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Right now he wanted to return to his room. Being surrounded by royalty was suffocating.
“It’s been nice meeting you.” His obligation to be here when the princess arrived had been met. He cradled the now napping kitten in the crook of his arm. “I’ll see …”
Julianna stroked the kitten. The move took him by surprise. The soft smile on her face reached all the way to her eyes and made him do a double-take. His pulse rate shot up a few notches.
He’d always been a sucker for a pair of big baby blues. “Would you like to hold him?”
She drew back her hand. Her French manicured nails had no cracks or chips. “No, thank you.”
Alejandro didn’t know whether to be intrigued or annoyed by the princess. Before he could decide which, a cloud of strong aftershave hit him. He recognized the toxic scent, otherwise known as the expensive designer brand of cologne his brother wore.
Enrique turned the corner. He strode across the floor with quick steps and his head held high. Whereas Brandt looked regal, Enrique came across as pompous.
He stared at Julianna as if she were a red diamond, a rare gem meant only for him. Dollar signs shone in his eyes. Enrique’s priority had always been La Isla de la Aurora. Women were secondary, which was why an arranged marriage had been necessary.
After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Enrique glared at Ortiz, who introduced everyone with lofty titles and more middle names than Alejandro could count.
Enrique struck a ridiculous pose, as if he were at a photo shoot not standing in the foyer. “I hope you had a pleasant journey from Aliestle.”
“Thank you. I did.” Julianna’s polite smile gave nothing away as to her first impression of her groom. “The palace is lovely.”
Leave it to Enrique to turn meeting his future wife into such a formal event. Alejandro couldn’t believe his brother. Didn’t he remember their charm lessons with Mrs. Delgado? If Enrique had a clue about women, about Julianna, he would kiss her hand and compliment her on her shoes. He would make her feel as if she’d arrived home, not treat her like a temporary houseguest. But Enrique only did what he wanted, no matter how that affected anyone else.
“Alejandro.” Irritation filled Enrique’s eyes. “What are you doing with that animal?”
“He’s a kitten. And I’m only following your instructions, brother,” Alejandro explained. “I’m here, as requested, to meet your lovely bride.”
Enrique’s face reddened. “You could at least have taken the time to dress.”
“He escaped while I was changing.” Alejandro petted the sleeping cat. “I assumed Father wouldn’t want a kitten tearing through the palace unattended.”
Enrique started to speak then stopped himself. Their guests must be keeping his temper in check. At least the princess and her entourage were good for something around here.
“I’ll take him to my room,” Alejandro added. “See you at dinner.”
“Formal attire,” Enrique reminded, his voice tight. “In case you’ve forgotten, that includes shirt and shoes.”
Alejandro rocked back on his heels. “I know how to dress for dinner, bro, but thanks for the reminder.”
The air crackled with tension.
Twenty years ago, they would have been fighting while Ortiz called for the palace guards to separate them. Ten years ago, the same thing might have happened. But Enrique would never lower himself, or his station, to that level now. Even if his hard gaze told Alejandro he wanted to fight.
“At least your younger brother knows how to dress, Enrique. Not all of mine do.” Julianna sounded empathetic. “I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s hard being the oldest.”
Her words may have been calculated, but they did the trick. Enrique’s jaw relaxed. He focused his attention on Julianna.
Alejandro was impressed. Diffusing the situation so deftly took skill. And practice.
“It can be difficult.” The corners of Enrique’s mouth lifted into a half smile. “Younger siblings don’t take things as seriously or have the same sense of duty.”
Idiot. Alejandro wondered if his brother realized he was also slamming Brandt, another crown prince, with his words.
“Some don’t,” Julianna agreed. “But others just need to understand their responsibilities a little better. Isn’t that right, dear brother?”
Brandt nodded, looking more amused than offended. Alejandro liked the guy already.
Enrique’s mouth twisted, as if he finally understood how his words could be construed. “I was talking about Alejandro.”
Julianna smiled at Enrique. “Of course, you were.”
