Free The Prince's Texas Bride by Leanne Banks

to celebrate, too. Come on,” he said and walked toward the lower courtyard. They entered the area surrounded by tall hedges and he gestured toward the stone bench. “Hold these, please,” he said and handed her the glasses.
    â€œWow,” she said.
    â€œWhat?” he asked as he released the cork without spilling a drop. He tilted the liquid into the two glasses. “You said please. I don’t hear that word from you all that often,” she said and offered him a glass.
    â€œAre you always this charming when someone tries to thank you?”
    â€œYou knew what you were getting when you hired me,” she said and lifted her glass in salute. “Congratulations on choosing such spectacular horses for your stableand for giving a little boy and his parents the story of their lives.”
    â€œCongratulations for pulling it all together,” he said and clicked his glass against hers.
    They both took a sip of the champagne. “I must confess I was worried about the combination of the protestors and your royal cavalry.”
    He smothered a chuckle. “Royal guard. ”
    â€œClose enough,” she said and took another sip. “Have you been busy with interviews with the press?”
    â€œAnd a cocktail party with the riders. I told my assistant to make sure you were invited.”
    She shook her head. “I thought it would be better for me to make sure the real stars were taken care of after the show.”
    â€œOf course,” he said. “Next time, remember you have staff for that.”
    â€œNo one refuses the prince?” she said. “Except for his family.”
    â€œAre you saying you don’t want to attend a party at the palace as a guest?”
    She opened her mouth, then closed it. “It’s a little out of my everyday routine,” she confessed.
    â€œI can’t believe you would be intimidated. I haven’t seen anything else intimidate you,” he said.
    â€œWhen I was eight years old, my brother told me to never let them see me sweat.”
    â€œThat’s pretty young for that kind of instruction. What was the occasion?” he asked.
    Another move due to her parents’ inability to keep jobs and pay bills. Another new school when she’d wondered how long they would stay in this place. How long until people found out her father drank away most of his paycheck? “One of those times in elementary schoolwhen the kids teased or bullied. It happens to most kids at one time or another.”
    He looked at her for a long moment and frowned. “I don’t like the idea of that.”
    â€œWhat?” she asked, his intent gaze making her stomach slip and slide.
    â€œThe idea of someone bullying you.”
    Something in the way he looked at her made her feel as if she were taking a free fall with no net. She tried to shake it off, but wasn’t completely successful. She wasn’t accustomed to someone being protective of her. “It didn’t happen often,” she drawled.
    He chuckled. “I bet it didn’t,” he said and chucked her chin with his index finger. “Do you see him often? Your brother?”
    His question slid under her radar, right through her ribs. She rarely mentioned her brother because his absence from her life was still painful to her. “Eli left a long time ago. He had to go. It was the only way.” She took a quick breath and shook her head, hating the fact that Stefan had found her vulnerable spot. “Can we talk about something else?”
    He paused a half beat, then nodded. “Of course. We’re here to celebrate,” he said with his most charming smile and clicked his glass against hers again.
    She took a quick sip but spilled the champagne on the front of her shirt as she pulled the glass away. Frustration prickled through her. “This is why I don’t drink very often,” she muttered, futilely pulling at her shirt.
    â€œI can see