Weight of the Crown

by Christina Hollis

  He moved irritably in his seat. Trying to settle himself was impossible, especially as she passed by just then with Ra’id and gave him the briefest of smiles. It wasn’t enough. He was hungry for Alyssa’s laughter. No other woman looked at him like that, or stood up to him the way she did. It was the effect she had on him that concerned Lysander. Women who wanted money or status were easily dealt with, but Alyssa wasn’t like that. She was an unknown quantity. Simply bedding her would pose no problem for him at all. He knew she would come to him, sooner or later. He saw it every day in her eyes, felt it in her touch and, for a few spellbinding seconds, he had tasted it on her lips. Yet each time he tried to get closer, she backed off. It seemed as though life leant too heavily on her mind to let the real Alyssa inside the starchy nanny out to play. That thought ran through his chest like a rapier blade. Lysander knew all about secrets, and the way they could lead to disaster.

  He pulled a hand down over his face, blocking out the memories. He didn’t want to think about the past in any more detail than that.

  And that was why he found Alyssa so disturbing.

  Alyssa was not happy. Ra’id’s excitement made her feel ten times worse about being so nervous. She made herself join in with him, while fighting to hide her fear. She wished she could be like the rest of the staff, laughing and joking while they stood on the tarmac as they waited to board the plane. When Lysander had jokingly told her, Cheer up, it might never happen! she’d snapped at him without meaning to. That made her feel even worse.

  Ra’id couldn’t wait to be shown to his seat in Lysander’s private quarters. Alyssa followed him, glad to be well away from the rest of their party. While a stewardess strapped Ra’id into his seat for the flight, Alyssa sat and shivered. She hardly noticed when Lysander asked for a blanket, but she was soon very glad he had. Taking the seat beside her, he threw the blanket over her lap and arranged it round her. As the engines rumbled into life he slipped his hand under its folds and caught hold of her hand.

  ‘I was right. You looked cold, and your hand is freezing. Are you sure you’re all right, Alyssa?’

  He sounded so concerned she shook her head, but couldn’t open her eyes. Only the smallest shiver of apprehension betrayed her.

  ‘Oh, is that it?’

  She heard a mixture of relief and triumph in his voice. Then he gave her hand a quick squeeze and announced loudly, ‘Ra’id, Alyssa has a headache, so you must be very quiet.’

  Leaning close to her, he whispered very softly in her ear, ‘Why didn’t you tell me you’re afraid of flying?’

  ‘It seemed silly to bother you with something I have to deal with myself.’

  ‘That’s a typical Alyssa answer!’ He laughed quietly. ‘Good. It means you’re still there underneath the nerves.’

  ‘Thank you for understanding, Lysander,’ she muttered under her breath.

  ‘Don’t mention it. Thank you for being so brave.’

  The royal jet began to thunder down the runway. Lysander held her hand tight until they were airborne.

  ‘There. That’s all there is to it,’ he reassured her, withdrawing his hand from beneath the blanket. ‘Although you still look pretty frail. Why don’t you go and have a lie down? I have a bedroom for long haul flights.’ He indicated a door behind them. Alyssa was on her guard instantly, and saw him realise why.

  ‘You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be far too busy out here, what with paperwork, and Ra’id … you know,’ he said casually.

  ‘As kind as your offer is I really shouldn’t, Lysander. It’s my job to be here to keep an eye on Ra’id, and if you’re busy with work—’

  ‘Nonsense,’ he interrupted her. ‘I will need you to be on top form once we land and return to the palace. Ra’id is bound to be bursting with excitement then and will need some calming down. I’ll get another staff member to play some games with him until I am free to entertain him myself. I’m giving you an order to rest.’

  Alyssa nodded. After her restless night, the chance to catch up on her sleep and ignore her fears for a while—even if it was in the surroundings of Lysander’s own room—was too tempting to miss.

