The Prince's Cinderella Doc

by Louisa Heaton

  ‘Are you all right?’

  She spun to see Matteo coming towards her. He looked very handsome today. Dark linen trousers and a white shirt, the sleeves turned up to the elbow.

  She glanced at her finger and saw a small drop of blood forming. ‘I’m fine. I just caught myself on the thorns.’

  ‘Let me see.’

  She shook her head, backing away. ‘No, it’s all right. I—’

  But he had her hand in his, examining it carefully, his touch gentle, yet commanding.

  She had to stand there, breathing shallowly, trying not to stare at him as he looked at her hand. She did not want this. Did not need this. His proximity. His tenderness in looking out for her.

  ‘Really, it’s all right.’ She insisted.

  ‘You’re bleeding.’ He reached into his pocket and withdrew a white handkerchief.

  ‘It’ll stain...’ She tried to protest, but he wrapped it around her finger anyway. She sagged, feeling him apply pressure. She also winced.

  ‘Does it hurt?’

  She shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Maybe a little.’

  ‘Perhaps you have a thorn in it?’ He removed the handkerchief for a closer look, but it was hard to see as blood kept coming.

  She really wanted her hand back. Having him being this attentive to her was really playing with her mind.

  ‘I’ve got tweezers in my bathroom. I’ll check later.’

  She yanked her hand free from his and gave him a brief smile, trying to appear grateful when in reality, she felt anything but. No. She was grateful. But that was just one of the many things she was feeling.

  ‘What are you doing out here? I thought you had a meeting?’

  In fact that was the reason she had come out here in the first place. She knew it was his sanctuary, but she’d known he was meant to be busy and she’d needed space to breathe and think.

  ‘It got cancelled.’

  ‘Oh.’ She bit her lip, trying to think of something to say. ‘You didn’t want to go and see Alex instead?’

  ‘She’s napping. I’m planning to spend some time with her when she wakes up. I came out to find you because I thought you might like to hear about what happened with Roshan, Qamar and the others.’

  She was very interested. ‘Oh, yes?’

  ‘They made it safely to the hospital. Qamar regained consciousness quite quickly and his dehydration issues and malnutrition are being thoroughly taken care of by a specialist team of dieticians.’

  That was wonderful news. ‘I’m glad. What will happen next for them?’

  ‘They’ll be found homes, once the doctors give them the okay to leave, and I’ve put out a few feelers with the authorities to see what we can do—maybe get them some work, places in schools, that kind of thing.’

  She smiled. He was so good. So generous. Selfless. She liked that about him. ‘That’s fantastic. I hope they find the peace that they deserve.’

  ‘Me too.’

  ‘And you? What are you going to do today, now you’re free?’

  ‘We’re going to go swimming in the pool.’

  ‘Oh, that’s nice.’

  He smiled. ‘Well, I don’t get to go to public pools, and I love swimming. Mostly in the sea, but the pool will do. You should come too.’

  Krystiana in a pool? In a swimsuit? With Matteo, who’d be wearing nothing but shorts? That was a little too intimate for her liking.

  ‘I...er...think I’ll pass.’

  ‘Come with us. It will be fun.’

  ‘Not for me, it won’t.’ It was out before she could censor it.

  He frowned. ‘Why not?’

  A million excuses ran through her head and she considered them all. But her hatred of lying convinced her to tell him the truth. If he knew, then he would leave it alone and not force the issue.

  ‘I can’t swim.’

  ‘What?’ He looked at her incredulously.

  ‘I can’t swim. I never learned.’

  ‘You had no one to teach you?’

  ‘No.’

  She felt her cheeks flush. After her kidnapping she had been too busy with her head stuck in books, and swimming had seemed a luxury that she didn’t want to pursue. What would have been the point? She never intended going near water, except to maybe admire it. She never wanted to go in it.

  Yes, she now lived on an island, surrounded by water, and after seeing what had happened to those refugees they’d rescued perhaps she ought to, but...

  Matteo beamed and his smile melted her heart.

  ‘Then I will teach you.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Come on. You’ll thank me for it.’

  ‘No, I... I don’t even have a costume!’

  ‘We’ll buy you some.’

  ‘No, honestly, Matteo, it’s fine—’

  ‘I won’t take no for an answer.’

  She could see in his eyes how much he wanted to help her learn to swim. How much he wanted to give something back to her. How excited he was by the idea.

  She thought of her pale, pasty body next to his tanned, glowing sun god look and cringed inside. It would be embarrassing, wouldn’t it? And spending some downtime with him would only add to the feelings she was already having. She couldn’t let that happen.

  How on earth am I going to get out of this?

  * * *

  He had to admit to himself that he hadn’t quite thought this through—offering to teach Krystiana to swim. He’d just blurted out the invite. It had seemed the right idea at the time and he hadn’t been able to get past the knowledge that she didn’t know how to. Swimming was something he had always done, and he found a freedom in the water that couldn’t be found elsewhere. It was soothing. Good for the mind. And he wanted to share that with her, knowing that she had been through the same kind of trauma as he.

