Prince's Love-Child

But then, it might have been OK if he hadn’t so obviously recognised her and remembered too…!

Her small, pointed chin rose defensively as she thrust her hand out in greeting. ‘Sapphie Benedict, Mr Prince,’ she introduced herself with a pointedness that only a complete idiot could miss. And, despite the fact she knew that Rik Prince loved Dee to distraction, she didn’t believe he was a complete idiot.. just a selectively blind one!

Rik continued to stare at her, making no effort to take her outstretched hand, giving every impression of a man who had just been poleaxed.

Sapphie’s direct stare turned to a glare as she mentally willed him to pull himself together and say something. Anything. Just staring at her in this way was sure to be noticed, and commented on, by the other couple who were with them, and—

‘Miss Benedict,’ Rik Prince finally bit out tautly after briefly touching her hand. ‘Or is that Mrs…?’

‘It’s Miss,’ she corrected abruptly, her hand dropping back to her side, unobtrusively massaging the slight tingling of her fingers where he had briefly touched her.

Incredible…! She couldn’t believe, after all this time, that she could still be so totally aware of this man. It had been five years, for goodness’ sake; she should have got over this long ago!

‘Much too formal,’ Jerome put in with cheerful reproach. ‘Rik and Sapphie sounds much more friendly!’

Friendly was the last thing Sapphie wanted to be with Rik Prince! Especially with Rik Prince. Something she intended making clear to him at the earliest opportunity. In fact…

‘Why don’t you take Dee to see those accessories she was interested in, Jerome?’ she encouraged lightly. ‘Rik and I will order more coffee for us all, and by the time the two of you get back we may have managed to get on to a first-name basis!’

‘You will join us for coffee, Rik…?’ Dee prompted huskily.

Sapphie’s brows rose as Rik dragged his gaze away from hers in order to answer Dee in the affirmative.

Really, did the man have no sense whatsoever? she wondered impatiently; Dee and Jerome’s suspicions were sure to be aroused if he didn’t stop behaving in this way.

Not that Jerome seemed to have noticed anything unusual as he turned, smiling, to his wife. ‘Come on, honey, I want to buy you an anniversary present,’ he encouraged Dee indulgently. Then the two of them departed to go shopping.

Leaving behind them the kind of silence that could be cut with a knife!

But what else could Sapphie have done but encourage Jerome to take Dee away from here—even though the last thing she wanted was to be left alone with Rik Prince? He certainly hadn’t been playing his part in the drama of two strangers being introduced for the first time.

‘I thought Dee and Jerome’s wedding anniversary was in September.’ Rik suddenly spoke as he turned back from watching the couple leave.

‘It is,’ Sapphie sighed, moving to sit down at the table where Dee’s coffee was cooling. ‘Please—join me,’ she invited curtly as Rik Prince continued to stand in the middle of the pavement, as if unsure what to do next.

She had seen that dazed look before on dozens of men’s faces after spending time looking at Dee—seen it and, in this case, lamented it.

She slipped her sunglasses up in her hair as she continued to look at Rik Prince. He was just as handsome as she remembered: perhaps slightly leaner, but his dark hair was still as vibrantly overlong, brushed carelessly back from his brow, and his eyes as deep blue, his good-looking face all strong angles, and his muscular frame visible beneath the faded denims and cream polo-shirt he wore.

Finally he moved, his movements fluid as he sat down in the chair facing hers, his expression under control now, his eyes guarded by lowered lids.

Sapphie gave a frustrated sigh at his continued silence. Jerome might have been unaware of the intimacy between Dee and this man a few minutes ago, but she certainly hadn’t been. She also questioned whether the meeting had happened by chance; if anyone had known how devastated Rik Prince had been five years ago when Dee married Jerome, then it was her. He had been in love with Dee then, and Sapphie had every reason to believe he was still in love with her now.

‘Today is the anniversary of the day Dee and Jerome first met,’ Sapphie informed him softly.

‘I see,’ he bit out tautly, the expression in those deep blue eyes still unreadable.

Sapphie wasn’t sure at that moment which of the sudden impulses she felt was the stronger—the need to shake or hit him!

It had been five years, for goodness’ sake; surely he had got over his feelings for Dee by now?

It had to be obvious to anyone looking at Dee and Jerome that, for the most part, theirs was a happy marriage. It had its occasional hiccup—like any other marriage—but even in these days of quick divorces and remarriages, it had to be clear that Dee and Jerome were destined to last for some time yet.

‘I never—’

‘Before—’

They both began talking at once, only to come to an awkward stop, then stare enquiringly at the other.

‘Please,’ Sapphie invited before turning smilingly to the waiter to order more coffee, only to turn back and find Rik Prince looking at her in brooding silence. ‘You were about to say something,’ she reminded him, unnerved by his steadily intense stare.

He seemed to mentally shake himself, sitting up straighter in the cane chair. ‘I was going to say that, after all this time, I never expected to see you again.’

Amusement curved her lips. ‘You mean, you hoped never to see me again!’

He frowned. ‘If I had meant to say that, then that’s what I would have said.’

‘Oh, please.’ Sapphie brushed his protest away with a wave of her hand. ‘The sentiment, I can assure you,’ she told him with feeling, ‘is mutual!’ She had never wanted to see him again, never wanted to even hear of him again, just wanted to block his existence even from her memory.

And yet now that she had seen him and spoken to him, she could see just how dearly familiar were his dark good looks and piercing blue eyes. Too familiar…!

Rik gave a humourless smile. ‘That’s honest, at least,’ he drawled drily.

‘It’s a trait too few people possess nowadays. And, continuing to be honest,’ she added, ‘what I was going to say just now was that I feel, before Dee and Jerome return, which won’t be too long now, I should make it perfectly clear to you that under no circumstances—and I do mean that,’ she emphasised firmly, ‘do I wish for either of them to discover we ever knew each other before today.’ She looked at him challengingly.

He frowned for several long seconds, and then his brow cleared as he looked at her with mocking blue eyes. ‘By saying that the two of us knew each other, I take it you mean—’

‘I mean,’ she put in forcefully, ‘that I would rather Dee and Jerome believed we met for the first time today,’ she explained clearly and succinctly.

Rik Prince gave an acknowledging inclination of his head, whatever disadvantage he had felt earlier seeming to have evaporated as he relaxed back in his chair, his eyes clearly showing his amusement now.

Well, she was glad he could find something funny about this situation—because she certainly couldn’t!

‘How does that sit with the honesty you mentioned only seconds ago?’ he ventured sardonically.

‘Oh, don’t be so obtuse!’ Sapphie replied impatiently. ‘There’s a time for honesty, and—’

‘A time for dishonesty?’ Rik finished derisively.

‘Please don’t tell me you’re any more anxious than I am to admit to Dee and Jerome that the two of us stupidly spent the night together after their wedding!’ She was breathing deeply in her agitation as she glared at him.

But her impatient anger couldn’t keep the memories at bay of that night, of no words having been spoken between them as they’d seemed drawn to each other like magnets, of the passion they’d shared—a fierce and wondrous passion, as they’d sought oblivion in each other’s arms.

Even now Sapphie could remember each caress, each kiss, their need wild and uninhibited, both of them seeming to recognise and accept that, in the clear light of the following day, they would each go their separate ways, never to see one another again.

And that was how it should have remained. How, if she had had her way, it would have remained!

‘That day, you had just seen the woman you love marry someone else!’ she prompted angrily.