by Karin Baine
‘Man up. For someone who spends his days elbows deep in other people’s innards you shouldn’t be this squeamish.’
‘I tend not to walk barefoot through the operating theatre,’ he said with a heavy dose of sarcasm. ‘So, where does this slimy green road lead to anyway? A technicolour world with flying monkeys and grass-resistant ruby slippers for all?’
‘Tobel. It’s a derelict medieval village. If there’s anything left of it by now. It’s far enough from the usual tourist routes to hopefully avoid detection.’ To be honest she’d forgotten all about the place until now. It had been relegated to the back of her mind as merely a childhood fantasy. A mythical land she’d imagined exploring in the mists of time.
Now, treading familiar ground, there was a bloom of excitement coming to life at the prospect of seeing the place again and reliving those carefree days.
‘Forgive me but it doesn’t sound like the ultimate escape. What’s the fascination with some old ruins and how far away are they?’
‘It was a place for us to hang out without being studied like lab rats. We just played hide and seek, had a moan to each other about how unfair life was, drew chalk pictures on the walls... You know, the usual kid stuff.’
‘You’re breaking my heart here, Princess. Some of us only had a back yard to play in. Not a whole abandoned village.’
She stuck her tongue out and teased him right back. ‘I know, I know, and all you had to play with was a stick and a hoop...’
‘You cheeky—’
For a second she thought she might have actually offended him as he halted their woodland walk. When he started after her, tossing his shoes aside, she let out a squeal before taking off at high speed. It was exhilarating running through the forest, branches whipping past, her heels discarded in her desire to escape Seth’s false indignation. His deep laugh was sweeter than the sounds of the chirping birds watching them from high up in the treetops and she began to wonder why she was running at all.
Fate stepped in and plonked an exposed tree root in her path, causing her to trip.
‘Are you okay?’ Seth caught up with her in time to see the inelegant display as she landed face down on the ground.
She rolled over and sat up, dusting the dirt and leaves from her hands. ‘I’m fine. It’s only my pride that’s taken a knock.’
‘Let me give you a hand up and I swear I’ll say nothing about karma.’ He held out his hand to help her back onto her feet but the smug grin on his face demanded payback.
She slapped her palm against his but instead of letting him pull her up, she yanked his hand, unbalancing him so he too fell victim to the trip hazard.
Seth stumbled over the root and landed on top of her.
‘S-sorry. Clearly I don’t know my own strength.’ She swallowed as his chest pressed so hard against hers she could feel his every rapid breath. His hands were either side of her head, braced on the ground giving him every opportunity to lever himself off her if he chose to. He didn’t.
Instead, he dipped his head lower, his eyes not leaving hers, waiting for her to stop him. She couldn’t find the words, or the inclination, to do so. He hesitated for a heartbeat, lips hovering so close to hers she could almost taste him. That need to kiss him suddenly consumed her body and soul. The soft pressure of his mouth on hers immediately gave way to something more passionate, more intense, more than a mere kiss.
Kaja closed her eyes and surrendered to the thrill of having Seth all to herself again. She wound her hands in his hair, revelling in the silky curls beneath her fingers, pulling him towards her to deepen their connection. Mouths and tongues entangled, breath hot and ragged, it was clear they’d both giving up fighting this powerful attraction defying their separation. For once, she didn’t think about anyone else. Seth was everything. They could’ve been locked back in that stock room on the night shift again or tangled up in the sheets of their old double bed when the need for one another was just as great.
She shifted position, parting her thighs so Seth’s body was hard against her right where she needed him most. He groaned.
‘Kaja...what are you doing to me?’
The second he spoke she knew the spell had been broken.
He stopped kissing her and pulled away. She lifted her head and tried to coax him back into that blissful abyss of blood-rushing lust with kiss after kiss. Pride and dignity took a back seat in her desire to fall back into that fantasy world where only the two of them existed. Seth’s touch made her forget everything bad in her life to focus on the way he made her feel. Damn good.
