“I know you would much prefer to be with Michael and the fact you’re being forced to marry Jack because of me, is a nightmare,” Carl continued, his face tightening again with guilt.
“I love him, Carl.”
“What?”
“I love Jack. I loved him from the moment I first saw him and I would never marry Michael.”
He looked astounded as he took in the quiet, calm words of his sister.
“The only trouble is he doesn’t love me. He believes I knew about your difficulties all along and have manipulated everything to suit. But he still wants to marry me and I’m willing to accept him on any terms so I can be with him.”
Sitting back in his chair, a look of relief swept across Carl’s handsome features. “Well, I’m shocked. I had no idea. I thought you were having a fling with some hunky, Aussie fisherman.”
This time Lara did burst out laughing. “You can’t tell me I don’t know how to pick them,” she giggled. “Bringing home a multi-billionaire to save us all from ruin.”
“Do you think you’ll be happy with him?”
“I don’t know but it won’t be for the lack of trying on my part.”
Carl stood and she could see it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “Trust me, Jack worships you. It’s written all over him,” he said, with a grin.
She stood next to her wayward brother and gave him another hug. “I hope you’re right,” she smiled, touching his cheek in a parting gesture. “And yes, of course I forgive you.”
~ * ~
Jack had to hand it to Lara. Not by even a blink or a gesture did she show her true emotions as later that morning they posed for their official engagement photos in the ballroom of the royal palace.
He knew she had to be miserable because he was the person who had caused it, he decided, as he dutifully moved closer to her where she sat on a high-backed velvet chair in regal splendor.
He still puzzled over the situation he found himself in but the one thing he was sure of was that he wanted Lara as his wife. Even if she didn’t love him. And the way he had lashed into her with his caustic, biting words, he had made sure she didn’t even
like
him. He was still brewing over the fact that she would have preferred to marry Michael. He guessed that most times he would have shrugged his shoulders and walked away. But, after hearing the way Michael had spoken about Lara and the exposure of his cruel streak, there was no way Jack would let her marry that bastard.
It was going to be a rocky road ahead for them and he was deliberately giving her space by returning to Australia for a few weeks. However, if he could swallow the bitterness about her attitude toward him, he was sure their feelings toward each other would gradually change. The fact she was only marrying him to save her family stuck in his gullet like a hard, unmovable stone, and he had to get over it to give their marriage a chance.
He looked down at Lara’s perfectly styled hair and her straight, slender body dressed in an elegantly tailored suit of palest aqua.
You can make up all the excuses you like, mate,
but she is beautiful and you want her for your own.
The thoughts drummed through his brain as at the photographer’s suggestion, he placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Lara, move your hand so we can see your ring.” Obviously, Francesca was coordinating the photo shoot, Jack acknowledged, as Lara obediently turned her hand so the precious antique engagement ring was prominently displayed. Not
his
ring. Francesca had given it to Jack and Lara earlier explaining it was a time-honored tradition that this ring was passed from mother to daughter through the generations. He had made no comment as he’d slipped the heavy ring on Lara’s slender finger and lifted her hand to his lips. Her eyes had been downcast and he hadn’t been able to tell what she’d been thinking.
He wanted to say, “Don’t worry, my love. I’ll buy you a ring of your own soon, very soon.”
“Your Highness, if you could look up at Mr. Lucas now?” The photographer adjusted one of the lights as Lara turned her head to look at Jack. He was instantly struck by the sadness in her eyes and an almost imperceptible quiver of her bottom lip.
“It won’t be long now,” he said quietly, wishing he could hold her in his arms and comfort her.
“I can’t believe this is happening. Am I in the middle of a dream?”
He touched her face, her skin as soft as silk beneath his fingers. “At least you didn’t say it was a nightmare,” he said, his smile warm as his eyes held hers.
“Only because I didn’t think of it in time. Otherwise, I would have.” Her mouth curved into a responding smile. Later Jack would find out that was the moment the photographer took the photo which would be sent around the world—a photo showing a man and a woman supposedly very much in love.
At last the session was over and he indicated to Francesca it was time for him to leave.
“What a pity you are unable to stay for the ball tonight,” Francesca commented as the three of them walked to the main entrance of the palace where his luggage waited to be loaded into the royal car to take him to the airport.
“Your Majesty, I apologize again for having to leave but, as I explained to Lara, I have a great deal of business to conduct before our wedding. From here I fly to Hong Kong and them on to Japan for a series of meetings, before going home.”
He gave a small bow of his head as Johann and Carl joined them, both greeting Jack warmly. Carl was particularly enthusiastic in his greeting as he turned and hugged his sister.
“You will be able to call this palace home in a few weeks,” Lara said pointedly.
He turned to her and only he noticed the cynicism behind her remark. “Your Majesties and Carl, please excuse us while I say goodbye to my fiancée in private,” he said, catching hold of Lara’s arm.
The others smiled indulgently as he led her into one of the side salons and closed the door.
