Читать книгу: «Bride Fit for a Prince»

REBECCA WINTERS

Harlequin Romance^® presents you with this emotional new duet by Rebecca Winters. She’s won many fans around the world with her wonderfully compelling, sparkling stories.

Welcome to:

TWIN BRIDES

Here come the grooms!

Callie and Ann may look the same, but when they jet off to Italy they meet two very different men—one’s a gorgeous prince, the other an enigmatic tycoon!

Bride Fit for a Prince

(#3739)

Rush to the Altar

(#3743)

Don’t miss this sensational duet brought to you by Harlequin Romance^®.

Rebecca Winters, an American writer and mother of four, was excited about the new millennium because it meant another new beginning. Having said goodbye to the classroom where she taught French and Spanish, she is now free to spend more time with her family, to travel and to write the Harlequin Romance^® novels she loves so dearly.

Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to email her, please visit her website at: www.rebeccawinters-author.com

If you enjoyed Callie’s story, don’t miss her twin sister’s search for her very own Mr. Right.

Look out for Ann’s story, on sale next month in Harlequin Romance^®!

Bride Fit for a Prince
Rebecca Winters

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

EPILOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

“CALLIE? Wait up!”

Callie Lassiter had just finished strapping her satchel to the back of her motorcycle when her twin came running up to her. They hadn’t seen each other for five months at least. It was September already. Where had the time gone?

Her sister looked beautiful as always. As for Callie, she had mud all over her, even in her braided hair which no longer looked ash-blond. She smelled to high heaven.

“I better not hug you.” Callie laughed.

“Please don’t!” Ann laughed back, making no attempt to touch her.

“I thought you were in Los Angeles. Why didn’t you let me know you were coming to Prunedale? I would have made arrangements to take a couple of days off.”

“There wasn’t time. Something happened last night I have to talk to you about, so I caught a plane to San Jose today.”

“How did you know I was over here at the Oliveros’?”

“Dr. Wood said you’d ridden out this way earlier to help deliver a cow that was in trouble. I took a chance you might still be here.”

The heifer had been in trouble all right, but no longer. The cute little baby calf was doing great and so was its mother.

“What’s wrong?”

“My agent called me at midnight last night and told me I’ve been offered the big part in a new film with Cory Sievert that I auditioned for two weeks ago!”

“You’re kidding! That’s fantastic, Ann!” she cried, hugging her sister before she remembered not to.

Ann backed away, brushing herself off. “I couldn’t believe it. The actress first chosen for the part has turned out to be pregnant. Yesterday she went to the hospital with kidney stones and is out of commission. They needed to cast another actress immediately. I was the lucky one!”

After all the bit parts, she realized this was the big break Ann had been living for all these years, but Callie also knew her sister very well. She could have phoned her with this kind of news. There was something her sister wanted, otherwise she wouldn’t have flown up from L.A. without notice.

“I’m thrilled for you, Ann!”

“Me, too, but there’s just one little problem. Last night I won another contest!”

“That’s a problem? How much was the prize this time?”

Over the years her sister had entered more beauty contests than Callie could count. With those classic features and long legs, she’d won some considerable cash earnings, all part of Ann’s plan to stay afloat while she gained publicity to become a Hollywood star.

“Something really incredible, but I can’t follow through with it, not now that I have to report on the set first thing in the morning. This film is going to launch my career, Callie. That’s why you have to help me out. I’ve got a favor to ask of you.”

Uh-oh. “What did you win?”

“Let’s just say I was picked for something.”

Callie’s expressive brows furrowed. “Picked for what?”

“First I have to explain, so please hear me out. About a month ago I signed up to participate in a Hollywood charity benefit for the homeless called Who Wants To Marry A Prince? I heard about it from some girls while we were auditioning for a role—”

“Wait a minute!” Callie stopped her cold. “You signed up for a benefit like that after you were in that other ghastly, humiliating benefit last year, Who Wants To Marry A Billionaire?”

“It was for the publicity,” Ann defended. “Luckily I wasn’t chosen on that one. But even if he’d picked me, I would have pretended to faint, then refused to get married. The runner-up would have been forced to marry that overweight, over-the-hill American billionaire at his hotel in Las Vegas.

