“Whatever has made you all surly is the main issue,” she stated. “But the attraction is something we already discussed and agreed to ignore.”
The muscle in Colin’s jaw ticked, his nostrils flared. “Discussing and ignoring our chemistry isn’t going to make it go away. As far as my mood goes, I had a disagreement with my brother on the phone and I’m dealing with some family things. That’s all you need to know and more than you’re entitled to.”
Shaking her head, Darcy took a step back. “Obviously it was a mistake to come down here.”
She turned, set on heading up to her room and figuring out new recipes for the coming week. She’d barely taken a step out the door before one strong hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her to a stop.
“The mistake would be leaving.”
His words washed over her, his breath tickled the side of her neck, the heat from his body enveloped her. Darcy closed her eyes.
“Colin,” she whispered. “I can only be here for Iris. Nothing more.”
“You deny yourself too much.” His thumb stroked over her bare arm. “The car, new clothes...my touch. I’ve tried to ignore the power you have over me. I’ve tried, but there’s only so much a man can take. You’re driving me crazy and I’m taking my frustrations out on you when it’s my fault I can’t deal with how much you get under my skin. I snapped at you earlier because I’m angry with myself.”
Darcy gasped at his raw honesty.
“Tell me you don’t want me to touch you,” he whispered.
“I’m not a liar,” she informed him. “But I can’t let you. There’s a difference.”
Colin turned her around so fast she fell against him. Instantly, her hands came up to settle on that hard chest she’d been lusting after. Why did she have to have such strong feelings for this man? And why was he so forceful, so dominating and constantly arousing at every single moment of the day?
“Being alone with you is not a good idea.” Her defense came out weak, and the smirk on his face told her he wasn’t buying it, either. “I need this job, Colin. I can’t afford to...well...whatever you have in mind.”
With a low growl from deep in his throat, Colin framed her face with both hands, forcing her to look only at him.
“Moro, you have no idea what I have in mind.”
Moro. What did that even mean? Something Greek, she assumed. Coming from his lips, though, it sounded sexy, naughty.
No, she didn’t want to appreciate the seductive terms rolling off his tongue, dripping with a toe-curling accent.
With taut skin beneath her palms, Darcy was fighting the urge to dig her fingers into his heated skin, rise on her toes and take what he was so blatantly offering.
“This isn’t professional.” She focused on his face, wondering if he was having doubts, but all she saw staring back at her was desire.
Had a man ever looked at her in such an arousing way before? If she had to ask herself the question, the obvious answer was no.
“No, it’s not,” he agreed, still holding her face in his hands. “But damn it, the more I fight this, the more I crave it. Do you want to quit working for me?”
“No.”
“I’m not about to fire you.” His thumb stroked over her bottom lip, back and forth. “So that leaves us here, fighting an urge that’s only gaining momentum. What do you want?”
Was he mocking her? What did he think she wanted to do? She wanted this ache to cease, but she didn’t want to be so clichéd as to sleep with her boss.
“I think you need to keep your hands off me,” she whispered. “I think we need to focus on Iris and I think we need to be adult enough to have self-control.”
Colin slid his hands back through her hair, tipped her head up and inched even closer, leaving only a breath between their mouths.
“I didn’t ask what you thought. I asked what you want.”
With her hands trapped between their bodies, his firm grip on her and air barely passing between them, Darcy did the only thing she could think to do...she kissed him.
Instantly Colin took control, pushing her back against the wall. Her hands fell away and just as she tried to grip his shoulders, he grabbed her wrists, jerked them away from his body and had both arms pinned up over her head. She was at his total mercy, at his command. His mouth covered hers, dominated, possessed and every part of her wanted more, wanted him.
Her body arched into his. The sensation of those hard planes against her had any feeling of self-consciousness disappearing. Apparently Colin didn’t seem to mind his woman a little on the curvy side. If his arousal was any indication, he actually preferred a little extra flesh.
With one hand gripping her wrists, Colin’s other hand found the hem of her shirt. His fingers slid beneath the cotton and found her waist. His palm flattened against her heated skin as he brushed his thumb along the satiny barrier of her bra. Such a thin layer, yet it proved to be quite a hindrance. She wanted his hands on her, all over her.
Darcy groaned as his hips pushed against hers; his thumb glided back and forth over her breast. He utterly consumed her with the simplest yet most demanding of touches and she still burned for more.
Wait. What was she saying? He was a widower. He’d been married and his wife had passed not too long ago. So, what did that make Darcy? The rebound? A fling to help him recover from a broken heart?
Wasn’t that precisely what Colin was to her? Hadn’t her own heart—and apparently her common sense, too—taken a hit from her failed relationship? Were they using each other as stepping-stones to get beyond the hurt?
With her arms still locked above her head by Colin’s firm grip, Darcy tore her mouth away, causing his lips to land on her jawline.
“Colin,” she panted. “Wait...just...this is...stop. Please.”
He froze. His hand fell from her shirt as he slowly backed away. The second he released her arms, Darcy pulled some much needed air into her lungs.
