Christmas in His Royal Bed (11 page)

Read Christmas in His Royal Bed Online

Authors: Heidi Betts

Tags: #Contemporary, #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Love Stories, #Category, #Western

BOOK: Christmas in His Royal Bed
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She sounded resolute. So much so that he couldn’t help smiling.
Not that he could hold her response against her. She hadn’t known him long enough to realize that he was a man who got what he wanted. He had no intention of giving up so easily or letting her go purely because she claimed their lovemaking last night was a mistake.
He disagreed. Strongly.
Still grinning, he let his hand graze her soft cheek and tuck a strand of hair behind one ear. “I beg to differ. Last night was magnificent.”
Her gaze flitted away and a pale pink blush started to creep across her face.
“You have less than two weeks left in Glendovia, and I fully intend to enjoy them. To enjoy you. I know that you’ll need to spend your days working, especially if you undertake this new project you’ve proposed. But your evenings will be free, and I want you to spend them with me, in my bed.”
“Absolutely not.” She shook her head and took a step back, breaking away from his touch.
As much as he wanted to close the distance between them and grab her up, kissing the quarrel from her luscious, red-tinged lips, he remained where he was, allowing her to believe a few inches of space would keep her safe from him.
A wry smile lifted the corner of his mouth. “You think that I lured you here, created a position for you within my country, to sleep with you for only one night? Alandra,” he breathed softly, almost teasingly, “even if you didn’t know me well enough by now, you have to realize that no prince would go to such lengths for a single night of sex, no matter how spectacular that sex might be.”
Determination straightened his spine and pushed his shoulders back. “I am a bit more dedicated than that,” he added, slowly stepping forward. He was encouraged to note that her wide eyes remained locked with his, and she barely seemed to register his approach.
“And now that I’ve had you, I have no intention of letting you slip away. I wanted to make love to you, and I’ve done that, but I’m far from sated.”
Even as his voice fell, becoming low and rich and seductive, his finger lifted to gently brush against her body. First the curve of her waist and the underside of her breast, then the tender flesh of her upper arm. He kept the contact brief and featherlight, just the tips of his fingers grazing the material of her dress and her bare skin.
And even though he was scarcely touching her, he still felt the shiver of awareness that rippled through her. It sent a jolt of white-hot sensation through his system, gathering and pooling in his groin. He went hard and heavy in an instant, nearly desperate enough to throw her to the floor and make love to her right then and there.
He wouldn’t, of course, though it wasn’t his royal blood keeping him from doing anything so crass. When it came to being alone in a room with Alandra Sanchez, his royal blood be damned.
No, it was Alandra herself who kept his more base instincts in check. She was already nervous and shy and regretful about what had passed between them last night, and jumping at her now would only cause her to crawl deeper into her shell, to move further away from him.
Instead, he knew he would have to go slowly again, returning to his original plan of smooth, flawless seduction.
Oh, he would have her in his bed again—tonight, if he had anything to say about it. But it would require a bit of persuasion to get her there.
Alandra’s chest rose as she inhaled, and her bright, expressive brown eyes drifted closed for a moment, her head tipping down in defeat.
“Please don’t do this,” she breathed raggedly. “Don’t make me do something that I’ll hate myself for later.”
Her eyes fluttered open and she raised her head to meet his gaze. Her expression was resolute, if somewhat sad.
“I don’t want to be Prince Nicolas’s secret mistress. A temporary entertainment to be enjoyed while I’m here, then sent away when you’re finished with me, never to be thought of again.”
Something about her words twisted his heart painfully, and for a second he reconsidered his single-minded determination to have her, regardless of the consequences.
He didn’t want to hurt her, didn’t want to bring that look of misery to her face.
He wanted to hold her, kiss her, savor her like a glass of expensive brandy.
Why should it be more complicated than that? They were both mature adults, able to make their own decisions and spend time with whomever they chose.
Leaning in slightly, he let his warm breath fan her cheeks as he hovered a scant inch from her lush, kissable lips.
“I don’t want you to hate yourself,” he murmured quietly. “I just want to be with you. And though I can’t change who I am or the prudence my role in this family requires, I don’t think it needs to have any impact on our time together. What we do when we’re alone, away from the public eye, is no one’s business but ours.”
He threaded his fingers through her hair, holding her tight and tipping her head back so he could better reach her mouth. He brushed his lips across hers, tasting her, feeling her, absorbing her energy and spirit into himself.
“I only want to be with you,” he said without breaking contact. “And after last night, I believe you want the same thing. You’ll have to work very hard to convince me that isn’t true.”
She didn’t answer, didn’t pull way. He wasn’t even sure she was still breathing. Pressing his advantage, he kissed her again, deeper this time, until her spine bowed against his body and her nails dug into the material of his jacket.
When he finally raised his head, they were both breathing heavily. A shaft of satisfaction rolled through him at the cloudy, unfocused look in her eyes.
“Very hard,” he whispered.
Eleven
I
t was beyond difficult to convince Nicolas that she didn’t want him. So impossible, in fact, that she’d given up trying.

How could she claim she wanted nothing to do with him when one touch of his hands or mouth melted her insides like a pot of chocolate fondue?

