A Royal Amnesia Scandal

by Jules Bennett

  Kate threw him a glance over her shoulder. “What?”

  Luc stepped around her, blocking her view of the incoming boat. He waited until her eyes locked onto his. “You’re not quitting. You’re going to be with me until I know what game you’re playing. And don’t try to get sneaky once you’re back. I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

  Her chin tipped up in defiance...a quality he’d once admired when she was speaking with the media or other pushy individuals. “I think it’s best if I resign.”

  Luc gripped her shoulders, cursing himself for having a weakness where she was concerned, considering all she’d done. “I don’t care what you think is best. You’re mine until I say otherwise. You started this game, Kate. You’re going to see it through to the end.”

  Pushing away from her, he stalked toward the main house. Not once did he consider glancing back. He was finished looking over his shoulder to see if anyone was stabbing him in the back or betraying him. From here on out, he was regaining control, and he was damn well going to come out on top.

  * * *

  Luc stared at the area he used to call his kitchen. If this royalty thing didn’t work out, he was seriously getting a job with a contractor. Demolishing things was an excellent outlet for his anger.

  Wiping his forearm across his forehead, he sank down onto a dining room chair and surveyed his destruction. The cabinets were torn out; the countertop lay beneath the rubble. He’d pulled the fridge out enough that he could get to the food, but other than that, he’d completely torn up the space.

  Kate had been gone a week. Two weeks had passed since he’d arrived here, and he was heading home tomorrow. In these past seven days alone, he’d had more than enough time to reflect on everything, and he still had no clue what he was going to do once he saw her again.

  He’d had to sleep in the guest room on a lumpy old mattress because he couldn’t lie in his master suite without smelling her, seeing her...feeling her at his side. The shower he’d so loved when the renovations started was now tainted, because all he could see was Kate’s wet body as he claimed her with the false knowledge they were a real couple. They’d been damn good together, but he would never, ever admit that to her or anybody else.

  Luc’s cell chimed. He thought about ignoring it, but figured he’d at least see who wanted to talk to him.

  Crossing the open room, he glanced at his phone on the coffee table. Mikos, his best friend.

  Considering he had called Mikos three days ago and spilled his guts like some whiny high school girl with sad love songs playing in the background, Luc assumed his friend was calling to check on him.

  “Hey, man,” he answered with a sigh.

  “You still sound like hell.”

  Luc laughed, sinking onto the sofa, resting his elbow on the arm. “Yeah, well, I feel like it. What’s up?”

  “Just checking in.”

  “Shouldn’t you be planning the wedding of the century?” Luc asked, feeling a slight pang of envy.

  Envy? Why the hell would he be envious? Sure, he needed to be married because of the throne, but he didn’t want to be tied to one woman. No, Mikos had found the perfect woman for him, and Luc was happy for both of them.

  There was no perfect woman for Luc. Hadn’t he proved that by getting too close to two very convincing liars?

  “The wedding is planned down to the last petal and place card,” Mikos stated. “Are you still in?”

  Luc was supposed to stand up with Mikos, right next to Mikos’s brother, Stefan. An honor Luc wasn’t letting Kate’s untimely backstabbing steal from him.

  “I’m in. I’m not letting my disaster ruin your day.”

  “Have you talked to Kate?”

  Luc closed his eyes. Even hearing her name elicited a mixture of feelings, a myriad of emotions. Beyond the hurt, the anger and the bitterness there was still that underlying fact that he wanted the hell out of her. How twisted was that?

  “No. I’m heading back tomorrow,” Luc answered.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I have no clue, man.”

  Mikos sighed. “Want my advice?”

  “You’re going to give it anyway, so why ask?”

  “I am,” Mikos agreed with a laugh. “Figure out why she lied. You told me once you had a thing for her. Maybe she was acting on her own feelings and taking a cue from yours before the accident.”

  “Are you defending her actions?” The last thing Luc wanted to hear was a justifiable cause. Damn it, he wanted to be angry, wanted to place all the blame on her.

