he could think about something other than her in his bed. “Cat.”
“Cat is the kitten’s name?”
“Yes.”
Julianna drew her delicately arched eyebrows together. Her pretty pink mouth opened then closed, as if she thought better of what she wanted to say.
“What?” he asked.
“It’s nothing.”
Alejandro recognized the look in her eyes. “Tell me.”
Julianna hesitated. “You’re doing me a favor taking me sailing. I shouldn’t criticize.”
He’d been criticized his entire life by his father and by his brother. He never could live up to what the people wanted him to be, either. The bane of being the spare. Nothing he did was ever good enough. Alejandro had grown immune to the put-downs. “I want to know.”
“You might get mad.”
He didn’t want her to be afraid of him. “Enrique might get a little heated at times. You don’t have to worry about that with me.”
She squared her shoulders, as if preparing for battle. A one-hundred-eighty-degree difference from her sobbing on the beach last night. “Cat isn’t a proper name for a pet.”
That was what this was all about. Alejandro almost laughed. He thought it was something serious. “Cat doesn’t seem to mind the name.”
“That’s because he loves you.”
The warmth in her voice wrapped around Alejandro like a soft, fluffy towel. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had made him feel so good. But he knew better. The feeling was as fleeting as the love she spoke about. “Love has nothing to do with it. He’s a cat. He comes because he’s hungry.”
“He’d come no matter what you call him,” she continued.
“Cat isn’t a child.”
“No, he’s your pet.”
Children and a family weren’t something he’d considered before. Saying he had a pet was pushing the level of commitment he was comfortable with. Love and commitment didn’t last so why bother? His mother had claimed to love him. But she’d abandoned him to a father who disapproved of him and a brother who antagonized him. Alejandro rocked back on his heels. “Cat’s a stray.”
“Living in a palace.”
Her voice teased. Okay, she had a point. “If I give the cat a proper name, I’ll have to keep him.”
She pursed her lips. “Do you plan on releasing him when he gets bigger?”
Alejandro fought the urge to squirm under her scrutiny. He hadn’t done anything wrong or irresponsible. At least not yet. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. But cats take off when they get tired of you.”
She peered around him and motioned to the sock tied in a knot, piece of rope and empty boxes strewn across the floor. “You’re going to need to buy a suitcase when he goes so he can take his toys with him.”
“I just had that stuff lying around.” Alejandro shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll probably keep him. At the boatyard when he gets older,” he clarified.
“Then you might as well come up with a more original name for him.”
“He’s a cat. The name fits.”
“True, but look at his green eyes. His handsome face. The white boots on his paws.” She held the kitten up as if he were a rare treasure. “He is so much more than a generic cat.”
Alejandro laughed, enchanted by her tenacity. “If you ever get tired of being a princess, you should become a trial lawyer.”
She scrunched her nose. “I’ve never considered such a career, but I would be happy to provide more evidence for changing the kitten’s name.”
“For someone who wants me to take them sailing,” he lowered his voice, “you’re not very agreeable.”
Her eyes widened. Her complexion paled. “Oh, I’m—”
“Kidding.” Alejandro didn’t think she would take him seriously. But he could make it up to her. He thought about her description of the kitten. One word popped out at him. “Boots.”
A line creased above her nose. “Excuse me?”
“Cat’s name is now Boots. Satisfied?”
“Very.” She smiled, visibly relieved. “Thank you.”
Pleasing her felt better than it should. Just trying to make her happy so she’d want to marry Enrique.
Yeah, right. Alejandro leaned against the doorjamb. “It’s the least I could do after the way you argued for his rights. Perhaps you should do the same for your own. And your countrywomen.”
Her smile disappeared. So did the light from her eyes. He didn’t like the change in her.
“I would if I could, but that’s not the kind of princess Aliestle or your brother wants.” She touched one of the kitten’s small paws. Her expression softened. “The least I could do was support a fellow underdog.”
“I don’t think Boots would like to be associated with anything having to do with a dog.”
The corners of her mouth slanted upward. “You’re probably right about that.”
Alejandro reached out to pet the kitten. His fingers brushed against the bare skin on Julianna’s arm. Tingles shot outward from the point of contact. He jerked his hand away.
She didn’t seem to notice.
Good. He didn’t want her to know she had an effect on him. “You like cats.”
“I do, but I’ve never had one.” She rubbed the top of the kitten’s head. “My father didn’t want any animals in the palace. He claimed they were too dirty and too much trouble.”
Alejandro hadn’t expected to have anything else in common with her except sailing. “We had a dog growing up, but after she died my father didn’t want another one. He said dogs were too much trouble.”
Julianna eyed him with curiosity. “Yet you have Boots.”
But Alejandro didn’t live in the palace. He doubted his family would want Julianna to know he was here for appearance sake and would be departing after the wedding. “Black sheep, remember?”
“I haven’t forgotten. I hope your reputation means you’re an expert at subterfuge and not getting caught.”
He winked. “You’re in experienced hands, Princess.”
“Excellent.” The sparkle returned to her eyes. She glanced behind her as if to make sure they were still alone. “Have all the arrangements been made?”
