Not-So-Perfect Princess

“Thank you, ma’am.” The young maid stared at their reflection in the mirror. “You look like a modern day Princess Grace.”

Jules felt a little like Princess Grace, who had been forced to stop acting because someone said the people of Monaco wouldn’t be happy if she returned to making movies. Life for many royals didn’t always have a happy ending.

“Thank you, Yvette.” The retro-style pink-and-white suit had been purchased on a recent trip to Paris. Jules tucked a strand of hair into her French roll. “I’m sure the hairstyle helps.”

“Prince Enrique will be impressed.”

“Let’s hope so.” Jules tried to sound cheerful, but her words felt flat. She doubted Enrique would be impressed by anything she did. He was nothing like … Alejandro.

She couldn’t imagine Enrique cradling her in his arms and offering sympathy while she cried. He would have cursed her tears, not wiped them away as Alejandro had.

A black sheep? Perhaps, but he was taking her sailing. She guessed he was more of a good guy than he claimed to be.

She smiled. “Perhaps I’ll make an impression on the entire royal family.”

“Not Prince Alejandro.” Yvette sounded aghast. “I’ve been told to stay away from him.”

The words offended Jules. She would rather spend time with Alejandro than Enrique. “Who said that?”

“One of the housekeepers. She’s young. Pretty,” Yvette explained. “She said Prince Alejandro has a horrible reputation. Worse, his taste in women is far from discriminating. Royalty, commoner, palace staff, it doesn’t matter.”

Alejandro had warned her about the gossip. But the words stung for some reason. “That could be a rumor. The press loves to write about royalty whether it’s true or not. People will believe almost anything once it’s in print or on the Internet.”

“The housekeeper sounded sincere, ma’am,” Yvette said. “She’s especially concerned about you.”

“About me?” Jules remembered the warmth of Alejandro’s body and the sense of belonging she’d felt in his arms. He could have taken advantage of the situation and her emotional state last night, but he hadn’t. He’d acted like a friend, not a man who wanted some action. She’d actually been a tad bit disappointed he hadn’t found her desirable.

Silly. Pathetic, really. She straightened. “I appreciate the warning, but I’m going to be Alejandro’s sister-in-law. He doesn’t see me in the same way as he sees other woman.”

Doubt filled Yvette’s eyes. “I hope you’re correct, ma’am.”

Jules didn’t. She wouldn’t mind being wrong about this. Alejandro was … attractive, but the way he’d made her feel on the beach—understood, accepted, safe, ways she’d never felt before—intrigued her the most. After tonight, following the housekeeper’s advice and staying away from him would be the best course of action. No matter how much a tiny part of Jules wished he were the one she was marrying.

Better squelch that thought. Alejandro was going to be her brother-in-law. Nothing else.

“Don’t worry.” She raised her chin. “I’m not about to risk my match with Enrique for a fling with a self-avowed black sheep.”

Even one who was gorgeous and sailed and sent tingles shooting through her. More reasons to keep her distance.

After tonight.

Tonight would be her first chance to experience freedom. The initial step in figuring out how to be an influential princess and her own person.

“That is smart.” The tight lines around Yvette’s mouth relaxed a little. “Being matched to a man outside Aliestle would be a dream come true for most of our countrywomen, ma’am.”

Be careful what you wish, or in this case, ask for.

Jules recognized the maid’s wistful tone. She’d sounded the same way on more than one occasion. The weight on her shoulders felt heavier. She wanted life to be different for her countrywomen. “Has a match been secured for you?”

“Yes, ma’am. A very good match.” Yvette gave a half smile. “One that will be advantageous to my family.”

“That’s excellent.”

“Yes, ma’am. We marry in two years, after I complete my obligations on the palace staff.” The look in Yvette’s eyes didn’t seem to agree with her words. “I am … most fortunate.”

Most likely as fortunate as Jules. Her heart ached. She wanted men to treat the women of Aliestle with respect, consideration and love. Not like commodities.

When Brandt became king …

Yvette adjusted her starched, white apron. “I transferred the contents of your handbag into the purse, ma’am.”

“Thank you, I’ll …”

A high-pitched noise sounded outside the bedroom door. Not quite a squeal, but not a squeak, either.

