The Army Doc's Secret Princess

by Emily Forbes

  ‘You wouldn’t be intruding—our wives and girlfriends are coming too; you’re more than welcome. You might like to meet some of the families—they got us through the tough times.’

  He was right. She had no other plans for the evening, and it would be interesting to meet the athletes’ support network. ‘D’accord,’ she accepted. ‘That sounds good.’

  Viktoria stepped into the pub and immediately saw Mark seated at a large table in the far corner. She joined the group and made sure to concentrate as Mark introduced her to his teammates. They had all suffered injuries in active service although Bud had also sustained several sporting injuries playing rugby which had also taken a toll. He was suffering from PTSD following multiple surgeries on his back, ankles and knee. Sean had a back injury and Eric had bilateral lower leg amputations.

  Despite their injuries, Viktoria found them to have a positive outlook, although they made it clear that hadn’t always been the case and it had been a long road for them all to get to this point.

  She listened as they explained how the Legion’s Games had given them all a focus but, more importantly, brought them together again. They all expressed that they had experienced a sense of isolation due to their injuries and that they missed the camaraderie of belonging to a team. It was clear that their defence force family was important to them. For Bud, in particular, it was his only family.

  Sean’s wife, Lisa, recounted how difficult things had been when Sean injured his back. She had been pregnant at the time and not only had Sean been unable to help physically when she was heavily pregnant, but he’d also been unable to pick up their baby when she was born. His pain had made him miserable and the whole experience of becoming parents had been marred by his moods. It had put a strain on their marriage, but they had got through that and were now expecting a second child. As Lisa was saying how she hoped they would be able to enjoy the next experience, Viktoria’s gaze was drawn across the room. She couldn’t have said what made her turn in that direction at that point in time, perhaps a sixth sense of some sort, because her gaze landed on Cam. She’d had no idea he was joining them and perhaps he was also unaware of her presence as she saw his slight double-take when he noticed her sitting with the group.

  He greeted everyone and slid in to sit on the bench seat beside her, which was the only empty place. His thigh brushed against hers, just briefly as he sat down, and she could feel the heat of his body through the thin fabric of her skirt triggering a flurry of nerves.

  ‘Hello, Viktoria. I didn’t know you were going to be here.’

  She hoped her presence didn’t bother him. She thought seeing him was a pleasant surprise, but she almost felt as if she should be apologising. ‘Mark invited me. He thought I would like to meet some of the families. He did not tell me you were coming.’

  ‘I catch up with the boys when I can. I served in Afghanistan with Sean and Bud,’ he said as he poured himself a drink from the jug of beer that Mark passed to him.

  Viktoria sipped her wine and tried not to think about Cam sitting beside her. About the way his leg brushed against hers each time he gestured in conversation. His touch, even a brief graze, was enough to trigger a powerful reaction. Her heart rate accelerated and her breathing quickened. She had never experienced an effect like this before.

  The talk moved on from their time in the army to tales of cricket, rugby and children.

  ‘Do you have children, Viktoria?’ Lisa asked.

  ‘Non.’ Viktoria shook her head.

  ‘She’s much too busy working for the Prince,’ Cam said.

  ‘The Prince? As in Prince Alfred?’ Lisa asked, the excitement evident in her voice.

  ‘Oui.’

  ‘Do you think we could meet him?’

  Viktoria was surprised. ‘You want to meet him? I did not think you Australians cared about the Royal Family too much.’

  ‘You’re probably right—’ Sean began, before Lisa nudged him and interrupted.

  ‘It’s not about meeting royalty—it’s about meeting the man who started these Games.’

  ‘If it wasn’t for him, none of us would be here today; it’s quite likely none of us would have our men in our lives still,’ Eric’s wife added.

  ‘We’d like to thank him,’ Lisa said.

