The Prince Who Charmed Her

by Fiona McArthur

  Their turn. The red light came on.

  How appropriate for her costume, she thought sardonically as Miko straightened and she put her hand on his arm.

  He patted her shaking fingers. ‘Good girl. Let’s do it.’

  * * *

  Stefano conversed pleasantly with the Captain’s wife. It was what he’d been trained to do. He’d promised to attend but he wished the night over, so he could return to his real world and decide on his next strategy for seducing Dr Fender.

  His brother and sister-in-law were in very good spirits and had enjoyed their short holiday, and they had all survived without any further dire embarrassments.

  The music changed to the unmistakable beat of the tango, and Stefano, like every other male in the auditorium, drew in his breath and held it when Kiki stalked onto the stage.

  He heard Theros say, ‘Is that the doctor?’ but his eyes never moved.

  Her ridiculous tail twitched, seductively sinuous and provocative, and the lights caught the skintight shimmer of her perfectly luscious body. Her breasts gleamed high and proud, shimmering with stardust. Stefano’s mouth dried.

  Mesmerised, he followed every sway and bend, each drift and spin. The woman in silver was heating his blood to boiling point, and never had he wanted her more.

  Then he realised every man in the room had their eyes glued on his woman and wanted her too.

  The flash of a camera from behind him made him grit his teeth, and he resisted the almost uncontrollable urge to reach back, grab the offending instrument and smash it into a million non-recording pieces. Instead he clenched his hands in his pockets and remembered to breathe, letting the air out slowly and with intent. He repeated the process, as if he would feel better soon. Unfortunately he didn’t.

  While he could almost admire the grace and precision of the dance, admire the rapport and impeccable timing between male and female, he would have given the crown jewels for it to end. He wanted her covered from head to foot at this moment, as his anger built, preferably bound and in the back of his helicopter heading for home.

  How could she flaunt herself so?

  As soon as the dance finished, to the most enthusiastic applause of the night, the rest of the cast came on for the final joint farewell and she flaunted herself all over again.

  Stefano gritted his teeth as the crew sang their way through the final number. There was thunderous applause and he wondered grimly how much of it was for his little Dr Fender.

  Finally he could excuse himself, and with Olympian control he strode to the stage door just as she stepped out in a group.

  Thankfully someone had given her a coat. She was laughing as he approached, and that incensed him more, but he was no fool.

  Miko was the first to notice his approach. ‘Here comes retribution.’

  He said it quietly in Kiki’s ear but she heard and turned, plastered a smile on her face. ‘Did you enjoy the show, Your Highness?’

  ‘Most illuminating.’ He smiled at the crowd, moved in next to Kiki, and laced his fingers through hers in a statement nobody could doubt. ‘What a naughty suit.’

  He stroked her palm with his thumb and her legs almost buckled.

  This was not what she’d expected. Battle-ready, Kiki was confused by his soft tone, by the damned weakness she always had when he touched her, and the come down from the adrenalin of the dance. And that thumb, insistently vibrating at the core of her, in tendrils of heat from her palm, was blurring her mind so she couldn’t think at all.

  Still he hadn’t looked at her.

  ‘If you would all excuse us for just a few moments? I’d like to speak to Kiki. We’ll catch up.’

  She had to hand it to him. He’d asked nicely, but the projection that instant obedience was expected was miraculous—though Miko looked more than a little worried as she handed him back his coat.

  How the heck did Stefano do that?

  Maybe he didn’t even care that she appeared almost naked in some lights. She sneaked a look at his face, saw his eyes and the penny dropped. Might be a good time to run after her friends...

  Black pupils filled with sparks and his hand tightened on hers. ‘I won’t take up much of your time.’

  If she could disentangle her hand she’d be able to think.

  More people tumbled from the stage entrance and another camera flashed. Stefano swore softly—the first time she’d ever heard him swear—and let go of her hand to remove his jacket.

  Kiki’s mind began to clear the second they disconnected. She only had these few moments until he put his coat around her shoulders. The reality of the danger switched on like a light in her befuddled brain.

  They were on the lowest level open to passengers, one below the gangplank, and there was no way he could get her to his suite unless she got into a lift. So she should be safe if she didn’t.

  ‘No lift!’ At least she managed to get that out before he captured her hand again.

  He nodded. Directed her to the stairs—innocuous enough. Almost as if he knew, his thumb circled her palm again, and her will weakened as a brief lull in the flow of passengers gave them a moment of privacy in the bend of the stairs.

  He leaned her back against the wall, captured her chin and kissed her—not with force, he even started gently, though she could feel the tightly leashed control, the simmering emotion as he seduced her with implacable intent. He kissed her thoroughly until she could barely stand, would have followed him blindly over the edge of the ship into the water below.

  Then he drew her up to the next level and into a packed but serendipitously waiting lift. It was as if even fate was against her. The whole time his fingers were linked through hers.

  Her head began to insist she took note. She looked around and whispered, ‘I said no lift.’ She tugged on her hand but he didn’t let go.

  He whispered back. ‘If that is the worst I do then you will be lucky.’

  The idea was scarily attractive.

