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Seven

Get a grip, Hannah, she told herself, since her heart was about to pound clear through her chest. It’s not like he’s naked.

But darn close.

A pair of Egyptian cotton pajama bottoms rode low on Phillip’s hips as he opened the door. Other than that, all she was able to comprehend, to process, was the ridiculous amount of muscle she was seeing.

Wide, ripped shoulders and bulging biceps. Lean hips and toned, defined abs. And she could only imagine what was under the pajamas. In fact, she was imagining it.

She was so stunned silly by his perfect physique, it took a moment to register that he was speaking to her.

She peeled her eyes from his flawless pecks, located his face, and uttered a very eloquent, “Huh?”

Amusement danced in the depth of his eyes. “I said, is there something wrong?”

“Wrong?”

“Why are you here?”

Think, Hannah. Why did you come all the way down here? Then she remembered the jacket still hanging from her left hand. “No. Nothing is wrong. I just wanted to give this back to you.”

She held the jacket out to him, and he took it.

“Is that it?” he asked.

“Yes.” She shook her head. “No.”

He leaned in the door frame, arms folded across his chest, waiting patiently for her to elaborate. And, boy, were his biceps huge. So thick and strong looking, like he could probably bench-press a compact car and not break a sweat.

Did it suddenly get a lot hotter in here? Her cheeks were on fire and she was feeling just a little light-headed.

What was wrong with her? It wasn’t as if she had never seen a half-naked man before.

The biggest problem here wasn’t that she was wary of what she was seeing. Instead, she felt a very real and intense desire—no, not desire, need—to put her hands all over him.

She locked them together behind her back. Just to be safe.

“Are you all right?” he asked, though he looked more amused than concerned.

“Yes. I just…” She shook her head again. “No. I’m not.”

“Maybe you should come in.” He opened the door wider and stepped aside.

You know you shouldn’t be doing this, she told herself. Their wedding was still more than a week away. It was one thing to flirt and steal a kiss here and there, but going into his suite, at this late hour. In her pajamas. And Phillip almost naked.

She was really pushing it.

So you just won’t let anything happen, she decided. It’s not as though she was a slave to her libido.

She had waited this long. She could wait a little while longer.

But the question was, could Phillip? And if he took matters into his own hands, would she find the strength to stop him?

Bad idea or not, she followed him inside. His sitting room was much larger than her own, and closer to the size of the one they would be moving into after the wedding. And it was undeniably masculine. Dark polished wood and dark patterned fabric in rich hues. But not so dark that it was dreary or threatening. In contrast, the effect was warm and welcoming.

“This is nice,” she said, ideas popping into her head of how she might incorporate both his and her individual styles to create a decor they could both be comfortable in.

See, she told herself, coming here was a good thing.

“So, what’s up?” he asked.

She turned to him, with every intention of meeting his eyes, but her gaze kept snagging slightly lower.

“Hannah?”

She pried her eyes from his torso and met his gaze. He was grinning again.

“If it would help get the conversation rolling, I could put on a shirt.”

Though she knew he was only teasing, her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. “Sorry.”

“No apology necessary. I’m flattered. But maybe you should tell me what’s wrong.”

“Wrong?”

“I asked if you were okay, and you said no.”

Had she? My goodness, he must have thought she was a total ditz. Now that she was here, she had no idea what to say to him. So she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “My mother called.”

He didn’t seem to get the significance. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, she just…” Her voice cracked, and she realized, with horror, that tears burned the corners of her eyes. What was wrong with her? She was not a crier. She was tougher than that. Besides, she wasn’t that upset. More angry than sad.

“She just what?” he asked.

“She’s—” A half hiccup, half sob, worked its way up her throat and she battled to swallow it back down. “She’s getting married.”

Despite her resolve, the instant the words left her lips, the tears welled up over the edges of her lids and rolled down her cheeks. Mortified, she covered her face with her hands.

What was wrong with her? She should be spitting mad, not blubbering like a baby.

Then she felt Phillip’s arms go around her, draw her against him, and something inside her seemed to snap. Every bit of tension and anger that had built inside her let go in a limb-weakening rush and she all but melted against him.

“You think it’s too soon?” he asked. “For your mother to remarry, I mean.”