  He showed her into a compact cabin. It was perfectly equipped and totally unthreatening, she was glad to find. The carpet was so thick, it felt quite natural to kick off her shoes and dig her toes into its softness as she looked around. The bed was large and uncluttered with the duvet and pillows covered in a plain tan slip. The masculine theme continued through to the room’s brown upholstery and the air seemed tinged with the faint suggestion of his signature aftershave.

  ‘Stay in here for as long as you like, Alyssa.’

  His guiding hand gave her a light pat.

  ‘Thank you.’

  There was nothing forced about her smile now. As she went towards the bed Lysander reached out and pulled back the duvet for her. She hesitated, eyeing him with suspicion. Taking the hint, he dropped the coverlet and took a step back from the bed. With that reassurance, she got in. Before she could stop him Lysander covered her over. It was like being enveloped in a cloud. She closed her eyes. There was a slight pressure from his hands as he settled the cover around her. It eased, returned again for a fraction of a second, and then was gone.

  ‘Try and get some rest.’

  His words came from somewhere safely over by the door. Alyssa smiled without opening her eyes. After her long, sleepless night, she really couldn’t stay awake any longer.

  Lysander didn’t leave the room straight away. He paused, then on impulse returned to her bedside the moment she was asleep. After a second’s hesitation, he kissed her lightly on her cheek.

  ‘Sweet dreams,’ he murmured, and then quickly left the room.

  Why in the world did I do that? he wondered, making his escape. He closed the door behind him, but that was the last sensible thing he did. He didn’t stride away, putting a good distance between him and temptation. Instead, he stood with one hand on the door handle, thinking.

  There was only one problem with Miss Alyssa Dene—and that was the fact that there was no problem. She had the body of an angel, and a mind to match.

  That was the highest praise Lysander could give. He’d known a lot of women, but they were all too easily distracted by his money and influence. None of them had shown a fraction of Alyssa’s nerve and determination. There was no doubting her courage. She didn’t think twice about standing up to him, and the way she hid her fear of flying from Ra’id was so brave. When he’d held her in his arms the other night, it had aroused an urgency within his body that was completely foreign to him. And as for kissing her … well, that was something else … Lysander forced himself to push thoughts like that to the back of his mind. He liked to retain control of his body and emotions at all times. He only had to think about his brother’s disastrous love affair to see what happened when a man let his heart rule his head. But Lysander had started leaving his common sense behind whenever he thought of Alyssa. She stirred primitive feelings in him, and they couldn’t be ignored. Seeing her looking so vulnerable in his bed, he had been overcome in a shocking way by the urge to possess her fragile beauty.

  He was still for so long, Ra’id stopped chewing the end of his crayon and looked up from his colouring book.

  ‘Is Alyssa all right, Uncle Ly?’

  ‘Oh, yes.’ He nodded, although his face was grave. ‘She’s perfect.’

  And that’s dangerous, he thought.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  ALYSSA stretched out luxuriantly, still hazy from the dream she’d just had. Opening her eyes, she lurched back to reality. This was Lysander’s bed, and she was still in his cabin on-board his private plane. Only the touch of his lips had been a dream. The wonderful, guilty feeling of being held in his arms slipped away as she woke fully, leaving her alone again. It wasn’t his pulse she could feel purring through the length of her body, but the soft vibration of aircraft engines.

  That was enough to get her moving. She wished she could enjoy
Lysander’s own private space, but the sensation of being in a plane played on her nerves. She needed distraction, and was about to get up when sounds of soft movement came from outside the bedroom. She froze. Without knowing why, she shut her eyes again and rolled onto her side with her back to the door. There was something about being found awake in this room that felt all wrong, and her only defence was to play possum. Whoever was coming to investigate was bound to let her sleep on. That would be less embarrassing all round.