‘We can’t do this.’ This time he did push himself up off her, leaving her hands empty and her body cold.
‘It was only a kiss,’ she said, trying to claw back some dignity as she hugged her knees to her chest to find some comfort. Aware she had been the one trying to turn it into something more.
He fixed her with his heavy-lidded eyes and gave a coy half-smile. ‘Kaja, you know with us it’s never going to be only a kiss.’
Seth didn’t appear ashamed of succumbing to his desire, only afraid of where it would lead. Kaja understood that fear when it was exactly the same reason she should be resisting. Their circumstances might be different now but they still faced the same obstacles. Only now with added complications.
Less defensive now she knew it wasn’t her he was rejecting, but the implications if they took things any further, Kaja got back on her feet. It was only then she realised she’d hurt her ankle as it buckled under her.
‘Ow!’ She grabbed for Seth, afraid she was about to fall over again.
‘What’s wrong?’ He moved quickly, wrapping his arm around her waist to support her.
‘I must have twisted my ankle. I can’t put any weight on it.’ She tried to take a step forward, which resulted in a sharp pain shooting up her leg. The adrenaline rush Seth had caused with his mouth-to-mouth technique must have temporarily blocked out the pain. She would’ve asked for a repeat prescription if she’d thought he’d oblige.
‘You can’t hobble around on that all day. We probably need to get it strapped up. Maybe we should head back?’
As well as wanting to spend more time with Seth, Kaja wasn’t in a hurry to go back with her tail between her legs, or, in this case, her ankle in a plaster cast.
‘We’re closer to the site now than the hospital. I’ll be fine.’ She brushed off his concern and tried to walk on, grimacing through the pain but not yet ready to let go of her human crutch.
Seth huffed out a sigh. ‘Sit down.’
He manoeuvred her over to an upturned tree trunk and made her sit while he wandered off. After a few minutes of sitting there on her own Kaja began to panic that he might have gone to get help. Visions of search teams swarming the woods looking for her made her regret this outing even if she had finally been able to kiss Seth again. She could only hope he wouldn’t find himself in trouble when he reported back.
The sound she expected to hear next was helicopters or blaring sirens, not the rustle of leaves as Seth trudged back towards her swinging her heels in one hand.
‘I’m not sure they’d suit you,’ she said, trying to hide how inexplicably teary she was to see him, grateful he was going to help her find a way out of this mess she’d got herself into. He could easily have handed over responsibility to any one of the entourage paid to look after her.
‘I’m not sure they go with a twisted ankle either but I brought them back for you.’ He whacked them against the edge of the tree until the heels came off, making them into a pair of flats and leaving her wincing at the sacrifice.
It took everything she had not to squirm when he knelt down to take her foot in his hand. She was ticklish at the best of times but Seth touching her bare foot was too much to take. How often had he taken advantage of that weakness until she was screaming with laughter and they’d fallen into bed in a tangle of limbs
? Except this time he was deadly serious as he examined her, showing no memory of those fun times that had always led to something more passionate.
‘Can you move it? Good. It’s a bit red but not too swollen. You probably need to rest it.’
‘How am I going to do that? Hover?’ Okay, her ego was as bruised as her ankle if he’d forgotten her little quirk so readily.
He turned around and crouched down. While he was giving her a good look at his tight backside, she wasn’t sure what he was expecting her to do.
‘Right, jump on.’
‘Excuse me?’ It was true she wanted to climb him like a tree but he’d made it abundantly clear that wasn’t an option.
‘You can’t walk and taxis are scarce out here. Think of me as your trusty steed.’ He whinnied and pawed the ground with his foot. Boy, she missed his silly sense of humour. It hadn’t died after all. He must have buried it along with his feelings for her but the more time they spent together, the more she got to see flashes of the old Seth.
‘You’re kidding, right?’ He couldn’t possibly expect her to climb on his back and let him carry her not inconsiderable weight to their destination.
