aunt could retire.
It was so simple, so perfect, that Merry smiled. But her gaze collided with the cell phone on her bedside table and her smile turned to a look of confusion. As a crone, she’d used that magic cell phone to arrange everything from good weather to accidental meetings. She’d even had it repaired after a bout of frustration had left it in shambles.
Things would be a lot easier with Alexander Rochelle if…
No. It wouldn’t be fair to manipulate Alexander with magic….
That thought made her frown. Part of the reason it was a gift to be a Silestia royal was the magic she had at her disposal. And changing the weather to suit a picnic or arranging accidental meetings wasn’t the same as hypnotizing Alexander or dousing him with love potion number nine….
No. For some reason using her magic just didn’t seem right. In fact, she was so sure it was inappropriate that she walked to the bedside table intending to stash the cell phone so she wouldn’t be tempted, but the screen was blinking.
Don’t waste your time,
Looking for a helpful rhyme.
No curse, no phone.
If you want love, find it on your own.
Well, that settled that. She didn’t have access to the magic she’d been given as a crone, and she hadn’t been fully schooled in her family’s magic because she’d been a crone for most of the time she should have been at her father’s knee, learning her family’s legacy. But it didn’t matter. She’d never needed magic to entice a man before.
She tossed the cell phone into the drawer of the bedside table and eyed herself critically in the full-length mirror.
Her first order of business was getting some decent clothes so she could go to the front desk and announce she was Merry Montrose’s niece who was replacing her retiring aunt.
Her second was finding Alexander Rochelle and giving him the great romance of his life, becoming the woman he remembered forever.
Chapter Two
After a shower, Merry ran to La Torchere’s boutique and purchased several outfits, which she instructed the staff to deliver to her villa. Then she scooted to the resort salon for a haircut, manicure and new makeup.
When she returned home, she found the three boxes from the boutique sitting on her bed and immediately shimmied into a formfitting teal suit. The color intensified the radiance of her auburn hair. Plus, the suit’s fitted jacket and flirty short skirt were sexy enough that when she met Alexander to introduce herself as the replacement for her “Aunt Merry” she would make the impression she wanted to make.
By the time she finally strode up the cobblestone walk to the main lobby of the hotel, it was nearly noon. Her sleek, shoulder-length auburn hair had been styled to curve seductively around her face. A hint of mascara on her long black lashes accented her violet-blue eyes. Her lips were moist and dewy with her favorite lip gloss, and her pink-tipped toes peeked out of sexy white sandals.
It felt so good to be her real self that Merry could have wept. She would never take her youth, beauty or very lucky lot in life for granted again.
She stepped up to the glass double door of the lobby and it automatically opened. The roar of the three-story fountain in the center greeted her. Warm, honey-hued wood furniture with plump teal-and-cream-colored cushions surrounded a white baby grand piano. Lush tropical plants separated conversation areas.
Her heels tapped sensually on the shimmering forest-green tiles as she walked to the discrete front desk. Laying her perfect twenty-nine-year-old hand with brand new French nails on the golden oak counter, Merry said, “Hi. I’m Merry Montrose’s niece.”
Andi Jones, Merry’s pride and joy, the clerk she had personally trained, smiled in welcome. Andi’s navy skirt and white blouse were as crisp and professional as her polished manners. “Good afternoon, Ms. Montrose. I assume your aunt made reservations for you.”
“Actually, no.” Merry smiled briefly, adopting the authoritative manner she’d perfected as Merry Montrose. “She hired me to take her place.”
Andi’s smile slipped, but didn’t completely fade. “Excuse me?”
“Last night my aunt became ill at the wedding. Planning the reception exhausted her, so she called me. I arrived just before dawn to find her badly in need of a rest. She told me she wanted to retire, so I made arrangements for her to go home.”
“I see.”
“And I’m taking her place—at least long enough to find a real replacement for her. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my office.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Merry almost turned away, but stopped herself. She wasn’t Merry Montrose, the cursed crone who knew this resort like the back of her hand. She was supposed to be Merry’s niece, a woman who had only arrived at the resort that morning.
She faced Andi again. “Could you show me to my office?”
Andi smiled politely and said, “Certainly, ma’am.” But from behind Merry, Alexander Rochelle said, “Why don’t you allow me?”
Merry’s eyes widened. Darn it! Two minutes into her charade and she was already facing the ultimate test! Alexander Rochelle. As resort manager “Aunt Merry” might have had the power to hire her replacement, but Merry knew that as resort owner Alexander had final approval. She had hoped to establish herself with the staff before she “met” Alexander, so she would have the leverage of already being in place. Now she had nothing.
Still, if there was one thing she’d learned from her years as a matchmaker, it was that the best-laid plans could go astray. Fortunately, she had also learned she could handle anything life threw at her. She took a quick breath and faced Alexander.
As always, he was absolutely perfect. His light blue sport shirt complemented his pale blue eyes and blond hair. He left the first two buttons of the shirt open and might have appeared a bit too casual for his position as resort owner, but his creased khaki trousers and shiny brown loafers gave him the polish that kept his look sophisticated and professional.
Seeing him, Merry felt the air whoosh out of her lungs and for several seconds she couldn’t speak. But that turned out to be very lucky because she had time to register that Alexander wasn’t smiling at her, as he had been the night before when he walked “Aunt Merry” to her villa. He wasn’t even smiling at her because she looked good in her teal suit and sexy white sandals. In fact, he appeared to be furious.
Either he was horribly upset that Merry Montrose had quit or he wasn’t happy that “Aunt Merry” had hired her own replacement—and a niece no less. Princess Merry almost groaned at her stupidity. She should have realized Alexander Rochelle wouldn’t take kindly to nepotism.
Alexander stared in amazement at the woman in front of him, unsure if he could contain his anger. After all these years, his betrothed, Princess Meredith Bessart, had the nerve to show up at his door. No announcement. No explanation. No warning. Just “Hello, I’m here to take over as manager of your resort.”
As if he were going to let that happen!
Not about to let this woman make a fool of him as she had the night of her coming-out ball because he’d reacted from emotion, not logic, Alexander counted to one hundred, attempting to control his temper. But it was no use. He was livid. How dare she just stroll in and take over his resort!
“I’m sorry,” Princess Meredith said, smiling brightly as she extended her hand to him in the standard American greeting. “But I didn’t get your name.”
Alexander’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t know him?
Actually, that was possible. He’d been as far underground as she had been for the past seven years. There weren’t pictures documenting his growth from a gangly twenty-four-year-old to the seasoned