  “Hell, no. I’m saying love is a strong emotion.”

  “You’re too blinded by this wedding,” Luc replied. “Kate doesn’t love me. You don’t lie and scheme with those you love, no matter the circumstances.”

  “I did to Darcy,” Mikos reminded him. “She had no idea who I was, and I was totally in love with her. I nearly lost her, but she forgave me. You know how things can get mixed up, Luc.”

  Luc recalled that time when Mikos’s nanny had first been hired. She’d had no clue Mikos was a widowed prince. The two had fallen in love before Mikos could fully explain the truth.

  “Our situations are completely different,” Luc muttered. “I’m not forgiving her. No matter what.”

  “Just make sure you really think this through before you go off on her once you get home,” Mikos warned. “What she did was wrong, no doubt about it. But she’s not like Alana. I know that’s something you’ll never forget or get over, but Alana had an ulterior motive from the start. You’ve known Kate for years and she’s never once done you wrong.”

  Luc finished the call, unable to think of anything else but the truth Mikos had laid out before him. No, Kate had never deceived him in any way before. She’d been the best assistant he’d ever had. To be honest, the only reason he hadn’t pursued her before was because of their working relationship and possible repercussions to his ascension to the throne. With the mess he’d gotten himself into lately, it would be a miracle if the press didn’t rip his family’s reputation to shreds if the truth came out.

  Once he returned to Ilha Beleza, he and Kate would have a one-on-one chat, now that they’d both had time to absorb all that had happened. They needed to talk. He couldn’t keep her around if he didn’t trust her. And that was the problem. When it came to his professional life, he trusted no one else.

  Unfortunately, when it came to his personal life, he didn’t trust her one bit...but that didn’t stop him from wanting her. Even this week apart hadn’t dimmed his attraction toward her. Which begged the question: What the hell was going to happen once he got home? And would he be able to control himself?

  Thirteen

  His desk was exactly how he always kept it—neat, tidy and organized, with his schedule in hard copies just as he wanted it. He knew there would also be emails on his computer with the same information.

  Kate had kept up her end of the bargain and continued working just as if she hadn’t torn their entire lives to shreds. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or angry that she was still here, still within reaching distance...not that he was going to reach out to her. He had more pride than that.

  Luc flipped through the papers, even though he’d looked through his email earlier and knew what he had coming up. Mikos’s wedding was only two weeks away, and other than that, there were a handful of meetings and social events at which he was expected to make an appearance. He’d been knocked down so many times in the past few months he didn’t know if he had the energy to put forth for anyone outside his immediate family and staff. He was so exhausted, spent and depleted from trying to perform damage control on his personal life, there was no way he could keep up with his royal obligations, too.

  Thankfully, from the looks of his schedule, Kate had helped him dodge any media interviews over the next few months. For that he was grateful, but not enough to seek her out and thank her. He wasn’t ready to thank her for anything...and he might never be.

&nb
sp; “Oh, sweetheart. You’re back.”

  Luc glanced toward the high, arched doorway as his mother breezed in. The woman possessed more elegance and grace than anyone he’d ever known. With her polished style and loving grin, she made the perfect queen, but her reign was soon coming to an end. Well, it would be if he managed to find a way to secure his title before his birthday, and without a wife.

  Luc crossed the room and relished her embrace. Even though he’d always been close with his parents, he didn’t have it in him to discuss all the ways he was struggling right now.

  “How are you?” she asked, pulling back to assess him. Clutching his arms, she studied his face. “No more symptoms? You remember everything now?”

  Luc nodded. “I’m perfectly fine.”

  She held on to him another moment, then broke the contact. “We need to talk.”

  He crossed his arms as his mother shut the double doors, giving them complete privacy.

  “Have you seen Kate since you’ve been back?” she asked.

  Luc shook his head. “No.”

  “Darling, she told me what happened.” His mother reached out, took one of his hands in hers and squeezed. “I’m sure she left out some details, but I know you believed she was your fiancée, and she went along with it.”

