Best Friend to Princess Bride

by Katrina Cudmore

  She studied Edwin. What was he scanning the horizon for?

  The engine of the yacht cut out. A whirring sound was followed by a splash. Was that the anchor being dropped?

  Pointing in the direction of the silhouetted high cliff edges of Monrosa, Edwin said, ‘This is where we disembark.’

  Disembark? Already? They were miles away from land.

  Squinting, she stared in the direction he had pointed in and realised a tiny dot of light was getting ever closer.

  She followed Edwin down to the lower deck and then down to the platform at the rear of the boat.

  That dot of light turned out to be Domenico and Lucas on board a small boat.

  Pulling alongside, Lucas threw a rope to an awaiting crew member, who held the boat tight against the yacht’s platform. Domenico held his hand out, gesturing for her to transfer across.

  Memories of the blood-curdling heat that had assaulted her insides the time she had been seasick had her hesitate.

  A wave hit, pulling the boat away from Mistral, a huge gap of black sea opening up just beyond her feet. She stepped back. She was going nowhere.

  The crew member and Lucas brought the boat back alongside.

  Edwin leapt over onto the boat and held his hand out to her.

  ‘There’s no way you’re getting me on that inflatable.’

  He gave her a bemused look. ‘Rib—not an inflatable. And a rib that’s used for military patrols worldwide, so it’s more than up to the job of transferring us back to Monrosa. When have you ever walked with lead feet?’

  They were going back to Monrosa? That was a good thing, wasn’t it? Was all of this just a hoax? Had he pretended they were going on a honeymoon to avoid speculation as to why they hadn’t? Was he playing mind-games with her? Dread knotted in her stomach. Nick had once pretended to be taking her on a trip to Paris, only to cancel it after they had had an argument. She had only learnt he had never even booked their flights when she had broken up with him.

  Edwin reached his hand out even further. ‘Come on, I’ll take care of you. Trust me.’

  She studied his hand, both boats rocking in the swell. She trusted him. Of course she did.

  ‘Kara?’

  His voice was baffled. He was her friend. She had to trust him. Her feet refused to budge. But he wasn’t just her friend any more...he was her husband. And trusting him now took on a whole different perspective. Could she trust him while still protecting her heart, her sanity, her grip on reality?

  Enough.

  She had to focus on the end game—raising the profile of Young Adults Together and helping Edwin to the throne.

  She was allowing herself to get caught up in the emotion and drama of the day again, caught up in the concept of going on honeymoon with her new husband—which didn’t look as though it was going to happen anyway, so why was she being such a drama queen?

  She grabbed hold of Edwin’s hand and leapt, colliding with him, her chest bumping against his. He steadied her, one warm and solid hand on her waist, the other on her back. The heat of his body fused with her limbs. His hold on her tightened. Without thinking she responded by edging her hips against his. The heat of longing fired in her stomach.

  He dipped his head, his eyes narrowing as he slowly and silently studied her.

  Undone by his nearness, feeling vulnerable under his gaze, she pulled away and attempted to act as though he had no effect on her pulse, which was racing so hard she was struggling to think straight. It felt as though every cell in her body was turned on by him. ‘Where should I sit?’

  He pointed to a seat at the centre of the boat alongside the cockpit.

  Edwin took control of the wheel. She had thought Lucas would resume that duty. He pulled away from Mistral at an incredibly slow speed. At this rate they wouldn’t reach Monrosa until daybreak.

  ‘You do know what you’re doing, right?’

  He grinned. ‘It was part of my training.’

  Got him! ‘Your special-forces training, you mean.’

  His grin widened and he eased the throttle forward, pulling the rib into a wide arc.

  The boat soared over the water. The wind rushed against her, making it difficult to breathe. She gasped. And laughed. The rush of water beneath them, the speed, watching Edwin expertly handle the rib, was exhilarating.

  In no time they were slowing as they approached a slipway in an isolated cove.