Yvette’s forehead creased. “It sounds like a baby, ma’am.”

Jules hurried to the door and opened it. The noise sounded again. She glanced around the empty hallway. A black ball of fur scratched at the door across the hall.

“You’re correct, Yvette. It is a baby. A baby cat.” Jules picked up the kitten who pawed at her. A long, white hair above his right eye bounced like an antenna in the wind. “I can’t imagine someone let you out into this big hallway on purpose. Did you escape again?”

The kitten stared up at her with clear, green eyes.

Her heart bumped. She’d always wanted a pet. This one was adorable.

“I can see where he belongs, ma’am,” Yvette offered.

“I’ll return him.” The kitten wiggled in Jules’s hands. She cuddled him closer in hopes of settling him down. He rested his head against her arm and purred. “I know where he belongs.”

With Alejandro.

Anticipation spurted through her. She wanted to see him. Because of the sailing, she rationalized. That was the only reason. Anything else would be too … dangerous.

“Cat?” Alejandro checked the closet, the bathroom, under the bed and beneath the other furniture. No sight of the furball anywhere.

The kitten didn’t come running as he usually did.

Maybe he was locked in the bathroom? Alejandro checked. No kitty.

The last time he’d seen the kitten was before his shower. He glanced around the apartment again. A vase with colorful fresh-cut flowers caught his eye. Those were new.

Only Ortiz knew about the kitten. If whoever delivered the flowers had left the door to the apartment open, the kitten could have gotten out.

Alejandro ran to the door and jerked it open.

Julianna stood in the doorway.

He froze, stunned to see her.

A smile graced her glossed lips. Clear, bright eyes stared back at him. Her pastel-pink suit made her look like the definition of the word princess in the dictionary.

She was the image of everything he didn’t like in a woman—royal, wealthy, concerned with appearances. He shouldn’t feel any attraction toward Julianna whatsoever. But he couldn’t stop staring at her beautiful face.

Awareness buzzed through him. Strange. Alejandro didn’t usually go for the prim and proper type. But this wasn’t the time to examine his attraction to her. He needed to find a kitten.

“I—”

“I was about to knock,” she said at the same time. “Look who I found.”

Alejandro followed her line of sight. The kitten was sound asleep in her arms.

Relief washed over him. “I was on my way out to look for him. Where did you find him?”

“In the hallway trying to squeeze under the door across from mine. A futile effort given his size, but he made a valiant attempt.” She smiled at the kitten. “I figured he must have escaped and you’d want him back.”

“Yes.” Alejandro tried focusing on the cat, but his gaze kept returning to her. He wanted to chalk his reaction to her up to gratitude but knew better. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Alejandro waited for Julianna to hand over the cat. She didn’t. He needed to go to the boatyard, but he wasn’t in that much of a hurry. He motioned into the apartment. “Please come in.”

Julianna looked to her left and then to the right. “Thanks, but I’d better not.”

He gave her a puzzled look. “You have plans.”

“No,” she admitted. “I don’t want to upset Enrique.”

Alejandro ignored the twinge of disappointment. He understood her concern. “You’re right. We don’t want to add fuel to the fire.”

“Especially with tonight,” she whispered. Excitement danced in her eyes.

He was looking forward to the sail. He wanted Julianna to like it here. For his sake as much as hers. She’d realize she wouldn’t be a prisoner on the island. Enrique didn’t know how to treat women properly; a combination of selfishness and lack of experience. His brother would settle down eventually.

“Rest up today or you’ll be exhausted,” Alejandro said.

“Like the kitten. He fell asleep on the walk over here. He must have tired himself out during his adventure.”

Alejandro wouldn’t mind tiring himself out with Julianna. He imagined her beautiful long hair loose and spread across his pillow, her silky skin against his, the taste of those lips …

His blood heated and roared through his veins.

He pushed the fantasy out of his mind. Thinking of Julianna in a sexual way was wrong and dangerous. They both had too much to lose.

“I’ve been wondering what the kitten’s name is,” she said.

Good, he could think about something other than her in his bed. “Cat.”

“Cat is the kitten’s name?”

“Yes.”

Julianna drew her delicately arched eyebrows together. Her pretty pink mouth opened then closed, as if she thought better of what she wanted to say.

