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  “I know, Dad,” she said, hoping to placate him.

  There was silence, and then he asked, “You are not going to make me a grandfather, are you, Jilly?”

  Jillian choked on the water and sat up. “Dad! Where the hell did that come from?”

  “Watch your mouth, young lady,” he reprimanded her. “And it’s crossed my mind. Not that I would complain if you were pregnant,” he continued. “We can help you raise the child without you getting shackled to some blue blood, Jilly. I’ll babysit. I’m retired now and have plenty of time for grandkids.”

  Jillian grinned. He was a wonderful grandfather to Sophia, her niece. “I would not be doing stunts while pregnant, Dad. What an idea.”

  “Then what’s the big hurry? Is he the one pushing you to marry so soon? It’s not right. You know what they say about rash decisions and regrets.”

  “Lex is not like that, Dad. He’s giving and nice, and a really great guy. I’m crazy about him.”

  “I’m crazy about Irish whiskey. You don’t see me married to it. Get to know the man. His family. His values.”

  “I love him, Dad,” the words slipped out, and Jillian blinked. Then she grinned. How had she not seen it? Saying them out loud just made her realize the truth. She hadn’t agreed to marry Lex for real because of the sex or the money. In fact, she couldn’t say when it had stopped being about sex. Her heart was his. “I love Lex Fitzgerald,” Jillian added, grinning.

  “I was afraid of that.” Her father sounded resigned. He hadn’t said anything about Lex since the day Jillian told him they were getting married. That was a little over a week ago. He’d made it clear he didn’t approve of her announcement at the time, but she’d assumed that was all in the past, that he’d accepted her decision. Lex must convince him he loved her or her father was going to be difficult.

  “I thought you were meeting with Lex’s mother, not his aunt, to discuss the wedding,” Jillian said.

  “Aah, now that’s a lady. Classy and lovely. She showed me where they’ll hold the wedding and reception and asked for my approval. Then she drove me to this fancy restaurant and introduced me to the caterer. Nice girl. She did everything to accommodate our wishes.” He chuckled. “Estelle is a good listener, too. She liked my idea about what other foods to serve and only tweaked them a little. She was gracious when she came to the house to meet our family, too. Won over everyone. She and I agreed on everything, except on two things.”

  Jillian was bemused. Her father never agreed with anyone on anything. He often had a list of complaints when he relented. She’d been sure he would be impossible to please. On the other hand, Lex’s mother could sell sand to a desert sheikh. Jillian was sure she’d started planning their wedding the night Lex introduced them.

  “Only two?” Jillian teased.

  “The two of you shouldn’t be rushing into marriage is the first one. I told her you should wait, but she insisted there was no need. She wants grandchildren.” He chuckled. “So do I, but I can wait. I have a feeling that woman always gets her way.”

  Jillian’s face warmed. She and Lex hadn’t even discussed children. “And the second one?”

  “She wanted to pay for the wedding. I told her no. The quotes from the caterer and the hotel were reasonable. They gave her a discount because all her children were married there.”

  Discount? Chances were a relative was catering the reception and a Fitzgerald owned the hotel, or Estelle had already paid for most of it. There was no way Estelle would use a cheap dive for Lex’s reception.

  “So everything will be ready by Saturday?” Jillian asked.

  “Of course. I just wanted to confirm that this is what you wanted and, uh, to tell you how this mess with the reporters started.”

  “It’s okay, Dad. I can deal with the paparazzi.”

  “That’s my girl. Okay. Here, talk to your brothers.”

  “Did you say fuck on national television?” Cian asked, and the smile disappeared from Jillian’s face.

  Oh crap! Her older brother was a pain. She was hoping to talk to Ricky. Ricky would have found all this amusing. Cian had no sense of humor.

  “It was taken out of context, Cian. Technically, I didn’t really say it. I mouthed it.”

  CHAPTER 2

  The footage zoomed in on Jillian’s mouth.