  She heard the cabin door brush over the thick carpet as it was pushed open. She expected her visitor, whoever it was, to retreat after a quick peek. Forcing herself to breathe slowly despite her pounding heartbeat, she waited to hear it close again. It didn’t happen. Instead, muffled footsteps crossed the room to her bedside. Despite straining her ears she hardly heard a sound, but there was a definite presence very near to her. She felt it grow closer as someone leaned over her—and she inhaled the clean fresh scent of Lysander’s aftershave. It gave her such a lift she let her eyelashes part a fraction. When she saw the pale shape of his hand drifting towards her cheek she drew in a long lingering breath, waiting for his touch.

  It never came. His hand hovered beside her face, then moved down to linger over her shoulder. He was almost touching her—but his fingertips never quite connected with her body. The suspense stroked an exquisite glow over her skin. Then she saw his fingers clench. Abruptly, he pulled his hand out of her restricted field of view. Her heart sinking, she waited for him to vanish and quietly close the door on her fantasy.

  When he slammed it with enough force to demolish the place, Alyssa didn’t have to pretend to jump—she did it naturally. She sat up sharply in the bed, then remembered she should be half asleep. Rubbing her eyes, she pretended to be confused. Lysander was standing in the doorway, looking carefully at everything else in the cabin, but not her. Alyssa was glad she wasn’t the focus of his attention. It meant she didn’t have to meet his eyes.

  ‘Come on, Goldilocks, it’s time to get out of my bed. Alyssa!’ he called across the room.

  Oh, why couldn’t you have thought of Sleeping Beauty instead? she thought, but deep down she knew. It was the same reason why he hadn’t shaken her awake. That would have bridged the invisible dividing line between them—the one she had been so keen to draw. His bedroom was the place where it was stretched so thinly, Alyssa was glad Lysander was the one making sure things didn’t get too personal. The reason for her being here in his bed was awkward enough. She already felt at a disadvantage, and wouldn’t have known what to say.

  ‘You’ll have to get your seat belt on for the landing,’ he announced as she checked her watch.

  She sighed, but it had nothing to do with sleepiness. It was such a let-down to get up and leave all that comfort behind. Lysander’s on-board office was geared up for work, not fantasy. She had experienced a lovely dream, but that was all. He had made waking her up nothing more than a chore, to be ticked off his ‘to do’ list. Given his casual attitude to women and her damaged feelings, Alyssa knew it was probably just as well. Trying to hide her mixed feelings about that, she busied herself getting Ra’id ready for touchdown. To distract herself, she risked a look out of the nearest window as she fastened his seat belt. If anything could take her mind off Lysander, it was the reminder that she was on a plane.

  As the clouds thinned the lion-colored landscape of Rosara became visible below. Alyssa’s stomach lurched, and not only through fear. She hadn’t anticipated the way she would feel when seeing Lysander’s country. His beautiful land appealed to her heart straight away, in the same way something about him reached out to her. It was a mystery, just waiting for her to explore …

  The moment they landed Ra’id bounced out of his seat. Alyssa was glad of the excuse to chase after him. She couldn’t wait to get off the plane, but Lysander caught her arm as she passed him. She looked back, and her reaction made him let go instantly. He raised his hand in a wordless apology.

  ‘I thought you might like to let me go on ahead, Alyssa. That’s all. I’m more used to the reception committee,’ he began, but his cabin crew were already swinging the aircraft’s door open.

  She caught Ra’id’s hand before he reached the top of the steps, and she was almost thrown backwards by a wave of noise. Looking out of the plane, she registered the huge crowd of people gathered around Rosara’s small airport building. They were lined up around the roof, the balconies and spilling onto the airstrip. Panic almost swamped her. She gripped Ra’id’s hand, but the little boy was in his element.

  ‘Wave, Alyssa!’ He laughed, but all she wanted to do was dive back into the plane. She half turned, but Lysander was right behind her. There was nowhere to run, but suddenly that didn’t matter. She couldn’t move. The change in Lysander was so amazing, she wasn’t going anywhere. Acknowledging the cheers of his people, he seemed taller and more impressive than ever. Everything that had intrigued her about him was magnified under Rosara’s golden sunlight.