“What?” he asked.

“It’s nothing.”

Alejandro recognized the look in her eyes. “Tell me.”

Julianna hesitated. “You’re doing me a favor taking me sailing. I shouldn’t criticize.”

He’d been criticized his entire life by his father and by his brother. He never could live up to what the people wanted him to be, either. The bane of being the spare. Nothing he did was ever good enough. Alejandro had grown immune to the put-downs. “I want to know.”

“You might get mad.”

He didn’t want her to be afraid of him. “Enrique might get a little heated at times. You don’t have to worry about that with me.”

She squared her shoulders, as if preparing for battle. A one-hundred-eighty-degree difference from her sobbing on the beach last night. “Cat isn’t a proper name for a pet.”

That was what this was all about. Alejandro almost laughed. He thought it was something serious. “Cat doesn’t seem to mind the name.”

“That’s because he loves you.”

The warmth in her voice wrapped around Alejandro like a soft, fluffy towel. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had made him feel so good. But he knew better. The feeling was as fleeting as the love she spoke about. “Love has nothing to do with it. He’s a cat. He comes because he’s hungry.”

“He’d come no matter what you call him,” she continued.

“Cat isn’t a child.”

“No, he’s your pet.”

Children and a family weren’t something he’d considered before. Saying he had a pet was pushing the level of commitment he was comfortable with. Love and commitment didn’t last so why bother? His mother had claimed to love him. But she’d abandoned him to a father who disapproved of him and a brother who antagonized him. Alejandro rocked back on his heels. “Cat’s a stray.”

“Living in a palace.”

Her voice teased. Okay, she had a point. “If I give the cat a proper name, I’ll have to keep him.”

She pursed her lips. “Do you plan on releasing him when he gets bigger?”

Alejandro fought the urge to squirm under her scrutiny. He hadn’t done anything wrong or irresponsible. At least not yet. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. But cats take off when they get tired of you.”

She peered around him and motioned to the sock tied in a knot, piece of rope and empty boxes strewn across the floor. “You’re going to need to buy a suitcase when he goes so he can take his toys with him.”

“I just had that stuff lying around.” Alejandro shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll probably keep him. At the boatyard when he gets older,” he clarified.

“Then you might as well come up with a more original name for him.”

“He’s a cat. The name fits.”

“True, but look at his green eyes. His handsome face. The white boots on his paws.” She held the kitten up as if he were a rare treasure. “He is so much more than a generic cat.”

Alejandro laughed, enchanted by her tenacity. “If you ever get tired of being a princess, you should become a trial lawyer.”

She scrunched her nose. “I’ve never considered such a career, but I would be happy to provide more evidence for changing the kitten’s name.”

“For someone who wants me to take them sailing,” he lowered his voice, “you’re not very agreeable.”

Her eyes widened. Her complexion paled. “Oh, I’m—”

“Kidding.” Alejandro didn’t think she would take him seriously. But he could make it up to her. He thought about her description of the kitten. One word popped out at him. “Boots.”

A line creased above her nose. “Excuse me?”

“Cat’s name is now Boots. Satisfied?”

“Very.” She smiled, visibly relieved. “Thank you.”

Pleasing her felt better than it should. Just trying to make her happy so she’d want to marry Enrique.

Yeah, right. Alejandro leaned against the doorjamb. “It’s the least I could do after the way you argued for his rights. Perhaps you should do the same for your own. And your countrywomen.”

Her smile disappeared. So did the light from her eyes. He didn’t like the change in her.

“I would if I could, but that’s not the kind of princess Aliestle or your brother wants.” She touched one of the kitten’s small paws. Her expression softened. “The least I could do was support a fellow underdog.”

“I don’t think Boots would like to be associated with anything having to do with a dog.”

The corners of her mouth slanted upward. “You’re probably right about that.”

Alejandro reached out to pet the kitten. His fingers brushed against the bare skin on Julianna’s arm. Tingles shot outward from the point of contact. He jerked his hand away.

She didn’t seem to notice.

Good. He didn’t want her to know she had an effect on him. “You like cats.”