With a curse, Colin raked a hand through his damp hair and turned away. Darcy watched as he walked over and sank onto the weight bench, rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his head between his shoulders. Apparently he was at war with himself.
Unsure of what to do next, Darcy remained still, hoping he’d say something to cut through this instant strain that settled between them. “Go upstairs, Darcy.”
The angst in his tone had her glued to the spot. He may want to be alone, but she didn’t think he should be. How could she just walk out after what they’d experienced? Ignoring it would only create more friction.
“I’ll go,” she informed him, smoothing her hair away from her face. “But you need to know something first.”
Darcy risked walking toward him and rounding the bench to talk face-to-face, even though he still kept his focus on the ground between his legs.
“I won’t be used as someone to pass the time and I won’t be anyone’s rebound. Yes, I’m attracted to you, but I can work and put that aside.” Pulling in a deep breath of air and straightening her shoulders, she pushed forward. “What I can’t do is get wrapped up in an affair that will leave me wanting more because I’ve been hurt before. I’m not going to lie, I’m still recovering from that betrayal. Right now I have to look out for myself because I have no one else. And as much as I’d like to take you up on what you were offering, I can’t sacrifice my heart. I’m not a fling type of girl and I know what might be temporary pleasure to you would be much more than I can handle.”
Slowly, Colin lifted his head, sought her gaze and nodded. “I won’t touch you again. I won’t kiss you and I’ll make sure not to put you in a position where we’re alone. Iris will be our focus. I have enough going on in my life without adding more complications.”
Darcy fisted her hands at her sides. This is what she wanted him to say, right? She wanted him to tr
eat her as a professional and not make her choose between her morals and her desires.
Yet now that he’d pulled up this invisible wall between them, Darcy couldn’t help but wonder if she’d just be on the outside looking in at what she could’ve had. And this incident confirmed he was looking for an emotional crutch. Trouble was, she was, too, and hadn’t even realized it.
Colin came to his feet, keeping his intense gaze on her. “You need to know that I never meant to make you feel like you were passing my time. I haven’t been this attracted to a woman in years and damn if this timing isn’t inconvenient. You’re my nanny, for pity’s sake. But I need to clarify one thing before you go upstairs and we table this discussion.”
Darcy swallowed. “What?”
Softly, gently, Colin eased forward and touched his lips to hers for the briefest of moments before easing back. He touched her nowhere else, but just that simple kiss packed as much of a punch as when he’d practically taken her standing up.
“You deserve more than a fling, more than a quickie against the wall.” His whispered tone washed over her. “There are just some promises I can’t make.”
Sliding her tongue over her bottom lip, she savored him. “Why did you kiss me again?”
Bright cobalt eyes locked her in place. “Because I’m selfish and I wanted one last taste.”
Heart in her throat, Darcy resisted the urge to reach up and touch her tingling lips. He’d told her he had nothing else to give but a fling and she refused to settle for a few moments of pleasure. She was worth more than that and she’d promised herself after Thad left her with nothing that she wouldn’t succumb to passion and charming men again.
On shaky legs, Darcy skirted around Colin and headed out of the gym. By the time she hit the steps, she was nearly running.
What would tomorrow bring, she wondered as she closed herself into her suite. Could they truly put every kiss, every touch behind them? Could she forget the fact she’d felt proof of his desire for her? That he’d touched her breast? They’d crossed into another level of intimacy and that wasn’t something Darcy took lightly.
She was just about to change into her pajamas when a piercing cry came from the monitor.
Duty called. She only hoped duty wasn’t calling up Colin, as well.
Eight
“How’s the nanny working out?”
Colin cringed at his brother’s question. For the past three days he’d managed to keep his promise to always have Iris present if he was in the room with Darcy. On the night he’d all but consumed Darcy, right after she had left the gym and Iris had started to cry, Colin had made his way upstairs and waited for a moment to make sure Darcy went into the nursery to care for his little girl.
Being so close, inhaling her fruity scent, seeing her handle Iris in such a loving, caring way, had had him questioning his sanity. They still had months to go and he was no closer to controlling his hormones than he was the moment he opened his door to her. But how could he kick her out when she and Iris were obviously the perfect pairing?
“That good, huh?” Stefan chuckled.
Colin gripped the phone, hating how his brother was across the globe and could still hone in on the truth.
“She’s amazing with Iris,” Colin stated. “I’m surprised how fast she’s has taken to Darcy. Most times Iris prefers Darcy over me when we’re playing a game. She climbs into her lap. It’s like she’s already choosing sides.”
“And how have you taken to Darcy?” Stefan asked.
“She’s the nanny. That’s all.”
Stefan’s mocking chuckle filled the line. “Pretty defensive. I admit, I’m happy to hear it. I worried about you after Karina’s death and then the backlash and speculation from the media. You closed in on yourself for a bit, but with this nanny, you sound a bit...agitated. You’re showing signs of life again. You must like her on more than a professional level.”
Colin watched out his office window as Darcy and Iris splashed around in the pool. Why did he torture himself by standing in here staring at her? Why did her faded, plain black one-piece do ridiculous things to his libido?
