A Night in the Prince's Bed

by Chantelle Shaw - A Night in the Prince's Bed

  The elderly advisor frowned as he looked past Aksel and saw Mina’s dishevelled hair and reddened lips. ‘I’m afraid not, sir. I must talk to you urgently.’

  Duty must take precedence over his personal life, Aksel reminded himself. However much he wanted to sweep Mina into his arms and carry her off to his bed, he would not allow desire to make a weak fool of him as it had his father.

  He stepped back to allow his chief advisor into the room, and rang a bell to summon a member of the palace staff. When a butler arrived, Aksel said to Mina, ‘Hans will show you to your room, and tomorrow he will escort you to the airport.’

  It was impossible to believe that his cold eyes had blazed with desire when he had kissed her a few moments earlier, Mina thought. She sensed that his return to being a regal and remote prince had something to do with the presence of the grey-haired, grey-suited man who was regarding her with a disapproving expression.

  She was not an actress for nothing, she reminded herself. Her pride insisted that she must hold onto her dignity and not allow Aksel to see that he had trampled on her heart.

  She gave him a cool smile and felt a flicker of satisfaction when he frowned. ‘Goodbye, Aksel.’ She hesitated, and gave him a searching look. ‘I hope one day you’ll realise that you can’t pay for your father’s mistakes for ever. Even a prince has a right to find personal happiness.’

  As Aksel watched Mina walk out of the room he was tempted to go after her and kiss her until she lost her infuriating air of detachment and melted in his arms as she had before they had been interrupted by his chief advisor. He knew she was a talented actress—so who was the real Mina? Was she the woman who had kissed him passionately a few minutes ago, or the woman who had sauntered out of his office without a backwards glance?

  ‘Sir?’ Harald Petersen’s voice dragged Aksel from his frustrated thoughts. ‘Benedict Lindburg has informed me that members of the press were at the palace gates when you arrived and they may have seen that Miss Hart was with you.’

  ‘Undoubtedly they saw her,’ Aksel said grimly, recalling the glare of camera flashbulbs that had shone through the windscreen of the four-by-four.

  The chief advisor cleared his throat. ‘Then we have a problem, sir. The Storvhalian people might overlook your affair with an actress in London, but I fear they will be less accepting when it becomes public knowledge that you are entertaining your mistress at the palace as your father used to do. Some sections of the press have already made unfavourable comparisons between you and Prince Geir. The last thing we want is for you to be labelled a playboy prince.’

  Harald Petersen sighed. ‘You have proved yourself to be a good ruler these past twelve years, but the people want reassurance that the monarchy will continue. For that reason I urge you to consider taking a wife. There are a number of women from Storvhalian aristocratic families who would be suitable for the role. If you give the people a princess, with the expectation that there will soon be an heir to the throne, you are certain to increase support for the House of Thoresen and ensure the stability of the country.’

  ‘What if I do not wish to get married?’ Aksel said curtly.

  His chief advisor looked shocked. ‘It is your duty, sir.’

  ‘Ah, yes, duty.’ Aksel’s jaw hardened. ‘Don’t you think I have sacrificed enough in the name of duty? For pity’s sake,’ he said savagely, ‘I cannot speak my son’s name in public, or celebrate his tragically short life.’ He felt a sudden tightness in his throat and turned abruptly away from the older man. ‘I cannot weep for Finn,’ he muttered beneath his breath.

  When he swung back to his advisor his hard-boned face showed no emotion. ‘I will consider your suggestion, Harald,’ he said coolly. ‘You may leave me now.’

  ‘What are we to do about Miss Hart?’ Harald said worriedly.

  ‘I’ll think of something. Tell Benedict that I do not want to be disturbed for the rest of the evening.’

  * * *

  The following morning, Aksel stood in his office staring moodily out of the window at the snow-covered palace gardens. He tried to ignore the sudden acceleration of his heart-rate when there was a knock on the door and the butler ushered Mina into the room.

  ‘Are your hearing aids working?’ he asked as she focused her deep green gaze on his face.