“I haven’t had the chance to fill you in on the rest of the arrangements I made with your parents,” he said, watching her closely as her body tensed.
“And what would that be?”
“In return for my…investment and the fuss of a royal wedding, I negotiated that we honeymoon in Australia and live there for most of the year. We’ll return two or three times a year to Challoner and you’ll have minimal royal duties.”
She frowned. “Thank you, Jack. Thanks for once again consulting me and asking me what I would like.”
“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, sweetheart. Besides, I know how much you love Australia.”
He could see her now familiar look of defiance as she folded her arms across her chest. “Aren’t you worried about leaving me here for all of these weeks? Aren’t you afraid someone like Prince Michael will take advantage of me?”
There was silence as he stared into her stormy green eyes. Would this sensation ever go away? This irrational jealousy at the mention of that creep’s name? He knew she was trying to get to him—stir him up and make him react.
“I’ll be in regular contact, my love,” he said softly, deciding to ignore her last remark. “But, you don’t look at all like a forlorn fiancée who has said a passionate goodbye to her beloved. Come here and we’ll change that.”
She held her hands up in a defensive gesture. “No. No, Jack,” she said, trying to break away.
“Too late, princess,” he murmured, as his hands cradled her face and he lowered his mouth to hers. She pressed her lips tightly together but he stroked them with his tongue until, with a soft sigh of compliance, she allowed him to part them and taste her. He deepened the kiss with a primitive passion, his senses swimming as Lara responded. Her hands grasped his jacket as he kissed her with a hunger he was unable to control.
Drawing away at last, he looked down at her, committing her beauty to his memory for the lonely weeks to come. The delicate flush on her cheeks, the deepening red of her lips rosy from his passion and the glazed, dreamy look in her clear eyes.
His voice wasn’t quite steady as he said, “There, that’s better. Now you look like a woman who has just known her lover’s kiss.”
She smoothed her hair into place as she appeared to struggle with her emotions. “You flatter yourself, Mr. Lucas,” she replied, her defiant attitude in place once more.
Jack opened the door so they could return to the others waiting at the entrance. “By the way, I forgot to mention the last part of the contract with your parents,” he whispered.
“What?”
“To produce an heir as soon as possible. I explained it wouldn’t be a problem.” He gave her a cheeky wink as he placed his arm around her waist and they faced the rest of the family.
Ten
“For heaven’s sake, Lara. You need to lighten up. This is your wedding day.” Jade made a funny face at her in the mirror as she continued to fasten the tiny pearl buttons at the back of Lara’s wedding dress.
“Yeah. What’s not to feel happy about marrying a hunk like Jack?” Kate chimed in as she tweaked a wayward petal in the bridal bouquet.
Lara turned and faced her best friends. “You’re impossible,” she replied, the corners of her mouth twitching with amusement. “If I’d thought you were going to bully me like you have for the past week, I would have picked two robots to be my bridesmaids.”
Jade laughed, her dimples showing attractively in her pretty face. “Well, Princess Lalla,” she said, using their pet name for Lara, “robots we ain’t, so let’s get this show on the road.”
She joined in their laughter as Jade and Kate continued to fuss over her. It was wonderful to be together again and she blessed the day she had contacted them when Jack had left eight weeks ago. She had told them everything in absolute confidence, even setting up several three way telephone calls so they could listen and talk together.
Jade and Kate had been, in turn, angry, indignant, sympathetic and, when she asked them to be her bridesmaids, excited. To Lara, it seemed as they had talked over the past few weeks that their attitude had softened toward Jack and her parents.
Jack had returned to Challoner only two days ago in time for rehearsals at the church and an official dinner last night to welcome the many royal and VIP guests arriving from around the world. He had been accompanied by his parents, John and Rebecca Lucas, and his two close friends, Mike and Joe, who were to act as groomsmen, along with Carl.
Things had been so chaotic she had barely been able to acknowledged him, let alone spend any length of time with him or his family and friends. In a way, she was glad because it meant she could remain in this warm cocoon of indifference she had created where no one could reach her. Even when Jack had phoned her every few days over the past weeks, she had managed to remain cool and aloof, leaving most of the talking to him. She had wanted to ask him whether he was enjoying a final fling with some woman, but couldn’t bring herself to stoop that low.
When Jade and Kate had arrived a week ago full of laughter and excitement, they had tried to jolt her from her hiding place and as her wedding day rushed toward her, she had been forced to face the reality of what her future might hold.
“I hope I meet someone as gorgeous
and
as rich as Jack,” Kate said in all seriousness, flicking back her red curly hair as she bent to check Lara’s earrings were in place.
“Doesn’t a prince own the winery where you work, Kate?” Lara tried to take her mind off the thousand or so butterflies flapping in her stomach as she asked the question.
“Yes, but he lives in France and we never see him in Australia,” she moaned.
“Well, what about me? When I go back I’m going to put in for a job at my dad’s old property in the Outback and I hear this bloke who’s bought it is as rough and tough as they come.” Jade gave a louder moan.