His Royal Prize (12 page)

“His life was taking a different path,” Geoff said. Hearing Amelia’s perspective made him realize that he really had never needed Malcolm. He’d found his own way. The same way that Amelia had in her turbulent childhood.

“I’m glad our paths crossed,” she said.

“You are? What made you say that?”

“I was thinking about how screwed up some parts of my life were before you. And I’m not saying this to add pressure to our relationship. But you have really given me some peace, and I enjoy it.”

He reached over and took her hand in his, twining their fingers together as he continued to drive.

“You’ve brought excitement to mine,” he said.

“Chaos you mean, right?”

Geoff brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it before letting go. He didn’t want to talk about how crazy her life was or how challenging he found it. He wanted to simply enjoy this weekend with her.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Why?”

“You’re trying to pretend that I haven’t brought a headache into your life.”

“I make my own decisions, Amelia,” he said. “And I accept responsibility for them. Having you by my side is worth any of the problems that may have cropped up.”

“Really? Sometimes I think it would be better for you if we just went back to our old lives. But I can’t make myself do that.”

“Good. I want you by my side,” he said.

He knew that being with him and trying to avoid the paparazzi after a lifetime of engaging them must be taking a toll on her. He knew she was running around like a crazy woman to keep photographers from following her each time she met him. He appreciated the efforts she was making.

But at the same time he knew that they couldn’t go on this way. He needed to find a way to permanently put an end to the media interference in their lives. He had no idea how to do it, but he could see the stress in Amelia and felt it himself each time they were confronted by a group of photographers.

He knew now how his cousins, the royal princes, felt. He’d often envied them, being the branch of the family to inherit the throne, but he couldn’t live the way they did with their lives constantly under the scrutiny of everyone with nothing that was private.

As he entered the town of Bath, he had to slow down for traffic.

“I love Bath,” Amelia said. “It’s simply the prettiest place in England.”

“I think some people would argue that, but I happen to agree.”

He loved the lush green lawns, the flowing water of the Avon River that moved through the middle of town and the enchanting buildings. The influence of the Romans was still visible in the center of town near the legendary Roman baths. But the large medieval cathedral dominated the skyline of the city.

“How long have you had a house here?” she asked.

“Since my university days,” he said. “I came here with one of my mates to visit his family and decided I wanted a home here as well. I wanted to come back often.”

“And have you?”

“Yes, but this is the first time I’ve brought a woman here with me.”

Amelia reached over to take his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. “I’m flattered. And I’m sure I’m going to love it.”

He was sure she would, too. And this weekend, he was determined to find a way to solidify his relationship with Amelia.

A
melia had never expected to be so easily accepted into Geoff’s family. His sisters were hilarious, treating him with love but also teasing the heck out of him. He was very much the patriarch of the family but he was indulgent as far as Gemma and Caroline were concerned.

Standing on the balcony overlooking the city of Bath on Sunday afternoon, she finally acknowledged that she had fallen in love with Geoff. It hadn’t happened this weekend, she thought. No, it had started that very first night when he’d apologized for believing the worst of her. Then it had deepened when he’d kissed her in his car and made love to her on the rooftop, telling her that nothing mattered except what was between the two of them.

And everything that had happened since then had
just bound her more tightly to him, making her realize that he was everything she’d ever wanted in a man but had been afraid to reach out and take.

“So you like my brother?” Gemma said, appearing next to her.

“What makes you say that?” she asked.

“You are staring at him with stars in your eyes,” Gemma said. “That’s embarrassing.”

“Not really. I think he hung the moon, too. He’s a bit arrogant but otherwise he’s a great guy.”

“He’s bossy as hell,” Amelia said.

Gemma sighed. “We’ve done our best but he simply won’t listen to us. He still thinks he knows best.”

“That’s because I do,” Geoff said, coming over to them and handing each of them a glass of Pimms.

“This is a girly conversation. Remember, you don’t like those?” Gemma said.

“I’m interrupting it and changing it into a lovey-dovey conversation.”

“See?” Gemma said looking at Amelia. “He’s impossible.”

“So are you, Gem.”

His sister punched him playfully in the shoulder before walking away.

“I like your sisters,” she said.

“They like you, too,” he said. “My mum will be here in a short while. I should tell you something about her that I don’t think I’ve mentioned. She’s very afraid that I might treat you the way that Malcolm treated her. I think she’ll want to speak to you.”

“I’m not sure what to say. Why does she think that?” Amelia asked.

“I’m not entirely sure. But she said I should remember that even party girls have hearts that can be broken,” Geoff said.

Amelia blinked. She knew she was going to like Geoff’s mother. Any woman who would say that to her son had an inside knowledge of the world Amelia lived in.

“Everyone can be hurt,” Amelia said, trying for a light tone. “Even business tycoons like yourself.”

“Touché.”

“Caro said that you warned her not to let her picture with Paul show up in
The Sun
.”

