Once Upon a Royal Christmas

by Robin Bielman

  “Oh no, sweetie. I haven’t done this with David in a long time, and I’m good right here.”

  Theo was about to ask what the problem was when he figured it out. The sleigh was full. They must have miscalculated the number of available seats when climbing aboard. Although from the expression on his grandmother’s face, this may have been another calculated move. He glanced at Rowan’s mom and found the same sorry-not-sorry face.

  He put his hand on Rowan’s lower back to guide her a few steps back from the sleigh. “Looks like we’re on the next one.”

  “That is the next one,” she said. “There’s only one sleigh.”

  “No, there isn’t,” her mother called out, a note to her tone that indicated Rowan knew that. “There’s one more, and it looks available.”

  As if on cue, a handcrafted two-person horse drawn sleigh pulled up. Theo could kiss Rowan’s mom and his grandmother for their planning. He wanted nothing more than to be alone with Rowan.

  “Have fun! We’ll meet up with you at the bonfire,” Shari said, waving her hand as their sleigh started to move.

  From his seat beside his mom, Nick shot Theo a warning glance. Don’t even think about touching my little sister.

  Theo ignored the look and waved goodbye. Rowan grumbled and marched over to the other sleigh. “I thought you liked my company,” he said into her ear, not at all dismayed with her griping. He pretty much found everything she did appealing.

  “That’s the problem.”

  God, he loved that she didn’t disguise her feelings. Especially since no other woman dared to show any side of her personality that wasn’t in good spirits. Rowan might try to come off always in control, but when it was just the two of them, her guard wasn’t foolproof. He reminded himself not to take that gift lightly.

  They got comfortable in the sleigh, their bodies only inches from one another. Their driver went over some general information, then handed them a blanket. Rowan covered their laps with it. The horse began to trot and the jingling of sleigh bells played.

  Theo planned to take advantage of every minute of their hour-long ride. He put his arm around her shoulders and gave a small tug, encouraging her to move closer. She looked over at him, her big blue eyes all the shades of the sea under the full moon, and he thought he’d never find another pair more beautiful.

  He didn’t know what she saw in his eyes, but he was grateful when she scooted over until they touched from shoulder to knee. Even with several layers of clothing between them, the contact had him growing—literally—uncomfortable behind the zipper of his jeans.

  For the first several minutes, they relaxed quietly along the lakeside trail, winding through snow-covered pine trees underneath a sky populated with hundreds of twinkling stars.

  “Best Christmas present,” she said, breaking into the pleasant silence.

  “You first.”

  “An easel and paints. I was ten and my mom also signed me up for one of those art schools that had tricks for teaching you how to draw. We used charcoals and paints and I loved it. It was easy for me and something my brother couldn’t do very well. I was allowed to bring a guest once, and he came with me. His picture was awful, but I told him it looked great.”

  “I bet you were the best one in class.”

  She shrugged.

  “Best for me was a puppy. My brother got a kitten the same year. They ended up great friends. But the best thing was I named her Otis.”

  “You named a female dog Otis?”

  “Yes.”

  “Because…”

  “Otis is my brother’s name. I was five at the time and my mom suggested I name her after something that was important to me. My older brother was the most important thing in my life, so I named her after him.”

  Rowan laid her head on his shoulder. “That is so sweet. What did your brother think?”

  “He thought it a terrible idea. I didn’t like him mad at me and was going to change it, but then he purposely ruined the model airplane I’d worked weeks on with our dad so I made her middle name Otis, too. Otis Otis Chenery.”

  Rowan laughed. “I bet you were the cutest five-year old ever. What did Otis name his cat?”

  “Yoda. The cat looked just like him.”

  “What’s your middle name?”

  With his free hand, Theo turned up the collar on his jacket to stave off the chill at his neck. “David.”

  She lifted her chin to look up at him. No words needed to be said. His mom had made sure to give each of her son’s a piece of their grandfather. Otis shared their grandfather’s middle name.

