“Maybe not, but I’m certain he’s not the monster you’ve made him out to be. Just remember, Callie—I didn’t sign up to be in that benefit with the intention of backing out if I’d been chosen. I would have gone through with it.
“But when my agent called with the news that I could replace that other actress, I couldn’t turn it down. Look—you’ve already established your career. Couldn’t you find it in your heart to take three days away from your routine to help me forge mine? Is it really too much to ask?”
When Ann put it like that…
“No,” Callie conceded quietly. She did owe her sister for past favors.
“Oh, Callie—thank you, thank you.” She broke down sobbing and threw her arms around her, mindless of the dirt.
“I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time,” Callie murmured. “Three days isn’t such a sacrifice. I’ll suggest to the prince that he make arrangements to marry the runner-up. She had to sign that contract, too. My guess is she’ll jump at the chance to take your place.”
“I know she will!” Ann sniffed and let her go. “She’s a beautiful brunette and is a graduate student in architecture from Carmel. They showed a film clip of her winning all these horseback riding competitions. I can’t understand why the prince didn’t pick her to begin with. She was much more suited to being a real princess.”
Thank goodness there had been a runner-up. It would make Callie’s task easier.
“Why don’t you go back to the clinic and wait for me. I’m not sure how long I’ll be at the Pike’s.”
“That’s okay. I’ll sit in the car and work on my lines for tomorrow’s shoot. When you’re through, I’ll follow you home and help you pack.”
“What’s to pack? Aside from some extra underwear, a clean pair of jeans and a top should last me for the thirty-six-hour trip over and back. It’s all the time I can spare. The Selanders’s mare will be having her foal any day now. I plan to be here for it.”
“But you can’t meet the prince dressed that casually—” Ann cried out aghast.
“I’m not his betrothed. No one’s going to care what the messenger looks like.”
Ann shook her head. “I just hope you won’t feel foolish when all these people are at the airport in full royal regalia.”
“He’ll only get what he deserves for buying you like you were the goods at a slave market. The whole thing is so disgusting I still can’t believe it.”
The prince might be attractive, but Callie would bet her life there was a strain of mental illness that ran in his royal family. As far as she was concerned, the sooner she got Ann out of this wretched situation, the better.
Two days later the commuter flight from Milan where Callie had gone through customs, taxied to a stop at the airport in Turin. Torino to the locals.
She unfastened her seat belt, anxious to meet the prince and get this over with. Though she was tired, traveling first-class had made it a pleasant enough experience. In an hour she’d be on the return flight and sleep all the way home.
Looping the strap of her tote bag over her shoulder, she followed the other passengers to the waiting area inside the terminal.
There were masses of people standing about. Callie braced herself for whatever fanfare awaited her, but to her surprise nothing happened. She walked around for a few minutes, expecting to be approached, or to hear her sister’s name being called over the public address system at least.
How odd… It appeared no royal contingent had come to the airport for her yet. Maybe something unavoidable had occurred and the prince couldn’t help being late.
Slowly the crowds thinned until everyone had gone except a dangerous-looking male in his mid-thirties with overly long black hair seated on one of the lounge chairs. He was reading an Italian newspaper. His well-worn jeans and black leather jacket emphasized a strong, powerful physique.
There was something about Italian men Callie had noticed from the moment she’d entered the Milan terminal. No matter what they wore, they had a certain style and elegance that caused them to stand out from other men.
She grudgingly admitted that’s why they had the reputation for being seductive lovers. Especially this dark, arresting stranger whose aquiline features made her heart race for no good reason.
When he looked up suddenly and she met his jet-black gaze head on, heat enveloped her like a desert storm. She turned away, embarrassed to be caught staring like that. Without hesitation she headed for the terminal desk.
If the prince didn’t come soon, she’d write a note of explanation and slip it in the envelope with the check and ring. Before she boarded the plane for her return flight home in half an hour, she would ask the airline employee to make certain it was put in the prince’s hands.
“Signorina Lassiter?”
A deep, unfamiliar male voice spoke directly behind her. She spun around to discover the striking-looking stranger standing too close to her, robbing her of breath. He was a tall man, at least six feet two. At five feet eight, she noticed things like that.
His searching black eyes seemed to consume her features and hair which she wore in one fat braid halfway down her back.
“Are you from the palace?”
There was a pregnant pause. “That’s right. My name is Nicco.” He spoke excellent English with a heavy accent she found disturbingly appealing.
“I understood Prince Enzo was going to meet the plane.”
“I’m afraid he was unavoidably detained. I was dispatched to…take care of you.”
“Who are you? One of his bodyguards?”
His lips twitched. “Would it make you feel safer if I said yes?”
Not particularly. If the truth be known, Callie had already imagined this man could handle himself in any situation. What bothered her was his mocking arrogance which had caught her on the raw. It appeared the prince’s emissary had kept her waiting on purpose.
He didn’t like her.
She’d sensed that instinctively, yet she couldn’t blame him. Any woman who would be a part of a benefit in order to sell her body to an unknown prince deserved the world’s scorn.