  Lex changed the channel, but most networks were talking about the Armenian princess with a potty mouth. Screw them. He loved her mouth. Loved when she talked dirty to him.

  “Maybe she’s like that character in The Princess Diaries,” a talk show host said and laughed. “She needs to be taught to talk, walk, and act like a princess.”

  Jillian was perfect the way she was. If it weren’t for freedom of the press, he would sue the whole lot of them. Lex changed the channel again just as the private flight attendant entered the stateroom with a drink and placed it within his reach.

  “Would you like anything else, sir?” she asked.

  “No, Tina. Take care of the others.” He still found it hard to believe he was getting married on Saturday. Then Jillian would be his forever. He couldn’t wait.

  Lex waited until the flight attendant closed the door before focusing on the screen again where a male host was speaking.

  “There you have it, folks,” he said. “A lost princess in America. What do we know of nobility in Armenia, Lindsey?”

  “Not much, Jim,” his co-host answered. “But we’ve confirmed that Ms. Finnegan is indeed the last direct descendant of Prince Zakare. Prince Zakare was…”

  Not wanting a recap of Jillian’s ancestry, Lex changed the channel again. This time, five women seated around the table were dissecting everything Jillian had supposedly done and said. No one knew Jillian like he did, and she was a lot more than the footage on national news. He had no idea what the program was called, but he recognized one of the hostesses.

  “I don’t think a girl who uses the F-word on national TV represents America,” a blonde said. “She’s royalty for heaven’s sakes. She should act it.”

  A sputtering applause from the audience followed.

  “Have you seen the footage?” a brunette hostess cut in, shooting the blonde a censuring glance. “She muttered the word under her breath. How many of us have done that?” She raised her hand and so did most of the audience. “Thank you. Now wave if you wouldn’t mind being in her shoes.” She laughed when the audience waved. “Personally, I don’t think she’s representing America. We leave that to Miss America. She’s a lost princess that’s just been discovered on our soil. We should cheer for her, not bring her down.”

  “That’s true,” the hostess with dreadlocks said while staring into the camera. “We don’t know anything about this young lady, but we wish her luck, and we wouldn’t mind having her come to our show to tell us about her journey. We’ll be back after this message from our sponsors.”

  Lex reached for his phone and pressed a number. The phone was picked up after a ring. “When will your people go on the air?”

  “In a minute,” Rod said. “We’re going live and streaming online. Five networks carry our channel, so this piece will go viral in no time. Several radio talk shows are also discussing it. Tune in, Fitz. We’re going to turn her into an American sweetheart. You can write me a fat check later.”

  Which he would rip up. Roderick “Rod” Thorne was a longtime friend and the owner of a multimedia empire. Thorne Multimedia owned several radio and television stations, as well as weekly and monthly publications. Rod loved to yank Lex’s chain for the fun of it. Lex switched channels to one of Rod’s network just as the cameras zoomed in on two commentators. Behind them was XSN News.

  “Good afternoon. This is Extreme Sports Network News at four,” a female commentator announced. “I’m your host, Diana Ford.”

  “And I am Conrad Ryan,” her companion said. “Tonight, we’re going to deviate from our usual programming while staying true to our core audience—regular folks and their love for extreme sports.” />
  “This story takes us to a small town in the west coast, where a family of daredevils took their act a step further and became icons,” Liana said.

  For the next several minutes, they showed a younger Jillian riding dirt bikes with her brothers, playing softball, and doing gymnastics. Then the clip changed to when she was in her teens working on various stunts with Chris and fixing bikes with her brothers. They summarized her growth from a tomboy to the budding teen Lex had seen on online videos a few weeks ago.

  “Earlier today, footage showed Stuntwoman Jillian Finnegan perform one of the most daring stunts in Hollywood,” the male host continued. “She flipped a speeding car with such ease I wished I’d been there to see it. But some dared to call her to task because she didn’t want to talk to reporters about her personal life. Others claimed she cursed at them.” He chuckled. “Rumors and false reports have filled the airwaves the last couple of hours about this young lady and her family, questioning her conduct, her upbringing, and her right to call America her home.”