  Before he wanted her to, before he had a chance to claim her mouth like he desperately craved to, she dropped her head. “What’s yours?” he asked.

  “Alexandra.”

  “Pretty.”

  “Thanks. Okay, worst Christmas present.” She burrowed into him, like maybe she was cold, so he tightened the blanket around them.

  “Easy. A doll,” he said distastefully. He felt Rowan smile against him. “My brother got one, too. We were certain Santa had made a mistake and given the remote control cars we asked for to sisters on accident.”

  “Your parents tried to go outside stereotype and failed, uh?”

  “Oh, yeah. Otis and I were positive if we left the dolls for Santa to pick up, he’d exchange them for us. When they were still under the Christmas tree the following morning, we knew we were stuck.”

  “Did you play with them?”

  “That would be a negative. We gave them away.”

  “So if you have a son one day and your wife wants to give him a doll to teach him the importance of not being typecast, you’d be against it?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Good answer. Thing you’re most afraid of.”

  “Promise not to laugh?”

  “I promise.”

  He couldn’t believe he was about to admit this to her, but she had a way of getting him to talk. With her, he couldn’t stop the feelings in his chest, his muscles, and his head, that said he was safe with her. That she had no ulterior motives and genuinely liked his company. Despite her chagrin.

  “Worms.”

  “You mean those tiny, extremely slow-moving creatures that live in the dirt?” That she spoke with unhidden drollness made him smile. “Yeah, they are totally badass and scary.”

  He bumped her leg with his. “I can explain.”

  “I sure hope so,” she teased. “I mean, you put my fear of squirrels to shame.”

  “Squirrels?” he said, one side of his mouth quirking up.

  “Do you know how mean they are?” she asked firmly. “Very. There was an incident when I was a kid that I prefer not to talk about, so don’t ask.”

  “You want to hear my story, though? Seems a little unfair.”

  “How about I promise to keep it between us?”

  “All right.” He would have told her anyway. “When I was seven, Otis put the longest worm on the planet in my spaghetti. He hid it under some other noodles so it wasn’t obvious, and when I saw it move, I thought it was just a noodle at first, but then it lifted its head and I fell back in my chair, terrified. I’ve been bothered by them ever since.”

  “Exactly how long is the longest worm on the planet?”

  “Really damn long.”

  She chuckled.

  “Most embarrassing moment?” Theo asked, very much enjoying this latest question-and-answer session with Rowan. The sleigh glided over the snow with ease, their trail smooth, and he could listen to her talk all night. In the distance, he noticed a glow—the bonfire where they’d stop to have hot chocolate and holiday cookies before making the return trip.

  “I don’t really embarrass.”

  “What do you really do?”

  She didn’t answer right away. He tilted his head so his lips found her temple. He pressed them there, just under her fleece cap. “You can trust me not to judge you, Rowan. Nothing you say could make me like you any less.”

  “
I make mistakes,” she quietly revealed.

  “We all do.”

  “Next question.”

  “Can I kiss you?”

  She jerked away from him, turned her body to face his. “How can you ask me that?”

  He smiled. “Is that a trick question?” God, she was beautiful when she got fired up. Challenged him.

  His gaze was drawn to her pursed lips. “Do not look at my mouth,” she said.

  “Where should I look?”

  “Over my shoulder somewhere,” she said like he should have known that. “This ride is about the scenery. Not about anything else. I’m your reporter.”

  It stung to think all her questions were strictly professional, but she had made it clear from the start that everything between them was on the record. Which meant he had no idea where the line was. Not that it mattered. He liked Rowan. A lot. He suspected she liked him in return.

  “I know that,” he said evenly.

  “So you understand my dilemma?”

  Ah, she had a dilemma. Her admission stoked the desire thrumming through him like a lit fuse about to detonate. “I do, but I don’t believe a newspaper article is a good enough reason not to explore the attraction between us.”

