Twice a Princess

“No. I mean romance. Sweetheart notes. Flowers. Exciting trips. Carriage rides. Whispered secrets while tangled in satin sheets. Gifts. Stolen kisses.” He smiled at her. “Romance.”

Merry nearly swooned. Alexander Rochelle was adorable. Which made it doubly sad that his life was lonely. “You don’t mind that your relationships end? I mean, aren’t there problems?”

“Nothing that can’t be solved with an honest conversation. Plus, before I start anything with a woman, I’m very open about expectations.”

Confused because he didn’t sound sad, or lonely, or even slightly bothered by his life choice, Merry asked, “And you like it that way?”

“I love it that way! Merry, I’ve courted some of the most beautiful women in the world. I’m still friendly with most of them. Love doesn’t have to be difficult. A person simply needs to understand when it’s time to walk away.”

Gazing at his handsome face, partially shadowed in the moonlight, Merry swallowed. That was another lesson she had learned from seven years as a matchmaker. Not every attraction ended in love. But that didn’t make those liaisons wrong. People could enjoy a romantic short-term fling as long as both parties recognized when it was time to let go.

Given that circumstances in Alexander’s life had hurt him enough to preclude him from taking the final step, which was complete trust, Merry had to concede that this life might be right for him. Because of knowing how and when to let go, he was a well adjusted, brilliant, romantic—yet realistic—man, and Merry suddenly wished with all her heart that she could have one of those temporary but romantic love affairs with him.

Because that wasn’t a good idea for many, many reasons, she took a pace back. “You better return to the wedding.”

He smiled softly. “Not before I kiss you good-night.”

Merry’s mouth fell open and she was absolutely positive her heart stopped. He couldn’t want to kiss her! She was an obnoxious crone! Worse, her appearance could be changing even as they spoke. If he kissed her and realized she was young, how would she explain it?

She couldn’t let him kiss her! It was insane!

She stepped back again, but he caught her gloved hand and lifted her fingers to his lips.

“Thank you, Merry, for doing such a wonderful job at the resort. I hope you will be with us for many, many years to come.”

He let her fingers slide from his grip, turned and walked down the path again. A lone figure, bathed in moonlight, striding through the thick tropical foliage.

Tears filled Merry’s eyes. He seemed well adjusted. He even exuded an air of sophisticated control. Yet, there was also an incompleteness about him. He might not want or even need a permanent relationship, but he’d never had a great love, and he never would because he would never trust the way he should.

Whether Alexander understood it or not, he was under as much of a curse as she was.

Merry’s first thought when she woke the next morning was pure grief that she would never be romantic with Alexander Rochelle. She rubbed her eyes wearily, but she didn’t feel the loose skin of her aged hand shift across her eyelids as it normally did. Instead, smooth, solid flesh greeted her.

Remembering that the lifelong commitment of Rick and Cynthia broke her curse and that she had begun to feel the changes to her appearance the night before, Merry shot up in bed. She looked down at her hands and saw slim fingers and barely lined palms. She flipped them over to reveal tight-skinned knuckles.

She tossed aside the covers and virtually flew to the mirror.

Dear God! She was tall again, shapely again, unwrinkled, unbent, tight-skinned, supple-muscled, auburn-haired and…gorgeous!

She was Princess Meredith Montrosa Bessart!

She could go home!

She could call her father! He would undoubtedly send a plane for her that day, and tomorrow morning she would wake up in her own bed. She could contact Prince Alec….

And never see Alexander Rochelle again.

All her excitement faded and she drooped in front of the mirror as if she were still Merry Montrose. Damn it! Just when she had everything worked out, just when she had everything figured out, life threw the monkey wrench of Alexander Rochelle into the works.

She flopped onto her bed. Facing the glass double doors to the private patio of her villa, she saw the swaying palms of southwest Florida, and beyond the white sand, the blue waves of the Gulf, and her chest tightened.

Alexander.

The man simply made her heart hurt with longing. Prince Alec was her sworn duty, and never, ever would she consider shirking her responsibility. Never, ever would she make Alec feel that being his wife and partner was anything less than joy. She wanted to be Prince Alec’s wife. She wanted to fulfill her roles.

