by Leanne Banks
His men stopped their work and gaped at him. Pippa stood stock-still, then lifted her hand again to knock. “Hey, PD,” he called, climbing out of the pool. “What’s the rush?”
Hearing his voice, she whirled around to look at him. “I didn’t see you.” She glanced at the pool. “You were working?” she said as if such a thought was impossible.
“Yes, I pitch in with manual labor every now and then. It’s good for the soul, if I have one, and it usually helps me get a good night’s sleep.” He liked the way her gaze skimmed over his shoulders and chest, then as if she realized, she was looking where she shouldn’t, her gaze fastened on his nose. “My parents are both taking naps. They’re worn out from the move.”
“It’s already done,” she said. “You move quickly.”
“When it’s necessary,” he said, thinking perhaps he’d given Pippa too much wiggle room all those months ago.
The door suddenly opened and his mother, wiping sleep from her eyes, blinked at the sunlight. “What—” She broke off when she saw Pippa and her lips lifted in a smile. “Well, hello, fairy princess,” she said.
“Mom,” Nic said. “Don’t use the P word. Remember this is all on the down low.”
“Oh, sorry,” she said with a delicate wince. “I’m just so grateful and you made it happen with the snap of your fingers.”
“My cousins made it easy,” Pippa said.
“But you made the call,” Nic’s mother said. “I must leave them something in my will.”
Pippa bit her lip.
“TMI, Mom,” Nic said. “What’s in the bag?” he asked Pippa.
“Gelato,” she said. “I know we got ice cream yesterday, but this is from one of our favorite gelaterias.”
“Let me think of the name,” his mother said. “It’s on the tip of my tongue.”
Pippa opened her mouth, then closed it.
His mother’s eyes widened. “Henri’s.”
“Yes,” Pippa said, clearly thrilled. “You have a great memory.”
“Bet you brought hazelnut chocolate,” his mother said.
“Yes, and a new flavor from the States. Rocky Road. It has marshmallows, chocolate and nuts. Worth a try,” Pippa said with a shrug.
“I’ll say,” his mom said. “Let’s taste it now or I’ll have to fight the mister for that one.”
Nic chuckled at the interchange between his mother and Pippa.
“What are you laughing at?” his mother asked. “Be careful or you’ll get no gelato.”
“No gelato for me. Water now and beer later,” he said.
“Spoil sport,” his mother said and he guided Pippa and his mother inside the house.
“I didn’t know you were going to fill the pool,” his mother said. “Could be a waste,” she warned.
“If you enjoy it once, it won’t be,” he said, heading toward the kitchen. “If you enjoy thinking about taking a dip in the pool or Jacuzzi, then that’s enough, Mom,” he called over his shoulder as he went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water.
“You’re such a good son,” she said.
“Does that mean I get some of that gelato?” he asked as he reentered the room.
“And you are the very devil,” she said. “Just like your father.”
He glanced at both his mother and Pippa. “And you know I’m not anyone but me,” he reminded her.
“True,” she said. “But he is a scoundrel,” she said to Pippa.
“I agree,” Pippa said, her eyes swimming with emotions that reflected the drama of the moment. “Well, I can’t stay, and I must confess I thought you might not even move in until tomorrow, but I clearly underestimated your son.”
“It’s not the first time I’ve been underestimated,” he said, meeting Pippa’s gaze.
She gnawed on her lower lip and he felt a tug toward her. He’d made a mistake with that before, but something about her got under his skin. He’d known a few women. Some as beautiful as beauty queens and world-class models. Why did she affect him this way?
“I’ll try not to do the same thing again,” she said.
He shrugged. “We’ll see.”
“I want gelato,” his mother said.
“Then you shall have gelato,” Nic said.
Pippa met his gaze, then looked away and walked to the kitchen. “Let me scoop it for you, Mrs. Lafitte. I hope I didn’t overdo the chocolate.”
“Call me Amelie,” she said as she followed Pippa into the kitchen. “And you can never overdo chocolate.”
“That’s good to know,” Pippa said and searched through several drawers for a scoop. “There we go,” she said and dipped a scoop of both flavors into a bowl. “Enjoy,” she said with a smile on her face.
She shot an uncertain glance at Nic. “Would you like some?”
“I’ll wait until later,” he said, noting the way Pippa pressed her lips together.
She nodded. “I should go,” Pippa said.
“Oh, no,” his mother said. “You just arrived.”
“You need to rest. You’ve had a busy day,” Pippa said.
His mother frowned. “Promise you’ll return.”
“Of course I will,” Pippa said. “Don’t let your gelato melt.”
“You’re so right,” his mother said and dipped her spoon into the treat.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Nic said.
“I can do that myself,” she said.
“No,” he said and escorted her to the driveway. “You need to know,” he told her. “It’s going to go down from here. She was good just now, but she’s struggling and it’s just going to get worse. A lot of people wouldn’t be able to handle it… .”
She stopped and turned, looking offended. “I’m not a lot of people. I’m not the type of person to abandon someone when—” She broke off and realization crossed her face. “You said that because I broke off our relationship.”
