Found: His Royal Baby

believe me, I appreciate it.”

But his mind was on other things.

“There’s a problem with Carla,” he finally told her after she probed to find out what was bothering him.

She threw up her hands. “Well, of course there’s a problem with Carla. Carla was born to make trouble. She can’t help it.”

He led her out through the open French doors, into the artificial forest at the edge of the terrace.

“Dane,” she said, looking around and realizing he’d brought her out beyond the edge of the lights from the ballroom, out into the shadows where no one else had ventured. “Why are we out here?”

He smiled down at her, cradling her body with

man in the ballroom will fall instantly in love with you.”

“That’s not what I’m going for,” she answered sensibly. “I just want to spend a little time soaking up the atmosphere. It’s been so long—since before the war started—since I’ve been to a ball like this. It’s just for fun.”

Her thick, lustrous hair curled languorously around her shoulders, and she pushed it back

ped her with the dress Carla had found for her. The fabric was a pale-green silk embroidered with tiny seed pearls. The skirt was full but the neckline swooped down low, showing lots of cleavage and leaving her shoulders bare. She pulled on long gloves and slipped her feet into soft dancing shoes.

“You’re so gorgeous,” Grace gushed. “Every

ed to go. “I’m glad to be home.”

Her smile froze on her face as she watched him disappear out the door. Home. Of course. This place was as much home to him as it was to her—and that meant under previous ownership. But

“I’m not. You should kiss me while you’ve got the chance.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “So you can say you did. When are you likely to have another captive you want to make out with?”

She was caught by his gaze and she just couldn’t look away. Her heart was beating faster. “Who says I want to make out with you

was in the center of everything.

He froze, still as a statue. She was just as he’d remembered her: thick, mahogany-red hair swirled riotously around her beautiful face in deep, extravagant curls; eyes as green as precious emeralds glittered beneath long dark lashes, all set