Chapter One
Erin Parker traveled slowly in the car she just rented. She wanted to revel in the moment. Out her window was Buckingham Palace. A few blocks down will be St. James Palace. The residence of the hunk who stole her heart, Prince Wills.
Just then the car door opened.
Darn you Erin, she cursed herself. Why didn't you lock it? Her heart stopped when she recognized her uninvited passenger. "Prince William?"
"The one and only," he told her, buckling up. "Drive."
She did as she was told. If he asked her to jump over the moon she would've gladly done so. When sanity settled in she asked, "What am I doing?"
"Just drive," he told her. He kept glancing at the back of the car. "Can't you go faster?"
My, we are bossy, aren't we? "Can I at least know where we're going?" She asked.
"I don't know yet," he responded. "Turn left."
Erin did so, narrowly missing a car. "What do you mean you don't know?" She was getting frightened. This was Prince William but how much did she really know about him? What if he had a psychopathic disorder the Royal Family managed to keep a secret from the public?
"I'm following someone," he replied.
"Which car are we following?" she asked. Push him out the car dodo-head. And bruise that lovely physique? Not a chance.
"The blue one," he answered automatically.
She tailed the truck down London's busy streets. Great Erin, you're in a car with the guy of your dreams and all you can do is ask him for directions. No wonder your love life is in a rut, she told herself. She looked out the front window. "We lost him," she informed.
"I know where to go," Wills insisted. "Go down this road."
Erin sighed. She was tired of driving. They had left London's border who knows how many miles ago. Fine, she'd take him where he wanted to go, demand a kiss for chauffeuring and go back to her ordinary existence. That was the plan.
"Pull over here," he told her.
Good. He was going to get out. It was both a sad and welcoming thought. She stopped the car on the deserted country road. "Will you mind tell me what's going on?" she said.
His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales leaned against the car and began laughing.
The psychopath theory was looking more and more believable.
"I'm sorry," he apologized when he paused to catch his breath. He stuck out his hand.
Erin looked at it uncertainly.
"Shake it," he smiled at her.
Who could resist that smile? She clasped his hand.
"Congratulations," he announced. "You just kidnapped me."

Chapter Two
Erin continued shaking his hand. "Excuse me?" she asked. She wasn't sure she heard right.
"You just kidnapped me," he said again.
"This is some kind of joke," Erin suspected.
"It's not," He looked supremely satisfied with himself.
Erin threw his hand away. She reached the car phone from the window. "I'm calling your father," she said. She looked at the numbers. How in the world do you get through to Buckingham Palace?
He grinned, knowing her dilemma. He shrugged and handed her the phone number.
She jabbed the buttons. The phone was ringing.
Wills raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to tell him?" he drawled. "Prince Charles I have your son?"
Someone picked up on the other line. Erin hung up. Dang it! That was exactly what she was going to say. That's exactly what a kidnapper would say! "I'm calling your brother," she decided.
Wills yawned and gave her the required digits. "Of course that would be the next step. Kidnap the other heir to the throne." he winked.
Erin hung up.
"Give up," he advised, getting into his side of the car. "You've kidnapped me. Live with it." He flashed her another smile which she was finding obnoxious.
She got behind the steering wheel. She cast side glances at the prince. Was this actually happening? Why her?
"So, you're the kidnapper. Where are we going?" Wills asked, stretching. The sun was setting behind them. They had to find a place to stay for the night.
"Will you stop saying that?" Erin demanded. "I did not kidnap you!"
"I got into your car. You drove fast. You drove faster when my guards pursued you. No one knows where I am," He nodded, sure he got the sequencing right. "Looks like kidnapping to me."
"But I didn't know-" she sputtered defensively.
"Sure. People will be believe that."
What was so infuriating with what he was saying was that it was all true! Who would take her word against a prince's? She gasped as he leaned behind her chair and his arm brushed against her neck.
"You really should make a habit of locking your door." he advised. He snapped the lock shut then settled back in his chair.
She rubbed the back of her neck where the contact had been made. It was tingling. "Thank you so very much," she said giving him a venomous stare.
"Hey, you're supposed to drive on the left side of the road in this country. It's illegal to do otherwise," He told her. He reached over and adjusted shifted the steering wheel.
She gritted her teeth. He's know-it-all attitude was getting to her. She adjusted the car's position on the road. "Oh, and I suppose kidnapping a prince is an everyday occurrence." she retorted. A prince. A prince. She had just kidnapped a prince! "Enough of the insanity," she decided. She made a sharp U-turn on the road.
"What are you doing?" Wills asked, his voice rose.
"Something I should've done a long time ago. I'm bringing you back to London."
He shook his head, his eyes wide. "No, you're not."
"Watch me," she challenged. She slightly increased the speed.
Without warning, Wills opened his door and jumped from the moving vehicle.
"What the-"she cursed. She braked the car to a screeching stop. She quickly got out and almost sprained an ankle which had gotten tangled with the belt. "Are you nuts!" she screamed as she chased him down the road. He was running. It was a good sign. Kind of. It meant that he hadn't hurt himself on that death defying stunt he just pulled.
"I'm not going back!" he yelled at her. "Not yet!"
Their voices echoed back and forth across the country night.
"Why are you so determined to do this!" she cried.
He prepared himself to yell at her. He turned away. "You wouldn't understand."
"What wouldn't I understand?" she wanted to know.
"Look, I wanted to so this for a very long time. And I'm going to do it with or without you," he gave her the ultimatum.
Erin looked him over. "It's going to be lonely crusade, Wills," she told him, returning to the car. She resisted the urge to look back. Why did she want to look back? To know that he was okay, came the answer. Ha! she denied. He could get eaten by wolves for all she cared. He wasn't her responsibility.
Wills looked at the girl's retreating figure. Fine he didn't need her. He'd do this on his own. He turned away from the direction of London and began walking. Hmmm... what if he got eaten by wolves?
The familiar hum of a motor made him look up. "You," he said, surprised. He still didn't know her name.
Erin smiled wryly from the window. "People already think I kidnapped you. If you get killed I don't want to be accused of murder too."
Was she staying what he thought she was saying?
She cocked her head as an invitation. "Get in."
He impulsively kissed her on the cheek. "You won't regret this I promise." he told her.
"I already do," Erin said. It was like a prophecy.

