The Playboy Prince and the Nanny (Royal Duology 1)

Rose wasn’t able to refuse Stephani. Diego had been easier, but now, with the dress, and everything Stephani had said . . . surely Rose could enjoy getting dressed up, eating a delightful dinner, having a piece of whatever delectable cake Senora Ortiz was planning, and then calling it an evening when the children had to leave for bed.

Surely she could do her job and put her relationship with Diego to the side for a few hours.

“Would I be sitting close to Diego?”

Stephani shook her head. “No. Raoul will be in the middle, with his father on his right, and Diego beside him. The children will be on his left, and you at the end. Opposite sides of the table. There doesn’t have to be any tension. Just come. Raoul is so grateful for how you’ve been with the children. He wants you to be there, Rose.”

“He sent you? Not Diego?”

“Raoul did. I promise.”

That was the clincher, then. “You could have said so before,” Rose replied, lifting her chin. “Raoul is my boss.”

“But then I wouldn’t have known how you feel about Diego.” Stephani grinned. “Someone around here should have a shot at the fairy tale.”

Rose looked at Stephani closely. “What about you, then? No husband? No boyfriend?” She grinned. “No Prince Charming?”

Stephani smiled, but Rose saw sadness behind it. “Oh, not for me,” she replied. “I gave my heart away quite a while ago. It hasn’t come back to me yet.”

Rose wanted to ask her about it, but she needed to get the dress off and figure out what she was going to wear for jewelry and how she was going to do her hair. With a quick hug of gratitude, she sent Stephani on her way and then stood in front of the full-length mirror, her eyes and cheeks bright with anticipation.

She was going to the ball. There was no carriage, no glass slippers, no clock chiming at midnight, but this was her first—perhaps her only—chance at a royal party.

* * *

Diego looked in the mirror outside the drawing room and straightened his bowtie one last time. He was used to wearing

a tux, but preferred to be more casual. Right now the tie was squeezing his neck and sitting a bit to one side. Frowning, he tried adjusting it again.

“Here, let me fix that. You’re going to mash it to bits.”

Stephani stepped up to him and reached for the silk edges of the tie. “You’re late. Your father and brother are already inside at the cocktail hour.”

“Sorry. I got tied up on the phone.”

“On your brother’s birthday?”

“Still having issues with the Tanzania group.” He chanced a look down at her. She was frowning, her tongue between her teeth, and gave his tie one last tug. Then she stepped back and smiled.

“Camila said you’ve been dealing with some issues there. Anything our office can help with?”

Diego shook his head. No way did he want Raoul’s help. If anything, he needed to prove he could do something of value all on his own. “I can handle it. But I’ll let you know if I get stuck and need a hand.”

She patted his arm. “Well, don’t let pride hold you back. And someday Raoul will appreciate you, Diego. It’ll come.”

“Thanks?” He gave her a sideways smile. “Okay, so who do I need to charm? Camila gave me the guest list but I put it in my desk and didn’t have a chance to look at it.”

She gave him the final rundown of the guest list, and he made his way into the drawing room, accepted a glass of white wine, and wished he could have something stronger. He knew Stephani had convinced Rose to come and he was nervous about seeing her again.

He scanned the room, looking for no one in particular, and took another drink of wine. Being without her for the last few days had been hell. He’d got used to seeing her at the end of the day. Seeing her smile, hearing her voice, kissing her lips. Watching her with the children. She was everything he’d always wanted, even though he wasn’t looking for it. She was running scared and he was . . .

He was falling in love. It should be scaring him to death but all he could think about was how he was going to convince her to stick with him. How was he going to break it to his father and brother that he’d fallen in love with the new nanny? What was he prepared to do to keep her by his side? He’d been thinking about it nonstop. He was the go-with-the-flow prince, but he’d never truly had anything worth fighting for before. The first step was being honest. But he hadn’t wanted to do it tonight. Tonight was too important, and Raoul needed support, not another complication on his plate.

Diego mingled for a good half hour, until everyone was called in to dinner. And at that moment Rose stepped to the door with Emilia and Max and his heart stopped.

Good God, they made a sight. Emilia in her pretty white dress with the blue sash, and Max in a little suit with a black tie and polished shoes. But Rose . . . she was a vision, in a color that was the same as her name but glittering with silver beads and crystals. She’d done something soft and romantic-looking with her hair, and she had the sexiest silver heels on her feet.

Raoul stepped to his side. “Roll your tongue back into your mouth, hermano.”