A Royal Christmas Proposal

by Leanne Banks

  He gave a rough chuckle and pulled her against him. “No.” He slid his fingers through her hair and rubbed his mouth against hers. “No contract. This is just between you and me,” he said, then he made love to her again.

  At 2:00 a.m., she awakened to silence and listened for the sound of Leo. It took a few moments for her to realize that she was in Treat’s bed and man cave. She sat up. “I need to go,” she whispered.

  Treat slid his hand over her arms. “What’s wrong?”

  “I need to check on Leo. I can’t hear if he’s crying. I can’t hear if he’s okay,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

  “No. It’s okay,” he said, rising. “Let me walk you to the cottage.”

  Both of them dressed. It felt odd to Ericka to put on her now crumpled formal gown. She ran her fingers through her hair. “Hopefully Nanny won’t be up for my walk of shame, although I’m actually quite proud. How am I going to hide my feelings from Nanny?” Ericka asked him. “She’s so intuitive.”

  “It’ll be okay. Just don’t discuss it,” he told her as he escorted her from his suite. “She’s too discreet to ask.”

  “That’s true,” she said. “Otherwise I would blab on and on about my feelings.

  “Brush your teeth,” he suggested.

  “What?” she asked then covered her mouth. “Is my breath bad?”

  “No,” he said. “Just tell her you need to brush your teeth because there was too much garlic in the appetizers. She’ll run. Who wants to smell too much garlic?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you sure I don’t smell like garlic?”

  He lowered his mouth and gave her a soulful, thorough kiss then pulled back. “What do you think?”

  “Guess not,” she said, and flung her arms around his neck. “Oh, I want to stay with you, but I need to check on Leo.”

  He returned her embrace. “I’m here. Not going anywhere.”

  Ericka slumped against him for one luxurious moment, and then pulled back. “Good night,” she said as she walked into the cottage.

  Closing the door quietly behind her, she stood in the foyer and listened. Was Leo awake?

  Silence pervaded the cottage. Who would have thought? she thought and walked on tiptoe to her bedroom, listening for any sound, especially any sound from Leo. But there was nothing. She quickly changed into bedclothes and sat on her bed waiting for sounds from Leo on the baby monitor. Nothing.

  Unable to still her concern, she broke her second cardinal rule of the evening and peeked into the nursery. She walked next to the crib and saw that Leo was breathing. No need to put a mirror under his nose and mouth. He was sleeping.

  Go, go, she told herself and headed for her bedroom. She brushed her teeth then dashed into bed, wishing Treat were with her. His body had warmed and comforted her. Her feelings for him were far more than sexual, and that was dangerous. But withering from fear and need...wasn’t that more dangerous?

  Stumbling into bed, she fell into a deep, deep sleep.

  What felt like fifteen minutes later, Leo’s cry broke into her slumber. She checked her alarm clock. It had been five hours not fifteen minutes, actually.

  Dashing out of bed, she raced to the nursery and changed his diaper. “Need a bottle?” she asked, giving the sign language for bottle.

  Leo’s gaze was fixed on her face.

  She slowed down and smiled at him.

  After a few seconds he smiled and kicked in return.

  “Aren’t you the best baby in the world,” she cooed as she lifted him in her arms. She carried him to the kitchen and brought his bottle out of the refrigerator. He immediately began sucking it down. She was thankful for his appetite. To her, it was a sign of a healthy baby. In that case, he was extremely healthy.

  She burped him several times then carried him into the den and put him on her shoulder. He wiggled and rooted then settled down and took a little nap.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, and leaned her head against the back of the sofa. She drifted off to sleep.

  A half hour later, Leo awakened and gave a cry. Ericka shrugged off her slumber and took a sniff. Definitely time for a diaper change. She encountered a very messy diaper and decided to give him a quick bath. Leo had a love-hate relationship with baths, so Ericka always made sure his water temperature was very warm, but not quite hot.

  Talking to him the entire time despite the fact that he couldn’t hear a word, she bathed him in the kitchen sink. Quickly washing him, she rinsed him then pulled him out of the sink and wrapped him in a towel.

  “How’s that?” she asked. “Pretty darn good, don’t you think?”

  Leo nuzzled against her and for several moments, he remained still, safe and warm in the towel. She pressed a thousand kisses on his sweet forehead.

  Leo began to squirm. Ericka gently rubbed him with a towel then diapered and dressed him. Putting him in his crib she rested her hand on his chest. He kicked and played and fussed a little then fell asleep again

  When he fell asleep, she was certain she had the best baby in the world.

  * * *

  Treat paced the man cave. He was clearly an animal. How could he have given into his feelings for Ericka? He was supposed to protect her, not ravish her.

  Continuing to pace, he thought about the night they’d shared. He couldn’t remember feeling such desire for a woman. He’d barely kept his head on straight until that Italian guy had begun to vie for her affection. It was crazy, but after that he couldn’t deny his feelings. He had wanted her so much. He still wanted her.

