“Am I going to meet the whole royal family?” she was asking me as we finished eating and somehow wound up back in bed.

  “Well, my father has a brother and a sister; Isak and Edita. Edita is Sandor’s mother. Her husband is Harold. He’s a very distant relative of the Swedish royal family but grew up in the U.K. Isak, of course, is married to Klara, and they have Anwar, Yusef, Rafael, and Miriam. As far as I know, everyone is coming to the wedding.”

  “Holy shit. Are any of the cousins married?”

  I nodded. “Rafael married his college sweetheart, Yolanda. She’s like a third cousin or something. I don’t remember the exact relationship but it’s not close enough to be creepy.”

  She laughed. “Good to know. So they’re going to mingle with…record company executives, rock stars, and all of my crazy friends and family?”

  “If they want to be at my wedding, then yes, they will.”

  “I can’t decide if I’m excited or mortified.”

  “Don’t worry. My mother is in charge of keeping everyone in line.”

  “Are your other cousins more like Sandor or Anwar?”

  “Vardan is pretty chill. He’s probably getting married next year. His girlfriend is British, and it’s been serious for a while so we think that’s where it’s going. And everyone except his brothers hate Anwar almost as much as I do. Yusef and Rafael are much nicer than Anwar, but very old school and rigid when it comes to rules and manners. Daniil and Elen are coming to Las Vegas early to do some sightseeing and spend time with all of us and the rest of the family will arrive shortly after them. My parents are going to have a full house the week before the wedding.”

  “I’m already exhausted.” She sighed, nestling against me.

  “You don’t have to entertain anyone except for maybe one dinner because those that haven’t want to meet you, but they’ll be doing touristy things too, so they’ll be out of our hair for the most part. Don’t worry about any of that.”

  “When is everyone else arriving?”

  “I’m not sure what Anwar’s plans are, but my father is taking care of all that. He said he’s having a conversation with Uncle Isak and I’m leaving it in his hands because if it were up to me, Anwar wouldn’t even be coming.”

  “Is anyone upset we’re not getting married in Limaj?”

  I shook my head. “No. Uncle Isak asked about a church wedding and my father told him it was out of the question since neither of us is religious. Apparently, he let it go.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Anything else on your mind about the family with regard to the wedding?”

  She shook her head. “Not really.”

  “Good. Then we can get naked again.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” She pulled her top off and had just tossed it on the floor when someone knocked on the door.

  “Casey? Are you there? It’s Skye. I have to talk to you right now. It’s urgent.”

  29

  Casey

  I yanked my shirt back on as Erik got up and padded to the door. He opened it with a friendly but cautious smile.

  “Hey, Skye. What’s up?”

  “Oh, thank goodness.” She brushed past him and into the room. “What is this?” she asked, waving an ivory-colored piece of paper around.

  “I have no idea.” I looked at her in confusion.

  “It’s an invitation. To a ball. At…” She stopped waving whatever was in her hand and read it. “The Charleston Hotel. Some sort of masquerade ball for charity. Mother said it was your idea.”

  “I…” I frowned and took a second to figure out what she was talking about. “It was my idea to make the Charleston’s annual charity gala a masquerade ball this year, but I don’t actually have anything to do with it. The Kingsleys, my friend Nick’s parents, run it.”

  “Why have they invited me?”

  “I wouldn’t know. Why didn’t you ask your mom?”

  “Because she said to ask you.”

  I did my best not to look irritated. This was undoubtedly Kari’s attempt to get Skye and me to become friendly, but balls were not my forte. I’d only attended the Charleston’s charity gala twice because I was usually on tour in late September and I’d quite honestly forgotten all about it. Shit. Now I was going to have to figure out a costume because my gut told me there was no way to weasel out of it, especially with Skye now involved.

  “I’m not sure what your mom was thinking,” I finally said. “I haven’t been to one since I was eighteen because I’ve always been on tour. They raise a lot of money for the children’s cancer center here in town and the belle of the ball is always a big deal.”

  “The belle of the ball?”

  “There’s always a beautiful, single woman, who’s at least a little bit of a celebrity, who’s asked to be the belle each year. I have no idea who it is this year though. I’ve been too busy to ask.”

  “I thought it was Sheridan Lyons,” Erik interjected.

  Skye and I both turned to stare at him in confusion.

  “How do you know?” I finally asked.

  “Because it was online somewhere?” He shrugged.

  “Oh. Well, there you have it.”

  “I have no idea who she is,” Skye said.

  “She’s a television star. I think she started with the Disney Channel and now she’s twenty-one and doing feature films.”

  “I don’t know what to do,” Skye said, looking from Erik to me.

  “I don’t know what…you need?” I said slowly. “I mean, I think your parents always go so you won’t be alone.”

  “Aren’t we going?” Erik asked me.

  “Honestly, I’d forgotten all about it until just now.”

  “You have to,” Skye said urgently. “I mean, Mother says it would be rude not to go but…” Her voice faded. “Wait a minute, did she send me to you so we would have something in common?”