But Alexander made her yearn. He made her long for things she’d never felt and never would feel because Prince Alec was not a love match. Though she was sure she would grow to love Alec, she didn’t know if she would ever have romantic feelings for him, and because of the betrothal promise, he was her match for eternity.

She rose to pace. Eternity was a long time. She didn’t want to spend eternity, or even the rest of her life, regretting that she’d never known romantic love. From observing the couples she had matched, she was also now wise enough to see that a person had to be ready for the love of honor, duty, responsibility and maturity. Her couples were lucky in that they seemed to combine both romantic love and the love of honor, but princesses weren’t always that blessed. Her destiny wasn’t that of a normal woman. Though she had to admit it seemed odd that fate had thrown Alexander in her path right when it was time to commit.

She paused by her bed. It did seem odd.

She began to pace again. In her seven years as matchmaker, she’d seen the roles of fate and magic in each union, and if there was one thing she had learned it was that fate didn’t make mistakes or arrange anything without a purpose. Which meant Alexander had crossed her path at this precise point in her life for a reason.

A reason.

She paused again. Of course! It was so simple!

She was about to enter a life of duty and responsibility. And gladly. She wasn’t merely being a good sport about this. She was committing with her heart and soul. And fate was rewarding her.

Or maybe fate was preparing her? If she truly was forfeiting romantic love, maybe fate was preparing her by gifting her with one season of romantic love? Something to fulfill her girlhood fantasies so she would be ready for her adult responsibilities.

That had to be it. There couldn’t be any other explanation. Fate didn’t torture. It didn’t dangle something in front of a person to be cruel. Fate led, guided and rewarded.

Alexander Rochelle was her reward.

She had even wished for it the night before. When he walked her home and told her his theory of romance, she had wished to experience romance as intense as it would be with him.

She gasped when she realized fate had granted her plea, and her brain kicked into overdrive. To take advantage of this gift of fate, Merry had a lot of preparing to do. She was no longer the Merry the staff was expecting, but she was still the resort manager. She couldn’t leave La Torchere in a lurch. In fact, she could probably prevent the fountain of love from disappearing and the number of guests from dwindling by hiring a replacement whom she could train to subtly slide the right people together. All she had to do was say she was Merry Montrose’s niece and that her aunt had asked her to take over as resort manager for the time it took to find a replacement, so her aunt could retire.

It was so simple, so perfect, that Merry smiled. But her gaze collided with the cell phone on her bedside table and her smile turned to a look of confusion. As a crone, she’d used that magic cell phone to arrange everything from good weather to accidental meetings. She’d even had it repaired after a bout of frustration had left it in shambles.

Things would be a lot easier with Alexander Rochelle if…

No. It wouldn’t be fair to manipulate Alexander with magic….

That thought made her frown. Part of the reason it was a gift to be a Silestia royal was the magic she had at her disposal. And changing the weather to suit a picnic or arranging accidental meetings wasn’t the same as hypnotizing Alexander or dousing him with love potion number nine….

No. For some reason using her magic just didn’t seem right. In fact, she was so sure it was inappropriate that she walked to the bedside table intending to stash the cell phone so she wouldn’t be tempted, but the screen was blinking.

Don’t waste your time,

Looking for a helpful rhyme.

No curse, no phone.

If you want love, find it on your own.

Well, that settled that. She didn’t have access to the magic she’d been given as a crone, and she hadn’t been fully schooled in her family’s magic because she’d been a crone for most of the time she should have been at her father’s knee, learning her family’s legacy. But it didn’t matter. She’d never needed magic to entice a man before.

She tossed the cell phone into the drawer of the bedside table and eyed herself critically in the full-length mirror.

Her first order of business was getting some decent clothes so she could go to the front desk and announce she was Merry Montrose’s niece who was replacing her retiring aunt.

Her second was finding Alexander Rochelle and giving him the great romance of his life, becoming the woman he remembered forever.

