by Susan Meier
"I can."
"Alexander… Mr. Rochelle. You can't. You're one of the guests of honor at the wedding!"
"The bride and groom are the guests of honor." He guided her through the lobby, across the shiny green floor tiles, past the fountain that roared from a stone base to the skylight several stories above, to a glass double-door entrance in the back, which automatically opened.
When she didn't immediately step outside, he caught her arm to keep her moving and the heat of his hand on her flesh triggered responses that thundered through her. Her heart rate jumped to triple time.
"This isn't right!"
"This is fine." He urged her onto the garden path.
Moonlight spilled into the courtyard. The leaves of the palm trees swayed in the light breeze off the gulf. The Oasis pool waterfall shimmered in the distance. The scene couldn't have been more romantic if Merry had planned it herself, intensifying the continuing shivers of desire that trembled through her from his touch. Light-headed with fear, Merry picked up the pace.
When Merry Montrose began to walk faster, almost running to her cottage, Alexander Rochelle also quickened his steps. He wondered what she'd think if she realized she was being disrespectful to a monarch, then shoved that thought to the farthest corner of his brain. Being Prince Alec Rochelle Montclair wasn't merely stifling. It was a royal pain in the butt.
That was why he liked the United States. The people paid attention to royalty but money talked louder than titles and rich movie stars were of more interest to them. After Alec's betrothed, Princess Meredith Bessart, disappeared, he avoided the press by coming to the U.S., knowing that without money he really wasn't that amusing. But he soon realized that in a country as progressive as this one, he could reverse his family's financial misfortunes.
However, he also quickly saw that his business associates always assumed he had more money than he did because he was a prince, making deals difficult. So with a slight change of his first name and by dropping a few extra names he didn't really need, he became a commoner, someone expected to negotiate like a pit bull, and he built an empire.
In those seven years, his appearance had also changed. He grew into his lanky frame, filled out, ac-quired a more mature demeanor and the stature of a man. People in his home country wouldn't even recognize him now. but, unfortunately, his good looks and newly acquired wealth had made him fodder for the paparazzi again.
He had come to La Torchere to check out the rumors about the many weddings that had recently taken place at his resort and eventually he decided to hide here. Not because he owned it, but because places such as this catered to people who didn't wish to be recognized or bothered. At La Torchere he had been comfortable, happy. And that was due in no small part to the woman beside him.
He stole a glance at Merry. She wasn't the most pleasant-looking female on the face of the earth. He guessed her age to be somewhere around sixty, but she appeared much older. Her gray hair was coarse and usually kept in a tight knot. Her nose had elongated with the passage of time. Her neck had enough folds that the necklace she wore could easily disappear and never be discovered again. But she was also the most interesting woman he'd met in a long time. He suspected there was a very good story behind her life.
Alexander had begun paying attention to her when he realized La Torchere's reputation as the fountain of love was due to Miss Merry's matchmaking. Oh, she was subtle. But as resort owner. Alexander noticed everything, and he knew this kooky old woman was the bottom line to his resort's most recent surge of success. He was even considering hiring an assistant for her to assure she could work for many more years.
"You should be back at the wedding reception."
Alexander shook his head. The wedding reception was the last place he wanted to be. He didn't like anything couched in pomp and circumstance. He'd had enough of it to last a lifetime when he was a child. His parents, a prince and princess of deposed monarchies in an arranged marriage, held ambassadorial roles that required them to represent their respective countries at so many functions that Alexander grew almost as tired of the pageantry as he did his parents' continued fighting. He'd believed arranged marriages were an archaic tradition that should be abolished until his father privately negotiated a trade agreement with the U.S., which his mother backed up with promises from her country. Then Alexander saw the purpose of their marriage. Silently, almost stealthily, a good ambassador could change a country's destiny.