‘Not at all.’ He slapped his backside and crouched down a little more until his trousers were stretched tight around his peachy behind. ‘Now climb on before I can’t get up again.’
‘Only if you’re sure. I don’t want us both lying crocked out here waiting for a rescue team to come and find us. Think of the scandal!’ She shook her head, wondering how she’d found herself in such a ludicrous position. Kaja climbing onto the back of her father’s transplant surgeon, barefoot and covered in grass stains, was a million-dollar photo op. Seth Davenport was making her reckless and she’d be lying if she said that wasn’t the biggest thrill she’d had in years.
CHAPTER EIGHT
SETH’S PLAN TO break out of Kaja’s claustrophobic existence with her in the hope it would provide some space had backfired spectacularly now she was clinging onto his back like a baby monkey.
‘Are you comfy back there?’
‘I wouldn’t say “comfy”, exactly, but you’re saving my ankle. I’m not so sure about your back though.’ She shifted her position to sit higher and strengthened her hold around him.
With the soft mounds of her breasts rubbing against him, legs wrapped territorially around his waist and cheek brushing against his, his back wasn’t the part of his body he was worried about.
‘Don’t you worry about me. You’re light as a feather.’
‘Liar!’ She slapped him playfully on the shoulder but made no attempt to disengage herself. Seth was simply glad he could do something to help. This whole sorry debacle had been his idea and now, not only were they probably causing mass panic back at the hospital, but she was hurt. Something he’d never seen coming. Along with that kiss.
He didn’t know where he’d found the strength to end it but it had saved them both from making any further mistakes. Getting together again could only end in a mess and more heartache when he inevitably returned home to England. Perhaps that was part of the reason he’d agreed to come to her country when he knew he’d be the one leaving this time. Ensuring his departure meant there was no way she could hurt him. He hadn’t counted on causing his own self-destruction by kissing her.
Now they’d crossed that boundary and let passion take over it was going to be difficult not to let it happen again.
The pilgrimage to her childhood hangout wasn’t an easy one without a well-worn path to follow. There were dips and hills, rocky outcrops and streams to navigate along the way. As a reasonably fit adult man he would’ve struggled even without his Kaja backpack. It would’ve been even more of a trek for two young kids from the palace. He could only imagine the pressure of their heritage, which had driven them all the way out here on their own. It showed the strain she was currently under when this was the first place she thought of to escape to for a while.
‘Oh, no. It looks like we’re not the only ones visiting today.’ Kaja pointed up ahead. Right beside the site of the crumbling grey ruins of a once bustling village was the juxtaposition of a bright red, super modern hatchback.
‘Best case—they don’t know who you are and we can hitch a lift back with them. Worst case—you let them take a few selfies and they give us a lift.’ They’d had their adventure en route, rolling around in the grass together.
‘I suppose so... In that case I should probably walk the rest of the way. We wouldn’t want to draw any more attention than necessary.’
She had a point. Regardless if these other visitors knew they were in the presence of royalty or not, the sight of two people in medical attire piggybacking in from the woods was going to seem a little strange.
He crouched down to allow her to step away.
‘Do I have to book a time slot for the tour or can we do it now?’ As keen as he was to get Kaja back for medical attention and prevent any further concern as to her whereabouts, he was curious about the place. From the day she’d left him it had struck him that he’d never known her at all. He’d learned something of her background having lived it himself these past few days, but hearing more about her childhood might provide him with better insight into what had made her who she was today.
‘There’s not much call for my services. I can’t tell you a lot about the history of Tobel. I’m sorry to say that wasn’t important to an impetuous nine-year-old. However, if you’d like to see the very spot where I first beat my big brother in an obstacle race, or hear about the time I befriended a stray dog and kept him as my secret pet, then I’m your girl.’ She limped ahead of him, apparently eager to revisit this place that held such treasured memories for her.