“But this benefit was different! A gorgeous, wealthy European prince was coming all the way to Hollywood to choose the right bride for him. It sounded so romantic and smacked of the days of Prince Rainier of Monaco coming to America to claim the actress Grace Kelly for his bride.”

“What it smacks of is a wolf in prince’s clothing,” Callie remarked in a scathing tone.

“How can you say that? The girls and I agreed that even if we didn’t get chosen, it was for a worthy cause and would give us great publicity because we knew there’d be a lot of talent scouts and film directors in the audience. The exposure might help land us a big movie contract.

“You should have seen this prince, Callie. He was wearing his royal outfit when he appeared onstage after I’d been chosen along with the other finalists. I have a picture of him. Here.” She whipped out a photo Callie had no choice but to look at. “Isn’t he incredible?”

Callie had to admit he resembled every little girl’s idea of Prince Charming. Dark brown hair, warm brown eyes. Dimples.

“I almost fainted when he walked past all of us, then knelt in front of me. He whispered that he’d made his decision the moment he’d seen my picture on the application.

“Before I could blink, he slipped this amazing betrothal ring on my finger. Can you believe that out of all the beautiful women there, he chose moi?”

Actually Callie wasn’t at all surprised. Ann was a raving beauty.

“So—have you informed him the wedding’s off because you’re too busy working on your next film?”

After a telling silence, “Not yet. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, when my application was accepted for the benefit, the host was smart enough to put a clause in the contract I signed that wasn’t in the Who Wants To Marry A Billionaire contract.”

Callie’s black-fringed eyes spit green sparks. “You mean you made the same mistake again and signed another contract before you paraded back and forth in front of the prince like a prize steer at a cattle auction?”

“Don’t be so earthy, Callie. I’ll have you know I was careful to read the small print. It made all the difference. That’s why I signed papers in front of the attorney for the benefit, as well as the prince’s private attorney.”

Callie felt ill. “What did the special clause say?”

“You have to marry the prince within twenty-four hours of your arrival in his country and live with him for one month. If at the end of that time either of you wants to back out of the marriage, you can get a divorce, no questions asked, and the homeless charity still get their money.

“It’s a perfect setup. If you don’t want to stay married, you’ll have won a free trip to Europe and all the publicity that goes with it.”

Her sister was taking a long time to get to the point. When Ann tossed her head back like that, it was the signal that she was really nervous about something.

“I suppose if you actually did fall in love with the prince and he fell in love with you, then you’d stay married and live happily ever after in his palace without having to worry about money again. But only if it’s the life you really want, which I don’t and never did!”

Callie groaned in horror. Her sister’s one track mind had gotten her into some awful scrapes in the past, but nothing as bad as this. The heat of anger filled her cheeks.

“What does this prince do? Go around attempting to get married every few months in the name of charity because he can’t have an intimate relationship with a woman any other way? What’s wrong with him? He could be an ax murderer for all you know.

“Have you considered you could be walking into danger? What if you got pregnant?

“Do you honestly believe the prince would let that thirty day stipulation stand in the way if you were carrying a royal heir? If you think for one minute he’d consider divorcing you and allow you to leave the country with his child, then I know you’ve lost your mind!”

Ann’s identical green eyes gleamed like a cat’s. “There’s no chance of my getting pregnant. Trust me. But that’s not the point. If you saw his pedigree, you wouldn’t have all these misgivings.”

“Misgivings—don’t you know what he’s done is without a doubt the most monstrous, awful, barbaric, ludicrous, absurd thing I’ve ever heard of? Annabelle Lassiter—how could you put so little value on yourself? Selling yourself off to the highest bidder just to get in the movies? Where’s your pride?”

“Pride doesn’t pay my rent,” her sister retorted. “Naturally if I’d known my agent was going to call me last night with news that I’d landed the most coveted Hollywood film role of the year, I would never have gotten myself involved in the benefit in the first place and wouldn’t be in this dilemma now.”

“What dilemma? Tell the benefit committee you’re going to be in a movie so they’ll have to choose one of the other contestants for the prince.”