Because she wasn’t sure her voice was steady enough for a verbal reply, she nodded.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She shook her head. Just knowing he was there for her if she needed him was enough right now.

He didn’t say anything else. He just held her and stroked her hair. She held on tight, her face pressed to his warm, bare skin, and concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths, until she felt the tears begin to work their way back down. Apparently, this was exactly what she’d needed. How did he always seem to know exactly what to do and say to make her feel better?

“You okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“For barging in on you like this. And getting all wishy-washy and emotional.”

“It’s okay.”

“I don’t usually do this. I’m not a crier. It…it’s just been a really stressful couple of days.”

“I can imagine.”

“Bringing the jacket back was just an excuse,” she admitted, and could swear she felt him smile.

“I know.”

She looked up at him. Of all the women in the world that he could have had, why did he pick her? “I guess I just… I guess I was lonely.”

He touched her cheek, brushing away the last remnants of the tears with his thumb.

“All day I have appointments and meetings, and sometimes I just can’t wait to be alone, to have a minute to myself. But then, when I’m finally alone, I feel so…isolated. Does that make sense?”

“Trust me, I know exactly what you mean. And you get used to it. I promise.”

Maybe she didn’t want to get used to it. She wanted them to be a regular family. She wanted it so bad she ached deep in her heart.

“I was going to wait until tomorrow to tell you this,” he said. “My sister invited us to dinner at her residence tomorrow evening.”

“Really?”

“I hope you don’t mind, but I told her we would be there.”

Mind? She was absolutely ecstatic. They would finally share a meal together. Like a real family. Not to mention that she had been eager to get to know her future sister-in-law. “I would love to.”

She was so happy, she nearly burst into tears again. Instead, she rose up on her toes and kissed him. Just a quick, sweet kind of kiss, so he would know how much it meant to her.

But it felt so nice, so…perfect, she kissed him again. This one lasting just a little longer than the first. She felt his arms tighten around her, the flex of his back where her hands rested.

And because the second one was even better than the first, she kissed him again.

And again.

And then she couldn’t stop.

Phillip had Hannah exactly where he wanted her. Her body pressed against him, her arms circling his neck, hands tangled in his hair. And her mouth—damn, what she could do with her mouth. He had never been with a woman who kissed so…earnestly.

He could have her tonight if he wanted, before the wedding, just as he’d planned. So, why did it feel wrong? As if he were somehow betraying her trust?

Since when did he care about anyone but himself?

He wouldn’t be having this problem, this case of an overactive conscience, if she wasn’t so damned honest all the time. If she didn’t walk around with her heart on her sleeve.

He’d told her, just this afternoon, that her honesty would get her into trouble, and she insisted that honesty was a good thing. Well, it was looking like maybe she was right.

Yet here he was, kissing her, touching her, when what he should be doing was telling her no. But, damn, she felt good.

Maybe she didn’t understand the consequences of her actions. Maybe if he pushed just a little further, tempted her just a little bit more, she would realize what she was doing and put on the brakes.

Maybe he could make her tell him no.

He let his hand slide down her back, slowly. Over the dip of her waist, the curve of her hip. Then he went lower, cupping the soft swell of her behind. She whimpered softly, but didn’t attempt to pull away. He took it one step further, pulling her against him, so she would feel exactly what all of this fooling around was doing to him. And, hell, she felt amazing. All soft and warm and sweet smelling. And rather than deter her, his actions seemed only to fuel her determination.

She drew her nails across his skin, arched and rubbed herself against him, and he couldn’t stop the husky sound of need that welled up from his chest.

She had given every indication that she was a virgin, but now he wasn’t so sure. And he didn’t know how he felt about that. He liked the idea that she would be his alone.

Her hands were on his shoulders, his chest, traveling slowly downward, in the direction of his waistband. A few more inches, and he wouldn’t be able to stop.

Virgin or not, how could he, in good conscience, deny Hannah what she told him she wanted—the privilege of waiting for her wedding day?

The truth of the matter was, as good as this felt, as much as she seemed to want this, he couldn’t.

He broke the kiss and backed away, leaving her flush and out of breath. And honestly, he wasn’t faring much better. “We have to stop.”

Her cheeks were red, her voice husky with desire. “Why?”

