The Prince's Devious Proposal

by Rayner, Holly

  “I’m good,” he said. “I don’t want you to put yourself out.”

  “You bought me a plane ticket to Spain, Petr. You can let me feed you breakfast.”

  He laughed. “Some fruit would be nice, if you have any.”

  She rummaged around in her crisper drawer and produced an apple, a pear, an orange, and a container of blackberries. “Eat as much as you want,” she urged him. “They’d be rotten by the time we get home anyway, so you’re doing me a favor.”

  “Fair enough.” He picked up the orange and began to peel it.

  Naomi was momentarily mesmerized by the way his fingers worked the peel away from the flesh of the fruit, coaxing it off in long and winding curls rather than the little chips that were all she could usually manage.

  She forced her attention back to the task at hand and went into her bedroom. Her suitcase was at the top of the closet. She pulled it down and flipped it open on her bed.

  A few things from her trip to New York—a novel she’d been reading at the time and had never finished and a pair of unworn socks—lingered at the bottom of the suitcase. Naomi scooped the items out and tossed them on the floor. This trip wasn’t going to be anything like that one. This trip was going to be a good one.

  She went to her closet and eyed her clothes critically. What would she want to wear in Barcelona? None of the business casual outfits that made up her everyday wardrobe, that was for sure.

  She pulled an armload of her old tour dresses off their hangars, carried them over to the bed, and began to pack.

  Chapter 6

  “How long is the flight going to be?” Naomi asked.

  “About twelve hours,” Petr said. “Are you all right with that?”

  “Of course,” Naomi said, suppressing a fluttering of nerves.

  She had traveled by plane before, of course—she had flown to New York and back just a few months ago—but being in the airport today felt completely different somehow. Ordinarily, the airport felt like a bus stop to Naomi. It was a place she passed through quickly on her way to somewhere more exciting.

  But the minute they had dropped off their luggage, Petr had whisked her through a priority TSA screening checkpoint, where instead of hurriedly laying out their carry-on items to be scanned before walking through the metal detector, they had dealt one-on-one with a friendly agent and been able to take their time about it. From there, they’d gone to the first-class lounge to await their flight.

  Naomi hadn’t even realized they were flying first class. She supposed the ticket had probably said something about it, but she’d been so taken aback by their intended destination that she hadn’t even noticed.

  She perched on the edge of her seat, feeling out of place. She didn’t belong here. She’d never flown first class before. These tickets must have been astronomically expensive.

  “You look worried,” Petr said, glancing at her.

  “I’m all right,” Naomi lied.

  “Let me get you a drink,” he suggested.

  She shook her head. “I don’t want to be drunk when the plane takes off,” she said.

  “Just a glass of wine,” he said. “It’ll help you settle your nerves.”

  Apparently she was completely transparent to him. She cursed herself, but nodded.

  He went to the buffet table that had been set up along the far side of the room and spoke to the bartender standing behind it. The bartender nodded and poured a couple of glasses of wine. Petr accepted them and made his way back over to where Naomi sat waiting.

  Naomi watched him walk, that confident swagger she found so sexy. She wondered if he knew the effect he had on her.

  “I’m afraid they only had a merlot and a Riesling, he said. “I took a guess that you’d like the Riesling.”

  “Thank you. I’d enjoy either.” She sipped the sweet wine, noticing that he had chosen the merlot for himself.

  He saw her looking. “We can trade,” he offered. “If you don’t like that one.”

  “No, this is good,” she said. “I usually fly coach. They don’t give you any free wine there.”

  “Fair enough.” He took a sip. “I think you’ll find these accommodations much more comfortable, though. Honestly, I don’t know how anyone sleeps in coach.”

  “They don’t, mostly,” she said. “At least, I never have. But I’ve never been on such a long flight either.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “You mentioned that your parents were socialites,” he said. “That they hung around with celebrities when you were young.”

  “That’s right,” she said.

  “Well…forgive my bluntness, but I think you also mentioned that they were wealthy?”

  “Yes.” She wasn’t sure where this was going.

  “How is it you’ve never flown first class before?”

  “Oh!” she said. “Well, maybe it’s weird, but they didn’t want me to get too dependent on a certain quality of life without knowing whether I’d be able to maintain it into adulthood. So I was always well provided for, but we didn’t really veer into extreme luxury that often.”

  “I don’t understand,” Petr said. “Why didn’t they think you’d be able to live the same lifestyle as an adult?”

  “I mean, I don’t live that lifestyle,” she said. “You’ve seen my condo. You know where I work. I’m very middle class.”

  “I guess I assumed that you just liked that condo,” he said. “It is small, but it has a good location.”

  Naomi nodded. “I do like it,” she said. “I don’t mean to imply otherwise. But anything nicer would definitely be out of my price range.”

  She hesitated. How best to explain this to him without oversharing?

  “I knew that I would receive an inheritance of some kind after both of my parents had passed,” she continued, “but they wanted to see me make it on my own first. They stressed the importance of working hard, of getting a job and paying my own way. So when my music career dried up, I had to find work, and I had to learn how to live on my own income, just like anyone else.”