“I already tried that, but it didn’t work. This morning, before I flew up here, I asked my attorney to look over the contract I signed. He says there’s no way I can get out of it. That’s why you’re the only person on the planet who can help me.”

“Oh, no, you don’t.”

Callie didn’t even want to think about it. She put on her helmet, then started up her motorcycle and rode down the country road toward the Pike’s farm. Their calico cat, Baxter, had gone off his food. Callie had promised to take a look at him on her way back to the clinic.

Unfortunately Ann followed in her rental car. By the time Callie started to unfasten her helmet, her sister had caught up with her and thrust something in her face.

“Take another look at his picture. His name is Prince Enzo Tescotti. He’s twenty-eight, only a year older than we are. You can see there’s absolutely nothing wrong with him.”

“I might have known he’d be an Italian,” Callie muttered. “Oh, brother.”

“Here are the first-class round trip airline tickets to Turin, Italy, where he and his royal cortege will be at the terminal to greet you after you get off the plane.

“You’ll have to fly out of Los Angeles. Luckily you went to England for that vet conference after graduation, so you already have a passport. I’ve also purchased your round trip tickets from San Jose to L.A.

“Since your overseas flight leaves day after tomorrow, you’ll have to fly to L.A. tomorrow. You can stay overnight at my apartment. I’ll drive you to the airport the next morning on my way to the studio.”

Callie shook her head. “Even if I were willing, which I’m not, I can’t leave my work.”

“That’s all been taken care of. When I told Dr. Wood you’d won a month’s vacation in Italy, all expenses paid, he was thrilled for you. He agreed you work too hard and are due a long vacation. I swear he told me he’d get along just fine until you came back. So you’re set!”

“Just like that?” Callie snapped her fingers. “You’re forgetting one thing. I’m not the one in this family who treats life like it’s one big joke.” She handed the tickets and picture back to her sister.

“Maybe that’s because you take it far too seriously,” Ann responded in a quiet voice. “I’m not like you. I hated the way Dad’s death left us in debt. Mom scrimped and still ended up having to sell the farm. You’re just like her.”

“She did what was necessary to keep you and me alive!” Callie defended.

“Mom could have married several men who asked her, but she didn’t.”

“That’s because she loved Daddy too much.”

“So much that her life was miserable after that and she ended up dying of a heart attack. You’ll probably die early, too, and I’ll be left alone.”

“Ann—”

“It’s true. You work too hard and you’ve got years of vet school loans to pay off. You don’t even have a car and are forced to ride around on a secondhand motorcycle.”

“You know I’ve always had a thing for motorcycles.” Hers happened to be a yellow and black Danelli Strada 100 Sports Bike that had won every competition for a decade before the company unexpectedly ceased to exist. “It still gets me where I need to go. Best of all, it’s mine!” she said staring pointedly at Ann’s rental car.

“But you live in a tiny two-room apartment at the back of the vet clinic where you can hear every sick animal in North Monterey county howling and meowing in your sleep.

“You have no love life and no hope of getting one working for Dr. Wood who’s old enough to be our great grandfather. Most of the time you spend your life mucking out stalls or pig pens in order to get your job done! When was the last time you did something exciting or had any fun?”

“I have fun as a vet,” Callie defended. “It’s what I wanted from the first time Jasper almost died when we were nine years old and Dr. Wood cured him. In a few years I’ll make a good enough living to be able to afford a place of my own. In the meantime, I’m not complaining and plan to live a long time. I happen to love the life I lead.”

“So do I! That’s why I can’t lose this opportunity now. This movie ensures I’ll be able to live at least five years off the money they’re going to pay me.”

“That’s a lot of money,” Callie said quietly. “I’m glad for you, and sorry you’ve gotten yourself into this mess.”

“Not as sorry as I am. I only wanted to be seen, not chosen.”

At this point Ann’s eyes were brimming with tears. They were the genuine article. Callie looked away, unable to handle it when her sister got upset like this. It didn’t happen very often.

“You should have thought of that sooner.”

“Do you know something? You’ve grown hard since veterinary school. I don’t understand it.”

Had she?

Somewhere deep inside, Ann’s comment hurt. Since their mother’s death, Callie’s emotions probably had closed off. She hadn’t realized it showed.

