“I know, but it will be worth it in the end.” Satisfaction suffused her. As grinding as the pace had been since the jet’s wheels had touched down on the New York runway, her ready-to-wear line was getting the right backing and garnering the perfect buzz.
“I’m really proud of you.” While Noelle had been lost in thought, Christian had set down Marc and stepped close. “I want you to know that whatever you need I’ll be here to help.”
When his arm slid around her waist, drawing her against his body for a friendly hug, Noelle’s pulse bucked. The man smelled like sunshine and soap. She longed to rest her cheek against the cotton stretched across his broad chest and let the world fade away. Her hunger for him flared. It had been a week since they’d made love, but with all that had happened in the meantime, it felt more like months.
Noelle leaned back and gazed up into Christian’s molten gold eyes. Her knees weakened at the heat of his desire, and her lips parted as he lowered his head. A small body crashed against them, reminding Noelle that she and Christian weren’t alone. She set her hand on Marc’s head, frustration making the ache of longing that much more intense.
“What sort of plans do you have for dinner?” Christian asked, his arm sliding away from her body. He’d booked a suite at the Four Seasons in order to be close to his son. “Marc had a hot dog, popcorn and cotton candy at the ballpark, so I thought it would be a good idea to feed him a healthy dinner and we hoped you’d be able to join us.”
As hard as it was to turn down the offer with two pairs of matching gold eyes trained on her, Noelle shook her head. “I’m having dinner with some designer friends of mine, and then there’s a gala I’m attending afterward.”
Marc showed less disappointment at this news than Christian. Their son was having far too much fun with his father to notice his mother’s absence. As Marc dashed over to retrieve his mitt and autographed baseball from the coffee table, Christian’s deep voice rumbled through her.
“I’m sorry you can’t join us.”
“So am I.” And she meant it. “If it wasn’t business...”
He nodded in understanding, his hands sliding into his pockets once more. “That’s why you’re here.”
While part of Noelle appreciated his support, she couldn’t stop wishing he’d ask her to cut her night short so she could tuck Marc into bed and maybe invite Christian to linger for some private time with her. Instead, he headed to his son, leaving her free to get ready for her evening out.
Three hours later, Noelle stood beside Victor, her mind far from business and the well-dressed crowd gathered to support a local food pantry. She was wondering if she could plead a headache and get back to the hotel in time to put her son to bed.
And the other thing...
All night long her heart and body had been wrestling with her mind regarding Christian. She longed to spend the night in his arms. To pretend she hadn’t broken off their engagement in a foolish rush because she’d thought to beat him to the punch. But could she have married him thinking that he was merely following through on a contract he’d made with her? It had been one thing to marry him knowing he didn’t love her when they were both taking steps to secure the future of the country.
“This has been a fantastic couple of days,” Victor said, his enthusiasm dragging Noelle’s attention back to the ballroom. “I think your line is going to be a huge success.”
“Have I told you how much I appreciate all you’ve done?”
“I’ve just started things rolling.”
“You’ve done more than that. You’ve created a tsunami of media interest and made sure that I’m meeting all the right people to make this line a success.”
“I believe in you.” Victor’s shrewd brown eyes softened. “I wouldn’t have partnered with you if I didn’t. You’re talented and business-savvy. It’s been a pleasure working with you.”
“It’s been wonderful working with you, as well.” Throat tight, she gave him a smile as she squeezed his hand. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go back to the hotel and tuck my son into bed. I’ve neglected him terribly these past two days.”
“I understand perfectly.”
Noelle turned down Victor’s offer of his car and left him to make her way out of the ballroom. It was nine-thirty, but she doubted Marc was in bed yet. She was in the process of sending Christian a text letting him know she was on her way back when someone behind her called her name. With a weary sigh, Noelle turned and spied a tall, bone-thin woman in her early thirties coming toward her, recognizing her as the Charme magazine editor who’d been overheard making disparaging remarks about her most recent fall couture collection. Not surprising, since she and Giselle had been rivals at Matteo Pizarro Designs and Giselle knew how to hold a grudge.
“Giselle, how lovely to see you.” Noelle gave her former coworker a polite smile.
“I understand you and Prince Christian Alessandro are hot and heavy once more.”
In the old days, before she’d realized what a snake Giselle could be, Noelle had told the seemingly sympathetic woman all about her two-year relationship with Christian. “We are friends.” There was no way Noelle was going to tell the woman anything.
“Friendly enough that he accompanied you and your son to New York.”
Although there had been speculation, the media hadn’t yet discovered Christian’s true relationship to Marc, and Noelle had no intention of sharing anything with Giselle.
“He’s a friend,” Noelle repeated, keeping her tone bland. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s been a long couple of days.” She turned to go, but Giselle’s next words stopped her.
“I hear you’re launching a ready-to-wear line.”
Reminding herself that despite the animosity between them, Giselle had an influential position in the industry, Noelle put on her interview face. “That’s why I’m in New York. To meet with my backer and start making arrangements for manufacturing.”
“Oh, Prince Christian isn’t backing you?” Giselle’s surprise didn’t ring true. “I thought with you two being so close...and since he’s helped you out before.”
What was Giselle trying to get at?
“Prince Christian has never helped me.”
When triumph flashed in Giselle’s eyes, Noelle felt her uneasiness rise. Giselle had sabotaged her efforts several times when Noelle had first joined Matteo Pizarro Designs. Naively believing Giselle had been her friend had enabled the older woman to take credit for Noelle’s ideas and ruin an entire week’s worth of sketches before they were set to present their designs to Matteo as part of a special runway collection he was to exhibit at the Louvre. When, in the hour before they were to meet with Matteo, Noelle had crafted five sketches and Matteo had selected one of those, Giselle had been livid.
“You can tell the rest of the world such lies, but I know the truth.”
“What truth?” Noelle knew better than to ask, but Giselle’s absolute confidence had rattled her.
“That you never would have gotten the job with Matteo Pizarro without your prince’s help.”
“That’s a lie.”
“I heard Matteo speaking to Claudia about it. He said you were too inexperienced to hire, and he never would have considered you except that he was doing a favor for Prince Christian.”
Noelle awakened to the truth as if she’d been slapped in the face. She’d been so shocked that she’d landed a position with such a prestigious designer. Her work was acceptable, but not outstanding. Only after she started working for Matteo Pizzaro and been inspired firsthand by the man’s brilliance had she begun to gain confidence as a designer and take chances.
