The Park's Empire: Handsome Strangers...: The Prince's Bride

Jane looked doubtful. Natalie fairly bounced with excitement.

“I want to apply for a promotion to Jane’s assistant—even if it only lasts through the wedding. I’ll never have another chance to attend a royal wedding.”

Emily smiled at the younger woman’s enthusiasm. “If we really do plan this wedding, Natalie, I promise you can go with us.”

Natalie beamed with delight.

“So,” Jane said, “who’s the lucky woman? Who is he marrying? She’ll be a princess, and someday, the queen, right?”

“I don’t know who he’s marrying.” Emily suddenly realized that Lazhar hadn’t offered the information and she’d failed to ask. It wasn’t like her to miss such a vital piece of data. “I’m having dinner with him tonight…I’ll ask him the name of his fiancée, among other things.”

“You’re having dinner with him?” Natalie’s eyes widened.

“It’s strictly business, Natalie,” Emily said firmly. “He had an appointment and had to cut our discussion short so I…”

“Hello? Hello, is anyone here?”

The rich, throaty tones floated into the office.

“Yikes.” Natalie hurried for the doorway. “That must be Katherine Powell!”

Jane and Emily exchanged a wry glance.

“She does love celebrities, doesn’t she?” Jane said.

“Yes, she does,” Emily chuckled with affection. “I think that’s ninety percent of the reason that she works here.”

“I can’t wait to hear all the details—call me after you talk to the prince tonight, okay?”

“I will,” Emily promised, then stood as Natalie ushered a stunningly beautiful woman into the room. “Good afternoon, Katherine.”

Lazhar didn’t have another appointment. But he wanted Emily to join him that evening and finishing their discussion seemed the easiest way to convince her. After meeting her, he was even more determined to marry her. He needed a wife; she wanted a husband and children. They’d both get what they wanted.

After talking with Emily in person, however, he was even more sure that she wouldn’t marry him to further her father’s business plans. Emily Parks was beautiful, with golden-brown hair, bright green eyes, smooth tanned skin that his fingers itched to touch, and dimples that flashed when she smiled. The fitted scarlet suit and high heels made the most of her slim figure and long legs and conveyed the image of an upwardly mobile businesswoman. But Lazhar saw a well-concealed vulnerability and wariness beneath her smooth, sophisticated exterior. If he hadn’t overheard her conversation with the housekeeper at the Parks’s estate, he might have missed it and accepted the surface image. But the yearning in her voice when she spoke with the housekeeper about a family and children made it impossible for him to see only her sleek, lovely exterior.

After meeting Emily, he was convinced she was the woman he wanted for his bride. Now, all he had to do was convince Emily.

Chapter Two

This is just a business dinner, Emily told herself that evening as she turned in front of the mirror to check the back of her dress. There’s no reason for me to be nervous. The simple cocktail dress was a Vera Wang design, the off-the-shoulder black silk tasteful and perfect for a business dinner with royalty. Not that she’d ever had dinner with a prince before, she thought, refusing to consider that the butterflies fluttering in her midsection might be caused by Lazhar’s handsome face and charming smile and not by his royal status.

She smoothed a hand over her hair, noting absentmindedly that it brushed against her shoulders; she made a mental note to call her hairdresser and schedule an appointment to have the thick fall trimmed a quarter of an inch. One last inspecting glance assured her that she was as ready as she’d ever be. She turned away from the mirror, picked up a tiny black handbag and left the bedroom.

The doorbell rang just as she entered the living room and she glanced at the antique French clock on the mantelpiece.

Seven o’clock. Not only is he royal, he’s also punctual.

She pulled open the door and although she’d thought she was prepared to see him, still her breath hitched and she found herself staring helplessly at the man outside her entry. He took her breath away. In the hours since she’d seen him at the office, she’d managed to convince herself that he couldn’t have been as heart-stoppingly handsome as she’d first thought. But she’d lied to herself, she realized as she met his gaze. He really was as sinfully sexy as she’d remembered.

“Good evening.”

His gaze swept her from the crown of her head to her toes, making the return journey just as swiftly, his mouth curving in a smile. “Good evening. Ready to go?”