  “We think she deserves to claim the titles Zakarian Princess and an American Sweetheart,” the hostess added. “We’ll let you decide.”

  The footage showed the Fearless Finnegans and the Bay Area Circus honoring military families at Fort Bragg Army Base. An entire family served as guest ringmasters. The father had just returned from a tour of duty. They showed them in Nevada at Nellis Air Force Base, Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, at some university in Fairfax, Virginia…

  They wore red, white, and blue outfits, and flew an American flag as they entered the arena. Lex shifted in his seat as another clip showed Jillian on the wire, riding her bike while her sister-in-law performed aerial tricks below her. Seeing her and her brothers inside the Globe of Steel was both awe-inspiring and scary as hell.

  The commentators returned with more stories and anecdotes about Jillian. The movies she’d appeared in and the causes she’d supported. Lex recognized her agent and Chris Lander at a gay-pride parade. In another, she was yelling the loudest while carrying a placard with a large red circle around Prop 8 and a line across it. Prop 8 was the infamous proposition against same-sex marriage in California.

  Lex’s phone buzzed, and he reached for it. “Where the hell did you get all this?”

  Rod laughed. “I don’t ask my people to reveal their sources. It’s bad for business. Have I delivered or what?”

  “You have. I owe you,” Lex said, grinning.

  “Can I have one night with the lovely Jillian?”

  “Anything but her.”

  “Come on. We’ve shared before.”

  Lex stopped smiling. “I’m hanging up now before I forget what you just did and delete your number.”

  Rod laughed. “Say hi to the lovely Jillian for me.”

  Lex let the annoyance ebb, then dialed Jillian’s number again. Rod liked to goof around, but there were certain things Lex didn’t joke about. Any man touching Jillian was one of them. He didn’t understand why she hadn’t returned his call, but the piece Rod’s people did should ease things a little for her. She must have been going nuts over this information coming out.

  She picked up after a ring and whispered, “Lex.”

  Desire shot through him. The effect of her voice on him had only grown stronger. “Hey. Are you okay?”

  “Yes. No. I wish you were here to wave your magic wand and make all this go away.” She sighed dramatically. “It’s like a zoo. I finished a stunt and the reporters shoved their microphones at me. Then I had to call Dad because I knew he was worried sick, and of course my brothers just had to put in their two cents about my swearing. How was I supposed to know the damn reporters could read lips? And now everyone knows about me and my Armenian connection, which sounds like I have a mob family.” She laughed. “I’m being forced to hide from the paparazzi. I don’t hide from anyone.”

  Lex tried hard not to laugh. He loved it when she swore. Made him want to make love to her mouth. Her openness was one of her endearing traits. He’d dated his share of women. Some played games. Others kept secrets. But not his Jillian. She didn’t hide. She was raw, and real, and down-to-earth. She wasn’t afraid to show her vulnerabilities or strengths, giving in to him without fear of losing herself or challenging him without turning it into a power play. She could be classy or raunchy depending on her mood. The best part was she kept her naughty side for the bedroom.

  “Hide? Where?” he asked.

  “Inside the trailer at the filming location. I’m done for the day, but the vultures are waiting to swoop in as soon as I leave.”

  Lex looked his watch. He should be with her in an hour. “I’ll take care of them for you if you’d like.”

  Jillian chuckled. “You’re not above the law, Lex. You can’t have your people make calls and threaten to sue them. There’s something called freedom of speech, and Canadians have it too. No, I’ll come up with something.”

  He grinned. Three days apart and he’d missed her sassiness. She was the only woman, other than his mother, who could scold him when he offered to help them. He couldn’t wait to surprise her.

  “Are you saying you don’t need me?” he asked.

  She chuckled, the sound sexy and low. “I always need you.”

  And just like that, she switched to a temptress. “How much?” he asked.

  “Wrong question, lover man,” she shot back.

  “Are you standing?”