‘Sounds perfect.’ This was what he’d wanted for her all along. A chance to forget everything going on at the hospital and simply enjoy herself.
Thankfully the occupants of the car were more interested in the picnic they’d spread out on the outer wall of the old village and didn’t see them approach. Seth made a note to do the same with Amy when he got the chance. Perhaps not here, but he was sure she’d love a picnic out in the countryside.
Seth’s stomach growled with hunger as they made their way along the cobbled street towards the tumbledown houses of yesteryear. He could see Kaja’s foot already beginning to swell. Stumbling over this uneven ground with her foot wedged into broken shoes wasn’t going to help. She’d be lucky if she could walk on it at all by the end of the day. Although, as she hovered in the doorway of one higgledy-piggledy building it was obvious she wanted to do some exploring before they thought about making their way home again.
‘Is it the same as you remember?’ There was a certain kind of beauty about a place where wild flowers were springing out of the glassless windows, the pale lemon and blues providing some colour against the grey stone. Nature had taken over from the last inhabitants and decorated accordingly. Even the weeds and moss that had set up home in every crack and groove of the crumbling structure had a certain aesthetic charm.
‘A little more overgrown perhaps, but basically the same.’ She ducked her head under the arched doorway and ventured inside with Seth following close behind.
‘Smaller than I remember.’ They walked through the remains of someone’s house with only partial walls separating each of the rooms. ‘I think the elements have taken their toll too.’
Seth could hear the tinge of sadness in her voice as she traced her hand over the faded mural barely there on what remained of the plaster. There were some flourishes and cornices left from what must have been a decorative abode at one time. Definitely a place where one could let their imagination run wild.
‘Sometimes we look back on things with rose-tinted glasses. Reality doesn’t always match up with the memories we might have embellished over the years.’ Though, if this had been abandoned centuries ago he couldn’t see it was in much better condition w
hen Kaja and Bruno were here as children.
The look she gave him made him feel as though he’d taken her favourite childhood toy and set fire to it.
‘I’m sorry if meeting me again has been such a disappointment to you, Seth. Speaking for myself, I have no regrets about anything we’ve done. You met all the expectations I had based on my memories.’ With that, she flounced out, leaving Seth scratching his head about what had caused the outburst. It took a minute too long for him to realise the misunderstanding.
‘Wait... Kaja... I wasn’t talking about us. I don’t regret what happened between us back there either. If anything, being with you, kissing you, is even better than I remember.’ He followed her into the next almost-room, her upset at believing he was unaffected by their tryst totally understandable.
She had her back to him, arms wrapped around her waist in a gesture of self-comfort that caused him physical pain on her behalf. He placed his hand on her elbow and gently turned her to face him.
‘Hey, I was talking about the village, not us.’ He gave her a soft smile, trying to coax one back in response. ‘I didn’t want to stop kissing you. That was the problem.’
Her mouth formed a perfect ‘O’. ‘Honestly?’
‘Honestly.’ He knew he shouldn’t do it, yet Seth couldn’t seem to stop himself from reaching out and tipping her chin up to make her look at him. The beautiful sad eyes and the pouting pink lips were too much for him to ignore.
He rested his lips on hers. Only for a second. Enough to comfort her and satisfy his need to feel her mouth against his one more time. He closed his eyes and blocked out the forsaken terrain around them, the soft touch of Kaja’s lips transporting him to paradise instead.
It wasn’t supposed to be a replay of their time on the forest floor, yet when Kaja sighed and let her arms fall away from their defensive position he wanted her closer. He pulled her body flush with his and that comforting kiss developed into a passionate display of his feelings for her. It was pointless denying it any more when he’d known from the second he’d set eyes on Kaja again he’d never stopped loving her. With Amy to take care of he’d been able to deny that fact and convince himself his heart only had room for his daughter. Now he was confronted with the person he’d so desperately wanted to share his life with and slowly rediscovering the woman he loved, those feelings refused to remain hidden.