of food into her mouth so she didn’t have to talk to him. Glad to see her eating for the sake of the baby, he couldn’t allow himself the luxury of being upset that she wasn’t talking to him.
Still, it made him nuts.
They were perfectly fine in that elevator until the conversation about her charming the press. She could charm the press. And without effort. But something about that one simple comment had made her quiet. Distant.
He probably shouldn’t have mentioned it. Her ability with them was so natural that if he hadn’t pointed it out to her, she would have used it without thought. But he liked talking to her and he liked it when they were getting along. Their natural connection would be what would make the charade work.
Then they’d had that moment of looking into each other’s eyes, and for twenty seconds he’d thought he wouldn’t be able to resist kissing her. But he had . He’d remembered his dad, the weakness that plagued him after Dom’s mother’s death. He knew he couldn’t afford a marriage with real emotion. And when he kissed her, he felt things he couldn’t define or describe. So he stepped back, away from a kiss he wanted, to prove he didn’t need it.
That should have made her happy. God knew it made him happy to see he could resist her. She should be happy, too. Instead, she was distant.
He left her after lunch and spent four grueling hours in parliament. Tired and somewhat disgusted, he returned to his palace apartment to find Sally and Joshua, the clothier, sitting on one sofa with Ginny alone on the sofa across from them. Though Sally was frustrated, Joshua looked to be the picture of patience as he ran down the benefits of a list of designers.
Ginny frowned. “I know what I like. I know what I look good in. It just seems so sterile to be picking a gown this way. I always imagined myself trying things on.”
Joshua smiled patiently. “Most women would kill for the chance to choose a designer to make a unique gown.”
Ginny only sighed and glanced at the photo array of designers and their creations.
Sally shook her head. “What difference does it make? For Pete’s sake. This wedding is just for show. It’s not real. The gown doesn’t have to reflect you. It just has to be beautiful. Something fit for a princess.”
Ginny finally noticed Dom standing in the foyer by the door, but she quickly looked away. Still, he’d seen the naked misery in her eyes.
She straightened her shoulders, as if seeing him reminded her of her duty to him, and she pointed at one of the photo arrays. “This one. I’d like this designer.”
Sally sighed with relief and rose. “We’ll contact him.”
Joshua rose, too. He bowed. “I am at your service.”
Sally said, “Good because she still has a wardrobe to choose. Two pair of jeans and a green dress with cardigan won’t be enough clothes for two days let alone over two years.”
Joshua on her heels, Sally headed for the white double doors. “You’ll be required to meet with Joshua again tomorrow afternoon, Ginny.”
“That’s Ms. Jones,” Dominic said, suddenly annoyed. “She may not be a princess yet. But she will be. And when she is she will be your boss.”
Sally quietly gasped and stepped back, but she quickly recovered. Bowing to Dominic, she said, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Joshua all but quivered with fear. New to the palace, because the king and the two princes rarely required help in choosing suits or having them made, he glanced from Dom to Sally, wide-eyed.
Sally opened the door and left. Joshua scampered after her.
Ginny blew her breath out on a long sigh. “You shouldn’t have yelled at her. It wasn’t her fault that I’m having trouble choosing. And our time is running out. She’s right to be annoyed with me.”
He walked to the bar and poured himself a Scotch. “Oh, sweetie. You have so much to learn about being a princess.”
“I’m not going to be vapid and spoiled.”
“Of course, you’re not. But
Still, it made him nuts.
They were perfectly fine in that elevator until the conversation about her charming the press. She could charm the press. And without effort. But something about that one simple comment had made her quiet. Distant.
He probably shouldn’t have mentioned it. Her ability with them was so natural that if he hadn’t pointed it out to her, she would have used it without thought. But he liked talking to her and he liked it when they were getting along. Their natural connection would be what would make the charade work.
Then they’d had that moment of looking into each other’s eyes, and for twenty seconds he’d thought he wouldn’t be able to resist kissing her. But he had . He’d remembered his dad, the weakness that plagued him after Dom’s mother’s death. He knew he couldn’t afford a marriage with real emotion. And when he kissed her, he felt things he couldn’t define or describe. So he stepped back, away from a kiss he wanted, to prove he didn’t need it.
That should have made her happy. God knew it made him happy to see he could resist her. She should be happy, too. Instead, she was distant.
He left her after lunch and spent four grueling hours in parliament. Tired and somewhat disgusted, he returned to his palace apartment to find Sally and Joshua, the clothier, sitting on one sofa with Ginny alone on the sofa across from them. Though Sally was frustrated, Joshua looked to be the picture of patience as he ran down the benefits of a list of designers.
Ginny frowned. “I know what I like. I know what I look good in. It just seems so sterile to be picking a gown this way. I always imagined myself trying things on.”
Joshua smiled patiently. “Most women would kill for the chance to choose a designer to make a unique gown.”
Ginny only sighed and glanced at the photo array of designers and their creations.
Sally shook her head. “What difference does it make? For Pete’s sake. This wedding is just for show. It’s not real. The gown doesn’t have to reflect you. It just has to be beautiful. Something fit for a princess.”
Ginny finally noticed Dom standing in the foyer by the door, but she quickly looked away. Still, he’d seen the naked misery in her eyes.
She straightened her shoulders, as if seeing him reminded her of her duty to him, and she pointed at one of the photo arrays. “This one. I’d like this designer.”
Sally sighed with relief and rose. “We’ll contact him.”
Joshua rose, too. He bowed. “I am at your service.”
Sally said, “Good because she still has a wardrobe to choose. Two pair of jeans and a green dress with cardigan won’t be enough clothes for two days let alone over two years.”
Joshua on her heels, Sally headed for the white double doors. “You’ll be required to meet with Joshua again tomorrow afternoon, Ginny.”
“That’s Ms. Jones,” Dominic said, suddenly annoyed. “She may not be a princess yet. But she will be. And when she is she will be your boss.”
Sally quietly gasped and stepped back, but she quickly recovered. Bowing to Dominic, she said, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Joshua all but quivered with fear. New to the palace, because the king and the two princes rarely required help in choosing suits or having them made, he glanced from Dom to Sally, wide-eyed.
Sally opened the door and left. Joshua scampered after her.
Ginny blew her breath out on a long sigh. “You shouldn’t have yelled at her. It wasn’t her fault that I’m having trouble choosing. And our time is running out. She’s right to be annoyed with me.”
He walked to the bar and poured himself a Scotch. “Oh, sweetie. You have so much to learn about being a princess.”
“I’m not going to be vapid and spoiled.”
“Of course, you’re not. But
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