He gave her a simple canvas bag to use for packing some of her new clothes and warned her to limit herself to three items.
“We won’t have room for much,” he said. “We’ll be traveling on a big old Harley Davidson.”
“A motorcycle?” she said in surprise.
He nodded. “They won’t be expecting that. We’ll be able to sail right past them.” He looked her over quickly. “Tie your hair back with something that covers the color,” he advised. “And wear jeans.”
She did as he had suggested, feeling oddly excited. He went into his room to change, and when he came back she gasped. She hardly recognized this tough-looking man with a swagger and a leather jacket. He had on a pair of large aviator sunglasses and had slicked his hair back.
“Wow,” she said, feeling a bit shy and tongue-tied.
“That’s your favorite word, isn’t it?” he mentioned, teasing her. He found a smaller, more stylish leather jacket among the clothes on her rack and handed it to her. “Here. You’ll need it. We’re going up into the mountains.”
“Into the mountains?” On the back of a motorcycle, holding on to Prince Andre for dear life. This went beyond anything she’d ever dreamed of.
They were ready in moments, and in the elevator, heading down. But before they reached ground level Prince Andre pushed a button, and suddenly they were emerging into a stairway down to a tunnel that seemed to wind its way through the inner workings of the building. After walking for what seemed like miles, they reached a parking garage Julienne knew must be far from their starting point. He led her through a series of small rooms, and finally there was the Harley.
All black paint and chrome, it gleamed like something alive and aware, and she shivered a little, looking at it. But before long she was riding that same scary machine, and just as she’d supposed she had her arms wrapped around Andre. It was purely heaven.
Andre was feeling the spirit as well. It was amazing how free one could feel, flying across the pavement on a huge motorcycle. And with Julienne hanging on, her hands making themselves noticed around his torso—what could be better?
By now the driver at the convent would have told them she was missing. Mother Superior was probably terrified of telling him. He ought to put her out of her misery. But he would let Rolfo deal with all of that.
Dawn was just breaking as they left the city, climbing higher and higher into the surrounding mountains. They found a small roadside store and stopped to ask if there was a place to get breakfast. The storekeeper had a small kitchen in the back, and he whipped them up eggs and country sausage served in a flatbread wrap.
“Delicious,” Julienne declared, and then she pestered the storekeeper until he finally divulged the secret seasonings he had used.
She made Andre laugh. A princess who cared about cooking. Unique. Watching her, he thought of what had happened the night before, how her tremulous visit had turned into a kiss that had shown his hand like nothing else could. Did she remember? Did she think of it? Or was it just another passing experience in her young life, something of a stepping stone to her full adulthood? He wasn’t sure. If only things were different he would take her right now and hold her in his arms and never let her go. But things were what they were, and that was more than impossible. It would be treason.
“Where is it that we’re going?” she asked him as they prepared to take off again.
“Ultimately the lake house,” he said, glancing around the parking area to make sure no one could overhear him. “But first we’re going to visit my cousin Giselle. You may not remember her.”
She shook her head, trying to think but not coming up with anyone. “The name sounds a bit familiar, but.”
“She’s Alphonso’s half-sister.”
“What? I didn’t know Alphie had a sister.”
“Different mothers,” he said shortly. “Twelve years ago she was the most famous princess in the Western world. The papers were full of stories about her. She had suitors from all over—royalty, movie stars, rich industrialists. She was so beautiful, so accomplished.” He smiled, remembering how stunning she’d been. Those had been happy days. But happy days never lasted long in Gemania.
“And,” he added, “she was one of my best friends.”
That got her attention. “What happened to her?”
He held her gaze steadily with his own. “She threw it