by Karin Baine
‘In that case, hello and goodbye. I’ll see you tomorrow and don’t forget to bring my running shoes with you,’ he teased one last time before lying back down and closing his eyes.
‘He seems in good spirits.’ Seth echoed her thoughts aloud as he closed the door behind them.
‘It would appear so. Although my brother wouldn’t be inclined to tell me if he was in any pain.’ She couldn’t resist another peek through the window, finding him already fast asleep.
‘All the reports so far are positive so I don’t think there’s any real cause to worry.’
‘Not that that will stop me,’ she said with a self-deprecating grin.
‘It must be nice having a sibling. Even if it is one more person to fret over on a daily basis.’
‘We weren’t always this close but, yes, I’d be lost without him now. Do you think you’ve missed out on something by being an only child?’ Bruno had been another casualty of her selfishness during those years she’d spent incommunicado in England but he hadn’t held a grudge. He’d welcomed her back with open arms and told her how much he’d missed his little sister. Kaja hated herself for the estrangement but it was in her brother’s good nature to forgive and forget. She had a much harder job forgiving herself.
Perhaps if she’d been honest with Seth, he and Bruno would have been friends from the start.
‘I was never lonely when Gran and Gramps were alive but now... It would be nice to have someone to lean on. You know, someone who understands what I’m going through.’ He let out a sigh and Kaja knew how truly lucky she was to have the family she did. At least when her mother had passed away she hadn’t grieved alone. Her father and brother had lifted her up when she’d been at her lowest. Seth had no one except his young daughter.
‘I know it’s not the same but you can talk to me, if it helps?’
‘Thanks, but, um, this is only short term, remember?’
How could she forget when he was always so desperate to get away from her?
‘I know Amy’s a comfort to you but you know where I am if you need a listening ear.’
‘She is, but it’s made me realise I want more for her. Given the chance I’d like to settle down with someone again and give her a stable family life. Perhaps even give her a brother and sister. Although, I suppose you need a partner before there’s any chance of that happening.’
Kaja faked a laugh to accompany his, ignoring the lead weight that had dropped into the pit of her stomach. The family he wanted wasn’t something he’d find with her. A quiet, ordinary life was something she’d sacrificed long ago because it had never truly been her destiny. Seth, on the other hand, could still have it all. Without her.
‘Where is my driver?’ she demanded from the nearest security officer, the effort of hiding her heartache becoming too much to sustain on top of an already emotional day.
‘I’ll check for you now, ma’am.’ The burly shadow clone began issuing orders over his walkie-talkie.
‘Are you in a hurry to get back?’
She momentarily stopped pacing the corridor like a caged animal.
‘Yes. No. Well, there’s no point in hanging around here getting in the way.’ As she was wont to do when reminded of her inadequacies, she wanted to lock herself away from the outside world and hold herself a pity party.
‘I think Amy and Fatima were expecting a bit more time together. We could do with a timeout too. Between the stress of the op and, I’m sorry to say this, but the oppressiveness of that house, I think we need a break.’
‘What are you suggesting? I’m all for a change of scenery but you know I have to run it past a lot of other people first.’ He’d intrigued her but protocol spoiled any notion of spontaneity.
‘That’s my point. You need some breathing space and a distraction from all this stress. It’s not good for your mental health to be cooped up all the time like a trapped bird. You need to spread your wings once in a while. Come on, while he’s not looking. Let’s bust out of this joint.’
Kaja glanced at the guard walking down the corridor in the opposite direction with his back to them, then at Seth’s hand, which was wrapped around hers.
‘I can’t just disappear. All hell would break loose. They’ll think I’ve been kidnapped, for goodness’ sake.’ She resisted as he tried to pull her away.
Seth narrowed his eyes and she could almost see his brain working overtime to come up with a solution. Then he turned back towards the door to Bruno’s room. ‘This should do the trick.’
He lifted the marker pen tied to the whiteboard, where someone had scribbled Bruno Alderisi—No Food, and added his own message in bold letters.
Taking a mental health day on doctor’s orders. No need to look for us. Back soon.
He handed her the pen. ‘Well, they’re not going to take my word for it.’
She let out a titter in disbelief he was serious about this. They weren’t merely ditching class like a couple of naughty schoolkids, he was asking her to go against all the rules in place to keep her safe.
‘You’re a grown woman and one who has worried herself sick all day. Surely, an afternoon off isn’t too much to ask for?’
It wasn’t, unless you were part of a royal family being constantly scrutinised under a microscope. She thought about what Seth was offering, what he represented. A freedom she hadn’t had since she’d left England, and him.
She took the pen off him, ignoring his triumphant grin, and signed her name to their sick note.
‘I guess not. What’s the worst that could happen?’
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘WHAT ARE WE waiting for, then?’ Seth tugged her by the hand again and this time Kaja let herself be led astray.
This naughty side of Seth’s made him appear years younger than the serious surgeon dealing with her brother only moments ago. It was impossible for her not to get caught up in the moment. For a little while at least it would be nice to pretend they were the two young, carefree people they used to be. Except it wasn’t as straightforward as giving her security the slip.
