[Montacroix Royal Family Series 02] - The Prince & the Showgirl (25 page)

BOOK: [Montacroix Royal Family Series 02] - The Prince & the Showgirl
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"Living out a fantasy?"

"No, really."

Burke wondered why he thought this was going to be easy. Biting back a curse, he reached into the leather bag attached to his saddle and pulled out a thick long roll of paper.

"I wanted to bring you this, for one thing."

She bent down and took the papers. "Blueprints?"

"For the new theater that's being built on the banks of Lake Losange," he informed her. "In fact, I would have been here sooner, but I've been tied up with architects trying to get the place designed before the end of your tour. Congratulations, by the way, on retiring your father's debt."

"We came in five hundred thousand short," she allowed. "But for some reason…"

Her voice drifted off as comprehension dawned. Sabrina was tempted to look above her head for the glowing light bulb. "If you paid that money—"

"I would never do such a thing without asking your permission first," Burke interrupted.

The needle on that internal lie detector, which had gotten such a workout during her marriage, was practically going off the chart. "But you did do something."

"All right." Burke shrugged his armor-clad shoulders. "As it turned out, your government wanted very much to negotiate a banking treaty with Montacroix. When I explained that I was uncomfortable signing my name to a joint accord with a government who seems unable to reach a compromise with its own citizens, the IRS came to the belated, but wise conclusion that the penalties assessed on your father's estate were mistakenly extreme."

It was the same thing Dixie's new accountant had told them in the beginning. Unfortunately the IRS had remained firm and the accountant, while a partner in a nationwide firm, had not possessed Burke's clout.

"You mixed private and state business? For me?"

"For your family," Burke corrected. "I have grown quite fond of your sisters and your mother."

"Thank you."

"It was my pleasure." Actually, Burke had rather enjoyed watching those State Department officials coming down so hard on the individuals who'd given Sabrina and her mother and sisters so much unwarranted grief.

"You still haven't looked at the drawings," he reminded her.

Her eyes skimmed over the drawings. The theater had been designed specifically for those small, intimate audiences that had made the Broadway theaters so special. "It looks very nice."

"I was hoping you'd think so. Of course, you're invited to make any changes you want. Look at the name," he suggested.

Her eyes widened. "You named an entire theater after me?"

"Of course. I thought it only appropriate. You are intending to perform for your subjects, aren't you?"

"Burke, we've been through this before—"

"I rather thought," Burke said, deftly cutting off her planned refusal, "that you might like to debut your new play and the theater at the same time."

"My new play?" She tapped the blueprints against her palm. "Don't tell me that you're behind that meeting I have tomorrow!"

She did not, Burke considered, appear pleased. "Actually, I am. Is there a problem?"

"Is there a problem?" Her temper flared. She waved the blueprints at him. "How about the little fact that I was led to believe that I'd been offered that part because of my talent?" And not, Sabrina considered furiously, because she'd been sleeping with a prince.

"The play was written with you in mind," Burke said. "It was also written before you and I met."

Having had one man manipulate her life, Sabrina was not prepared to allow Burke, no matter how much she loved him, do the same.

"Then how do you know about it?"

"The afternoon you and your sisters left Montacroix, the producer called the palace, hoping to talk with you. I took the call and informed him that your plane had already left. Then we had a long talk about you. And his offer. By the end of the conversation, he'd agreed to consider bringing the play to Montacroix."

Burke held out his hands. "Believe me, Sabrina, that was my only involvement in the matter. If you do not wish to debut the play in my country, I would accept your decision."

"Every actor wants to play the palace," she murmured the old theater axiom.

"Does that mean that you agree?"

"I don't know." Sabrina was truly torn. Her heart was screaming
yes! yes
! Her mind was reminding her that nothing had changed.

"Perhaps this will help you make up your mind." Burke reached into the leather bag again and pulled out another paper.

The piece of parchment was rolled and tied with a slim red ribbon. Sabrina scanned the brief lines, then looked up at him with wide and wary, but hopeful eyes.

"The legislature has amended the Montacroix charter," Burke answered her unspoken question. "The male ascendancy clause stands. But an additional clause has been added to the original."

"Allowing for the heir to be adopted," Sabrina whispered, having to push the words past the lump in her throat.

"That's right." Tired of being so close to her without touching, Burke dismounted and leaped onto the stage with a deft grace that reminded Sabrina vaguely of Douglas Fairbanks. He already was wearing the armor; all he needed was a sword to make the image complete.

"Motherhood and fatherhood have very little to do with biology,
chérie
," he insisted quietly. Somberly. He wrapped his strong arms around her. His palms stroked her rigid back, encouraging her to relax. "All that matters is that you and I will love our children." He pressed a kiss against her hair, her temple. "As we love each other."

Finally, because it had been an aeon since he'd touched her, kissed her, Burke lowered his mouth to hers.

Her bones were melting. As was the block of ice she'd encased her heart in twelve long weeks ago. "You seem to have thought of everything," she said breathlessly when the wonderful kiss finally ended.

"Lord, I hope so. Oh, there is one more little thing." With a great deal of reluctance, Burke released her long enough to dig into the front pocket of his slacks.

"You know," Sabrina said, feeling remarkably light-hearted for the first time in months, "you're beginning to look a lot more like Santa Claus than Prince Charming."

Her smile faded from her lips, her mouth went dry as Burke handed her a black velvet box. She opened it, unable to hold in her gasp when she viewed the dazzling ring—a gleaming gray pearl surrounded by a glittering Stardust of flawless diamonds set in brilliant platinum—lying on its bed of royal blue satin.

"Oh, Burke."

"It's made from stones taken from the crown."

She looked up at him, clearly surprised. "Your crown?"

Burke shrugged. "I had them replaced with paste. No one will ever miss them. Besides, the crown is an outdated symbol. I have no intention of wearing it again."

She remembered what he'd said about bringing Montacroix into the twenty-first century and realized that his behavior was in character. But still, to strip his family's royal symbol of its precious stones for her was a major act of faith. And love.

"I couldn't find a ring I felt suited you," Burke explained. "So, I decided to have one made up. One that reminds me of your eyes, after we make love."

He took the ring from its satiny bed. "I love you, Sabrina. More than life itself. And I will love our adopted children every bit as much as my parents have always loved my sisters and me. As much as yours loved you."

His gaze was warm, but to her amazement, Sabrina viewed a hint of something that resembled fear in their swirling dark depths.

"Please don't turn me down again,
chérie
. Because I'm not certain my not inconsiderable ego could withstand another buffeting."

Burke Giraudeau de Montacroix was all Sabrina's fairy-tale dreams come to life. But he was better. Much, much better. Because he was flesh and blood and most importantly, he possessed a very warm, generous and wonderfully loving heart.

"I love you, Burke." She held out her trembling hand, giving him her answer.

When he slipped the ring onto her finger, tears of joy filled her eyes. He kissed her again, a long kiss that rocked her with emotion. Then, before she knew what was happening, he'd swept her up in his arms and she found herself seated across the saddle in front of Burke on the gleaming black stallion.

"I have one more thing to ask," Burke murmured in her ear as they rode off together into the dazzling desert night.

"What's that?" There was no request that she would not willingly grant this man who'd proved to her that happy endings really were possible, after all.

"Do you think we could convince your sisters to sing at our wedding?"

Happier than she'd ever been in her life, Sabrina laughed. "I'd like to see you try and stop them."

Table of Contents

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Unnamed

BOOK: [Montacroix Royal Family Series 02] - The Prince & the Showgirl
12.2Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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