“I did indeed. It’s different with you and me,” he said, clearly unashamed of the double standard he’d established for himself and his sisters.

“How?”

“We both know that I’m not just using you,” he said.

“Maybe your sister knows the same thing about Paul.”

He shrugged. “Until I’m certain of it, she’s going to have to put up with my rules. I adore my sisters with their sassy attitudes. I don’t want them to retreat from life because of men.”

She understood exactly what he meant. “I’m glad they have you to look out for them. It’d be nice if everyone just dealt honestly with each other.”

“Yes, it would,” he said. “But that means trusting someone else not to hurt you, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. That’s the hard part,” she admitted.

He hugged her with one arm. “I haven’t betrayed your trust, have I?”

“No,” she said.

“Amelia, there’s something I need to discuss with you. It’s about—”

“Geoff, darling, come and give your mother a hug.”

Geoff pulled away without finishing, and Amelia could see he wanted to say more but now wasn’t the time. He’d seemed concerned when he started to speak, but she had no clue what he’d wanted to say. Had she done something wrong? Was there some problem?

As she watched him with his mother, she realized that this was her secret dream. This family. A part of her felt that if she played her cards right, this could be her life. But another part felt insecure, like the other shoe was about to drop. Like she’d be lucky to make it through the weekend.

If he loved her, she thought, then everything would take care of itself. She just had to keep repeating that to herself.

Geoff wrapped his mum in a big bear hug and was surrounded by her slender arms and the scent of Chanel No. 5. It had long been her signature fragrance. Even though other designers had wanted to blend unique fragrances just for her, she preferred the one she’d worn as a young woman.

She wore a pair of wide-leg, camel-colored trousers and a fitted white blouse. Her auburn-colored hair was pulled back in a loose chignon and seeing her now, Geoff was struck by how pretty his mum was.

“Sorry to be late, darling,” she said.

“Not a problem. I never mind waiting for you.”

“That’s good,” she said with a smile.

“Mummy!” Caro said running over to them. “I can’t wait for you to meet Paul. He’s been eager for you to get here.”

Paul joined them when Caro waved him over. He was an inch or two shorter than Geoff, and Geoff had used that to his advantage all afternoon, trying to intimidate the other man, but he’d stood his ground.

“Princess Louisa, it is a pleasure to meet you. Caro has told me so much about you,” he said. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Please call me Louisa,” his mother said.

“It would be my pleasure, Louisa.”

Paul and his mum chatted as Geoff watched Amelia, waiting for the right moment to introduce her. She’d wandered over to Gemma and her date, Robert Tomlinson, the son of the current British prime minister.

As Geoff surveyed the balcony filled with his family, he realized that this was the life he wanted for all of them. He was tired of professional socializing and wanted to start having more time with his family and with Amelia.

He wanted the quiet domesticity that came with being a couple, and he wanted it soon. He was ready to be Amelia’s. He just needed a signal from her that she wanted it, too.

For all he knew she would miss her wild lifestyle. He knew he kept her more than satisfied in bed, but there was more to life than that.

Realizing that her happiness was his chief concern sobered him up.

“She’s a stunningly beautiful girl,” his mum said as she came up to him.

“Yes, she is. You can’t help but notice her when she’s in a room.”

“I can see that. What does she mean to you?” she asked.

“Mum, I’ve told you, I don’t want to talk about my intentions with you. Not yet.”

Louisa nodded. “I know you said that but I want to make sure you have more of me in you than Malcolm.”

“There is no way to prove that to you,” he said.

“I know, darling,” she said, patting his arm. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

This had always been an issue between them. At times he wondered if Malcolm even knew what kind of wreckage he’d left behind when he’d abandoned Geoff’s mother.

“Speaking of him, have you had a call from Ainsley Patterson or her assistant?”

Louisa took a deep breath. “I have. She wants to interview me and the other women.”

“Are you going to do it?”

“Do you want me to?” she asked. “I really don’t want to, but I also don’t want to be the only one who doesn’t participate.”

“From what I understand, Steven’s mother is reluctant to do it as well.”

“The physicist, right?”

“Yes, Mum. I spoke to Ainsley and she assured me
that the piece is going to focus on all three of you from a fashion perspective.”

She shook her head. “I’m still considering it. I know that it will mean publicity for the company but I really don’t think we need any more money.”

He smiled. Whoever had tried to use money as a reason for her to do the interview had made a huge mistake. His mother had more money than Midas and didn’t think that was a justification for anything.

“If you don’t want to do it, we can both walk away.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Of course I would, Mum.”

“Thank you, Geoff,” she said.

“Now where is Amelia?”

“I’m here,” Amelia said, walking over to them.

He’d already started to figure out how much he loved Amelia, but seeing that shy smile on her face as she approached his mother simply confirmed it. He wanted to go to her and kiss her because he wasn’t sure he could tell her how he felt, but he sure as hell could show her.