‘Wait. I’m going to be recognised the second I set foot outside. We’re not going to get very far with me looking like this.’ She could hide her jewellery in her pocket and tie up her hair but the expensive, brightly coloured clothes were going to draw attention.
‘We’ll figure something out. For now we need to put some distance between us and your human shield there.’
Kaja chuckled as they hurried down the corridor hoping their escapade wouldn’t be suddenly cut short or that they would cause too many problems for the staff. She simply wanted to have some fun for a change.
‘This reminds of that time on night shift together. Remember?’
‘How could I forget?’ The husky tone of Seth’s voice and the memory itself warmed Kaja from the inside out.
She didn’t know why she’d chosen that particular intimate snapshot from their history together to share when it was a million miles away from who and where they were today. Even in her thin layers of silk she was burning up thanks to the images she’d conjured up in her head.
That night had been during their first flush of love when they’d wanted to spend every second together. Preferably in bed. Work and conflicting schedules had made it difficult to get that quality time. So, when they’d found themselves working together on an unusually quiet night shift they’d made the most of it.
‘In here, quick!’ He opened a door halfway down the corridor and pulled her inside.
‘What are you doing? I didn’t mean for us to recreate that night together. I have to be more discreet about these things now, Seth,’ she spluttered as he shut them into the tiny store room.
He tried to stifle a laugh, then reached out and cupped her face in his hands. Kaja held her breath, convinced he was about to kiss her. The adrenaline spiking through her body indicated ho
w much she wanted him to.
‘As much as I would love to, that’s not why I came in here. I thought you might want to get changed.’ He directed her gaze to the rows of freshly laundered scrubs hanging on the rails above them. She’d been so concentrated on Seth and the thought of his mouth on hers she hadn’t noticed their surroundings.
‘Oh. Yes. Of course.’ She turned away, breaking physical contact so he couldn’t see her turn scarlet with mortification. Now he knew exactly where her thoughts had gone to he might change his mind about spending the rest of the day with her.
‘I’ll grab one of the lab coats.’
With her back still to him Kaja lifted down a plastic-wrapped set of scrubs, swearing to launder and return them as soon as possible. She slipped out of her purple jumpsuit and shimmied into the less flattering, baggy outfit. The thin gold rope belted around the waist of her discarded clothes doubled up as a makeshift hair tie as she caught her tresses up in a ponytail and she used a fresh towel to wipe away her make-up. Now she was no one remarkable at all. If only she could disguise her true self from Seth too, she might be able to stay out of trouble.
* * *
Seth slipped his arms into the sleeves of the crisp white coat despite the sweat already clinging to his back. He was all too aware of Kaja standing behind him stripped to her underwear. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision to duck in here when she’d been looking for excuses not to take some time off. As had the notion of running away in the first place.
He wanted to make up for his behaviour this morning along with easing some of the sadness Kaja had been cloaked in since the day he arrived. Five years was a long time to hold a grudge when he had a successful career and a daughter he doted on. She was the one in pain now, a wild exotic bird trapped in a gilded cage here, and he wanted to do something to set her free again.
It had come at a cost. The reminder of their passionate encounter on that nightshift was something he couldn’t get out of his head. Especially now she was so close, half naked, with her familiar perfume filling the air.
The sensual memory of the last time they’d been locked in a storage room, clothes in disarray, getting hot and heavy up against the wall, blazed brightly in his head. Even though they’d tried to be quiet Kaja had made those little moans that drove him crazy.
Damn, they had to get out of here fast.
‘I’m ready when you are.’ Kaja’s quick change came not a moment too soon.
‘Great. Once I’m sure we’re all clear out there we’ll head for the fire exit.’ Seth’s relief was short-lived when he spun round only for her disguise to steal his breath away. The fresh-faced, beautiful surgeon he’d fallen in love with at work was standing right before him.
‘I’m not sure these go with the outfit but beggars can’t be choosers.’ She lifted her trouser leg to show off the purple, open-toed sparkly heels she was wearing.
Seth reminded himself he wasn’t a Regency hero who should be bowled over by a well-turned ankle. ‘As long as you can walk in them I think we should be fine.’
They were going to have to stop cosying up in tight spaces if he was to resist temptation for the duration of his stay. The way Kaja continued to look at him with that reflected longing was severely testing his restraint and rendering his broken heart a distant memory.
He cracked the door open a fraction and peered out. ‘Corridor’s clear. Let’s go.’
Kaja followed him out and the few staff they passed didn’t bat an eyelid.
‘So far, so good,’ she whispered with a hint of excitement in her voice. She really had been locked away in her princess tower for too long.
‘Don’t speak too soon.’ He grabbed hold of her and pretended to study the chart pinned to the wall as another guard charged past them.
His heart was thumping so hard he swore their pursuer would hear it. It was crazy to have suggested this. More so to have acted upon it. Kaja was royalty and for all these guys knew he could’ve abducted her. If he wasn’t careful he’d find himself locked up for kidnapping their precious princess. She was no longer a mere work colleague he could blow off some steam with when the mood struck.
