by J. S. Scott
It only took me a moment to catch my breath. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry. I’m really a klutz,” I said in a mortified whisper. “How many people just saw what happened?”
“Not many,” he answered in a noncommittal tone. I was pretty sure he was telling a bold-faced lie.
“Oh, God,” I groaned.
“You’re fine,” he said in a reassuring tone.
“At least you have very good reflexes,” I muttered as I pushed against his hold on me.
I’d gone face-first into his body, and as I took in panicked breaths, I got a whiff of his masculine scent. It was warm and inviting, making me want to stay exactly where I was, but I knew I had to redeem myself somehow.
I can’t even get down a flight of stairs in heels without creating a major incident!
He let out a low laugh. “Lucky for you I just happened to be standing here to break your fall.”
As he loosened his hold, I looked up at him, hoping his physical appearance was far different from his seductive voice, hard body and tantalizing scent.
Unfortunately, as my eyes rose to his face, I discovered he was every bit as male and devastatingly handsome as he sounded, felt and smelled. I nearly melted as I looked into an attractive pair of dark eyes, and noted his cropped, spiky, just-rolled-out-of-bed blond hair.
“T-Thank you,” I stammered as I untangled myself from his arms. “I really am sorry. I wish I could say it never happens, but I’m afraid it’s quite normal for me.”
“No harm done,” he answered smoothly. “Would you like to get a drink?”
He held out his arm politely, and I knew I couldn’t refuse. “Yes,” I agreed and took his offered escort. I needed a very strong drink. The only problem was that I didn’t do well with alcohol.
The more I drank, the clumsier I became. But a cocktail would usually mellow me out.
When a woman was already inclined to trip over almost anything, even her own feet, alcohol and me could be a dangerous combination.
I already fell down the stairs. What other calamity would matter after that?
“I’m Diana Longmont.” The poor guy at least deserved to know the name of the woman he’d saved from further embarrassment.
His accent was hard to place. He sounded British, but I wasn’t quite certain.
He looked down at me with a grin, his humor reflected in his warm, chocolate brown eyes. “Alexander. But you can call me Alex.”
I nodded nervously. “Alex,” I echoed. “Thank you for saving me. It would have been ugly if I’d hit the floor.” It usually wasn’t a pretty sight when I fell.
He barked out a laugh. “American, yes?”
“Yes.”
“I love Americans. They’re usually blunt and honest.” As we arrived at one of the many bars around the ballroom, he looked at me expectantly.
I shrugged. “I have no idea what sort of drinks they have here.”
“Alcohol is fairly universal,” he answered with a smile. “Would you like a glass of wine.”
I shook my head. “Tequila. Straight up. Make it a double.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
I nodded vigorously, willing to risk getting tipsy if it would calm my anxiety.
He placed his order, and the bartender had the drinks ready almost immediately.
I eagerly took the golden amber drink from his hand and tossed it back in one large gulp. “It’s smooth,” I said after I swallowed and handed him back the empty tumbler.
I had to force myself not to cough. The drink was burning its way through my system, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to relax.
“It should be smooth,” Alex said. “It’s the best in the world.”
“Of course it is,” I mumbled. “Good enough for royalty.”
“Exactly,” he countered, handing me another drink that the bartender had made up at Alex’s request.
“What’s this?” I took a sip of the tangy drink, and it slid deliciously over my tongue.
“Tequila Sunrise,” he answered. “If you throw back another glass of straight tequila the same size as the one you just finished, I might be catching you when you swoon.”
“I don’t swoon,” I told him bluntly, watching him take a measured sip of what appeared to be some kind of whiskey from his glass. “But I do get even clumsier, so you might be right. I’d better slow down.”
His intense gaze stayed on my face, my body reacting as he seemed to take in every detail of my appearance.
“I’d be more than happy to catch you again if you fall,” he answered, his eyes roaming over my body slowly.
My gown was far from revealing. The front was cut low, but I had very little to show off as far as cleavage goes. The little cap sleeves left most of my arms bare, but I wasn’t dripping in gems like most of the women in the ballroom. The only thing I was wearing was a diamond-studded heart necklace that my father had given me before he died. I rarely removed it, so I’d never seen any reason to acquire more jewelry. Granted, it had been bought for a sixteen-year-old girl, but I loved it because my father had given it to me.
“I’ll try to avoid tripping on my heels again,” I told him breathlessly, feeling like his presence was sucking all of the air from the room, making it difficult to catch my breath.
God, he was handsome. Even in a black mask that matched his dark tux, it was obvious that he was absolutely gorgeous.
“A shame,” he drawled in a deep voice. “I rather enjoyed having you in my arms. So what are you doing here in Rubare Virgina?”
Alex’s attention surprised me, and I found myself flustered under his appraising gaze. Men didn’t pay that much attention to me, especially when there were so many other gorgeous, single females in the room.
I could feel the first drink I’d downed coursing through my veins, and being the object of this man’s interest was beyond heady. There had never been a man who had focused his attention on me so intensely, and I couldn’t say it was comfortable for me.
