So he hadn’t grown up rich while she’d only known a comfortable life. She wanted to know more about the boy he'd been and understood Clara wanting the best for Charles. “I see.”
She put the cup on the small table and he immediately reached for her hand. “No, you don’t.”
Her body buzzed with excitement. She forced her head to turn away so she might breeze inside the house like she belonged here, in some alternate universe, but his touch kept her aware and edgy. She was a firework about to be set off from a simple gesture. Her face felt hot, which meant she had to be red. Not romantic at all! She fanned her cheeks and tried to calm down. “Wow. This is such an incredible view." Cool water, cool skin, cool. Finally she could think and she turned toward him again. “Now, tell me more about why you didn’t want Clara to be here. There was more to the story you told me.”
He was a breath away and her pulse zipped when he said, “I… I knew that Sheena had married a count and moved to Avce from Paris when I found out the exact details of who I was biologically. We’d dated for a while.”
“I met her already.” How deeply had he been in love? “You introduced her to Clara, but this doesn’t answer my question.”
He traced her fingers with soft strokes, as if he cared about her. He probably didn’t but her body didn’t know the difference. “I brought Clara to meet her, yes, but she warned me that Sheena would break my heart. Clara thinks I have a heart, and my job is always to protect Clara. I don’t want her being a target to use against me.”
“Now that I understand.” And of course he had a heart or he wouldn’t want to protect his mother. Everyone except evil people would feel the same. She pressed her lips together as he didn’t seem to agree that life was good too. “So, what did you do?”
He massaged the back of his neck again which was clearly how he calmed himself down. “I was…extreme…in saying that I wanted Sheena back.”
Everyone in Avce thought he loved his ex. Maybe he did. She’d never been in love, but if so, she’d likely shout her happiness to the world. She gave him a small smile as she said with understanding, “So you groveled?”
His pupils were big and dark as he stared at her like they were sharing secrets. “But the thing is, I didn’t want her back. Not really. I wasn’t in love with her and never really was.”
Her heart beat faster. It wasn’t love then? Reza probably talked about her the same way. He hadn’t cared about her either. She blinked quickly. “So why chase after a married woman?”
His voice was low like he was afraid someone might overhear him though there was nobody around. “I was approached by three different factions who all want to undermine the king’s rule.”
But that didn’t include Sheena, did it? She lowered her lashes, wishing to talk about love rather than royal plots. “Oh.”
“And in pretending I was heartbroken over Sheena, I could ignore the bribes, and was taken right to the king himself where he gifted me these lands and titles for my silence and my loyalty. Then I turned over the names of the factions who contacted me to security and that’s that.”
Her chest loosened. If Charles lived here, then he hadn’t betrayed his own country, right? She tilted her head and met his eyes. “Which you gave?”
“Gave what?” He blinked, as if he didn't understand her question.
Seriously? Had he taken some bribe that might get him killed? She pursed her lips as she repeated, “Silence and loyalty.”
His face went slightly red like he was embarrassed to admit it when he said, “Silence, not so much--my parentage is public knowledge, but yes to loyalty. I’ve no interest in being used in a political coup d' etat, or painting a bullet on Clara’s back.”
So the country’s army wasn’t about to batter down his doors in the middle of the night. She nodded and smiled. “Good.”
He stood, and so did she, then they walked to the end of the patio. She surveyed the landscape where all they could see was ocean--not another building in sight. Charles said, “Yes. But that doesn’t deserve all of this. It’s too much.”
Well, she’d been a business major in school like that might help her make better choices and not continue to make bad choices, but she'd taken a psychology course. She enjoyed figuring people out, so she traced the marble ledge and asked, “Has the king, or your birth mother, approached you?"
He glanced away and turned toward the house and her while he said, “Yes. And no. And sort of.”
She reached out, clasping his arm and shoulder, holding him in place. “What does that mean?”
He met her gaze and she swore she read dismay in his eyes, though his expression remained clear. “It means I pretty much "run into" the king, or one of his sons, every week for some unexplained reason.”
Like the charity ball? Had they wanted to talk to Charles? If so, that wasn’t so bad, if it was about building a relationship. Sandi could smell his woodsy cologne as their bodies brushed closer without meaning to. She didn’t move away though. “So, they're keeping an eye on you.”
He gently tugged on her hips to keep her chest to chest. “They think I might betray the throne. I told their security about the bribes in the hopes they’d stop showing up or worrying, but then I just ended up seeing them anyhow.”
Charles wouldn't hurt the crown. Her mind buzzed the truth as she pressed her lips together--they'd begun to tingle like he’d finally kiss her again, though she threw cold water on that when she asked, “Hmm. And your natural mother?”
He let her go, pivoted to his side, and his shoulders dropped. “I only saw her twice and both times she ran in the opposite direction, like I frightened her.”
While her parents were not perfect she’d never once felt abandoned.
Charles must have been so angry. She’d be if she was him. “That had to hurt.”