With his current business acumen and knowledge of the United States, Alexander knew he probably didn't need an arranged marriage to change his country's destiny, but his betrothal to the princess from Silestia had opened trade routes he couldn't have opened on shrewdness alone. And be knew his country needed his marriage.
So he would do his duty when the time came. If and when Princess Meredith Bessart, the woman promised to him, came out of hiding, he would marry her and fulfill his princely responsibilities. Until then, he intended to pack as much living into these years of freedom as he possibly could. That meant he didn't go anywhere he didn't want to go.
"The wedding bored me," They reached the small stone path to her villa and Alexander directed her to turn, indicating that he would walk her to her door.
She sighed. "Really. I'm fine."
"And I'm fine. I never pass up the opportunity to take a moonlight stroll with a beautiful woman."
Merry laughed, but the sound came out as more of a cackle. Knowing she couldn't see him, Alexander winced at the horrible sound. They reached the front door of her cottage and Merry stopped.
"I'm hardly a beautiful woman."
"Oh, I'd take exception to that," Alexander said, meaning it. He touched the spot where her heart beat beneath her thin gown and frail skin. "Here's where you're beautiful."
To Alexander's surprise, her eyes filled with tears and she blinked rapidly. "I'm not."
"You are."
"Alexander, get back to the party. Go find yourself a real beautiful woman because I think you're losing it."
He laughed. "Now that I'm sure you're okay, I will return to the party, but I don't need a beautiful woman."
She clicked her tongue. "Every man needs a beautiful woman."
From the look that came to her violet-blue eyes, he could see her matchmaker instincts kicking in. "Ah, ah, ah. It's not appropriate to play matchmaker for the boss."
Her cheeks reddened guiltily.
He laughed again. "Don't be embarrassed! Your matchmaking is a gold mine for the resort. I'm simply not interested."
Her gaze sharpened. "Not interested in me making you a match or not interested in any match at all?"
"Not interested in any match at all."
"You don't believe in love." She said it simply but sadly, and he lifted her chin to force her to look at him.
"A long time ago, in a kingdom far away," he began, speaking as if his life story were a fairy tale because he didn't want Merry to feel sorry for him. Princess Meredith's going into hiding had been a relief. The night of her coming-out ball, she had hurled insults that had devastated him, but they also taught him a good lesson.
If and when he and Princess Meredith married, there would be no risk that he would lose his heart to her. He wanted to relate this tale so Merry saw the humor and the moral that he saw.
When she laughed her cackly giggle, Alexander knew she was on his wavelength and he continued, "I had a really bad experience."
"Someone hurt you?"
"Very much. But I also learned there was no such thing as love when I was young enough to put the lesson to good use, and I've protected myself." He paused, glancing at the thick, luscious foliage of the grounds before he added, "Placing your heart in someone's hands only gives them the power to hurt you."
"Really?" she asked softly, her voice so light and breathless, it sounded like the voice of a much younger woman. The change caused Prince Alec to look at her again but the moon had ducked behind a cloud and he really couldn't see her face in the shadows
.
He smiled. "Yes."
"Your philosophy is sad, and makes your life sound lonely."
He shook his head. "Not at all. I might not believe in everlasting love, but I do wholeheartedly believe in romance."
She sighed with disgust. "You mean sex."
"No. I mean romance. Sweetheart notes. Flowers. Exciting trips. Carriage rides. Whispered secrets while tangled in satin sheets. Gifts. Stolen kisses." He smiled at her. "Romance."
Merry nearly swooned. Alexander Rochelle was adorable. Which made it doubly sad that his life was lonely. "You don't mind that your relationships end? I mean, aren't there problems?"
"Nothing that can't be solved with an honest conversation. Plus, before I start anything with a woman, I'm very open about expectations."
Confused because he didn't sound sad, or lonely, or even slightly bothered by his life choice, Merry asked, "And you like it that way?"
"I love it that way! Merry, I've courted some of the most beautiful women in the world. I'm still friendly with most of them. Love doesn't have to be difficult. A person simply needs to understand when it's time to walk away."