Chapter Two

After a shower, Merry ran to La Torchere’s boutique and purchased several outfits, which she instructed the staff to deliver to her villa. Then she scooted to the resort salon for a haircut, manicure and new makeup.

When she returned home, she found the three boxes from the boutique sitting on her bed and immediately shimmied into a formfitting teal suit. The color intensified the radiance of her auburn hair. Plus, the suit’s fitted jacket and flirty short skirt were sexy enough that when she met Alexander to introduce herself as the replacement for her “Aunt Merry” she would make the impression she wanted to make.

By the time she finally strode up the cobblestone walk to the main lobby of the hotel, it was nearly noon. Her sleek, shoulder-length auburn hair had been styled to curve seductively around her face. A hint of mascara on her long black lashes accented her violet-blue eyes. Her lips were moist and dewy with her favorite lip gloss, and her pink-tipped toes peeked out of sexy white sandals.

It felt so good to be her real self that Merry could have wept. She would never take her youth, beauty or very lucky lot in life for granted again.

She stepped up to the glass double door of the lobby and it automatically opened. The roar of the three-story fountain in the center greeted her. Warm, honey-hued wood furniture with plump teal-and-cream-colored cushions surrounded a white baby grand piano. Lush tropical plants separated conversation areas.

Her heels tapped sensually on the shimmering forest-green tiles as she walked to the discrete front desk. Laying her perfect twenty-nine-year-old hand with brand new French nails on the golden oak counter, Merry said, “Hi. I’m Merry Montrose’s niece.”

Andi Jones, Merry’s pride and joy, the clerk she had personally trained, smiled in welcome. Andi’s navy skirt and white blouse were as crisp and professional as her polished manners. “Good afternoon, Ms. Montrose. I assume your aunt made reservations for you.”

“Actually, no.” Merry smiled briefly, adopting the authoritative manner she’d perfected as Merry Montrose. “She hired me to take her place.”

Andi’s smile slipped, but didn’t completely fade. “Excuse me?”

“Last night my aunt became ill at the wedding. Planning the reception exhausted her, so she called me. I arrived just before dawn to find her badly in need of a rest. She told me she wanted to retire, so I made arrangements for her to go home.”

“I see.”

“And I’m taking her place—at least long enough to find a real replacement for her. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my office.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Merry almost turned away, but stopped herself. She wasn’t Merry Montrose, the cursed crone who knew this resort like the back of her hand. She was supposed to be Merry’s niece, a woman who had only arrived at the resort that morning.

She faced Andi again. “Could you show me to my office?”

Andi smiled politely and said, “Certainly, ma’am.” But from behind Merry, Alexander Rochelle said, “Why don’t you allow me?”

Merry’s eyes widened. Darn it! Two minutes into her charade and she was already facing the ultimate test! Alexander Rochelle. As resort manager “Aunt Merry” might have had the power to hire her replacement, but Merry knew that as resort owner Alexander had final approval. She had hoped to establish herself with the staff before she “met” Alexander, so she would have the leverage of already being in place. Now she had nothing.

Still, if there was one thing she’d learned from her years as a matchmaker, it was that the best-laid plans could go astray. Fortunately, she had also learned she could handle anything life threw at her. She took a quick breath and faced Alexander.

As always, he was absolutely perfect. His light blue sport shirt complemented his pale blue eyes and blond hair. He left the first two buttons of the shirt open and might have appeared a bit too casual for his position as resort owner, but his creased khaki trousers and shiny brown loafers gave him the polish that kept his look sophisticated and professional.

Seeing him, Merry felt the air whoosh out of her lungs and for several seconds she couldn’t speak. But that turned out to be very lucky because she had time to register that Alexander wasn’t smiling at her, as he had been the night before when he walked “Aunt Merry” to her villa. He wasn’t even smiling at her because she looked good in her teal suit and sexy white sandals. In fact, he appeared to be furious.

Either he was horribly upset that Merry Montrose had quit or he wasn’t happy that “Aunt Merry” had hired her own replacement—and a niece no less. Princess Merry almost groaned at her stupidity. She should have realized Alexander Rochelle wouldn’t take kindly to nepotism.

