The Prince and The Marriage Pact. Valerie Parv
Читать онлайн книгу.
place.”
He really believed that was what he was doing, she thought, noting the fervor in his words and expression. He was a man of passion, as she’d suspected. That it was directed toward helping the less fortunate was more disturbing.
Because it argues with your preconceptions about him? she asked herself. She shook off the question, channeling her mind into more practical areas. “I don’t have time to get a crew together before the launch.”
“Nor do I expect it. Consider the cruise as a chance to develop your ideas about where the project might go. We’ll discuss your plans and formalize arrangements afterward.”
He was talking about this as a done deal, she noticed, well aware that she was already thinking along similar lines. She was torn between annoyance at the smooth way he had manipulated her into doing his bidding, and the thrill of meeting his challenge.
How had he managed it? He is the prince, she recalled the nurse at the infirmary saying, echoed later by one of his footmen. Was it really so simple? Were certain people gifted with skills and abilities beyond the ordinary, or was she in danger of becoming as much a victim of the royal mystique as her mother had been?
The thought made her bristle. “How long is this cruise supposed to last?” she asked, more roughly than she’d intended.
He didn’t seem to notice as he finished his dessert and folded his napkin. “I’ll be aboard for two nights. The inaugural cruise lasts for a week, so you can stay on as long as you wish.”
She resisted the urge to gulp. Two nights aboard a cruise vessel with the prince was more than she had bargained for. She had already taken a dinner cruise on Merrisand’s Summer Harbor and knew how seductive the moonlight and the waves could be. Add Maxim to the mix…
Stop it, she ordered herself. His proposal ensured that she would have plenty to keep her occupied while she was on board. In any case the prince would be occupied with his duties and the official guests such an occasion invariably involved. She would be lucky to see him for more than a few minutes each day. And that wouldn’t bother her.
For some time now, rumors had floated around the network that her show might be replaced in the schedule next season. The cruise would provide her with the perfect opportunity to line up a blockbuster opening show to ensure that the series was renewed. In addition, Maxim had just handed her a plum assignment that most producers would give their eyeteeth to be offered. Nothing else mattered to her.
She blotted her mouth with the snowy napkin, determined to ignore the riot of sensations pouring through her. This was business. Never mind that she would be cruising the blue waters around Merrisand with the most fascinating man she had met in a long time. Hadn’t she already learned the folly of such thinking?
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.