabbed her hand to pull her outside to the car.

  They drove into town, where Raffaele took her to a tiny bakery, getting pastries and coffee. They sat outside next to a fountain surrounded by bright red flowers in hanging pots.

  It was still early, but the town was bustling as people walked to work and school. Maggie could see that people recognized Prince Raffaele, but except for a few enthusiastic waves from school kids which Raffaele returned cheerfully, no one bothered them.

  The coffee steamed in the cool morning air, but Maggie didn’t even notice the temperature. She was sure she had a sappy grin plastered on her face, but she didn’t care; she was happy and fine with everyone knowing that.

  After breakfast, Raffaele took her to the Spiaggi’s museum of national history. The curator offered to close the galleries so they could walk through privately, but Raffaele declined, saying that he didn’t want to interrupt the regular business of the museum. He escorted Maggie himself, telling her stories about the exhibits and about his visits to the museum as a child, and finding every opportunity he could to steal a kiss from her.

  The national art gallery was next, and then lunch at another tiny restaurant Raffaele liked, followed by a drive up the coast. Raffaele held her hand as they walked along the beach, and then he took her to dinner at a place where they got the seafood right out of the water behind the restaurant.

  The next morning, Maggie met Raffaele practically bouncing with excitement. She laughed and let him rush her out the door. When they got to the center of town, Raffaele parked and then steered her down a side street.

  When they came out at the end of the street, it was to a large open square set up with long rows of tables filled with all sorts of food. On the far side of the square, Maggie could see an area with more tables which held what looked like crafts and art.

  Raffaele waved a hand in a grand flourish at the market. Maggie stared around in wonder.

  “I know I said I was happy not to cook for the rest of my vacation, but this makes me want to change my mind.”

  Raffaele laughed. “It’s early in the season. You should see it in summer.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, only half paying attention to what he was saying as she wandered down an aisle of cheese vendors.

  Raffaele shook his head fondly at her, and followed. They tried the different cheeses, then moved onto bread. Maggie strolled down the aisles of fruit, not touching anything, but running her hand through the air above the stacks of citrus and few early berries.

  Raffaele teased her, asking if she wanted to be alone with the fruit. She glared at him, and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, leaning against his side.

  For lunch, they bought fruit and cheese from the market and sat on a bench in the town square. Maggie basked in the sun.

  “Is the weather always like this?” she asked, her head tilted back, enjoying the warmth.

  “It’s cooler in winter, but there’s really not that much variation.”

  She dropped her head to squint at him. “I could get used to this.”

  He laughed. “I sincerely hope so.”

  After lunch, Raffaele took Maggie to a medieval town on the other side of the island. It was mostly ruins, though Raffaele took her on top of a section of the old wall that was being restored. Maggie peppered him with questions about local history until Raffaele teased her that even his teachers hadn’t made him memorize so much information.

  Maggie teased him back, offering him a kiss for every fact he told her. So, Raffaele told her everything he could remember, and then started making up outrageous “facts” about his country’s history.

  “Did you know that pirates founded Spiaggi?” he asked her, trying to convince her that part of the old walls were really a hiding place for buried treasure.

  Maggie laughed. “That is so not true.”

  Raffaele nodded sagely.

  “They di
d. There was a terrible storm that caught a ship commanded by the most feared pirate in all of the region. The storm washed them up on the shore, just there.” He pointed to an area along the water. “And when the storm passed, they found the island so beautiful and welcoming, they decided to stay.”

  “So, you’re descended from pirates.”

  Raffaele shrugged. “My ancestors have been called worse things.”

  Maggie laughed again. “I still don’t believe you, but that’s a good story.”

  Raffaele waggled his eyebrows at her. “Good enough for a kiss?”

  She grinned and pulled his head down. “Definitely.”

  Chapter 13

  Maggie

  When Maggie met Raffaele for breakfast the next morning, the first thing she noticed was that he was dressed more casually than usual. He stood as she walked into the room, and pulled out a chair for her. His fingers lingered on hers as he handed her a cup of coffee.

  “I have an engagement this morning,” Raffaele said.

  Maggie took a sip of coffee before replying. “No problem. I can wander around town, or I might just hang out here.”

  “Actually, I was hoping you might accompany me.”

  Maggie looked at him, trying to discern his mood.

  “I’d be happy to. Where are we going?”

  “A local charity I support is having a special event this morning at one of the schools. I promised the director I would attend.”

  “Of course! That sounds like fun.” Maggie looked down at her dark slacks and simple blue sweater. “Do I need to change?”

  Raffaele shook his head. “You look perfect.”

  Maggie was pleased that Raffaele wanted her to be involved in his everyday activities.

  “So, there will be kids there?”

  “Yes. The students are—well, in America they would be in middle school. This program teaches them about eating healthy foods.” Raffaele grinned at her apprehensive look. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of kids.”

  Maggie poked at him and he caught her hand so that he could drop a quick kiss on her fingers. Shaking her head, she took her hand back and picked up her coffee cup again.

 

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