  Rising to the occasion, he lifted one hand to salute the crowds. They went wild with delight. Lysander must be as popular with his people as he was with supermodels and celebrities! Swept up in the romance of it all, Alyssa couldn’t help being impressed. She had wondered if Lysander saved his best behaviour for abroad, making his home ground the place where he was Player King. Instead, he looked every inch the suave, sophisticated statesman. With one hand on Ra’id’s shoulder, he encouraged the little boy to wave to their audience. Alyssa decided she might have misjudged Lysander. His country was bringing out the professional best in him. Maybe she would be able to relax her guard a little bit while she was here, after all … The heat of Rosara flowed over her, filled with exotic sounds and scents. It was exciting, but terrifying at the same time. The breath caught in her throat, and she had to fight the urge to lean back against Lysander’s reassuring bulk.

  He had no qualms about lowering his head until she could feel the whisper of his words, warm against her neck.

  ‘Are you OK?’

  She nodded. ‘Just a bit overwhelmed, that’s all! Are you always greeted like this when you arrive in Rosara?’

  ‘Pretty much. With so few flights in and out of our country, a royal arrival is always a real event. Practically the entire local population turns out to welcome us home.’

  That explains everything, she thought with a rueful smile. He’s playing to the gallery. It’s an easy way to impress the maximum number, with the minimum effort.

  Letting Lysander deal with the cheering crowds, she basked in the warmth of his reflected glory. It was lovely to pause, and take in her new surroundings. The atmosphere was rich, and Rosara was well named—The Land of Roses. She could smell flowers with every breath, and it was wonderful. She drank in optimism with the dry air as she walked down the aircraft steps holding Ra’id’s hand. With Lysander so close beside her, her dream job was getting better and better.

  ‘There. You’ve done it. Solid ground beneath your feet at last.’ He chuckled quietly.

  Alyssa laughed at the sensation of his breath whispering over her hair again. She was glad he had to lean so close to make himself heard over the racket.

  ‘Yes, but you helped me more than you will know, Lysander. Thank you. And it was well worth the journey. I’m so pleased to be here at last. Isn’t it terrific? All these people really love you!’

  ‘I know. They always have, but that isn’t enough any more, is it?’ he murmured with an insight that made her look at him with new eyes. ‘From now on, I must earn their respect, too. That’s why I must get to work straight away. I should be hustling us straight to the palace.’ His grimace told its own story. It was one thing to be the centre of attention, but not so enjoyable when you were in charge of all those individual lives.

  Alyssa knew all about pressure. She had been under enough of it herself in the past. But this was on a massive scale.

  She thought back to her first sight of Lysander, surrounded by clamouring staff all want
ing a piece of him. He had looked as tense as she’d felt then, but arriving home in Rosara had transformed him. He moved today with the ease of someone who didn’t have a care in the world. It was only when he mentioned going to the palace that the telltale creases reappeared around his eyes.

  ‘The crowd are enjoying this so much, it’s a shame to disappoint them by rushing away. Why don’t you send someone on ahead to sort out the most urgent stuff, while you stay here and enjoy your reception for a bit longer?’ Alyssa said with a smile. She guessed he might use her words as a good excuse to linger. ‘Anyone can see how you’ve been missed. You and Ra’id really ought to let the crowd get a good look at you both before you disappear behind the black glass of one of your official cars, Lysander!’

  The warmth of his presence was quite a distraction in itself, but when his hand dropped lightly onto her shoulder in response to her words, she jumped.

  ‘There’s no need for that.’

  Lifting his hand again, he pointed across the tarmac. A huge black open-topped limousine was gliding towards them. Surely she wasn’t expected to travel in that with him, under the interested gaze of his adoring public?

  A chauffeur in full formal uniform and cap opened the car doors for them, saluting as Ra’id bounced into the front seat. Despite his regal status, Lysander stood aside with a smile for Alyssa to get into the rear seat first. She almost died of embarrassment as the crowd greeted this little touch with an extra loud roar of pleasure. From the sound of it, watching Lysander load young women into the back of official cars was a national pastime.