“Because you don’t want this.”

“Yes, I do. I want us to make love.”

She tried to kiss him again, to touch him, but he manacled her wrists in his hands. “No, you don’t. You’re upset, and it’s affecting your judgment.”

“I’m not upset. Honestly.”

“Hannah, if we let this happen, you’ll regret it.”

“I won’t.”

“It’s only a week.” He could hardly believe what he was saying. That he was the one talking her out of sex. He must have been completely out of his mind.

Her expression said she was thinking the same thing. “Today, next week. What’s the difference?”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Phillip, I want this. Tonight. Right now.”

She tugged against his grip, but he didn’t let go. She could beg and cajole until she was blue, and he still wouldn’t change his mind. And the worst part was that this was all his fault. He had driven her to this by shutting her out of his life.

He’d thought that, by keeping her at a distance, he was doing her a favor. So she wouldn’t get too attached. He could see now that he was only making her miserable. She had left everything familiar to move to a strange country with people she didn’t know, and he’d welcomed her by shutting her out. It’s a wonder she hadn’t packed up and headed back to America.

Sophie was right. He was an idiot.

At the risk of hurting her feelings yet again, he said the only thing he could to get his point across. “Maybe you want it, but I don’t.”

Phillip’s words splashed over her like a bucket of ice water. Was he actually telling her no? He was a man, and didn’t all men inherently want sex? She thought he would jump at the chance.

He let go of her wrists and she took an unsteady step backward. “You’re serious?”

“Believe me when I say, I’m just as surprised as you are.”

This didn’t make sense. He was turned on. All she had to do was look at the front of his pajamas and she could see how aroused he was. Why didn’t he want her? “Did I do something wrong?”

“Oh, no. You did everything right.”

“Then, why?”

He shook his head, dragged a hand through his hair. “I respect you too much to let you do this.”

She was so stunned, it took a second for the meaning of his words to sink in.

It was probably one of the sweetest, most wonderful things anyone had ever said to her.

And he was right. If they had made love tonight, she would have regretted it. She was feeling emotional and upset, and she was letting it cloud her judgment.

She wanted to feel close to someone. And she just naturally assumed that, by sleeping with him, she would bring them closer together. But as important as sex was in a relationship, it was still just sex. The other stuff mattered a whole lot more.

Like the fact that he cared enough about her to stop her from making the biggest mistake of her life. What more could she possibly ask for?

“Waiting one more week isn’t going to kill us,” he said. “Is it?”

She bit her lip and shook her head. Not after waiting twenty-six years. And she didn’t miss the irony that it had been her saying the exact same thing to him less than a week ago. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I should be more attentive.”

“You’re busy. I understand that.”

“But not so busy that I can’t have dinner with my fiancée occasionally.”

He touched her hair, brushing it back from her face. “So much has been expected of you, but you’ve received little in return.”

The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was ungrateful. “I’m well aware of the fact that my position will require a certain amount of sacrifice.”

“I’m just not used to sharing my time,” he admitted.

Or his feelings, she was guessing. And considering the environment he was raised in, it’s no wonder. With a mother that cold, and a father whose mistresses were common knowledge, who wouldn’t grow up learning to hide their emotions?

But she knew with time she would be able to draw him out of his shell. She would make him see that it was okay to trust his feelings, to let his guard down. It would just take time.

“I’ll try not to be overly demanding,” she said. Like her mother could often be. “I’ll try to give you the space you need.” Phillip nodded, although she couldn’t help noticing he made no promises in return.

She could see that making this marriage work was going to be a lot harder than she anticipated.

Eight

Phillip knocked on the door to her suite at exactly 6:45 p.m., just as he’d promised last night before she left his room.

When she opened the door and he stepped into her sitting room, she breathed a soft sigh of appreciation. As always, he looked perfect. Dark wool slacks that fit him just right, a long-sleeved, cashmere pullover sweater the same rich, smoky gray as his eyes, topped with a stately jacket.

“I’m just about ready,” she told him.

He eyed her with obvious appreciation. “You look beautiful.”

The compliment, the way his eyes swept so leisurely over her, left her feeling warm and fuzzy. The extra time she’d taken to blow her hair out smooth and straight, the care she had taken on her makeup, and her choice of dress—a red, clingy number that was sexy, without being too flashy or risqué—had been worth the effort.

