Tempted by the Prince

by Elizabeth Lennox

  Tarin stood up, pacing across her small office as he struggled to tamp down on his helpless fury at her words. Fear clutched at him, both at what her family had done to her as well as what he would lose if she left. Standing up, he paced the length of her office. “Of course, I’ll worry about you. Why are you doing this?” he demanded, pausing to frown at her with his hands fisted on his hips.

  “I have to,” she replied, bowing her head.

  That just didn’t make sense! Walking over to her desk, he let his fists rest on her desk. “No you don’t!”

  “Their business,” she explained, desperate for him to understand. “It’s failing. I used to work at their event planning business, but…well, they’re struggling now.”

  “It’s their business. Not yours! You’ve never once mentioned their business and I know that you don’t really care.”

  He was right! He could see it in her eyes! “My mother…she said she needs me, Tarin.”

  He paused, eyeing her carefully. “I’ve told you I need you too.”

  She blinked again, furious that she couldn’t hold back her tears. They spilled over, pouring down her cheeks. “Look, I’m barely coping here now. Please, just let me go. This…thing between us was bound to end at some point. Besides, you need someone who is strong and vital. I’m…” she sighed, her shoulders folding inward. “I’m not good enough for you.”

  Not good enough?! What was this crap? Her smiles warmed his heart, brought life and sunshine into his days! “Shouldn’t I be the one to make that decision for myself?”

  Rachel ached all over, and not just because she’d been sleeping on the couch. She missed him so much. “I’ll just go check on the arrangements for tonight,” she said, walking out of her office and leaving Tarin, and her heart, behind.

  “Don’t go, Rachel. You know they aren’t good for you. Every time they call or you read one of their messages, you’re hurt and wounded.”

  “They are my family, Tarin. I can’t turn my back on my family when they need me!”

  He slapped the desk, glaring at her with a ferocity that seemed to…excite her? No! That would be wrong! She couldn’t be with Tarin. He wasn’t her man and…!

  “Please, Rachel! They are toxic! Give us a chance!”

  “It won’t work. I’m not…” she bit her lip, wanting to tell him that she wasn’t worthy, but as she looked up into his eyes, she wanted to believe she was. She wanted to believe that there could be a future between them. Then her mother’s taunting words from this morning came back to her. “You’re just a plaything to him, Rachel. Stop making a fool of yourself and come back home where you belong. You’re staring longingly at him like a puppy…well, you’re embarrassing yourself and us. It’s pathetic because he couldn’t possibly return your feelings.” Rachel hated the power her mother and sister had over her. She’d fought it tooth and nail over the past five days, but their attacks were so vicious!

  So, why the hell was she even considering going back to help them?

  “You are!” he stated with vehemence. “You’re worthy and wonderful! Don’t leave Izara, Rachel. Stay and…”

  “And what?” she asked, pleading with him to say the words that she so desperately needed to hear.

  He pulled her closer. “Stay and be with me.”

  That was nice to hear, but they weren’t the words that she needed. She needed him to tell her that he loved her! Rachel was so completely, madly, deeply in love with Tarin, but he just cared for her? It wasn’t enough.

  In that moment, she knew that she wouldn’t return with her mother and sister. They were truly horrible people and, if she went back, Rachel knew that they would destroy her.

  But nor could she stay here. She loved Tarin too much to stay. Remaining here at the palace…that would destroy her as well.

  She allowed herself a moment to memorize the feeling of his heat against her one last time. But only a moment. This was forbidden territory now, she thought. If she was ever going to get over her love for him, she needed to stop allowing herself these moments. If he’d just tell her that he felt the same way, then maybe…but he hadn’t. He’d only asked her not to leave Izara.

  “I have to meet with the event staff,” she said and carefully extricated herself from his embrace. “Thank you for this time with you,” she whispered, looking up at him.

  Tarin watched her leave and he wanted to roar with frustration. Where was the feisty woman who had ordered him around two months ago? Where was the hot, sexy siren that had tempted him with her expressions, her hands, and her body? The woman who had laughed when he couldn’t figure out how to make coffee and had refused, despite several direct orders, to call him by his first name?!