The woman was smooth. Alejandro had no idea if her skills came from dealing with her brothers or boyfriends, but he’d never seen anyone handle Enrique so well. Not even their mother who had separated from their father years ago. Maybe Julianna could rein in the future ruler’s ego and temper. If she had a brain in that pretty head of hers, as she seemed to, she could stop him from making bad decisions, like focusing on projects that aggrandized himself, but did nothing to help the island.
The ice princess might be exactly what Enrique needed.
Alejandro would have to make sure his brother didn’t blow this engagement.
For both their sakes. And the island’s.
“Thank you for escorting me to my room.” Standing with Enrique, Jules glanced around. The pastel pink and yellow decor was bright and cheery. Maybe some of it would rub off on her because right now she was feeling a little … down. She forced a smile anyway. Replacing Enrique’s aftershave and teaching him a few manners wouldn’t be difficult. It could be much worse. “The suite is lovely.”
“I asked Ortiz to put you in this room.” Enrique pulled back a curtain. “I thought you might like the view.”
She stared out the window at rows of colorful flowers below. A burst of hot pink. A swatch of bright yellow. A patch of purple.
Another wave of disappointment washed over her. The same way it had when she’d discovered her hottie rescuer wasn’t going to be her husband, but her brother-in-law.
Don’t think about that. About him. Otherwise she might find herself back in Aliestle.
“A garden.” She hoped she sounded more enthusiastic than she felt. A bush of red roses captured her attention until she noticed the large thorns on the thick stems. Ouch, that would hurt. “How nice.”
“The garden is the closest thing I have to a hobby now. A majority of the flowers are in bloom,” Enrique explained. “When you open the window, the breeze will carry a light floral scent into your room.”
“Picking out this room for me is so thoughtful of you.” Even if she would have preferred the smell of salt water, a view of the sea, Alejandro.
No, that wasn’t fair.
Enrique was handsome. He looked more like a fashion model from Milan than a crown prince in his designer suit, starched shirt, silk tie and leather shoes. If he’d been shirtless and she found herself pressed against his hard chest …
She tried to imagine it. Tried and failed.
He wasn’t Alejandro, who had appeared in the foyer like the Roman god Mars come to life and looking for a fight. Well, until he held the kitten in his hand, and then he’d looked … perfect.
Not perfect. No one was perfect.
But the two brothers were tall, dark and handsome. They shared the same brown eyes, but the similarities ended there. One was sexy and dangerous, the black sheep. The other was formal and Old World, the future king.
Jules might be inexperienced when it came to men, but she wasn’t stupid. Even if thinking about Alejandro made her pulse quicken, Enrique would make the better husband and father. He was the logical choice, the smart choice.
The only choice.
She was here to be Enrique’s bride and his alone. She would be his wife and one day a queen. Whatever she may have felt in Alejandro’s arms didn’t matter. No one could ever know she found him attractive. As for her fiancé …
So what if he had similar mannerisms and speech as her father? Perhaps Enrique’s formality stemmed from nervousness. Crown princes were human, even if few would admit it.
He had selected this room for her. Granted, the view wasn’t the one she would have preferred, but he’d had his reasons for choosing it. And he was still better than marrying anyone from Aliestle. Jules smiled genuinely at him. “Thank you for welcoming us into your home.”
“It’ll be your home soon enough.”
She nodded, trying to muster a few ounces of happy feelings and peppiness. She hoped they would come.
“I look forward to seeing you at dinner,” he said.
“As do I.”
He took her hand and raised it to his mouth. He brushed his lips over her skin.
Jules wanted to feel the same passion and heat she’d felt in Alejandro’s arms. She would settle for a spark, tingles, warmth at the point of contact, even a small shiver. But she felt … nothing.
Enrique released her hand. “Until later, my princess.”
Later. The word resonated with her.
As he left and closed the door behind him, she remembered what she’d told Izzy, Princess Isabel of Vernonia.
Remember, just because you don’t love someone at the beginning doesn’t mean you won’t love them in the end. Love can grow over time.
