by Maya Blake
He hit the intercom and instructed his driver on a different destination.
‘Either way, it has nothing to do with you,’ she replied stiffly.
‘That’s where you’re wrong, Miss Myers.’
Wary eyes blinked at him. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘It means it’s my duty to ensure that nothing a member of my family does comes back to bite us when we least expect it. And now I have a better idea of what went on between you and Jules we can get down to the bottom line. But not until I find out what I’m dealing with.’
‘I... I don’t understand.’
‘I’m taking you to the hospital, Madeleine. You can protest if you wish, but know this: the earlier you deal with me, the earlier we can be rid of each other.’ He waited a beat, despite the volatile emotions churning through his bloodstream. ‘So will you come with me of your own free will?’
Green eyes flew to his and again he caught the faint alarm in the bronze-flecked depths. Her lightly glossed lips parted and she sucked in a slow breath. After a moment, she nodded. ‘Yes.’
The churning subsided a touch. ‘Good.’
Reaching over her shoulder, he drew the seat belt across her body, forcing his gaze not to linger on her breasts as he secured her in place.
* * *
‘This isn’t a hospital! This is—’
‘My private physician.’
‘At a private clinic in Harley Street?’
Remi frowned at the accusation. ‘Other than pointing out the geographical location, do you have a point?’
‘Yes. I have a point. I can’t afford a private doctor.’
Agitation charged her movements and he caught her wince as she freed herself from the seatbelt.
‘Dio, calm down before you aggravate your injury.’
‘First of all, we don’t even know if I have an injury. Secondly, please stop ordering me about.’
He took a sustaining breath and reminded himself why he was doing this. For his family.
For reasons he intended to get to the bottom of before the day was out, neither Jules nor his bodyguards had seen fit to report the incident with Maddie. Remi shuddered to imagine what the press would do if it got out.
He wasn’t out of the woods yet. He needed to play this right to prevent any possibility of a scandal further down the line.
But beyond that he knew there was another reason. The unquenchable need to make sure history didn’t repeat itself. That he didn’t spend more nights racked with guilt about someone else—even if that person was this stunningly gorgeous but aggravating blonde who looked nothing like his Celeste but who nevertheless evoked astounding, groin-stirring sensations within him.
He ruthlessly pushed the hot throb of lust aside and nodded to his driver to open the door. ‘I value my time and my privacy. I’m assured of both here. And you insult me by suggesting that I would expect you to pay for medical attention necessitated through my brother’s actions. Now, do you have any further objections?’
Plump lips he found far too tempting stayed shut for a long moment before she exited the vehicle. He followed, telling himself the tingle in his fingers wasn’t from the desire to touch her again, to place his hand on that delicate waist and guide her into the clinic.
In fact, he made sure to keep his distance from her as they were checked in and Maddie was escorted into a suite where a barrage of scans were lined up.
Fifty minutes later he stared out of the window, jaw clenched, as they were driven away from Harley Street towards his hotel.
‘You pushed for those tests and now you’re not going to say anything?’ Maddie asked testily from beside him.
He kept his gaze on the passing view. He deemed it much safer, because something about the sling around Maddie’s arm agitated his every last demon and fired a level of fury he’d never known before.
‘A hairline fracture on your ulna. Two more on your ribs. Bone-deep bruises on your left hip that will take two more weeks to heal.’ The words fell from his lips like shards of glass.
‘I know what the doctor said. I was there too, remember?’
He rounded on her, knowing his rage was misguided but unable to stop himself nevertheless. He speared his fingers in her hair, ignoring her hot gasp as he dropped his face to hers.
‘I don’t know who I’m more furious at—you for not insisting on seeing a doctor or Jules for being a blind, selfish idiot and landing me in this situation,’ he breathed against her mouth.
She gasped, and the sound transmitted straight to the core of his roiling emotions. To her credit she said nothing, for once choosing the wise course. But her silence meant that other sensations rose to the fore—her closeness, her unsteady breathing, the warmth of her delicate jaw beneath his fingers, the wild pulse racing at her throat. The velvety smoothness of her lips.
Against his better judgement he glided his thumb over her lower lip, then suppressed a thick groan as her lips parted.
The gentle rocking of the car jerked him to his senses. Just as shame and guilt slammed into him.
Celeste.
Every moment in this woman’s presence, behaving like a base animal, betrayed his late fiancée’s memory. And dragged him deeper into a quagmire he was beginning to fear he would never be free of.
The top floor of the Four Seasons hotel was on permanent reservation to the Montegovan royal family since they were frequent visitors to England. And perhaps its most valued asset was the discreet private access it granted to its VIP guests.
Remi was grateful for the entrance now, not only because it shielded him from prying eyes, but also because it was secure enough not to require his bodyguards’ presence.
He didn’t need witnesses to his agitated state, nor did he need indiscreet enquiries as to why he was escorting a woman wearing a waitress’s uniform and a sling to his suite.
A gorgeous, dangerous woman with lips as soft as silk.
