by Kristi Gold
“Yes, and hopefully not too late.” Then he brushed a kiss across her lips, as if this make-believe marriage had somehow become real. She knew better.
“Keep her company, Elena,” he said as he kissed her cheek, unaware he was showing affection to his mother. “And do not reveal to her all my bad habits.”
Elena reached up and patted his face. “Godspeed, cara mia.”
After Adan left the room in a rush, Piper regarded Elena again. “I’ll give you my word not to say anything to him, as long as you promise you’ll tell him the truth. If you don’t, I will.”
Elena oddly didn’t seem at all upset by the threat. “I will tell him before you depart. And I sincerely hope you will tell him what you have been concealing from him, as well.”
That threw Piper for a mental loop. “I’m not hiding anything from Adan.”
“Yes, my dear, you are.” She started for the door but turned and paused before she exited. “You love him, Piper. Tell him soon.”
Long after Elena left the nursery, Piper stood there aimlessly staring at the sleeping baby as she pondered the former governess’s words. Did she love Adan? Did she even dare admit it to herself, much less to him?
Yet in her heart of hearts she knew that she did love him, and she loved his son as she would have her own child. Regardless, nothing would come of it unless Adan felt the same way about her. Only time would tell, and time was slowly slipping away.
* * *
At half past midnight, Adan arrived at the palace initially exhausted from performing his duties. Yet the moment he entered the corridor leading to the living quarters, his fatigue began to dissipate as he started toward his first stop—the nursery to see his son. After that, he would retire to his bedroom in hopes of finding Piper waiting up for him. He certainly wouldn’t blame her if she wasn’t, considering the lateness of the hour. And if that happened to be the case, he would use creative kisses in strategic places to wake her.
He found the nursery door open and the room entirely vacant. An empty bottle on the table next to the rocker indicated someone had recently been there to tend to Samuel, and he suspected who that someone might be.
On that thought, he traveled down the hall at a quick clip, and pulled up short at the partially ajar door when he heard the soft, melodic sounds of a French lullaby.
“Dodo, l’enfant do, l’enfant dormira bien vite. Dodo, l’enfant do. L’enfant dormira bientôt.”
The lyrics alone indicated Piper could be having difficulty putting Samuel to sleep, but Adan imagined her sweet voice would eventually do the trick. He stayed in the hallway, immersed in faint memories of Elena singing him to sleep. Sadly he’d never had the pleasure of recalling his own mother doing the same.
He wondered if Samuel would eventually resent him for taking him away from Talia. Provided Talia actually agreed to signing over her rights, and he didn’t change his mind about asking her to do that very thing.
The sudden silence thrust the concerns away and sent Adan into the bedroom. He discovered Piper propped up against the headboard, eyes closed, her dark hair fanning out on the stack of white satin pillows beneath her head, and his son, deep in slumber, cradled against her breasts. Had she not been gently patting the baby’s back, he might have believed she’d fallen asleep, as well.
He remained in place, recognizing at that moment how greatly he appreciated this woman who had stepped in to care for his child without hesitation. He’d begun to care for her deeply, more than he had any woman. But to expect her to continue in this role much longer would be completely unfair to both her and his child. She had another life in another country, and she would soon return to resume that life.
When Piper opened her eyes and caught his glance, she smiled before holding a finger against her lips to ensure his silence. He waited at the door as she worked her way slowly off the bed and approached him at the door. “I’ll be right back,” she whispered. “Unless he wakes again.”
Unable to resist, he softly kissed the top of Samuel’s head, remarkably without disturbing him, then leaned and kissed Piper’s cheek, earning him another smile before she left the room.
In order to be waiting in bed for her return, Adan launched into action. He stripped out of his clothes on his way into the bathroom, turned on the water in the shower, then stepped beneath the spray and began to wash. He’d barely finished rinsing when the glass door opened—and one beautiful, naked woman with her hair piled atop her head boldly joined him.
Using his shoulders for support, she stood on tiptoe and brought her lips to his ear. “I missed you.”
He framed her face in his palms. “I missed you, too.”
All conversation ceased as they explored each other’s bodies with eager hands as the water rained down over them. They kissed with shared passion, touched without restraint. Adan purposely kept Piper on the brink of orgasm with light pressure before he quickened the pace. She released a small moan, then raked her nails down his back with the force of her release. He soon discovered she was bent on reciprocating when she nudged him against the shower wall, lowered to her knees and took him into her mouth. He tipped his head back and gritted his teeth as she took him to the breaking point. Refusing to allow that to happen, he clasped her wrists and pulled her to her feet.
“Not here,” he grated out, then swept her into his arms, carried her into the bedroom and brought her down on the sheets despite the fact they were soaking wet.
He slowed the tempo then, using his mouth to bring her more pleasure as she had done with him, until his own body demanded he hurry. In a matter of moments, he had the condom in place, and seated himself soundly inside her. She sighed when he held her closer, yet he couldn’t seem to get close enough, even when she wrapped her legs around his waist.