  ‘I will see what I can do,’ Viktoria told them, thinking Freddie would be pleased to hear from the wives. ‘He will be at most of the events.’ She knew the events had been scheduled to avoid clashes, allowing the participants to compete across multiple sports, but it also enabled Freddie to get to as many events as possible.

  ‘But he’ll meet the competitors at the Games. Will he meet us too?’

  ‘There are a couple of family functions that I know Prince Alfred will be at. There is a barbecue on the first day and there is also the closing ceremony. I know there will be thousands of people there, but I will do my best.’ She was determined to follow through with her promise. She knew it should be relatively easy for her to organise but she didn’t divulge why.

  ‘Okay, who’s for a game of darts?’ Mark asked. ‘I know Viktoria would like to chat to the girls about their experiences and I don’t think I want to hear all they have to say.’

  Viktoria was surprised about how forthcoming the women were in sharing their stories and she was stunned to hear what they had been through. Their stories were all different, but the one common theme was how the Games had changed things for them. The Games had given their men hope and a purpose and turned things around for them mentally. Even Mark’s girlfriend, who was new on the scene, had noticed a change in his self-esteem since he had begun training for the Games.

  ‘How long have you been together?’ Viktoria asked.

  ‘Six months. What about you and Cam? Your relationship must be new.’

  ‘We are not dating.’

  ‘Oh, I thought—’

  ‘Cam hasn’t dated anyone since Gemma,’ Lisa said.

  Viktoria’s immediate thought was Who is Gemma? And she was about to ask when Mark’s girlfriend said, ‘Gemma? I don’t remember a Gemma. Did I meet her?’

  ‘No. They were dating when he was in Afghanistan.’

  ‘But that was years ago.’

  Viktoria saw the look Lisa exchanged with Eric’s wife, but it was fleeting and she couldn’t decipher it before it was lost. She wanted to ask more but they changed the subject, leaving Viktoria to wonder about the mysterious Gemma and what she meant to Cam. Leaving her wondering about what had happened between them. Did their breakup have something to do with the helicopter incident? Was it too much for Gemma to handle? Had she not wanted to wait for Cam to recover or to nurse him back to health? Did Cam break up with her? Or did he have his heart broken? He must have if he hadn’t dated for years.

  Viktoria was lost in her thoughts. The conversation continued around her and she decided it was time for her to leave.

  She stood up to say goodbye just as Cam returned to the table with another round of drinks.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said as he passed her a glass of wine, ‘but I think I am going to say goodnight.’

  ‘Already?’

  She nodded. It was time to go. Everyone had been very welcoming, but her mind was spinning.

  ‘Can I give you a lift?’

  She hesitated only fractionally, wondering if he’d really like to stay, before deciding that he had made the offer and she wanted to accept. ‘Merci, I would like that.’ It would give her a chance to spend more time with Cam and maybe even learn more about him.

  ‘Is everything okay?’ he asked her as he slid behind the wheel after helping her into his car.

  Had he picked up on her sombre mood?

  ‘I had not fully understood the impact on the families. It was a little overwhelming, if I am honest.’

  She was also feeling conflicted about her own self-indulgence. She ha
d been bemoaning the fact that she was bored of handing out trophies and attending charity functions while these men and women had suffered real hardships and still managed to smile. The only real adversity she had faced was when Luca cheated on her and she broke off their engagement. That had been a difficult period in her life, but a broken heart was not normally fatal. She had experienced nothing like the stories she’d heard tonight, and she was awed by the strength and resilience they had all shown.

  ‘I’m not sure how they manage to stay so positive,’ she added.

  ‘They’ve been through a lot,’ Cam agreed.

  She wondered what Cam’s experiences were. And she wondered about Gemma.

  She was desperate to know more, for Cam to open up to her, but she knew that he might then expect her to reciprocate and she wasn’t sure what she wanted to tell him. What did she want him to know about her? There was so much she wanted to keep secret and she knew that wasn’t fair. She couldn’t expect him to disclose his past if she wasn’t prepared to do the same but she was enjoying the opportunity to be a regular person, the chance to find out who she was without a crown or a royal title, and that was enough to persuade her to continue to keep her own counsel.

