Her Billionaire Prince Page 15

  “You look fabulous, Mother,” he said, kissing her cheek.

  “As do you,” she said, straightening his tie. “You look just like your father.” She gave him a tremulous smile. “Where are the others?”

  “Probably getting ready,” he said. He turned to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Talia out on the grounds, but only a few other stable hands were there. There was no sign of Eula either. Disappointment filled him, and he slipped his hand into his pocket, brooding.

  “Ah, there you are,” Mother said.

  Jay looked over his shoulder at the top of the stairs. Katy had come out and was beaming at them. She was a pretty girl, especially done up for an occasion. The eye patch added personality. Her narrow face seemed to have more color, and her hair gleamed as it framed her face.

  Another woman in a ballgown followed Katy to the landing.

  He couldn’t believe his eyes. There Talia was, standing in that mauve gown he had picked out for her. Her hair was piled on top of her head in loose curls, adorned with little flowers. She’d always been beautiful to him, but her face, made up as it was, glowed.

  He turned fully to admire her, his heart in his throat. Beside him, he could sense hostility from his mother, but he didn’t care.

  Jay only cared about this woman pausing at the upstairs landing and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, looking at him shyly with shining eyes.

  Katy came down the stairs and passed Jay. He murmured his compliments to her, but she gave him a knowing smile. For a moment, he was confused. Katy helping Talia? Since when had they become great buddies?

  And then his gaze returned to Talia.

  He walked to the bottom of the staircase and watched her put one dainty foot in front of the other as she descended the steps.

  ***

  Talia couldn’t take her eyes off Jay. He was as elegant as he always was―impeccable in that tux―just ratcheted about a thousand times. And now he was looking at her with shining eyes, watching her take the steps down so she could go to the ball.

  With him.

  Her heart contracted with pleasure at the thought. She was very much aware that beside him, his mother was scowling, but she ignored her for now. All that mattered was this beautiful man waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her.

  As she reached the landing where he stood, he took her hand and lifted it to his lips, pressing a kiss that sent pleasurable shivers up her spine.

  “What an exquisite surprise,” he murmured, his voice husky.

  “Me too.”

  “You’re surprised?” he asked.

  “I mean, I didn’t really plan on doing this until Katy offered to help me this morning.”

  Nina cleared her throat and said Jay’s name. “Geneva’s here.”

  Talia looked over her shoulder. Geneva looked stunning in a red dress that clung to her statuesque body, her blonde hair falling like a sleek waterfall around her face.

  A stab of insecurity assailed Talia. How could she even compete with her? However, when she turned, Jay’s eyes flicked just for a moment toward Geneva. Then they refocused on Talia, drinking her in.

  A delicious sensation warmed Talia’s body. He hadn’t let go of her hand, and her skin tingled at his touch.

  He tucked her arm in his and led her forward.

  Talia passed Nina, whose glance clearly communicated what she thought of Talia gatecrashing at the last minute. With Jay at her side, Talia wasn’t worried about a thing.

  Not tonight anyway.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Talia was Jay’s sole passenger. The others would be driven to the ball in the limo.

  Jay opened the door to his Maserati and Talia slipped into the front passenger seat, feeling different. Like a girly-girl. Most of her life, she couldn’t be bothered to change for special occasions. She was always busy with horses. She didn’t even recognize herself as she looked into the lit-up mirror on the visor. Her lashes looked so long, her lips soft and luscious pink. Her eyes danced with happiness. She owed Katy big time.

  But then she remembered his betrayal. His suspicions.

  When he covered her hand with his, she pulled away.

  “You’re still upset?” he said.

  She nodded.

  “I’m sorry I hurt you,” he said.

  She glanced at his contrite expression. “The jail was scary,” she said.

  “I’m sure it was.”

  “I stood the whole time. There wasn’t room for me on the bunk bed.”

  He reached out and touched her cheek. A soft caress. “I’m sorry you had to experience that.”

  “Some of those women are there for bad crimes. But they were actually friendly. If I had to be there for days, weeks, months…” Her voice broke. “Thanks for bailing me out.”

  “Of course,” he whispered. “I couldn’t sleep until I pulled all the strings I could to get you out.”

  “Because you wanted your jockey for race day?” she deadpanned.

  “Yup. That’s it.”

  They laughed. Afterwards, their eyes met. He grasped her chin lightly and murmured, “If I could take back what happened, I would…”

  The floodgates were about to open. “Don’t,” she said.

  He looked alarmed. “Don’t?”

  “Don’t make me cry.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile, his eyes expressing love and concern.

  A tear escaped down her cheek.

  “Am I forgiven, I hope?” he said.

  She nodded.

  Her eyes fluttered shut as he leaned in for a soft kiss. To her disappointment, it was over too soon. But he followed it up quickly with another. And another.

  “We probably should go to the ball soon,” he whispered.

  “What ball?” she said, and he laughed.

  This was all very heady stuff. She didn’t want the night to end. She was Cinderella, and he was her Prince Charming.