“Yes.” Emily stepped across the threshold and pulled the door closed behind her.

He moved back, falling into step beside her as she walked toward the elevators.

“Do you like living here?” he asked, his tone curious as he surveyed the hallway while they waited for the lift.

“Yes, very much.” Emily’s gaze followed his, moving over the red and cream floral carpet, the pale green walls with their gold-framed prints, and the matching discreet name and numbers beside the six doors that opened off the short hallway. “I love living in the center of the city and though the building is older, it’s well-maintained and secure.”

“Ah. And security is important in San Francisco,” he commented as the elevator pinged and the doors opened.

“I suppose it’s important everywhere, don’t you think?”

“Yes.” His voice turned grim. “Very important.”

He took her arm and ushered her into the lift, his body briefly brushing hers as he leaned past her to push the button for the lobby floor. The faint scent of soap and aftershave reached her, the slightly rough texture of his suit jacket teasing the bare skin of her arm. Although he was impeccably polite and made no overt moves, she felt crowded by him and too aware of his much bigger body. He was so blatantly male that he made her feel overwhelmingly feminine. She couldn’t recall any other man of her acquaintance eliciting such a strong response.

“Does Daniz have a crime problem?” Emily asked, determined to conceal her reaction. She vividly remembered the photos she’d seen in a travel brochure of the small kingdom on the Mediterranean Sea. Tucked between the eastern border of Spain on one side and France’s southern edge on the other, Daniz’s sun-drenched beaches were adored by tourists and its fabled Jewel Market was equally revered by the gem industry. Crime didn’t seem a part of that fairy tale picture.

“I suspect every country in the world has a problem with crime, some more so than others.” Lazhar’s deep voice sent a slow shiver up Emily’s spine. “Daniz’s crime rate has never been high when compared to many countries but there’s always room for improvement. We’ve increased the police force and taken an aggressive proactive approach over the last few years and the result has been a decrease in all types of crime.”

“Is this part of your plan for national security?” He raised an eyebrow in inquiry and Emily smiled. “I confess I did some online research this afternoon in an effort to learn a bit more about your country before we talked this evening. Part of what I learned is that you were appointed to lead the Daniz National Security Forces five years ago.”

“Ah.” His mouth quirked. “I hope you only visited the official Daniz Web site and not the sites featuring gossip from the tabloids.”

Emily laughed. “I did visit the Daniz government site, but I also read a few very interesting tidbits at a site called Secrets of the Royal Families of Europe.”

Lazhar groaned and shook his head. “I’m afraid to ask what you learned there. I hope you didn’t believe anything you read.”

“Most of it sounded like pure fiction. Unless—” she looked at him with interest “—you really did fly across the Mediterranean on a hangglider to spend the night with a harem dancer?” The swift expression of horror that flitted across his face made her laugh. “No?”

“Absolutely not.” His deep voice held disgust.

“Pity.” Emily sighed, watching him through the screen of her lashes. “I thought perhaps she was your fiancée.”

“No, definitely not.”

The elevator reached the lobby, the doors opening with silent efficiency. Two muscular men in dark suits stood sentry at the door to the street; they snapped to attention, one of them speaking into a small two-way radio as Lazhar took Emily’s arm and they exited the elevator. They crossed the black and white marble floor and one of the guards opened the door while the other fell discreetly into step behind them. Outside, another black-clad, burly man held the door of a long black limousine open wide. Emily was about to enter the limo when someone called her name.

She paused and glanced down the street. “Hello.” A smile lit her face. Her brother Cade was striding toward them along the sidewalk. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m picking up Stacy—she’s visiting Anabeth.”

“Oh, I wish I’d known she was near, I would have stopped in for a hug.” Emily adored Cade’s five-year-old daughter; the precocious little girl shared Emily’s love of shopping and they’d formed a mutual admiration society of two. Stacy’s friend Anabeth lived in the next apartment building and the two often shared playdates.

“I’ll call you the next time I bring her over, I promise.” Cade nodded at Lazhar and held out his hand. “Lazhar, it’s good to see you. I didn’t know you were in town.”