The Marine and The Princess. Cathie Linz
“Before we do that, I must insist that you come up with another diagnosis. My father will simply not accept that I’m suffering from exhaustion. That is not a suitable excuse to avoid returning home. No, the diagnosis must have something to do with my ears.”
His gaze automatically traveled across her high cheekbones to her ears. They were dainty and feminine, and she wore an earring in each lobe. No cubic zirconias for this princess. No, those rocks were diamonds. “Are you supposed to sleep with those things in your ears?”
She touched her earlobe self-consciously. “I was too tired to do more than remove my clothing last night.”
Which meant what? That she was naked beneath that silky purple robe?
Years of training allowed Mark to keep an impassive look on his face, but inside he was responding to her proximity like a male, not a Marine.
“Would your Dr. Rosenthal be willing to tell my father I can’t fly because I have a cold-flu thing?” she asked. “Remember it has to involve my ears so that I wouldn’t be able to fly for several days.”
“Right. I’m sure the good doctor will say whatever is required.”
“He won’t have ethical problems with that?”
Mark wasn’t about to go into Dr. Rosenthal’s reasons for going along with this plan. “He’s a friend. I already told you, he’ll do as we ask. Let’s move on. Where do you plan on sleeping at night?” he asked.
That was one question she hadn’t yet considered. “Here, I suppose,” she replied.
“Here in your suite?” He shook his head. “Not a good idea. You’d be going past your own security guard every night. Eventually you’d get caught.”
“Fine. Then I’ll sleep elsewhere. There are plenty of hotel rooms available in this city.”
“Not that I can afford.”
“I shall, of course, pay for all expenses,” she loftily informed him.
“With what?” he demanded, pinning her with his saberlike gaze. “You think you’re not going to draw attention to yourself by using your platinum princess credit card? Or did you plan on having your accountants come trailing after you to pay for things?”
“All right.” She shot him an irritated look. “So I haven’t exactly worked out all the details yet.”
“Then it’s a good thing that I have. But before we go any further, Princess, we need to get a few things clear. First off, I’m in charge of this op.”
“Op?” she repeated with a lift of one of her delicately shaped eyebrows.
“Operation.”
“Ah, a military rather than medical term, I’m assuming?” she noted mockingly.
“Affirmative. I’ve had more experience at this sort of thing than you have.”
“At pretending to be a regular person?”
“At pretending to be something I’m not,” Mark replied, very well aware of the fact that if Princess Vanessa Alexandria Maria Teresa Von Volzemburg knew the real reason he was here, she’d toss him out on his ear. It was his job to make sure she didn’t find out.
Chapter Two
“Your Highness?” Vanessa’s lady-in-waiting knocked on the bedroom door. “Are you ready for breakfast?”
“No, Celeste!” Vanessa jumped up and hurried out of the bathroom. Putting one hand on the door to prevent the other woman from entering, she added, “Come back in fifteen minutes, please.”
“As Your Highness wishes.”
Turning, Vanessa almost bumped into Mark. He moved so fast and so silently that she hadn’t even realized he’d left the bathroom. She took a startled step backward and tripped over the hem of her robe.
Mark immediately reached out to steady her. She was standing so close to him now that she could see her own reflection in his blue eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.
His hands had automatically gone to her waist to steady her, and the feel of his strong hands warmed her through the silk of her robe. Indeed, she was all too conscious of each individual fingertip pressing against her, creating a restless stirring in the innermost recesses of her heart.
She could feel his heat, could sense the strength in his powerful body. She remembered the last time she’d seen him, at Prudence’s wedding, where she noticed the swagger and confidence that was so much a part of him. Even standing still, as he was now, he still exuded a don’t-mess-with-me hardness combined with a sexy bad-boy charm. What a potent combination.
But she was no wide-eyed military groupie to be taken in by a man in a uniform, or in this case a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Especially one as sure of himself as Captain Mark Wilder was.
Even so, there was definitely something about this man that got to her.
As if suddenly realizing he’d been holding her long after she’d regained her balance, Mark abruptly released her and said, “Who is Celeste?”
Vanessa had to think a moment, so scattered were her thoughts from his proximity. “Celeste? She’s my lady-in-waiting. She also serves as my private secretary.” Vanessa quickly moved around him to walk to the middle of the bedroom. She needed a bit more space between them in order to regain her composure. Her body was still humming from his touch. “I have to have Celeste’s help to pull this off.”
Mark shook his head. “Not a good idea.”
“Why not? Celeste can be trusted. You have your Marine comrades, I have my lady-in-waiting.”
Mark rolled his eyes. He had lovely blue eyes, but it was his smile that was a real killer. Or maybe his blue eyes made his smile more powerful because his eyes gleamed with wicked humor. They weren’t gleaming now, but they had when they’d been in the bathroom together. Now he was looking at her with impatience.
She was not the least bit intimidated. “I told you in the beginning when I outlined my plan to you that Celeste will cover my disappearance from the suite by acting as if I was still here.”
“Fine. Get her in here, and I’ll listen in to your explanation from the bathroom. I don’t want her walking in and screaming because she finds a strange man in your bedroom.”
“She wouldn’t scream,” Vanessa said.
“Why?” He pinned her with his gaze. “Because she’s used to finding strange men in your bedroom?”
Vanessa bestowed a royal glare upon him. “That is a totally inappropriate question.”
“Not when I’m providing your security, it’s not. If there are any besotted beaux in the picture…”
“There aren’t,” she said curtly. Sebastian was hardly besotted with her. Besides he was back in Volzemburg.
“Good.” Mark sounded entirely too satisfied with her response. “That simplifies things. Go ahead and call in your lady-in-whatever.”
“Lady-in-waiting.”
“Meanwhile, I’ll call the doctor and have him come over here.” Mark disappeared into the bathroom.
The man had no manners. Didn’t he know it was rude to leave her presence without bowing first? Not a nose-to-the-floor kind of bow, but a respectful tilt of the head. Granted she’d told him to treat her normally, but then signs of respect from men were how she was normally treated. She’d have to learn to be more casual. But first she had to convince Celeste to help her.
She called the other woman in.
“Have I done something to offend you, Your Highness?” Celeste