“Whatever happened to my sister who once played tricks on all her would-be boyfriends and then used me to bail her out? As I recall, I never turned you down when you begged me to go out with them because you’d changed your mind. And I never told them that we’d switched places either.”

Callie had forgotten about those happier days. She had to admit Ann had been a real trouper way back in high school when Callie had developed this horrendous crush on their neighbor’s son, Jerry. No other guy could compete.

“That’s what I’m doing now, Callie. Begging you to help me. My agent told me I have to report for makeup at six in the morning. If I don’t show up, not only will I be out of the film, I’ll be blackballed and he’ll drop me as a client. Where else do I go for help except my family? Please.”

Feeling her last escape hole closing over her, Callie closed her eyes tightly. “You’re asking a lot.”

“I know. If it’s any help, I’ve worked out a contingency plan.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve written out a ten thousand dollar check to the prince. It’s all the money I have in the world until I’m paid in two weeks. When you get to Italy, be honest with the prince.

“Tell him you’re my sister, that you’re there on my behalf. Explain that the same night I was in the benefit, I was offered the most important film role of my life.

“Hand him the betrothal ring and the check. It should cover the airline tickets and any other expenses he incurred. Tell him if he wants more money because I’ve broken the contract, he’ll have to ask his attorney to contact my attorney through my agent.

“Once you’ve delivered my message and given him everything, you can turn around and come home on the next flight. I promise you he’s a sweetheart. All the other finalists thought he was a darling and wished they’d been chosen. There won’t be any problem with him.”

“You don’t know anything about his character,” Callie muttered, feeling herself crumble because Ann’s suggestion actually sounded plausible. She supposed that if she talked to the prince face-to-face, and offered him the money while she explained the situation…

“Maybe not, but I’m certain he’s not the monster you’ve made him out to be. Just remember, Callie—I didn’t sign up to be in that benefit with the intention of backing out if I’d been chosen. I would have gone through with it.

“But when my agent called with the news that I could replace that other actress, I couldn’t turn it down. Look—you’ve already established your career. Couldn’t you find it in your heart to take three days away from your routine to help me forge mine? Is it really too much to ask?”

When Ann put it like that…

“No,” Callie conceded quietly. She did owe her sister for past favors.

“Oh, Callie—thank you, thank you.” She broke down sobbing and threw her arms around her, mindless of the dirt.

“I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time,” Callie murmured. “Three days isn’t such a sacrifice. I’ll suggest to the prince that he make arrangements to marry the runner-up. She had to sign that contract, too. My guess is she’ll jump at the chance to take your place.”

“I know she will!” Ann sniffed and let her go. “She’s a beautiful brunette and is a graduate student in architecture from Carmel. They showed a film clip of her winning all these horseback riding competitions. I can’t understand why the prince didn’t pick her to begin with. She was much more suited to being a real princess.”

Thank goodness there had been a runner-up. It would make Callie’s task easier.

“Why don’t you go back to the clinic and wait for me. I’m not sure how long I’ll be at the Pike’s.”

“That’s okay. I’ll sit in the car and work on my lines for tomorrow’s shoot. When you’re through, I’ll follow you home and help you pack.”

“What’s to pack? Aside from some extra underwear, a clean pair of jeans and a top should last me for the thirty-six-hour trip over and back. It’s all the time I can spare. The Selanders’s mare will be having her foal any day now. I plan to be here for it.”

“But you can’t meet the prince dressed that casually—” Ann cried out aghast.

“I’m not his betrothed. No one’s going to care what the messenger looks like.”

Ann shook her head. “I just hope you won’t feel foolish when all these people are at the airport in full royal regalia.”

“He’ll only get what he deserves for buying you like you were the goods at a slave market. The whole thing is so disgusting I still can’t believe it.”

The prince might be attractive, but Callie would bet her life there was a strain of mental illness that ran in his royal family. As far as she was concerned, the sooner she got Ann out of this wretched situation, the better.

Two days later the commuter flight from Milan where Callie had gone through customs, taxied to a stop at the airport in Turin. Torino to the locals.

She unfastened her seat belt, anxious to meet the prince and get this over with. Though she was tired, traveling first-class had made it a pleasant enough experience. In an hour she’d be on the return flight and sleep all the way home.