Chapter Three
"I'm not burdening the expenses of your little adventure," she informed after they settled in the nearest motel. "You're going to have to pay your share."
"No prob," he assured, taking out familiar bills from his wallet. "I came prepared."
Erin sat cross-legged on her bed. She combed her hair, wet from the shower. "So what happened? You just woke up this morning and decided: Hey, I'm going to get kidnapped."
He laughed. "Something like that." He wished she would smile. He knew she was still angry at him for dragging her into the situation but couldn't she smile just once? She would look very pretty if she smiled. Yet the theory still needed to be proven. "Actually," he said to fill in the silence. "I got this idea on the net."
"The Internet," Erin muttered, getting under the comforter. She placed her hands under her head and looked at the ceiling. "One of the darndest inventions on the planet."
"Anyway, I kind of went to these website dedicated to yours truly, under a unidentifiable name of course."
She glanced his way. He had his hands under his head and was looking at the ceiling too. "Of course."
"And there were some sites that listed fictional stories about me. Most of them, for some reason, are about me being kidnapped. So I thought to myself, why not?"
Erin felt like strangling him. She could list a thousand reasons that second why not!
"After a couple of weeks no one kidnapped me."
Erin tsked. "How unfortunate."
"This morning I decided to take matters into my own hands. So here I am."
"Great story," Erin said. "Except for one problem." She sat up. "I could get into trouble for kidnapping the heir to the British throne!"
He faltered. "I didn't think of that."
"It's obvious you don't think," Erin snapped. "You only cared about getting some kicks leaving your life behind. You didn't care that I might have a life too. You thought that I would gratefully set aside my plans and go with you on this journey. Afterall, you're Prince Wills. How can I say no?"
"I didn't force you to come with me," he objected.
"No, you didn't." Erin acknowledged. "You just sent me on a guilt trip. Same difference."
He was quiet for a moment. "So is anyone going to miss you?" he asked after a while. "Any relatives? Your parents? A boyfriend..."
The thought made her laugh. "Oh yeah, my boyfriend. He's this big guy who's into leather, spikes and chains, and he would love to beat up a certain prince who just jumped into his girlfriend's car." When she caught the scared look on Wills' face she laughed. "I'm joking," she was quick to assure him.
She was pretty when she smiled, Wills concluded.
She sighed. "No. I came on this trip alone. My mom and I made this agreement not to call each other on vacations. Long distance calls can be so expensive. I didn't meet anyone special since I came here." she paused. "Present company excluded. I didn't check into my hotel room because I said to myself; before anything else I have to see Prince Wills."
He picked up the phone from the table between their beds. "You better call and cancel your reservations,"
"Why would I want to do that?" she asked.
He shrugged. "If you want them to keep charging you for a room you're not even going to use..."
She got the phone from him.
Wills laughed as she talked to the receptionist.
They turned off the lights.
"Wills?" she called in the darkness. Her back to him.
"What?" he asked drowsily.
"You get to leave your life for a while. Have some kind of odyssey. What do I get out of this?" she asked.
"You get to have the pleasure of my company." he murmured.
Erin laughed softly. "Good night, Your Highness."
"Good night Erin."

Chapter four
"Wake up," a voice beckoned her.
"Hmmm," Erin mumbled managing to open only one of her sleepy eyes. Wills was looking at her. His shirt had been unbuttoned all the way to the waist for comfort purposes. And his hair was mussed from sleep. "Oh, if this is dream please don't let me wake up," she muttered.
"What?" he laughed. He tugged on her heavy arm "C'mon your hostage is hungry."
Hostage? What was he talking about? Then it all came back. "I told you last night I'm not burdening the expenses here."
"I know. I'm paying. But I'm not used to eating alone,"
She glared at him through her hair which had a tendency to turn into a bird's nest over night. "If you expect me to cut your meat for you, forget it!"
"Of course I don't," he assured her. "Not at this hour. I expect you to cut my French toast for me."
"So what did you do when you kidnapped Prince Wills?" she asked putting on a fake announcer's voice. "Oh I chopped up his French toast for him," she answered in a high falsetto. "How glamorous," she grumbled.
"It's a tough job. Someone's gotta do it," he grinned at her.
She threw a pillow in his face.

