Invitation to the Prince's Palace by Jennie Adams Page B

marriage.
    He would never trust such an emotion as ‘love’ within that institution. Not when his parents hadn’t managed even to love their sons let alone each other.
    ‘I have something else that I wish to show you this morning.’ Rik escorted her from the room, Away from a room full of the beauty that should go with emotion and dreams and the love of a lifetime, but had it ever existed within his family? There was that old legend, but…
    Rik increased his pace.
    ‘Th-thank you for the beautiful choice of ring, Rik,’ Mel said softly as they stepped out of doors and started along an outside pathway that led between vast stretches of snow-covered grounds.
    On her finger, the ring felt light and comfortable. It fitted perfectly and maybe that was what disturbed Mel so much. That and the fact that Rik had chosen it out of a dazzling array of royal jewellery. Rik had wanted her to wear this ring, and then he’d kissed her. It was the second time they’d sealed their agreement with a kiss, and each time became more difficult to treat as just a meeting of lips against lips.
    What kind of state would she be in by the time he kissed her on the wedding day?
    ‘I should not have kissed you like that.’ His glance meshed momentarily with hers.
    Had he read her mind? Considering the messy confused state of the thoughts in there, she hoped not!
    Rik went on. ‘Our arrangement is not for…that kind of purpose and I should have remembered.’
    ‘Well, it was probably because we’d just been with your father and working so hard to make sure that all went well.’ She gave a laugh that sounded just a bit forced. ‘We got a little too carried away in our roles but it was only for a moment. It probably barely left an impression, really.’
    Her words were just making this worse! She bit her lip. Mel glanced about them and her gaze fell on a small piece of machinery ahead. ‘That’s an interesting-looking vehicle.’
    Rik followed Melanie’s gaze.
    She was wise to change the topic. He was more than happy to work with her in that respect, though his glance did drop again to her hand where the ring sat as though it belonged there, and then to her soft lips, which had yielded so beautifully beneath his just moments ago. He wanted to kiss her again. Kiss and so much more.
    Not happening, Rik.
    And yet his instincts told him that the kisses they’d shared had been far more than instantly forgettable to her.
    To him, too, if he were honest.
    ‘This is an all-weather buggy.’ He explained that Winnow had taken the vehicle out of storage and made sure it was in working order. ‘In first gear it doesn’t drive any faster than a person can walk. It’s easy to handle. All you need to do is steer and make it stop and start. It will drive on snow and it can handle rough terrain but there are plenty of paths here to drive it on. Our appointment with the wedding planner is not for another hour. I thought I might show you how to work this while we wait.’
    Her gaze flew to his. ‘You want me to drive it?’
    ‘I thought it might be a good way for you to start to be able to get around more while you’re here.’ In truth there were a dozen ways he could ensure that Melanie could move around the area, and for the most part Rik expected to be with her anyway. Even so…
    ‘I don’t drive cars.’ She said it quickly, and then tipped her head to the side and looked at the buggy, and back at Rik. ‘I’ve never really had any interest in learning.’
    ‘This is not a car.’ He watched her face, and took a gamble. ‘But if you don’t feel that you can try it—’
    Her chin went up. ‘Of course I’ll try it. That would be like saying I didn’t want to try riding a skateboard or making some new dish in the kitchen.’
    She was a plucky girl, his Melanie, Rik thought. Before he could pull himself up on the possessive manner of wording that thought, Melanie stepped forward and did an at least passable job of feigning delight at