  As he drove the car out of the estates, he twined his fingers with hers. “You always look beautiful, but tonight, wow.”

  She turned so the seat cradled her cheek. “Thank you. And you look handsome.”

  He raised her hand and kissed the back of it, his lips lingering on her skin. Soft music played in the background and she wondered if he could hear her heart thudding loudly.

  “I can’t believe you kept this a secret from me the entire time,” he said, chuckling. “And there I was, feeling down, thinking I wouldn’t see you until tomorrow.”

  “Maybe I didn’t want your mom to know. She could have tried to talk you out of taking me.”

  “She could have, but I wouldn’t have given in.” He paused, looking at her with a sticky hot gaze that slowly traveled over her face and filled her stomach with butterflies. “I had to put my foot down about the dress.”

  “You picked well.”

  “Good.” He squeezed her hand. “I just pictured you in my mind, which wasn’t too hard. I kind of think of you a lot.”

  They laughed at his admission.

  At the ball venue, the Kentucky Country Club valet greeted them, opening Talia’s door. Jay got out and tossed his keys to the employee and offered Talia his arm.

  “We should wait for the others,” she said, looking over her shoulder.

  When she turned back, he was glancing down at her, a lick of desire in his eyes. “I suppose,” he said.

  “Your mother will not forgive you if you ditch them tonight.”

  “As she shouldn’t. But I do have an excuse.”

  He caressed the small of her back, and an excitement built in her. She wondered if he felt it too.

  He leaned over and whispered, “Later, let’s go out to the garden.”

  A delicious sensation coursed through her veins.

  The ball was a well-attended event with dozens and dozens of people milling around and admiring the hats―which were plentiful―and dresses. Many wore pink for the event’s cancer theme.

  Jay didn’t ditch his
mother and the others, but they may as well have been on another planet. He sat so close to Talia, touching her constantly. The small of her back, her hand, her neck, her elbow…so many little points that left her breathless and wanting. Sometimes, he leaned close to whisper something in her ear, his lips brushing against her ear or cheek, melting her insides.

  Dinner was first on the evening’s schedule. It was a spread and then some. Probably the best meal Talia had ever had. She was too nervous to overeat which was good. She didn’t want to be weighed down for the dance—nor or the upcoming race. As the dinner wound down, it segued into a dance with a live orchestra.

  Talia and Jay exchanged glances.

  Jay stood and bowed over her hand. “May I have this dance?” He looked so handsome, so devoted. It was a scene straight from a movie.

  I love this man.

  The thought scared and exhilarated Talia. “Yes, of course,” she said, masking her feelings as she accepted his hand.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Even though the music could have been a fast dance, Jay simply took Talia in his arms and rocked her slowly in a circle. His lips grazed her temple. He wished they were alone, so he could kiss her.

  He couldn’t believe he was the luckiest guy on the planet at that moment, with Talia in his arms, nesting her head on his chest. He pulled her closer, whirling her around until they were both breathless, and not only from the dance.

  At the end of the song, he tugged at her hand. “Come outside with me?”

  She nodded wordlessly.

  It was a beautiful night. Jay led her to a railing that overlooked a lush garden. He draped an arm around her waist, and she turned bashfully away from him. He slipped his other arm fully around her waist and pulled her against him. He inhaled her lovely scent, a mix of roses and strawberries.

  “If the world ended today,” he whispered, “I’d die a happy man.”

  “A bit of a hyperbole,” she said.

  He turned her so she faced him in his arms. She cast her eyes down, studying his collar, but he tipped her chin up so she had to look into his eyes.

  “But it’s true,” he said. “I haven’t felt this happy in a long time.”

  “Well,” she confessed, “me too.”

  He kissed her temple and held her close. “When the race is over,” he said, “we’ll have to talk about our future. Are you still stubbornly wanting to move stables, chasing after your next win?”

  Her face turned somber. “I…I can’t answer that yet,” she said.

  Worry tiptoed across his chest. “Why not?”

  “I…Jay, you’re asking a tough question. I’ve always been above board with you. You know it’s been my lifelong ambition to race at the higher stakes. So I can’t just give you a simple answer.”

  “I can buy you any horse you want to get to the next level.”

  She pushed his arms away.

  “I know that doesn’t sit well with you,” he said. “Sorry to be so frank about money matters―”

  “I’ve been independent far too long to give up control of my dream to a man.”

  “Come here,” he said, reaching for her.

  She shook her head. “I need to keep my head clear for this.”

  He sighed. “We’ll have it your way.” Then he swallowed, because a dizzying and terrifying feeling overwhelmed him. “I love you,” he said.

  Her face expressed wonder, and a panic in her eyes. He would lose her, he knew, if he pushed too hard.

  Maybe he was too late.

  “How could you love me,” she cried, “when we’ve only known each other for less than two weeks?”

  “Am I not entitled to those feelings?” he asked. “I don’t need to have more time to know I’ve fallen head over heels for you. I guess the question is, how do you feel about me?”