“Hello, Amelia,” his mum said.

“Princess Louisa.”

“Please call me Louisa.”

“I have to tell you that you have raised three wonderful kids. The girls are very sweet and funny, and Geoff is simply the best date a girl could have.”

He arched one eyebrow at Amelia’s comment and she winked at him.

“Thank you, darling,” Louisa said. “My kids
are
spectacular.”

“They share your modesty,” Amelia said with a laugh.

Louisa laughed along with her. “I like this girl, Geoff.”

“Me, too, Mum.”

“Now leave us alone for some girl talk,” Louisa said.

“Very well,” Geoff said. He reached around his mother and pulled Amelia into his arms and kissed her.

“You mean the world to me,” he whispered before he left them to chat.

Louisa put her arm through Amelia’s and led her off the balcony and out into the backyard where they could be alone.

“I hope you don’t mind me pulling you away from the party,” she said.

“Not at all. I wanted to talk to you as well. I’m so sorry about the photos that keep showing up of Geoff and me.”

Louisa shook her head. “That’s not your fault. Geoff’s a big boy. He knows how to deal with the media.”

“Ignore them?”

“Well, that has worked for us, but I think you have a different policy, don’t you?”

“I do. I use them to keep my name in the public spotlight. It helps when I’m trying to promote the hotel chain or one of the charities I work with. But now…well, now that I’m involved with Geoff, they do seem to be in the way.”

“I was like you once. Just living my life and enjoying every second of it. But everything has consequences.”

“Of course. You should know that Geoff is a great guy. He’s always treated me well.”

Amelia knew that Louisa was trying to look out for her and it was important to Amelia that Geoff’s mother realize what a wonderful man he was. He’d never tried to use her or treat her with anything other than respect.

“I know, he’s a good boy. He always was. But the world we live in can change a man. Do you know that I was engaged to Malcolm?”

“No. I didn’t know that. In fact, I know very little about your relationship.”

“Well, when the news of it started circulating, that was when he started panicking. I think he was afraid I’d try to change him. To be fair, I probably would have, but who can really say.”

Amelia understood. “My parents had a very tumultuous marriage.”

“Are they divorced?”

Amelia laughed. “No. But they don’t live together. Their passion is somewhat…all-consuming.”

“Ah. So they can’t give each other up but they can’t live together either?”

“Exactly.”

“Is that what you have with my son?”

Amelia tried to find the right words while they strolled through the beautifully landscaped backyard. “No. We have passion, but there is also peace. I don’t know if this will make sense, Louisa, but my entire life has been very chaotic and being with Geoff just makes me happy.”

Louisa squeezed her hand. “That makes perfect sense, darling. I think that is exactly as it should be.”

“I’m so glad you think so,” Amelia said, relieved.

Louisa stopped walking. “I need some advice and you might be the only woman I know who can understand this situation. I’ve been asked to do an interview with a fashion magazine, along with the two other mistresses of Malcolm’s. They want to do a fashion retrospective and talk about how we are all uniquely different. I’ve always avoided things like that, but I think using the media now to show that I’m not a victim might be a good idea.”

Amelia wasn’t sure what to say. “I’ve always thought of the media as working for me. I try to get them to picture me the way I want them to. If I were you, I’d do it, but I’d do it on my own terms.”

Louisa nodded. “I have been thinking I should do it because I believe I’m the only holdout. They’d probably paint me in a very unflattering light.”

Amelia shook her head. “How could anyone do that to you? Everyone knows how much work you do with charities, and how you took your deceased husband’s fortune and used it to fund an organization that helps unwed mothers.”

She flushed. “That’s only money. I have a lot of that, and a lot of time to give.”

Before she could say anything else, Paul, Caro and Gemma walked into the backyard. Paul had a football in his hands and the girls were both laughing at something he’d said. Robert and Geoff were right behind them, carrying trays of food and drinks.

“Want to play a game of kick around?” Paul asked.
“Louisa, Caro told me you taught her to play when she was little.”

“I did indeed. I taught Geoff and Gemma as well. I was an accomplished player when I was younger.”

“After we eat, you can show us if you still have it, Mum,” Gemma said.

Everyone worked together to get the meal ready and they had nice luncheon. Then it was time for “kick around,” as Paul called it. Amelia wasn’t very athletic, something that everyone noticed the first time she tried to kick the ball and missed.

Geoff came over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “Do you need some lessons?”

“Yes,” she said. “I’m afraid soccer isn’t my sport.”

“Maybe that’s the problem, you Yank. We call it football over here.”

He put his hands on her waist and bent his legs behind hers, pulling her fully against him. She forgot all about the ball. Geoff was saying something to her, but all she could think about was how good he felt.

“Ready?” he asked.

She shook her head.

He tipped her head back and kissed her quick. “Just try to keep your body limber.”