  This woman, this Rachel, was a shell of her former self. No one in the palace ever got the best of her, but a few days with her family and…hell!

  He knew that she loved him and he loved her so intensely, he couldn’t think straight most of the time. He had to get her away from those horrible people! Even if she chose not to stay with him, those vile excuses for humans would destroy her!

  Running a hand over his face, he sighed with frustration. Leaving his office, he hunted for Harper. When he found her, in Amit’s office, sitting on his lap, Tarin rolled his eyes.

  “You guys have been married for too long to be still doing stuff like that,” he grumbled.

  Amit glared at his brother. “What do you want? Also, go away.”

  Harper tried to stand up, but Amit kept his arms around her, holding her on his lap. “What’s wrong?” she demanded.

  “I need your help,” he admitted, his voice almost cracking at the idea of asking anyone for help. Especially when it came to his love life. And yes, that’s exactly what it was. Love. He loved Rachel and, even if she didn’t stay with him, if she returned to Talia in Padar, he didn’t want Rachel to go back with her family. They were horrible and dangerous.

  “It’s Rachel,” he said, perching on the edge of the desk. “Her family is toxic! Everything they do and say is meant to belittle her. It’s overt and it’s constant. They’ve only been here a week and already Rachel is being browbeaten back to her shy, timid self instead of the vibrant, confident woman she’s been over the past few years. I’ve heard little comments from them here and there, criticizing the way she dresses or telling her to stand up straight and at least pretend to show some pride.” He shook his head with a disgusted snort. “It’s horrible, Harper. Tell me what I can do to get her away from them!”

  Harper had stood halfway through his explanation, her eyes shifting from smiling to concerned. By the time Tarin finished, she was frowning. “When are they leaving here?”

  Tarin stood as well, needing to move. He began pacing the office. “That’s the thing. They were only supposed to be here for three days. But they’ve stayed for a week. Plus, she just told me she’s going back with them to help them with their business. Apparently, it has been falling off since she’s been here in Izara. They’ve convinced her to come back and fix things for them.” He shook his head. “She can’t do it, Harper. Her mother and sister are vile. They do and say everything they can to undermine Rachel’s confidence and self-esteem. She’s strong though,” he added, turning to smile at Harper so that she saw his belief in Rachel. “She’s so strong, but it’s nearly impossible to block out a family member, even if they are being abusive.”

  Harper agreed. “It’s exactly how abusive men wear down strong women. They start with small comments, little criticisms. Then those comments grow. When the woman tries to pull away, he switches into sweet mode again. It’s insipid and painful. So yes, I’m sure Rachel is very strong; she’s had to be. But her family has probably convinced her that she’s not, that she needs them in order to manage.”

  “She doesn’t need them!” he snapped. “She needs me! And I need her, damn it!”

  Harper smiled gently. “Have you told her that?”

  “Yes! But she says that she needs to go help her family!” He shook his
head, his hands fisted on his hips. “I can’t let her do that. I can’t let her give up this battle. I love her too much.”

  “If they were good…?”

  He understood where she was going with that prompt and hated it. But he was honest. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for the truth. “Yes. I love her enough that, if they were better for her, I would let her go.” He opened his eyes and looked directly at Harper. “I love her. I just want…I need her to be happy, Harper.”

  “That’s good.” She stepped closer to him. “Think, Tarin. Is there something that can get through to her? Something the two of you have done that made her feel powerful and beautiful? You need that crutch to break their power.”

  He stared at her and a thought occurred to him. Something that…would it work? It had to work! But even if it didn’t, he would never stop fighting for her. Somehow, he would win her over.

  “Thank you! I have an idea,” he whispered, and kissed Harper’s cheek gratefully, ignoring his brother’s growl of protest. Tarin only chuckled and hurried away, eager to put things in play.

  Chapter 14

  Rachel stepped into the ballroom, thinking back to all of those nights with Tarin in this room. Dancing, laughing, swaying to the music until they couldn’t stand it anymore. Then their race to his bed and…oh, my. She wanted that back. She wanted to be with him, and dance with him, and…!

