Santina's Scandalous Princess(16)

‘As a matter of fact, yes. The island's race course.'

‘We're going to a race?'

‘A horse race, yes, although admittedly not a hugely important one. I  think it's a qualifying race for the derby later this year. But since  you seem to be a betting man … '

‘I see. And what should we bet on this time, do you think?'

Natalia titled her head, gave him a playful smile. ‘We're betting?'

‘Of course, Princess. It's no fun if you don't bet. I don't want to win money.'

Her heart was beating so hard and fast she felt it like thunder in her  ears. Attempting insouciance was proving harder and harder. ‘So what  would you like to bet on, then?' she finally asked when she trusted her  voice, if not herself. This man was dangerous. And she was dangerous  when she was with him. She had no idea what she might give into.

‘We'll just have to see,' Ben murmured, and followed her directions to  the other side of the island and Santa Maria's race course.

The royal box overlooking the course was empty save for them; since it  wasn't a major race her parents and siblings had found other things to  occupy them. Natalia slid into her seat and glanced at the line-up of  horses racing. ‘Apparently,' she told Ben, ‘Autumn Nights is the  favourite.'

Ben lounged in his seat, flicking through the program with long, lean fingers. ‘Then we can't bet on that one.'

‘Why not?'

He gave her a lazy smile. ‘Neither of us is a sure thing, Princess.'

Natalia glanced down at the program, willed herself not to flush. She  had a feeling Ben was not talking about horses. ‘Evening Star is  considered the underdog,' she said. ‘It's his first race. I'll bet on  him.'

‘To win?'

She nodded. ‘And what about you?'

He flicked another glance at the line-up. ‘Wild Wishes.'

She had a few of those. Swallowing, Natalia said, ‘We still haven't decided just what we're betting on.'

‘Well,' Ben said, his voice dropping to a husky murmur, ‘I think we should make it interesting.'

She shifted in her seat. ‘How interesting?'                      
      
          



      

‘If Evening Star wins, you get to kiss me.'

Desire ran through her like a trail of dynamite, exploding inside of her. ‘And if Wild Wishes wins?'

‘I get to kiss you.'

Natalia let out a little laugh. ‘But that's the same thing.'

‘No,' Ben clarified silkily, ‘it's not. It's all about who controls the kiss.'

Control. Of course this was about control. Natalia turned away, focusing  on the race course beneath them. She fanned herself with her program,  and heard Ben chuckle softly.

‘Hot, Princess?'

‘Wild Wishes is a long shot too,' she informed him, ignoring his little  innuendo. ‘It might be that neither of us gets a kiss today.'

Ben leaned back in his seat. ‘And that,' he said softly, ‘would be a pity.'

Yes, it would. Already Natalia was imagining how his lips would feel on  hers, hard and demanding. But if she controlled the kiss … she felt as if  she'd swallowed fireworks, everything fizzing inside her. She didn't  know which of them she wanted to win.

The race started, and with it Natalia felt another surge of adrenalin.  She felt a fully male energy radiating from Ben's powerful form as he  leaned forward to watch the race. Autumn Nights started out in front,  but a quarter of the way through the course Wild Wishes pulled ahead.

‘Ah-ha,' Ben said softly, and Natalia gave him a knowing smile.

‘Evening Star is known to save the best for last.'

‘You want to win, Princess?'

‘Of course.'

He smiled, and Natalia smiled back, their gazes locking in steely and  heated challenge. Natalia had never felt so aware, so alive, or so  wanted. After a tense moment she forced herself to turn back to the  race.

‘Ah-ha,' she echoed. ‘Look at Evening Star.'

Sure enough Evening Star had pulled a length ahead of Wild Wishes. They  watched for several taut moments as the horses galloped, only half a  length between them, dust flying from their hooves. Evening Star was  still ahead, and Natalia was already envisioning turning to Ben with a  little smile, yanking him over to her by his tie and pulling his mouth  down to hers …

Then, out of seemingly nowhere, Autumn Nights pulled ahead of both the  horses, crossing the finish line a full two lengths in front of Evening  Star.

