Forbidden Lord

by Victoria Pinder

  But physical perfection wasn’t enough. She let out a sigh and spoke the truth. “When we’re intimate, I like to hope it’s possible we can open our hearts … to love.”

  He came toward her and took her hands as he asked, “You hope to love me?”

  No erasing that now. She met his gaze and nodded. “And I hope one day you might have enough room in your heart to love me a little.”

  He froze and widened his stance as he said, “I was in love already once. Losing that hurts.”

  Drat. She’d rushed this conversation. Her face was hot as she squeezed his palms. “And I don’t expect to replace Linsey. That sounds pretty impossible.”

  He lifted her fingers to his chest and traced them as he said, “I don’t know if I’m capable of loving again.”

  And then he let her go.

  Of course. She shouldn’t have even said what she said. Nothing good came from rushing things. But she bounced in her flats and said, “Well, I should get to work.”

  “Wait,” he said quickly.

  She lifted her chin and wished that maybe, somehow, he would say he was open to more. “Yes?”

  He squared his shoulders and met her gaze when he said, “I don’t want to disappoint you either.”

  She’d done it to herself. She shrugged and hugged her waist. “Don’t worry about it. I was just asking.” She half turned toward the door. “We can stick to the plan. Which means I should get to work.”

  Silence clung in the air and she headed toward the door. The moment she opened it, he called out, “Miya?”

  He’d made it clear that he wasn’t interested in changing their arrangement. She ignored how her spine grew tense and calmly asked, “Yes?”

  He moved over to hold the door open for her and said, “I’ll have dinner set. I hope you’ll join me.”

  Everyone always told her she rushed things. Coral at work. Her mom, when she was a kid hurrying to finish her homework. Maybe she’d done that again today. She nodded and said, “Of course.”

  Rico watched her as she walked away, but he didn’t kiss her and he didn’t stop her again. He shouldn’t. That wasn’t the plan. She wanted too much, too fast. She traced the white walls as she descended the stairs to the office.

  Work was always the one way to focus. She opened her laptop and spreadsheets while she ran the numbers.

  Her list of Scot’s biggest clients wasn’t just one. Rico offered the biggest score, but the top and the bottom could both be won.

  She sent an email about her new shop to the five main clients she’d worked with, personalizing each message and including a pitch that she’d love to talk about their needs—which included pointing out what she knew Scot and Scot’s campaigns were lacking.

  Once she had finished, she called her new partner, who was the creative one in the business. Coral picked up on the second ring. “Hey Miya.”

  Good. Calm, confident, and cool. At work, this was who she was. Miya sucked in her breath and said, “Coral, can I see what your ideas are on the Zon account?”

  “I’ll have them drawn out by tomorrow. Been working a few ideas out since you texted.” Coral said quickly. Miya imagined her friend at a desk, drawing out her sketches old school, like she always did. Coral then asked, “But one question, can we use the idea that Oakley Scot vetoed last year?”

  “No,” she answered, closing her laptop. Everything she could manage was on track. She added, “We came up with it while we were working for them, and they might decide to sue us for intellectual property theft. I’d rather we come up with something new.”

  “I just thought I’d ask,” Coral said. “Why do you sound miserable?”

  Miya sniffed the air and glanced out the window at the beautiful blue pool. The staff had mentioned that it used ozone water and not just chlorine to purify it. The late afternoon sun was still warm as she said, “I’m not. This office is amazing.”

  “I know you. Don’t lie.”

  Was her disappointment in Rico’s denial of her request so obvious? She said quickly, “I’m pushing too much, too fast.”

  “Yeah, that’s a killer in relationships. Remember how you pushed Jon Wang?”

  Wow. The last time she’d seen him, he’d left her on Fifth Avenue after she’d tried to direct him to Tiffany’s for a ring. And she hadn’t even been in love with him. They’d only dated casually for a year. Now she’d not seen him in three years, and he’d married somebody else last year, if she remembered right. The memory of him walking away from her played in her head as she asked, “So?”