  Two SUVs were waiting for them.

  Domenico and Lucas went in one, she and Edwin in the other.

  The unpaved road out of the cove was steep and narrow; only a SUV would be capable of accessing the slipway.

  At the main road, instead of turning left back towards Monrosa City Edwin turned right. Domenico and Lucas followed behind them.

  ‘Aren’t we going back to the palace?’

  Edwin threw her a confused look. ‘I told you we were going on a honeymoon.’

  ‘Oh, I thought...’

  ‘That I was going back on my word?’ He worked his jaw, clearly annoyed. Tense seconds passed, and he shot a look towards her, his expression a horrible mix of disappointment and irritation. But then, with a shrug of his shoulder, he smiled. ‘Sorry, but you’re stuck with me for three whole days. I’ll try to make it as painless as possible for you.’

  Forty minutes later, having followed a hairpin-bend-laden road up into the mountains, they passed through the gates of Edwin’s family’s mountain villa, the sentries on duty saluting.

  So this was where they would honeymoon.

  She laid her head against the headrest and gave an internal sigh. She was a mountain girl. Walking amongst the towering pines and eucalyptus trees, the only sound coming from the breeze swooping through the valleys, trickling streams, and hidden birds happy to share their voices with the world, restored her. Being surrounded by this landscape that had existed for millennia before her always pulled her up to a sharp stop, grounding her in the reminder of just how transient life was and to be grateful for every day she got to enjoy it. But this would be different. They would be staying in a royal residence with all of its reminders of protocol. What she wouldn’t give not to have to be on her best behaviour, to not have to act as if they were a loved-up couple on their honeymoon.

  On a turn in the road, the vast royal residence in the distance, Edwin shot off the lit road and onto a narrow lane she had never spotted before.

  Studying the side mirror, she said, ‘You need to stop—we’ve lost Domenico and Lucas.’

  ‘That was the plan. We’re going to be on our own for the next three days.’

  On their own? That was what she had just been longing for. Why, then, did it fill her with terror rather than relief? ‘Please tell me we aren’t going camping.’

  He shook his head. ‘Why are you being so cranky?’

  She gave an indignant huff. But then did a mental eye roll. He was right. She was being cranky...and crabby and grouchy. She hated this side of herself. But being around Edwin nowadays she just felt this defensive force field around herself and it just seemed natural to be surly.

  She needed to snap out of it. She held up her hand, her fingers in the Girl Guide pledge position she had learnt years ago. ‘I promise to try harder and not moan even when I wake from dreaming of drinking cocktails on some tropical beach, only to find myself in a bug-infested tent.’

  He grinned. ‘That’s more like it—it’s good to see the old Kara back: good-humoured with an undertone of sarcasm.’

  She snorted.

  Edwin’s eyes twinkled, and his grin grew even wider. She grinned back, heat infusing her limbs.

  They climbed even further up into the mountain. Kara opened her window, the trees of the forest zipping by, and a perturbing mix of fear and exhilaration filled her bones at not only their crazy speed but also at the prospect of being alone with Edwin fo
r three whole days.

  The road ended at a set of wooden gates.

  Edwin zapped them open.

  Beyond the gates the road dipped down in a curve that brought them to a circular driveway.

  Edwin killed the engine.

  A light shone over a solitary wooden door of a flat-roofed, metal-panelled structure.

  ‘We’re staying in a shed?’

  He opened his door. ‘Well, that promise didn’t last long.’

  She climbed out of the car and joined Edwin on the gravelled driveway. He pressed a button on his phone. The door popped open.

  Inside, the shed was in darkness. Edwin gestured for her to step inside. She folded her arms and refused to budge. ‘This isn’t where you turn out to be a psycho husband who holds me captive against my will in a shed in an isolated forest, is it?’