  “Reclining on a bed.”

  “Are you alone?”

  “Just me and the walls,” she whispered. “Stop playing twenty questions. Ask me what you want to know.”

  “Are you thinking about me right now?”

  “What do you think? Your voice is in my ear, and the image of you is in my mind.” She moaned. “Ask me what I’m doing?”

  He imagined her hand sliding under her waistband as she touched herself. Lex swallowed. He wanted her. Every sound she made drove him insane with desire. Time to change the subject.

  “How did this happen?” he asked. “I thought you and your grandmother agreed not to go public.”

  Jillian groaned. “You want to discuss my grandmother now? You’re losing your touch.”

  “I’ll make it up to you,” he promised.

  “So you’ve been saying since I arrived here.” She sighed. “Okay. This whole mess started with my father and your aunt.”

  Annoyance surged through Lex. What had his aunt done now? He settled back against the pillow and listened to Jillian put all the blame on her volatile father. Lex knew better. His aunt could drive a sane man crazy. She must have done something to provoke Finnegan. It was time to have a long talk with his aunt Viv.

  ***

  Eyes followed Jillian and Troy when they joined the stunt crew during lunch. She’d showered and changed and should be relaxed, but she wasn’t.

  As usual, her group was more boisterous than the rest of the personnel at the location. Either Chris had told them not to bother her or they really didn’t care about all the princess/heiress stuff. Conversation focused on stunts until…

  “So when were you going to give us the news?” Keith asked, joining them.

  Silence followed, and Jillian wanted to kill him for putting her on the spot. Even the people at the neighboring tables grew quiet and angled their heads to catch her answer. Keith was the lead actor, yet he preferred to do his own stunts, a first among the actors Jillian had worked with. That had made her like him. Not anymore.

  She faked ignorance. “News?”

  “That you are part Armenian,” he said. “I have friends in Yerevan. Beautiful city. Exotic food. If you ever visit, check out the Cascade. The sculptures at the base are amazing. Each piece was done by a different artist. Then there’s the genocide museum. Very heartbreaking.”

  He was back in her graces. She didn’t know anything about Armenia because her grandmother had talked mainly about their family.

  “I just found out about my relatives in Armenia.” Jillian
glanced at the eyes not bothering to hide their curiosity. “I’d like to visit someday, but right now I have a lot to process.” She didn’t say, “So back off,” but she hoped her expression made that clear.

  She stood, and Troy followed her to the trailer. “You don’t have to come with me. I’m going to lie down and watch some TV.”

  Troy showed her the magazine in his hand, and she groaned. Wedding magazines. A fashion-crazy gay assistant could be a curse sometimes. They’d narrowed the designers down to two in Vancouver and four back at home, but she would willingly skip the Vancouver ones. That was how pissed off she was.

  “Do we have to do that now?” she asked.

  “No, but you had a fitting”—he glanced at his watch—“thirty minutes ago and have another in an hour. Do you want to try to make the second one?”

  Jillian made a face. The reporters would be waiting. “Nah.”

  “Okay, don’t bite off my head, but those gowns were so a stuntwoman marrying a billionaire. Now we’re talking princess wedding.” Jillian glared at him, but Troy pretended not to notice. “That means reporters taking pictures,” he continued. “Videotaping you. Your face on TV, magazines, and online. You need something more. I know people who know people. I could make calls.”

  Reporters on her wedding day? Jillian shuddered, feeling a little sick to her stomach. “What people?”

  “Couture designers. I just need permission to go all out.”

  Jillian glanced at the crew they’d left in the catering tent, and her eyes met Chris’. He was worried about her. She waved to him as though she had her act together, took Troy’s arm, and led him inside the trailer.

  “Define all out,” Jillian said, opening the fridge and reaching for bottled water. She threw Troy one and twisted the lid off her bottle. “And FYI, I didn’t like your stunt woman marrying a billionaire comment. He’s very lucky I agreed to marry him.”

  “I should hope so.”