  “What about Elisabeth?” she asked, outraged on the princess’s behalf. “I think that should be reason enough, Your Highness.”

  “Your protectiveness for someone you don’t even know is insanely hot,” he said. If he didn’t think Rowan exceptional before, he would have now. “She’s in love with someone else.”

  “What?”

  “She called to tell me she was in love with her boyfriend, that they may be pregnant, and that she couldn’t go through with the engagement.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You could answer my question.” Because, God help him, he was this close to kissing her with or without her reply.

  “Where does this leave you?”

  He should have known she’d fire back another question. A question he’d answer as truthfully as possible. “I’m not sure, but definitely without Elisabeth. I want her to be happy. Most likely my father will pick someone else who meets his requirements.”

  “So right now…” She drew in a slow breath.

  “I’m free to do as I please.” Please let me do you. He tried not to look at her with too much obvious preoccupation, but it wasn’t easy.

  She blinked slowly. Bit her bottom lip. Every time she did that, his body tightened. He understood her hesitancy. They were on borrowed time. Nothing could come from this instant, but powerful connection between them. Yet, it didn’t hinder his desire for her. If it hampered hers, however, he’d respect her refusal and back off.

  “Theo…” The sexy, breathy sound of his name made him reach out to cup the nape of her neck. She leaned closer. Her hand landed on his thigh underneath the blanket.

  They didn’t take their eyes off each other. They could have been in the middle of the North Pole for all Theo cared. The only thing that mattered to him was Rowan and kissing her so she knew what he felt wasn’t fleeting. No confusion. No doubt. He cared about her, admired her, and wanted to show her how much for the rest of the month.

  He brought her face to his, their cold noses touching. Her eyelids drifted shut.

  And then she pressed her palm to his chest and lifted her head away. “I’m not,” she whispered. “Free to do as I please.”

  “Is this about the newspaper?” he asked respectfully. He understood she wrote a pet column and that perhaps this was her first big interview, but they were two consenting adults.

  “Yes.”

  “What if we finished the interview tonight and you had everything you needed to write the story by the time we reached the bonfire?”

  “You really want to kiss me,” she said playfully.

  “You really want to kiss me, too.”

  She shook her head. “You’re incorrigible.”

  He laced their gloved fingers together. “Is that a yes?”

  “Has anyone ever told you no?” She measured him, her gaze drifting over his forehead, his cheeks, and the stubble on his jaw before lingering on his mouth.

  “I’m not sure there’s a right answer to that question. I can tell you I won’t ever say no to you.” Where that declaration came from, he had no idea.

  She glanced away nervously before resuming eye contact. “You shouldn’t say things like that. I could ask you to eat a worm.”

  He laughed. “Gummy, right?”

  “Good comeback.”

  Theo fought the urge to pull her onto his lap and continue this conversation with her straddling him. The feeling of wanting her body atop his, even with their winter gear on, showed no signs of wavering.

  All too soon, the sleigh came a stop. Damn it. They were at the bonfire. Her rueful expression gave him hope for later, though. And when she leaned forward and whispered, “Ask me again tomorrow night,” his desire to take things further turned into a done deal.

  Chapter Ten

  Rowan closed her laptop and let out a deep breath. Working on the article to set her career back on track was not all it was cracked up to be. She’d spent all day writing, finding it harder than she anticipated. Not because she didn’t have enough material on Theo or didn’t know the slant she wanted to use. It was hard because her subject kept intruding on her thoughts in ways only romance writers could write about.

  His stupid blue eyes and sexy stubble and lips she couldn’t stop fantasizing about were very inconvenient. Last night’s sleigh ride had been romantic. Fun. A memory she’d hold tight to for a long time to come.

  She drummed her fingers on her desk and contemplated tweaking one more thing on the story. No. She’d finally finished it. Sent an email to Emmaline letting her know it was done and would be in her inbox on Monday. Tomorrow, she’d give it one more read-through. If she peeked again now, she’d end up reading the whole thing.

