The Prince and the Wedding Planner Page 9

  CHAPTER TEN

  TWO LIT CANDLES.

  Two wine glasses.

  And this wasn’t a date?

  Bianca turned a questioning gaze to Leo, finding him sitting closer than she’d anticipated. When his dark, probing gaze met hers, her mouth grew dry. Did he have any idea how his close proximity made her heart pound? What exactly did he have in mind for this evening? Was she going to be dessert?

  “Did you have a question for me?” Leo asked.

  Act professional. Don’t let him see how he gets to me.

  She swallowed, hoping her voice didn’t betray her. “Um, yes, I’m not sure how this is going to work. Are you planning to have input into the wedding? Or are you just looking for an overview?”

  “An overview.”

  Thank goodness. There were already enough people fighting to have their way with the wedding. “Would you like an overview of everything? Or is there a specific area you’re interested in? Such as the disagreements between the queen and the princess?”

  His eyes widened with her last question. “I would be most interested in the differing opinions.”

  Bianca nodded. “Will you make the final decision in those cases?”

  A thoughtful look came over his face. “Am I to take it that you would prefer if I were to take on a more active role?”

  Bianca resisted the urge to shrug her shoulders. Though the prince had taken on a friendly persona with her, she realized their relationship was still grounded in business. And as a professional, she tried to maintain certain standards that left out shrugging.

  She swallowed. “I believe if you were to take on such a role it would help alleviate some of the tension flowing between mother and daughter.”

  He nodded. “Then I will do it. Anything to bring some peace back to the palace.”

  “Great.” She picked up her tablet. Her finger moved over the screen, searching for the photos she’d taken earlier. “The first disagreement is about the setting for the ceremony.”

  The prince sighed.

  Bianca paused and turned to him. “Have you changed your mind about being the deciding voice?”

  “No. Continue.”

  “Your sister is interested in having a small, intimate ceremony. The queen says she has a long list of relatives and dignitaries that must be allowed to attend without insulting anyone. I can see both points of view.”

  Frown lines bracketed his eyes. “I really want my sister to have the wedding of her dreams, but I know there are a lot of influential people that will expect an invitation.”

  “Would you mind if I made a suggestion?”

  “Please do.”

  “What if we were to have the ceremony in the cathedral as your mother wants, but in order to create a cozy intimate ceremony, we can dim the stained-glass windows with curtains and we could use candles to illuminate the aisle and the front of the church. The focus then would be on the happy couple and the wedding party.”

  Prince Leo paused as though considering all sides of the scenario. And then he looked at her. “I like it. Do it.”

  “Your mother might not like it—”

  “Leave her to me. Make the arrangements. Now, what else is there?”

  They went over the guest list, trying to trim it back to the size to fit in the cathedral. The princess and the queen couldn’t agree on who should be cut on the list so the formal invitations could be sent out. Surprisingly, Leo was able to glance down over the list and cut the necessary names.

  “And how about my sister’s dress?”

  Bianca struggled to hide a smile. “She has that under control. No one is to see the dress. It is under lock and key in her suite of rooms. Only her and the dressmaker have access to it.”

  “My mother must be having a fit.”

  “I couldn’t say. But your sister appears quite pleased with her selection. She said it’s a real head turner.”

  “Oh, no. I’m afraid to imagine.”

  “Your mother said she won’t stand for anything inappropriate so she’s having her bridal gown resized for the princess.”

  Leo didn’t bother hiding the fact that he rolled his eyes. “Those two are so stubborn. Should I be worried about my sister’s selection?”

  “I can’t honestly say. I haven’t seen the dress. But your sister seems reasonable to me.”

  “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”

  Now was the time for her to inquire about her compensation for planning the wedding, but how did one ask a prince if he’d followed through with what he’d promised her?

  Hey, did you get a chance to call anyone? Um...do you want me to give you ideas—?

  “It’s my turn.” Leo got up and moved to the desk in the next room, which looked to be his study. He returned with a laptop. “As soon as we came to an agreement, I had my people start on preliminary campaigns for your wedding business.”

  “Wow. You are very efficient.” The words were already out of her mouth by the time she realized she wasn’t talking to just anyone. Heat rushed to her cheeks. Leo was a prince, the crown prince. Soon he would be ruling a nation. Of course, he would be on top of things.

  “I have five different approaches for you to consider.” He acted as though she hadn’t just stuck her shimmery heels in her mouth. It made her like him even more.

  They went over the different themes. First, flowers everywhere. Second, location shots of her family’s estate. Third, following an actual wedding. Fourth, a modern approach with romantic words for art. And last, her as the spokesperson and model.

  The proposal was quite involved, more so than she’d ever imagined. “These are all so impressive. Would you mind if I took the night to consider them all?”

  “Not at all. Take as long as you need.”

  “It won’t take me long. It’s just that the busy day is catching up with me.”

  “Of course. And I have some phone calls to return before I can call it a night.”