  He raised an eyebrow, his smile suddenly as sexy as hell. ‘It can be arranged if that’s a fantasy of yours.’ A look of pure masculine heat she had never seen before entered his eyes, setting alight a wild longing in her belly. ‘I’m sure there are some ropes in the shed.’

  Something very carnal and dangerous melted inside her. She sprang towards the door and leapt inside.

  A row of internal lights, domino-style, lit up down the length of the building.

  She gasped.

  This was no shed.

  She walked further into the long and narrow interior, agog at the gorgeous ultra-modern open-plan space. The walls, with the exception of the narrow entrance, were made of huge floor-to-ceiling glass doors. The modern kitchen was made from pale wood, the counter tops the same poured light-grey concrete as the floors. In the living area, two sofas covered in duckling-yellow fabric surrounded a wood-burning stove.

  Edwin opened up a row of doors that folded back to reveal decking made from the same wood as the kitchen.

  Walking out onto the deck, running the entire length of the building, she said, ‘I can’t believe that I thought this was a shed! It’s absolutely stunning.’

  The building was stretched like a bridge between two rocky banks, a stream running beneath the house.

  Before them, the forest tumbled down the mountainside. Kara inhaled deeply, greedily sucking in the heavily pine-scented air.

  ‘Do you like it?’

  She turned at Edwin’s question. She gestured around her and laughed. ‘This is my idea of heaven. Of course I love it.’

  ‘Good. It’s my wedding present to you.’

  Kara watched him turn away and walk inside, her mouth open.

  She rushed after him as he walked towards the far end of the house, which they had not yet explored.

  She caught up with him at a bedroom door. ‘But all I got you was a set of cufflinks.’

  He leant against the door frame. ‘You’re forgetting the How To Be a Good Husband guide that came with them.’

  ‘I hope you took note of point five—“Let her know you realise how lucky you are to have her as your wife”.’

  ‘Duly noted. My legal team have the paperwork ready for you to sign to give you full ownership of Villa Kara.’

  She swung her arms up into the air in horror. ‘Villa Kara! Are you serious? You have to change that name and I can’t accept a villa from you. This was never mentioned in the pre-nup. You know I don’t want anything when we divorce.’

  ‘You just said you love it here—as I had hoped you would.’ He folded his arms. ‘Are you saying you’re refusing my wedding present to you?’

  How did he manage to make it sound as though she was being thoroughly unreasonable and ungrateful? When it was he who was at fault here? ‘It’s way too generous, and what happens when we split up? I can hardly drive through your family’s property to get here.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because it’ll be as awkward as hell.’

  His amused expression disappeared. He straightened from his relaxed leaning against the door frame. ‘When we divorce...if we divorce—that’s still your decision to make—you’ll still be an important part of my life.’

  She sagged against the opposite wall, suddenly feeling exhausted. She dipped her head, uncertainty and fear sweeping through her, causing her heart to contract as though it was under attack. She should let this go. She knew she should. Just continue pretending they’d resume life as before, pretending their friendship was not already damaged by this whole experience. ‘Do you really think we will be able to part so amicably—without any hurt or complications?’

  Those golden eyes considered her for long silent seconds. She resisted the urge to cry, to laugh. How had she ended up in the position where she was being torn between the desire to kiss this man and to punch him for not feeling the same confusion and turmoil as she did? Had their kisses had any emotional impact on him?

  ‘It’s up to us to make sure we part amicably.’ With that he turned and walked into the bedroom.

  Like the living area it had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the forest. Edwin went and opened one of the two doors either side of the king-size bed, draped in crisp white cotton linen and accented with a green throw and cushions. ‘This is your dressing room—your bathroom is on the other side. Your luggage was brought here earlier.’

  It was disconcerting to see the faded black jeans she had bought in a shop in Brighton hanging from the rail, a solid crease line running the length of both legs showing that someone had carefully ironed them.

  Her gaze moved to the bed. And then back to Edwin.

  He cleared his throat. ‘My bedroom is across the corridor.’

