GINA WILKINS - The Park's Empire - Handsome Strangers... - The Prince's Bride

The doorbell rang just as she entered the living room and she glanced at the antique French clock on the mantelpiece.

Seven o’clock. Not only is he royal, he’s also punctual.

She pulled open the door and although she’d thought she was prepared to see him, still her breath hitched and she found herself staring helplessly at the man outside her entry. He took her breath away. In the hours since she’d seen him at the office, she’d managed to convince herself that he couldn’t have been as heart-stoppingly handsome as she’d first thought. But she’d lied to herself, she realized as she met his gaze. He really was as sinfully sexy as she’d remembered.

“Good evening.”

His gaze swept her from the crown of her head to her toes, making the return journey just as swiftly, his mouth curving in a smile. “Good evening. Ready to go?”

“Yes.” Emily stepped across the threshold and pulled the door closed behind her.

He moved back, falling into step beside her as she walked toward the elevators.

“Do you like living here?” he asked, his tone curious as he surveyed the hallway while they waited for the lift.

“Yes, very much.” Emily’s gaze followed his, moving over the red and cream floral carpet, the pale green walls with their gold-framed prints, and the matching discreet name and numbers beside the six doors that opened off the short hallway. “I love living in the center of the city and though the building is older, it’s well-maintained and secure.”

“Ah. And security is important in San Francisco,” he commented as the elevator pinged and the doors opened.

“I suppose it’s important everywhere, don’t you think?”

“Yes.” His voice turned grim. “Very important.”

He took her arm and ushered her into the lift, his body briefly brushing hers as he leaned past her to push the button for the lobby floor. The faint scent of soap and aftershave reached her, the slightly rough texture of his suit jacket teasing the bare skin of her arm. Although he was impeccably polite and made no overt moves, she felt crowded by him and too aware of his much bigger body. He was so blatantly male that he made her feel overwhelmingly feminine. She couldn’t recall any other man of her acquaintance eliciting such a strong response.

“Does Daniz have a crime problem?” Emily asked, determined to conceal her reaction. She vividly remembered the photos she’d seen in a travel brochure of the small kingdom on the Mediterranean Sea. Tucked between the eastern border of Spain on one side and France’s southern edge on the other, Daniz’s sun-drenched beaches were adored by tourists and its fabled Jewel Market was equally revered by the gem industry. Crime didn’t seem a part of that fairy tale picture.

“I suspect every country in the world has a problem with crime, some more so than others.” Lazhar’s deep voice sent a slow shiver up Emily’s spine. “Daniz’s crime rate has never been high when compared to many countries but there’s always room for improvement. We’ve increased the police force and taken an aggressive proactive approach over the last few years and the result has been a decrease in all types of crime.”

“Is this part of your plan for national security?” He raised an eyebrow in inquiry and Emily smiled. “I confess I did some online research this afternoon in an effort to learn a bit more about your country before we talked this evening. Part of what I learned is that you were appointed to lead the Daniz National Security Forces five years ago.”

“Ah.” His mouth quirked. “I hope you only visited the official Daniz Web site and not the sites featuring gossip from the tabloids.”

Emily laughed. “I did visit the Daniz government site, but I also read a few very interesting tidbits at a site called Secrets of the Royal Families of Europe.”

Lazhar groaned and shook his head. “I’m afraid to ask what you learned there. I hope you didn’t believe anything you read.”

“Most of it sounded like pure fiction. Unless—” she looked at him with interest “—you really did fly across the Mediterranean on a hangglider to spend the night with a harem dancer?” The swift expression of horror that flitted across his face made her laugh. “No?”

“Absolutely not.” His deep voice held disgust.

“Pity.” Emily sighed, watching him through the screen of her lashes. “I thought perhaps she was your fiancée.”

“No, definitely not.”

The elevator reached the lobby, the doors opening with silent efficiency. Two muscular men in dark suits stood sentry at the door to the street; they snapped to attention, one of them speaking into a small two-way radio as Lazhar took Emily’s arm and they exited the elevator. They crossed the black and white marble floor and one of the guards opened the door while the other fell discreetly into step behind them. Outside, another black-clad, burly man held the door of a long black limousine open wide. Emily was about to enter the limo when someone called her name.

She paused and glanced down the street. “Hello.” A smile lit her face. Her brother Cade was striding toward them along the sidewalk. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m picking up Stacy—she’s visiting Anabeth.”

“Oh, I wish I’d known she was near, I would have stopped in for a hug.” Emily adored Cade’s five-year-old daughter; the precocious little girl shared Emily’s love of shopping and they’d formed a mutual admiration society of two. Stacy’s friend Anabeth lived in the next apartment building and the two often shared playdates.

“I’ll call you the next time I bring her over, I promise.” Cade nodded at Lazhar and held out his hand. “Lazhar, it’s good to see you. I didn’t know you were in town.”

“I’ve just arrived—the trip wasn’t on my schedule and my aides didn’t have time to contact you.”

Emily glanced from her brother to Lazhar. “You two know each other?”

“Yes. Of course.” Cade grinned at her. “But I didn’t know you and Lazhar were acquainted.”

“We just met today,” she said calmly. Cade was her fraternal twin and loved to tease her as if they were still twelve-year-olds. When his eyes twinkled, she knew he’d jumped to the conclusion that she was dating the handsome prince and was going to comment. “But I’m looking forward to doing business with him,” she said smoothly, before he could speak.

Cade blinked at her and she could almost see his brain shift gears.

“Business? What kind of business?”

“Wedding planning, of course,” she said, leaning forward to press a kiss on his cheek. “Give my love to Stacy and tell her I’ll see her tomorrow.”

“Sure.” Cade nodded at Lazhar as the prince handed Emily into the limousine. He bent to peer into the interior, his hazel gaze intent. “You’re in good hands with Lazhar, Emily.”

Emily barely had time to wonder what he meant by the cryptic comment before the bodyguard closed the door and the limo pulled smoothly away from the curb. She glanced back to see Cade standing on the sidewalk, watching them drive away.

“How is it that you know my brother?” she asked Lazhar as the car eased into traffic.

“We met some months ago when he came to Daniz to visit the Jewel Market.”

“Ah,” Emily replied. Cade was an attorney and he handled much of their father’s contracts for the Parks jewelry store; he was being trained as the heir apparent to succeed when Walter retired. Not that anyone who knew Walter thought he would ever retire, in fact, it was generally agreed that he’d probably die at his desk, working on a new deal. But nevertheless, Walter considered Cade his heir and demanded that his son spend a large amount of time on Parks Empire business interests. “So you’re in the gem industry, like my father?”