  She gathered her things. His fingers brushed over hers as he attempted to help her. His touch was like a jolt of static electricity. The sensation raced up her arm and settled in her chest where her heart beat wildly. She’d never experienced anything like it before.

  She didn’t remember moving to the door, but suddenly she was standing there. When she paused and turned back, Leo was standing right there next to her—closer than two business acquaintances and yet too far away for the perfect ending to an intimate dinner.

  He didn’t say anything.

  She stood perfectly still.

  And then his gaze lowered to her mouth. Was he going to kiss her? Her heart tumbled in her chest. This moment was surreal. She, Bianca Bartolini, standing in a palace with a dashingly handsome prince standing before her. Not only had he prepared her dinner but now he might actually kiss her.

  If this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up. She was quite content to live the rest of her days in this delicious fantasy.

  With her eyes, she willed him to her—like casting a spell over him. She knew it was ridiculous. Of course, it couldn’t work—

  But then he was there. His lips pressing to hers. Her heart suspended its pounding in utter shock. Could this be happening? Was Prince Leo really kissing her?

  But as his lips moved over hers, as his hands wrapped around her waist, as her body was instinctively drawn to his, as her feet felt as though they were floating, she knew that this moment was real. This moment—this kiss—it was something that she would remember for the rest of her life.

  His kiss was gentle at first but as she opened herself up to him, he wanted more and so did she. As the blood warmed in her veins, her responses to him became bolder. A deep moan of ecstasy filled the air. Was that her? Or was it him? In that moment, it didn’t matter. Each was getting lost in this exquisitely sweet moment—

&nbs
p; Knock. Knock.

  They jumped apart.

  Leo looked at her with desire still smoldering in his eyes. He ran a hand over his disheveled hair. Had she done that? Things had certainly moved beyond a simple good-night kiss.

  Her fingers traced over her still-tingling lips. All the while, she couldn’t bear to take her eyes off him.

  He cleared his throat. “I need to get this.”

  She nodded in understanding and then stepped back out of the way of the door. Luckily for her, the door would shield her because she had no doubt that one look at her and whoever was on the other side of the door would know what she’d been up to—getting lost in the steamy kisses of the prince.

  Leo swung the door open. “Oscar, I thought I’d left strict instructions that I wasn’t to be disturbed this evening.”

  Bianca wondered how far he’d anticipated that good-night kiss going. Had it been a sudden flare of passion? Or had it been something he’d been planning, anticipating even?

  The last thought doused the remaining embers of passion as well as the hope that once the door closed, they would pick up where they’d left off.

  “Sir,” Oscar said with a baritone voice, “my apologies. It’s the princess—”

  “Is something wrong with Giselle?”

  “No, sir. It’s just she’s been searching for Miss Bartolini. When she didn’t find her in her room, she started searching for her. And when she couldn’t find her anywhere, she worried that she’d wandered off sightseeing and perhaps had gotten lost.”

  Bianca took a couple steps back. She couldn’t help but smile at the older man’s obvious discomfort of delivering this news to the crown prince. And the frown that covered Leo’s face was cute.

  “She’s not lost,” Leo ground out. “She’s here. We were just finishing our meeting.”

  “Very good, sir. I will let the princess know.”

  “And Oscar?”

  “Yes, sir. No more interruptions.”

  Leo closed the door with a firm thud. Then he turned to her. “I’m sorry about that. Leave it to my sister to jump to farfetched conclusions.”

  “I should go.” Thankfully it was Giselle searching for her, but it could have been the queen. Bianca didn’t have to wonder what the queen would think of her lip-locking with the prince. The queen would have her on the first flight out of Patazonia.

  “You don’t have to.” His eyes pleaded with her. “Not yet.”

  It was so tempting to stay—to find out where that kiss would lead them. But then again, she didn’t have to stay to learn the answer to that question. She already knew if she were to stay that they were going to cross over a line they couldn’t come back from. And that wasn’t something she was ready to do. Not even for a strikingly handsome prince.

  And now she had to leave before the little bit of common sense failed her. Because when she stared into his mesmerizing eyes, like she was doing right now, it was so easy to lose herself.

  She glanced away. She had to stay focused on her job. It was important. Kissing the prince was not on any of her lists. The lists would get her what she wanted—her successful business, her security. She had to focus on her lists and not on how his enchanting kisses could cast the most delightful spell over her.

  “I should be going,” she said, glancing down at her hands.

  “Are you sure I can’t tempt you to stay a little longer? I still have some more of your favorite wine and I have some moonlight I can show you out on the veranda.”

  Did he have to make this so hard? It was as though she had a devil on one shoulder, telling her to live in the moment, and an angel on the other, telling her to march out that door. To say she was torn between her desires and her common sense was an understatement.

  “As tempting as the offer is, if I don’t go to the princess and find out what she needs, I’m pretty certain Oscar will be back. And I feel bad for him—being caught in between you and your sister.”