  He realized he may as well kiss his plans for business expansion via Prince Stefan good-bye. But he couldn’t quit on Ericka and Leo. He didn’t know how he could ever quit on them. They’d wrapped their tentacles around his heart. The only way he could turn away from her now was if she officially told him she didn’t want him. Treat knew deep inside that the time would come when she didn’t want him in her life. How could a life between a princess and a boy born on the wrong side of the tracks in Texas ever work out?

  * * *

  Still glowing from the night she’d shared with Treat, Ericka had to force herself to concentrate on her work for the palace. Toward the end of her designated work time, she received a sobering call with another urgent request for the Sergenian royal family to stay in Chantaine. She had to figure out how to persuade Stefan to give his permission. Feeling her frustration build, she decided to step outside for some fresh air and bumped into Treat.

  Her heart jumped in her chest. “Hi,” she said, feeling suddenly shy.

  “Hi to you,” he said, his gaze seeming to envelope her from head to toe. “Everything okay? I thought I would check in.” He paused a half-beat. “Are you okay?” he asked and his second query somehow felt more personal.

  “We’re fine. I’m mostly fine,” she said as she walked to take a seat by the pool. Treat sat across from her. “I just received another more urgent request for the Sergenian royal family to come to Chantaine. Stefan has already said no. I wish I could find a way to change his mind.”

  Treat nodded thoughtfully and leaned forward. “There are a few things you can try. Start out the conversation with something you’ve accomplished. Is there something you’ve done lately that would impress him?”

  “I think he’ll be impressed with two of the speakers who have given me last-minute acceptances for the conference. They’re both internationally renowned in their fields and one is a winner of a Nobel prize in medicine.”

  “Sounds good. The next step is to talk to him at the right time of day. When is quitting time for him?” he asked.

  “Usually between four and five. Why does that matter?”

  “It means he won’t have anything else he’s trying to get off his plate,” Treat said. “Finally, give him reasons that this decision is in his
best interest.”

  “That’s going to be difficult,” she said glumly.

  “It doesn’t have to benefit him immediately. The potential benefit could come down the road.”

  She nodded. “I’ll ask Stefan’s assistant to look at his schedule for tomorrow and plan to go then. In the meantime, Simon has brought over an immense pan of lasagna. There’s no way Nanny and I can eat it. And I won’t even force you to dine with me in the cottage,” she said, unable to keep herself from making the cheeky comment.

  Treat leaned forward and lightly touched her knee. “Ah, but dining with you would make it taste so much better.”

  In a flash, he’d gone from consultant to seducer and she felt the difference throughout her body. “I’ve been thinking about you and me all day,” she said. “I realized it’s not going to be all that easy for us to—” She cleared her throat. “Be together.” She frowned, feeling both anxious and extremely uncomfortable. “I want to have time with you without prying eyes, but Nanny is here five days a week or more. I want you, but I want our privacy. Nanny is off two days from now.”

  “It’s okay,” he said, squeezing her leg. “It will be okay. I won’t sneak into your bedroom unless you invite me.”

  The sensual expression on his face made her so weak in the knees that she was grateful she was sitting down. “It’s not that I don’t want to invite you,” she whispered.

  “We’ll work it out,” he said, and rose to his feet.

  Ericka stiffened her own knees and walked toward the door to the cottage. “Why does it seem so much easier for you than me?” Ericka asked. “You appear to be in perfect control, when I’m not.” Unable to resist the urge, she stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips against his. He swept her away from the cottage door and windows and took her mouth in a sensual, all-encompassing kiss.

  He drew back and his eyes looked like black fire. “Does that look like complete control?” he asked.

  Ericka tried to catch her breath and mind so she could form words. “I don’t know if it’s perfect control or not,” she said, and then took another breath. “But I like it.”

  Treat chuckled. “I do, too,” he said. “I’ll check in on you later.”

  Ericka returned to the cottage and immediately fixed a glass of ice water for herself. Like many Europeans, she’d never been big on ice, but after that blazing kiss from Treat, she wondered if an ice bath would be appropriate.

  Treat popped in for a few moments later that evening and accepted a large helping of lasagna. Ericka was relieved Nanny wasn’t in the room because the electricity between Treat and herself was so strong she was surprised her hair didn’t stand on end.

  Ericka spent the rest of her evening trying not to think about Treat and preparing for her meeting with her brother. While Nanny took care of Leo, Ericka wrote out every word she wanted to say and when she reread it, she could see that Stefan would fall asleep if she talked this long without taking a breath, so she edited it twice.

  By that time, she was putting herself to sleep. Crawling into bed, she couldn’t help remembering how wonderful it had felt to have Treat’s arms around her. A little damning voice inside her reminded her she had no time for his warm arms and lovemaking, but she pushed it aside. For now.

  * * *

  The following afternoon, Treat drove her to the palace. Ericka was too nervous to chat. When he pulled outside the side entrance, she grabbed for the door. He stopped her with his hand. “Take a deep breath,” he said. “Or two. Remember, you’re very persuasive.”

  She took a deep breath and winced. “It’s just Stefan is so accustomed to saying no. Sometimes I wonder if it’s his favorite word.”