  I shrugged. “I really don’t know. I truly hadn’t given it a thought until just now. It’s going to be fun, though, and there are always lots of rich, eligible men in attendance. Wouldn’t you like to dress up in a fancy dress and dance with a bunch of nameless, faceless men? You don’t have to tell anyone who you are—that’s the whole point of the masquerade ball.”

  Skye seemed thoughtful. “Oh. That does sound interesting.” She turned and headed for the door. “I have to find a dress!”

  And then she was gone, without even a thank you.

  “At some point,” Erik said, chuckling as he shut the door and locked it, “I might have to mention manners to her.”

  “But right now you need to come back to bed.”

  That afternoon, after Erik and I had more sex than two people who lived together probably should have, we were just discussing what to have for dinner when the phone rang. I answered it mindlessly, my mind on dinner.

  “Hello?”

  “Guess what?!” Jade’s voice was loud on the other end.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I’m coming back to Vegas this weekend.”

  “You are?”

  “Sheridan Lyons got married over the weekend and they asked me to be this year’s belle!”

  I blinked. “Oh. Wow. That’s…crazy. We were just talking about the ball. I’d forgotten about it.”

  “You’re going, right?”

  “I’m guessing the answer to that is yes, since you’re going to be the belle now.”

  “Tricia said she’s got a gown and everything for me, so I just have to show up. How cool is that?”

  “I guess so.”

  “What’s wrong with you?” Jade laughed. “Why don’t you sound excited?”

  “My wedding is a month away, I’m pregnant and don’t want anyone to find out, and my future husband’s entire royal family is about to congregate in Las Vegas… I’m a little distracted, girlfriend.”

  “Oh, phooey. What if I bring Alyssa and we just stay in Vegas until the wedding? Frankly, Kirk’s on my last nerve and I’d much rather be with you than in my big lonely house on Long Island.”

  “You know I’d love to have you here.”

  “I’ll be there Wednesday. Go find a dress!” Jade disconnected and I put the phone down with a fond smile. Jade was a tall, red-headed force of nature. She had a grand presence no matter where she was or what she was doing, between her height, her long, wild hair, and her amazing voice. Men wanted her, women either loved or hated her, and her fans worshipped her. I’d loved being in a band with her and having her as one of my closest friends, but she was sometimes over-the-top with her exuberance.

  “I take it we’re going to this ball,” Erik said, leaning against the door.

  “I guess we are. You’re going to need a cape.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “A cape to go with your tuxedo. I was thinking we could do a Phantom of the Opera theme.”

  He grinned. “Whatever you want. Your wish is my command.”

  “Are you always going to be this easygoing?”

  “I plan to try.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  The one good thing about making plans to attend the ball was spending time with Jade and Nick. BJ didn’t come around much, but the three of us spent one day at my dad’s new studio, checking out the final stages of interior construction, and another day hanging out at the hotel with some of Nick’s family. Erik joined us that day, and for the first time everything that was happening felt real. Nick’s parents, Nicky and Tricia, treated him like he was already my husband and mentioned coming to dinner one night. We ran into Nicky’s brother, Matt, and he and Erik talked golf for nearly an hour while Jade and I chatted.

  Though everything was casual, our social calendar got a little fuller every time we went somewhere that week, and by Saturday, we were having to tell people we’d get back to them because between our wedding, the honeymoon, and my pregnancy, we didn’t want to take on too much.

  As we finished getting dressed for the ball, Erik wearing a tuxedo with tails and his Phantom of the Opera–style mask, I decided to wear the diamonds he’d bought me in Europe. I’d never been big on diamonds and such, but because they were from Erik they were special, and everyone would be dressed to the nines tonight. Only the richest of the rich attended the Charleston’s annual charity event with tickets priced at five thousand dollars per person and dances with the belle of the ball going for twenty-five thousand apiece. Ben and Kari always attended, along with the extended Kingsley family and people I had grown up with.

  “Any jealous ex-boyfriends of yours I need to look out for?” Erik teased as I came out of the bathroom and stepped into my heels.

  “Not a single one,” I said.

  “Damn, you’re gorgeous.” The way he looked at me made my insides shiver with excitement and I moved towards him slowly, my royal blue floor-length gown fluttering around me. It had a full skirt, something I wasn’t used to at all, but Aunt Kari had said it was very princess-like and she thought Erik would love it. Based on how he was looking at me now, she’d been right, and I couldn’t help but reach for him.

  “Thank you. You’re pretty damn gorgeous yourself.”

  “I won’t kiss you and mess up your beautiful makeup,” he said, “but I’m doing it in my head.”

  I laughed. “You’re very gentlemanly.”

  “And you’re very royal tonight. I can picture doing a waltz with you in the palace ballroom and having every man in the room envious of me.”

  “They can look all they want, but there will never be anyone for me but you.”

  He took my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it slowly and quite thoroughly, for a hand kiss. “Later tonight, I’m going to kiss every square inch of you, but for now, we have to go.”