Looping the strap of her tote bag over her shoulder, she followed the other passengers to the waiting area inside the terminal.

There were masses of people standing about. Callie braced herself for whatever fanfare awaited her, but to her surprise nothing happened. She walked around for a few minutes, expecting to be approached, or to hear her sister’s name being called over the public address system at least.

How odd… It appeared no royal contingent had come to the airport for her yet. Maybe something unavoidable had occurred and the prince couldn’t help being late.

Slowly the crowds thinned until everyone had gone except a dangerous-looking male in his mid-thirties with overly long black hair seated on one of the lounge chairs. He was reading an Italian newspaper. His well-worn jeans and black leather jacket emphasized a strong, powerful physique.

There was something about Italian men Callie had noticed from the moment she’d entered the Milan terminal. No matter what they wore, they had a certain style and elegance that caused them to stand out from other men.

She grudgingly admitted that’s why they had the reputation for being seductive lovers. Especially this dark, arresting stranger whose aquiline features made her heart race for no good reason.

When he looked up suddenly and she met his jet-black gaze head on, heat enveloped her like a desert storm. She turned away, embarrassed to be caught staring like that. Without hesitation she headed for the terminal desk.

If the prince didn’t come soon, she’d write a note of explanation and slip it in the envelope with the check and ring. Before she boarded the plane for her return flight home in half an hour, she would ask the airline employee to make certain it was put in the prince’s hands.

“Signorina Lassiter?”

A deep, unfamiliar male voice spoke directly behind her. She spun around to discover the striking-looking stranger standing too close to her, robbing her of breath. He was a tall man, at least six feet two. At five feet eight, she noticed things like that.

His searching black eyes seemed to consume her features and hair which she wore in one fat braid halfway down her back.

“Are you from the palace?”

There was a pregnant pause. “That’s right. My name is Nicco.” He spoke excellent English with a heavy accent she found disturbingly appealing.

“I understood Prince Enzo was going to meet the plane.”

“I’m afraid he was unavoidably detained. I was dispatched to…take care of you.”

“Who are you? One of his bodyguards?”

His lips twitched. “Would it make you feel safer if I said yes?”

Not particularly. If the truth be known, Callie had already imagined this man could handle himself in any situation. What bothered her was his mocking arrogance which had caught her on the raw. It appeared the prince’s emissary had kept her waiting on purpose.

He didn’t like her.

She’d sensed that instinctively, yet she couldn’t blame him. Any woman who would be a part of a benefit in order to sell her body to an unknown prince deserved the world’s scorn.

On the other hand, any man who would work for a prince who had no morals was equally despicable.

“Let’s just say that by answering my question with a question, you’ve come off sounding positively Machiavellian. But then I shouldn’t be surprised. You did say your name was Niccolo. The master of cunning. A throwback to your ancient ancestor perhaps?”

For a split second his eyes glittered with some unnamed emotion that sent a dart of fear coursing through her nervous system.

“The prince will be impressed with your knowledge of Italian political history, signorina. It seems there are depths to you yet to be plumbed. Shall we get your bags?”

“I didn’t bring any.”

“Of course not,” he murmured in a silky voice. “A princess-to-be must have an entirely new wardrobe from the skin out.” He slid an index finger down her cheek. “Yours feels like velvet. No wonder Prince Enzo couldn’t resist you.”

“Is that one of your jobs? To inspect the royal merchandise?” she snapped to cover the shock wave that had just passed through her body.

“Call it a lapse I couldn’t resist. It won’t happen again. Now that you’re his fiancée, the prince won’t allow another man to touch you on pain of death.”

She flashed him an icy smile. “How feudal of your master to send you ahead to discover my fatal flaw. I’ll warn you now. I have several of them.”

A sardonic gleam entered his eyes. “I hadn’t thought to enjoy my mission this much. Except for the wedding dress which I understand was purchased some time ago, the prince told me to accommodate your every desire.

“As soon as we leave the airport, it will be my pleasure to take you shopping for your royal trousseau. Along the arcade of the Via Roma you will find our country’s most fashionable couturier salons,” he whispered in a husky tone, giving her voluptuous body a slow, frank appraisal.