"I can't believe you forced me to use your deodorant," Wills muttered as they walked down the stairs.
"You might be a prince but you still have body odor to worry about," Erin reminded.
"Yeah, but a woman's deodorant? And what's that scent? Baby powder?" He checked under his arms. He grimaced and shook his head.
"I don't know what all the fuss is about. It says so right on the label: Strong enough for a man," Erin pointed out.
"And PH-balanced for a woman!" Wills finished the sentence.
"We'll buy you some supplies later today," Erin promised. Lucky for her she had every bare essential in her suitcase. She gave him a once over. He was wearing a blue shirt. The blue shirt he slept in last night. The blue shirt he wore yesterday. "And we've got to buy you some clothes." she announced.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" he looked at himself.
"Nothing. If you like smelling like college laundry."
He threw his hands up. "What is it about you and the way I smell?"
"Would you like living with a skunk?" she countered.
"Fine, I'll swim in Calvin Klien's Eternity for men. You'll be able to pick up the scent all the way in Australia!"
Erin giggled. "Those poor kangaroos dying from the fumes..." she pinched her nose.
They took their seats in the non-fancy diner.
Wills caught sight of the television overhead. His features changed.
Erin's laughter stopped. The expression on his face was the familiar pensive look he always wore. "What are you thinking?" she asked.
"Nothing," he brought his attention to her. He was so sure his disappearance would've made the news by now. "I'm just kind of wondering if anyone's missing me."

"You're all fired," Charles yelled at the men as he chased them out of his study. He closed the doors shutting the world out. He leaned in his chair to think. "Wills, Wills, Wills," he muttered the name of his eldest son over and over again. His eyes fell on the picture of them in Balmoral. Wills had too much of his mother's spontaneity in him for his own good. Just running off in a car...
Harry watched his father from the security of the doorway. Even though he knew what it said he read the note in his hand. "Harry," it read. "Just want you to know I'm all well. I hope I didn't create too much of a disturbance. It's just something I had to do. I hope Papa doesn't worry too much. Whatever happens don't tell him. It will ruin everything. Your brother, Wills." Harry clutched the note tightly in his fist. He looked at the figure of his father. Distraught and helpless, Charles was showing every day of his age. He was too old for the emotional rollercoaster Wills was putting him through. Harry looked at the words again, and his heart wrenched. "Whatever happens don't tell him..."

Chapter Four
They had reached an agreement to buy a huge plate then split the proportions among them. Afterall they were mature human beings. They could do something as simple as dividing breakfast among them, right? Wrong!
"You got more bacon then I did," Erin objected.
"Did not. See? Two pieces," he pointed at her plate. "Two pieces." he pointed at his own.
"But your pieces are bigger," she said.
"Blame it on the cow why don't you!" he exclaimed.
"And why did you give me eggs? I hate eggs. You eat them."
He gave her a pained look. "What am I? Your garbage disposal?"
"No way are you taking the last pancake," she informed when she saw him eye the third disk-like bread they had been served.
"I'm bigger than you. I'm a man. I deserve that last pancake!"
"You have more sausage. More bacon. The least I get to have is the last pancake!"
As they were fighting the plastic plate fell over the edge of the table and the pancake fell syrup-side down to the floor.
"Now look what you did!" they yelled in unison.
"Oh, bloody- let's just order another one." Wills decided. "Have you ever tried it with boysenberry?' he asked her when the new serving arrived.
"I'm a maple syrup person," her pancake was soaked in it.
"Here try mine," he offered. He couldn't manage to balance the cut portion on the fork.
Erin was surprised when he poked the bread in her mouth by hand.
"Good, huh?" he asked, looking at her.
Erin licked her lips, reliving the sensation. "Very good," she breathed. And she wasn't talking about the pancake.
"One day I'll invite you for brunch at my place. Pierre makes the best food. And we won't have to fight about who gets what and how much." he promised.
"I'd like that," Erin said. She was also glad since it meant that he had plans on returning home.
He paused for a moment, as though trying to figure out what he was going to say. "Erin, yesterday I was out of line. You don't have to be with me. You're right. You have your own life too and I shouldn't ask you to sideline it for my sake."
Erin thought about this. He was giving her freedom. "I'd rather I be with you knowing that you're with me, than not be with you, and thinking you might be with someone who might not care about you." she laughed. "Did I make any sense?"
Wills nodded. "You did."
"Good, 'cause I wasn't sure if I did." she smiled.
"And Erin-" he said her name softly.
"What?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"Caring about me."

Harry couldn't sleep the other night. All he could think about was his brother and how Wills could pull a stupid stunt like he did on at this time when he needed to be home. Harry barely managed to eat the breakfast served him that morning. He made his decision. Forget what Wills asked. This was his life at stake. "Papa," Harry looked at his father who was sitting behind his desk. "I have something to tell you."

Secret: Chapters 5-8