Gazing at his handsome face, partially shadowed in the moonlight. Merry swallowed. That was another lesson she had learned from seven years as a matchmaker. Not every attraction ended in love. But that didn't make those liaisons wrong. People could enjoy a romantic short-term fling as long as both parties recognized when it was time to let go.
Given that circumstances in Alexander's life had hurt him enough to preclude him from taking the final step, which was complete trust, Merry had to concede that this life might be right for him. Because of knowing how and when to let go, he was a well adjusted, brilliant, romantic—yet realistic—man, and Merry suddenly wished with all her heart that she could have one of those temporary but romantic love affairs with him.
Because that wasn't a good idea for many, many reasons, she took a pace back. "You better return to the wedding."
He smiled softly. "Not before I kiss you good-night."
Merry's mouth fell open and she was absolutely positive her heart stopped. He couldn't want to kiss her! She was an obnoxious crone! Worse, her appearance could be changing even as they spoke. If he kissed her and realized she was young, how would she explain it?
She couldn't let him kiss her! It was insane!
She stepped back again, but he caught her gloved hand and lifted her fingers to his lips.
"Thank you, Merry, for doing such a wonderful job at the resort. I hope you will be with us for many, many years to come."
He let her fingers slide from his grip, turned and walked down the path again. A lone figure, bathed in moonlight, striding through the thick tropical foliage.
Tears filled Merry's eyes. He seemed well adjusted. He even exuded an air of sophisticated control. Yet, there was also an incompleteness about him. He might not want or even need a permanent relationship, but he'd never had a great love, and he never would because he would never trust the way he should.
Whether Alexander understood it or not, he was under as much of a curse as she was.
Merry's first thought when she woke the next morning was pure grief that she would never be romantic with Alexander Rochelle. She rubbed her eyes wearily, but she didn't feel the loose skin of her aged hand shift across her eyelids as it normally did. instead, smooth, solid flesh greeted her.
Remembering that the lifelong commitment of Rick and Cynthia broke her curse and that she had begun to feel the changes to her appearance the night before, Merry shot up in bed. She looked down at her hands and saw slim fingers and barely lined palms. She flipped them over to reveal tight-skinned knuckles.
She tossed aside the covers and virtually flew to the mirror.
Dear God! She was tall again, shapely again, unwrinkled, unbent, tight-skinned, supple-muscled, auburn-haired and…gorgeous!
She was Princess Meredith Montrosa Bessart!
She could go home!
She could call her father! He would undoubtedly send a plane for her that day, and tomorrow morning she would wake up in her own bed. She could contact Prince Alec…
And never see Alexander Rochelle again.
All her excitement faded and she drooped in front of the mirror as if she were still Merry Montrose. Damn it! Just when she had everything worked out, just when she had everything figured out, life threw the monkey wrench of Alexander Rochelle into the works.
She flopped onto her bed. Facing the glass double doors to the private patio of her villa, she saw the swaying palms of southwest Florida, and beyond the white sand, the blue waves of the Gulf, and her chest tight.
Alexander.
The man simply made her heart hurt with longing. Prince Alec was her sworn duty, and never, ever would she consider shirking her responsibility. Never, ever would she make Alec feel that being his wife and partner was anything less than joy. She wanted to be Prince Alec's wife. She wanted to fulfill her roles.
But Alexander made her yearn. He made her long for things she'd never felt and never would feel because Prince Alec was not a love match. Though she was sure she would grow to love Alec, she didn't know if she would ever have romantic feelings for him, and because of the betrothal promise, he was her match for eternity.
She rose to pace. Eternity was a long time. She didn't want to spend eternity, or even the rest of her life, regretting that she'd never known romantic love. From observing the couples she had matched, she was also now wise enough to see that a person had to be ready for the love of honor, duty, responsibility and maturity. Her couples were lucky in that they seemed to combine both romantic love and the love of honor, but princesses weren't always that blessed. Her destiny wasn't that of a normal woman. Though she had to admit it seemed odd that fate had thrown Alexander in her path right when, it was time to commit.