  “You don’t have to take no for an answer,” he told her. “You didn’t take it last time. Your will is just as strong as his, maybe more if it’s something you care about passionately.”

  She gave a quick nod. “Thanks for the support.” She went into the palace. She gave a tight smile of welcome to the staff she encountered then paused long enough to take another deep breath before she knocked on Stefan’s office door. His assistant immediately allowed her inside and Stefan stood as she entered.

  “You’re looking well,” he said, and stepped from behind his desk and kissed her on the forehead. “Is Leo letting you have a little more sleep?”

  “When he’s not teething, he is. I bought a new gadget that hangs from the ceiling and lights up. I think it gives him a temporary distraction,” she said.

  “You’ll have to tell Eve about it. She’s got several months before her due date, but it never hurts to be well-prepared when you have an infant,” he said as he motioned to one of the two chairs beside his desk.

  Ericka sat down and he followed. “You had something you wanted to discuss with me,”

  “Yes, first I wanted to tell you about the two speakers who’ve recently accepted invites to the conference. Hector Suavez, a foremost expert in making sanitary water available in developing countries, has agreed to speak. Along with Dr. Albert Shoen, winner of the Nobel Prize in physiology.”

  Stefan gave a nod of approval. “Well done. I can see that you were the right person to take on the task of this conference. I’m very pleased.”

  “I am, too. It also appears that several of the attendees want to put together a roundtable so they can discuss how to make trips to various countries in need of assistance.”

  “Again, well done,” Stefan said.

  “Now onto a concern that I have,” she began.

  “This isn’t about your bodyguard, is it? I know his probationary time period has passed,” he said.

  “No. He’s fine. Not too intrusive and he’s surprisingly good with Leo,” she said.

  “Good to hear,” he said, leaning back in his seat.

  “I’ve heard from a representative for the Sergenian royals again,” she began.

  “I’ve already discussed this. I said no and I meant it,” he said.

  “What if the royals temporarily gave up their identities and took jobs?” she asked. “We don’t have to announce that they’re living here, and the whole situation is temporary. They’re not asking to become citizens and stay here forever.”

  “But why here?” he asked. “Why not a large city where they could easily get lost?”

  “You’re forgetting that their country doesn’t have many large cities. Part of the reason they want to stay in Chantaine is because it’s not as well-known as other places.”

  “That’s still no reason for us to get embroiled in this kind of controversy,” he said.

  Ericka ground her teeth in frustration. “You’ve always said you want to be a better ruler than our father. Here is a chance for you to show it. He avoided controversy like the plague. You are stronger than that,” she said. “This is the right thing to do.”

  When Stefan stared at her in silence, she lifted her chin. “What if these were your children? Wouldn’t you want someone to show some compassion toward them?”

  His expression changed minutely. His eyes softened and he rubbed his finger between his eyebrows. “I’ll think about it,” he said.

  “No,” she said. “The royals need to come to Chantaine now. You must say yes.”

  “I must?” he echoed.

  “Yes, you must,” she said without flinching.

  Stefan sighed. “You’re going to nag me to death until I agree to this, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I am,” she said.

  “Okay, but there will be strict rules. They can’t be seen in public with each other. They’ll have to temporarily give up their identities and they will have to work,” he said.

  “Done,” she said, then stood. “Thank you. I knew I could count on you.”

  He rose to his feet. “I’m still not sure this is going to work,” he said.

&n
bsp; “I’ll make it work,” she said, and kissed her brother on his cheek.

  “You’ve turned into quite the soldier, Ericka,” he said. “I’m proud of you.”

  Her eyes filled with a surprising burst of moisture. “High praise from you.”

  Calmly walking from the palace, she stepped toward the car. Treat helped her inside and shot her a look of inquiry.

  “He’s going to let them come to Chantaine. I’m so happy I could dance on the roof,” she said.

  “I wish I could take you to one,” he said, grinning at her obvious joy.

  It was all she could do not to throw herself into his arms in celebration. “On second thought, I’m not sure dancing on a rooftop is a good idea, but I do know a wonderful little bar on the ocean. I could have a martini and you could have a beer,” she suggested, delighted with the prospect.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea? You, me in public like that?” he said.

  “As long as we don’t kiss each other, it should be okay. It’s just a drink on a Monday night. They can’t be busy,” she said.

  “If you’re sure,” he said, looking decidedly unexcited.

  “If you can’t be a little more cheerful then just let me go into the bar by myself so I can enjoy my martini in peace,” she said.

  “As if I would ever allow that,” he said.

  “Allow?” she echoed in irritation. “Just because you’re my security detail doesn’t mean you have to watch me every minute.”

  “You say that like it’s a trial,” he said, tossing her a glance full of heat.

  His expression took the punch out of her defiance. She closed her eyes and smiled. “I’m just going to enjoy this moment,” she said.

  * * *

  Moments later as they arrived at the bar, Treat watched Ericka pulled her hair into a ponytail and perch her sunglasses on her nose. “Ready,” she said.

  “It’s dark outside. Don’t you think you’ll look a little odd wearing your sunglasses?” he asked.