Prince Brothers: Prince's Love-Child Part 6

Her eyes flashed deeply gold. 'I didn't do it for you, I did it for Jerome. He's so excited about the baby.'

Rik nodded. 'And how does Dee feel about it?'

Sapphie gave him a cold look. 'You would have to ask her that, not me.'

'Look, Sapphie,' he rasped, beginning to feel angry all over again, 'no matter what you may think to the contrary, I really hadn't seen Dee since her wedding and we met again by chance yesterday outside Fouquet's. A fact I'm sure I've already told you more than once. And again, despite what you may think, I do not tell lies,' he added harshly.

'But how can you possibly have continued to be in love with someone you haven't even spoken to for five years...?' She broke off quickly, colour heightening her cheeks now. 'Forget I asked that,' she muttered dismissively. 'It's none of my business what you do.' She turned away. 'I really should get back to my hotel, check on the train and pack. If you'll excuse me?' She didn't wait for him to answer before hurrying off in the direction of her hotel.

Rik watched her go, the sunlight making her hair a deep red halo of colour, her body swaying tantalisingly as she walked.

Away from him.

Leaving him with the distinct feeling that Sapphie Benedict had no time for him, or what she considered his confused emotions.

Except they were no longer that confused to Rik. He had been in love with the mirage that was his vision of Dee.

Now he wasn't.

He wasn't sure what he felt for Sapphie yet.

But he did feel something!

CHAPTER SIX.

WHAT on earth had possessed her to get into a conversation with Rik about his feelings for Dee?

If she had managed to be in love with Rik for the last five years without seeing or speaking to him, then why did she think it was ludicrous that he had felt the same about Dee?

Admittedly, she did have a day-to-day reminder of Rik in Matthew; tangible proof of that one night they had spent together. But even so, she should have got over her feelings for Rik long ago.

She certainly shouldn't have allowed him to kiss her-or have kissed him back-this morning.

Or have let Dee witness that kiss...

Because she was sure, as far as her possessive younger sister was concerned, she hadn't heard the last about that!

Sapphie was proved right, it turned out-she hadn't heard the last of it. Dee took the first available opportunity to talk to her about it, that very afternoon. Rik and Jerome had gone off in search of coffee for them all before they boarded the Eurostar train, leaving Sapphie and Dee seated together in a quiet corner of the departure lounge.

'Exactly what did you think you were doing, Sapphie?' Dee demanded, green eyes glittering angrily. 'Rik is mine, you know, and he always will be,' she proclaimed with confidence.

It really wasn't Dee's fault she was so utterly selfish, Sapphie reminded herself patiently. Dee had been petted and spoilt by their family from the moment she was born; her father had adored her because, to him, Dee was perfection personified; her mother had indulged her because she was pleased to have a child with her second husband; Sapphie had been delighted to have a little sister to play with.

Which had all been fine when Dee was a little girl, but as she matured, and everything became 'mine', it had become less attractive. Dee continued to demand, and usually get, adoration from everyone she met. Even her career had fulfilled that demand, the public flocking to see every film she'd starred in-indeed, several people had already stopped her today to ask her for her autograph! Only her warmth and beauty were on show to her public, Jerome having so far managed to keep her temper tantrums, when she couldn't have her own way, from the Press.

But she was going too far when she put people under the heading of 'mine'-even if Rik Prince did give every impression of fitting that pigeon-hole!

'No one is disputing your prior claim to a friends.h.i.+p with Rik, Dee,' Sapphie answered soothingly, although she suspected that Jerome might have something to say about that!

Dee raised blonde brows. 'It was much more than a friends.h.i.+p!'

Sapphie knew it was, didn't doubt for a moment that Dee and Rik had once been lovers. She just didn't want to hear about it!

'Fine,' she replied uninterestedly.

'It is not "fine",' Dee snapped. 'The two of you were kissing earlier. And now he's decided to travel to England, instead of back to the States as he originally planned to do!'

'I really don't think the two incidents are related, Dee,' Sapphie responded wearily; she had no idea why Rik had changed his plans, but one thing she did know: it had absolutely nothing to do with her! 'I explained earlier about the kiss,' she continued evenly. 'And if Rik has changed his plans, then it probably has more to do with you than it does with me.'

'Do you think so?' Dee brightened.

Even at twenty-five, and expecting a child of her own, her little sister could still be so immature. 'I do. I also-thank you for not telling him about Matthew earlier,' Sapphie added quietly, still very aware of the narrow escape she'd had.

Dee gave her a feline glance. 'That doesn't mean I'm not going to,' she purred. 'It's just that Rik can be so-shall we say?-indulgent towards women, and I didn't want you coming on to him as some poor, pathetic, single-mother figure!'

