that your car?” he asked as they closed in on a silver-blue compact sitting by the side of the road.
“That’s it,” she admitted.
He pulled up behind it and frowned as he studied the wall of his own property. “This isn’t where you go in,” he noted.
She flashed him a triumphant smile.
“You’re right. This isn’t it.”
She began to gather her things for her great escape, slipping out of the Roadster and reaching for her bag before he had a chance to get out and help her.
“Bye,” she said, not meeting his gaze and turning for her car.
“Hey.” He got out on his side and followed her. “Wait a minute.”
Throwing her bags into the backseat of her car, she turned to look at him, though she was poised to jump behind the wheel and race off.
“What is it?” she asked guardedly.
He stood facing her, his legs wide apart, his hands hooked on the belt of his jeans. For a moment, he seemed lost in the depths of her eyes. Then he shrugged and looked almost bored with it all.
“I think I’ve come up with a way for you to get your precious herb,” he said casually.
Her jaw dropped and her eyes opened wide. “What? How?”
“It’s simple really.”
“You mean you’ll trust me to go alone?”
Darkness flashed across his face.
“No, of course not. I’ve told you, I will not allow you to go there unattended.”
“Unattended?” Her frustration was plain on her face. She obviously felt they were just going around in circles. “But who would be available to go with me?”
He shrugged, his head cocked at a rather arrogant angle. “I’ll do it,” he said.
For just a moment, she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. “What?” she said. But she could tell he meant what he’d said by the look on his face. Joy swept through her. “You!” And then spontaneous happiness catapulted her right up against his chest.
“Oh, thank you, thank you!” she cried, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek again and again. “Thank you so much!”
He laughed softly, holding her loosely, resisting the impulse to take advantage of her giddiness.
“Can we go right now?” she cried, looking as though she could fly all the way on her own.
“Today it’s too late,” he said sensibly. “Come tomorrow.”
“Yes.” She knew he was right. “Yes, I will.”
He stroked her temple with his forefinger, smoothing back the tiny curls that were forming at her hairline. “And when you come tomorrow, you can drive in the front gate.”
She stared at him, clutching his arm. “How am I going to do that?”
“I’ll give you the code.”
That took her breath away. “Why would you do a thing like that?”
His gaze was cool, yet intimate. “Why not? I trust you.” For now, it suited him that she have the code, and that was that. He gave her a quick, quirky smile.
“Besides, I can change the code any time I decide I don’t want you to have it any longer.”
There were tears in her eyes. She’d been so downhearted and now she was so happy. “Why are you being so good to me?” she asked emotionally.
His smile faded. He gazed deeply into her eyes and winced a bit from what he saw there. And then, he told her the truth.
“Because I care about you, too,” he said.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“YOU’VE been to see the prince again.” Susa’s tone was quietly jubilant, as though she’d just won a bet.
Isabella turned and glanced at her sideways. “How did you know?”
Susa smiled and looked superior, mixing gelatin into the whipping cream as a stiffener, preparing for the fabulous desserts she would be concocting that evening. Very casually, she shrugged.
“I know many things.”
Susa was like a member of the family. After Isabella’s mother died, it was Susa she often turned to for those familiar motherly things that she needed. It was Susa who taught her how to act with the customers, how to say, “Please,” and, “Thank you,” and look as if you meant it. When Luca was putting her into jeans and plaid shirts as though she were a little boy, Susa taught her how to wear frilly dresses. She had a lot to thank the woman for. But Susa could be annoying, all the same.
Just like family.
Her silver hair was set in neat curls around her head, augmented by tortoiseshell combs. She looked ageless and infinitely efficient, which was just exactly what she was. Looking at her, Isabella had a flash of appreciation for the woman. Without her, they couldn’t run this restaurant these days. If nothing else, she was completely loyal. And very good at making pastries.
Isabella stared at her for a long moment, then sighed. “Someone told you, didn’t they? Someone who saw me driving up there.”
“Perhaps. Or perhaps I saw it myself.” She threw out a significant look. “I’ve told you before, I have the gift.”
Isabella rolled her eyes, turning back to her garlic press.
“I just want to warn you to be careful,” Susa said after a long pause.”
Isabella nodded. “Everyone is warning me to be careful.”
“You need a warning.” Susa looked up sharply. “You’re reckless. You trust people too much and you get hurt.”
Isabella tried to keep her temper. “I also eat too many sweets and stay up too late watching old movies. We should put up a chart with all my vices on it, so everyone can see.”
It was Susa’s turn to roll her eyes and Isabella bit her lip, regretting that she’d spoken sharply.
But the woman wasn’t chastened. “Just a word to the wise,” she said crisply. “In the first place, stay away from the prince. But if you must go to see him, stay away from water.” She got up from her seat and headed for the washroom.
Isabella stared after her, then jumped up and followed her to the door.
“What are you talking about?” she demanded.
“Oh, nothing.” Susa disappeared into the washroom.
“Susa!”