  ‘Yes, I can hear you.’ She bit her bottom lip—something Aksel had noticed she did when she was feeling vulnerable. ‘Why did you want to see me? I’m about to go to the airport.’

  ‘There’s been a change of plan,’ he said abruptly. ‘We need to talk.’

  Mina suddenly realised that they were not alone. The elderly man she had seen the previous evening was in Aksel’s office and the censure in his cold stare made her flush.

  ‘I don’t believe we have anything more to say to one another,’ she said bluntly.

  The older man stepped towards her. ‘Miss Hart, you clearly do not understand palace protocol. The prince wishes to talk to you, and you must listen.’

  Aksel cursed beneath his breath. ‘Mina, may I introduce the head of my council of government and chief advisor, Harald Petersen?’ He glanced at the older man. ‘Harald, I would like to speak to Miss Hart alone.

  ‘Please forgive his brusqueness,’ he said to Mina when the advisor had left the room. ‘Harald is an ardent royalist who worked hard to help me restore support for the monarchy after my father’s death. He is naturally concerned that I should not do anything which might earn the disapproval of the Storvhalian people.’

  ‘He must have had a fit when he saw the photographs in the newspapers of you with an actress who the paparazzi labelled the Hollywood Harlot,’ Mina said bleakly.

  Aksel gave her a searching look. ‘Why didn’t you sue the newspapers for publishing lies about you?’

  ‘I didn’t have the kind of money needed to fight a legal battle with the press, and Dexter refused to deny that we were lovers because the scandal gave publicity to the film. I hoped that the story would be forgotten—and it was until I was photographed with a prince.

  ‘What did you want to talk to me about?’ Mina hadn’t expected to see Aksel again and was struggling to hide her fierce awareness of him. It didn’t help that he looked devastatingly sexy in a pale grey suit and navy-blue silk shirt. She longed to reach out and touch him.

  Instead of responding to her question, he said roughly, ‘You look beautiful. That dress suits you.’

  ‘I feel awful for wearing your sister’s clothes without her knowledge.’ She glanced down at the cream cashmere dress that a maid had brought to her room that morning. ‘The maid said that my skirt and blouse were being laundered, and I could borrow some clothes belonging to your sister. I’ll return the dress and shoes as soon as I get back to London.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it. Linne is often sent samples from designers, but she rarely wears any of the clothes. Cocktail dresses aren’t very useful on an Arctic research ship,’ Aksel said drily.

  He dragged his gaze from Mina’s slender legs that were enhanced by three-inch stiletto-heel shoes. She had swept her long auburn hair into a loose knot on top of her head, with soft tendrils framing her face, and looked elegant and so breathtakingly sexy that Aksel was seriously tempted to lock his office door, sweep the pile of papers off his desk and make love to her on the polished rosewood surface.

  He forced himself to concentrate on the reason he had called her to his office. ‘You need to see this,’ he said, handing her a newspaper.

  Frowning, Mina took it from him and caught her breath when she saw the photograph on the front page of her and Aksel when they had arrived at the palace the previous evening. The photo of them sitting in the four-by-four showed them apparently staring into each other’s eyes, but in fact she had been focused on his mouth because at the time her hearing aids hadn’t been working and she had needed to read his lips.

  Her frown deepened as she read the headline.

  Royal Romance—has the Prince finally found love?

/>   ‘I don’t understand. I know there was speculation that we are having an affair, but why would the press suggest that our relationship is serious?’

  ‘Because I brought you to the palace,’ Aksel said tersely. ‘You are the first woman I have ever invited here. The press don’t usually camp outside the palace gates but I should have guessed they would want to follow up the story that we are having an affair. If I had known the photographers were waiting when we came down from the mountains I would have arranged for you to spend the night at a hotel.’

  It was what he should have done, Aksel acknowledged. But his conscience had refused to leave her at a hotel in a strange country when he knew how vulnerable she felt without her hearing aids.