She paused by her bed. It did seem odd.
She began to pace again. In her seven years as matchmaker, she'd seen the roles of fate and magic in each union, and if there was one thing she had learned it was that fate didn't make mistakes or arrange anything without a purpose. Which meant Alexander had crossed her path at this precise point in her life for a reason.
A reason.
She paused again. Of course! It was so simple!
She was about to enter a life of duty and responsibility. And gladly. She wasn't merely being a good sport about this. She was committing with her heart and soul And fate was rewarding her.
Or maybe fate was preparing her. If she truly was forfeiting romantic love, maybe fate was preparing her by gifting her with one season of romantic love? Something to fulfill her girlhood fantasies so she would be ready for her adult responsibilities.
That had to be it. There couldn't be any other explanation. Fate didn't torture. It didn't dangle something in front of a person to be cruel. Fate led, guided and rewarded.
Alexander Rochelle was her reward.
She had even wished for it the night before. When he walked her home and told her his theory of romance, she had wished to experience romance as intense as it would be with him.
She gasped when she realized fate had granted her plea, and her brain kicked into overdrive. To take advantage of this gift of fate, Merry had a lot of preparing to do. She was no longer the Merry the staff was expecting, but she was still the resort manager. She couldn't leave La Torchere in a lurch. In fact, she could probably prevent the fountain of love from disappearing and the number of guests from dwindling by hiring a replacement whom she could train to subtly slide the right people together. All she had to do was say she was Merry Montrose's niece and that her aunt had asked her to take over as resort manager for the time it took to find a replacement, so her aunt could retire.
It was so simple, so perfect, that Merry smiled. But her gaze collided with the cell phone on her bedside table and her smile turned to a look of confusion. As a crone, she'd used that magic cell phone to arrange everything from good weather to accidental meetings. She'd eve
n had it repaired after a bout of frustration had left it in shambles.
Things would be a lot easier with Alexander Rochelle if…
No. It wouldn't be fair to manipulate Alexander with magic…
That thought made her frown. Part of the reason it was a gift to be a Silestia royal was the magic she had at her disposal. And changing the weather to suit a picnic or arranging accidental meetings wasn't the same as hypnotizing Alexander or dousing him with love potion number nine…
No. For some reason using her magic just didn't seem right. In fact, she was so sure it was inappropriate that she walked to the bedside table intending to stash the cell phone so she wouldn't be tempted, but the screen was blinking.
Don't waste your time,
Looking for a helpful rhyme.
No curse, no phone.
If you want love, find it on your own.
Well, that settled that. She didn't have access to the magic she'd been given as a crone, and she hadn't been fully schooled in her family's magic because she'd been a crone for most of the time she should have been at her father's knee, learning her family's legacy. But it didn't matter. She'd never needed magic to entice a man before.
She tossed the cell phone into the drawer of the bedside table and eyed herself critically in the full-length mirror.
Her first order of business was getting some decent clothes so she could go to the front desk and announce she was Merry Montrose's niece who was replacing her retiring aunt.
Her second was finding Alexander Rochelle and giving him the great romance of his life, becoming the woman he remembered forever.
Chapter Two
After a shower, Merry ran to La Torchere's boutique and purchased several outfits, which she instructed the staff to deliver to her villa. Then she scooted to the resort salon for a haircut, manicure and new makeup.
When she returned home, she found the three boxes from the boutique sitting on her bed and immediately shimmied into a formfitting teal suit. The color intensified the radiance of her auburn hair. Plus, the suit's fitted jacket and flirty short skirt were sexy enough that when she met Alexander to introduce herself as the replacement for her "Aunt Merry" she would make the impression she wanted to make.