He straightened like admitting hurt was a problem. “I don’t know her. However, her daughters have both approached me pretty regularly. Her oldest daughter, Cassidy, worked for the princes even before she was known as the matchmaker, so she’s tight with the royal family.”
Sandi had read Cassidy's bio and her interview on how she didn’t quite believe in her own program when it paired her childhood-friend-turned-tormenter-in-high school as her true love.
Her candid story about her own romance had made Sandi want to try out her matchmaking service. She nodded. “Cassidy is the one that matched us.”
“Yes.”
Yet Charles wasn’t close to anyone here it seemed. He wasn’t even connected to his house, as they hadn’t gone in. She raised her eyebrow. “Well, I’d like to meet them all so that I can really understand, but maybe you’re missing something about your father’s side.”
His gaze narrowed. “What’s that?”
She ignored the slight trembles of her body and tried to help him see another side. “Sounds to me like he wants to know you.”
His mouth tightened. “Why would he care?”
She glanced up at him and again the desire to be held hit her but she denied her own wishes. “What if he'd told you the truth--that he had no idea what had happened to you, and the orphanage?”
His brow furrowed. “That seems unlikely.”
She pressed her hand on his chest, not expecting the bolt of energy that hit her. This wasn’t the right time. “But what if it was all your birth mother's doing, and she left you at the orphanage? If so, what would you do if you found out you had a son out there in the world?”
He traced her hip and his body relaxed. “I suppose it’s possible.”
She'd feared he might be more resistant. “What do you mean?”
His hand went up and down her upper thigh. “I am a big believer in safe sex, and I don’t want to have a child out there who doesn’t know his father, but honestly, if I found out I had a son, I’d want to know him.”
Sandi hadn’t expected him to be some sort of man-virgin but she was glad that he took care in his affairs. She raised her face and stepped on her t
iptoes as she asked, “So maybe that’s all that’s in your father’s mind?”
His lips came closer. She batted her eyes and closed them entirely, and a second later he kissed her.
A bolt of lightning shot through her and she held onto him tighter, like she needed support.
Sandi Smith always stood on her own two feet and probably could, once Charles stopped kissing her. But she didn’t want him to ever stop.
If he kept her like this forever, she’d happily be his as the world didn’t matter.
The kiss ended, yet she still saw stars. He wrapped his arms around her shoulder and guided her into the house. “It’s going to rain. Let's get an early dinner as we skipped lunch to fly here.”
“Sounds perfect,” she said though the truth was she wasn’t hungry. She wanted him. And maybe they had a shot at love.
A love like she'd always wanted.
Chapter 8
Charles’s neck felt tight in his shirt collar as they made their way inside the house just before a lightning storm crackled across the sky.
Sandi’s gaze at him, like she cared only about him, made his shoulders rigid.
He was the wrong man for her. The kiss outside had been amazing but wrong.
A good man would send her packing, right now.
He never should have kissed her again.
But then, Charles knew without a doubt he wasn’t a good man. He’d never once been accused of being one.
As the rain pelted against the glass doors behind them, he flipped the light on and Sandi was transfixed by the chandelier.
This was part of a huge room where the previous owners must have thrown lavish parties once.
She hugged her chest as if amazed and twirled back toward him. “This house is truly remarkable, Charles.”
Nothing in it felt comfortable to him. Sandi’s green eyes were the only source of compassion.
He saw the desire she had for him, but she shouldn’t want him. He followed her through the ballroom. “I’ve only stayed here for short periods, a couple times now.”
She stopped at the wall with gold roses embossed into the design. “Seriously? This is so much better than that hotel room I was in…”
Her silence echoed in the walls.
Had he upset her? He placed his hand on her lower back to lead her farther into the house, for dinner. “And?”
She sucked in her breath and met his gaze with a slight blush. “Or even my suite in my parents' house.”
Most people lived on their own, no? His mind raced as he directed her toward the dining room. “You live with your parents?”
She played with a small necklace around her neck, moving the rose back and forth. “I… I have no real skills and failed at business entirely. I’ve pretty much made wrong choice after wrong choice since taking over my family’s business dealings after my grandfather died.”
“How old were you?”
“Fourteen when my grandfather trusted me to watch over my parents.”
“That’s young.” He tugged his ear as he opened the next door and they headed into a dining room where plates were already set for them. “Were you a genius?”
“I earned good grades in school and my grandfather didn’t trust my parents.”
“But you still live at home?”
He led her to a cushioned accent chair closest to a glass window with a nice view of the green lawn and the outside maze. “We pool our resources so the business can stay afloat until I can handle our fortunes.”
“Was that why your doctor left?”
She flinched but then blushed as she glanced at the table instead of him. “He left because he didn’t love me.”
“Your parents seemed to believe they have a vote in your family business.” He fixed her chair and took the seat next to her, though the sharp corner created a separation. “So why were you in charge of the company?”
“My grandfather refused to leave my father anything to do but my parents are my parents who I love. So to keep it in the family, he trusted me but I was only a freshman in high school. And I trusted my parents who gave me some bad advice.”