  “Honey, why do you insist on wearing those awful floral dresses?” Denise sneered. “They haven’t been in style for decades.”

  Rachel swung around, finding her sister in a glorious evening gown of emerald silk that clung to her figure and made her eyes sparkle even more brightly than normal. Her auburn hair was swept up into a sophisticated twist with small curls dancing daintily around her beautiful features which had been made up with an expert hand. Her makeup wasn’t heavy, but it enhanced her features perfectly, making Denise look like a delicate angel in emerald green.

  Her mother sidled up to them with two glasses of champagne. She handed one to Denise and pointedly ignored Rachel, gazing out over the crowd as if she owned the place.

  “You look beautiful, Mother,” Rachel murmured, eyeing her mother’s gorgeous dress of champagne silk, decorated with an elaborate beaded design along the bodice, and flaring out in champagne colored chiffon to the floor.

  Beside them, Rachel felt…invisible. Before, when she’d first seen the flowing, moss green dress with shimmering flowers that had been mysteriously delivered to her, she’d gasped in delight. She’d dressed here at the palace, because she’d had so many things to check on prior to the event tonight. That meant that she’d only had time to pull her hair up into a simple bun. But she’d still felt pretty in the unexpected dress, especially since it had come with a note from Tarin asking her to wear it tonight.

  Now, she felt silly and childish. Silly and unsophisticated and invisible.

  “I have some things to check on,” she told her family, stepping away.

  “Yes, go and finish your work, dear. But when we get back to Atlanta, I’ll expect you to be more efficient. Never leave things to the last minute.”

  Rachel stopped and stared at her mother, shocked all over again. Tarin’s words earlier today had been filtering through her mind and one word kept coming back to her. “Toxic,” she whispered, her lips barely moving.

  Denise’s turned sharp eyes towards her. “What was that?” she asked, not bothering to hide her sneer. “You really need to speak up, Rachel. Enunciate. No one likes someone who mutters.”

  Rachel tilted her head, hearing the words, but…she didn’t feel her armor crack. She glanced back as she walked away, seeing her mother and her sister bend their heads together as if conspiring, dividing up the room into quadrants, forming a battle plan.

  And Rachel didn’t doubt that was exactly what they were doing. Watching, she felt another dent in her armor pop back into place. But…it wasn’t armor exactly. Was it her confidence?

  Turning, she left the ballroom, her family oblivious to her departure. Hell, they were oblivious to her!

  Or were they?

  The question stopped her in her tracks. She paused, one hand reaching for the wall and she shook her head, trying to bring the thought together. Bullies were insecure people. Her mother and sister were bullies! They were mean and demoralizing and patronizing and…terrible people! She’d known this all her life, but…why would they focus their horrible comments on her? Surely they weren’t jealous of her…were they?

  The thought was so astounding that she forgot to breathe as she considered the possibility.

  “Rachel!” someone called her. It took her a moment to turn and face the person racing towards her. But as she lifted her eyes, her shoulders pulled back, and her lips curled into a smile. Confidence was…heady and powerful! “Yes?” she replied, smiling even more brightly.

  The man asked his question and she gave him directions. He moved off, but another person approached. For the next hour, she wandered through the ballroom, the kitchen, and the security office answering questions and ensuring that the gala went off without a hitch.

  And the whole time, she thought frantically, trying to figure out what was going on inside her head. And her heart!

  One thing she was absolutely certain about…she loved Tarin. And without the haze of humiliation clouding her vision, she suspected that Tarin loved her. Was it possible?

  Stepping into the ballroom, her gaze zeroed in on his tall form. Leaning against the doorjamb, she watched, thinking about how he touched her when they were alone, or the way he’d look at her when they were with others. Could that be love?

  In that moment, he turned, his eyes searching the crowd. For her? Could he feel her gaze?

  Sure enough, he caught her looking at him and she smiled. His eyes warmed and she could see his intent even from this distance.