  ‘Could you let go of my hand, please?’ She said it a little too loudly but it had the desired effect. Everyone turned to look at them and Stefano dropped her fingers like a hot potato. ‘Could someone press five, please?’

  Her ears burned from the attention but to hell with it. She wasn’t going to be monster’d by a royal bully even if she had pulled his tail deliberately. There was very real danger here—and not all of it was coming from him.

  The lift stopped on her floor and she alighted without obstruction from Stefano. As the doors shut she refused to look back and took off, with her own tail in her hand, as fast as she could towards the crew’s quarters.

  * * *

  The ship docked in Livorno at five a.m. Kiki woke after a restless night with her pillow screwed in a ball under her neck, her sheets twisted and creased and her body aching as if she’d done ten rounds in a boxing match. But worse was the mental exhaustion from duelling with Stefano in her dreams all night.

  She crawled into the shower with a whimper, infinitely glad she didn’t share her cabin with anyone else.

  It was both an anticlimax and a blessing that she wouldn’t see Stefano Mykonides and his entourage leave the ship. Because despite her resistance he had invaded her heart again, and now she’d have to re-banish him.

  Today was going to be almost as big as tomorrow. She had to say goodbye to colleagues who had been her friends, and she needed to find somewhere to stay tonight with all her luggage.

  Then she needed to start forgetting the last week and sorting out a plan of action for work.

  When she walked into the medical centre Wilhelm was talking to Ginger, and judging by the amount of gesticulating going on there was a problem.

  ‘You guys okay?’

  Ginger had tears streaming down her pale cheeks, Wilhelm was red-faced and angry, and both of the
m looked at her in varying degrees of distress when she arrived. Kiki felt her stomach sink.

  ‘Tell her.’ Wilhelm vibrated with emotion.

  Ginger twisted hands that trembled as she turned to Kiki, but no words came out except a whisper that trailed off. ‘I’m sorry...’

  Kiki was liking this less by the minute. ‘Sorry for what, Ginger?’

  Wilhelm couldn’t stand it any longer. ‘She’s sorry she e-mailed your story and a photo to her sleazy gossip columnist ex-boyfriend. You and the Prince will be splashed across every newspaper and magazine that can manage to change their lead article in Italy today.’

  Kiki felt the cold seep into her bones. ‘What story?’

  ‘That you had an affair with Prince Stefano. That you flew to his island the day before yesterday.’ Wilhelm dropped his voice and his eyes, unable to look at her while he broke the worst news. ‘And that he didn’t come to you when you lost his baby earlier this year.’

  Kiki felt sick. And faint. And incredulously angry. ‘How did you know about my pregnancy?’

  Ginger looked as if she was going to be sick. ‘My ex-boyfriend did some digging.’

  Kiki’s mouth opened and shut several times before words came out. ‘And you sent my private life to a newspaper?’ She looked at Wilhelm. ‘And you knew?’

  ‘No.’ He shook his head vehemently. ‘Ginger came and told me what she’d done this morning.’

  Kiki could barely follow it. All she knew was that the whole sordidly tragic story, the pain and anguish she’d suffered alone, was now up for discussion by any busybody who fancied reading about her. Incomprehensible.

  ‘How could you do that? Why would you do that?’

  ‘I’m so sorry.’ Ginger sobbed the words out. ‘Last night I’d had too many drinks. Didn’t think it through. Josh rang me. Asked for help. He said he was suicidal and he needed one good story to keep his job. I panicked. I love him, and I was scared he’d do it. So I gave him the best story I could find.’

  ‘Mine?’

  Ginger swallowed and then nodded. ‘Yours. But I didn’t know about the baby.’

  Kiki sank back into a chair in the waiting room and shook her head, unable to comprehend just how public this was. That everyone would know a secret she’d kept hidden from everyone...most of all Stefano.

  ‘Are you sure they’ll publish it? The Mykonides family have a lot of power.’ Didn’t she know that? With the thought came the first hint of light. ‘Of course they won’t let them publish, and I’m not interesting enough to write about if his name isn’t there.’

  Wilhelm spun the computer screen around to show her. ‘It’s online already.’

  That was when she saw the explicit glory of her catsuit, in full colour, and Stefano holding her hand. She looked like a call girl.

  ‘That picture...’ She put her head in her hands. ‘My family don’t know about the baby.’ She looked at Wilhelm, but all his sympathy wasn’t going to help her now. ‘Nick doesn’t know, or my sisters.’

  He sighed. ‘Then you’d better ring him.’

  ‘I can’t.’ She shook her head. ‘I can’t think.’ An image of Stefano flew into her mind and she groaned. ‘Stefano... His family... He hates the press.’

  * * *

  Running the gauntlet of the ship as she said goodbye was nothing compared to the reception the Italian newspaper journalists had planned for her when she stepped onto the wharf.

  The flash of cameras and the surge of the bodies that crowded round her stole the breath from her lungs and she felt herself sway with the onslaught.

  A car screeched to a halt.

  ‘Enough!’

  One voice, a whiplash of command, and four bodyguards, hastily shielding a central figure. The crowd parted and fell silent in shock as Stefano strode forward, dropped his arm protectively around her shoulders and swept her back to his car. Her luggage was quickly packed into a second car by Stefano’s manservant.

