The Prince's Second Chance Read online

  On closer inspection, she realized that there were some subtle signs of the passing of time: a few strands of gray near his temples, laugh lines fanning out from his eyes, but certainly nothing that detracted from his overall appearance.

  His shoulders seemed just as broad as she remembered; his body appeared as hard and lean. He’d always known who he was, what he wanted, and he’d never let anything—or anyone—stand in his way. He was as outrageously sexy and devilishly handsome as ever, and she’d never stood a chance.

  “Do you think we could speak privately in your office?” Cameron asked her, his tone as casual as his posture—and in complete contradiction to the anger that she saw glinting in the depths of those hazel eyes.

  Gabriella lifted her chin. “I don’t have an office, I have a cubicle. Not all of us are handed cushy jobs with—”

  “You can use mine,” Alli interrupted hastily, shooting daggers at Gabriella as she moved past her on the way to the door. “I have to get to a meeting with the marketing director, anyway.”

  “Thank you,” Cameron said, inclining his head toward her.

  Gabriella had no intention of thanking her boss. She was feeling anything but grateful at the prospect of being stuck in Allison’s tiny little office with a man who had always made her feel overwhelmed in his presence. But she squared her shoulders, reminded herself that she wasn’t seventeen years old anymore, and faced him defiantly.

  In the more than sixteen years that had passed since he’d dated Gabriella Vasquez, Cameron hadn’t forgotten about her, but many of the details had faded from his mind. Facing her now, those details came flooding back, washing over him in a powerful wave that left his head struggling to stay above water.

  When they’d first met, her hair was a tumbling mass of curls that fell to the middle of her back. Now, the sexy sun-streaked dark tresses grazed her shoulders and the shorter style drew attention to her face, to the dusky gold skin, cocoa-colored eyes, long, inky lashes, and soft, full lips that promised a taste of heaven.

  His gaze drifted lower. From her full, round breasts to a narrow waist and the subtle flare of slim hips and down long, lean legs. His hands ached to trace the familiar contours as they’d done so many years before, and he had to curl his fingers into his palms to resist the urge to reach for her.

  But even more than her physical attributes, what had attracted him was that she had spirit and spunk—even when she knew she was outgunned, she didn’t surrender. From the first time they met, she’d been a challenge—and an incredible pleasure. He pushed aside the memory, firmly slammed the door on the past.

  “Sixteen years is a long time to hold a grudge, wouldn’t you agree?” he asked her.

  “I would,” she said easily. “And while I realize you may find this difficult to believe, the page twelve article wasn’t about you.”

  He snorted, confirming his disbelief.

  “The ‘Around Town’ section of the newspaper covers celebrity sightings and rumors. I saw you at the club with Princess Leticia and it seemed obvious to me that royalty hooking up with royalty would make some pretty good headlines.”

  “So it was just about selling papers?”

  “That’s my job,” she said pleasantly.

  “Why don’t I believe you?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve been writing an advice column for La Noticia for twelve years—my editor could confirm that fact, but you scared her away.”

  He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth, but refused to give into it. “Maybe because your editor has more sense than you do.”

  “Maybe,” she agreed.

  “You don’t think I could have you fired?” he challenged softly.

  Her eyes flashed, but her tone remained even when she responded. “I’m sure you could, but then I would have to sue for unlawful termination and all the gory details would be revealed, putting far too much importance on one little article.”

  His gaze narrowed. “That ‘one little article’ may result in the King of Ardena walking away from a trade agreement that has been in place for more than fifty years.”

  “That would be unfortunate,” she said, “but hardly my fault.”

  “You implied that I seduced his daughter.”

  “Did you?” She held up her hands. “Sorry. Forget I asked. I don’t want to know and it’s none of my business.”

  He gritted his teeth, but before he could respond, the ring of a cell phone intruded.

  “Excuse me,” she said, turning away from him to check the display on the slim instrument he hadn’t realized was in her hand. Frowning, she connected the call. “Sierra?”

  He couldn’t hear what the caller was saying, but judging by the way Gabriella’s face paled, the news was not good.

  He was more than a little annoyed with her, irritated by her easy dismissal of him, and furious about the headlines she’d manufactured. So why did seeing the obvious distress on her face bother him? Why did he wish she would turn to him rather than turn away?

  Gabriella’s hands were unsteady as she closed the phone. The call had obviously shaken her, but when she turned back to him again, her face was carefully composed.

  “As fascinating as this conversation has been,” she said lightly, “I have to go.”

  “We’re not done here, Gabriella.”

  She lifted her chin in a gesture that intrigued him as much as it irked him. “If you have any other concerns about the job I’m doing, take them up with my editor.”

  He let her brush past him and head out the door, and he tried to ignore the regret that gnawed at his belly.

  There was no point in wishing that he’d handled things differently sixteen years earlier, no point in wondering where they might be now if he had. He’d been given more than enough second chances in his life; he couldn’t expect another one from Gabriella.

