Forbidden Lord

by Victoria Pinder

  He closed the door, spoke to the pilot and then came and sat in the seat beside her. “Your dedication to work is admirable.”

  The plane began to head down the runway as she said quickly, “It’s … not. It’s a bad compulsion where I don’t live my life because I’m always focused on work.”

  The plane went faster and her body tensed. She’d never liked takeoffs, not that she ever complained. But he reached over and held her hand and somehow that broke some of the tension in her head. He asked, “What else besides work do you like to do?”

  The small plane took off and she couldn’t think. She was caught. Drat. She swallowed, licked her lips and couldn’t think of any answers. She hadn’t had hobbies in years, but she quickly said, “I liked dancing. It was fun the other night.”

  He pressed his forehead to hers and said, “And flying in airplanes.”

  Was she supposed to say something? Her nerves made her crazy, clearly, and she said, “Sorry, but yours is beautiful.”

  He laughed and that helped her shoulders lose some of their tension. “This is the small one,” he said. “We’re not going super far.”

  The last time she’d flown in a small plane was to pitch to her cruise ship-owner clients. She batted her eyes and asked, “The small one?”

  “Sure,” he said and relaxed into his chair as the plane climbed higher into the sky. “If you need to travel back to New York, you’ll take the bigger one I flew your mom and friend here on.”

  Right. The tension was back. She tried to ignore it, but admitted to him, “New resources I’m still needing to process. I’m still unsure exactly what resources you have.”

  He pressed his hand on the rest between them and raised an eyebrow. “Look, who’s your biggest mark for work?”

  Seriously? Her heart raced as she thought of Scot and Scot’s biggest client, ever. And they were just one of many small companies that worked for them. She said, “If I stole the Zon account, I’d land a serious blow to Scot and Scot.”

  He snapped his fingers like he could fix her goals in one shot and then said, “Let’s text Jeff.”

  Her entire body froze. Seriously? She glanced at him as he texted on his phone and said, “Wait. What?”

  His phone beeped and he gave her a wicked smile and showed her his text conversation. “There. He expects your proposal after the holidays.”

  She read the texts and her mind didn’t make the connections at first as she read, twice: Jeff, my wife has an advertising proposal for you.

  Have her pitch it to me next week when I visit.

  She scrolled up and read something about Nice to talk to you. Agreed. Her new husband knew trillionaires. And if she went right for the top, pitched to Zon, and succeeded, she seriously would have won. “He’s coming to Avce?”

  He took his phone back and put it in his back pocket as he said, “He comes to the New Year’s party every year, though it will be different without his wife.”

  They were at cruising altitude. He took his seat belt off and went for the wine.

  She stared at his backside and remembered last night. Her body pulsated from the memory. In a moment, he slipped back into the seat beside her with two glasses and the same Italian wine from last night.

  “You think he’ll take me seriously?”

  His eyebrows went up like he was surprised by the question, and then he held out his hand and offered to her. Once she had taken it, he said, “Of course. You’re too amazing to ignore.”

  This seemed too easy. By far. She took her hand back and took out her phone from her back pocket as she said, “Let me text Coral so we get started on a campaign to pitch.”

  As she typed, her heart raced. If she destroyed Scot and Scot so easily, what happened to her next? At what point did the man beside her realize that she wasn’t perfect and he had empowered the wrong woman? She wasn’t his true love and he shouldn’t make this so easy. But she texted her friend to prepare a visual ad for Zon to present after the new year.

  Without missing a single beat, Coral texted back immediately: Awesome.

  So it was done. She shouldn’t complain about this great turn of events. She put her phone away as he asked, “Did you finish?”

  Rico was handsome, kind, and easy to get along with … at least during the holidays. But shortcutting her plans … was good. She’d not think more about it. She nodded and said, “Yes.”

  The wheels hit the pavement and she held her breath. She hadn’t noticed the plane was descending. She swallowed as he said, “Good, because we’re here.”

  Right. She bounced out of her chair and he stood more slowly as she fixed her shirt to ensure no wrinkles were anywhere.

  A short honeymoon was perfect. Life didn’t need drama, right? She was fine. If she ignored the tension that wrecked her shoulders and the back of her neck.

  And then she stepped outside and saw the olive trees and green grass. This place was amazing. She held his arm and said, “This is beautiful.”

  “Wait until you get to the villa,” he said and lead her to a limo.

  Until now she’d thought the finer things in life were the luxuries her clients sold, that she’d use on occasion. To think this was all her life now seemed … crazy. How in the world did billionaires get anything done when the air at an airport smelled like fresh lemons?

  Chapter 12

  Until Miya, no one had called him Rico since Linsey had died.

  Until Miya, he’d not celebrated anything in his house.

  And until Miya, he’d spent every night wishing he could reverse time and marry Linsey before Christine’s birth. Not making it official was his biggest shame.

  Miya made him forget all of that.

  And he shouldn’t. But showing her around made him see her and Linsey’s differences so clearly.

  Miya laughed and smiled. She asked his staff questions on whatever they were doing and complimented everyone.

