Once a Princess

Chapter 22

It was almost dark before Stefan directed them off the plantation road to find a suitable spot to make camp that night. Not so far back they had passed another plantation at which they could probably have spent the night, but since no one suggested they even try, Tanya could only conclude she was the reason they were going to rough it instead. They simply didn't trust her when other people were around. Actually, they didn't trust her, period, as she found when she asked if she could have a few moments alone in the bushes.

One of the things they had purchased along with the provisions was a long rope, likely Stefan's idea, since he was the one who tied it to her wrist and kept hold of the other end before he was willing to let her out of his sight. But she had to talk, sing, or hum continuously, he didn't care which, as long as he could hear her. That was taking precautions a bit far as far as she was concerned, but she did as he had instructed, well aware that he would come charging into the shrubs after her if she didn't.

She chose merely to count numbers aloud, and was back before she had reached fifty. She didn't even consider cutting the rope from her wrist while she had the chance, not when they were all up and alert. But she was going to escape tonight, somehow, and preferably with one of the horses if she could manage it. She just hadn't yet figured out how, and was shying away from the obvious conclusion that she would have to seriously hurt whoever had the watch when she was ready to go. Serge and Lazar? She couldn't hurt them, for they seemed to be merely following the orders of the two cousins. Vasili? Without a qualm. Stefan? She just wasn't sure.

Blankets had been spread out on the ground when she returned from the bushes and presented her wrist to Stefan so he could untie the rope. Serge was just lighting a fire, and Lazar was taking out the extra cooked meal they had brought along — a ham, sweet potatoes, and several loaves of sweet-smelling bread. They had bought enough provisions to last a week, along with a few cooking utensils and several rifles to supply fresh game. But from what she had heard in the general conversation that went on around her during the day, none of them knew how to cook. She wondered how much fuss she ought to put up before she agreed to do the task for them. None. She wasn't going to be there for another meal if she could help it.

They were settling down on their blankets around the fire, hers too damn close to Stefan's, in her opinion, when he asked her to dance for them. Tanya was so surprised by the request, she didn't answer for a moment. The man had been rotten to her all day, from his nasty insinuations that morning to his diabolical lessons in the afternoon. And whatever had attracted him to her before was gone now, so she couldn't figure out why he would want to watch her dance. Unless this was another attempt to humiliate her somehow. If she agreed, would he suggest she remove her clothes first?

It made her angry that that might be his motive, angry enough to reply, "For all of you, no. For your king — if he insists."

She said it merely to get back at Stefan, and because she was positive Vasili wouldn't ask it of her, not even to relieve boredom. That would, after all, be admitting that he had liked her dance, and Vasili wouldn't do that when he despised everything about her.

But she wasn't sure her answer had had the desired effect on Stefan. His expression didn't change. And his voice was no more than moderately dry when he spoke.

"Our king is too exhausted to appreciate it, is that not so, your Majesty?"

Vasili took one look at Stefan and said, "If I wasn't, I am now," and turned over to sleep.

Tanya heard a chuckle from Lazar on the other side of the fire, but he, too, turned his back on them. Serge, on her left, did likewise. That they were all three already going to sleep told her that Stefan had the first watch. And when she glanced back at him, it was to find him still reclined on his blanket, resting on one elbow and watching her.

"Will you reconsider?" he asked as their eyes met and held, and a tension suddenly built.

Oddly enough, Tanya became flustered, thinking about dancing just for him. Could she make him want her again if she did? Did she want him to want her again?

The drift of her thoughts was annoying under the circumstances. But she couldn't deny it. He might not find her desirable any longer, but she couldn't say the same. Unfortunately, she still found him very attractive, and right now even more so, lying there with his jacket and waistcoat removed, his cravat long since discarded, a wave of black hair falling over one brow, and his sherrygold eyes becoming more and more intense with her silence.

But recalling his question, and that she wasn't likely to ever see him again after tonight, she finally shook her head in answer. And she refused to regret it. He might be the only man who had ever stirred up her innards, but the very fact that he could do that made him more dangerous to her than any other man. Because a man didn't fit into her future plans, no man did, and this one in particular, with his lies, his arrogance — his utter contempt for her. She had to be a little bit crazy even to consider enticing him.

All he did was shrug in response to her second refusal, but a moment later he sat up and said, "Then come here."