  “Don’t push. There is no timetable of when things have to happen.”

  “You’re right,” she said, and stepped away from the window. She paced back and forth between her desk and the window as she said, “I’m just upset because I’m not sure what to do when Rico says he’ll never love anyone but Linsey.”

  “Relax,” Coral said reassuringly. “You don’t need to solve that today. Be calm. She’s not coming back, so you have the advantage.”

  Coral’s words went into her head. Now if she could only internalize that good advice, she’d calm down.

  “Advantage?” She clenched her hands like she wished she hadn’t asked that. Just then she heard a beep in the room and glanced at a tablet on the side table.

  “The longer he spends with you, the more he’ll see how wonderful you are,” Coral said. “But you can’t expect to have everything in your life lined up right now.”

  Miya swiped the tablet. Rico didn’t use a password, and the tablet opened to his email. The matchmaker’s email blared at her from the top of the screen as she said, “I … I do rush. You’re right.”

  She tapped on her upper chest as she saw the subject line “Your match results.” This was Rico’s email about their match.

  He’d know the truth about everything if he read this. Her mind raced as Coral said, “It’s why we’re friends. Anyhow, I’ll get back to work so I can have a few sketches for you by tomorrow.”

  Without thinking, Miya swiped and trashed the email. Her heart raced as it disappeared.

  Maybe she shouldn’t have …

  Should she dig through his trash and find it?

  Probably.

  She clicked in the program and found the trash. Right under the email she’d deleted was another from the matchmaker.

  Rico must have deleted the others. She let out her breath as she said, “Right. And now I’ll go back to … figuring out how to relax.”

  Her finger hovered over the email she’d trashed and she almost didn’t do anything. Her pulse raced, though, and she decided to just fix this. She clicked and restored the email.

  Done.

  She’d fixed her mistake.

  Coral was still talking. “It’s good for the soul. We got this.”

  Now that she had fixed this, yes. She was fine. She swallowed and said, “Okay. I guess I’ll go swimming.”

  Coral wished her well as they hung up.

  Work was going better than she’d imagined. But her neck was knotting up from her almost mistake. She never should have deleted his email.

  She needed to figure out how to explain to him that she’d paid the matchmaking agency, and then why she hadn’t mentioned it when she arrived.

  And that answer didn’t come easy. She swallowed and headed out with her arms tight at her sides.

  If she could relax, maybe she’d have a better answer. The afternoon sun and the exotic smells of the olive trees and slight tinge of lemon washed through her as she walked toward the pool.

  How was ozone water different from regular pool water? She wasn’t sure.

  She froze as Rico’s head and wet hair popped out of the water at the side of the pool. He pulled himself out onto the deck as he said, “Miya, I hadn’t expected …”

  Naked wasn’t what she had expected. Not in daylight, where anyone might see. She closed her eyes and ignored how her mind raced while she said, “I need to learn to relax.”

  He motioned
with his head for her to jump into the water. “Well, swimming is always a good way.”

  She grabbed a towel and handed it to him as she asked, “Are … where are your swimming trunks?”

  He tossed the towel back onto the chair she’d taken it from and said, “That sounds pretty old fashioned. It’s my house. No one sees me here.”

  Prudish wasn’t a word she ever thought she’d use for herself. But she must be. She crossed her arms as she shook her head. “Except staff … and me.”

  He sat back on the pool edge and put his feet in the water as he winked at her. “You’ve already seen me naked.”

  Yes. True. She pushed her hair behind her ear and sat carefully on the deck beside him, so no one in the house might see, as she said, “I didn’t know you were so … free.”

  He kicked the water slightly and pressed his shoulder into her as he asked, “Does my nakedness bother you now?”

  She massaged the side of her face and shook her head though her skin had a zap to it as she said, “No … I just don’t want anyone else to see you. You’re my husband.”

