Crowning His Unlikely Princess (Mills & Boon Modern)

by Michelle Conder

  Logan hesitated, seeming to see something in her expression that he wanted to explore, and Cassidy forced herself to remain poker-faced. It might be a new day but things had still yet to return to normal between them and she knew that was her fault entirely.

  Logan frowned as Cassidy kept her attention firmly focused on her phone during the car ride to the museum. Things had yet to return to normal between them and for that he blamed himself entirely. He was just too aware of her for comfort, his senses tuned into her in a way they never had been within the structure of his glass office.

  He took in her neat hair and gabardine suit. Her low-heeled shoes. She looked the same as always and yet he couldn’t get the picture of her wet and unkempt out of his mind. He couldn’t shake the image of that see-through blouse, and during the short nap he’d caught on the plane he’d dreamt of peeling it from her body.

  Knowing his sudden obsession with his EA was most likely due to the tension created by his brother’s possible abdication didn’t help. Neither was clamping down on the thoughts every time they arose. It was as if his body was running on a different track from his mind and for a man used to being in control of himself and everything around him it was concerning.

  Deciding that dwelling on it wasn’t going to help either, he turned his attention to the speech he needed to give, memorising the key aspects, and only glancing up when the car arrived in front of the museum. Built halfway through the last century, it was one of Arrantino’s landmark tourist destinations due to the intricately placed mosaic tiles around the outside.

  His great-grandfather had commissioned it. His father had added a wing. Now he was opening another one.

  Following in the old man’s footsteps?

  Not if he could help it. And especially not with Cassidy, whose professionalism was the aspect of her nature he admired most. He’d never ruin that by giving in to his baser desires.

  Cassidy lifted her head as if sensing the sudden shift in his mood.

  She was good at that, sensing what he needed when he needed it.

  The noise from the crowd clustered behind the barriers went wild as his door was opened. Cassidy’s eyes widened and he gave her a look. ‘Welcome to the other part of my world.’

  She peered at the expectant crowd. ‘I think every unattached female in Arrantino got the message that you would be here this afternoon.’

  Amused by her observation but determined to close down any thoughts of that nature, Logan shook his head. ‘Stick close and follow my cues.’

  Stepping from the car, he reached back to offer Cassidy his hand before he could think better of it. Once again a tingle of unwanted awareness slid up his arm and his eyes cut to hers. Soft colour winged into her face as she snatched her hand back as if she too had been burned by the brief contact.

  Frustrated that even the mildest of touches could set off alarm bells in his head, he was determined to not touch her again. Or ride in a car with her given that her floral scent was still clinging to him.

  Intensely glad that the palace security team had kept the hungry paparazzi at bay, he greeted members of the public for five minutes before joining the museum director on the steps to the entrance and heading inside.

  ‘It’s an honour to have you here in His Majesty’s stead, Your Highness,’ the director gushed. ‘We hope the King is well.’

  ‘The King is fine,’ Logan said. ‘You have a good turn-out today.’

  ‘Thanks to your visit. The recipients of the royal grants are very much looking forward to meeting you.’

  ‘And I them.’

  Turning to ensure that Cassidy was okay, he turned to find her deep in conversation with various staff members, seemingly undaunted by the pomp and ceremony of the occasion.

  As if sensing his eyes on her, she raised her head, giving him a questioning look he translated to mean, Do you need me?

  Part of him instantly replied that, yes, he did need her, but since it wasn’t a part of him that controlled logic and discipline he ignored it, giving a subtle shake of his head and tuning back into the director’s descriptions of the innovations that had taken place in the museum since he’d last visited.

  There was an air of gravitas to the whole affair and Logan wasn’t sure if it was because his brother’s potential abdication was overshadowing the situation or not, but try as he may he couldn’t seem to get the young artists who were the recipients of the royal grants to relax and open up about their work with the freedom he would have liked.

  Frustrated, he was digging deeper into the motivation of one particularly interesting piece of work when a soft laugh rang out in the quiet room.

  Every head turned toward his Cassidy, who had her fingers clamped over her mouth to stifle her mirth. The artist beside her could barely contain her own laughter, and the director of the museum frowned sternly.

  But Logan couldn’t help moving toward the pair to find out what had made her laugh.

  ‘Want to share?’

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ She bit down on her lower lip as she realised that she had an audience. ‘It’s nothing really. I was admiring Michael’s oil painting of snails, only for him to confess that actually they’re pastry scrolls.’

  ‘It’s a breakfast theme,’ the young artist confirmed graciously, ‘but you could eat snails for breakfast if you wished.’

  ‘Not the ones in my garden,’ Cassidy confessed, making everyone around her smile.

  She peeked up at Logan through her long lashes as they moved on to the next piece. ‘I’m going to let you take the lead on this one,’ she murmured. ‘I’m likely to offend someone if I do it.’

  ‘I doubt you could offend a flea,’ he observed, finding his gaze riveted to her lively expression.

  If he had thought her smile had been stunning during his plane taking off, it was nothing compared to seeing her so open and warm with the people around her.