  “I see,” Petr said.

  “Now boarding flight 462 to Barcelona,” a voice cut in over the lounge’s loudspeaker, curtailing the rest of the conversation.

  Naomi was glad. It made her feel awkward to talk about her parents’ money. The truth was that she was glad to have spent the last six years living on only what she had earned herself. At least, when she looked around her little condo, she could take pride in it. She could feel like she deserved it.

  I suppose I’ll be getting a call about Mom’s will any day now.

  But she pushed that thought away. Dealing with her mother’s will would mean going through her mother’s things, dividing them up with Sarah, packing her mother’s life away for good. It would be painful and exhausting, a fact she knew all too well from having been through it already with her father’s belongings. Naomi didn’t mind at all that the lawyers were taking an inordinately long time with the inheritance. She could wait.

  She joined Petr, and together they walked down the jetway and into the first-class area of the plane. A flight attendant showed them to two seats in the center aisle.

  “Take your pick,” Petr said chivalrously.

  Naomi was a bit stunned by what she was looking at. “Are these really our seats?”

  “Is something wrong with them?” Petr asked, obviously concerned. “Did you want a window?”

  “No, it’s just—these seats are huge!”

  “This is what first-class seats are like,” Petr said with a laugh, the tension on his face easing. “Come on, sit down.”

  She did, extending her legs all the way out in front of her. “There’s so much legroom!”

  “The seat folds down into a bed,” Petr explained. “The flight attendant will help us switch them whenever we’re ready.”

  “Wow,” Naomi said. “I think I would have been able to sleep just fine with the seat the way it is
now. It’s practically an armchair!”

  The flight attendant appeared. “Can I get you a couple of drinks before we take off?”

  “Um—” Naomi stammered, unprepared.

  “How about a martini and a cosmopolitan?” Petr asked breezily. “Can you do that?”

  “Of course,” the attendant said with a smile. “I’ll be right back.”

  Naomi turned to Petr, surprised. “You remembered what drink I like.”

  “It was only a few days ago,” he pointed out.

  “I guess I’m just used to men who don’t pay that much attention to me.”

  “Well, I pay a lot of attention to you,” he said with his trademark charming smile.

  “I’m starting to realize that.”

  “Does it bother you?”

  “It’s…different,” she said. “But good different.” Feeling a little awkward, she reached for a change of subject. “You knew we were going to be asked for our drink orders, didn’t you? You didn’t seem surprised.”

  “Of course,” he said. “That always happens.”

  “Not in coach,” she said. “Back there, you don’t get drink service until the plane reaches cruising altitude.”

  “That sounds annoying,” Petr said.

  “Well, sure, if you’re used to this kind of service,” Naomi said. “I guess that’s why my parents didn’t fly our family first class. They didn’t want me to grow up thinking this was normal and then have to downgrade.”

  “That makes sense,” Petr said. “I grew up with this level of luxury, and the idea of flying coach does feel like a downgrade to me. But I suppose people manage it all the time and don’t suffer too badly.”

  “This is definitely an improvement, though,” Naomi said. “I have to admit, I was nervous about this being such a long flight. I thought I would be really uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to let you see that because you were so generous to buy the ticket. But there’s no way I could be uncomfortable in these seats!”

  Petr laughed. “I’m glad you like them,” he said.

  “I can’t believe you thought I was going to complain about not having a window seat.”

  He shrugged. “Some people like the window,” he said. “If I was traveling alone, I would have booked a window seat. I chose these middle seats so that we could sit together.” He pointed out a seat by the window—it was a single seat, without a pair.

  “I’m not saying it’s strange to want to sit by the window,” Naomi clarified. “I just can’t believe you thought I would complain after you bought me a first-class ticket to Europe. I’m not like that at all.”

  “I’m just glad you agreed to come with me,” Petr said. “I know this is a little weird—taking off with someone you don’t know very well. But I think it’s going to be an exciting adventure.”

  “I think so too,” Naomi agreed. “And I could use a little adventure right now. It feels like a very long time since anything exciting has happened to me.”

  “That’s sad,” Petr said, putting his hand over hers.

  “Well, I had myself persuaded that it was normal,” Naomi said. “That it was just time for me to put my fantasies aside and grow up. Everybody has to get a job eventually, right?”

  “Not everybody has to work for a boss as cruel as the one you described, though,” Petr said. “And not everyone works in an industry they don’t care about. Even if you’re right and your musical career is over, that doesn’t mean you have to sit behind a desk and do what Dick tells you for the rest of your life.”

  “Rick,” Naomi corrected.

  “Whoever,” Petr said. “My point is that it’s not too late to embrace adventure. Your life can still be full of wonderful things. I’m willing to bet that your best times are still ahead of you.”

  Naomi didn’t know what to say. She had plenty of experience with people talking about the end of her career as a musician. Her mom, before she passed, had always said that she was talented and capable and that she could return to music any time she wanted. But that had often made her feel like a quitter, like someone who had lost what they loved through sheer lack of effort.