All the unfamiliar emotions, the desperate desire, culminated in a climax that rocked him to the core. He had difficulty catching his breath as his heart beat a thunderous tempo against his chest. Piper began to stroke his back in a soothing rhythm, bringing him slowly back into reality. And that reality included an emotion he’d always rejected in the past. An expression he had never uttered to any lover. A word he dared not acknowledge now, for in doing so he would be completely vulnerable to a woman who was bound to leave.
He preferred to remain as he’d always been, immune to romantic love. Yet as Piper whispered soft words of praise, he wondered where he would find the strength to let her go. He would find it. He had no choice.
But not now. Not tonight.
* * *
Three weeks gone, one more to go.
As the first morning light filtered in from the part in the heavy gold curtains, Piper couldn’t stop thinking about how little time she had left before she went home. And as she lay curled up in the empty bed, hugging a pillow, she also couldn’t stop pondering Adan’s abrupt change in mood.
For the past several days, he’d begun to spend more time with the baby when he wasn’t at the base and a lot less time with her. She felt somewhat guilty for even questioning his paternal role, but she didn’t quite understand why he’d started coming to bed in the middle of the night. Nor could she fathom why they hadn’t made love in over a week when they hadn’t missed a day since their first time together.
She questioned whether Elena had told him her secret, but she felt certain Adan would have told her if that had been the case. Blamed her for meddling, for that matter. Maybe the prince was simply preparing for their parting. Maybe the pretend princess would be wise to do the same. But lately she’d learned to lead with her heart, not her head. Her head told her to accept the certain end to their relationship. Her heart told her not to go down without a fight.
At the moment, her heart made more sense. For that reason, she climbed from beneath the covers to confront the missing sheikh, who she presumed was still in the nursery, tending to his son
. After donning her robe, she padded down the hall to confirm her conjecture. And she did when she walked into the nursery and found Adan in the rocker, Sam cradled against his shoulder, both fast asleep.
All her previous concerns disappeared as she took in the precious sight. A scene worthy of being commemorated on canvas. Regrettably she didn’t have one readily available, but she did have a sketch pad.
With that in mind, she hurried back to the bedroom she hadn’t occupied in weeks, retrieved paper and pencil and then returned to the nursery. She moved closer to achieve a prime vantage point of father and son in the throes of blissful sleep. A souvenir to take with her that would enhance the wonderful memories...unless...
As she sketched the details with second-nature strokes, a plan began brewing in her mind. A good plan. She quietly backed out the door and returned to Adan’s quarters, closed the door, hid the pad in her lingerie drawer beneath her panties and picked up the palace phone. She expected Elena to answer, but instead heard an unfamiliar female voice ask, “May I help you?”
“Yes. This is...” The sheikh’s fake spouse? The prince’s bed buddy? She couldn’t stomach lying again, even to a stranger. “With whom am I speaking?”
“My name is Kira,” she said, her pleasant voice not even hinting at a Middle Eastern accent. “And you are the newest princess.”
Apparently the woman thought Piper had forgotten her title. Bogus title. “Right. Is there someone available who could run an errand for me?”
“I will be up immediately.”
Before she could offer to come downstairs, the line went dead, allowing her only enough time to brush her teeth and hair before she heard the knock.
After tightening the robe’s sash, Piper opened the door to find a woman with golden-brown shoulder-length hair and striking cobalt eyes. She wore a navy blazer covering a white blouse and matching knee-length skirt, sensible pumps and a sunny smile. “Good morning, Princess Mehdi.”
Piper would like to return the sentiment, but so far the morning hadn’t started off well when she’d woken up alone. “Thank you for answering the summons so quickly, Kira, but this errand isn’t really that pressing. I’m not even sure it’s possible.”
Kira straightened her shoulders and slightly lifted her chin. “This is only my second day as a palace employee, and it is my duty to make this task possible.”
Talk about pressure. “Okay, then. Is there a store that sells art supplies in the village?”
Kira seemed to relax from relief. “Thankfully, yes there is.”
Things could be looking up after all. “Great. I need a canvas, the largest one available, and a basic set of oil paints today, if at all possible.”
“I will gladly see to the purchase myself.”
“Wonderful.” Piper hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “I’ll just grab my credit card and—”
“That is not necessary,” Kira said. “The household budget covers all your expenses.”
She didn’t have the energy or desire to argue. “I truly appreciate that. And out of curiosity, are you from Bajul? I ask because you don’t really have an accent.”
“I was born and grew up here but I’ve been living in Montreal for the past few years. My mother was Canadian, and while she was working in Dubai, she traveled to the queen’s mountain resort here one weekend, met my papa, fell madly in love and never left.”
At least someone’s whirlwind affair had turned out well. “That’s a wonderful story. Now, if you don’t mind, I have one more favor to ask.”
“Whatever you wish, Princess Mehdi.”
She really wished she would stop calling her that. “Please, call me Piper.”
Kira looked just this side of mortified over the suggestion. “That would not be proper. I am a member of the staff and you are a member of the royal family.”
Little did the woman know, nothing could be further from the truth. “How old are you, Kira, if you don’t mind me asking?”