  Luc gritted his teeth. Seriously? Kate went to his mom?

  “I wished I’d learned this from you,” she went on. “I can’t imagine how angry you must be, and I know you’re feeling betrayed—”

  “Don’t defend her,” Luc growled. “I’m not near that point.”

  “I’m not defending her actions.” His mother smiled, tipping her head. “I just want you to really think about how you’re going to handle this. Kate is a wonderful woman and I’ve always been so fond of her. I know we have a rule about remaining distant from employees, but she and her parents have been around so long, they’re like family.”

  His feelings for Kate were far from family-like, and he sure as hell hadn’t been feeling brotherly in that shower.

  “I will admit I’m surprised you didn’t fire her,” his mother added. “She’s good for you, Luc. She’s the best assistant you’ve ever had. I’m proud of you for not blowing up.”

  “It was tempting.”

  Temptation. The word seemed to go hand in hand with Kate’s name.

  “I still don’t know what to do, but for now, she’s going to be working for me like always. I don’t have time to find a new assistant, and I sure as hell don’t want to have to get to know someone new. I’ve got enough of a mess to deal with.”

  “We do need to figure out what’s going to happen on your birthday.” His mother pursed her lips, as if in deep thought. “Your father would change the law if he could, but the truth is, we never dreamed...”

  Luc laughed, the sound void of all humor. “I know. You never thought a child of yours would still be single at thirty-five. It’s okay to say it.”

  She squeezed his arm. “We’ll figure something out. We have to.”

  Luc nodded, unable to speak past the lump of worry in his throat. Failure was not an option. Ever. He was the next leader, for crying out loud. Why couldn’t he figure out a way around this ridiculous issue?

  “I’ll let you get settled back in, then.” His mother reached up, kissed him on the cheek. “Glad you’re back home and safe. And I’m glad you didn’t fire Kate. She means more to this family than you may realize.”

  What did that mean? Did his mother actually think he and Kate...

  No. That was ridiculous. As torn as he was, he couldn’t entertain the idea that Kate could remain in his life as anything other than his assistant...and even that role was still up in the air. He’d have to worry about that later. At this point, time was against him, and finding another assistant before finding a wife—or before the coronation—was impossible.

  Once he was alone again, Luc turned and went to his desk. Bracing his palms on its glossy top, he leaned forward and closed his eyes. He would do a great job ruling this country, as his father had before him. Luc just needed a chance to prove he could do so without a wife.

  The echo of soft footsteps hit him and he knew instantly who would be behind him. He didn’t turn, though. He wasn’t quite ready to take in the sight of Kate with all her beauty and sexiness.

  The click of the heels stopped, Luc’s heart beat faster than he liked. Damn it, he hadn’t even turned to look at her, hadn’t said a word, yet she had already sent his body into overdrive.

  “I’ll come back.”

  Her soft words washed over him as he turned to face her.

  “No.” He spoke to her retreating back, and she froze in the doorway. “Come in and close the door.”

  She stood still so long, he thought for sure she wasn’t going to stay. After a moment, she stepped back, closed the door and whipped around to face him.

  Luc hadn’t thought it possible, but he still found her breathtakingly gorgeous and arousing. Seeing Kate in a dark blue suit, with a fitted jacket that hugged her waist and accentuated her breasts, and her snug skirt made it hard for him to form words right now. As her heels clicked across the floor, his eyes were drawn to her open-toed, animal-print pumps. Damn, she looked like a woman who was ready to be stripped and laid out on his desk.

  What was worse, now that he’d had her wrapped all around him, he knew exactly how amazing they were together. Why was he paying a penance in all this? He was the victim.

  She stopped well out of his reach, clasped her hands in front of her and met his gaze. “I didn’t know you were back,” she said. “I was just coming in to make sure your computer was ready to go when you needed it.”

  Luc tore his gaze from her painted red lips and glanced at his desk. He hadn’t even noticed the new computer. Hell, he hadn’t even asked for one. Once again, she stayed on top of things and kept his life running smoothly.