He shrugged. “If the shoe fits.”
“That was a totally different situation,” she said. “It was a temporary flirtation. You and I are not at all well-suited.”
“Because your family hates mine,” Nic said, feeling a twist of impatience.
“That’s part of it. There’s no good reason for us to continue a relationship when we know there’s no future. It was sheer craziness on my part.”
He laughed. “Good to know. You’re saying you weren’t really attracted to me. You were just temporarily insane.”
“I—I didn’t say that,” she said.
Nic watched the color bloom in her cheeks with entirely too much pleasure.
“And what if my last name was not Lafitte?” he had to ask because the question had dug at him at odd moments.
Her expression changed and a hint of vulnerability deepened her eyes. She opened her mouth, then closed it and looked away. “I can’t let my mind consider that because you are who you are. I am who I am.” She shook her head and turned toward her vehicle. “I need to leave. I’ll check on your mother la—”
Nic saw her foot catch on a tree root and instinctively caught her as she tripped. He pulled her against him and inhaled her soft, feminine scent and felt her body cling to him. For about three seconds. Then she pushed at his arm and moved away from him.
“I should have been watching. Sorry,” she said and met his gaze.
“No big deal. You’re okay. That’s what matters,” he said.
In that moment, in her gaze, he saw the same tug and pull of feelings that he had inside him about her, about them. There was so much she wasn’t saying that she looked as if she could nearly pop from it. “Thank you,” she finally said.
“Ciao,” he said and watched her as she got into her car and drove away. There was unfinished business here for both of them
, he thought. He’d tried to leave Pippa behind, but something about her nagged at him like a fly in the room he couldn’t catch. He needed to find a way to get her out of his system.
* * *
That night Pippa dressed for the family dinner her brother Stefan had called. With her youngest brother playing soccer in Spain, and her oldest two sisters and their families out of the country, that left Bridget, her husband, Ryder, the twins and Stefan and Eve and Stephenia. She was extremely bothered from her visit with Nic and his mother this afternoon. Amazing how such a brief time in the man’s presence could disrupt her so much. She’d suspected he would get over her in no time. He was far more experienced than she was. There must have been a dozen women ready and willing to soothe his ego.
Yet, he acted as if he was still irritated by the fact that she’d ended things. It wasn’t as if she’d truly dumped him. They had never had a public relationship, just a few furtive meetings. She couldn’t deny he’d made her knees melt with the way he’d looked at her, and the connection she’d felt with him had made her breathless. She also couldn’t deny that he’d acted as if he were attracted to her, as if she meant something to him.
The truth was part of the reason she’d refused to see him again was because her out-of-control feelings frightened her. If ever a man was unsafe, it was Nic Lafitte. Yet she’d found him irresistible which only proved that she must have some sort of self-destructive tendency inside her that she hadn’t known existed. Now that she knew she had this tendency, she had to beware of it and fight it if it ever reared its head again.
Pippa looked into the mirror and adjusted her topknot of out-of-control hair. She called it her curse. Every once in a while, the humidity lowered and her hair was almost controllable. Not today, though. Putting on a little lip gloss, she dismissed it and her other thoughts and headed toward the royal dining room.
Stefan had instigated the “family dinners” a couple years ago. Ever since Bridget had gotten married, she’d felt the odd man out at the dinners. She’d worked around those feelings by focusing on her nephews and niece. But still…
Entering the dining room, she spotted Bridget and Ryder holding the twins while Eve chased Stephenia. With the three high chairs, the palace looked far different from last year.
“Stefan will be here any minute. No need to put the darlings in the high chairs until then. How was your day?” Eve asked Pippa.
“Good,” Pippa lied. “Made a little progress on my research.”
“Good,” Ryder said as he held Tyler and shifted from foot to foot. “Your genealogy studies could really help me with medical plans for Chantaine. I’m working on health prevention at the moment, and I’d like to see a better developed hospice plan in space.”
Pippa’s stomach clenched at the mention of hospice, although she wished Amelie could have access to such a program. “Both of those are vital. We’re very fortunate Bridget brought you to us.”
Bridget held Travis and smiled up at Ryder. “I can’t agree with you more,” she said as she jiggled the boy. “I hope Stefan doesn’t take much longer or this family dinner is going to turn into a family scream-in.”
Eve winced. “He said it would be just a moment.”
“Yes, but we all know it’s tough being crown prince and we’re glad he’s doing it and not us.”
Seconds later, Stefan entered the small room with a broad smile. “You’re all here. And healthy. This is good.”
“And rare,” Bridget added. “Given the twins’ on-and-off sniffles. We’d better get on with the family dinner. I can’t promise how long they’ll last.”
“No problem,” Stefan said. “Sit down and relax. The food will arrive immediately. My assistant advised the chef.”
The small group situated the children and sank into their chairs as staff poured water and wine for the adults and juice for the young ones. Before too much fussing, a server brought Cheerios for the babies.
“Takes them longer to pick up,” Eve said with a smile.
“Well done,” Bridget said.