  Everyone was dancing and having a good time, the champagne flowing, tables filled with food and waiters moved among the guests, offering appetizers to those who weren’t ready for dinner yet. It was a magical evening and she’d done this, Rachel thought with pride. She’d coordinated this event where everyone was enjoying themselves! It had been her, along with an army of staff, but her ideas and her efforts!

  Tarin paused, drinking in her figure in the moss green chiffon dress with the shimmering flowers. She knew that he didn’t think her dress was wrong. He’d chosen it and she felt…beautiful.

  “Stop it!” her mother hissed, moving to stand beside her. “You’re making a fool of yourself!”

  Rachel turned slowly to look at her mother, surprised by the acid in her tone.

  “Don’t worry, Mother,” Denise whispered. “I’ll stand on her other side. Everyone will assume that he’s staring at me. It will be okay.”

  “I can’t believe we still have to protect you like this,” her mother grumbled, pasting on a fake smile as she sipped her champagne.

  Rachel eyed her sister, watched her preen and pretend to laugh. Why was she laughing? For a moment, Rachel wondered if the rest of the room thought she looked silly too. Or was it just Rachel, seeing her family with new eyes?

  “I don’t look silly, and I’m not making a fool of myself,” she said flatly.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” her mother snapped.

  “He’s coming towards us!” Denise hissed. “Shut up and let me do the talking.”

  Rachel didn’t even bother to look at her sister. Instead, she focused on Tarin as he came towards her and she shivered at the intent in his eyes. Un-blinded, she saw it. She actually saw the love he felt for her glowing in his eyes!

  “Good evening ladies,” he said and Rachel dipped into a perfect curtsy. She felt her mother and sister stare at her, then both of them reacted. Just as Rachel rose from her deep, elegant curtsy, her mother and sister started theirs, fumbling a bit. A curtsy looked easy because the people who knew they’d need to curtsy practiced the movement until it was perfect. But Pamela and Denise were too arrogant and unsc
hooled in palace protocols, so they hadn’t bothered to ask what the appropriate greeting was for a member of the royal family.

  Rachel watched with silent amusement as her mother and sister tried valiantly to perform an elegant curtsy – and failed! As they rose, she focused her attention on Tarin. “You look very dashing tonight, Your Highness,” and her eyes twinkled as she used his title. Rachel even giggled when she heard his growling response.

  “And you look exceptionally beautiful, Ms. Morris,” he replied in return, just as teasingly formal.

  Rachel beamed and started to step closer, intending to whisper in his ear. But Denise elbowed her way between them, forcing Rachel to reel backwards, startled. Rachel heard several gasps from the guests closest who had witnessed the horrible faux pas, but she didn’t look around, preferring to rise above and pretend as if her sister hadn’t just done something horribly rude.

  Tarin, on the other hand, wasn’t about to ignore it! “Excuse me, Miss Morris,” he said to Denise with an icy frown, “But you just interrupted Rachel. Please step back.” His last three words were clipped and succinct.

  Denise pulled out her best smile, tilted her head in a coquettish manner, and moved closer. “Look, I know that Rachel is your secretary and you’re trying to be nice and all, but she won’t mind if we dance. I know she’ll understand.”

  “First of all, Rachel is my project manager, and the best I’ve ever worked with. She is exceptionally talented and incredibly valuable.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “Secondly, don’t ever interrupt me or step in front of me.” Tarin sighed, obviously striving for patience. “Now, I’d like to speak with Rachel. Step back.”

  Denise seemed oblivious to his set down and waved a hand dismissively at Rachel. “Oh, just…let her be. She’ll shrink away and go find a wall to lean on. Why don’t we…?”

  “I’m going to dance with Rachel, Miss Morris. If you don’t…!”

  Denise snickered and looked behind her. “Rachel doesn’t dance! She’s tried so many times before.” Denise turned and looped her arm through Tarin’s, rubbing her breast against his arm. “You should have seen her when she tried ballet lessons! She stumbled all over the floor, falling on her face several times. She’d come home covered with bruises and sobbing her heart out! It would have been funny if it wasn’t so embarrassing.”