Sapphie bit her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing; poor, pathetic, single-mother figure be d.a.m.ned! There was nothing poor or pathetic about her. She earned more than enough money to keep herself and Matthew very comfortably and, although she didn't go out that often, she still had plenty of friends she could see if she wanted to. But it would serve no positive purpose to point this out to Dee, who only ever saw what she wanted to see. At the moment she was making it very plain that she didn't want to see Sapphie anywhere near Rik!

Which was perfectly OK with Sapphie; once they reached London later today, she didn't want to be anywhere near Rik either!

Although it was a little difficult to avoid him once they were in the close confines of their train carriage!

Their first-cla.s.s seats were the height of comfort, and the stewardess was very attentive. But the four of them were seated around a small table, two facing forwards and two backwards, and as Jerome wouldn't hear of anyone sitting next to Dee besides himself, that left Sapphie and Rik sitting next to each other, too.

Not that Dee had too much time to voice any objections to the arrangement. She fell asleep shortly after they left Paris, Jerome quickly joining her in slumber as he rested his dark head on her golden one.

The first few months of pregnancy could be extremely tiring, as Sapphie well knew, the body having to adjust to all sorts of changes. It had been a bout of morning sickness earlier today that had prevented Dee and Jerome joining them for breakfast, as planned.

'What were you researching in Paris?'

She turned back to look at Rik as his soft voice questioned her.

'Sorry?'

He turned to face her, his broad shoulders moving beneath the black jacket he wore over a white T-s.h.i.+rt and faded denims. 'You mentioned yesterday that you were in Paris doing some research...?'

Yesterday? Was it really only twenty-four hours since her world had been turned upside down? Life was never going to be quite the same again after this chance meeting with Rik. Because it could happen again at any time, just as it had this time, when she least expected it!

'Once I moved back to England-'

'You left your job as Jerome's PA?'

She smiled. 'I was persuaded, shall we say, that it wasn't quite the thing to do. In the circ.u.mstances.'

'I see,' Rik murmured, glancing across at the sleeping Dee with narrowed eyes. 'So you not only lost your fiance, but your job too?' There was a steely edge to his voice now.

'It was the best move I ever made,' Sapphie responded quickly; she was not about to give him a condensed version of all Dee's little faults and foibles. 'I became a freelance interviewer, doing profiles on the rich and famous, stuff like that. But truth really can be stranger than fiction, and some of the things I learnt...!' She laughed softly. 'I've just managed to have my first book published. And to answer your question, I was in Paris researching part of my second book.'

'You're a writer?' Rik looked impressed. 'What sort of-? Wait a minute!' He sat up straighter in his seat. 'You wouldn't happen to be the new thriller writer everyone is raving about-S.P. Benedict, the author of Cold Night-would you?'

Her mouth quirked. 'Sapphire Pearl Benedict,' she announced with feeling. 'A bit of a mouthful, don't you think? Although thank you for at least having heard of my book.'

'It's worse than that, I'm afraid, Sapphie-I've read it!' he told her teasingly. 'My brother, Nik, gave it to me. At one point he was thinking of trying to acquire the film rights, but I read it and...' He broke off. 'You know, Sapphie,' he continued, 'just for once, I would like the two of us to have a conversation without one of us insulting the other!'

Sapphie couldn't help her burst of laughter at the totally awkward expression on Rik's face, although she quietened it down to a soft chuckle as she saw they were disturbing the other couple. 'Perhaps it would be better if we didn't talk at all,' she suggested.

'Not an option,' Rik told her firmly. 'Why don't we just move over there?' He indicated the empty seats opposite them; the carriage was actually only half full. 'Then we won't be disturbing anyone.'

Oh, no? Sapphie was disturbed every moment she spent in this man's company!

Although she found it wasn't quite as bad sitting at the table opposite Rik, who was facing her now rather than sitting next to her, his denim-clad knee occasionally touching hers.

'So you're an author,' Rik said again admiringly. 'It seems we have more in common that I realised.'

'Not really,' Sapphie instantly denied, not wanting to get drawn into that trap. 'Although working with all those actors and actresses, you must be able to appreciate how easy it would be for one of them to murder the other!' she said lightly, hoping to lead the conversation off on another tack.

He pulled a face. 'As a lowly screenwriter, I'm more likely to be the victim than the murderer!'

There was nothing in the least lowly about Rik Prince's writing. He more often than not worked alongside his brothers, Nik Prince, the director, and Zak Prince, the actor. But he didn't collaborate with them exclusively, having worked with and for all the top Hollywood directors at one time or another.

She was hardly on his level, with only one book to her credit!

'Maybe I should make that the subject of my next book,' she said sharply. 'Screenwriter murdered with his own pen!'

'I use a laptop,' Rik drawled drily, at the same time indicating the slim leather case he had placed in the overhead rack opposite.

'Even better,' Sapphie retaliated. 'It would make a rather good blunt instrument, and I bet all the blood could easily be washed off afterwards too.'