Around them the crowd burst into cheers at such a close victory, and  Natalia sank back in her seat, conscious of the swamping sense of  disappointment she felt.

‘Well,' Ben said with a surprisingly shaky laugh, ‘it looks like we both lost.'

‘Yes.' Her throat felt absurdly tight. It was just a race; it would have  been just a kiss. Yet she felt as if she'd lost out on something  wonderful and precious. ‘At least there's champagne,' she said lightly,  and beckoned a waiter forward to serve them.

The tension between them lessened as they chatted over champagne and  strawberries. Natalia forced the thought-and hope-of the kiss back,  knowing there was no good dwelling on it now. The moment had passed. Ben  would have kissed her for a bet, she realized with a trace of  bitterness, but not just to kiss her. Not the way she really wanted to  be kissed.

‘Why the frown, Princess?'

She glanced up at him, saw his eyes narrowed in that speculative way  she'd come to recognize, and gave him an easy smile. ‘No reason.'

‘Not pining over Evening Star, are you?'

‘That,' Natalia told him sweetly, ‘would be quite a wild wish.'

He chuckled and leaned back in his seat. ‘So do you go to the races often?'

‘Occasionally. A royal presence is often required. My father owns one of the horses in this race.'

‘Which one?'

‘Abdul Akbar. He came in fifth.'

‘Too bad.' She just shrugged. ‘Are you close to your parents?'

‘Close?' Natalia took a sip of champagne, unnerved by the question. ‘Are you?' she asked.

‘Nope, not going to answer that one. I asked you first.'

‘Then I suppose the short answer is no, not really.'

‘What's the long answer?'

She stared at him. ‘Why do you want to know?'

‘Well, Princess,' Ben told her, leaning forward so the male scent of  him, aftershave and champagne and even a little bit of strawberry,  washed over her, ‘it's called making conversation.'

She gave him a tiny smile. ‘A talent I didn't think you were capable of.'

‘I am, on occasion.'

‘So what's the occasion?'

He held his champagne flute aloft. ‘Isn't it obvious?'
                      
      
          



      
It had been more comfortable, Natalia thought, when they had been  bantering and betting on a kiss. This question-this conversation-felt  far more intimate and dangerous than a mere brushing of lips ever could  have been. ‘My parents put the kingdom before their family,' Natalia  finally said. ‘In many different ways. It created a distance.'

‘Duty before love?'

‘Something like that.' She really didn't feel like going into it, or  remembering the years of secrecy and shame. Keep it quiet, Natalia.  Don't let anyone know how slow you are. She smiled, took a sip of her  drink. ‘What about you?'

‘Am I close to my parents?' Ben shrugged. ‘My father likes to think  we're close, but I'm not sure we really are. And I feel very protective  of my mother. She's been through too much already.' He pressed his lips  together, clearly as uncomfortable as she was revealing anything  personal, and Natalia laughed softly.

‘You shouldn't have asked the question, Ben, if you weren't willing to answer it.'

He acknowledged her point with a wry half-smile. ‘True. Maybe we should  stick to talking about films or books. Read anything good lately?'

Definitely not. ‘Nope,' Natalia said lightly. She reached for a  strawberry and tried to ignore the ache in her chest that radiated  outwards, seeming to take over her whole body with its pain. Why, she  wondered, did it hurt to have secrets when the thought of them being  revealed was so terrifying? Either way she couldn't win.

‘So what's next on your agenda for today?' Ben asked, and Natalia felt a  flicker of relief as well as disappointment that the conversation was  moving on.

‘Dinner at a very nice restaurant on the beach, and then dancing at the  island's best club.' She arched her eyebrows. ‘Do you dance?'

‘Fabulously.'

‘Brilliant.'

She rose and Ben followed suit, holding out his hand to escort her from  the royal box. After a slight hesitation Natalia took it, needing to  feel his fingers wrapped over hers, skin against skin even in just this  small way. She knew that even though she had set the schedule for the  day, Ben was the one who was in control. How could she doubt it for a  moment? He was man who thrived on control, who craved it … and she,  Natalia acknowledged with a whisper of panic, could not resist him.