Read Online Hand-Me-Down Princess by Carol Moncado - Free Book Online Page B

her arm and took her hand. “I think she’d be pleased.”
    “Did you know Kai means rejoice in Finnish.”
    Malachi chuckled. “How do you know what Kai means in Finnish?”
    “This guy in high school did a presentation on his family history and the meanings of their names. It also means ocean in Hawaiian. There’s several other meanings, too, like strong or triumphant or food. But I don’t remember which languages.”
    Strong. Triumphant. Rejoice. Malachi liked those, and he liked that Jessabelle would call him that. He moved closer to her, glad she hadn’t taken a seat. “I like that, Mia Belle .”
    Another blush. “I do, too.”
    Tipping her chin up, he bent over and covered her lips with his. A second kiss for the record books. A small mewl sounded in the back of her throat as she slid her arms around his waist. One of his hands anchored on her lower back, holding her close, as the other hand ran up her back to cup her neck. The kiss built, and Malachi longed to take it further, but his father’s words niggled in the back of his mind.
    Do not get physically involved with the girl.
    “The girl” was his wife. But something about his father’s words made him loosen his grip on her and reduce the intensity. “I don’t really have a surprise,” he confessed, feathering kisses against her eyelids. “I hope you don’t mind.”
    “I don’t.” Her breathy voice made him want to kiss her again, but he couldn’t let himself.
    “Then why don’t you go freshen up, and I’ll have breakfast sent in here. Leave them wondering about what it could be.”
    His arms wrapped around her, holding her close. She continued to hold onto him as she rested her head against his chest. After a few moments, she stepped back. “That was nice. Thanks.”
    “My pleasure.” He started to walk to the closet but turned. “What would you say if we did something a bit crazy?”
    “Crazy?”
    Malachi turned the idea over in his head. “We don’t have to stay here. We don’t have to go to one of the other residences, and I know you said you’d never been to this part of the country, but what if we took off all together? With your father’s health, I can’t imagine you would want to go to a whole different hemisphere, but we have homes in both Montevaro and Ravenzario. What if we went to Ravenzario? Our house is on the far southern end, right on the Mediterranean.”
    Jessabelle nodded. “I think that would be wonderful.”
    He smiled at her. “Then let’s go.”

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 8
     
    Jessabelle walked up the steps to the family plane the next afternoon. She didn’t know if Prince Malachi had told his father, or if he’d objected to their flight out of the country. He’d seemed to like the idea of Kai as a nickname, but she still hadn’t worked up the nerve to call him anything yet. She would be most comfortable calling him Prince Malachi, but she didn’t think he would like that. Malachi seemed too casual. Kai really seemed too casual, and she still had no idea what she’d been thinking when she suggested it.
    Mia Belle she liked.
    A steward showed her where to sit and handed her a folder. “A guest flyer packet for your first trip, ma’am.”
    “Thank you.” She maneuvered the seat belt into position as Prince Malachi chuckled.
    “We’re not quite that ready to go yet. Would you like something to drink? Perhaps a glass of wine?”
    After she nodded, he poured her a glass of Mevendian Moscata, a high quality brand she’d never tried before. Ten minutes later, the steward gave a final warning if either of them needed to use the restroom. Five minutes after that, she was pressed back into her seat as the plane took to the sky. The flight didn’t take long and in just a couple of hours, they were back on the ground, being whisked through a Ravenzarian town in the back of a limo. The gates opened in front of them, and Jessabelle got her first look at the house. Not nearly as large or grandiose