“I’d have been ready sooner,” she told him, “but my meeting with the wedding planner ran longer than I anticipated.”

“No rush,” he said. “I doubt she’ll start without us.”

Still, she hated to be late for anything. “I just have to grab my shoes and a sweater.”

She scurried into her room to her closet. She yanked her cardigan from the hanger and grabbed a pair of sling-back, marginally sexy heels from the top shelf. Her totally impractical, just-for-fun shoes.

“How are the wedding plans going?” he called from the sitting room. And because she was sure he was only asking to be polite, she didn’t embellish. The important thing was that he was making an effort.

“Very well,” she called back, tugging the shoes on her feet. “Did you have a productive day?”

“Not really.”

His voice was close. She turned and saw that he was leaning in the bedroom doorway, watching her.

“Did I mention how beautiful you look?”

“I believe you did.”

He was wearing that hungry, I’m-going-to-eat-you-alive expression. Like the one he wore last night. And when she remembered what it felt like to touch him, to put her hands on his bare skin, she started to get a funny tickle in the pit of her stomach.

Exactly one more week until the wedding. This time next Friday, they would be legally married and probably at their reception. And after that, either his or her bedroom….

This week couldn’t go by fast enough.

“I’m ready,” she said.

“There’s a car waiting.” He stepped aside so she could exit the bedroom, but as she was walking past, he curled a hand around her upper arm, tugged her to him and kissed her. A deep, toe-curling, out-of-this-world kiss that she felt from her toes to her scalp and everywhere along the way. And it was over way too fast.

“What was that for?”

He grinned down at her. “Do I need a reason?”

Heck no.

But if he kept doing stuff like that, looking at her like a hungry wolf, this was going to be the longest week of her life.

The car dropped Hannah and Phillip at Sophie’s residence. When they knocked, a butler answered the door. He nodded and motioned them inside, just as Sophie swept into the foyer.

She wore a flowing, gauzy dress that complimented her long, willowy figure. She wore her long, dark hair up and off her face. She looked utterly elegant, if you overlooked the fact that she was barefoot.

“You’re right on time!” She pulled Hannah into a warm embrace and kissed her cheek. She smelled of honeysuckle and faintly of apples. Then she stepped back and looked them both up and down. “Aren’t you two the handsome couple.”

Phillip handed her the bottles of wine. “I hope these will do.”

She read the labels, then flashed him a bright smile. “Perfect.”

She passed them along to the butler. “Would either of you like a drink before dinner?”

Hannah shook her head. “No, thank you.”

“Me neither,” Phillip said. “Unless you think I might need a drink.”

She smiled sweetly, but with just a hint of sass. “Why would I think that?”

There was something going on, Hannah could feel it. Sophie was up to something. Or at least, Phillip suspected she was.

“Dinner will be a few minutes yet. Why don’t we wait in the study?”

Her residence was as richly decorated and furnished as the palace. More modern, but just as warm and inviting. And the scents coming from the kitchen were mouthwatering.

“Your house is beautiful,” Hannah told her.

“Thank you, Hannah. After dinner I can give you the full tour.”

“I’d like that.”

As they entered the study, Hannah was so busy taking in the interior that, only when she felt Phillip go board stiff beside her, did she realize something was wrong.

She followed his line of sight and realized there was someone else in the room with them. For a second she was confused, then she recognized the man sitting in the winged leather chair across the room.

The family resemblance was undeniable.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Philip demanded. Hannah actually took a step aside, so she wouldn’t get caught in the crosshairs. “You never said he would be coming.”

Sophie shrugged. “You never asked.”

Phillip’s half brother rose from his seat and shot Sophie a stern look. “I’m a bit surprised myself.”

“I knew you were up to something,” Phillip told his sister. “But I never imagined you would pull something like this.”

He looked seconds from blowing his top. Hannah wouldn’t have been at all surprised if steam shot from his ears. She had never seen Phillip this way and, frankly, it intimidated as much as fascinated her. She was just happy that the animosity he shot like laser beams from his charcoal eyes wasn’t directed her way.

Sophie, on the other hand, didn’t look the least bit rattled. The glare Phillip shot her would have crushed the average person, but she didn’t even flinch.