“The main course will arrive in just a moment. I’d like to take this moment to share some good news. Eve and I are expecting our first child.”
“Second, including Stephenia,” Eve added.
“Oh, how wonderful. Another baby,” Bridget crowed. “Takes the pressure off me.”
Pippa laughed at her sister’s reaction. “And me.”
Bridget and Eve gasped at the same time. “You wouldn’t dare. You’re the good sister.”
“Oh, no,” Bridget corrected herself. “That’s what we said about Valentina and she got pregnant before she was married.”
“I was just joking,” Pippa said.
“Thank you,” Stefan said as he lifted his glass of wine and took a hefty sip. “One heart attack at a time, please.”
“Besides,” Bridget said as the staff served filet of sole. “We have plans for you.”
Pippa felt a sliver of nervousness and took a sip of her own wine. “You and Eve keep talking about plans. You’re making me uneasy.”
“They’re good plans,” Bridget said as she set a plate of cheese, chicken and vegetables on Tyler’s tray.
“We know you’ve been cooped up working on your degree,” Eve added.
“Chantaine has several celebratory events scheduled during the next few weeks,” Stefan said.
Pippa took a bite of the perfectly prepared fish.
“And we’re going to set you up with some of the most eligible bachelors on the planet,” Bridget said gleefully. “How exciting is that?”
Pippa’s bite of fish stuck in her throat. “What?”
“It will be fun,” Bridget said.
“No pressure,” Eve said. “We just want you to enjoy yourself. You work hard with your nephews and niece and your studies.”
“It’s occurred to me,” Stefan said, “that you haven’t had many opportunities to form relationships with men. You’ve been protected. Perhaps overprotected.”
Pippa’s stomach tightened. “How lovely of you all to decide it’s time for me to have a relationship. Without consulting me, of course.”
Silence descended over the room. Even the children were silent as they munched on their food.
“We thought this would make you happy,” Bridget said. “You work so hard. We wanted you to have some fun.”
“Would you want your sisters and brother to make decisions about men you would date?” Pippa challenged.
Bridget winced. “When you put it that way…” she said.
“I am,” Pippa said. “I don’t need or want you to find dates for me. It’s embarrassing,” she said, her appetite completely gone.
“We don’t intend it to be embarrassing,” Stefan said. “Your position in the royal family makes it difficult for you to socialize with men. We’d like to make that easier.”
“The same way the advisers tried to make it easy for you,” Pippa said, setting down her fork.
“There’s no call for that,” Stefan said.
“And there’s no call for matchmaking for me,” Pippa said.
“Pippa, you haven’t been the same since the incident with—” Bridget cleared her throat and lowered her voice. “That horrible Nic Lafitte. We just want to help you get over it.”
“I’m completely over it. I know he was only interested in me to make a point with his ego.” Even as she said the words she knew her family wanted to hear, she felt as if she were stabbing herself. “I may be naive, but I’m not a complete fool.” She debated leaving the table, but knew her family would only worry more about her. She lifted her drink. “We have more important things to celebrate. Cheers to Stefan and Eve’s new baby. May your pregnancy be smooth and may your child sparkle with the best of both of you.”
Ryder lifted his glass. �
��Here, here.”
“Here, here,” Bridget said.
Tyler let out a blood-curdling scream, and the tension was broken. Soon enough, Travis joined. Stephenia followed.
Most important the focus was no longer on Pippa. She took another big sip of wine and knew she wouldn’t be able to eat one more bite of food. With the children providing a welcome distraction, she gave a discreet signal to one of the servers, who immediately removed her plate. As she looked at each face of her family, she felt a combination of love and sheer and total frustration. She wished she could scream just like Tyler did.
Chapter Four
Two days later, Pippa mustered the time and courage to visit the Lafittes. The name Lafitte was like pyrotechnics as far as her family was concerned. Perhaps she should mentally give them another name so her stomach didn’t clench every time she even thought it. Instead of Lafitte, she could think of them as the LaLas. Much less threatening. No unnecessary baggage with LaLa.
The idea appealed to her and Pippa smiled to herself when she thought about it, which was entirely too often. It was difficult not to become impatient with her sisters and brothers over the feud with the Lafittes. After all, the Lafittes were human, too. Look at their current situation with Amelie trying to make it through her dying days and poor Paul with his broken foot. And poor Nic trying to manage all of it.
Sighing, she pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. She glanced over her shoulder even though she was certain her security guy had been dozing when she’d left. That was Pippa. She knew well how to bore a man to sleep. She glanced in the mirror and bared her teeth at herself.
Grabbing the flowers from the passenger seat, she got out of the car and braced herself for the possibility of seeing Nic in workman mode in a tight T-shirt and slim-fitting jeans. Walking into the courtyard, however, she saw no workers around and the pool and Jacuzzi were full of fresh clean water. The sunlight glinting on the water made it all the more enticing, but she suspected the water was frigid.
The house was so quiet and peaceful she wondered if Amelie and Paul might be napping again. She hesitated as she stood in front of the door, not wanting to disturb their rest.