“You were in a tough spot then. And it sounds like Clara and your parents are the opposite.”
“What do you mean?”
“She hates when I do anything for her and your parents expect you to handle everything.”
“That’s true.” Sandi settled in her seat and at least he could reach out and hold her if the mood hit him. Charles massaged the back of his neck to calm down.
“Well," Sandi said, "I know I wanted time for just us, but now that I'm here and know more about you, well…if you want to get married, we can.”
At least he understood more about Sandi now and his shoulders lifted. He could help her, but he kept that to himself. "That’s a fast change. What happened?”
“I don’t know… I guess I want to help you.” She studied the salad in front of her and picked up her fork.
“That’s sweet.” He patted her arm. “I don’t want to trap you.”
“Funny,” She crossed her legs like she was confident, “I thought you were the one feeling trapped by the way you talked in Paris.”
After seeing her with Clara, he’d become clear Sandi was a good choice for a bride, but he held that thought. “I changed my mind.”
Her eyes had a sparkle in them, though her face was red. “Honestly your home half-convinced me this would be a lovely prison that didn’t depend on me making a decision.”
If he could guarantee security for Clara, and the house somehow went to Sandi, perhaps he wasn’t a completely horrible person if he married her. He ate his salad then pushed the plate back once he finished. “Half?”
Staff came in and took their plates.
Sandi sat on her hands like she wasn’t sure what to do.
More plates were brought in of chicken and mashed potatoes, even though he hadn’t told the staff they were coming.
The servants left and Sandi unlocked herself from the seat. He thought she’d reach for her silverware but she took his hand. His skin was on pins and needles as she said, “Well, the other perk besides all this is… well… you, and your kisses.”
His collar tightened and he couldn’t breathe, never mind eat. His heart raced and he turned his palm toward her. “You don’t have to say that.”
She sucked on her lip and her eyes glistened--he didn’t ever want to look away from her. “It’s true, Charles. I’m genuinely interested.”
He was the wrong choice for anyone like her. This wasn’t fair. Finally he swallowed and took his hand back as he glanced away.
He’d never be able to transition himself to be some hero for her. “You shouldn’t be.”
“Why?” She picked up her fork.
They ate in silence for a few moments. The chicken was tender and the mashed potatoes fluffy. He finished his last bite. “Because I’m bad news for you.”
Done, she dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “Why? What do you believe will happen?”
“That you’ll leave.” His voice cracked.
Servants entered the room and he studied the table as they took their plates.
Others came in with a caramel dessert he didn’t recognize but it didn’t matter because for once he wasn’t tempted by the sweets.
Neither of them spoke during the interruption, but once they were alone again, Sandi murmured, “But you just said that I should leave. That it’s what you want me to do.”
He didn’t bother picking up a spoon. He just stared at the dessert in front of him as he said, “Everyone has always left me. I find if I push people away then it’s my choice.”
“You can’t push me away if you’re willing to let me get to know you.”
“I don’t know how.”
“We’ll figure it out, together.” The swish of her chair caught his attention and adrenaline rushed through him. A second later, she tugged on his shoulder. “But Charles, that requires you opening up to me.”
He stood and pulled her waist toward him. “When you say it’s about the house then I think maybe we can make a deal where we don’t have to build trust.”
Her fingers brushed against his chest and her face beamed up at him like she had angelic powers as she said, “I clearly misspoke. I’m sorry. I would never actually marry a guy because of his house. If I wanted to be secure and safe, I could have married Reza when our relationship first started and not cared that we didn’t suit and in the end he’d leave me first.”
His entire body went cold, frigid even. Seriously. The image of some other man with Sandi made his heart squeeze in his chest. “He must have been a fool.”
“No.” Her nose wrinkled and she shrugged. “He was busy, and we never had time to really know each other. I’m here because your half-sister said you were my perfect match. I’d like to believe that.”
Another man touching Sandi when he hadn’t somehow upset his stomach.
At the same time, his muscles were hard like a stone except for his chest that fluttered where she still brushed. “Why? Computers don’t get to decide stuff like that.”
Her lips pressed together and she leaned closer and held his biceps while on her tiptoes as she said, “I’m not a good judge of things and I’d like to believe computers are smarter than me. And besides that… I like you.”
More of their bodies touched.
He wanted to rip the black sheath off her body and take her.
Here would be fine, though Sandi deserved far more. His hand brushed against her back as he said, “I… like you too.”
She laughed softly. “Which is kind of funny, after how we met. I seriously stormed into your office in a bunny suit.”
True. She hadn't shown an ounce of caring about her appearance when she’d rushed into his office. He'd manipulated her family to have her in Paris because of Cassidy's email. “You did. It wasn’t until I saw you in the black dress that I realized you were physically attractive, as well as confident.”
She shook her head like she didn’t believe him. “I guess. I was hopped up on adrenaline and my future seemed bleak because I couldn’t sell the medical equipment that’s just sitting in my warehouse.”
Forbidden Bastard: Opposites Attract Matchmaker Romance (Princes of Avce Book 10) Page 7