death warmed over.
William's smile was warm and genuine, his gaze smoldering. "But not as pleased as I am," he added.
No man had ever looked at Chloe quite that way before, and it took her a moment to compose her speech. "Thank you, Your Majesty. And thank you, also, for the use of your plane. It made the trip home quite pleasant.'"
There, that wasn't so bad. I'll just pretend I'm in a play, and before long, it'll be second nature to talk so darned tactfully all the time. So prissy and highfalutin.
"Your Highness, would you like to go riding?"
She looked at William closely to see whether he was extending the invitation out of duty, but he actually looked eager.
"I was fixin' to." She took a deep breath and tried again. "I thought I'd go to my room for a while."
"But, Your Highness, you have too much energy to be tired. Surely you do not intend to spend your first day home closed up inside."
Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe caught Emma patting her hair. Chloe was free to go, except for one thing. She didn't even know how to get out of the castle to get to the stables, a fact that served to emphasize that one-on-one time with Emma was an absolute necessity.
"It's very kind of you, Your Majesty. Perhaps I could have a rain check?"
"Rain check?" William's brows puckered ever so slightly, an amusing sight above his lopsided grin. "Ah, that must be one of your American expressions."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I mean, would it be all right if I took you up on your offer at a later date?"
"Tomorrow, perhaps."
She was glad to see that she hadn't hurt his feelings. Who could say what a king thought when he got turned down? A king probably never got put off. Especially not William, not with those gold flecks in his eyes tinkling the way they were now. If she didn't have groundwork to cover...
"Maybe I'll see you then. And thanks— Thank you again." Chloe turned, toward Emma, caught a barely perceptible nod indicating which direction to go, and headed that way.
She hadn't gone more than a step when William said, "Your Highness."
She pivoted back toward him before she remembered she was wearing high heels, not sturdy cowboy boots, on a marble floor. She bobbled. He shot out a hand in reflex, but she regained her balance just as he grasped her elbow.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Yeah, just these darned—"
His eyebrows shot up.
"Uh, yes, I'm fine. Thank you for being so quick."
"My pleasure," he said, with just the slightest little bow of his head, which only served to draw her attention to the warmth in his eyes.
"Um, you can let go of my elbow now."
He released her slowly, letting his fingers slide off her sleeve. "Your American accent is quite enchanting, Your Highness."
All the same, Chloe didn't want to give up the game just yet. "It is? Oh, well, thank you. All those years in America, I was bound to pick one up."
"Would you join me for dinner this evening?"
Persistent devil.
Again Emma, who had her back to them and was pretending to be deeply engrossed in a painting on the wall and not paying them any attention, patted her hair.
"That's very nice of you. I'd like that, of course, but it's my first day home, and I should dine with my father."
"Well, I shall have to settle for riding tomorrow, then. Say ten o'clock?"
Chloe loved morning rides, and she should know her way around the castle well enough by then. She smiled in anticipation, both of riding and of seeing him again. They could venture out together across the countryside, just the two of them. The breeze in her face, dew on the grass, a good horse beneath her, a handsome king beside her —what more could a former Texas cowgirl ask for?
William gently grasped her arms as he had when they met on the plane, dipped his head and closed the gap between them. Mesmerized by his lapis eyes, straight nose and firm chin coming closer and closer, Chloe found herself staring until she was cross-eyed. His cheek was warm on hers, and his lips were firm as he graced
William's smile was warm and genuine, his gaze smoldering. "But not as pleased as I am," he added.
No man had ever looked at Chloe quite that way before, and it took her a moment to compose her speech. "Thank you, Your Majesty. And thank you, also, for the use of your plane. It made the trip home quite pleasant.'"
There, that wasn't so bad. I'll just pretend I'm in a play, and before long, it'll be second nature to talk so darned tactfully all the time. So prissy and highfalutin.
"Your Highness, would you like to go riding?"
She looked at William closely to see whether he was extending the invitation out of duty, but he actually looked eager.
"I was fixin' to." She took a deep breath and tried again. "I thought I'd go to my room for a while."
"But, Your Highness, you have too much energy to be tired. Surely you do not intend to spend your first day home closed up inside."
Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe caught Emma patting her hair. Chloe was free to go, except for one thing. She didn't even know how to get out of the castle to get to the stables, a fact that served to emphasize that one-on-one time with Emma was an absolute necessity.
"It's very kind of you, Your Majesty. Perhaps I could have a rain check?"
"Rain check?" William's brows puckered ever so slightly, an amusing sight above his lopsided grin. "Ah, that must be one of your American expressions."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I mean, would it be all right if I took you up on your offer at a later date?"
"Tomorrow, perhaps."
She was glad to see that she hadn't hurt his feelings. Who could say what a king thought when he got turned down? A king probably never got put off. Especially not William, not with those gold flecks in his eyes tinkling the way they were now. If she didn't have groundwork to cover...
"Maybe I'll see you then. And thanks— Thank you again." Chloe turned, toward Emma, caught a barely perceptible nod indicating which direction to go, and headed that way.
She hadn't gone more than a step when William said, "Your Highness."
She pivoted back toward him before she remembered she was wearing high heels, not sturdy cowboy boots, on a marble floor. She bobbled. He shot out a hand in reflex, but she regained her balance just as he grasped her elbow.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Yeah, just these darned—"
His eyebrows shot up.
"Uh, yes, I'm fine. Thank you for being so quick."
"My pleasure," he said, with just the slightest little bow of his head, which only served to draw her attention to the warmth in his eyes.
"Um, you can let go of my elbow now."
He released her slowly, letting his fingers slide off her sleeve. "Your American accent is quite enchanting, Your Highness."
All the same, Chloe didn't want to give up the game just yet. "It is? Oh, well, thank you. All those years in America, I was bound to pick one up."
"Would you join me for dinner this evening?"
Persistent devil.
Again Emma, who had her back to them and was pretending to be deeply engrossed in a painting on the wall and not paying them any attention, patted her hair.
"That's very nice of you. I'd like that, of course, but it's my first day home, and I should dine with my father."
"Well, I shall have to settle for riding tomorrow, then. Say ten o'clock?"
Chloe loved morning rides, and she should know her way around the castle well enough by then. She smiled in anticipation, both of riding and of seeing him again. They could venture out together across the countryside, just the two of them. The breeze in her face, dew on the grass, a good horse beneath her, a handsome king beside her —what more could a former Texas cowgirl ask for?
William gently grasped her arms as he had when they met on the plane, dipped his head and closed the gap between them. Mesmerized by his lapis eyes, straight nose and firm chin coming closer and closer, Chloe found herself staring until she was cross-eyed. His cheek was warm on hers, and his lips were firm as he graced
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