Page 32 of Expecting Royal Twins!
“I won’t be here that long.”
“Long enough.”
Izzy tried to take it all in. Tried and failed. “I think I’m beginning to understand what Cinderella might have gone through.”
“Except in your case the shoe already fits.”
“But we want to get it off as soon as possible.”
“That is the plan.”
He sounded excited. Izzy set her chin. “You know, dude, I want the annulment just as badly as you do.”
Before he could reply, the supermodel hurried over, walking on high heels as if she were wearing tennis shoes. She probably taught Pilates, cooked like a gourmet chef and rescued orphans from third-world countries in her spare time. The woman smiled, showing off two rows of perfectly spaced white teeth. The boys at the garage would be comatose in her presence. “You must be Princess Isabel.”
“Isabel,” Niko said. “This is Her Royal Highness Princess Julianna Von Schneckel of Aliestle.”
Julianna. Niko’s girlfriend and future wife. She was also a princess. No wonder he couldn’t wait to annul the marriage and marry a woman who exuded so much confidence and beauty even a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model would be intimidated.
Izzy was out of her element in every possible way. She forced her foot to stop tapping.
Julianna extended her arm. Everything about the princess was perfect right down to her manicured and polished fingernails. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Isabel.”
She shook her hand. Julianna’s grip was firm and her hands rougher than Izzy expected them to be. “And you.”
Niko watched them with interest. No doubt comparing his current wife to his future one.
A chilling thought inched its way down Izzy’s spine. She hoped he wasn’t planning to stay while she tried on clothing. This was going to be difficult enough without him here watching or, worse, providing commentary.
“Thanks for arranging all this, Niko.” Izzy tried to sound as cheerful as she could. “But I’m sure you have better things to do with your time so don’t feel you have to stick around. As your father said, I’m in good hands.”
“You’re in excellent hands,” Niko said. “But I have a few minutes before my meeting.”
Bummer, Izzy thought.
“You keep Isabel company, Niko,” Julianna said. “I want to get everyone in their places.”
People had places? Izzy took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“It won’t be that bad,” Niko said, as soon as Julianna was out of earshot.
“Want to trade places?” Izzy asked.
“My legs weren’t meant for dresses.”
“Mine, either. I mean, I haven’t worn a dress since…” Uncle Frank’s funeral, she realized. “It’s been a long time.”
“You’ll look fine.”
She shrugged. “New clothing isn’t going to turn me into a princess.”
“Whether you wear a pair of coveralls or a dress by Chanel, you are already a princess,” he said. “But new clothing might help you feel more comfortable here.”
She stared at the large crystal chandeliers hanging from the ballroom ceiling. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
“You only just arrived.”
“I’m not like her.”
“Her?”
“Your girlfriend. Princess Julianna.”
“I never thought you were like Julianna,” Niko said. “You said you needed clothing so I arranged for you to go shopping.”
“I should learn to keep my mouth shut.”
“Perhaps.” He sounded amused. “But this is a gift, Isabel. I appreciate you coming all this way to settle matters. Please indulge yourself shopping. Even if you never plan on wearing the clothing once you leave, you can always donate the clothes to a worthy cause.”
That was some gift, Izzy realized. Royalty really were different than normal folk. “You’re wasting a lot of money doing this.”
“The expense is irrelevant.”
“Maybe for you.” Her gaze locked with his. “But for me, this would buy a lot of car.”
A knowing smiled played at the corner of his mouth. “Noted.”
Something held them connected. Izzy didn’t know what, but she couldn’t look away. Truth was, she didn’t want to. She had no idea how long they stood like that, but it felt like forever.
