Willa.
As the memory of the child filled his thoughts, his new reality came into focus.
Carrie was gone, and he was now sharing his countryside home with the caretaker, Piper Mackenzie, and her daughter. An image of Piper’s face bloomed in his mind. Her waterfall of red hair and her bright green eyes. The care she’d taken in making up his bed. The way she’d shimmied out of her coveralls in the kitchen.
Keeping my distance is going to be a challenge, he thought. And not just because Piper had a child. She was distractingly beautiful. He would have to work extra-hard to keep his mind focused on his books.
Speaking of books…
Aldon pulled on a pair of shorts, brushed his teeth, then set about sifting through his bags. He was searching for a specific econ title but couldn’t find it. He’d packed the bulk of his texts into separate luggage that his valet would deliver later, but he thought he’d brought this one with him.
He’d have to find something else to keep him busy and keep his mind off of Piper.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed on his nightstand with an incoming call. He glanced at the screen, and a pit of dread gathered in his stomach. It was his ex. What now?
“Aldon, dear,” Carrie said breezily before he even said hello. She sounded like a Hollywood starlet, her voice airy and bright. “There’s been a bit of a snag in my plans, and I’m wondering if you could be flexible in yours.”
“What’s going on Carrie?”
“Well, I’ve signed a lease to move into the most gorgeous flat over on Sixteenth by the bay.”
Aldon rolled his eyes. Did she really think he was interested in talking about real estate?
“What’s the bottom line, Carrie?” he asked.
“Well, like I said, the flat is positively luscious, but it’s not going to be ready for a bit. I’ll have to stay at the condo for a tad longer than we discussed.”
“How long?” Aldon could feel the tips of his ear turning red.
“A few weeks?” she suggested. “Since you’re bunking it out in the cozy country, I thought you might not mind so much.”
How could she be so presumptuous? She was really a piece of work.
“How many weeks is ‘a few’?” he asked.
“Two? Maybe three?” Her yappy dog whined in the background, and she soothed it with baby talk. “And, of course, I’ll need the staff to stay as well.”
Aldon was about to tell her to piss off and have her boy-man actor boyfriend hire her a new staff, but was halted by a knock at the bedroom door.
“Hold on a minute, Carrie,” he said and cracked the door to see Piper standing in the hallway looking lovely in denim shorts and a green T-shirt. Her natural beauty overwhelmed him, diluting the anger in his veins.
“Hey, Piper,” he said. He noticed her cheeks were pink, and eyes were wide with what looked like shock. She glanced from his eyes to his chest and back, and he realized his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his naked chest and sparse hair.
“Oh, sorry!” As he hastily buttoned his shirt, he heard Carrie’s impatient voice calling to him from his phone. “One second, Piper.” He motioned for her to come in now that he was decent then turned his attention back to his ex.
“It’s fine, Carrie,” he said, feeling calm and in control again. “You have three weeks.”
“Oh, thank you! I can’t wait to show you the new flat—”
Aldon hung up the phone in the middle of Carrie’s pointless babble. He looked at Piper, unable to help stealing a glance at her long legs. She grinned at him, the blush having faded from her cheeks.
“I just woke up,” he said, attempting an explanation for having opened the door without being fully clothed. “I didn’t realize how I looked. My shirt—”
“Don’t worry.” She laughed, and any leftover spatter of annoyance from his conversation with Carrie just floated away. Piper was like medicine. Happy medicine.
“We’re having breakfast downstairs,” she said. “Willa and me. We’d love for you to join us, if you’d like. Or I could bring you up a tray.”
Aldon found himself lost in Piper’s kind eyes. Her words danced around him, but he hadn’t fully grasped what she’d said. Something about breakfast.
“Aldon?”
“Uh, yes, of course.” He gathered his wits about him, and replayed the offer that echoed like a daydream. “Breakfast. I’ll be down in a moment.”
“Great!” she said and traipsed out of the bedroom.
Aldon couldn’t tear his eyes away from watching her as she left.
He took a deep breath and tried to shake off the feelings stirring inside him, realizing he’d never before in his life felt so unprepared for breakfast. He’d need to stay strong if he was going to survive an indefinite stay with this beautiful woman.
Okay, breakfast, he thought, you’re on.
Piper placed a tray of scones on the table and, for the third time in five minutes, rearranged the juice pitcher and flower vase.
“How many times are you going to switch them, Momma?” Willa asked, as she waited patiently to start eating, a napkin on her lap.
“Oh, you cool it, Willa,” she said. “You just remember what I told you about manners.”
Willa rolled her eyes and let out an Oscar-worthy sigh. “I know.”
A platter of pancakes and sausages sat in the middle of the lace tablecloth, a bowl of fruit beside it. Coffee was in the carafe, and there was lemon-cucumber infused water on the island in a glass jar if Aldon preferred water.
Would this spread be acceptable to him? What did a prince eat for breakfast?
She and Piper typically enjoyed simple breakfasts, but this morning she wanted to go all out for Aldon. Although he had tried to allay her concerns last night, Piper was still a bit worried about his negative reaction to Willa. What if he overruled his steward’s decision and decided that she couldn’t live in the castle anymore, not with Willa. She didn’t think Aldon was a cruel man by any means, but surely he was used to having things just the way he wanted. If a child didn’t fit in that picture, what would he do? She could only hope that a big, fancy breakfast would smooth things over and win his favor.
Aldon breezed into the room, fully dressed, thank the Lord. Piper also had to admit that her desire to please the prince might also have something to do with her attraction to him. When he’d opened his bedroom door that morning, with his chest bared, she’d nearly gasped at his six-pack abs. Now, she was having a hard time getting the sexy image of him, just having slipped from his bed, out of her mind.
“Good morning, Your Highness, Mr. Prince,” Willa said from her perch at the breakfast table. The little girl then stood and curtsied at Aldon.
Aldon looked at Willa as if she had three eyeballs in the middle of her head. He cleared his throat then nodded at the little girl.
“Good morning, Willa.”
Piper noticed the tightness in Aldon’s voice and the fact that he looked pained—like he simply did not know how to behave around children.
“Please sit down, Aldon,” she said and pulled out his chair. “Willa and I have prepared some delicious treats this morning. Can I get you coffee or tea?”