  Cam pulled into the hotel driveway behind a long line of taxis. There was an empty parking bay on their left and Viktoria got Cam to turn into it. ‘I can get out here,’ she said.

  She wondered if she was brave enough to invite him to come in but then decided against it. Hearing about Gemma had confused her. What had happened between them? Was Cam in a position where he might want to explore things with her or was he still not over Gemma? His friends had said he hadn’t dated for years. What reason did she have to think he would be ready now? He was hard to read, and she didn’t want to make a fool of herself.

  She would err on the side of caution.

  ‘Thank you for the lift,’ she said as she leant across and kissed him on his left cheek followed by the right.

  Their faces were close, their cheeks still touching, and in the dim interior of the car his eyes were dark and hard to read.

  They moved simultaneously, together or apart she wasn’t quite sure, but suddenly it wasn’t her cheek under his lips any more but her mouth. His lips covered hers and she heard herself sigh as she closed her eyes. His lips were warm and soft, but his pressure was firm. She opened her mouth and tasted him.

  She lost herself in the kiss. Oblivious to anything and everything else, completely unaware of their surroundings, forgetting who she was, where she was, as she kissed him back. She didn’t care who saw her. She couldn’t have stopped if she’d wanted to. The kiss was everything she had imagined.

  Viktoria felt as if she was floating as she made her way into the hotel. She still wasn’t sure who had kissed who, but she didn’t care. It didn’t matter. What mattered was that it had been a perfect kiss and that he had asked her to spend the morning with him tomorrow.

  He might not want to date but that hadn’t stopped him from asking her to meet him at Bondi Beach at sunrise. It had been a perfect kiss and tomorrow had the potential to be the perfect day.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  SUNRISE WAS CAM’S favourite time of day at the beach. Seeing the sun come up over the ocean was the best start to a day and there were still many days when he really needed to see that. It served as a reminder to him that life went on.

  Bondi wasn’t his favourite beach. He found it too crowded and he normally avoided it but he was prepared to make an exception today. He was prepared to make an exception after the events of last night.

  He had kissed Viktoria. Or she had kissed him. He wasn’t sure how that had happened and at the time he hadn’t thought too much of it. He’d just enjoyed the moment and then heard himself invite her to Bondi. It was almost as if she had cast a spell over him and he knew he had to see her again. Wanted to see her again.

  But once he got home the doubts began.

  Was he making a mistake?

  Once again, it was too late. He seemed to be going about things in the wrong order with Viktoria. Speaking first and thinking later. Inviting her out and then wondering if he should have. Kissing her and then wondering if he should have. Maybe he needed to start counting to ten. He knew he was thinking with his heart instead of his head. Somehow, she was able to make him forget his guilt. Forget Gemma. And that was where the battle began. He didn’t know if forgetting was the right thing to do.

  Though he couldn’t deny that he’d enjoyed the kiss. That for the first time in two years he’d been left wanting more.

  But he was worried. At the moment she didn’t know his history. He could pretend he was undamaged. But what if she got to know him and didn’t like what she saw?

  He hadn’t intended to let his guard down and, while it was still up to a degree, he knew there were definite cracks in his walls. He’d taken her to his house. He’d cooked her dinner. And he’d invited her to spend the morning with him.

  He liked the way he felt around her, but he didn’t know if she would say the same. He wanted to be the best version of himself for her. Strong and intelligent. Not grumpy and damaged.

  He wanted her to like him.

  So, because he wanted Viktoria’s approval, because he wanted to see her smile, he found himself at Bondi at sunrise. He knew Viktoria wanted to see the famous stretch of sand and he wanted to show it to her. He particularly wanted her to experience it at this time of day, when it was peaceful, before it was invaded by hordes of tourists and families. In his opinion that was a whole other experience, iconic maybe, but not nearly as pleasant.