  “Where’s my old one?” he asked.

  “All of the palace computers have been upgraded, and they put yours in while you were gone. I made sure the security on yours was set up the same as your old one, and I also made sure your old files were transferred. Everything is on there under the same names, just how they always were.”

  When he glanced back at her, there wasn’t a hint of any emotion on her face. Not a twinge of a smile, no dark circles under her eyes to indicate she’d been losing sleep. Absolutely nothing.

  Which pissed him off even more.

  “Is this how it’s going to be?” he asked, gritting his teeth. “With you pretending you didn’t change the dynamics between us?”

  Kate blinked, pulled in a deep breath and shook her head. “I don’t know what you want from me. I can’t erase what happened, yet you still want me to work for you, so I’m doing what I can under the circumstances. I can’t tell you what you want to know, because—”

  She spun around. Luc waited for her to finish, but she kept her back to him as silence settled heavily between them. There was no easy way, no secret formula for them to get beyond this. He wasn’t all that convinced they could move on, despite what his mother and Mikos had said during their pep talks.

  “Because why?” he pressed, when she remained quiet. “Why can’t you tell me your reasons? I’m ready to hear it. I need to hear it, Kate.”

  Still nothing. Luc stepped forward, closing the space between them. “Damn it, I deserve more than your silence. You can’t hide like this. You don’t get that right. Tell me what prompted you to not only lie, but keep up the charade and play me so perfectly that you ended up in my bed.”

  “Don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t make me say it.”

  Luc grabbed her arm, spun her around and forced himself to hold her watery gaze. “I refuse to let you out of this scot-free.”

  Squaring her shoulders, tipping her chin up and swiping a hand beneath her eye as one lone tear streaked out, Kate nodded. “Fine. You want to know why I did it? Why I lied to you so easily? Besides the doctor’s orders of not saying anything
more, besides the fact that the deception just got out of control, I knew it was the only time in my life you’d ever look at me like you cared for me. Like you actually wanted me. I knew it was wrong. I never justified my actions, and I won’t defend them, because there’s no way to make any of it okay. But don’t make me tell you more. I can’t, Luc.”

  Her voice cracked on his name. Luc kept his hand on her arm as he took a half step closer, nearly towering over her. “You can,” he murmured. “Tell me the rest. Now.”

  He was so torn between arousal and anger. He’d always heard there was a fine line between hatred and passion. No truer words were ever spoken.

  “I fell in love with you,” she whispered, her eyes locking onto his. “Is that what you wanted to hear? Do you hate me so much that humiliating me is the only way to make yourself get past the anger? Well, now you know. I’ve bared my soul to you, Luc. You know about my adoption, which few people do. You know my secret fantasies—you’re the only one in that category—and that I’m in love with a man who’d rather belittle me than ever forgive me, let alone love me back. My fault, I know, but that doesn’t stop the hurt.”

  A viselike grip squeezed his heart at her declaration. Why did he feel anything akin to sympathy toward her? She’d done every bit of this to herself, pulling him along for the ride.

  “You don’t love me.” He dropped his hand and stepped back. “You don’t lie to someone and manipulate them, taking advantage of their weaknesses, when you love them.”

  “I never lied to you before this and I won’t lie to you again,” she vowed, crossing her arms over her chest. “So when I tell you I love you, I’m being honest. I know my word means nothing to you, and I know I went about everything the wrong way. There is no excuse for my behavior, so I’m not going to stand here and try to make one.”

  Luc watched as she pulled herself together, patting her damp cheeks, smoothing her hair behind her shoulders and standing tall.

  Even through all this, she remained strong. He wanted to hate her, because that would be so much easier than to stand here and be torn in two. She’d betrayed the trust they had built, yet at the same time she had tried to keep her distance. He’d been the one to pursue the intimacy. He could look at this situation from so many angles, but none of them gave him the answer or made things any easier.