Her eyes narrowed on him suspiciously. She was already closer to him than she wanted to be, her blanket placed right alongside his.

"Why?"

"I will prepare you for sleep." He was drawing the rope across his lap as he said this, adding, "I regret the necessity, Tanya, but there is no reason for any of us to lose sleep now that we have this."

"This" was the rope. When she realized that he meant to tie her up with it, she almost laughed. Thank God she hadn't offered to hunt for food that morning, for she would have had to reveal her hidden knife to do so. That knife was now going to get her out of this mess with no trouble at all, because they would all be sound asleep, thinking her secure for the night.

She crawled closer to him, slowly, so as to appear reluctant about it. "Is this really necessary?"

"Absolutely," he assured her. "Unless you would like to sleep under me?"

That he could say something like that now was infuriating, especially since he didn't mean it, and was no doubt being sarcastic, but hearing it still set her pulses racing.

She just managed to keep from screeching at him to go to hell, and instead purred, "Oh, I don't know. I'm used to being weighted down, but you might not find it a very comfortable sleeping arrangement. "

That apparently struck a sore nerve, for his lips tightened, his jaw clenched, and his eyes were definitely starting to glow. Interesting. Why would references to her familiarity with men still bother him? Damn, his attitude made no sense. It never did. Even when he had wanted her, he hadn't liked thinking she was a whore — except for that first night. It hadn't bothered him when he was willing to pay for her services, had it? In fact, that night he'd seemed glad enough that she was supposedly a whore.

She ought to prove the matter to his satisfaction before she left them. That would set him back on his ear, wouldn't it, in showing him how wrong they were about her. It would give her something to gloat about— Where did these thoughts keep coming from? The last thing she needed was to come away from this experience with knowledge of fornicating. It was bad enough that she'd found out how nice kissing could be.

She thrust out one hand to him, but he didn't take it, merely waited, so she reluctantly gave him the other. He made quick work of wrapping the rope around her wrists several times before he began tying knots that even he wouldn't be able to untie in the morning. That done, he proceeded to wrap the other end of the rope around his waist half a dozen times.

Tanya hadn't expected that, but all was not lost. There was about a foot of rope left between her hands and his chest, more than enough to enable her to raise her knees and reach her boot without touching him. But being tied to Stefan's waist left her facing him, and he her, and if he should happen to turn over once he was asleep, he'd pull her hands with him. Well, she'd just have to pull him back in that case — or be gone before it happened.

She lay down now since Stefan did, and instantly discovered the disadvantages to this arrangement. It wasn't very comfortable lying on her side without the support of at least one arm for her head. And if she had actually wanted to go to sleep, she would have found it next to impossible with Stefan so close, watching her. And he was watching her. His eyes were no longer glowing. They were shadowed now that the firelight wasn't shining directly on him. She could still make out his features clearly, but, unfortunately, nothing of his thoughts or his mood. Yet she had the feeling he wanted to say something, or was waiting for her to say something. Theirs was an intimate arrangement, after all, cozy even, almost private, and obviously neither of them was the least bit sleepy yet.

She tested her conclusion, asking, "When are you going to own up to the real reason I'm here?"

"When are you going to accept that you are a royal princess?"

Stalemate. "Good night, Stefan. "

"Would you like to know some of your family's history?" he inquired softly.

She closed her eyes against the temptation to believe that he might really know something of her true family. But of course he didn't. Anything he told her would be a creation for his own benefit.

"Don't bother," she said with just a tinge of bitterness, adding, "Iris used to make up stories for me when she put me to bed, but Dobbs made her stop when he found out about it. He didn't want me growing up soft and fanciful."

"So you grew up hard and...?"

"Pragmatic."

"I would have said skeptical."

"That too."

"And distrustful?"

"I never thought about it, but I guess so," she said. "What about you?"

"Arrogant," he said without the slightest hesitancy.

She looked at him now and smiled. "You admit it.

"I am well aware of my faults, little Tanya."

"Do you have so many, then?"

"Wouldn't you say so?"

"Oh, I don't know. I suppose... but I think I'm getting used to some of them. Your temper, for instance. "

Now, why had she said that? Mentioning his temper could only make them both think of making love. And his hands weren't tied. She was within his reach. God, what a stimulating thought.

"Good night, Tanya."

The curtness in his voice told her plain enough he didn't like the reminder. Tanya closed her eyes again and sighed inwardly.

Goodbye, Stefan.