  She glanced at the clock on the wall. Crap. Bea and David were picking her up in an hour to drive to the ball. She put a hand on top of her head. Yep. Still in a messy, unwashed bun. Not that she planned to do anything special with her hair. Just shampoo, condition, blow-dry, curl, and maybe style in an up-do or twist with tendrils. She jumped to her feet, and yikes, a million pretzel crumbs fell from her lap onto the floor.

  Clean up would have to wait, though, since she also had to shave her legs, exfoliate, file her nails, put clear nail polish on them, tweeze her eyebrows, and slap on some teeth whitening strips.

  What?

  She got her ass in gear, ignoring the nervous flutters in her stomach as she hurried into the shower like a girl getting ready to go on her first date and have her first kiss. Her nerves hadn’t been close to this fluttery back then, or any other time, really. Rowan refused to examine what that meant. Although it could easily be attributed to Theo being a freaking prince!

  Yes, that was it. It wasn’t because the thought of having his mouth and hands on her put her entire being into a tailspin. And it wasn’t because she wanted to tell him she was falling for him, that she’d never feel this way about anyone else again. Because that was ridiculous to the tenth power.

  There was no scenario where things between them progressed beyond the next two weeks, so she needed to chill and tell her heart to tone down the beats.

  She accomplished everything on her beauty to-do list with one minute to spare. When the doorbell rang, she was right there, pulling her long, black wool coat off the hanger.

  “Rowan, you look gorgeous,” Bea said, stepping inside. Outside, snow fell in light drifts, like the small florets of a dandelion when a person blows on the flowering plant to make a wish.

  “Thank you.” Bea wore a turquoise gown underneath her coat, and Rowan noticed it brought out the blue in her eyes.

  “My grandson is going to swallow his tongue when he sees you,” she added, peering around Ro to see the back of the dress.

  “Bea. He is not. This isn’t a real date.
We’re friends.” She slipped one arm, then the other, into her coat.

  “Don’t kid yourself, sweetie. It’s real.”

  It’s not. If Rowan let it be real she was in danger of losing her heart. She’d yet to do that; worried she’d lose the biggest piece of herself to the wrong person. Besides, growing up with an older, protective brother, most local guys thought of her as a pal, not girlfriend material. In college she’d gone a little boy crazy, bouncing from boyfriend to boyfriend, but always keeping the upper hand and having a great time.

  Cassidy had once told her she gave off a fun-loving, sometimes oblivious vibe. Meaning Rowan wasn’t preoccupied with getting too serious with anyone, even if he wanted to get serious with her. Ro agreed. She knew when she met the right guy she’d give him all her pieces every minute of every day.

  “Shall we?” Rowans asked, finished with the last button on her coat.

  Once inside the car, David greeted Ro and the three of them made small talk on the way to the Graff Hotel. Snow continued to gently fall, bright festive holiday lights lit up homes and storefronts. Ro slouched in the back seat and stared out her window with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. The jitters pissed her off. She pressed her palms into the seat and straightened. Fear could be beaten with an attitude adjustment.

  Theo is just a person. Albeit sexier than any man had a right to be. But tonight, family and friends would be in attendance, too. She’d mingle, eat, drink, and keep herself occupied so she didn’t have time to dwell on the prince. By the time the hotel came into view, she was ready.

  The lobby of the Graff Hotel always stole Rowan’s breath for a second, but especially at Christmas time. The marble floor shimmered, wreaths hung in each towering oval window, and red velvet-wrapped greenery was swathed around the majestic columns and across archways. Gorgeous light fixtures bathed the large entrance in a golden rainbow of illumination. But the most spectacular feature was the giant fir Christmas tree decorated with sparkling white lights, twinkling glass ornaments, and velvet ribbons.

  She, Bea, and David dropped their coats off at the coat check, then proceeded toward the Grand Ballroom. “I’ve got to make a quick stop at the ladies room,” Rowan said. “I’ll see you two inside.”