“I do, but I’ve never had one.” She rubbed the top of the kitten’s head. “My father didn’t want any animals in the palace. He claimed they were too dirty and too much trouble.”

Alejandro hadn’t expected to have anything else in common with her except sailing. “We had a dog growing up, but after she died my father didn’t want another one. He said dogs were too much trouble.”

Julianna eyed him with curiosity. “Yet you have Boots.”

But Alejandro didn’t live in the palace. He doubted his family would want Julianna to know he was here for appearance sake and would be departing after the wedding. “Black sheep, remember?”

“I haven’t forgotten. I hope your reputation means you’re an expert at subterfuge and not getting caught.”

He winked. “You’re in experienced hands, Princess.”

“Excellent.” The sparkle returned to her eyes. She glanced behind her as if to make sure they were still alone. “Have all the arrangements been made?”

The princess’s hushed voice made it sound as if they were going to undertake an important, secretive mission. Alejandro realized in her mind they were. The least he could do was play along.

“Almost,” he whispered back. “Check your closet this afternoon. Everything you need for tonight will be in there.”

Her mouth formed a perfect O. “My closet? You’re going to go into my room. Isn’t that risky?”

“No one will see me.”

“You can’t be certain. My maid might be—”

“There are secret tunnels and passageways throughout the palace.” He didn’t want her to worry. “You access them through hidden latches in the closets.”

“Oh.”

The one word spoke volumes of her doubt.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

She handed the kitten to him. “I don’t have a choice if I want to go sailing.”

“No, you don’t.”

Alejandro felt like a jerk. He was the last person she should be putting her faith in. He had the most to gain by her marrying Enrique. She had the most to lose by saying “I do.” Okay, his brother wasn’t that bad. But she was still sacrificing for the marriage.

“Not many people would understand how important tonight is to me,” she said. “I trust you won’t let me down.”

He appreciated her earnest expression and words. He was used to those in the palace being unable to see past his rebellions as a teen and his wanting to change the monarchy from the archaic monolith it had become.

But Julianna was far too trusting. She must have lived a sheltered life in Aliestle. Things would be better for her on the island. “You’re the perfect fairy-tale princess.”

Defiance flashed in her eyes, but disappeared quickly. “A princess, yes. Perfect, not so much. Though I try my best.”

“Trying is an admirable trait, but not if it makes you unhappy.”

“Doing what is expected of me is all I know.”

Julianna was nothing like he imagined she would be. She wasn’t jaded in spite of being a royal prisoner her entire life. She was the closest thing to perfection he’d ever met. Alejandro would make sure Enrique treated her fairly. “You do a good job.”

She rewarded him with a closemouthed smile. He would have preferred to see one with her straight, white teeth visible. “I plan to continue to do so.”

Except tonight.

Crossing the line had become second nature to him growing up. Alejandro didn’t do it as often now. Still he didn’t care what anyone thought about him. The lovely princess did care. The way she dressed, spoke and acted made it clear. She might feel the need to rebel in this one-time act of defiance. A brief escape from an impending arranged marriage and a curtailed freedom. But he didn’t want Julianna to have any regrets over what they were going to do.

“Are you certain you want to go against your father and sail tonight?” Alejandro whispered.

“Most definitely.

“You may regret—”

“I’ll regret not doing so more,” she interrupted. “This is the right thing to do. Even if I’m caught.”

Julianna was saying the right words. Alejandro hoped she meant them. Because if she got caught, the price she would pay might be higher than either of them imagined.

That evening, the hands on the clock in the dining room moved slower than the Council of Elders. King Dario sat at the head of the table. His two sons sat on his left with Jules and Brandt on the king’s right.

She tapped her foot, impatient the meal was taking so long. Servers scurried about with wine bottles and platters. She wanted dinner to end so she could excuse herself and prepare for the sail with Alejandro.

He sat across the table from her. No tuxedo, but a designer suit and dress shirt sans tie. He looked more like a CEO than a boatbuilder. Well, except for his hair. The dark ends brushed his shoulders. She preferred his casual, carefree style to Enrique’s short, conservative cut.

She kept hoping Alejandro would say something to turn the dinner conversation away from the upcoming royal wedding and onto something more interesting.

He didn’t. He barely spoke or glanced her way.