Alexander stared in amazement at the woman in front of him, unsure if he could contain his anger. After all these years, his betrothed, Princess Meredith Bessart, had the nerve to show up at his door. No announcement. No explanation. No warning. Just “Hello, I’m here to take over as manager of your resort.”

As if he were going to let that happen!

Not about to let this woman make a fool of him as she had the night of her coming-out ball because he’d reacted from emotion, not logic, Alexander counted to one hundred, attempting to control his temper. But it was no use. He was livid. How dare she just stroll in and take over his resort!

“I’m sorry,” Princess Meredith said, smiling brightly as she extended her hand to him in the standard American greeting. “But I didn’t get your name.”

Alexander’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t know him?

Actually, that was possible. He’d been as far underground as she had been for the past seven years. There weren’t pictures documenting his growth from a gangly twenty-four-year-old to the seasoned thirty-one-year-old he was now. Anyone who hadn’t seen him in seven years wouldn’t connect the tall, spindly boy to the broad-shouldered, confident man he was today.

Alexander smiled. Once again, the combination of his maturing appearance and his slightly changed name had hidden his identity.

And for the first time in his acquaintance with pampered Princess Meredith, he had the upper hand.

“I’m Alexander Rochelle,” he said as he took the hand she had extended, playing along because he was about to zap her and he was going to enjoy it. “What did you say your name was?”

“I’m also Merry Montrose. I’m the namesake of my aunt.”

“Well, Merry Montrose, I own this resort. And though your aunt Merry certainly did have the power to hire her replacement, you must be approved by me.”

Merry said, “I understand.”

She understood? Her agreement astounded Alexander so much he almost took a pace back. Since when did Princess Merry accept a situation she didn’t like?

Maybe she hadn’t gotten the full message.

“Not only do I have the power to reject her choice, but in this case I’m not sure I agree with her decision.”

Her expression became grave. “Again, I understand. This is all coming out of the blue for you. But my aunt didn’t hire me to take her place permanently. I’m here to find her replacement.” She caught his gaze and smiled prettily. “So she doesn’t feel horrible for leaving you without warning.”

Alexander swallowed as unwanted sexual awareness snaked through him. Princess Meredith had one powerful smile. His betrothed might be a spoiled brat, but she was a gorgeous spoiled brat. Shiny auburn hair framed her face and set off the unusual violet hue of her eyes. Her full, glossy lips begged to be kissed. The suit she wore showcased her absolutely perfect figure. Any man would find her attractive.

Luckily, he’d learned his lesson about falling under the spell of her beauty. He took a step back, away from her.

Princess Meredith continued, “My aunt told me so much about your resort that I’m probably the best person to find someone to replace her. From the minute she began her work here, I knew her every move,” she said with a light laugh, cajoling him, flirting with him, again shooting sexual responses through his veins, tempting him to flirt back.

Determined not to let her get to him, Alexander didn’t answer right away. He didn’t understand why Princess Meredith wished to perform the menial task of replacing her aunt, but he also realized he wasn’t handling the situation properly. As owner of the resort, he shouldn’t be wondering why Princess Merry was here. His real concern should be that he’d lost his perfect manager. And without explanation. He and Merry Montrose were close enough that she wouldn’t have left without telling him.

“I walked your aunt to her villa last night and she never mentioned retiring.”

“She didn’t realize how tired she was until she awakened this morning.” Princess Merry smiled brightly. “I think she would have worked here forever if things hadn’t…changed…last night.”

Alexander honed in on the mistake. “Something changed? I thought you said she was merely tired?”

“Tired enough to retire,” Princess Meredith assured him. “She’d never been quite that tired before.”

Alexander crossed his arms on his chest as Princess Meredith stood smiling at him, waiting for his verdict. He’d known Merry Montrose was tired, but he also knew she was proud of the job she’d done at La Torchere and he didn’t believe she was the type of person to retire. More than that, though, as the owner of a resort, he was quite familiar with the power of a good vacation. Even if Merry were exhausted enough to think she needed to retire, he genuinely believed that once his very active manager got two weeks of peace and privacy she would be bored. And he had to wonder if she hadn’t sent her spoiled niece, a woman with no experience at all, because she was trying to hold her job for herself without looking obvious.