He’d discussed the idea for the Dream a Little Dream Foundation with his family, even asking Alandra to draw up an official proposal he could take to them. He’d also done a bit of research on his own into its American counterpart, so he could show them what the end product of such an endeavor might be like.
Reaction so far had been positive, and she and Nicolas had been working together on a daily basis to plan things in more detail, crossing all the t’s and dotting all the i’s. Once the king and queen approved, as well as the board of Glendovian officials who oversaw this type of thing, she would be given the freedom to get the ball rolling on establishing the foundation.
Daylight hours were not her problem. She had plenty to do to keep her busy, and managed to make sure she wasn’t alone with Nicolas any more than necessary.
The door of his office stayed open while they were working, and if for some reason it was closed, she found a way to get it open again. If they were alone and things began to feel too tense, too dangerous, she’d make an excuse to get someone else into the room with them.
It was nighttime that caused her the most anxiety. After dinner, when Nicolas would walk her back to her rooms…holding her hand, standing too close, leaning into her at the door.
He kissed her cheek or sometimes her lips. Stroked her hand or shoulder. And always,
always
his eyes blazed with the clear desire to sweep her up in his arms and cart her off to bed.
She prayed he’d never figure out how very often she wished he would do just that.
Obviously, she wasn’t safe around him, and she didn’t know how she was going to make it another ten days without either giving in or going crazy.
Ten more long, arduous days and she could fly home, fly away to safety.
For some reason, though, that knowledge didn’t comfort her as much as she would have hoped. In fact, it almost saddened her.
But that was an emotion she refused to examine. Her entire existence had been turned upside down, and as soon as she arrived home, life would begin to right itself and return to normal.
She hoped.
For now, though, it was late, and she’d thankfully managed to survive another day, another dinner, another long, excruciating walk back to her suite. She’d changed into a pair of comfortable black satin pajamas and was ready to climb into bed when a soft knock sounded on the sitting room door.
A petite young woman in the uniform of the palace’s household staff stood on the other side.
“Miss,” she said, bobbing a slight curtsy. “Prince Nicolas sends this message and requests an immediate response.” She held out a square envelope.
It was Nicolas’s official stationery, Alandra saw, with her name scrawled in his expansive script across the front, and a dab of wax sealant pressed to the back.
Whatever was inside, she suspected, was either very important or very private.
Running a finger under the flap of the envelope, she broke the seal and removed the folded sheet of paper.
Alandra—
Your presence is required at a very important meeting concerning Dream a Little Dream. We fly to the other side of the island tomorrow morning. Pack for at least one night. Be ready to leave at 7:00 a.m.
Nicolas
She wasn’t sure exactly what response he was awaiting, since he didn’t seem to be giving her much choice in the matter. He hadn’t asked if she wanted to go or would be willing to go, or was even able to go…he’d simply told her to be ready.
Refolding the note, she stuffed it back in the envelope before returning her attention to the servant. “Tell the prince I’ll be in the main foyer by seven o’clock. Thank you.”
The woman nodded and hurried off, ostensibly to deliver the message. More like announce Alandra’s compliance, she thought crossly as she shut the door and headed back to the bedroom.
Though she wasn’t particularly happy about this new development, she dragged an overnight bag from one of the closets and began to pack.
By the time she’d finished, she was truly exhausted. Climbing into bed, she hoped for a good night’s sleep.
She would need all the rest she could get if she was going to be alone with Nicolas—away from the palace. Overnight.
She met Nicolas outside the palace at exactly 7:00 a.m. The entire place, inside and out, was decorated to the nines in anticipation of the Christmas Eve party the royal family was hosting in only two days’ time.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning.”
“I’m glad you were able to accompany me to this meeting,” he told her once they were inside the car and heading down the driveway.
“I didn’t have much choice in the matter, did I?” she replied, avoiding his gaze by staring out the window.
“You always have a choice.”
She turned her head, meeting his blue eyes. “Well, your note didn’t seem to
ask
if I’d like to go with you.”
“I was afraid that if I did ask, you would have said no,” he confessed.
“Of course I wouldn’t have said no. As long as this meeting actually does concern the Dream a Little Dream Foundation. Or did you just say that to get me alone and away from the palace for a few days?” she asked quietly.
A moment passed before he responded. “This trip
is
about the foundation, and though I could probably handle things well enough on my own, I think it’s important that you’re there. I think you’ll be glad you came.”
He paused again, letting the silence fill with tension as his sharp gaze bored into hers. “But I’m also quite happy to get you away from the palace and to myself. I think you’ll be glad for that, too—eventually.”
His voice lowered to a warm, honeyed tone, and it took all of Alandra’s willpower not to suck in a deep breath of air to replace what had gotten stuck in her throat.
She should be angry. He was manipulating her again, moving her how and where he wanted her in an effort to change her mind about sleeping with him.
One thing could be said for Nicolas Braedon—he knew what he wanted and didn’t take no for an answer.
She didn’t want to admit it, not even to herself, but the truth was his single-minded determination to seduce her made her feel…special.
It wasn’t her intention to play with him, to turn this…whatever it was between them…into a game, but she suddenly realized she was enjoying herself. She enjoyed knowing that he wanted her.
Instead of arguing or giving in too soon, she merely shrugged and said, “I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
The flight to the other side of the island was a short one, and they went straight from the small private airstrip to the office where the meeting was scheduled.
Alandra was stunned to learn that they weren’t simply meeting with a few people
about
establishing the new foundation, but were meeting with many people to actually get the organization up and running.

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