She looked a little confused by the question. “Twenty-seven.”
“And I’ll turn twenty-seven in three months. Since we’re basically contemporaries, I’d prefer you address me by my given name while we’re in private. If we’re in a public forum, we’ll adhere to all that ridiculous formality since it’s expected. And in all honesty, I could use a friend in the palace. A female friend close to my age.”
That brought the return of Kira’s grin. “I suppose we could do that. A woman can never have an overabundance of friends.”
Piper returned her smile. “Great. Now about that other favor.” She gestured Kira inside the suite and closed the door. “Please don’t say anything to anyone about the art supplies. I want to surprise Adan.”
She raised her hand as if taking an oath. “I promise I will not say a word to the prince, even if it means residing in the dungeon while being subjected to torture.”
“There’s a dungeon?”
Kira chuckled. “Not that I have seen. And I apologize. At times I let my questionable sense of humor overtake my sound judgment.”
“Well, Kira, since I’m prone to do the same, I believe that will make us fast friends. We can meet weekly and exchange smart remarks to enable us to maintain a certain amount of decorum.”
They both shared in a laugh then, but all humor ceased when Adan came through the door without warning. He gave Piper a confused look before his gaze settled on Kira—and he grinned. “Are my eyes deceiving me, or has the caretaker’s daughter come home?”
“No, Your Highness, your eyes are not deceiving you. I have returned, and I am now working in the palace with the sole intent to serve you.”
He frowned. “Serve me grief no doubt, and what is with the ‘Your Highness’? If I recall, I was the first boy to kiss you.”
“And if I recall, I slugged you before you could.”
This time Adan and Kira laughed, before he grabbed her up and spun her around, indicating to Piper this pair knew each other well. Possibly very well. She couldn’t quell the bite of jealousy, even though she sensed nothing aside from camaraderie between the two. Or maybe she was just playing the ostrich hiding its head in the desert sand.
After Adan let Kira go, he kept his attention on her. “I thought you were engaged to be married.”
“That didn’t work out,” she replied. “It’s a long, sad story that is not worth telling. Luckily Mama and Papa mentioned my return to Elena, and here I am.”
Adan finally regarded Piper. “Kira’s parents were members of the household staff for many years.”
“My father tended the palace grounds,” Kira added. “My mother was the head chef at the palace.”
Adan pointed at her. “And she was the resident holy terror in her youth.”
Kira frowned. “If I were not your subordinate, I would possibly slug you again. But since I am, I will leave you both to your privacy as I have an important task to oversee. Princess Mehdi, it was a pleasure to meet you.” She then did an about-face and left, closing the door behind her.
“She certainly left in a hurry,” Piper said. “Evidently she had a very bad breakup.”
Adan’s good spirits seemed to dissolve right before Piper’s eyes. “More often than not, relationships run their course and usually come to a less than favorable conclusion.”
Piper’s hope that he might have feelings for her beyond gratitude evaporated like early-morning fog. “I had no idea you were that cynical, Your Highness.”
He disappeared into the closet and returned with khaki cargo pants, a navy T-shirt, socks and a pair of heavy boots. “I am a realist.”
She leaned a shoulder against the bedpost as he shrugged out of his robe, finding it difficult to ignore his board-flat abdomen and the slight stream of hair disappearing beneath the waistband of his boxer briefs. “It seems to me both your bro
thers are happily married.”
He tugged the shirt over his head, ruffling his dark hair in the process. “Perhaps, but they are the exception to the rule.”
“Your relationship rules?”
He put on his pants one leg at a time and zipped them closed. “I didn’t make the rules, Piper. I’m only acknowledging that failed relationships seem to be my forte.”
“Are you referring to Talia?”
After rounding the bed, he perched on the mattress’s edge to put on his boots. “Yes, among a few other nonintimate relationships, including my father.”
Now they were getting somewhere. “You didn’t fail him, Adan. He failed you.”
“I suppose you’re right. Apparently I never accomplished anything to suit him, no matter how hard I tried.”
“Even learning to pilot jets wasn’t good enough?”
He came to his feet and faced her. “I have no idea since he rarely mentioned my skills, even when he convinced the counsel to appoint me as the armed forces commander.”
“Well, at least he had enough faith in you to believe you could handle the responsibility.”
“Or he was possibly setting me up to fail. Fortunately I proved him wrong.”
She smiled. “Yes, you did, at that. And if it’s any consolation, I’m proud of your accomplishments, both military and paternal.”
Discomfort called out from his eyes. “You never did say why Kira was here.”
Time to lighten the mood. Or die trying. “She was seeking donations for the poor. I told her to take five or so of the watches in your extensive collection since I’m sure they’ll go for a hefty price, and you probably wouldn’t miss them.”
From the sour look on his face, her efforts at levity had fallen flat. “Try again, Piper.”
She folded her arms beneath her breasts and sighed. “If you must know, I sent her into the village for a few feminine unmentionables. But I’ll be glad to show you the list if you’re worried we were somehow plotting against you.”