Rik gave a rueful smile. 'Vicious little thing, aren't you?'

'I believe I could be,' she acknowledged. 'Given the right circ.u.mstances.' Such as someone trying to take her son away from her!

She was sure that most mothers must feel this way, that well of fierce protective maternal love driving them from the minute it swept over them when their newborn child was placed in their arms. Sapphie knew it drove her, and it was a feeling that hadn't diminished in the slightest the last four years. In fact, it had probably grown stronger!

Which was why one part of her-the part that still loved him-wanted to be closer to Rik, while the other part of her-the part that knew how dangerous he was to her son's future-wanted to keep him at arm's length. If not further. Much further!

'But let's not talk about me,' she dismissed briskly. 'You mentioned that you've been working while you were in Paris...?'

'Writing the adapted screenplay for No Ordinary Boy,' he explained. 'A labour of love rather than work. My brother, Nik, recently married Jinx Nixon; she's related to the author of the book.'

'I saw their photograph in the newspapers,' Sapphie recalled, also remembering that moment of panic she had felt at the time when she'd realised how much alike the eldest and youngest Prince brothers were, both of them dark and steely-eyed. 'They looked very happy together.'

'They are,' Rik agreed. 'I never thought I would see my big brother fall in love, but boy, when he did...!' He gave an affectionate shake of his head.

'I met him once,' Sapphie explained. 'It was when I was working for Jerome,' she elaborated at Rik's questioning glance. 'I remember Nik as being one of the most focused people I had ever met.'

'He still is,' Rik affirmed. 'But now he's focused on Jinx rather than anything else.'

'Lucky Jinx,' Sapphie murmured wistfully.

Rik looked at her searchingly. 'You aren't another one of the legion of women who've fallen for my big brother's arrogant elusiveness, are you?'

'Certainly not,' she was stung into replying. 'I admired his att.i.tude to his work.' Her cheeks became flushed. 'Anyway, I'm sure that's all changed now that he's married.'

'Jinx doesn't seem to have any complaints,' Rik agreed.

'Maybe she's already learnt not to,' Sapphie came back tartly. 'I certainly have no intention of ever becoming some man's possession.' She really had no idea whether or not Jinx and Nik's marriage was like that, her remark meant on a personal basis rather than as a criticism of their relations.h.i.+p.

She was her own person, and intended remaining that way. For Matthew's sake as well as her own.

'I don't think that's quite how it is with Nik and Jinx,' Rik rebuked her lightly. 'Jinx is far too strong a character to be dominated in that way. For instance, Nik is the one who has moved to England, s.h.i.+fting the base of Prince Movies to there. Jinx's work is in the UK, and so is her father. Who, incidentally, lives with them.' Having declared his love for Jinx, Nik's commitment had been total.

That sort of loving was obviously a family trait, Rik recognised-except that he had been in love with totally the wrong woman for the last five years!

No, perhaps that was being a little hard on himself. Until yesterday, the woman he'd loved had had Dee's face and body. But after another twenty-four hours spent in her company, he'd come to know that the woman he had loved wasn't real at all.

The woman he'd thought he loved had fire tempered with vulnerability, valued honesty above everything else. Dee wasn't that woman. She had lied to him about so much five years ago-about her family, as well as her reasons for marrying Jerome; so how could he now believe a single word she said?

It was going to take some adjusting to, but he knew with certainty that he really wasn't in love with Dee any more. If he ever really had been...

'You don't have to defend your brother to me, Rik,' Sapphie a.s.sured him. 'My opinion of him is totally irrelevant. I met Nik once; I'm unlikely to meet him again.'

Rik tensed. 'How can you be so sure about that?'

'Because people like the Prince brothers have no part in my day-to-day life.'

In other words, he wasn't going to have any part in her day-to-day life, then, either. Not that Sapphie had made any secret of the fact that she wasn't pleased to see him again after all this time. But still it hurt to be dismissed by her in this casual way.

'I'm a Prince brother, and I seem to be part of your life at this moment,' he pointed out mildly.

She gave a nervous smile. 'Once we reach London, and have gone our separate ways, I doubt there will be any reason for the two of us to ever meet again.'

Her tone implied that couldn't happen soon enough, as far as she was concerned. Which irritated Rik intensely!

'I was hoping that you might have dinner with me this evening?' he offered challengingly.

Sapphie gave him a startled look, too surprised to even try to hide her reaction. 'Why on earth would you want me to do that?' she said incredulously. 'More to the point,' she went on, 'why on earth would you think I would want to have dinner with you, this evening or any other time?' She looked totally stunned by the suggestion.

Rik felt himself scowling darkly. 'Look, I know I behaved badly five years ago, Sapphie-'

'I would rather not talk about that, if you don't mind!' she hissed forcefully, before shooting a pointed look in the direction of the still dozing Dee and Jerome.