The Prince's Devious Proposal - Holly Rayner Page 0,17

and paying my own way. So when my music career dried up, I had to find work, and I had to learn how to live on my own income, just like anyone else.”

“I see,” Petr said.

“Now boarding flight 462 to Barcelona,” a voice cut in over the lounge’s loudspeaker, curtailing the rest of the conversation.

Naomi was glad. It made her feel awkward to talk about her parents’ money. The truth was that she was glad to have spent the last six years living on only what she had earned herself. At least, when she looked around her little condo, she could take pride in it. She could feel like she deserved it.

I suppose I’ll be getting a call about Mom’s will any day now.

But she pushed that thought away. Dealing with her mother’s will would mean going through her mother’s things, dividing them up with Sarah, packing her mother’s life away for good. It would be painful and exhausting, a fact she knew all too well from having been through it already with her father’s belongings. Naomi didn’t mind at all that the lawyers were taking an inordinately long time with the inheritance. She could wait.

She joined Petr, and together they walked down the jetway and into the first-class area of the plane. A flight attendant showed them to two seats in the center aisle.

“Take your pick,” Petr said chivalrously.

Naomi was a bit stunned by what she was looking at. “Are these really our seats?”

“Is something wrong with them?” Petr asked, obviously concerned. “Did you want a window?”

“No, it’s just—these seats are huge!”

“This is what first-class seats are like,” Petr said with a laugh, the tension on his face easing. “Come on, sit down.”

She did, extending her legs all the way out in front of her. “There’s so much legroom!”

“The seat folds down into a bed,” Petr explained. “The flight attendant will help us switch them whenever we’re ready.”

“Wow,” Naomi said. “I think I would have been able to sleep just fine with the seat the way it is now. It’s practically an armchair!”

The flight attendant appeared. “Can I get you a couple of drinks before we take off?”

“Um—” Naomi stammered, unprepared.

“How about a martini and a cosmopolitan?” Petr asked breezily. “Can you do that?”

“Of course,” the attendant said with a smile. “I’ll be right back.”

Naomi turned to Petr, surprised. “You remembered what drink I like.”

“It was only a few days ago,” he pointed out.

“I guess I’m just used to men who don’t pay that much attention to me.”

“Well, I pay a lot of attention to you,” he said with his trademark charming smile.

“I’m starting to realize that.”

“Does it bother you?”

“It’s…different,” she said. “But good different.” Feeling a little awkward, she reached for a change of subject. “You knew we were going to be asked for our drink orders, didn’t you? You didn’t seem surprised.”

“Of course,” he said. “That always happens.”

“Not in coach,” she said. “Back there, you don’t get drink service until the plane reaches cruising altitude.”

“That sounds annoying,” Petr said.

“Well, sure, if you’re used to this kind of service,” Naomi said. “I guess that’s why my parents didn’t fly our family first class. They didn’t want me to grow up thinking this was normal and then have to downgrade.”

“That makes sense,” Petr said. “I grew up with this level of luxury, and the idea of flying coach does feel like a downgrade to me. But I suppose people manage it all the time and don’t suffer too badly.”

“This is definitely an improvement, though,” Naomi said. “I have to admit, I was nervous about this being such a long flight. I thought I would be really uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to let you see that because you were so generous to buy the ticket. But there’s no way I could be uncomfortable in these seats!”

Petr laughed. “I’m glad you like them,” he said.

“I can’t believe you thought I was going to complain about not having a window seat.”

He shrugged. “Some people like the window,” he said. “If I was traveling alone, I would have booked a window seat. I chose these middle seats so that we could sit together.” He pointed out a seat by the window—it was a single seat, without a pair.

“I’m not saying it’s strange to want to sit by the window,” Naomi clarified. “I just can’t believe you thought I would complain after you bought me a first-class ticket to Europe. I’m not like that at all.”

“I’m just glad you agreed to come with