He smiled. “Yes.”
“Your philosophy is sad, and makes your life sound lonely.”
He shook his head. “Not at all. I might not believe in everlasting love, but I do wholeheartedly believe in romance.”
She sighed with disgust. “You mean sex.”
“No. I mean romance. Sweetheart notes. Flowers. Exciting trips. Carriage rides. Whispered secrets while tangled in satin sheets. Gifts. Stolen kisses.” He smiled at her. “Romance.”
Merry nearly swooned. Alexander Rochelle was adorable. Which made it doubly sad that his life was lonely. “You don’t mind that your relationships end? I mean, aren’t there problems?”
“Nothing that can’t be solved with an honest conversation. Plus, before I start anything with a woman, I’m very open about expectations.”
Confused because he didn’t sound sad, or lonely, or even slightly bothered by his life choice, Merry asked, “And you like it that way?”
“I love it that way! Merry, I’ve courted some of the most beautiful women in the world. I’m still friendly with most of them. Love doesn’t have to be difficult. A person simply needs to understand when it’s time to walk away.”
Gazing at his handsome face, partially shadowed in the moonlight, Merry swallowed. That was another lesson she had learned from seven years as a matchmaker. Not every attraction ended in love. But that didn’t make those liaisons wrong. People could enjoy a romantic short-term fling as long as both parties recognized when it was time to let go.
Given that circumstances in Alexander’s life had hurt him enough to preclude him from taking the final step, which was complete trust, Merry had to concede that this life might be right for him. Because of knowing how and when to let go, he was a well adjusted, brilliant, romantic—yet realistic—man, and Merry suddenly wished with all her heart that she could have one of those temporary but romantic love affairs with him.
Because that wasn’t a good idea for many, many reasons, she took a pace back. “You better return to the wedding.”
He smiled softly. “Not before I kiss you good-night.”
Merry’s mouth fell open and she was absolutely positive her heart stopped. He couldn’t want to kiss her! She was an obnoxious crone! Worse, her appearance could be changing even as they spoke. If he kissed her and realized she was young, how would she explain it?
She couldn’t let him kiss her! It was insane!
She stepped back again, but he caught her gloved hand and lifted her fingers to his lips.
“Thank you, Merry, for doing such a wonderful job at the resort. I hope you will be with us for many, many years to come.”
He let her fingers slide from his grip, turned and walked down the path again. A lone figure, bathed in moonlight, striding through the thick tropical foliage.
Tears filled Merry’s eyes. He seemed well adjusted. He even exuded an air of sophisticated control. Yet, there was also an incompleteness about him. He might not want or even need a permanent relationship, but he’d never had a great love, and he never would because he would never trust the way he should.
Whether Alexander understood it or not, he was under as much of a curse as she was.
Merry’s first thought when she woke the next morning was pure grief that she would never be romantic with Alexander Rochelle. She rubbed her eyes wearily, but she didn’t feel the loose skin of her aged hand shift across her eyelids as it normally did. Instead, smooth, solid flesh greeted her.
Remembering that the lifelong commitment of Rick and Cynthia broke her curse and that she had begun to feel the changes to her appearance the night before, Merry shot up in bed. She looked down at her hands and saw slim fingers and barely lined palms. She flipped them over to reveal tight-skinned knuckles.
She tossed aside the covers and virtually flew to the mirror.
Dear God! She was tall again, shapely again, unwrinkled, unbent, tight-skinned, supple-muscled, auburn-haired and…gorgeous!
She was Princess Meredith Montrosa Bessart!
She could go home!
She could call her father! He would undoubtedly send a plane for her that day, and tomorrow morning she would wake up in her own bed. She could contact Prince Alec….
And never see Alexander Rochelle again.
All her excitement faded and she drooped in front of the mirror as if she were still Merry Montrose. Damn it! Just when she had everything worked out, just when she had everything figured out, life threw the monkey wrench of Alexander Rochelle into the works.
She flopped onto her bed. Facing the glass double doors to the private patio of her villa, she saw the swaying palms of southwest Florida, and beyond the white sand, the blue waves of the Gulf, and her chest tightened.
Alexander.
The man simply made her heart hurt with longing. Prince Alec was her sworn duty, and never, ever would she consider shirking her responsibility. Never, ever would she make Alec feel that being his wife and partner was anything less than joy. She wanted to be Prince Alec’s wife. She wanted to fulfill her roles.
But Alexander made her yearn. He made her long for things she’d never felt and never would feel because Prince Alec was not a love match. Though she was sure she would grow to love Alec, she didn’t know if she would ever have romantic feelings for him, and because of the betrothal promise, he was her match for eternity.
She rose to pace. Eternity was a long time. She didn’t want to spend eternity, or even the rest of her life, regretting that she’d never known romantic love. From observing the couples she had matched, she was also now wise enough to see that a person had to be ready for the love of honor, duty, responsibility and maturity. Her couples were lucky in that they seemed to combine both romantic love and the love of honor, but princesses weren’t always that blessed. Her destiny wasn’t that of a normal woman. Though she had to admit it seemed odd that fate had thrown Alexander in her path right when it was time to commit.
She paused by her bed. It did seem odd.
She began to pace again. In her seven years as matchmaker, she’d seen the roles of fate and magic in each union, and if there was one thing she had learned it was that fate didn’t make mistakes or arrange anything without a purpose. Which meant Alexander had crossed her path at this precise point in her life for a reason.
A reason.
She paused again. Of course! It was so simple!
She was about to enter a life of duty and responsibility. And gladly. She wasn’t merely being a good sport about this. She was committing with her heart and soul. And fate was rewarding her.
Or maybe fate was preparing her? If she truly was forfeiting romantic love, maybe fate was preparing her by gifting her with one season of romantic love? Something to fulfill her girlhood fantasies so she would be ready for her adult responsibilities.
That had to be it. There couldn’t be any other explanation. Fate didn’t torture. It didn’t dangle something in front of a person to be cruel. Fate led, guided and rewarded.
Alexander Rochelle was her reward.
She had even wished for it the night before. When he walked her home and told her his theory of romance, she had wished to experience romance as intense as it would be with him.
She gasped when she realized fate had granted her plea, and her brain kicked into overdrive. To take advantage of this gift of fate, Merry had a lot of preparing to do. She was no longer the Merry the staff was expecting, but she was still the resort manager. She couldn’t leave La Torchere in a lurch. In fact, she could probably