The Brides of Bella Rosa: Beauty and the Reclusive Prince

His mouth twitched, but he managed not to smile at the fierce picture she made.

“I do,” he responded. “Shall we go?”

He helped her carry her things outside and there was a slinky little BMW Roadster.

“Nice car,” she allowed, refusing to meet his gaze.

“It’s a beauty, isn’t it?” he agreed, stowing her things behind the seat and holding the door for her. “It seems like something of a waste. I almost never get to drive it.”

“Why not?”

He shrugged. “The only place I go is to my home on the coast, and I travel in a limousine for that.”

“With darkened windows. I know.” Susa had told her all about it. “All so others won’t see your face?” she asked, troubled by such a denial of life.

“There’s more to it than that,” he said, sliding behind the wheel.

“Of course. And it’s none of my business.” She stared out the side window.

He twitched and gave her a look, then started the car and eased it out onto the driveway.

“I don’t know why you think you should be let in on every little aspect of my interior life,” he said gruffly. “Believe me, the nuances are not all that interesting.”

She whipped her head around. “I didn’t ask just because I was snoopy,” she said indignantly. “I actually care—” she stopped dead, realizing what she was saying “—uh…about you,” she ended softly and lamely, looking away again as quickly as she could.

He didn’t answer.As they cruised down the two-lane road he wondered why her admitting that she cared sent warmth careening through his system. It wasn’t as though women hadn’t cared for him in the past. What made her so special?

“Is that your car?” he asked as they closed in on a silver-blue compact sitting by the side of the road.

“That’s it,” she admitted.

He pulled up behind it and frowned as he studied the wall of his own property. “This isn’t where you go in,” he noted.

She flashed him a triumphant smile.

“You’re right. This isn’t it.”

She began to gather her things for her great escape, slipping out of the Roadster and reaching for her bag before he had a chance to get out and help her.

“Bye,” she said, not meeting his gaze and turning for her car.

“Hey.” He got out on his side and followed her. “Wait a minute.”

Throwing her bags into the backseat of her car, she turned to look at him, though she was poised to jump behind the wheel and race off.

“What is it?” she asked guardedly.

He stood facing her, his legs wide apart, his hands hooked on the belt of his jeans. For a moment, he seemed lost in the depths of her eyes. Then he shrugged and looked almost bored with it all.

“I think I’ve come up with a way for you to get your precious herb,” he said casually.

Her jaw dropped and her eyes opened wide. “What? How?”

“It’s simple really.”

“You mean you’ll trust me to go alone?”

Darkness flashed across his face.

“No, of course not. I’ve told you, I will not allow you to go there unattended.”

“Unattended?” Her frustration was plain on her face. She obviously felt they were just going around in circles. “But who would be available to go with me?”

He shrugged, his head cocked at a rather arrogant angle. “I’ll do it,” he said.

For just a moment, she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. “What?” she said. But she could tell he meant what he’d said by the look on his face. Joy swept through her. “You!” And then spontaneous happiness catapulted her right up against his chest.

“Oh, thank you, thank you!” she cried, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek again and again. “Thank you so much!”

He laughed softly, holding her loosely, resisting the impulse to take advantage of her giddiness.

“Can we go right now?” she cried, looking as though she could fly all the way on her own.

“Today it’s too late,” he said sensibly. “Come tomorrow.”

“Yes.” She knew he was right. “Yes, I will.”

He stroked her temple with his forefinger, smoothing back the tiny curls that were forming at her hairline. “And when you come tomorrow, you can drive in the front gate.”

She stared at him, clutching his arm. “How am I going to do that?”

“I’ll give you the code.”

That took her breath away. “Why would you do a thing like that?”

His gaze was cool, yet intimate. “Why not? I trust you.” For now, it suited him that she have the code, and that was that. He gave her a quick, quirky smile.

“Besides, I can change the code any time I decide I don’t want you to have it any longer.”

There were tears in her eyes. She’d been so downhearted and now she was so happy. “Why are you being so good to me?” she asked emotionally.

His smile faded. He gazed deeply into her eyes and winced a bit from what he saw there. And then, he told her the truth.

“Because I care about you, too,” he said.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“YOU’VE been to see the prince again.” Susa’s tone was quietly jubilant, as though she’d just won a bet.