  As she entered the pool house, looking nervous, wearing a thin robe, he saw her long, elegant legs and got a flash of intensity through his body. There was something about her. So innocent. So vulnerable. So alone. He could connect with those feelings. He’d felt the need to surround her and protect her this afternoon in the garden, when she’d hurt herself. When he’d seen her bleeding. He’d felt his heart pound and blood rush through his veins.

  Okay, it had only been a small puncture wound, but it had been enough to awaken his protective side. He’d wanted to keep the world out so that he could help her, and then, up close to her, holding her hand, inhaling the scent of her, looking into her warm blue eyes it had made his senses go wild—into overdrive—and he had not wanted to let go.

  When she’d pulled away he’d seen it in her eyes that she felt something too, and that knowledge had made him stop. She didn’t want to get involved with anyone. Nor did he.

  He had to back off. To stay away from her. But something kept him there. The need to teach her something. To enjoy the time they had left before their lives reclaimed them. There’d been that look on her face...one that he couldn’t resist...and then she had told him she couldn’t swim. She lived on an island! And he didn’t want her to go without helping her in some small way.

  Getting to the pool before anyone else, he’d pounded out a couple of lengths already, hoping that by doing so he would exhaust his body enough not to react to hers. Because he was aware of just how much he did react to her physically, and being in the pool would be a lot more intimate than dinner on the balcony.

  He pulled himself from the water and went over to meet her. ‘Hi. Thank you for joining me.’

  She looked uncertainly at him, then at the surrounding pool. ‘Where’s Alex?’

  ‘She’ll be here soon. I thought you might appreciate some time one-to-one before she gets here. No one likes to see a five-year-old swim better than them.’

  ‘Oh, that’s thoughtful. Thank you.’

  �
��Soon you’ll be splashing around like the rest of us.’

  ‘I don’t imagine you splash much.’

  He smiled and ran his hands over his hair to keep it from his face. ‘Maybe not.’ He laughed.

  ‘So...’ She gazed at the pool, at the way the water rippled, reflecting against the walls and the ceiling. ‘How do we make a start?’

  He looked at her, feeling his blood surge at the thought and trying to control it. ‘You take off the robe.’

  * * *

  She looked at him uncertainly. Hesitant. Torn between wanting to spend this time with him and being afraid of what time with him like this might do.

  He was a majestic, gorgeous hunk of man, who seemed oblivious to the effect he was having on her. Which was a good thing—because imagine how embarrassing that might be?

  She felt shy about taking off her robe. He might assess her body. Krystiana knew she wasn’t considered unattractive, but that didn’t mean she oozed confidence. She still had her doubts and her insecurities, and being in just a swimsuit would make her feel terribly exposed. Vulnerable. And that feeling was something she tried to avoid.

  ‘Would you mind turning around?’

  ‘Of course not.’ He turned his back on her so that she could slip off the robe, and for a brief moment she just stood there and gazed at the broad expanse of his bronzed back. At the width of his shoulders and down to his narrow waist, to the swimming trunks that showed a wonderfully toned backside, and then the long, muscly thighs, darkened by fine hair.

  Would he chance a look at her?

  No. He’s not like that.

  Krystiana quickly tugged off the robe and slipped into the pool.

  He turned when he heard her moving in the water and slipped in next to her. ‘All right?’

  She nodded. The water had felt cold at first, but now she was in she realised it was perfect.

  ‘How do you feel about putting your face in the water?’

  She looked at its rippling surface. ‘I won’t be able to see anything.’

  He nodded, understanding her fear. ‘I have goggles.’ He reached over to the steps behind him, where a pair hung. ‘Best to wet your hair first, before you put them on.’

  She nodded, dipping her head back until the full length of her braid was dripping.

  ‘Here.’

  He stepped towards her and she had to suck in a breath as he stood close, helping her with the goggles. They were a bit loose, so he tightened them for her. She was just inches away from his marvellous masculine form and she didn’t know where to look. Or to put her hands. He was wearing almost nothing.

  ‘I must look silly.’ She blushed.

  ‘You look perfect. So, do you want to try putting your face underwater now? Take a breath and then just lower yourself down for a moment and see what it’s like.’

  ‘Okay.’ She sucked in a couple of deep breaths before pinching her nose and lowering herself beneath the water’s surface.

  The world sounded strange from underneath. Muffled and weird. She could see Matteo’s ripped abs and long legs, his feet standing sure on the bottom of the pool. She took a quick glance at his shorts, at the line of hair from his belly button that disappeared beneath the fabric.

  She stood up again with a rush.

  ‘How was that?’

  ‘Fine.’ She lifted the goggles onto her forehead and laughed, blushing. ‘It was good!’

  He smiled back, clearly enjoying her success. ‘Fantastic. I’ll get you a float.’

  She watched as he easily heaved his form from the pool, the water rushing down his body, and fetched her a blue square of solid foam from the side before he hopped back in.

  ‘Right—now you’re going to try to glide.’

  ‘Glide?’

  ‘You’re going to hold this float in front of you. Arms nice and straight, face in the water. And with your feet you’re going to push off from the wall and see how far you can glide across the pool.’

  That sounded simple enough. ‘Okay...’

  ‘Deep breath, face down, then push.’