  He threw his head back and laughed, “So you’re possessive?”

  Seriously. He had the kind of body that made women’s mouths water around the world. She knew. She wished half the models she’d used to promote products had his muscles. Her face was hot as she said, “I guess. Is that a problem?”

  He glanced up and down her blouse and slacks and she swore he could see through them to her figure. He said, “Only if I can’t figure out a way to get into your ‘trunks.’”

  Silly. She cupped his face and smiled. “Men wear trunks. Women wear suits. And I’m wearing pants right now.”

  He traced her side and said, “Or you can take it all off and we can both relax in our own home.”

  She met his green eyes and a dash of adventure rushed through her as she asked, “Even with staff around?”

  He traced her arm and her blouse got a little wet as he said, “They don’t really care or pay attention to the pool until it’s time to clean up after us.”

  She stood up and goosebumps grew on her body as she went back to the chair and said, “I … I’d rather you put a towel on and we go back to the bedroom.”

  He stood and accepted the white terry cloth this time as he said, “My American wife. I’ll try to remember your sensitivities in the future.”

  She turned but then he claimed her lips in a kiss and she melted.

  This couldn’t be all wrong. His kiss sent steam through her.

  Chapter 14

  Rico woke up alone.

  The moon was starting to rise in the sky though it was still light out.

  It was nice to be in a warmer place where it didn’t get dark so early like his house in Avce.

  He checked his phone and read a message from the nanny. She told him that Christine and Dieu, Miya’s mom, were having so much fun.

  Good.

  She’d needed family. The staff were good to her, but it wasn’t the same. As he scrolled, he saw another message from Cassidy Burke. He swore he’d deleted it earlier, but he did again.

  Hopefully this time it would stay gone. He didn’t need to know some name of some woman who didn’t matter. He had married Miya.

  Who wasn’t in the bed now, though her pillow was still warm. He sat up, but the room was silent. She must have left. So he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and his socks to roam the halls.

  He’d clearly pent up his urgings for too long, as he half wished she was here in bed again.

  Or maybe he just liked having Miya close. Was it wrong? Linsey … she’d always talked about sex as some science experiment, where she wondered how to evoke more sensations. Miya wasn’t anything like that. She was just fun.

  And he’d never had fun, not in years.

  So he checked the halls and headed downstairs, following his instincts. And there she was at her laptop, with the light on behind her as she typed something into a spreadsheet. He sauntered in, well aware that she was half watching him. He leaned against her desk and asked, “What are you doing?”

  She sucked in her bottom lip and turned toward him. She was mesmerizing and beautiful. She pushed the screen toward him and said, “I promised to get you a campaign for a ski lodge going, so I’m scheduling out an awareness campaign. Do you have a deadline on this?”

  Wow. Miya was impressive. So was Linsey. He had good luck in falling for brilliant women. He tensed suddenly. Was that a betrayal? He chilled as he said, “It’s already winter, so it’s too late for this year, but it would be good to get everyone on board before spring so we can start getting contractors.”

  She pivoted her screen and wrote down dates as he watched from behind her. She said, “Perfect. When do people vote?”

  Miya’s kisses had been warmer than Linseys. But was that because he was forgetting the woman he swore he’d never forget as she died in his arms? The coldness created a hollow place in his heart. He said quickly, “Whenever the council sets a date.”

  She crossed her legs and stared at him as she asked, “Do you have any sway there?”

  This wasn’t good. He shouldn’t be looking at her figure while they discussed business. He stepped back as he said, “I can overrule the council and set a date myself, as the lord, but I prefer not to do that.”

  She nodded like this was a client meeting and stood as she said, “So it’s the nuclear option.”

  His heart began to hammer and he shook his head. “We’re not bombing anyone.”

  And then his phone rang. Now that was saved by the bell. He swallowed as she stared at him and said, “It’s just an expression.”