No doubt trying to keep anyone from guessing about the rendezvous later. Jules suppressed the urge to smile about her impending adventure.

King Dario yawned. “I’m going to skip having a brandy.”

Alejandro straightened. “Are you feeling okay, Father?”

The king waved off his son’s genuine concern. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

“Dealing with the demands of the island takes a lot out of a person.” Enrique narrowed his gaze as he spoke to Alejandro. “Something you would know little about, brother.”

Jules waited for Alejandro to fire back a smart-assed comment. He took a sip of wine instead. When he finished, he wiped his mouth with a napkin. His dark eyes revealed nothing of his thoughts. “Sleep well, Father.”

With that, King Dario departed.

Silence filled the dining room. The servers seemed to have vanished along with the king. Jules counted to one hundred by tens in Japanese. When could she say good-night without drawing suspicions to herself?

“I have work to attend to.” Enrique scooted his chair away from the table. “If you do not mind,” he said to her as if an afterthought.

Perfect! Her entire body felt as if it were smiling. “I don’t mind.”

“I was planning to hit the clubs,” Brandt said with eager anticipation in his voice.

Yes! She couldn’t have arranged this any better if she’d planned it. “Take Klaus with you.”

Brandt rolled his eyes.

“Listen to your sister,” Alejandro suggested. “You’ll be thankful you have a bodyguard should things get out of hand.”

“My brother knows the island’s club scene intimately.” Derision dripped from each of Enrique’s word. “He’s often at the center of the melees.”

Jules didn’t like his tone. She often gave her four brothers a hard time and teased them, like any big sister, but she never spoke with such disrespect.

“Please, Brandt,” she said. “Father would never forgive me if something happened to you.”

“And vice versa.” Brandt directed a warm smile full of love her way. “I’ll have Klaus accompany me.”

Relieved, she smiled at him. “Thank you.”

Enrique remained seated in his chair, but he looked ready to bolt out any minute. She wished he’d go.

“What will you do tonight, Julianna?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t know.” She forced herself not to look at Alejandro. “Read. Watch TV. I’ll find something to do.”

She wiggled her toes in anticipation of what she would actually be doing.

Enrique rose from the table. “Then I’ll bid you good-night and see you tomorrow.”

Jules watched him exit the dining room. The atmosphere seemed less stuffy with Enrique gone. Her uncharitable thought brought a stab of guilt. He was her future husband. She’d best accept him as he was.

Alejandro rose. “I’m going to say good-night, also.”

“Will I see you later?” Brandt asked.

“Not tonight,” Alejandro said. “I have a prior engagement.”

Yes, he did. She bit back a smile. In two hours and twenty-two minutes she would meet him at a private dock. The map, a headlamp and everything else she needed were sitting inside a duffel bag she’d found in her closet this afternoon.

“Blonde or brunette?” Brandt asked.

Alejandro laughed at the innuendo. “I wish I could say differently, but unfortunately it’s not that kind of … engagement.”

Jules tried to figure out what Alejandro meant. That he wished he were seeing a different woman or he wished he were meeting her under different circumstances? Not that he would or she could. But still …

“You can meet me at a club later,” Brandt said.

Alejandro glanced her way. “Maybe I will.”

“No.” The two men looked at her with surprised expressions.

Jules’s heart dropped to her feet. She hadn’t meant to say the word out loud. “I mean, do you know how long you’ll be, Alejandro? Brandt might not want to stick around one club waiting for you to show up.”

Brandt shook his head. “Stop being such a big sister, Jules. He can text me when he arrives.”

“Oh, right,” she said. “You know how often I go clubbing.”

“You’ve never been to a club,” Brandt said.

She’d never been allowed to go. She always wondered if her bodyguards were more concerned protecting her or ensuring she remained a virgin so her father could use that in marriage negotiations. “Exactly.”

“Your sister’s correct, though,” Alejandro said. “I have no idea how long I’ll be. I may not make it.”

Brandt shrugged. “More lovely ladies for me.”

“Save some for us tomorrow night.”

Her brother grinned. “You’re on.”

Jules didn’t want to think about tomorrow and the life waiting for her as Enrique’s bride and future queen. She wanted tonight to last forever. She wanted it to start now.