  Her friends—all of whom were people she had met since her retirement from music—loved to reassure her that there was no shame in having moved on, that working in an office was normal and what everybody did. But that was a drag. It made Naomi feel like her future was bleak and empty.

  Petr was the only person who had ever really managed to talk about this topic in a way that made Naomi feel hopeful. It was okay if her music career was over. That was what he was saying. It didn’t mean that her life was over.

  The flight attendant returned with their drinks and requested that they fasten their seat belts for takeoff. A moment later, the plane began to back away from the gate. As they sped down the runway, Naomi clung to her cosmopolitan glass, very glad that she was able to enjoy this flight in such exquisite comfort.

  After they had been in the air for a few hours, the flight attendant came around again and offered to convert their seats into beds for them. Naomi watched as the woman efficiently reclined her seat and arranged blankets and a pillow. “Sleep well,” she said. “Be sure to press the call button if you need anything.”

  “Will you be able to sleep?” Petr asked.

  “Definitely,” Naomi said with confidence. She hadn’t believed that sleep would be possible on this flight, but looking at that warm, inviting bed, she knew that it would be easy.

  She got in. Petr dimmed the lights above them and followed suit. “I’ll see you in a few hours,” he said with a grin.

  She felt her heart beat a little faster at his charming smile. “See you then,” she said, hyperaware of the fact that she was about to sleep next to him. It felt extremely intimate.

  She rolled onto her side, turning her back to him, but she was still conscious of his presence beside her. He was so close.

  Is he thinking of me too?

  He had done this on purpose. He had booked seats together knowing that this would happen. He had mentioned his own liking for the window seats—well, he could easily have had one, if he’d wanted to. Naomi wouldn’t have complained about being seated solo.

  But she had to admit, this arrangement was nicer.

  Sleep stole over her quickly as the plane rode over currents of air. Her dreams were erratic, nonlinear, but again and again Petr’s face rose to the forefront of her mind.

  * * *

  She awoke to a hand on her shoulder. Petr was looking down at her, a flight attendant waiting nearby.

  “They have to turn the beds back into seats before landing,” he said gently.

  She got to her feet, feeling groggy, and the flight attendant set to remaking her seat.

  “How long did I sleep?” Naomi asked.

  “About seven hours,” Petr said. “I woke up about an hour ago, but I let you sleep a little longer. I don’t want you to be tired when we land.”

  “Thanks,” she said, feeling an uneasy sense of embarrassment. What if I snored? Or drooled in my sleep?! What if he can’t look at me the same way now?

  It was awkward to think that he’d been awake and just sitting beside her while she’d slept. Ordinarily, that wasn’t something that would happen this soon in a relationship.

  Wait. Relationship?

  This wasn’t a relationship. Why had she called it that? It was barely even a date.

  But there was that kiss. And would he really have asked me to come to Europe with him if he didn’t feel something for me?

  Probably not. But she couldn’t be one hundred percent sure. And until she was, she definitely didn’t want to start thinking in terms of relationships.

  She didn’t want to let her expectations get too high, only to be let down.

  The flight attendant finished remaking her seat. Naomi thanked her then sat down and buckled her seat belt, ready for landing.

  Minutes later, the plane was on the ground. Naomi and Petr gathered their things and disembarked.<
br />
  Their baggage was waiting for them in the airport’s first-class arrival lounge. Naomi was thrilled to skip the stress of waiting for her suitcase to appear on a luggage carousel—that was her least favorite part of travel. They found their bags and left the airport.

  Outside, the weather was pleasantly warm. Naomi could see the colorful sprawl of the city off in the distance.

  Petr smiled and draped an arm around her shoulders. “Welcome to Barcelona.”

  Chapter 7

  “Petr, this really is too much!” Naomi said in astonishment.

  They were standing in the center of a wide courtyard full of greenery, next to a marble fountain standing four tiers high and trickling a pleasant-sounding stream of water down from the top. The courtyard was surrounded by a patio on the first floor and by a balcony on the second. The entire estate was breathtaking.

  “You don’t like it?” Petr asked.

  She frowned at him in consternation. “You know perfectly well that’s not what I’m saying,” she said. “I love it. It’s gorgeous. But this must have cost you a fortune to rent. I would have been perfectly happy with a hotel. You didn’t need to do this.”

  “Nonsense,” Petr said. “This is my family’s estate. It isn’t costing me a dime.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Your family owns this place?”

  “I am a prince.”

  “You’re not the prince of Spain!”

  “True, he said, smiling. “But it’s important for royalty to have a place to stay when visiting other countries. We needed to be able to host dignitaries and heads of state, even while we were staying in Spain. You can’t do that out of your hotel room.”

  “I suppose not,” she said. “Is it really okay for us to be here?”

  “Of course it’s okay,” Petr said, smiling and nodding his head. “Nobody is using the place right now. We might as well be here if it’s just going to sit empty, right?” He wound his arm around her back. “Come on, stop worrying and let me show you to your bedroom.”