  30

  Erik

  The Grand Ballroom within the Charleston Hotel was beautiful on a regular day, but tonight the staff had pulled out all the stops. I’d done some reading about the event and wondered why I’d never attended before. Yes, I’d spent the last four summers doing my military duty in Limaj, but this was September and even though I’d been in school, I often jetted off to this event or that one. Somehow, this hadn’t been on my radar and I realized—a bit guiltily—that I’d avoided coming to Las Vegas the last few years because I’d known Casey was on tour and I wouldn’t have an excuse to see her. I saw my parents in Europe often enough, so coming so far west to Vegas had been a hassle I didn’t bother with unless there was the added benefit of seeing Casey.

  That wouldn’t be an issue anymore, of course, especially since she wanted to live here, and I wondered briefly if she liked London. We’d talked about so many things over the last seven weeks or so, but that hadn’t been one of them. There were so many things I wanted to show her, share with her, and we’d been so busy lately I hadn’t had a chance to ask her about any of them. There would be time, though, after the wedding. Three weeks from tonight she would become my wife, my princess, my life, and I couldn’t wait.

  As we walked through a gilded archway covered with a million tiny silver lights, a red carpet led us inside a lavishly decorated room. This year’s color scheme appeared to be silver and some shade of lavender, from the napkins on the tables to the chandeliers, flowers, and even the waiters’ cummerbunds. The Kingsleys definitely knew how to throw a party, and I was suddenly glad my face was covered, because it would afford us a modicum of privacy tonight. The types of people that attended events like these would be the richest of the rich, a who’s who of billionaires and celebrities, and I’d gotten used to anonymity when I traveled.

  “What are the chances of me escaping for a quickie with someone tonight?” Sandor asked under his breath, laughter in his voice as he looked around.

  “Have at it. We have plenty of protection here, between my father’s guards, the Kingsleys’ security team, and Aziz.”

  “We’ll see.” Sandor struck a pretty regal-looking figure too tonight, in a perfectly cut tuxedo and his dirty blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. He looked much like his Swedish father, with fair coloring, and resembled Nordic royalty tonight as he walked beside me.

  “I’m going to go find Jade,” Casey whispered, squeezing my arm. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “Have fun.” I watched her until she disappeared around a corner.

  “You’re completely gone over her, aren’t you?” Sandor asked.

  “I am.” I nodded. “She’s…amazing.”

  “If Anwar figures out that you really love her, and she’s not just a pretty piece for your arm, she’s always going to be a target.”

  “I know.” I swallowed. I didn’t want to think about that shit. I’d die before I let that prick near her.

  “Sandor, will you dance with me tonight?” Skye came up behind us and put a hand on his forearm.

  “Of course.” He smiled at her. For some reason, he was the only one of the cousins Skye truly got along with and none of us had ever understood why she avoided the rest like they had some kind of plague.

  “I don’t know anyone, and I think I’ll die of embarrassment if not a single man asks me to dance.”

  I chuckled. “Not much chance of that, sis. You look stunning tonight. The men will all be clamoring to figure out who you are.”

  “You think?” She absently fidgeted with the gilded mask covering the top half of her face.

  “Trust me.”

  “You’re my brother, not exactly a ringing endorsement for whether or not I look attractive.”

  “I’m still a man, and you’re still a woman. Just because there’s no sexual undertone to said endorsement doesn’t mean I can’t see if you look nice or not. And you definitely do.”

  She smiled. A real smile. Probably the first one I’d seen from her since childhood, and it lit up her face, even half-covered. She looked so pretty it momentarily startled me into silence. Why didn’t she do it more often?

  “You’re beautiful when you smile,” I said quietly.

  “He’s right.” Sandor nodded. “You should mingle with your brother and meet everyone. I, unfortunately, cannot make the introductions that Erik can.”

  She inhaled through her nose and blew out a breath. “Okay.”

  “Are you nervous?” I asked incredulously.

  “Well, of course. I’ve never really dated. Omar was my only serious boyfriend, and now I’m in the middle of a divorce. I’m torn between hiding in the corner and dating every single man in the room.”

  “Perhaps we can find something in between those two, eh?” I put her hand in the crook of my arm. “Come. Let’s meet some people. Do you know Nick Kingsley?”

  She shook her head.

  “Well, he’s the heir to the Kingsley hotel empire and unattached as far as I know.”

  “So rich and single.” She shook her head. “I’m not looking for a husband, Erik. Just maybe friends. Since I have none.”

  I glanced at her in confusion. “None? Like zero?”

  She shrugged. “I had a couple at university, but once I started dating Omar junior year, he kept me from them. It was just us, supposedly falling in love, planning our wedding, starting our life together. Saraya was my constant companion once we were married, and other than some surface-level friendships with the wives of Omar’s friends, there’s been no one.”

  That was one of the saddest things I’d ever heard, and I shook my head. “Wow. Well, let’s see what we can do about this. Okay?”

  “I’ll try. I’m really very shy.”

  “I know, but these people are close to Mother and Father and people I know as well. The community here at the Charleston Hotel, between the Kingsleys, Casey’s family, and their extended families, is lovely. My time here has been limited but I know enough of them to know I like most of them and am looking forward to getting to know them better.”

 

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