  And her enthusiasm was infectious, relaxing everyone around her.

  It was the icebreaker he had been looking for and it completely changed the mood of the tour, replacing the dry discourse over the various pieces into lively, friendly chatter. Logan followed it up with a speech promising more grants in the future and a private moment with the director.

  He was wondering where Cassidy had disappeared to when one of the staff informed him that she had ducked into the ladies’ room. When she didn’t reappear after a few minutes, Logan checked his watch and excused himself to go and find her.

  Following the directions to the nearest ladies’, he rounded a corner and was nearly knocked over as Cassidy barrelled straight into him.

  Instinctively he caught her to him. His body immediately registered the contact of soft, curvy woman, his response to her so primal and inappropriate it left him speechless.

  The sweet scent of her hair product infiltrated his senses and he filled his lungs with it.

  Cassidy’s fingers automatically went to push her falling glasses back up her nose, the move flattening her soft breasts against the solid wall of his chest.

  As if she too registered the experience, her wide, shocked eyes flew to his.

  It was a shock he shared given the raw bolt of lust that was already turning him hard.

  Gritting his teeth against the assault on his senses, he absently noticed that her mouth was mere inches from his and wondered what it was about her that pulled so forcefully at his self-control. It took everything in him not to bridge that gap and lower her to the floor.

  ‘Easy,’ he said as she stumbled, his hands clenching her slender hipbones, part of him aware that it would be so easy to slip his hands further around to cup her rounded bottom.

  She was tiny compared to him, the top of her head barely reaching his chin. Without her heels she’d be even shorter and he’d have to bend to kiss her.

  For a moment, she didn’t move, her breathin
g as laboured as his.

  And then one of the catering staff rounded the corner, her startled gasp at finding them standing so close together very telling.

  Stepping back, Logan ran a hand through his hair.

  Cassidy straightened her jacket.

  They both looked as if they’d been caught with their hands in the candy jar and yet nothing had happened.

  Nothing other than what had exploded inside his imagination.

  ‘We need to get back,’ he said, dismissing the incident as if it had never happened.

  Still shaken at having found herself plastered up against her boss with her arms wrapped around his neck, Cassidy remained avidly glued to her phone all the way back to the palace.

  Fortunately Logan seemed just as disinclined to engage her in conversation, which was good because if he looked at her she was afraid that he would be able to read the naked desire written on her face if he did.

  It was embarrassing really, how badly she had wanted to kiss him. It was as if two years of working together professionally had dissolved into a murky puddle of lust, never to be found again.

  Acting as if nothing had happened at all, and maybe for him it hadn’t, Cassidy trailed him as he strode into the King’s offices. Flicking his cuff, he checked his watch and frowned. ‘It’s getting late. Perhaps we should call it a night.’

  It was getting late, but Cassidy was functioning on New York time and that, combined with her sleep on the plane, meant that she wasn’t tired at all.

  ‘I’m going to get a bit more done,’ she said, taking a seat at the smaller desk that had been placed on one side of the room for her use while they had been gone. ‘You wouldn’t believe how many requests for information have been forwarded to me. I swear in this day and age of instant information overload no one can wait for anything.’

  ‘One of the drawbacks,’ Logan agreed wearily. ‘Not that we have anything firm to report yet.’

  She saw the tension in his shoulders and the tight skin around his eyes and her heart knocked against her chest in sympathy. She’d never quite seen him as human before, but there were glimpses of it, like now.

  ‘I’ll handle it,’ she assured him. ‘I want to touch base with some of our larger clients and I also need to get back to a couple of the Kellard trustees who would prefer to speak to you directly instead of reading the prospectus.’

  Logan grunted. ‘I need to meet with Housekeeping in my apartment. If Leo should call—’

  ‘I know. Come and find you.’ Cassidy waved him off, needing some time on her own. ‘Will do.’

  Logan frowned as he stopped beside her. ‘Don’t wear yourself out. Your energy level will hit rock bottom at some point.

  Sure that he was right, Cassidy let out a breath of relief as he left the room, feeling like a balloon that had been popped by a pin.

  She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror on the far wall, surprised to find that she still looked the same as she always did. Somehow she’d expected a crazy woman to be staring back at her with wild hair and bright eyes. Because she didn’t feel the same. She felt more unbalanced now than yesterday. But that was because everything had changed, hadn’t it?

  Being here with Logan, knowing her life would be different when she returned... Was it any wonder she was feeling so out of sorts? This was normal. She just needed to compartmentalise—something she had always believed she was very good at due to her messy childhood—and stop reacting physically to her boss.

  He hadn’t wanted to kiss her back in the museum any more than he’d wanted to kiss her in his apartment the night before. He kissed supermodels and society princesses. He did not kiss ordinary girls from Ohio.

  Pulling out her laptop, she sat down behind the new desk that had been set up with an ink blotter and stationery. Everything was fine. Everything was exactly as it should be.

  Not sure how convinced she was of the truth of that, she was nonetheless relieved when a staff member knocked and entered the office, wheeling in a covered trolley with alluring silver-domed plates.