That made a great deal of sense.

Princess Meredith being chosen as a temporary replacement also meant there was a good possibility Alexander would get his wonderful manager back. All he had to do was work with Princess Meredith for about two weeks.

He studied her delicate features, her pretty eyes, her serene smile. Whether those weeks would be two loooong weeks or two short weeks would be determined by the behavior of his betrothed. Merry Montrose might not have known she was sending her niece to work for her future husband, but Alexander knew. And he wasn’t sure he could work with his spoiled, selfish fiancée long enough for Merry Montrose to realize she wanted her old job back.

The phone rang and, jarred out of his thoughts, Alexander noticed he and Merry had attracted a crowd of curious staff who milled around the lobby desk pretending to be busy. If he didn’t make a decision quickly, he and Merry would undoubtedly be the topic of conversation at lunch today.

He glanced at his betrothed with her sexy little suit, her soft violet eyes and her shiny auburn hair that caught the sunlight pouring in from the skylight above the fountain. The only real weapon she had was sex appeal, and it would be a cold, frosty day in hell when he let sex appeal affect the way he ran his business or distract him from doing what he needed to do.

“Let’s talk in your aunt’s office,” he said, directing Princess Meredith to a corridor to the right. Without waiting for her, he walked away.

Because he kept his gait deliberately long, Merry scrambled to keep up with him. “I’m sorry Aunt Merry quit without giving notice.”

He frowned. Since when did Princess Meredith know about notices? “Don’t worry about it. I realized myself that she was tired.”

“Then you understand?”

Actually, he probably understood a lot better than Princess Meredith did. Right now Merry Montrose needed rest, and the only way Alexander could assure she would return would be if he kept Meredith here so Merry Montrose would know her job was still open.

He wasn’t thrilled with the situation, but he did have the upper hand, so he wasn’t worried.

“Yes. I understand.”

They reached the doorway to Merry’s office, but rather than go inside, he stopped.

“You can stay.”

“You won’t be sorry!” Merry said and just barely stifled the urge to throw her arms around him and kiss him soundly. But before she had a chance, Alexander Rochelle pivoted and was halfway down the hall to the lobby.

Merry sighed. This was not working out the way she had hoped. She’d seen the flares of sexual awareness that flamed in Alexander’s eyes but he’d quickly banked them as if he didn’t want to be attracted to her.

Stepping into her office and walking across the charming blue-and-white braided rugs that sat atop the hardwood floors, Merry considered that maybe Alexander had tempered his reaction to her because he didn’t get personally involved with employees. After all, she’d never seen him “date” a member of the staff. She decided that would be a reasonable, but conquerable, problem—except, having any kind of difficulty to overcome took away precious time. She would have to think of something spectacular to force him to get beyond his reservations quickly.

In fact, now that she had explained crone Merry Montrose’s disappearance and had herself established as the resort manager, the next order of business was calling her father to see how much time she did have.

She fell to the slate-blue leather chair behind the honey-colored desk, lifted the receiver of the cordless phone and dialed his private number. She waited three rings before his manservant answered.

“Charles! Charles! It’s Princess Merry! My goodness! It’s so good to hear your voice.”

Dead silence greeted her and Merry frowned. She supposed she should expect this kind of reaction. Not only had she been out of touch for seven years, but also she hadn’t exactly been the kindest princess in the world.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye before I left, Charles.”

Again silence.

Her frown deepened but Merry decided to save her fence-mending for when she got home. “Is my father around?”

“Yes, Mum.”

“Great. May I speak with him, please?”

“Yes, Mum.”

She waited only two seconds before her father was on the line.

“Merry! My God! Where the hell have you been? Are you okay? The only contact we’ve had were those notes you sent through Lissa!” he said, referring to the godmother who had cursed her. “We understood you wanted an American education, but did you really need to go to school disguised as a commoner?”