  As she slid along the back seat the flash as the first photographer recovered ignited others, and the din returned full force as Stefano slid in behind her.

  The door shut and both vehicles pulled away. The guards followed behind as Kiki huddled in the corner of the seat, shaking, tears thick in her throat as she tried to regain her composure in a world that had suddenly gone mad.

  She supposed she should be thankful he’d come, but she had no idea what to say to him. Where to start. What he thought. Her head still spun from the ramifications of such a private airing of her deepest pain. Many women had suffered such a loss but it hurt even more to expose it publicly. Not just the memory of the physical, the cramps and the loss of control, but emotionally it had been traumatic. And now the world was privy to that pain.

  Stefano could barely see straight, barely think as he struggled with a feeling of betrayal greater than anything he had ever experienced before. This did not happen to him. He was careful. In control. Master of his own fate and no one else’s—because his goal in life was never to be responsible for someone else’s downfall again.

  But control had been taken from him. This news had been waiting for him as soon as he woke.

  His office had gone into disaster mode. His security staff had arranged a different departure point for himself, Theros and Marla from the ship, to avoid the inevitable press, and he had seen them to the airport and discreet safety. But he’d had to return for Kiki, though he wondered bitterly if she deserved it.

  All this because he had terminated her employment. It was a smallness he hadn’t expected. Fool that he was. He had been told many times, and even in the last few days by his father, that he should stay within the circle of people who understood the rules. And he had defended her.

  Now all the world knew she had been pregnant. His child. Even when he had been in hospital she would have been able to reach him. His child had died at the time when he too had almost died. Another painful situation out of his control.

  His anger bubbled and boiled. Or had it really been his child? Had there been any child at all?

  He sifted through what he knew, what had been written, and tried to discern what was truth and what was fiction even as she who had caused this furore shivered beside him. He would find out. He would keep her close until this all died down and she could not spread more lies about him.

  The hardest part was the fact that he had always been the one to protect his family from his brother’s many scrapes. His way for making up the past, perhaps. By being the son his father wanted and Theros could not be.

  Because of him.

  But this—this was all his doing, and the woman beside him. They had brought shame to the royal house. Now he needed to be strong. Not weak. He repeated it in his mind. Show strength not weakness. The plan of action he had decided on was not the answer, but perhaps it would buy him time and stop the damage to his family until the truth could be ascertained.

  * * *

  Kiki could feel tension vibrating from the man beside her, emanating in waves, like a radioactive leak from a damaged core. Well, she guessed she had pierced his protective shell with the last news he’d expected.

  Stefano’s voice, coldly formal, as if he were talking to a bare acquaintance he disliked intensely, made Kiki feel even more alone.

  ‘It seems you must come to Aspelicus after all. You will be safe there until all this dies down. The rest we will discuss later, when I can be sure I will not do something I regret.’

  That stiffened her spine. As if she didn’t have regrets. As if she had orchestrated the most public airing of her grief. Grief he hadn’t even been there to share.

  ‘Oh, it’s all about you? Typical.’

  He shot her a look of loathing and she returned it with interest. ‘I am not informed. Yet you tell a newspaper.’

  So that was what he thought.
Again, typical.

  ‘You think I would share my pain so publicly?’ She turned her head and stared at the swiftly passing streets. ‘You really don’t know me at all, do you?’

  She couldn’t believe he thought that. But then again why wouldn’t he? It was all about him.

  Now she was on her way to Aspelicus and too emotionally drained to fight it. Not what she would have believed possible less than twelve hours ago. The way she felt at this moment he could drop her off on the moon and she wouldn’t care. In another world she would be waiting with bated breath for her labour to start. For her baby to be born. Instead she was the instigator of an injustice to him.

  She just wanted to hide. And cry. But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Instead she stared unseeingly out of the window as they turned into the airport and drove onto the tarmac.

  Before they got out he had one last thing to say. ‘Your pregnancy. Was it really my child?’

  Kiki turned her head and stared at this man she’d thought she knew, looked at him with such disgust he flinched.

  At last he had the grace to say, ‘I apologise.’

  But it was too late. Of course he would think that. How could she have ever thought she loved him?

  ‘Too damn late. It will never be unsaid.’

  His implacable face stared at her. ‘So when were you going to tell me you were pregnant?’

  She could do cold. She should be able to, because she felt as if her heart had frozen over like those lakes in Switzerland she’d always wanted to see. Never more than at this moment.

  ‘When you came back. But you didn’t. So I tried to phone. But even then I didn’t get the chance.’

  Her car door was opened from the outside and the helicopter looked almost reassuringly familiar. It was funny how things could change in so short a time, and she was glad when he handed her coldly into the rear of the aircraft and climbed into the pilot’s seat himself. At least she wouldn’t have to sit next to his smouldering disapproval for the next hour.

  Their ascent and the flight were a blur as her mind fought the paralysis this morning had left her with. It seemed only a short time later that they were landing on the forecourt of the palace, and she lifted listless eyes to the gathering that waited for them.