Considering she was in jeans and a knit top that was several years old, the look he’d just given her was meant to be insulting. The sparring had gone on long enough.

“You won’t be taking me any place because I have no need of a new wardrobe,” she blurted with as much hauteur as she could summon.

“Then you truly are a dream come true, signorina. I will let the prince know you intend to keep him happy in the marriage bed for the entire thirty days and nights.”

“Careful, Niccolo—your true colors are showing,” she bit out as white-hot heat consumed her.

“If your lack of concern about clothes is one of the fatal flaws you were referring to, then I admit I’m looking forward to ferreting out the rest of them.”

Anxious to wipe the gloating expression from his eyes she said, “Will you please give this to the prince for me?”

Callie reached in her bag that contained her toiletries along with a change of underwear, and handed him the velvet lined box. It held the betrothal ring. After opening the lid, he trapped her hand.

“Do you know this ring dates from the early sixteenth century when the House of Piemonte and the House of Monferrato formed a valuable alliance through marriage?”

To her shock he slid it on her ring finger. After studying it he said, “I wondered why you weren’t wearing it. Now I have my answer.

“Though it’s the most valuable of the collection in terms of the Tescotti family history, I can see how this heavy gold piece doesn’t suit your delicate hand. I’ll tell his highness to pick out something more modern from the family jewels.”

At the moment, her hands were covered in a rash from washing and scrubbing them so much before surgery. She’d tried every cream in existence, but they still itched and had blotchy spots he rubbed several times. Callie pulled her hand away, shaken by his touch which had arced through her body like a current of electricity.

Pulling off the ring, she put it back in the box and shoved it at him. “I have something else you can give the prince.” Once more she reached in her bag and handed him the envelope with the check inside.

He opened it. “Ten thousand dollars. To my knowledge, the prince had no expectations of a wedding present from you. However I’m aware of something he would like, and this is the exact amount to cover it.” His eyes flashed black fire. “You’re going to make him the happiest man alive.”

Putting both items in his pockets, he cupped her elbow. “It’s a beautiful fall afternoon. Since you don’t require any clothes, I thought you might like a ride around the city to relax you. It’s only fitting that you survey your kingdom before the wedding tomorrow. Shall we get started?”

Callie jerked her arm away. “I’m not going anywhere with you and that money isn’t a wedding gift.”

He stared at her through veiled eyes. “You’re trembling. But surely there is no reason to be afraid of me. This close to the ceremony, I have sworn a sacred oath to protect you with my life. In fact I am the only person in the world who has Prince Enzo’s complete trust.”

“Then you need to let him know there isn’t going to be a wedding.”

His white smile was condescending. “I thought only the groom had what you Americans call pre-wedding jitters. You are turning out to be a surprise in so many ways, I find myself utterly captivated.”

“Look, Nicco whoever-you-are—I’m going to be honest with you.”

“You mean you haven’t been up to now?”

Callie forced herself to count to ten. “I’ve been trying to tell you something. Before you jump to any more wrong conclusions, you need to hear me out. I’m not the woman his highness picked to marry.”

The amusement in his eyes maddened her. He pulled a photograph out of his back pocket. “Then who is this?”

The picture he held up was obviously the photograph Ann had sent in with the application.

Smothering a groan she said, “I know it looks like me. That’s because I’m Ann’s twin sister, Callie.”

“Callie.” He mouthed her name. In the next breath he’d relieved her of her shoulder bag and pulled out her passport. He opened it and placed the picture next to the passport photo. “According to this, your name is Callie Ann Lassiter.”

“Yes, I know. My sister is named Annabelle, but she goes by Ann. Our father wanted both of us to have our mother’s name.”

His lips twitched. “That’s quite a lie you’ve dreamed up. Obviously you’re frightened of this step you’re about to take. For an aspiring Hollywood actress, who would have guessed it?”

She’d had enough of his barely veiled mockery. Taking a deep breath she said, “You mistake my fright for frustration. It’s because you won’t listen to me. I’m going to try this one more time. I’m not the prince’s intended!”

As if it were his divine right, he unsnapped the strap of her wallet and looked at her driver’s license.