  Mina skimmed the paragraph beneath the headline. ‘How did the journalist who wrote this know that I have recently qualified as a drama therapist?’ Her eyes widened as she continued reading. ‘It says here that you invited me to Storvhal so that I could help the children from the village of Revika whose fathers drowned when their fishing fleet was hit by a terrible storm.’

  She lowered the newspaper and glared at Aksel. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘Damage limitation,’ he said coolly. ‘The palace press office released certain details about you, including that you are a drama therapist.

  ‘I’ve explained that my father’s reputation as a playboy prince made him deeply unpopular,’ he continued, ignoring the stormy expression in Mina’s eyes. ‘I cannot risk people thinking that I am like him, and that you are my casual mistress. It will be better if the population believe that I am in a serious relationship with a compassionate drama therapist who wishes to help the children of Revika.’

  Mina shook her head. ‘I refuse to be part of any subterfuge. You’ll have to give a statement to the press explaining that they have made a mistake and we are not in a relationship.’

  ‘Unfortunately that is not an option when the photograph of us entering the palace together is a clear indication that we are lovers. Some of the papers have even gone so far as to suggest that the palace might soon announce a royal betrothal.’

  Her jaw dropped. ‘You mean...people believe we might get married? That’s ridiculous.’

  ‘As my chief advisor often reminds me—the country has long hoped that I will marry and provide an heir to the throne,’ Aksel said drily.

  ‘I thought you were expected to choose a Storvhalian bride?’

  ‘I don’t think the people would mind what nationality my wife is. It’s true that my Russian mother was not popular, but she made it clear that she disliked Storvhal and had no time for the people she was supposed to rule with my father. Your offer to help Revika’s children has gone down well in the press. The tragedy of the fishing-fleet disaster has aroused the sympathy of the whole nation and your desire to help the bereaved children appears to have captured the hearts of the Storvhalian people.’

  ‘But I didn’t offer to visit the children. You gave the press false information,’ Mina said angrily. ‘I mean, of course I would like to help them, but my flight to London leaves in an hour.’

  ‘Your ticket has been cancelled. We will have to go along with the media story of a royal romance for a while,’ Aksel said coolly. ‘In a few weeks, when you go to New York to perform on Broadway, we’ll announce that sadly, due to the pressures of your acting career, we have decided to end our relationship.’

  Mina sensed that the situation was spiralling out of her control. ‘You’ve got it all worked out, haven’t you?’

  ‘I held an emergency meeting with my chief ministers this morning to discuss the best way to deal with the situation.’

  ‘Had it occurred to you that I might not want to pretend to be in love with you?’ she demanded coldly.

  His eyes showed no emotion. ‘Allowing people to think we are romantically involved could be beneficial to both of us. This afternoon we will visit the village of Revika to meet the children whose fathers were killed in the disaster. It will be a good PR exercise.’

  Mina was shocked by his heartless suggestions. ‘You can’t use those poor children for a...a publicity stunt.’

  ‘That isn’t the only reason for the visit. I have spoken to the headmistress of the school in Revika. Ella Holmberg is enthusiastic about the idea of using drama therapy to help the bereaved children. She is concerned that without help to come to terms with their loss, they could suffer long-term emotional damage.’

  ‘That’s certainly true,’ Mina admitted.

  ‘It’s also true that favourable publicity would improve your image and might make people forget the scandal surrounding your relationship with a married film director in America,’ Aksel said smoothly.

  ‘I’m not going to visit the children just to improve my image. That’s a disgusting suggestion.’ Mina marched over to the door. ‘I’m sorry, but I’d prefer to stick to the original plan and leave Storvhal. I’m sure the press interest in us will eventually die down and I refuse to pretend that we are romantically involved. I can’t bear to have my personal life made public again,’ she said huskily.

  ‘What about the fishermen’s children?’ Aksel’s voice stopped her as she was about to walk out of his office. ‘They have been desperately affected by the tragedy. I thought you said you had trained as a drama therapist because losing your hearing when you were a child gave you a special empathy with traumatised children? You told me you wanted to do something meaningful with your life—and this is your chance.’ He crossed the room and stood in front of her, tilting her chin so that he could look into her eyes. ‘I am asking you to come to Revika for the children’s sake.’