“That doesn’t mean anything is going on with my nanny,” he grumbled. Maybe he was so moody because nothing was going on with the nanny.
Darcy lifted Iris into her arms and climbed from the pool. With each step up, water sluiced off Darcy’s curvy body. Watching as she bent to retrieve Iris’s towel was pure hell. For several moments Colin took note of how Darcy cared for Iris, drying her off and making sure she was warm before focusing on herself.
And those few minutes were more than enough to have his body responding. He never should’ve gone so far the other night because now when he saw her, he could actually feel her. The combination was killing him.
“The ball is less than two weeks away,” Stefan went on, oblivious to Colin’s state. “If you’re not here, the media will only try to crucify you more. Even though they won’t be inside, they’ll be hovering outside the palace to see who’s here. Besides, word will get out and rumors will fly.”
“I’m well aware of how the media would handle my absence.”
Colin turned from the window. The last thing he wanted to think about was returning to Galini Isle for a ball hosting the monarchies from surrounding countries. The only bright light was that his best friend, Luc, would be in attendance, and since the man had recently gotten engaged Colin wanted to congratulate the happy couple in person.
But right now he wanted to forget all duties, all pressing issues that demanded his attention. Still, if he didn’t go, Stefan was right, it would be like throwing gasoline on the proverbial fire. He just wished he weren’t so confused. He was happy here, albeit sexually frustrated. He enjoyed living in California, but he also missed his brother. And being away from his duties had Colin wondering what his late parents would’ve thought of his actions. Would they support his decision if he chose to walk away? Would they be disappointed?
If he ended up going to the ball, he’d have to reveal his true identity to Darcy. Traveling back for the event would be tiring and he’d want her with him to help with Iris. A small sliver of him wanted her to know, he wanted to see how she’d treat him if she knew the truth. He liked to think she’d still be the same Darcy he’d come to respect and desire.
“I’ll let you know what I decide,” Colin stated as he headed down the hall and upstairs to his bedroom. “I’ll give you a few days’ notice for security.”
“They’re already on standby,” Stefan confirmed. “They’re ready to come to LA and hover over you. I had to tell them to stand down more than once.”
“Keeping my identity a secret would be kind of hard with royal guards surrounding the perimeter of my home.”
“Which is why I’m honoring your wishes and letting you have some privacy. But you’ll have to make some decisions soon and I’m not just referring to the ball.”
Colin closed his bedroom door and toed off his shoes. “You’ll be the first to know what I decide. Right now I have more pressing matters to deal with.”
Stefan chuckled. “I’m sure you do.”
Colin disconnected the call, cutting off Stefan’s mocking laugh. Quickly changing his clothes, Colin decided he was taking charge of everything in his personal life starting now. He was torn up over the decision involving his royal status, but he refused to have his libido all out of control, too. He was going to take what he wanted...and he wanted Darcy Cooper.
How would he know if whatever they were feeling was something real? Colin had told her he couldn’t give her more, but those words had been spoken out of fear. He didn’t want her to think he was using her, but he ached for her in ways he hadn’t known possible.
Lust was something he remembered from his bachelor days, but Darcy was worth more than that shallow emotion and damn if it wasn’t com
plicating everything right now.
He’d given her the space he promised. He’d watched her, kept his hands to himself and had not made any innuendos whatsoever. His self-control was choking him to death.
Their connection was obvious. Why couldn’t they spend these next few months enjoying each other? Surely by the time he was ready to move on they’d be tired of each other.
Seduction would be the key to winning her over and he had every intention of pulling out all stops and making her just as achy and needy as he was. This entire plan was a risk because he knew he wanted to explore more, but what would happen if they reached the point of no return?
* * *
Iris wasn’t acting sleepy at all after the swim and brief snack, so Darcy slipped back into the pool. Schedules were important for babies, but so was soaking up all the fun and memories they could. Delaying Iris’s nap by half an hour wouldn’t hurt. The other day the nap had been put off for too long, hence the mega tantrum, but Darcy had learned what Iris’s nap meltdown threshold was.
Easing Iris into her baby raft with canopy, Darcy held onto the side and swished the float around in the water. Iris squealed and clapped her hands with each twist. Her little legs were working back and forth beneath the water. Darcy couldn’t help but laugh as an immeasurable amount of joy filled her heart. There truly was nothing like a baby’s sweet laugh. Darcy watched Iris’s face as she led her further into the pool. Those bright eyes really sparkled in the sunlight...and reminded Darcy how much Iris looked like her daddy.
Dunking down lower to get her shoulders wet, Darcy tried her hardest to keep images of Colin from her mind. Of course the harder she fought, the more he kept creeping into her thoughts. It was so, so difficult to keep her professional feelings separate from her personal ones.
Darcy loved Iris, enjoyed every moment she got to spend with her. But she also thoroughly enjoyed Colin’s company on a level that she hadn’t expected. Her mind and her heart were in agreement for once, telling her that feeling anything for the man was a bad idea.
What the Prince Wants Page 8