  ***

  Talia studied his dear face, the hurt in his eyes. “I have been preparing all my life for my career, and I can’t make an instant decision just because you’re ready for one.”

  The sadness in his eyes deepened.

  “Besides,” she reminded him, “what would your mother think about having an arsonist in the family?”

  “We know you’re not an arsonist,” he said.

  “I believe that’s not her only objection against me.” She gazed up at the night sky. “What kind of life do you envision for us after Lexington?”

  “We would marry in Mondragón. Live there most of the year. I will need to go back to Boston sometimes. And Lexington.”

  “I won’t have duties as Princess, will I?”

  “Yes. It is very much a hands-on kind of royal life.”

  “Can a princess be a jockey?”

  He gave her a blank look. “Our Parliament might need to rewrite a few laws. The crown princess usually doesn’t hold a civilian job.”

  She clenched her jaw. “Would I need permission to blow my nose too?”

  “Of course not. But if Parliament granted you permission to jockey, would you do it? Would you be my princess?”

  She could be his princess. She could wear ballgowns and eat bonbons all day. And be utterly miserable with all the restrictions in the world.

  Best to lower his expectations. “Sorry, no.”

  “Why?”

  She gently extricated herself from his embrace. “Let me tell you a few reasons. Number one. Your mother.”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  “I don’t like being told what to do. I won’t do very well as a princess.”

  “But you’ll get to do a lot of things.”

  “And not get to do a lot of things.”

  “Wouldn’t marrying me be enough?” he asked, sounding exasperated. He exhaled sharply. “I’ll be honest. I feel like a little boy again, left for a charity. This time, I’m being shunted to the side for horses. I apologize for even bringing this up.”

  She averted her face and gazed at the garden. When she spoke again, he had to lean in to catch her words.

  “Have you ever suffered, Jay?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  “Oh, yeah, like what?”

  “My father died last year.”

  “Sorry.” She paused. “What about when you were growing up?”

  “I was bullied in boarding school.”

  “Big deal, so someone stole your expensive watch. You should have known better than to show off among others.”

  “No one ever stole from me.” He said the words carefully. “But I was shunned sometimes because I was a small boy. I got pushed around. They put rocks in my oatmeal.”

  Hurt at the recollection seemed to weigh Jay down. Talia wished she hadn’t taken this course of questioning. But they were already down this road, and she needed to pick at it like a scab.

  “Well, I had it much worse,” she said, remembering the chaos of her childhood, the constant uprooting. “I wish I had oatmeal so the other kids could have put rocks in it. There were countless nights I had to go to bed hungry. Do you know what it’s like, Jay, to be hungry?”

  “No,” he admitted. “Well, other than the times when I was hiking somewhere and got home famished. I’m sure that doesn’t count.”

  “No.” She winced. “Some days I prayed I would just not wake up. You know, of course, that my parents died?”

  “Yes.”

  “I got passed from one foster home to another. Some of them were decent. Some were appalling. And a few were downright evil.” She shuddered.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I can’t even begin to comprehend what that would have been like, but I understand.”

  She laid her soul bare. “I just want you to know why it’s so hard for me to give up my dream. I had to scrabble and scrape and fight to get where I am. I sure as heck won’t give it all up just because of a fling with a prince after a week in Lexington.”

  He shut his eyes and then opened them again. “A fling. Is that what this is to you?”

  “It feels like it sometimes.”

&n
bsp; “Despite all my declarations of love?”

  She nodded.

  “Because I’m a prince?”

  “Yes.”

  His expression hardened. “You think I’m made of rock, or something?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “That I have no feelings?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “Because you just trampled on my heart.”

  “What do you want me to say?” she cried.

  “I don’t know. But maybe some acknowledgement that I’m baring my soul to you would be a good start.”

  She exhaled a deep breath. “Sorry. It’s not a good excuse, but it’s been kind of a stressful week. And to be thinking of a future when I just buried my horse, and…and…”

  He pulled her close. “Sorry, darling.”

  Darling. She liked that.

  His expression lightened. “We’ll cut you some slack, okay?” He smiled tentatively.

  She smiled back. “Okay.”

  “So…what’s next?”

  “We’ll win the Oaks…”

  “Sounds good.”

  “And…” She bit her lip. “No more kissing until…”

  “Until when,” he murmured softly as he glanced at her mouth.

  “Until…” she stammered. “Until further notice.”

  His mouth twitched. “My notice or your notice?”

  “Mine, of course,” she huffed.

  He put out a hand. “Can we still be friends, then?”

  She glanced at it suspiciously, and he showed her his palms.

  “Don’t worry. No electric buzzers or anything.”

  She slipped her hand in his, and they slowly shook hands. All she could think was how his skin felt so warm and how much she wanted to have his lips on hers once again, but this was how it had to be.

  She stepped back and pulled her hand away. “Good.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  As Talia swept into the ballroom ahead of Jay, she saw Nina sitting by herself, watching them with speculative eyes.