  The Bondi lifeguards were just setting up for duty, but the beach was virtually empty. The early risers were in the water, swimming, surfing, paddling and Cam caught a wave and let it carry him back into the shore. He shook his head, spraying water across the sand, and rubbed his hair with his towel to stop the water from dripping down his back, and headed for the lifeguard tower where he’d arranged to meet her. He didn’t want her to be there before him.

  She was walking towards him. She had her hair pulled up into a bun today, but he was only vaguely aware of that. She was dressed in shorts and a loose top. Her shorts were very short and her legs were amazing. She was coming out of a northern hemisphere summer and her legs were slim and tanned. Cam had to force himself to keep his eyes up.

  ‘Bonjour.’ She greeted him with a kiss on each cheek. Left then right. Just like last night but this time there was nothing extra and Cam forced himself to push the disappointment to the back of his mind. Today was about showing Viktoria one of the iconic Australian sights; it was about spending time with her, not about his desires. But he couldn’t deny that she had stirred something in him. Reawakened his desires. It had been years since he had felt such strong attraction and he had to admit he was actually excited to see what might develop. Would she be the one who helped him move on?

  Was he ready to let go of the past?

  He was tired of thinking and he was tired of feeling guilty. He wanted to feel happy and maybe, just maybe, Viktoria could help him achieve that.

  Her skin was warm and soft against his cheek and she smelt incredible. ‘Good morning,’ he replied. ‘Welcome to Bondi.’

  She grasped the railing that overlooked the beach with both hands and leant over, looking up and down the beach. ‘I cannot believe I am here!’ She turned back to face him, a wide smile on her face, and Cam’s day got even better. ‘I must take a photo.’

  She pulled her phone from the pocket of her shorts and turned her back to the beach, holding her phone up, ready to take a selfie with the beach behind her.

  ‘Why don’t you let me take one of you?’ he offered.

  ‘No,’ she said as she grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him closer. ‘You have to be in it also.’ She stepped in front of him slightly, tucking herself into the curve of his shoulder, and pressed back against him. Her
bottom pressed against his hip, testing his self-control. She extended her arm and looked at the screen. ‘Step to your right a little,’ she instructed.

  He did as she asked and saw that she now had the edge of the round tower in the corner of the frame with the beach and ocean behind them. He wasn’t sure that the light was right—the sun was still rising over the sea—but Viktoria snapped a photo and then adjusted the settings until she was happy with the result.

  ‘There.’ She held her phone out to him, showing him the picture.

  She looked stunning. He looked a mess. He was only half smiling and he knew that was because he was trying so hard not to think about her body pressing up against his.

  ‘D’accord. Are we going to swim?’

  She shoved her phone back into her pocket and lifted her arms above her head, removing her top in one smooth movement to reveal a black bikini top. It was small but not skimpy, and she was probably in no danger of losing it in the notorious Bondi surf, but it was still only barely covering her, and Cam fought hard to maintain the last bit of self-control.

  He definitely needed to get into the water.

  ‘Or have you already been in without me?’ she asked as she stuffed her top into the small bag she carried. She was looking at him, taking in his damp hair, bare chest and wet shorts, and he felt himself growing warm under her scrutiny.

  He nodded. ‘I thought I’d get my exercise in first. The water is cool, and I didn’t know how long you’d want to stay in for.’

  ‘How cool?’

  ‘About twenty degrees.’

  ‘That is okay. I need to go in; I have to be able to say I went swimming at Bondi.’

  She skipped down the steps and onto the sand. ‘It’s beautiful. I thought the beaches at home were lovely, but this is huge and the sand is so soft! Our beaches have a lot of rocks and the sand is coarse. They are nothing like this.’

  Cam dropped his towel on the sand near where the lifeguards were positioning the red and yellow flags to mark the safe swimming zone.