On the other hand, any man who would work for a prince who had no morals was equally despicable.
“Let’s just say that by answering my question with a question, you’ve come off sounding positively Machiavellian. But then I shouldn’t be surprised. You did say your name was Niccolo. The master of cunning. A throwback to your ancient ancestor perhaps?”
For a split second his eyes glittered with some unnamed emotion that sent a dart of fear coursing through her nervous system.
“The prince will be impressed with your knowledge of Italian political history, signorina. It seems there are depths to you yet to be plumbed. Shall we get your bags?”
“I didn’t bring any.”
“Of course not,” he murmured in a silky voice. “A princess-to-be must have an entirely new wardrobe from the skin out.” He slid an index finger down her cheek. “Yours feels like velvet. No wonder Prince Enzo couldn’t resist you.”
“Is that one of your jobs? To inspect the royal merchandise?” she snapped to cover the shock wave that had just passed through her body.
“Call it a lapse I couldn’t resist. It won’t happen again. Now that you’re his fiancée, the prince won’t allow another man to touch you on pain of death.”
She flashed him an icy smile. “How feudal of your master to send you ahead to discover my fatal flaw. I’ll warn you now. I have several of them.”
A sardonic gleam entered his eyes. “I hadn’t thought to enjoy my mission this much. Except for the wedding dress which I understand was purchased some time ago, the prince told me to accommodate your every desire.
“As soon as we leave the airport, it will be my pleasure to take you shopping for your royal trousseau. Along the arcade of the Via Roma you will find our country’s most fashionable couturier salons,” he whispered in a husky tone, giving her voluptuous body a slow, frank appraisal.
Considering she was in jeans and a knit top that was several years old, the look he’d just given her was meant to be insulting. The sparring had gone on long enough.
“You won’t be taking me any place because I have no need of a new wardrobe,” she blurted with as much hauteur as she could summon.
“Then you truly are a dream come true, signorina. I will let the prince know you intend to keep him happy in the marriage bed for the entire thirty days and nights.”
“Careful, Niccolo—your true colors are showing,” she bit out as white-hot heat consumed her.
“If your lack of concern about clothes is one of the fatal flaws you were referring to, then I admit I’m looking forward to ferreting out the rest of them.”
Anxious to wipe the gloating expression from his eyes she said, “Will you please give this to the prince for me?”
Callie reached in her bag that contained her toiletries along with a change of underwear, and handed him the velvet lined box. It held the betrothal ring. After opening the lid, he trapped her hand.
“Do you know this ring dates from the early sixteenth century when the House of Piemonte and the House of Monferrato formed a valuable alliance through marriage?”
To her shock he slid it on her ring finger. After studying it he said, “I wondered why you weren’t wearing it. Now I have my answer.
“Though it’s the most valuable of the collection in terms of the Tescotti family history, I can see how this heavy gold piece doesn’t suit your delicate hand. I’ll tell his highness to pick out something more modern from the family jewels.”
At the moment, her hands were covered in a rash from washing and scrubbing them so much before surgery. She’d tried every cream in existence, but they still itched and had blotchy spots he rubbed several times. Callie pulled her hand away, shaken by his touch which had arced through her body like a current of electricity.
Pulling off the ring, she put it back in the box and shoved it at him. “I have something else you can give the prince.” Once more she reached in her bag and handed him the envelope with the check inside.
He opened it. “Ten thousand dollars. To my knowledge, the prince had no expectations of a wedding present from you. However I’m aware of something he would like, and this is the exact amount to cover it.” His eyes flashed black fire. “You’re going to make him the happiest man alive.”
Putting both items in his pockets, he cupped her elbow. “It’s a beautiful fall afternoon. Since you don’t require any clothes, I thought you might like a ride around the city to relax you. It’s only fitting that you survey your kingdom before the wedding tomorrow. Shall we get started?”
Callie jerked her arm away. “I’m not going anywhere with you and that money isn’t a wedding gift.”
He stared at her through veiled eyes. “You’re trembling. But surely there is no reason to be afraid of me. This close to the ceremony, I have sworn a sacred oath to protect you with my life. In fact I am the only person in the world who has Prince Enzo’s complete trust.”
“Then you need to let him know there isn’t going to be a wedding.”
His white smile was condescending. “I thought only the groom had what you Americans call pre-wedding jitters. You are turning out to be a surprise in so many ways, I find myself utterly captivated.”
“Look, Nicco whoever-you-are—I’m going to be honest with you.”
“You mean you haven’t been up to now?”
Callie forced herself to count to ten. “I’ve been trying to tell you something. Before you jump to any more wrong conclusions, you need to hear me out. I’m not the woman his highness picked to marry.”
The amusement in his eyes maddened her. He pulled a photograph out of his back pocket. “Then who is this?”
The picture he held up was obviously the photograph Ann had sent in with the application.
Smothering a groan she said, “I know it looks like me. That’s because I’m Ann’s twin sister, Callie.”
