A Temporary Arrangement

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A Temporary Arrangement Page 20

by Roxanne Rustand


  The elevator ground to a halt and the doors slid open laboriously. She moved to step forward, hoping to make her escape, but his hand shot out again and caught her elbow.

  "Wait a minute. You're a woman," he said, as though that thought had just presented itself to him.

  "That's a rare ability for insight you have there, Your Highness," she snapped before she could stop herself. And then she winced. She was going to have to do better than that if she was going to keep this relationship on an even keel.

  But he was ignoring her dig. Nodding, he stared

  at her with a speculative gleam in his golden eyes. "I've been looking for a woman, but you'll do."

  She blanched, stiffening. "I'll do for what?"

  He made a head gesture in a direction she knew was opposite of where she was going and his grip tightened on her elbow.

  "Come with me," he said abruptly, making it an order.

  She dug in her heels, thinking fast. She didn't much like orders. "Wait! I can't. I have to get to the kitchen."

  "Not yet. I need you."

  "You what?" Her breathless gasp of surprise was soft, but she knew he'd heard it.

  "I need you," he said firmly. "Oh, don't look so shocked. I'm not planning to throw you into the hay and have my way with you. I need you for something a bit more mundane than that."

  She felt color rushing into her cheeks and she silently begged it to stop. Here she was, formless and stodgy in her chef's whites. No makeup, no stiletto heels. Hardly the picture of the femmes fatales he was undoubtedly used to. The likelihood that he would have any carnal interest in her was remote at best. To have him think she was hysterically defending her virtue was humiliating.

  "Well, what if I don't want to go with you?" she said in hopes of deflecting his attention from her blush.

  "Too bad."

  "What?"

  Amusement sparkled in his eyes. He was certainly

  enjoying this. And that only made her more determined to resist him.

  "I'm the prince, remember? And we're in the castle. My orders take precedence. It's that old pesky divine rights thing."

  Her jaw jutted out. Despite her embarrassment, she couldn't let that pass.

  "Over my free will? Never!"

  Exasperation filled his face.

  "Hey, call out the historians. Someone will write a book about you and your courageous principles." His eyes glittered sardonically. "But in the meantime, Emma Valentine, you're coming with me."

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