  So they wouldn’t be sleeping in the same bed on their wedding night after all. It made sense and would eliminate any awkwardness. Why, then, did it feel like a rejection?

  She breathed in deeply. Stepped back to make space for him to leave. Smiled. ‘It’s been a long day—I need a shower and sleep. A lot of sleep. I’m exhausted. Worn out.’

  She stopped. He had probably got the point the first time.

  He nodded and moved towards the door.

  She breathed in hard when he passed her. Was about to exhale, but he came to a stop a footstep beyond her. He turned. ‘Please tell me you’ll accept Villa Kara? It’s important to me.’

  Her entire body tingled from having him stand so close by, by the appeal of his gaze that was utterly focused and determined. ‘Why?’

  ‘Because it will mean that you’ll still want to be in my life.’

  She closed her eyes, uncertainty, confusion, sheer bewilderment over the beautiful intention of his words clashing with her fears for the future of their relationship.

  She opened her eyes. ‘The first thing I’m going to do is change its name—Villa Kara is one hundred per cent cringe.’

  CHAPTER NINE

  SITTING ON THE stone ledge, her feet dangling in the stream, Kara tossed her head back to catch the rays of sunlight breaking through the overhead tree canopy. Her denim cut-offs suited her perfectly and her white halter-neck...well, as much as he hated to admit it, it was troublingly sexy. It was just a piece of simple white cotton after all, but the way it pulled on her chest, its cut exposing all but a few inches of her shoulders, got to him in a way it shouldn’t.

  The sun caught the platinum shades in her hair, the ends brushing against the dusty surface of the ledge.

  How was he going to cope with sharing a bed with her when back in the city? When they returned to the reality of their lives away from this oasis of escape?

  They had spent three days trekking in the mountains by day, cooking meals together and playing poker at night, Kara cheekily refusing to admit she tried to cheat every single time. Three days of conversation and teasing. Three days of pretending she wasn’t getting under his skin. Yesterday he had become obsessed at the idea of undoing the pearl buttons of the blue embroidered blouse she had been wearing and had even burnt
himself when distracted as they had been preparing dinner, scorching the tip of his finger on a hot pan. Three days of resisting the urge to kiss her, of averting his gaze from her bottom when she trekked ahead of him. Three days of resisting the urge to hunker down to retie her laces, which she never knotted properly, knowing that if he knelt before her his fingers would trail against the now lightly tanned skin of her legs, trace over the small brown birthmark at the back of her right knee. Three days of his heart dancing to hear her laughter, to see her blue eyes widen in amazement when a red kite swooped close to where they had been picnicking, her hand reaching for his. Three days of quickly ending their celebratory hugs when they reached the summit of their climbs.

  And two nights of her closing her bedroom door to him.

  Two nights of sitting out on the terrace staring at the stars, unable to sleep, listening to a nightjar filling the air with its constant song.

  Two nights of journeying through that labyrinth of hopes and fears and thoughts in the middle of the night, of wondering if the chemistry, those fleeting looks that electrified him, were all in his imagination or if she bore their curse too.

  Dio! To think that a week ago he had actually considered cancelling his tour to Asia. Now it was his lifeline. In two days’ time they would make their first appearance together as a married couple when they attended the opening of a new conservation centre in Monrosa’s protected wetlands, named in honour of his mother. And the day after, he would leave for Asia. Ten days away would clear his head, give him the space to get back on track with this marriage of convenience.

  They had one more night alone before they returned to the city. He had to continue keeping his distance from her.

  He dropped the picnic blanket to the ground. Her eyes popped open and she smiled. ‘Hi.’

  He nodded back, unfurling a picnic blanket beside her, trying to steady his pulse. When she was so obviously delighted to see him it did crazy things to his heart.

  Kara edged onto the blanket and he sat beside her, dipping his own bare feet into the stream. Maybe the icy water would cool the heat in his body.