His Royal Prize by Katherine Garbera

about that tonight.”
    Tonight? Had she missed something? She had accepted a dinner invitation from Lady Abercrombie and she couldn’t miss another of her mom’s friend’s dinner parties. “I have an engagement tonight.”
    “Break it.”
    “Geoff! I can’t just—”
    “I want to take you flying,” he said. “I had planned on doing it last night, but desire got the better of me and we ended up in your garden instead.” He stared at her with such intensity that her pulse raced.
    Flying sounded infinitely more appealing than Cecelia’s would ever be. But if she went with him…he’d begin to know that she wanted to be with him all the time.
    “You are tempting me,” she said.
    “Good,” he said.
    He stood there, just waiting for her answer. And suddenly she had a moment’s panic. Was he using her? Was he wining and dining her—and sleeping with her—just to gain access to her family’s business? Was she being stupidly naive?
    She chewed her lower lip, wanting some kind of sign from him that he wanted to spend more time with her because he had real feelings, not because he was trying to manipulate her into a deal.
    “What are you thinking?” he asked.
    She thought long and hard before she answered. Was she going to treat Geoff the way she treated all the men she dated, or should she be honest and bare her soul, letting him see all her imperfections and insecurities?
    What if he didn’t like her? she thought. She’d never been good enough for any man before. Not the woman she was in front of the flashbulbs and the media attention, and with Geoff she wanted to be.
    “Amelia?”
    “I’m scared,” she admitted.
    “Of me?” he asked.
    She shook her head. “Of letting you see the real me and finding out that you don’t like her at all.”
    Geoff reached for her hand. “I adore you, Amelia. How could I not like a single thing about you?”
    “Plenty of people don’t.”
    “I am not ‘plenty of people.’ I know you in a different way, in a real way,” he said. “This is all new territory for me, too. I’m trying to figure out how to make this into a relationship, but I’ve never been involved with a woman like you before.”
    “Okay,” she said, looking into his eyes. “I’ll go flying with you tonight. Should I meet you at the airport?”
    “Why don’t you do that? I keep my plane at London City Airport.”
    He gave her further details and she started to leave. But something pulled her back and pushed her right into his arms.
    She gave him a kiss designed to arouse him and then stepped away. “So that you won’t forget me this afternoon.”
    “It isn’t possible, love, believe me,” he said, his voice husky.
    She winked at him and walked out the door.

Eight
    G eoff walked into the Athenaeum Club as though he owned it. No matter what Edmond thought, there was little he or Malcolm could do to make him change his mind about Amelia. Geoff’s place in society had been cemented by years of clean living and duty. He was meeting his half brothers for drinks, something the other fellows wanted to make a ritual.
    And since the novelty of actually talking to the other Devonshire bastards hadn’t worn off, he didn’t mind meeting them.
    He took a seat in the back of the bar and waited for Henry and Steven to arrive. Steven’s idea to have all of their mothers interviewed in Fashion Quarterly was proving to be a pain. He understood that they wanted to generate buzz around the new Everest Group but Geoff was highly private. Letting anyone in was anathema.
    Though now that he was dating Amelia Munroe he might have to revise that.
    “Hello, mate!” Henry said as he approached the table.
    Geoff stood and shook his hand. “Good afternoon.”
    “Seen a bit of you in the papers,” Henry said.
    “Just a bit,” Geoff replied, shaking his head. “It will die down.”
    “You better hope it does. Edmond is a stickler about that scandal clause in the will,” Steven said as he joined