She had probably seen it so many times, she was immune.

“I invited you over for a family dinner. And we’re all family, aren’t we?” She turned to Hannah. “I don’t believe you’ve met our brother.”

Hannah didn’t miss the fact that she said brother, not half brother. “No, I haven’t.”

“Hannah, this is Ethan Rafferty. Ethan, this is Phillip’s fiancée, Hannah Renault.”

Hannah stepped forward and shook his hand. His grip was firm and unashamed.

“It’s a pleasure, Hannah.” He spoke with a very distinct American accent, and though it was silly, she couldn’t help liking him instantly.

She had seen photos of him in the paper and always thought he bore a resemblance to Phillip, but in person, the similarities were striking. They were built similarly, even though Ethan wasn’t as tall, and their coloring was the same. Intense smoky-gray eyes and dark hair, although, while Phillip’s was short and wavy, Ethan’s hung long and straight to his shoulders.

They also wore identical angry expressions.

Hannah had the distinct impression that this was not going to be the pleasant family dinner she had been hoping for.

“We’re leaving,” Phillip said.

“Great idea,” Ethan replied.

Sophie rolled her eyes. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, you two are acting like spoiled children. Grow up, already.”

They refocused their glare from each other to their sister. They looked so much alike, it gave Hannah chills. If only they could see themselves. But Hannah was sure neither would be able to see past their preconceived notions of one another.

And though Hannah was inclined to agree with Sophie, and would have happily backed her, she was still an outsider. It wasn’t her place to interfere with family issues. Besides, she didn’t have siblings, much less illegitimate ones, so how could she begin to understand the complicated relationship they must have?

“Glare at me all you like,” Sophie told them. “Whether you like it or not, you two are related. So just deal with it.” With a frustrated huff, she turned to the door. “What is it, Wilson?”

Hannah turned to see that the butler was standing in the doorway.

“Dinner is served, miss.”

Sophie turned back to her brothers. “Is one civilized meal together really too much to ask for? Can’t we put aside our differences, forget the past for one night and try to get along like mature adults?”

Hannah could see, by both men’s expressions, that she had hit a nerve. After a moment, they both grumbled an agreement.

“Thank you.” Sophie led them all to the dining room, and had the good sense to seat the men on opposite sides of the table.

The food was beyond fantastic, each course more delectable than the next. The conversation however was pathetically lacking. Though Sophie tried to start a dialogue, extracting more than a one-word answer from either of them was like pulling wisdom teeth with a pair of tweezers. Despite what Phillip had told Hannah about Sophie being a free spirit, it was clear that she cared very deeply for both her brothers, and wanted to see them acting like a family.

“Everything was delicious,” Hannah told Sophie as the dessert dishes were being cleared.

Sophie smiled. “Thank you, Hannah. I don’t get in the kitchen nearly as much as I’d like these days. It’s nice to know that I haven’t lost my touch.”

Sophie made dinner? “I didn’t know you cook.”

“Sophie is an amazing chef,” Ethan said, an undeniable note of pride in his voice. “She studied in France. I offered her a position as head chef in the resort of her choosing, but she turned me down.”

Phillip shot him a look, one that said he’d heard nothing of the job offer, and didn’t like being left out of the loop. “Sophie’s place is here, with her family.”

At first, Hannah thought he was just being stubborn, then she realized he was jealous. After all, she was the only immediate family he had left. If she moved away, he would be alone.

But if he could care so deeply for one sibling, surely he could find room in his heart for one more. Did it really matter so much that he and Ethan shared only one parent?

“Until he agreed that opening one here on Morgan Isle would be the perfect compromise,” Sophie said. “Speaking of that, Phillip, did you read the proposal I left on your desk?”

“I may have skimmed it,” he said.

Phillip hadn’t mentioned a business proposal to Hannah. Of course, he wasn’t exactly chatty when it came to the professional aspects of his life. Or any part of his life, for that matter.

Picking up on Hannah’s confusion, Sophie said, “I’ve proposed a business partnership between Ethan and the rest of the family.”

“And why is it he needs a new business partner?” Phillip asked.

Ethan shot daggers with his eyes, so Hannah was guessing the reason was an unpleasant one.