  His words tugged on Mina’s conscience. She felt torn between wanting to leave Aksel before she got hurt, and sympathy for the children whose lives had been shattered by the loss of their fathers. It was possible that they might benefit from drama therapy and it would be selfish of her to refuse Aksel’s request to visit the children with him.

  She looked away from him and her heart thudded beneath her ribs as she made a decision that she hoped she would not regret. ‘I’ll come with you today to make an assessment of how best to help the children. But it’s likely they will need a programme of drama therapy lasting for several months.’

  Aksel gave a satisfied nod. ‘There is one other thing. My grandmother has asked to meet you.’ Sensing Mina’s surprise, he explained. ‘When Princess Eldrun saw the photograph of us in today’s newspapers she was dismayed because the picture reminded her of how my father had been a playboy during his reign and an unpopular monarch. My grandmother is old and frail, and to avoid upsetting her I reassured her that we are in a serious relationship.’

  ‘I can’t believe you did that!’ Mina’s temper flared. ‘It seems awful to lie to your grandmother, even to protect her from being upset. I’ve told you I don’t feel comfortable with the idea of fooling people, and I can’t pretend to your grandmother that I’m in love with you.’

  ‘No?’ He moved before she guessed his intention and shot his arm around her waist as he lowered his head to capture her mouth. Mina stiffened, determined not to respond to him, but her treacherous body melted as he deepened the kiss and it became flagrantly erotic and utterly irresistible. With a low groan she parted her lips beneath his, but when she slid her arms around his neck he broke the kiss and stepped back from her.

  ‘That was a pretty convincing performance,’ he drawled. ‘I have no doubt my grandmother will believe that you are smitten with me.’

  She blushed and clenched her hand by her side, fighting a strong urge to slap the mocking smile from his face. ‘You were very convincing yourself.’ She was shocked to see colour rising on his cheeks. The flash of fire in his eyes told her that he was not as immune to her as he wanted her to believe, and she was certain he could not have faked the raw passion in his kiss.

  ‘Perhaps we won’t have to lie?’ she murmured.

  His eyes narrowed. ‘What do you mean?’

  She looked at him inten
tly and noted that he dropped his gaze from hers. ‘Who’s to say that a relationship won’t develop between us while we are pretending to be in love?’

  ‘I say,’ Aksel told her harshly. ‘It won’t happen, Mina, so don’t waste your time looking for something that will never exist.’ He breathed in the light floral scent of her perfume and felt his gut twist. ‘I’m different from other people. I don’t feel the same emotions.’

  ‘Is it because you’re a prince that you think you should put duty before your personal feelings—or is there another reason why you suppress your emotions?’ she asked intuitively.

  The image of Finn’s tiny face flashed into Aksel’s mind. The memory of his son evoked a familiar ache in his chest. He equated love with loss and pain and he did not want to experience any of those feelings again.

  ‘I don’t have any emotions to suppress,’ he told Mina brusquely. ‘I’m empty inside and the truth is I don’t want to change.’

  CHAPTER NINE

  SHE MUST HAVE been mad to have agreed to Aksel’s crazy plan to pretend that their relationship was serious, Mina thought for the hundredth time. The only reason she had done so was because she wanted the chance to try with drama therapy to help the bereaved children from the fishing village, she reminded herself.

  They were on their way to Revika and the car was crossing a bridge that spanned a wide stretch of sea between the mainland and an island where the fishing village was situated. Although it was early afternoon the sun was already sinking behind the mountains and the sky was streaked with hues of gold and pink that made the highest peaks look as though they were on fire.

  But the stunning views out of the window did not lessen Mina’s awareness of Aksel’s firm thigh pressed up against her. The scent of his aftershave evoked memories of him making love to her, when she had breathed in the intoxicating male fragrance of his naked body. It was a relief when they arrived in the fishing village, but her relief was short-lived when she saw the hordes of press photographers and television crews waiting outside the community hall to snap pictures of the prince and the woman who they speculated might become his princess.