The Wedding Party And Holiday Escapes Ultimate Collection. Кейт Хьюит
table between them and informed them they were beginning their descent. Lexie only half heard her.
It remained to be seen whether she ended up staying, falling the rest of the way in love from the halfway state she’d been in for almost as long as she could remember. And convincing Adam to fall in love with her, and eventually, or maybe even soon, marry her, was another thing entirely.
But whatever happened, she’d left her old self and her old life behind.
“You’ll see San Philippe to the east in a few minutes.”
Rafe’s voice startled her. She’d been staring out the window, but she’d scarcely been taking anything in. Far below, the cities and mountains of Europe spread out. Features of the landscape became clearer.
“You can usually catch a glimpse of the palace, as well,” he said a few minutes later.
“I see it.” She felt excitement rising as the jet lowered and she glimpsed distant turrets.
She would be seeing Adam again soon. She could stop thinking about Rafe.
Miniature horses dotted a field below. “Will Adam be playing polo in the cup match next weekend? Or is his rotator cuff still bothering him?” She was eager to see Adam again, but had to admit she was a little apprehensive, too.
Rafe lifted an eyebrow in enquiry. “You know about his shoulder injury?”
She shrugged. “Ten years is a long while to have…an interest in someone.” She wasn’t going to say the word crush, because it sounded so immature, but that’s admittedly what her relationship—again, probably the wrong word—had started out as. “A girl can do a lot of research in that time. I can give you the whole history of it.”
“Ever heard of stalking?”
He said the word with a bored smile, but Lexie bristled. “It’s not like that.” At least not anymore. She’d long ago thrown out the embarrassing scrapbook she’d kept as a young teenager, filled with photos of Adam playing polo or attending functions. “I’ve looked at the odd Web site.” No need to give Rafe numbers. But because he was one of the world’s most eligible bachelors, plenty of sites followed Adam. “And I’ve studied the history of San Philippe because it’s part of my heritage.” And because it was potentially part of her future. “I like to think of it as being well-informed.”
“Uh-huh.” How did he make those two syllables sound so condescending?
“We have mutual acquaintances, as well.”
“Don’t feel you have to justify yourself to me.”
“I’m not justifying myself, I just think you should be clear on where I stand.”
“I think I’m clear.” He returned his attention to his book, trying to dismiss her.
She wasn’t that easy to dismiss. “And I don’t think you are.”
He sighed and flipped over a page.
“I’m not obsessive about Adam.” He should know that. “I’ve dated other men. I even imagined myself in love once.”
That snagged his attention. He looked back at her. “And?”
She shrugged. “It didn’t work out. And not because of anything to do with Adam,” she added quickly. Well, not directly, although it was possible that Paul had suffered in comparison. “I’ve grown and matured, and become my own woman.”
“I’m sure you have.”
Lexie could think of no witty or even sarcastic retort so she tried for a disdainful look before turning to her window to watch her destiny draw closer, savoring the sense of anticipation as the wheels lowered into position for landing. Rafe didn’t understand. She was her own woman and knew her own mind. She just hoped—and had, in fact, planned—that she was the type of woman who appealed to Adam. And his father. Because she’d have to have Prince Henri’s blessing. And probably also the approval of palace advisers. And even the public of San Philippe. Which was what was sending her heart into overdrive. Despite her mother’s assurances and training, she didn’t know if she was cut out for that much scrutiny, for the prospect of such a public failure. What if this was a colossal mistake?
No. Time to stop the negative self-talk. She could do this.
“Talking to yourself?” She looked across to see Rafe watching her, a smile tugging at his lips.
Had she been? “No, of course not.” Against her will that smile drew her own out, making it impossible to stay mad at him. “Maybe. I’ve just realized what a very public spectacle I could make of myself here.”
“The palace will be working to keep everything low-key. It won’t be too public.”
“But still a spectacle?”
“That part’s up to you.”
The plane touched down, decelerating rapidly. She looked out the window at a waving crowd standing behind a cordoned-off area. “So that crowd out there is normal?”
“There are always a few people with nothing better to do than hang out at the airport when the royal jet flies in.”
“That many?”
He followed her gaze and she saw a flash of surprise in his eyes, but he leaned back in his seat. “Give or take a few.”
“Wow.”
“Don’t overthink things.”
“What do you mean?” She thought she knew, but talking to him, listening to his deep, calm voice, his soft accent, helped distract her.
“Worrying ahead of time about what people will think or what might go wrong. You’ll step off this plane, see Adam and take it from there. One moment at a time.”
“Of course we’ll be taking things slowly, but controlling my thoughts and anxiety is easier said than done.”
“No. It’s exactly as easy to say as it is to do. In fact, your thoughts are one of the few things in life you do have control over. And thinking things over and over and round and round in your head, things you can’t possibly have any control over—that’s not easy. It’s also a hell of a waste of mental energy.”
“You could be right. But I don’t think you really understand.”
“I know I’m right.” He pulled a business card from his pocket, flipped it over and wrote on the back before handing it to her.
She looked at the cell phone number scrawled elegantly across the card.
“I may not see that much of you around the palace. That’s my private number,” he said on a sigh. “In case.”
“In case what?”
“In case you don’t know which fork to use. I don’t know. Just in case. Only a couple of people have it, so if you call, I’ll answer it.”
“Thank you.” It struck her then that with their time in Massachusetts, London and on the plane she’d now spent more consecutive time in Rafe’s company than she ever had in Adam’s.
“Abuse it and I’ll change the number.”
Lexie smiled and lapsed into silence. She looked away from the window and at the hands clasped in her lap. After agonizing over what to wear, she’d settled on a skirt and short, tailored jacket. But maybe she should have worn the shift dress. It was probably hot out there. She glanced at Rafe. He wore an open-necked white linen shirt and cream-colored pants. He looked fantastic, as if he’d just stepped off a yacht in the Mediterranean. She chewed her bottom lip.
He sighed. “What are you worried about now?”
She hadn’t thought he’d been aware of her. She swallowed. “Would calling you to ask a really stupid question be considered abusing the privilege?”
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