Sophie only smiled. “If that’s the way you want to play this, I’d be happy to quote a list of each and every one of your mistakes and transgressions, Phillip.”

Phillip glared silently at her, and Ethan actually smiled. No doubt about it, Sophie was the driving force in this family. She pulled the strings.

“Here’s the thing,” Sophie told Phillip, leaning toward him to emphasize her point. “I want this. But I can’t do it without you.”

“So, what’s in it for me?” Phillip asked.

“Besides the money? You’ve complained incessantly, for as long as I can remember, that I need to embrace my position in this family. Well, if you agree to this partnership, you’ll never hear a complaint from me again.”

She definitely had Phillip’s attention. “How do I know you’ll live up to that?”

“Have I ever lied to you?”

Hannah could see by his expression that she hadn’t.

“Well?” she asked. “Are you in or out?”

“I need time to think about it.”

“No. You’ve had months to think about it. I want an answer tonight.” She turned to Hannah. “I think the boys need a few minutes to talk. How about that tour I promised you?”

Sophie led Hannah to the study, where she poured herself a tumbler of scotch. She offered Hannah a glass, but she shook her head.

Sophie took a long sip. Then she took a deep breath and asked, “So, how did I do in there?”

Hannah realized that, although Sophie seemed to be in complete control, the experience had really taken a toll on her. “You were great. It was impressive how you kept them both in line.”

“Years of practice, believe me. I’ve never known two more stubborn men in my life. Though they would die before acknowledging it, they’re so much alike.”

“I noticed that.”

“And I love them both to death, even though they don’t always make it easy.”

“Tell me if I’m overstepping my bounds, but what did Phillip mean when he asked why Ethan needs a new partner?”

“Ethan’s former business partner recently embezzled several million then disappeared. He risks losing everything. And it’s not like any of that money was handed to him either. He started with nothing and built his empire from the ground up, one brick at a time.”

Hannah shook her head. “How awful.”

“I was the one who suggested the partnership. At first he wouldn’t hear about it. He was too proud to accept what he considered a handout. But as it stands now, he doesn’t have much choice. When our lawyers came up with a business proposal, and it was clear that it was a partnership and not charity, he finally gave in.” She took another sip of her drink. “Phillip, I wasn’t so sure about. We’ve been going back and forth with this for months.”

“I think he’ll go for it.”

Sophie smiled. “I like you, Hannah. I think you’ll be good for Phillip. I just hope you realize what you’re getting yourself into, marrying my brother.”

“I’ve been preparing for this for eight years.”

Her eyes widened. “Seriously?”

She nodded. “I had tutors and coaches and advisors.”

Sophie shook her head in disbelief. “Wow. And you think you’re ready?”

She sure hope so. “I guess we’ll see.”

“The ’rents tried to handpick a spouse for me, too. He was a duke. Not bad looking, but he had the personality of a brick.”

“I take it that didn’t go over well.”

She shook her head. “If I ever get married, it will be to someone I love. Not that I’m knocking what you and Phillip are doing,” she quickly added.

“You wouldn’t be the first. My friends thought it was really cool at first. I mean, who wouldn’t want to marry a prince and live in a palace? It’s every girl’s fantasy. Then they saw me spending my weekends in the dorm studying while they went out and had fun. They all had boyfriends, and I was always alone. When they realized how much work it really was, they all thought I was crazy.”

“It’s kind of ironic. You spent years training for a life that I couldn’t get far enough away from.”

“Yes, but I wasn’t forced into this life. It was my choice.”

“Was it?”

She nodded. Though raised in the U.S., her father was born on Morgan Isle. A cousin to a cousin of the royal family. It was the only reason she was chosen to be Phillip’s wife. Something about maintaining the royal bloodlines.

“There is one thing I never learned,” she told Sophie. “Cooking.”

“You don’t cook at all?”

“The most complicated thing I’ve ever made was boxed macaroni and cheese.”

Sophie made a sour face. “That sounds dreadful.”

“But I’ve always wanted to learn.”

“I could teach you,” Sophie said.

“Would you really?”

“Of course! I would love to.”

“Okay,” Hannah said, feeling suddenly and inexplicably happy. Not only would she have a sister, something she had yearned for as long as she could remember, but it looked as though she had made a friend.