He shoved his balled fists into his pockets, cursing his libido’s atrocious timing and the instrument responsible for its reawakening.
Despite the revelations of the last two hours, he hadn’t changed his initial assessment of Madeleine Myers. A typical gold-digger out to capitalise on an unfortunate incident. Except now she had a solid basis from where to launch her attack.
His mind froze as the horror of it replayed itself. Dio, Jules had nearly run her over. Had she been petrified? Or had shock numbed her?
Unbidden, the stark script of Celeste’s last few days tumbled through his mind, reminding him of life’s fragility with a punch in the gut.
He sucked in a deep breath and slowly loosened his fists. The circumstances of his fiancée’s death and Maddie’s accident were miles apart. Yet that underlying helplessness against fate remained.
‘Has no one ever told you it’s rude to stare so openly?’ she demanded waspishly as the lift arrived.
His gaze flickered over her brazenly defiant face. ‘Not if they risked a flogging, no,’ he answered drolly, and silently cursed Jules again.
But it wasn’t his brother’s fault he was caught in the loop of his past. The conversation in his mother’s office had also raked up a subject he didn’t want to think about, never mind act on it.
Nonetheless it was an issue he needed to tackle.
He gestured Maddie forward. With another wary glance at him she preceded him into the lift that would take them directly to his penthouse suite.
When they exited, seconds later, she surprised him by neither glancing around at the luxurious decor or at the priceless Montegovan paintings and artefacts that lined the hallway. Without fail, every visitor granted access to this private floor was bowled over by the opulence and grandeur his mother had spared no expense in commissioning five years ago.
Still, Remi didn’t doubt Maddie Myers’s motives for one minute. S
he was definitely after something. And he was determined to find out what.
The moment they entered the suite, she faced him across the space of the vast living room. ‘I’m here now. Can we get this over with so I can return to my life?’
‘Is that what you’ll do once you leave here? Return to your life and forget all about Jules and my family?’
She frowned. ‘Of course. What else do you think I plan to do?’
His mouth twisted. ‘I abhor liars, Madeleine.’
‘And I don’t like bullies, so I guess we’re one for one.’
‘Sit down.’
She stared at him for several seconds before swivelling to glance around the room. For some reason her expression tightened as she finally took in its elegance.
‘No, thank you. I don’t plan on being here that long.’
‘You’ll stay for as long as I wish you to.’
‘Or for as long as it takes me to call the authorities. I came here of my own volition. I have a right to leave when I wish.’
‘We seem to be going around in circles.’
‘Then I suggest you cut to the chase.’
Such fire. He would have been impressed if it hadn’t been for the desperation he sensed in her.
‘Very well. I want you to strike a new bargain with me.’
She froze, her eyes widening. ‘Excuse me?’
‘Jules is gone. Whatever deal you had with him now belongs to me.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘What is this? Some sick game of Pass the Parcel? You don’t even know what the deal was.’
‘Whatever it is, you didn’t get it. If you had, you wouldn’t have been distressed when I told you he’d left.’
Her chin lifted, tugging up the sling. Fire. Vulnerability. Remi didn’t want to be touched by either but he was explicably drawn to both.
‘You’re assuming a lot, aren’t you?’ she said.
‘Am I?’
She remained silent but her defiance abated.
‘Shall I call your bluff and show you the door?’ he pressed.
Uncertainty flickered in her eyes before her long lashes swept down, hiding her expression yet again. ‘You really came here to bring Jules back?’
‘That was the main purpose of my trip, yes.’
‘Then why aren’t you following him? Earlier you said you’d be gone in twenty-four hours.’
‘No, I said I’d be available to you for twenty-four hours. That was how long I was prepared to wait to hear your side of the story. When I made plans to come here I anticipated meeting some resistance from my brother. I gave myself ample time to get the job done.’
‘You managed to dispatch him in twelve hours. So you want me to do what? Fill up your free time like a court jester?’ she demanded, with an hauteur that would have impressed his etiquette instructors.
‘Was that the role you agreed to play for Jules?’
Her lips pursed and her gaze fixed warily on him. ‘I... I’m—’
‘Spend the evening with me.’
He froze. Those weren’t the words he’d intended to say, but now they were out there he didn’t take them back.
She was shaking her head. ‘I can’t. I’m...busy,’ she said, her free hand rising to cradle her arm.
He dragged his gaze from that little helpless gesture, fought that bolt of protectiveness. ‘Cancel your plans.’ He hardened his voice. ‘Didn’t you have a similar arrangement with Jules?’
‘No. I didn’t meet him till ten—sometimes eleven.’
He despised the fact that his curiosity swelled even larger. ‘That’s too late. I wish to see you earlier. And you should come prepared to grant me certain assurances.’
She frowned. ‘What kind of assurances?’
‘The kind that require you to sign a confidentiality agreement.’
‘And if I don’t?’
‘Then be prepared to have your life turned upside down until I’m satisfied you mean my family no harm.’
She inhaled sharply. ‘Harm? Why would I...? I never meant them any harm in the first place!’ she exclaimed hotly.