“Callie.” He mouthed her name. In the next breath he’d relieved her of her shoulder bag and pulled out her passport. He opened it and placed the picture next to the passport photo. “According to this, your name is Callie Ann Lassiter.”
“Yes, I know. My sister is named Annabelle, but she goes by Ann. Our father wanted both of us to have our mother’s name.”
His lips twitched. “That’s quite a lie you’ve dreamed up. Obviously you’re frightened of this step you’re about to take. For an aspiring Hollywood actress, who would have guessed it?”
She’d had enough of his barely veiled mockery. Taking a deep breath she said, “You mistake my fright for frustration. It’s because you won’t listen to me. I’m going to try this one more time. I’m not the prince’s intended!”
As if it were his divine right, he unsnapped the strap of her wallet and looked at her driver’s license.
“Callie Ann Lassiter,” he read her name aloud again.
She gritted her teeth. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. I flew over to explain to the prince that she can’t marry him because she’s starring in a new movie. The ten thousand dollars is to pay for the airline tickets and other expenses the prince incurred by choosing to be the celebrity for the benefit.”
When he didn’t say anything, she went on with her explanation.
“She’s very sorry about breaking the contract. I assure you she would have followed through with the marriage. But on the night of the benefit, her agent called with the opportunity of a lifetime. She couldn’t pass it up.”
His continued silence infuriated her.
“They started filming in Hollywood yesterday and she had to be on the set at six in the morning. So she came to see me the day before yesterday and asked me if I would return the ring to the prince in person and give him the money.”
Callie wondered if he was even listening to her.
“If it’s not enough, tell him to contact her agent who will confer with her attorney. She wrote his name and number on a piece of paper in the envelope. I think that’s everything, and now I have to go. They’re calling for my flight to Milan.”
Crowds had gathered once more, filling the terminal with noisy chatter.
“If I could have my wallet and passport please.”
To her great relief, he put everything in her bag and handed it to her with an enigmatic expression on his face. “I will convey your message to the prince.”
Finally a reaction!
“Thank you. Please tell him I’m very sorry my sister didn’t know about the movie offer in time to pull out of the benefit. But if he’s as wonderful as my sister says he is, then I’m sure he’ll have no problem finding another fiancée.
“Ann told me the first runner-up in the competition was dying to be picked. Remind the prince that she was the ravishing brunette who’s also an expert equestrian. Oh, yes, and a graduate student in architecture. She’ll make the right bride for his highness.
“If he acts right away, a private jet could be sent for her in time to arrive for tomorrow’s ceremony. Now I really have to go. Goodbye.”
CHAPTER TWO
RELIEVED to get away from him, Callie handed her boarding pass to the airline person at the gate and hurried through the door to the plane. Once she’d found her seat and strapped herself in, she could finally relax.
The whole thing had gone much better than she’d hoped. In a way she was glad she hadn’t been forced to deal with the prince. No matter how repulsed she was by his evil method to get himself a bride, it still would have been hard to look him in the eye and tell him her sister didn’t want to marry him after all.
As for Niccolo Machiavelli, she needed to put him out of her mind and forget such a man existed. He’d excited her in a frightening kind of way, probably because he was foreign and an unknown quantity. Her body still tingled from the caress of his fingers on her cheek and hands.
She’d never reacted to a man’s touch like that before. Worse, she felt a sense of los
s she couldn’t account for to realize she wouldn’t be seeing him again.
It was very strange considering that lately Callie had decided maybe she and Ann had been born without a woman’s normal feelings. All of their friends had found a husband by now. Many of them already had children.
Growing up, Callie and Ann had never suffered from a lack of dates. If anything, it had been the other way around. Yet neither of them had ever had a serious boyfriend.
At college and vet school there’d been quite a few students interested in her, but she’d been too absorbed in her studies to get involved. It was the same way for Ann who’d had dates with some well known actors. Yet her hope of being an actress was stronger than her desire to settle down.
Now, suddenly, a dark stranger had made Callie aware of herself as a flesh and blood woman with needs that must have been lying dormant all these years. How ironic to think it took an Italian male to wake her up to her own sensuality.
Not just any Italian man, Callie.
Her instincts about animals and people were usually right on. The man who worked for Prince Enzo was a breed apart from other men. She’d sensed it from the first moment she’d seen him sitting there in all his splendid indifference to the world around him.
Deep inside she had the disquieting feeling he was going to be unforgettable. The thought was so alarming, she reached for her novel in a desperate attempt to get her mind on anything else besides him.
Little by little the seats filled. She tried to concentrate on the story, but it was impossible. The plane couldn’t take off fast enough to suit her.
A new flight attendant came on board. She smiled and chatted with each passenger. When she came to Callie she said, “Signorina Lassiter? If you would come with me, please.”
Callie blinked. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. There are two policemen waiting inside the terminal to talk to you.”
Oh, no. Nicco must have already reported to the prince and now she was about to be detained. She should have known this was too easy.
“As a matter of courtesy to you, I told them I would find you. I’m sure you don’t want to be embarrassed by having them come on board for an interrogation.”
Bride Fit for a Prince Page 2