  ‘Sounds like you want me to give birth.’

  He smiled, clearly following her line of thought. To give birth you had to be pregnant, and to be pregnant you had to have had sex.

  She felt tingles inside. Her belly was fluttering and she was beginning to realise that she was enjoying this. Something she’d been dreading since he’d suggested it.

  Sucking in a breath, she held the float in front of her, put her face down and pushed off the wall behind her. She surged forward, gliding swiftly and surely through the water until her breath ran out, and then she stood up suddenly, gasping for air. ‘I did it!’

  ‘You did! You’re a natural! Do it again. But this time kick with your feet as you’re gliding.’

  ‘Okay.’

  She made her way back to the side of the pool and carried out his instructions, and this time she made it almost halfway across.

  ‘I’m doing it! Did you see?’

  ‘I did! Try it again.’

  She did it over and over again, kicking her way all the way across the pool, occasionally lifting her head for a gasp of air, until she reached the other side.

  ‘Teach me something else!’

  ‘Okay. Let’s try it without the float.’

  ‘Without?’ She wasn’t too sure about that. How would she stay on top of the water?

  ‘Yes. Watch me.’

  She watched him dip under the water and push off from the wall, and smiled in relief as his body naturally drifted up and glided across the surface, before he stood once again to look at her.

  He brushed his wet hair back from his face. ‘Easy—see?’

  ‘Easy for you, maybe.’

  ‘Have faith, Krystiana. See if you can swim out this far to me.’

  He was just over the halfway mark. Technically, it wasn’t that far, and she knew that with the goggles she’d be able to see under water just how far away he was. He could be with her in a second if it went wrong.

  ‘I’m trusting you to catch me if I start to drown.’

  ‘You won’t drown. You can do this.’

  ‘Okay.’

  She adjusted her goggles once again, then sucked in a deep breath and tried to do what she’d seen Matteo do. Head under, push off the wall, kick with her feet, hands out in front of her... Under the water, she could see him. His reassuring torso, his hands out in front of him, ready to reach for her when she got close.

  And she made it!

  Grabbing his hands and feeling him pull her towards him, she got to her feet, laughing and beaming with joy. ‘I did it! Did you see me?’

  ‘You were great!’

  He was holding her close. Her hands lay wet and warm upon his chest. And suddenly she realised she was staring into his eyes, and he into hers. Their bodies were touching and she gazed up at his lips, studded with water droplets, and realised, intensely, that she wanted to kiss them so very much.

  The realisation hit her with the force of a wave and she glanced up at his eyes to gauge what he was thinking. She thought she saw the same desire in his gaze, too.

  The desire, the need, to kiss him was just so strong, and as they closed the gap between them, inching ever closer, infinitesimally, she felt her heart pound and the blood roar around her body as if in triumph.

  He’ll hurt you. Everybody hurts you.

  She silenced the voice. Not wanting to hear it. Not in this moment. Not right now. All she wanted right now was...

  His lips touched hers and she sank against him, feeling her body come alive. Every nerve-ending was sending sparks. Her heart was pounding with exhilaration at the feel of him beneath her hands as she pulled her even closer.

  Nothing else mattered there and then. To be swept away like this was indescribable. The re
al world dissolved. Fears were silenced. And the hot, sultry desire that she’d tamped down for so long was given free rein.

  * * *

  ‘Krystiana?’

  Matteo’s voice called to her as she hurried to her quarters, her hair still dripping.

  She turned. ‘Yes?’

  Stop blushing. Why am I blushing? Oh, yes, I just kissed a prince!

  ‘I forgot to say, what with...’ His cheeks reddened and he looked uncomfortable. ‘My father has invited you to the ball tonight.’

  Her heart sank. ‘Ball?’

  ‘It happens every year.’

  ‘Oh.’

  She didn’t have any outfit suitable for a ball. But how to get out of it without upsetting anyone? Events were moving far too swiftly for her right now. That kiss in the pool had been madness!

  ‘I...er...don’t have anything suitable to wear for a ball.’

  ‘I’ll get some dresses sent to your rooms for you to try.’

  ‘Erm...’

  ‘Or Mara might have something you could borrow?’

  She nodded. ‘Okay.’

  ‘Excellent. I’ll see you later, then?’

  She watched him walk away, wondering just what the hell she was doing...

  CHAPTER NINE

  MATTEO SAT SWIRLING the wine around in his glass, mesmerised by its movement and colour, though not yet having touched a drop. He just needed to do something with his hands—anything, really—to keep his mind off that moment in the pool with Krystiana.

  I kissed her.

  She’d emerged from the water, smiling, laughing, so pleased with her progress, and she’d lifted her goggles onto her forehead and beamed at him—a smile that had gone straight to his heart and made it beat like a jackhammer against his ribs. And something—something he hadn’t been able to fight—had taken over his common sense and all reason and logic and he’d somehow convinced himself that just one kiss would be okay!

  Hah!

  He’d fought against it. They’d only known each other for such a short time, and he’d been determined since returning from his kidnapping not to get involved with anyone. Was he so weak? That all it took was a nice smile and a long braid and a shared experience to make his resolve crumble?