The affront in her tone would have reassured Remi had he not been taught a cruel lesson never to take anyone at face value. For decades he’d trusted every word that fell from his father’s lips, had blindly followed where he led, right up until his true character had been revealed.
And even after that cruel betrayal he’d trusted Jules when he’d given his word that he would help protect the family legacy in danger of being ripped apart following the revelation of his father’s infidelity.
Bruised and devastated from one betrayal, he’d been too grief-blind to mitigate against the possibility that he was being played again.
Jules had shown his true colours within days of being accepted into the Montegovan royal family. And then the final blow had come when he’d least expected it. All those assurances that Celeste was safe...that the worst wouldn’t happen. False promises and betrayal. They had pitted his life, eroding trust until it wasn’t a commodity available to him any more.
This woman, with a body that would tempt even the staunchest saint, wasn’t going to sway him from what needed to be done.
‘How much did Jules promise you?’ he asked, in a voice spiked with ice.
The moment she inhaled sharply, he knew he’d guessed accurately. Money. His insides twisted with distaste. ‘Tell me how much and I’ll triple it.’
Her wariness increased. ‘Why?’
‘I’m privy to Jules’s financial status. I assure you my resources are considerably more substantial. Moreover, I can’t risk you changing your mind at a later date, no matter how noble you’re purporting to be right now. What better way to mitigate that than by making you a serious offer?’
She gasped. ‘God, you’re not just rude, you’re also offensive.’
‘I’m doing what it takes to ensure my family isn’t held to ransom by anyone.’
The past must have bled through into his voice because her gaze sharpened. ‘That happens often, does it?’
‘Your insolence isn’t getting us very far, Madeleine.’
A telling little expression flitted over her face at his use of her name. One that flamed the lingering heat in his body. For several moments all he could think about was whether those lips would taste as sublime as they looked, how the plump curves would feel between his teeth.
With an inward curse, he reined himself in. ‘I don’t have all day.’
She cleared her throat. ‘I agreed to be his girlfriend in return for—’
‘Be his girlfriend or play his girlfriend?’ he interrupted sharply.
She swallowed. ‘Play his girlfriend.’
He exhaled as a knot unravelled in his gut. ‘In return for?’
‘For...seventy-five thousand pounds.’
The words were hushed but the look in her eyes dared him to denigrate her. He shoved his hands into his pockets and fought for control, but the attempt to curb his emotions wasn’t as easy as he’d anticipated.
‘You look as if you’re ready to chew rocks, Your Eminence, but before you spit out any more insults, please know that I don’t really care what you think of me.’
‘It’s Your Highness, or Crown Prince. Or whatever I give you permission to use at some point in the future,’ he replied tightly.
‘Well, whatever you call yourself, spare me that condescending look.’
‘It’s not condescension you see on my face, Miss Myers. It’s puzzlement as to why you would sell yourself so cheaply.’ The offensively paltry sum wasn’t the main reason for his disgruntlement, but Remi didn’t want to examine why.
She went a shade paler, and then her alluring eyes sparkled with rekindled anger. ‘Excuse me?’
He allowed his gaze to drift down her body, taking in her elegant neck, h
er trim, tiny waist, the feminine flare of her hips and the long, shapely legs currently encased in cheap stockings.
‘With the right amount of polish you could be exquisite. And I don’t mean dressed in those distasteful clothes you were wearing last night. Unless you suffer from a debilitating case of low self-esteem, I believe you know this. So why sell yourself so cheaply?’
‘First of all, I resent the assumption that I sold myself. I didn’t. I agreed to play a role in return for payment. I may not be professionally trained, but I believe that’s what actors and actresses do all the time. Secondly, you suggesting that I use my looks to land a better deal is frankly distasteful. I know what I’m worth, Your Highness, and it has nothing to do with the configuration of my genes. Now, if you’re done insulting me, I’m going to leave this place and forget you exist.’
He strolled towards her, drawn to her inner fire despite himself. ‘Great speech, but I’m afraid it’s not going to be as easy as that.’
‘Watch me,’ she returned, right before she tightened her grip on her handbag and headed for the door.
Wrapping his arm around her waist as she walked past him felt natural. Almost too natural. He’d only meant to detain her, but once her body was plastered to his, once he felt her warm, vibrant skin through the cotton of her shirt, his intentions altered. Not even the bolt of guilt that slammed into him made him drop his arms.
‘A quarter of a million pounds,’ he rasped.
Her mouth dropped open. ‘W-what?’ she stuttered.
‘You heard me.’
She shifted in his hold, one hand rising to rest on his chest. ‘You...you can’t. That’s too much.’
He tensed. ‘Too much for what?’
Her gaze dropped from his. ‘Nothing.’
He nudged her head up with a finger under her chin. ‘There has to be a basis of truthfulness between us before this goes forward.’
The hand on his chest bunched, then pushed him away. Reluctantly, he released her.
‘You assume something is going to happen between us,’ she said.
‘Drop the pretence. You’re still as destitute now as you were this morning.’