It was only the sound of heavy work boots continuing on past that let him breathe again and stop him imagining the rest of his days doing hard labour.
‘It’s amazing what a change of clothes and a make-under can do,’ Kaja tutted.
‘Indeed.’ He withdrew his arm from around her shoulder, aware he’d broken all sorts of etiquette today. Both royal and personal. However, he had more serious matters to deal with. If he wasn’t careful he’d find himself taken out by a SWAT team.
Moving swiftly away from the commotion building elsewhere, Seth led her towards a side exit next to the ambulance bay. Heads down, they walked past the paramedics unloading a gentleman in a wheelchair, doing their best not to raise suspicion.
‘Where are we going? Kaja was tottering along in her spiked heels struggling to keep up as they tried to get as far from here as quickly as possible.
‘I have no idea. The only parts of this country I’ve seen are the airport and the palace. Both of which I’m guessing will be on lockdown by now.’
‘This is your great plan? To bust me out of the hospital and what? Take me on a day trip around the car park? I’d have been better off at home.’ It was no wonder Kaja was ticked off at him. He really hadn’t thought this through. This level of risk should’ve had a reward at the end to be worth all the trouble. If he’d planned this properly there would’ve been chilled champagne and a gourmet picnic waiting for them on a secluded beach somewhere. He wasn’t good at spontaneity when the unknown presented a threat to his well-being.
‘Hey. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Give me some credit for trying to shake things up around here.’
‘In case you missed it, we’ve had enough drama recently to last a lifetime.’ She hopped along on one foot while trying to dislodge her shoe from the other. Once completely barefoot she stomped silently towards the patch of grass at the back of the car park.
‘Look, we’ve managed to get some time away from rent-a-hunk. We can spend it discussing my inadequacies as a member of the resistance or we can make the most of it.’ He cocked his head to one side and fluttered his dark eyelashes.
It had been a long time since he’d had to employ that move to win her over but he was pleased to see it had the same desired effect as she failed to hide her grin.
‘Okay, okay. I’m glad you took the initiative. I’ve forgotten what it was like to play hooky every now and again. You’re a bad influence, Mr Davenport.’ The faux scolding only confirmed the decision had been the right one. For both of them. How long had it been since he’d had a break from being Mr Responsible too? They needed to cut loose for a while. If only to remember the people they used to be before life got in the way.
‘Now we’ve established this is entirely my fault if anyone asks, perhaps you’d like to have some input? This is your country after all. I would’ve thought you’d have some idea where to hide out for a couple of hours?’ Back in England they could’ve disappeared easily with open fields, forests or seaside towns a mere train stop away. He knew nothing about the hiding potential here and with their history they needed somewhere with plenty of space around them.
* * *
Kaja knew she was taking out her bad mood on the wrong person. It was herself she was mad at for agreeing to this when after a couple of minutes alone in a locked room she was back to having lustful thoughts about Seth. Now, to all intents and purposes, they were on the run. As if they needed this romanticised any more when he was the man who believed he was giving her some freedom back.
In a way he was, when every moment she spent with him made her feel like the Kaja who’d spent those years in England living a normal life.
Something she shouldn’t be reliving when she was doing her best to live up to
her family name.
‘There is a place not too far from here where Bruno and I used to sneak off to when we were kids.’ It was her time to take the lead, carefully picking her way barefoot down the grassy incline away from civilisation.
‘Won’t Bruno rat us out? Surely that’ll be the first place he’ll think of if he hears you’ve gone AWOL?’ The more cautious Seth began to re-emerge as he jogged down the slope to join her. His fancy, dress shoes weren’t coping on the wet grass any better than her bare feet. Despite today’s warm weather it must’ve rained some time during the night, ensuring Seth’s every other step was more of a slide. Adding even more of an element of danger to their outing when there was the extra risk of him falling onto his backside at any given moment.
‘First off, Bruno is probably asleep and the chances are no one is going to wake him up after donating a kidney to tell him his kid sister has gone for a walk. Secondly, he’ll have forgotten about this place by now. If it even exists any more. Besides, he knows how exhausting this whole royalty deal is, better than anyone. Who do you think found this place and planned our escape days in the old days?’ Before Seth, her brother was the only person who’d understood her need to get away. That was before duty had called him away from their childhood games and she’d realised the reality of the responsibilities of royal life when he’d no longer had time for her or anything else.
The unmistakable squeak of smooth leather losing its grip on wet grass sounded nearby, followed by muffled curses.
‘Take your shoes off, Seth. Your socks too. There’s something very liberating and earthy about being barefoot in the countryside.’
He leaned against a nearby tree to do as she’d suggested and rolled up the bottoms of his trousers so they didn’t get wet.
‘If this is what getting back to nature feels like, it’s slimier than I imagined.’ Any Austen-esque notions about romantic walks in the country were obliterated thanks to Seth’s unpoetic observations.