I shrugged. “I’m trying not to catch the prince’s attention. Not that I really think people will notice me unless I come flying down the staircase again. They usually don’t.”
“You have my attention,” he replied. “Are you hoping to marry Prince Nic? I think almost every woman in the room has that ambition.”
I kept sipping on my drink, shaking my head fervently to his question. When I came up for air, I answered, “Oh, good Lord, no. That’s the last thing I want. I don’t care to marry some conceited, fluff-headed royal who thinks it would be an honor to be his bride.”
I shuddered as I thought about how much I wanted to avoid men like the eligible prince.
“How do you know he’s conceited?” Alex questioned with a grin.
“He’s a royal. And the Demande family is filthy rich.”
“And you aren’t? I don’t imagine you’d be here if you weren’t.”
I tried not to make a slurping sound as I hit the bottom of my glass. “Oh, no. I’m rich. But I’m not much for rules and the cut-throat society of the ultra-wealthy. I usually stay as far away from these sort of events as possible.”
“Then why are you here? If you aren’t hoping to catch Nic’s eye, what’s the point of traveling here?”
“I really wanted to see The Grand Library and look around Rubare Virgina. Since there is no sightseeing allowed, I figured this was the only way I’d ever see the island.”
The explanation was close enough. The last thing I wanted to tell anybody was that I was gathering information for a history book.
He nodded in affirmation. “There are many species of wildlife and plants here that exist nowhere else in the world.”
Excitement bubbled up inside me, eagerness to see and explore what so few other people in the world had seen. “I can’t wait to see the island. If I could just…”<
br />
“What?” Alex prompted. “What do you need?”
“I’m hoping to lose my virginity here tonight so I won’t be eligible to be the wife of a prince.” I blurted out my plan before I could think better of it. “Then I can just go explore the island without worrying about attending the rest of the events this week. I wouldn’t be an acceptable bride for him since he needs a virgin.”
Alcohol was making any inhibitions about sharing information with Alex flee my body. Normally, I probably wouldn’t have shared my plan. There was also something about him that just invited me to tell him everything. He seemed like a trustworthy type of guy.
There was a brief hesitation before Alex began to laugh, an unpretentious, booming sound that filled the air around us.
As he recovered, he grinned down at me. “You’re the first woman I’ve ever met who actually wants to escape from a Demande.
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t cut out to be a princess. I’d rather leave it to one of the other women here who desperately wants the title and the money.”
“What do you want then, Diana?” Alex asked, leaning in so he could ask the question provocatively near my ear. “Every woman here wants to be a princess.”
I shrugged. “I just want to be me,” I admitted. “I want to be seen for something other than my money.”
“I take it that being you doesn’t include balls and royal parties.”
I shook my head as I handed him my empty glass. He gave me one that was full a few moments later. “No. I don’t fit into this world, Alex. I never have. I was born rich, but I couldn’t wait until I was an adult so I could get out of attending social events and embarrassing myself. I’d much rather be in a museum or an art exhibit.”
“Since you seem to be determined to go ahead with your plan, will you allow me to free you from your obligations?” His voice was husky and mesmerizing, so seductive that I nearly melted to a puddle at his feet.
It wasn’t difficult to decipher his meaning.
Here he was…the man who would finally take my virginity. The guy who would make it unnecessary to attend the rest of the events planned during the next week.
I was close. So close to getting what I needed to excuse myself from the weeklong party plans.
I shivered as I thought about his big, hard body dominating mine when I finally surrendered to him. Alex would make it a good experience. I had no doubt about that. “Yes,” I answered simply.
Ridding myself of my virginity was the reason I was here, and Alex was far more than I’d expected for my first. Hell, I’d have accepted just about any guy.
I nervously downed my drink as he stayed silent for a few moments, his rugged jaw tight as he tossed back the rest of his drink similar to the way I’d downed my first double shot of tequila.
He set his empty tumbler aside on the bar, then took my nearly-finished cocktail and put it next to his. “Dance with me, Diana,” he insisted, holding out his arm politely.
I guess I’d expected him to pull me into some hidden closet somewhere and do the deed, but his beckoning eyes told me he thought differently.
So we danced.
We talked.
We laughed.
We drank.
And somewhere in the wee hours of the morning, we discreetly left the ball, drunk on alcohol and each other’s company as we made our way back to my room in the hotel.
CHAPTER 2
Diana
The moment I woke up in bed naked the next morning, I knew I’d had way too much to drink. I hadn’t experienced a hangover in years, but I knew instantly what was wrong.
I moaned as I rolled over onto my back. I was nude, nauseous and felt like my head was in a giant vise.
“Oh, God. What did I do?” I groaned aloud as I put an arm over my eyes to block out the light streaming in through the windows.
I had no doubt I’d accomplished my goal of becoming ineligible to be Prince Nic’s bride, which I didn’t regret. But my memory was foggy, and I couldn’t actually remember losing my virginity.