  “My sister can’t possibly need anything important at this hour. Whatever it is can wait until morning.”

  “With the wedding so close, it might be urgent.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Very well. We will meet again tomorrow evening.”

  Bianca nodded. “As per our agreement.”

  He opened the door for her. She moved past him, leaving a wide berth between them.

  “Good night,” she said.

  “Till tomorrow.”

  His words sent a wave of excitement fluttering through her chest. Was that some sort of promise of more delicious kisses to come?

  She kept moving down the hallway, not trusting herself to slow down and have one last backward glance. Because she’d been listening for the door to close behind her and it hadn’t. Leo was standing there, watching her walk away.

  It wasn’t until she turned the corner that she stopped for a moment to gather herself. Had that really happened? She touched a finger to her well-kissed lips. Oh, yes, it had.

  The moment though sweet and spicy must be a thing of the past. It was a memory she would hold dear. But now that she could once again think straight, she knew the knock had been her saving grace. Because to have a fling with the prince was to risk her entire future, which had enough uncertainty already. It was best that it ended here.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  HE’D BARELY SLEPT.

  And he had no appetite.

  In the two weeks since that earth-shifting kiss, Leo had taken every precaution not to be alone with Bianca. What was wrong with him? He’d never had a woman get under his skin the way Bianca had done. When he was around her, he longed to pull her into his embrace.

  And that’s exactly why they didn’t dine alone again. They’d had their business dinners in the village a few nights, another night he’d invited Giselle and William to accompany them. Yet another night they’d had a working dinner with Sylvie. He’d even considered dining with his mother just so they wouldn’t be alone, but he wasn’t quite that desperate—yet.

  Now, he sat alone in his office with two stacks of paper in front of him. They were the bios of candidates for his future wife. He’d been through the pages countless times. With his sister’s wedding now only four weeks away, he had to get serious about his search. With a large portion of bios cast into the not-a-chance pile, it was time to meet the remaining women face-to-face.

  A frown pulled at his lips. Why had he agreed to this? Oh, yes, so his mother would go along with his plan to let Bianca coordinate his sister’s wedding. And now he had to hold up his end of the agreement.

  The task left a sour feeling in the pit of his stomach. No wonder he’d skipped breakfast. Who could eat when they had to pick a marriage partner from a stack of biographies of strangers? Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Some of the women he’d met on formal occasions. However, he hadn’t dated any of them. He knew if he were ever to indicate a liking for someone his mother deemed appropriate, he would be formally engaged by the end of the day.

  Maybe that would have been better than sitting here playing Russian roulette with his future. But there was something he’d rather be doing. He’d rather see how the wedding plans were progressing. Judging by the glance he’d had at dinner of Bianca’s to-do list, she was hard at work.

  He’d never met a person who ran their life by lists. He wouldn’t be surprised if Bianca had lists for her lists. He had a lot of things to do as the next King of Patazonia, but even he left room for the unexpected—for a chance to enjoy life. He wondered if Bianca ever let herself enjoy spontaneous moments.

  “Sir, your lunch date is here,” Oscar said, standing in the open doorway of his office.

  He checked the time. She was a half hour early. Normally he appreciated a visitor being prompt, even a few minutes early, but thirty minutes early. That was too much.

  “Please tell Miss Ferrara that I�
��ll be with her shortly. I have a few things I must finish up.”

  “Very well, sir.” Oscar nodded and then backed into the hallway and walked away.

  He liked Oscar. The older man was very good about keeping his thoughts to himself, unless Leo pushed for an answer. Other than that, the man did what was asked of him without causing any problems. The queen could take a few lessons from him.

  “What are you doing in here?” came a familiar voice from the hallway.

  He glanced up as his mother strode into his office. She didn’t smile, but then again, she rarely smiled so that wasn’t unusual. But by the etched lines across her forehead, she did have something on her mind.

  “Mother, this is where I work.”

  “But you have a guest.”

  He arched a brow. “How would you know?”

  She sighed. “Leopold, I thought you’d realized I know everything that goes on within these palace walls. Just like I know you’ve been spending far too much time with that...that person.”

  “I believe you mean with the wedding planner. And her name is—”

  “I know what her name is. My question is what are you doing having intimate dinners with her?”

  Leo refused to let his mother see that her question had poked him the wrong way. He met her gaze straight on. “They aren’t intimate.” Not anymore. “They are working dinners. Every evening, she dines with me and gives me a status report on the plans for the wedding.”

  His mother crossed her arms. “You expect me to believe you’re really that interested in your sister’s wedding? It’s just an excuse to spend more time with that woman.”

  “Bianca is her name. And I’d appreciate you using her name instead of calling her that woman—”

  “See, I was right. She’s here because you’re interested in her.”

  “She’s here because you won’t let Giselle have a hand in planning her own wedding and I don’t have the patience nor the time to babysit the two of you.”

  His mother huffed. “Well, your dinner tonight will have to be cancelled.”