A Royal Mess and Her Knight To Remember

And three…and here was the shocker…she’d fallen hard for the cowboy.

She was in love with Timothy Banning.

Not just a little in love, either, but the something-old-something-new-something-borrowed-something-blue type of love.

She couldn’t tell him. He was one of the good old guys, a man she hadn’t realized still existed. He’d feel honor bound to do something stupid, like offer to marry her.

She was a lot of things, but one thing she was not, was a woman willing to trap a man into a lifelong commitment, no matter how much she’d suddenly discovered she wanted one.

Damn, she should have gotten up this morning, just like always, so he wouldn’t know anything had changed, but it was too late now.

He’d tried to talk to her last night, between catching Mrs. Pig-who didn’t want to be caught-and Pickles, who had delighted in playing the game of running off into the night every time Tim had gotten close.

When he’d realized Natalia was escaping, too-she’d tried to sneak off to her bedroom so she didn’t have to answer the obvious questions he’d have-he’d immediately stopped catching animals and caught her, instead.

She’d begged off, promising him a talk today before she left.

Before she left.

She had no idea which was worse, the thought of that, or facing Tim with all his questions. Neither appealed. Not when she just wanted to be alone to bask in her new knowledge.

Which was being a woman far beat being a princess any day of the week. God, she wished for Annie. Annie, so tough, so strong, would know what to do.

Still in her borrowed nightgown from Sally-which was a big, old, ragged, cut-up T-shirt she suspected had come from Tim’s throwaways, she threw herself backward on the bed, arms and legs spread out and grinned up at the ceiling.

Oh, yeah. Today she was all woman.

Now all she had to do was figure out how to combine the best of both worlds. To do so, she’d have to say goodbye, and make her arrangements. Then actually leave.

Her grin vanished.

Leaving was going to be next to impossible. Worse than she could have ever anticipated. It wasn’t just the affection she’d developed for Texas. Or even the odder affection she’d developed for the people here, including the fiercely proud, protective Sally.

No, there was far more she’d miss.

With all her heart, she’d miss Tim. She’d miss his smile, his voice, how he made her feel.

And no doubt, being forced to go back to her own battery-operated pleasure, she’d miss the wild, screaming orgasms he’d given her.

Just thinking about them, and how incredible last night had been beneath the stars and Tim’s hard body, she tingled. Her body ached. Her nipples hardened.

Oh, definitely, she could lie here for a while and think of all those delicious things he’d done to her.

But a knock came at her door. She leaped up, then stood still, her heart racing, even before his unbearably familiar voice came.

“Natalia.”

Just the sound of him had her thigh muscles clenching together.

The handle jiggled, then opened to reveal Tim, looking larger-than-life and unusually subdued. His gaze ran over her, from the top of her rumpled head to the ragged old T-shirt slipping off one shoulder, to her bare legs and feet. “I woke you. I’m sorry.”

“No,” she said, oddly breathless. Had his voice always had this effect on her? This trembling, got-to-have-his- hands-on-me effect?

Or had it just been since last night?

“I’m sorry about breakfast,” she said. “You must be starving.”

A funny expression crossed his face. “Starving? Um. No. Natalia, last night-”

“I feel so bad, letting you down like this. Here, I’ll hurry and throw something together.” She was talking, talking, talking, a nervous habit. “Maybe the men can take a break and eat, too.” She couldn’t stop. If she did, she’d break down, because he looked so good, he looked so hers, and how was she ever going to go? “Tim, who’s going to feed you after I’m gone?”

“It doesn’t matter. But Natalia, about last night-”

“I should have been helping you train someone.” She couldn’t do this, couldn’t get normal, not when it was all over. “Maybe I should try to extend my stay, you know, just until you place an ad and get someone in here-”

Eyes glittering with sudden knowledge, he stalked forward, slid his fingers around her jaw and tipped her face up.

Bad. She was so close to losing it, her breath hitched. She studied the ceiling.

His other hand slid to her waist and gently squeezed. “Look at me. Please?”

As a reward for getting lost in his deep green eyes, he sank his fingers into her hair and massaged her suddenly aching head.

She nearly melted against him. Not a good plan, as she needed, desperately, some distance. This weak and clingy thing, it was unacceptable. “I’d better…” What? Fall apart? “Shower.”

“You’re avoiding me, Natalia, and we need to talk.”

“I’ve found talking overrated.” She would have moved away but he held her still.

“You were a virgin,” he said. “You let me take that from you. Why, Natalia?”

“What’s a little inexperience between friends?” She tried to smile, though her throat was so tight she nearly choked. “Anyway, I’ve got to-”

With a gentleness that nearly broke her, he slid his hand over her throat, as if he knew it ached so much that she could hardly breathe, much less talk. “Being with you was different. Special. Even with Mrs. Pig interrupting the big finale.” He sent her an apologetic smile. “But it can’t have been a decision you made lightly. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know how.”

“How about… ‘Hey, Tim, I’m new at this.’ Or better yet, ‘Virgin alert.’ Either would have done the trick just fine.”

“You’re angry.”

“Are you kidding?” He shook his head, tipped up hers and kissed her. “I’m incredibly touched, Natalia. I just wish I’d known, that’s all. I would have done things differently.”

“You were perfect.”

“I would have given you a bed. Made sure there were no pesky pigs watching.” His eyes conveyed so much affection, she felt her own well up again. “Now talk to me.”

“Oh, Tim.” Talking hurt. Looking at him hurt. “What can I say? Princesses are fairly heavily protected as a rule, you know? I was a virgin because I never really had the chance to…not be one.”

Some of his open expression became not-so-open. “So, it was a convenience thing?”

“No.” She put her hands over his. “No. Until last night, there was never anyone I wanted to…well, sleep with.”

“There was no sleeping involved.”

She felt her face heat. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah.” He watched her for a long moment. “Which brings us to the bigger problem.”

“The condom.”

“The broken condom.”

She envisioned herself with child. Tim’s child. Living on his ranch forever because he couldn’t bear to part with his son.

Her heart beat hard and heavy against her ribs at the thought. Could I get so lucky?

“Natalia?”

She blinked away the image of sharing his life forever. “Yes?”

“Promise you’ll tell me. Contact me. From wherever you are. I want to know.”