Jules needed to listen to her own advice.
My princess. She would be Enrique’s princess. She needed to act like it, too.
Just because she didn’t feel anything with him now, didn’t mean she wouldn’t ever. Physical attraction and chemistry weren’t the same as love. Passion could be fleeting, but love remained. Prevailed. This first meeting was only the beginning.
Love could grow between her and Enrique.
She had to give the relationship time, keep an open heart and remember how love had blossomed with her parents.
But to be on the safe side until love bloomed with Enrique, Jules realized with an odd pang, keeping her distance from Alejandro would probably be a good idea.
Dinner was exactly what Alejandro thought it would be—a total drag. Each course of the gourmet meal took forever. He enjoyed good food, but by the time the meal finished, he’d be falling out of his chair sound asleep. The conversation about international trade agreements would make a rabbit in heat want to nap.
Across the table, Julianna sat next to her brother, Brandt. She looked stunning in a blue evening gown that matched the color of her eyes. The dress didn’t show a lot of skin, but the flowing fabric gave enough of a hint of what was underneath to make a man want to see more.
He tried not to look at her.
Enrique was doing enough staring for both of them.
But Alejandro heard her voice drone on. She tried to sound interested in what others were saying, but her tone lacked warmth. Yes, she was going to be an excellent match for his superficial brother.
Five formally dressed staff members set plates of pan-seared sea scallops in front of each of them at the exact same time. Two wine stewards circled the table filling wineglasses from bottles of Pinot Gris.
What Alejandro wouldn’t give for plates of tapas and a pitcher of sangria right now.
Enrique laughed at something Julianna said. So did his father.
“Who knew your bride would be an expert in trade?” Dario said.
“Thank you, sir.” Julianna’s smile didn’t reach her eyes the way it had when she’d petted the kitten. “But trade is a hobby.”
A hobby? Maybe a geek lived inside the beauty’s body. Or maybe she was trying to impress her future father-in-law. Either way, Alejandro wanted nothing to do with her.
“Now that is a worthy hobby.” Enrique pinned Alejandro with a contemptible look. “Unlike some of the hobbies others of us have.”
He stared over the rim of his wineglass. “Care to wager how my hobby turns out during the Med Cup, bro?”
Julianna’s fork clattered against her plate and bounced off the table. Her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. “Excuse me.”
Alejandro studied her. Strange. The stumble in the foyer aside, Julianna didn’t seem like a klutzy princess. It was unusual for someone as elegant as her to drop her fork in the middle of dinner and make a spectacle of herself.
Two servants rushed to her side. One picked up the fork from the ground. The other placed a new fork on the table.
“Thank you.” She raised her half-filled water glass. “So you sail, Alejandro?”
“I sail. I also build boats. Racing sailboats.” He noticed the glance exchanged between Julianna and Brandt. “Do either of you sail?”
She looked again at her brother.
“We sail,” Brandt answered. “On local lakes and rivers. For pleasure. Unlike many of our royal compatriots who enjoy the competitive side of the sport.”
Alejandro couldn’t understand why Julianna needed her brother to answer such a simple question. She’d had no problem talking about trade.
Enrique swirled the wine in his glass. “Some royals take sailing too seriously. I enjoyed the few regattas I competed in, but I no longer have time to sail with so many other obligations.”
“Horse racing may be the sport of kings,” Brandt said. “But many royals have sailed for their countries in the Summer Games. I’m sure more would have liked to.”
Dario nodded. “I’ve always preferred the water to horses.”
“As have I,” Enrique added hastily.
Julianna leaned forward. The neckline of her gown gaped, giving Alejandro a glimpse of ivory skin and round breasts. He forced his attention onto the sea scallops instead.
“Will one of your boats be entered in the Med Cup?” she asked, as if trying to draw him into conversation.
He appreciated her taking an interest. “My newest design.”
“A bit risky, don’t you think?” Enrique asked.
Alejandro shrugged. “You never know until you try.”