  He kissed her cheek so he’d not appear rude. He needed to get his wayward thoughts under control.

  “Be right back Miya. I’m getting a phone call,” he said, as he stepped out into the hall and headed toward the veranda.

  She nodded like he spoke the obvious, but sat back down in her chair.

  Good. The last thing he’d do was stop her from working. Once he made it outside to the setting sun, he saw the number belonged to the country’s matchmaker. He’d avoided her for a month now, but he couldn’t be rude. So he answered and said, “Lady Skye.”

  Cassidy Bright, now Burke, worked at the palace despite being an earl’s daughter. She had developed some computer algorithm that she used to match her fellow nobles, supposedly, with their true loves. Everyone claimed she was one hundred percent accurate, but that couldn’t be true.

  He’d loved and lost his true love already, and without anyone telling him he was perfectly matched.

  She sounded happy when she said, “Congrats.”

  Interesting. Perhaps this was just a “no hard feelings” call. He straightened his back as he let the night air relax him. “So, you heard I married.”

  She said quickly, “Absolutely. I’m so happy I could help. And I’m so excited to meet Miya at New Year’s.”

  His mind clouded. Had he misheard? He swallowed and asked, “Help? I didn’t take you up on your offer. How do you know Miya?”

  Cassidy said, “But I emailed you her name.”

  Wait. She had? According to some computer Miya, not Linsey, was his perfect match? That was impossible. Miya could never be Linsey. And those years of his life weren’t a lie. He stiffened when he said, “I never read your emails.”

  “You didn’t?” she asked, sounding surprised. “Maybe I shouldn’t have called.”

  This wasn’t the time to defer and get off the phone. He shook his head, though only the rising moon and the green trees were there to see him. “Hold on … Miya MacCloud is my match?”

  She let out a sigh and said, “I thought you knew. She paid me to run her name through the algorithm and tell her if there was a match.”

  His ears burned. Now that had to be untrue. If she knew about the match … she had lied to him. His heart grew slower, like he finally saw the truth and there was no escape. He asked calmly, “She did?”

  Cassidy rushe
d her words. “I thought that’s why you two met. Now I’m sorry I called.”

  This wasn’t good. He turned toward the house and stared past the veranda at the office window. His new wife had lied. The thought burned into his skin like a tattoo as he said into the phone, “It’s okay. Look, I have to go. We’ll see you soon.”

  “Perfect,” Cassidy said. “Sorry to have bothered you.”

  The lady knew everyone in Avce, though she never spoke much. Her husband said she’d studied everyone as a girl, which was how she’d started plotting out her matching software.

  He stomped back to the office. Miya had asked about soulmates and twin flames, and said something about having more than one match. All of that was nonsense. Love only hit once. And he’d already had love. Christine was proof.

  He’d only married Miya to give Christine what she needed.

  And they’d had a deal. At the door, this time he knocked as he entered. She folded her computer down as he asked, “Miya?”

  “Yes?” She stood as her lashes batted.

  He couldn’t kiss her, despite the tingle in his lips. Now wasn’t the time. It might never be again. She tilted her head and stared at him.

  His hands went into fists at his side and his heart hammered in his chest as he asked, “When you came to Avce, did you know you and I were matched?”

  She backed up and knocked her chair over with a thud as she said, “I … what do you mean?”

  He came over and stood her chair up as he said, “I mean that Cassidy Burke, Lady Skye, who runs AvceLoveMatch.com, says she sent you my name as your true love. Did you know?”

  Her face went white and she turned away as she said, “Yes. I read her email.”

  All the pushing about soul mates and love … and she’d lied to him. Everything was upside down in his mind and he couldn’t see past all that. He said, “And that’s why you came to my house.”

  She slid the chair closer to the desk as she now blushed and avoided looking at him. “Partly.”

  He took her hand that rested on the back of the seat. “So you lied about the secretary job listing.”