  ‘Please tell me you have hot coffee in that jug?’ Cassidy said, her saliva glands already salivating at the thought.

  ‘Yes, ma’am. And some sandwiches. His Highness thought you might require some refreshments.’

  ‘His Highness is a god,’ she said, without thinking.

  The young girl gave her a shy smile. ‘He is, ma’am, yes.’

  Just for a moment Cassidy wondered what it would be like to be waited on hand and foot, and then recalled the moment Logan had stepped out of the car at the museum and the adoring crowd had surged excitedly against the barriers to get his attention.

  It had been like something out of a Hollywood film.

  Logan had waved and smiled and as soon as he’d neared the museum the small delegation of staff had subtly straightened, standing to attention, wide smiles on their faces in anticipation of meeting him. Cassidy had noticed that he often had that effect. Whenever he entered a room the atmosphere buzzed with palpable electricity, his self-assurance a cloak that caused everyone else to defer to him without even realising that they were doing it. His very presence commanded respect from those around him. But it was even more pronounced in Arrantino, where his importance was beyond question.

  A little overawed, she had found herself standing straighter as well, but of course Logan didn’t bat an eyelash, completely relaxed and at ease, and accepting the fawning attention with unquestioning self-confidence. And why wouldn’t he? This was the life he had been born into. And no doubt the attention would be even more servile if he did become King.

  She wondered if the attention had something to do with why he didn’t want to become King and then reminded herself that she was not going to be curious about him. It only served to make her more aware of him as a man, instead of as her boss, and she was very afraid that if she continued down that road she’d never be able to get off it.

  Turning to work to ground herself again in reality, she opened the first email. Now that most of the business world had learned that Logan was in Arrantino, and not at the helm of the bank as usual, she was inundated with frazzled clients demanding to know what was happening.

  It was a diplomatic minefield and she relished the chance to navigate it because if there was one aspect of her life she was confident in it was her ability to do her job. Only she suddenly wondered how much longer she would have the job.

  If Logan did become King he would no doubt want someone who was conversant with royal issues as his assistant. Someone like the lovely Margaux. Which meant that Cassidy would be out one place to live and one job. The thought landed like a sickening thud in her stomach. Not only would she be finding new accommodation, or a housemate, when she returned to New York, but she might be looking for new employment as well. For someone who saw change as akin to death, she couldn’t think of anything worse. It was as if some unseen force had taken hold of her life and shaken it up as if she were living inside a snow globe.

  Glad when a new email landed in her inbox, she opened it to find that it was the list of marriageable young women his mother had promised to have her aide send through. Well, if that wasn’t enough to ground her in reality, nothing was.

  Work, she reminded herself as she felt the weight of all the turmoil around her weighing her down once more. You’re here to work so get on with it.

  Forty-five minutes later her phone rang from an unknown number.

  CHAPTER SIX

  ‘GOOD AFTERNOON, MISS RYAN. It’s Leo, Logan’s brother. I can’t seem to get hold of my brother and I only have a short window to speak with him. Do you happen to know where he is?’

  ‘Yes, Your Majesty.’ Cassidy tried not to feel overawed, the King’s deep voice reminding her of Logan’s. ‘I believe he’s in his apartment. If you wouldn’t mind holding I’ll take the phone to him.’

  ‘Thank you
.’

  Pushing to her feet, Cassidy slid her heels back on and dashed out the door. Having no clue where to go, she approached a nearby footman and asked for directions.

  ‘I’ll take you there myself, ma’am. This way.’

  Sensing the urgency permeating every cell of her body, the young footman didn’t waste time, wending his way up a grand staircase and along a richly decorated hallway until they reached a set of ornate cream doors.

  She fervently hoped that Logan hadn’t gone anywhere else because she knew how important this call was to him and wondered why he hadn’t picked up his own phone.

  ‘This is it, ma’am, His Highness’s apartment.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  Cassidy checked that the King was still on the phone and gave the young footman a grateful nod as she knocked on the door.

  Smoothing back her hair, she waited for Logan to tell her to enter and when she didn’t hear anything she tried the handle, suddenly nervous as the door clicked open.

  Telling herself that there was nothing to be nervous about, she stepped inside, her eyes widening at the sheer opulence of the room.

  It was so stately and handsome she half expected Elizabeth Bennet to come wandering out of one of the rooms at any moment.

  Feeling a sense of déjà vu at having once again entered her boss’s private sanctuary unannounced, she moved further into the apartment, fervently hoping that she wasn’t going to be confronted by muscles glistening with sweat and vitality from an intense workout. Assuring herself that the same situation was as likely to happen as—

  ‘Oh, my God!’

  Cassidy’s hand flew to her stalled heart as she came face to face with her boss in the middle of the parquetry hallway.

  This time he wasn’t wearing anything as bad as gym clothes. This time it was much worse because the only thing he was wearing was a towel tied low around his lean hips, his ripped torso and corrugated-iron abs so much more delicious than her imagination could have conjured up.