  And even if he wasn’t still royally ticked about her creative reporting, she’d made it more than clear that she had no interest in him whatsoever. Not that he was entirely sure he believed her claim. Because if she truly didn’t have any feelings for him, why did she continue to target him in her column? Why had she written a headline that she had to know would get his attention?

  I did my job.

  Her words echoed in his mind and he wondered if it really was as simple as that. Maybe he only wanted to believe that she’d never forgotten about him because he’d never forgotten about her.

  They’d dated for only a few months, and although he’d dated a lot of other women both before and after his brief affair with Gabriella, no one else had ever lingered in his mind the way she had done.

  She’d been both naive and inexperienced—and not at all his type. But there was something about her innocence that tugged at him, something about her purity and sweetness that had thoroughly captivated him.

  She hadn’t been similarly entranced. While a lot of women had wanted to be with him because he was a prince, Gabriella had seemed more intimidated than impressed by his title—and determined to keep him at a distance. But he’d never been the type to take a detour just because someone had set up a roadblock, and that was an aspect of his personality that hadn’t changed in the past sixteen years.

  No, Gabriella, he thought as he followed her path out the door. We’re not even close to being done.

  Chapter Two

  Gabriella was still shaking as she exited through the automatic doors and stepped into the bright sunshine, but she knew it wasn’t Sierra’s phone call alone that was responsible for her distress. Learning that a child was in the hospital would be enough to send any parent into a panic, but hearing her daughter’s voice had reassured Gabriella somewhat. Of course, she wouldn’t be completely reassured until she’d held Sierra in her arms, so she unlocked the door and sank into the driver’s seat, anxious to get to the hospital to do just that.

  She tried to put Cameron Leandres out of her mind as she drove, but her thoughts were torn between worry for her daughter and worry for herself—a
nd the secret she’d been holding on to for sixteen years.

  It was her own fault. She should have realized that there would be repercussions if she continued to taunt him in print. But she’d been so angry with him for so long, and when she’d seen him at the club, up close and personal for the first time in so many years, she’d been overwhelmed by memories and emotions. And then she’d seen him dancing with the young Ardenan princess, and she’d recognized the look on the teenager’s face when she’d gazed up at the prince because she’d once looked at him exactly the same way.

  And for just a little while, Cameron had looked back at Gabriella as if she was the center of his world, and she’d let herself believe that she could be. She’d deluded herself into trusting that he truly cared about her, that she actually mattered to him. She wasn’t the first woman to make that mistake, and she certainly hadn’t been the last, though that knowledge didn’t lessen her heartache in the slightest.

  But that was a long time ago, and she was over him, wholly and completely. And if her heart had done a funny little skip when she’d seen him standing in the doorway of Allison’s office, well, that wasn’t really surprising. He was still an incredibly attractive man and any woman would have responded the same way. In fact, she’d be willing to bet that even Alli’s cynical heart had gone pitter-patter. Not that she was going to question her editor about it. In fact, if she never again heard his name from her friend’s lips, it would be too soon.

  But just as she pulled into the hospital parking lot, her phone beeped to indicate an incoming text message. She drove into a vacant spot and checked the display.

  where r u? r u with the prince? i came back to my office and u both were gone and i picked up some pretty heavy vibes btwn the 2 of u.

  So much for thinking she might be able to avoid the topic, but it was easier to lie to her friend when she didn’t have to look her in the eye. So she texted back:

  I got a call from Sierra. She was in a fender bender with a friend. I’m at the hospital now, will check in with you later.

  Then she tucked the phone in her purse, put both Allison Jenkins and Cameron Leandres out of her mind, and went into the hospital.

  “Sierra Vasquez?” she said to the nurse behind the desk.

  “First room on the right, third curtain on the left.”

  “Thank you.”

  She found her daughter exactly where the nurse had indicated. She looked so small and pale on the narrow hospital cot, the fluorescent yellow cast on her arm a bright contrast to the pale green sheets on the bed. Her heels clicked on the tile floor as she crossed the room, and Sierra’s eyes flicked open.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Hi.” She brushed a dark curl off of her daughter’s forehead and touched her lips to the pale skin there. “You told me you weren’t hurt.”

  “I’m not,” Sierra said. “Not really. And I didn’t want you to freak out.”

  “Do I look like I’m freaking out?”

  Sierra’s lips tilted up at the corners. “I know when you’re freaking out, even when no one else does.”

  “Well, it’s a mother’s prerogative to worry about her child.” She pulled a chair up beside the bed. “How’s Jenna?”

  “Not a scratch. Her mom came and got her already. Mrs. Azzaro wanted to wait to see you, but she had a deposition or something that she had to get back to court for.”

  “I’ll call Luisa tonight,” Gabriella said, and took Sierra’s hand in hers. “So what happened?”

  “A cat ran across the road. Jenna swerved to avoid it and ended up hitting a lamppost.”

  “I didn’t even know Jenna had her license,” she noted.

  “She got it three weeks ago,” Sierra admitted.

  “And her parents let her drive to school?”

  “Probably the first and last time.”

  “Probably,” Gabriella said. “Although I’m sure Don and Luisa are just as relieved as I am that no one was seriously injured.”