Alex had shown me just how entertaining a ball could actually become with the right partner. He’d told me amusing stories about some of the people present, many that I was sure were fictional, but they’d been entertaining. Quite a few of the females attending had been young virgins of the homegrown variety, ladies native to the island nation. Other visitors at the ball, like me, were from prominent families all over the world. He’d seemed to know almost everyone at the event, and had no shortage of information about nearly every hopeful female who wanted to be the next princess.
At some point, he’d introduced me to His Royal Highness, Prince Ballasare, and His Royal Highness’s wife, Princess Jessica. Unfortunately, I remembered very little of our conversation except for the fact that Princess Jessica had been an American.
My stomach rolled as I sat up slowly, wracking my brain to try to remember the final act that had left me naked in my elegant hotel room, and completely alone this morning.
My heart flip flopped as I remembered Alex escorting me up to my room, and I had a vague memory of an amazing kiss as we entered.
After that…everything else was blank.
Squinting at the bedside table, I could see a handwritten note next to the bed.
Alex?
I winced as I stretched for the piece of paper and my glasses on the side table.
Thank you for one of the most enchanting evenings I’ve ever experienced. Enjoy the island.
Disappointment flooded through my body as I realized that he didn’t mention seeing him again, but he’d made it clear that I was free.
“Seeing him again wasn’t part of the deal,” I muttered out loud, reminding myself that I’d only had one purpose in going to that ball, and it was mission accomplished. Even though I didn’t remember it happening, I was no longer a virgin.
Strangely, even though I’d done what I’d set out to do, I felt a little forlorn. Waking up alone and hung over after having sex for the first time was lonely.
My physical condition was marginally improved once I’d taken a shower and dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a light green summer top. I pulled on a pair of white sneakers since I planned to make a beeline for the door once I’d put something solid in my stomach.
I picked up my ball gown from the floor, along with my undergarments that were littered around on the plush carpet. Trying not to think about what might have occurred the night before, I shoved them all in my suitcase before I hustled out the door in search of something bland and solid to put on my rolling belly.
“First stop…The Grand Library,” I mumbled to myself as I rode down the elevator solo, almost certain I could still catch a faint whiff of Alex’s scent in the enclosed car.
However, it was the smell of food that had me following its aroma as I wandered around the lobby until I found the hotel restaurant.
“Table for one?” the gentleman at the entrance to the eatery inquired politely. Strangely enough, he was also the man who’d been attending the entrance to the ball the night before.
I nodded politely. “Yes, please.”
“Miss Longmont, am I right?” he inquired politely.
It was a little strange that an employee at the hotel restaurant knew my name. Or was he an employee of the hotel? The guy certainly wore more than a few hats.
“Yes,” I answered cautiously, eying the curious man as he made hand signals to the staff inside the restaurant, silent orders that apparently were being carried out to find me a table.
The dining room wasn’t very busy, and I assumed that most travelers were eating in their rooms, or had already eaten. It had to be close to noon, but I was still hoping for breakfast.
He inclined his head. “My name is Theo. I’m the royal advisor,” he informed me. “Please let me know if we can do anything to make your stay in Rubare
Virgina more pleasant.”
“I’d like to visit The Grand Library,” I answered eagerly.
He shook his head. “Only citizens are allowed there unless you’re with a member of the royal family. Some of the volumes are very rare.”
My hopes went crashing to the ground.
“I think that can be arranged,” another male voice said from behind me, one that sounded younger and much more enthusiastic than the man who was finding me a seat.
I turned sharply and had to tip my head up to see the tall man in front of me.
The first things that struck me were his deep blue eyes and coal-black hair, two traits that stood in sharp contrast with each other, and I openly gaped at him for a moment as I took in his presence. Nobody could have shoulders that broad and not make a very large statement. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a navy-blue T-shirt that seemed to strain over his muscular body, his appearance left me almost speechless.
I frowned at him once I finally found my voice. “What can be arranged?”
“It’s your lucky day,” he said with a mischievous grin. “I just happen to have access to The Grand Library.”
“Your Highness,” Theo said reverently as he bowed to acknowledge the new and younger man’s presence. “It’s very good to see you.”
“Your Highness?” I repeated, confused.
“Miss Longmont, please allow me to present His Highness, Prince Niccolino Demande.” Theo said formally. “Your Highness, this is Miss Diana Longmont from the United States of America.”
“Prince Nic?” I said in a disappointed voice.
“Don’t sound so sad, Miss Longmont,” Nic answered with a grin. “I promise that I don’t bite. And I do have access to the place you’d like to see.”
“I was trying to avoid you,” I answered without censoring my words.
He raised a royal brow. “That would be…different,” he answered with a bit of humor in his voice.
I have to stop talking. I just insulted someone from the royal family because I didn’t stop to think about what I wanted to say. I hadn’t meant to be rude, but Prince Nic had me flustered. He was nothing like I’d imagined. Honestly, he seemed really…charming.