take to make her presentable.
When her first two sisters began to focus on their new husbands instead of royal duties, Phillipa had plunged herself into graduate studies to avoid being in the public eye. Her sister Bridget had seen through her plan and it had clearly irritated her, although Bridget had bucked up and done a fantastic job. The trouble now was that Bridget was determined to get a break and she had earned it. Phillipa cringed at the prospect of all the public appearances she would be forced to make.
“I’ll be damned,” a familiar male voice said, making her eyes pop open. “If it isn’t the missing Her Highness Phillipa of Chantaine.”
Phillipa stared into the dark gaze of Nic Lafitte and her lungs seemed to completely shut down. “I didn’t know you would be here.”
His mouth twisted in a half smile. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” he asked and slipped his hand around her arm. “Lucky for both of us that I am. We have unfinished business. You’re coming with me. I can have my car delivered in seconds.”
Her heart pounded. “I can’t. My sisters expect me back for the rest of the event. They’ll call the authorities if I go missing,” she said.
“It wouldn’t be the first time your family has tried to get me in trouble with the law.” He glanced around and tugged her down the hallway. “If you won’t leave with me, then I’ll take my moment somewhere else.”
“Where are you taking me?” she asked. “This is crazy. I need to go back to my table. I need—” She broke off as he pushed open the door to a room marked Coat Closet and dragged her inside.
He pulled her to the back of the small room and gently, but firmly gripped her shoulders. “Tell me what you really need, Pippa. What do you really want?” he asked her in that dark, sexy voice that made her feel as if she were turning upside down.
A half-dozen images from the stolen moments they’d shared shot through her brain. The time they’d gone swimming at night. The afternoon she’d spent on his yacht. The walk they’d taken on the opposite side of the island when she’d learned so much about him and he’d made it so easy for her to talk about herself. Despite the bad blood between her family and his, Phillipa had never felt so drawn to another man in her life.
He lowered his head, holding her gaze until his mouth took hers. His kiss set off a riot of reaction and emotion inside her. He made her feel alive and out of control. She pulled back and whispered. “This is insane. It will never work. That’s what I tried to tell you before.”
“Why not?” he challenged her. Nic was always challenging her. Sometimes gently, sometimes with more strength. “If I want you and you want me, what is most important?”
Pippa bit her lip and struggled to remain rational. Members of her family had caused a lot of trouble by giving in to their emotions. She didn’t want the same kind of trouble. “Want is a temporary emotion. There are more important things than temporary emotions.”
“If that’s true, why did you kiss me back? Why are you here with me right now?”
Pippa heard a gasp from the doorway and terror rushed through her. “Someone is here,” she said. “We’ve got to get out of here,” she said, stumbling toward the door. Nic helped to steady her as they stepped outside the closet.
Her sisters Bridget and Tina greeted them with furious disapproval stamped on their faces. Pippa inwardly cringed.
“Get away from my sister,” Bridget said.
“That’s for her to say, not you,” Nic said.
“You’re just using her,” Tina said. “You only want her because she can redeem your terrible family name.”
“Not everyone finds my family name reprehensible. Some even respect it,” he said.
“That’s respect you’ve bought with money,” Tina said. “Leave Phillipa alone. You can never be good enough for her. If you have any compassion, you’ll at least protect her reputation by leaving now.”
Nic tightened his jaw. “I’ll leave, but Phillipa will make the ultimate decision about the future of our relationship.” He glanced behind him and met Phillipa’s shocked, pale face. “Ciao, darling. Call me when you get some courage. Some things are meant to be,” he said and strode away.
Chapter One
Seven Months Later
She’d started running for exercise. That was what Pippa told her security detail anyway. She knew the truth. She was running from memories. Memories and the possibility that there was only one man for her and he was the one man she couldn’t have.
“Stop it,” she told herself, staring at the empty beach in front of her. Azure waves dappled onto white sands. By noon, there would be quite a few more bodies enjoying the beach. At six in the morning, however, she was the only one around. She debated turning on some music via her smartphone. She usually welcomed the noise, hoping it would drown out some of her thoughts. Today, she was searching for a little peace. Maybe the sound of the waves would help, she thought, and started out.
One foot in front of the other, she ran for two minutes, then walked for three. It was called interval training and the different paces suited her. Pippa had never been athletic. From the time she’d learned to read, she’d always been happiest with her nose stuck in a book. Her nanny had been relieved because her brothers and most of her sisters had been more demanding in one way or another.
Running again, she inhaled the scent of the salt air. The humidity was low today and she could feel the moisture on her skin begin to evaporate. Slowing after three minutes of running, she took a swig of her water and trudged onward.
Along the shore, in the distance, she spotted a long figure walking. She would wave and be friendly. Pippa was a royal and Chantaine royals were not allowed to be snooty. Other runners might be able to put their blinders and zip past everyone in their path, but not a Devereaux.
As she drew closer, she saw that the figure was that of a woman. Short white hair crowned her head, and a sundress that resembled a nightgown covered her petite frame.
Pippa nodded. “Good morning,” she said.
The woman looked away and stumbled.
Curious, Pippa vacillated as to whether to approach her. Perhaps she was longing for solitude just as Pippa was. The woman stumbled again and Pippa felt a twist of concern. She walked toward the woman. “Pardon me, may I help you?”
The woman shook her head. “No, no. I’m fine. It’s so beautiful here,” she said in a lilting voice that contrasted with the lines on her face and the frailness of her frame.
Something about her seemed familiar, but Pippa couldn’t quite identify it. The woman stumbled again, and Pippa’s concern grew. Was she ill?
“Yes, the beach is lovely. Are you sure I can’t help you? I could walk you back to where you started,” she said. “Or perhaps you would like some water.”
The woman’s face crumpled. “No, no. Please don’t make me go back. Please don’t—” She broke off and collapsed right in front of Pippa.