  “I wish I could say the same about the car.”

  “Cars can be fixed,” Gabriella said.

  “Speaking of fixed,” Sierra said. “Why are you all fixed up today?”

  Gabriella glanced down at her matching skirt and jacket. She’d always told Sierra that one of the greatest advantages of working from home was being able to work in her pj’s. Not that she usually did so, but she also didn’t dig “the good clothes” out of the back of her closet or torture her feet in three-inch heels except for rare visits to the newspaper offices.

  “I had a meeting with my editor this morning.”

  Her daughter’s brows rose.

  “Don’t ask,” Gabriella told her.

  “I’m sorry if I dragged you away from something important,” Sierra said.

  “Nothing is more important than you.” She put her arm across her daughter’s shoulder, hugged her carefully. “And I don’t think I need to point out that this accident wouldn’t have happened if you’d been at school, where you were supposed to be.”

  “I had a free period, Mom.”

  “During which you’re supposed to do your homework or study.”

  “Jenna wanted to get a new pair of shoes for her date with Kevin tonight and there was a sale…” her explanation trailed off when she caught the look on her mother’s face. “Okay, I won’t leave school property again without getting your permission first.”

  “And to make sure you remember that, you’re grounded for a week.”

  “A week?” Sierra squawked indignantly.

  “Are you angling for two?” Gabriella asked.

  Her daughter sighed. “Okay—a week.”

  Gabriella stood up again. “Now I’m going to find the doctor to get you out of here, then we’ll go rent some movies and spend the night—”

  “You’re not staying home with me tonight, Mom.”

  She frowned. “Why not?”

  “Because Rafe’s flying in for the weekend, and he said he was going to make reservations at L’Atelier.” Sierra frowned at her. “You forgot, didn’t you?”

  “No,” she denied, although not very convincingly. But she hadn’t forgotten so much as she’d pushed the information to the back of her mind, not nearly as excited about Rafe’s plans as her daughter seemed to be.

  “This could be the night,” Sierra continued, “and I’m not going to be the one to screw things up for you.”

  She didn’t need to when Gabriella was perfectly capable of screwing things up entirely on her own, and probably would. But she wasn’t going to think about that now. She wasn’t going to worry about what might or might not happen with the American businessman who had started dropping hints about the future he wanted for them together.

  “Honey, Rafe and I can have dinner another time. I don’t want you to be alone tonight.”

  “Paolo could come over to watch movies with me.”

  Gabriella raised her eyebrows. “And I certainly don’t want you alone with your boyfriend.”

  Sierra rolled her eyes. “I didn’t expect we would be alone— Grandma will be home, won’t she?”

  Still, she hesitated.

  “I only broke my wrist,” Sierra said. “That’s no reason for you to break your plans with Rafe.”

  “Rafe will understand.”

  Sierra sighed. “Mom, he’s going to ask you to marry him tonight.”

  “He didn’t tell you that, did he?”

  “No, but I’m not an idiot. An impromptu visit, dinner at L’Atelier, something important to discuss…”

  No, her daughter definitely wasn’t an idiot. And Gabriella knew she should be pleased that Sierra obviously liked and approved of the man her mother had been dating for the past year and a half. Of course, everyone liked Rafe. He was a wonderful man—handsome and successful and generous and giving, and Gabriella cared for him a great deal. But marriage?

  She was almost thirty-four years old and she’d lost her innocence a long time ago, but she was still relatively naive and inex
perienced. She’d fallen head over heels in love only once, when she was barely seventeen years old, and her life experiences after that had been very different from most other girls her age. She’d survived first love and first heartbreak, but it had taken her a long time to put the pieces of her shattered heart back together.

  While she’d long ago abandoned her girlish dreams of walking down the aisle, she’d believed that her heart was sufficiently mended that she could fall in love again. But as wonderful as Rafe was—and he truly was—something still held her back.

  She refused to let herself think about what that something—or who that someone—might be.

  Cameron didn’t feel like going out. After being ambushed by the underage princess at Club Sapphire the night before, he wanted only to stay home, far away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.

  Maybe he was getting old. Since his thirtieth birthday, more than six years ago, he’d started to think that he wanted more than an endless parade of interchangeable women through his life. Spending time with friends and family members who were happily married had further convinced him that he wanted that same kind of close connection with someone—someday. But it seemed that he could never stay with any one woman long enough to allow that kind of closeness to develop. Or maybe he’d just never met the right woman.

  When Michael’s daughter was born, Cameron had become even more aware of the emptiness of his own life. The realization that he wanted a family wasn’t just unexpected but shocking, considering how screwed up his own family had been.

  His father—Gaetan Leandres—had been a farmer by birth and by trade and he’d been content with his lot in life, at least until he’d had the misfortune of falling in love with a princess. They’d married against, and possibly to spite, her father’s wishes, and they’d had three children together. Cameron believed that Elena had loved her husband, but when Gaetan had died and left her alone, she’d suddenly resented everything that she’d given up to be with him.