  Linsey had been shy and serious and not wanting to ask anyone anything.

  Lunch was set on the veranda overlooking the vineyard. He settled into the white wicker seat, with the glass table filled with buffet offerings right behind him, as he waited for Miya.

  She was still at the door, talking to his wait staff. Once she had finished, she joined him, as she said, “This is gorgeous, Rico.”

  “Glad you like,” he said and reached for the wine. She took his plate with her as she headed to the buffet.

  He finished pouring two glasses and jumped up to follow her.

  Miya wasn’t the kind to sit and relax. And she had made him a plate with a little bit of everything, the same as hers.

  The last person who made him a plate of food had been his mother, when he was a boy. He took the plates and returned them to the table.

  This time they settled in and enjoyed the sun that was just warm enough, and not so hot that they burned.

  She took her wine and glanced at the vineyard as a breeze hit them and sighed. “I love it here. What was it like growing up here?”

  He took a few bites of his food, with many offerings all mixed together. Normally he had a few servings of different options, and it somehow tasted a little different when it was all together on a plate.

  Not bad. Just different. He put his fork down, finished chewing, and said, as he picked up his glass, “I thought it was ordinary and pretty boring as a boy. I was pretty sheltered and thought everyone in the world had everything they desired.”

  Her eyes widened and shrank so fast he knew he had shocked her. She didn’t move as she asked, “What made you see that wasn’t true?”

  He handed her a glass and they both held the stems of their glasses as he said, “Linsey. She had me asking people we randomly met on the streets about their lives.”

  And yet when someone approached her to ask her a question, she’d always deferred to him and avoided conversation.

  “You brought her here, too?” she said.

  “Of course,” he said, feeling a sudden pain in
his chest, like she’d just shot him. Linsey had been his one and only … until Miya. And if not for Christine, he’d have stayed single. His heart thundered as if he had betrayed his promises to Linsey. But he said only, “In many ways this feels more like home to me than my actual home in Avce.”

  Miya clearly had no clue about his life. She stared at him as she ate. A few minutes later, she finished her plate and sat back in her chair. “So why did you stay in Avce?”

  He laughed and said, “Honoring the family job, I suppose.”

  Linsey had always claimed he wasn’t truly an Avcean as his family had abandoned the country for fear of imminent death. It hadn’t been his decision, though; he’d been too young to make such a choice for himself.

  Miya took a sip of wine and asked, “What’s that?”

  The reason he lived in Avce was mostly to restore the faith most people put in his family name. He explained, “For centuries, the Cerkevs have reported whatever is happening in the North and along the border back to Avce authorities. We’ve guarded the North for as far back as the country’s earliest history. My father took the job extremely seriously and taught me that my fortune depends on fulfilling my duty.”

  Miya took another sip, which inspired him to partake again. “Well,” she said, “both of your places are gorgeous. I feel like a bit of an imposter being here, to be honest.”

  He’d never known what the life of most people on the street were like until Linsey made him talk to them. They finished the wine and he stood up almost immediately, not quite able to relax. “Let me show you your temporary office before we settle into dessert.”

  “Sounds lovely.” She stood and walked beside him as she asked, “Do you have other work, other than watching the border?”

  He put his hands in his pockets and tried to calm down. “I’m on several boards. The most important being the business development committee. We’re looking at ways to keep the mountain population happy and employed so we continue to thrive in the winter.”

  He opened the door to a white and cream room flooded with light. Sunshine was a constant here. The desks were the same colors as the simple gold-bordered walls. She twirled around the room as she said, “This room is full of light. It will be easy to work in here.”

  At least she liked the room. His father had often had business meetings in there. Rico mostly worked on his computer or read staff reports in there when he was at the villa. He headed back outside the room and she stayed beside him.

  “But you prefer Italy?” she said, picking up their previous conversation.

  “It makes me a hypocrite,” he admitted. “Linsey often pointed that out.”

  Back on the veranda, Miya waited for him to pull her seat out for her. He did, and once he was sitting again she said, “No, not a hypocrite. That’s harsh. You didn’t grow up on the mountain, but you’ve made it your primary home. But not growing up there means you have memories of your family in this beautiful place.”

  Miya made his life sound kinder. He poured a second glass for each of them and said, “True.”

  She stood and made a plate again of desserts. She returned as he finished pouring and put the cookies, brownies, mini cakes and truffles between them as she said, “I grew up in Deerrun, a small town where we take Christmas very seriously because, honestly, it makes winters at least bearable.”

  “So you grew up in the cold,” he said. At least she wouldn’t complain about freezing temperatures next month.

  She pushed her hair behind her ears and sipped her wine. Once she finished she said, “But I moved when I was 18. First to college and then to New York City. And when I was fired, I chose to come to Avce this year rather than return to Deerrun for the festivities.”

  None of that was new to him. His gaze narrowed and he asked, “What’s your point?”

  She sighed, put down a cupcake that she had been enjoying and said, “I think moving and living in other places made me appreciate that home is more than just an address. Part of it’s knowing who you are and what you want on the inside, and then making that happen.”

  “Ahh,” he said. He cut into a brownie with his fork while he said, “See? You’d do amazing on the board.”

  She bumped into his side and said, “I’m sure you do a good job.”

  Maybe. It was possible she was right and he wasn’t a total fraud. It would be nice to feel he fit in there, but he never did. The brownie was good. He let Miya have the other half and tested the cupcake she’d left him. Her vanilla made the chocolate he’d just taken slightly sweeter. Once he’d finished, he said, “I guess. Linsey always made me aware that I was an outsider when I moved back to Avce.”

  Miya placed her hand on his arm and a spark rushed in him as she said, “Outsiders tend to have more balanced views.”

  They shared a biscotti and sipped more wine. As they finished the cookie, she asked, “What are you proposing to the committee?”

  If Miya liked the idea, maybe it wasn’t horrible. He sat back in his chair and met her gaze to study her as he said, “That reopening a ski lodge that we used to run will increase our revenues.”

  She tapped the table, sipped her wine and smiled. “Now that sounds like fun. I can help advertise it.”

  Help with his proposal would be nice. He stood and offered his hand as he said, “I want most of the revenue from the project to go into the community fund, where locals can go and ask for small grants or loans for starting their own businesses.”

  She took his hand but then just stared at him as he took out his phone.

  “So not for yourself?” she asked.

  There. He found his music and put it on speaker phone. He started a slow song as he said, “Kind of. Every one of us would receive a small monthly payment if the lodge and resort stays functional.” He then formally bowed like this was a waltz and asked, “Would my lady like to dance?”

  She nodded and took his hands, following his lead again as she asked, “How many local community members are we talking?”

  And maybe he wasn’t a total klutz, he thought, as he remembered his dance lessons better. He said, “There are about 1000 of us that live on the mountain, though I have the largest estate.”

  She held him and his body relaxed as she asked, “I believe that. So what’s stopping your idea from coming to fruition?”

  His heart seemed to lose some of the fences he had around it when he said, “Linsey’s father, the town mayor, is against a resort. He thinks it will just cause us traffic and other logistical nightmares. And Linsey isn’t here to talk sense into him.”

  Miya narrowed her gaze, thinking while they danced, and then said, “Well, we can run an awareness campaign if there is some sort of upcoming vote on it.”

  Having someone on his side again was nice. He swallowed. He twirled her and she came back into his arms as if they had practiced together. He relaxed and said, “Let’s not talk about our problems anymore. I’d rather show you my … our bedroom.”

  The song ended. She left his arms, picked up his phone and handed it to him as she said, “Lead the way.”

  Miya made being with her so simple. She was good, and he needed to remember that and not live in the past, even if he couldn’t offer his entire heart. He’d lost it a long time ago.

  Chapter 13

  Miya’s entire body was warm and toasty and alert. Life was good.

  And resting in the afternoon while being held in muscular arms sent a thrill through her that just made everything taste better than any of the desserts or wine she’d partaken of.

  Life was good with Rico. But her eyes fluttered open and she saw those sexy green eyes of his staring at her. If only they were in love, like the promise of that email she’d had in New York … her life would be complete. She brushed her hand against his slightly rough face that needed a shave and asked, “Do you believe in the whole soulmate or twin flame thing?”

  He sat up and the loss of his touch was like she’d been pushed out of heaven. The emptiness ricoch
eted through her body as he said, “I don’t know what a twin flame is. What’s the difference, anyway?”

  Maybe now wasn’t a good time to admit to him about the email and the matchmaker. She sat up and held the sheets around her as she said, “A soulmate is someone who you click with because you’re similar. The twin flame is your literal other half. Not everyone has one, but if you do and you both come together on some bigger mission, you can make the world better.”

  He stared at her as she covered herself with the sheets and probably wondered why. But he massaged the back of his head and said, “That sounds complicated. Why are you asking?”

  She grabbed her shirt from the floor and pulled it on so she was half-dressed. And she avoided his direct gaze when she shrugged. “I don’t know. I know Avce is famous for it’s matchmaker.”

  His entire body tensed like she’d just hit him. “‘One true love’ has to be nonsense.”

  “Right,” she said quickly. “I was just asking your thoughts.”

  Of course. He’d already been in love. She grabbed her underwear and released the sheets, hurrying to finish dressing. “Well, I know love exists. You’ve had it before.”

  He didn’t cover up or move at all when he said, “Our marriage was based on a business deal.”

  Now her heart raced, and she jumped out of bed and paced for a second. She needed to calm down. Her habit of going too fast was haunting her right now. She took a deep breath and said, “I’d like for it to be more than just a business deal.”

  He stood and stretched like he was still calm when he asked, “What exactly do you want?”

  His body was perfect. Seriously. Muscles that seemed harder than stone weren’t just a muscular-model-on-a-beach-somewhere fantasy. Rico embodied what men strove to look like and what women wished for. She knew it. She’d run campaigns before to learn about people’s fantasies. And her own mouth watered.