Читать онлайн книгу «Weight of the Crown» автора Christina Hollis
Weight of the Crown
Christina Hollis
Now duty is his only mistress For notorious playboy Prince Lysander Kahani, playtime is over… Left with a country to run, he draws the line at playing nanny to his orphaned nephew! Instead he sends for a professional. But one glance at buttoned-up Alyssa Dene and Lysander’s wicked side re-emerges!Wary of his scandalous reputation, Alyssa tries to keep her distance – but Lysander draws her like a moth to a flame. Lysander is fighting a battle between public duty and private desire, but he is determined to make Alyssa a royal offer she won’t refuse…
She looks as poised and controlling as she did when she turned her back on me for the last time,he thought, with a flicker of the falcon in his eyes. There had been little time to think over the past few days, but every second he’d been able to spare had overflowed with thoughts of her. Now he had come to a decision.
It was impossible to shut her out of his mind. He closed his hands slowly into fists. He had been away for too long, fighting through public battles and private negotiations. Now there was only one thing left to sort out. A provocative, priceless woman had trespassed into his private life, and tonight would see the showdown.
He ran a hand through his raven hair once more, and tried to pull his battle-weary uniform into some kind of order. Then he turned his ruthless stare back to the instrument panel. His mouth moved, and he almost smiled. At last. With one twitch of his hand he set his plane on the path down, to find the woman who could change his life for ever.
About the Author
CHRISTINA HOLLIS was born in Somerset, and now lives in the idyllic Wye valley. She was born reading, and her childhood dream was to become a writer. This was realised when she became a successful journalist and lecturer in organic horticulture. Then she gave it all up to become a full-time mother of two and run half an acre of productive country garden.
Writing Mills & Boon
romances is another ambition realised. It fills most of her time, in between complicated rural school runs. The rest of her life is divided among garden and kitchen, either growing fruit and vegetables or cooking with them. Her daughter’s cat always closely supervises everything she does around the home, from typing to picking strawberries!
You can learn more about Christina and her writing at www.christinahollis.com
Recent titles by the same author:
THE COUNT OF CASTELFINO
THE TUSCAN TYCOON’S PREGNANT HOUSEKEEPER
THE RUTHLESS ITALIAN’S INEXPERIENCED WIFE
HER RUTHLESS ITALIAN BOSS
Weight of the Crown
Christina Hollis
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To Martyn, who makes all things possible.
PROLOGUE
LYSANDER was flying. Far below, the glitter of city lights was a diamond necklace drawn back into the velvet case of night. His lips parted in a wicked smile. He had made it to the top, and he was coming back to a hero’s welcome. Nothing could stop him now, no matter how exhausted he was. His uniform was open at the neck, the sleeves turned back anyhow and he needed a shave. He dug the fingers of one hand through his tousled hair, trying to stop exhaustion shadowing his eyes. To him, tonight, sleep felt like a waste of time. He had too many things to do, and they all involved a certain person he hadn’t seen for six days, four hours, eighteen minutes and counting …
Alyssa …
Her name moved around inside his mind like polished stones as he cruised over the sleeping English countryside. Several times his hand went towards his breast pocket as though to pull something out. Each time, he hesitated. His memory was enough. That snapshot couldn’t affect him any more.
The intercom buzzed.
‘You are cleared to land, Your Royal Highness!’ a respectful voice informed him.
‘That’s OK.’
Lysander smiled. For the first time in his life, he felt comfortable with the title. Now he was flying through the night to reclaim what was his. This was what he was born to do. He had it all, and it felt good.
But the feeling didn’t last.
His knuckles whitened as he gripped the controls of his private jet, anticipating trouble. It was a mistake to assume anything when it came to Alyssa. He didn’t have everything he desired. Not yet.
That thought made him uneasy. Dragging at his cuff, he checked the watch on his smooth golden wrist. Timing this next move was crucial. He dug his teeth into his lower lip. The cause of all his sleepless nights would be in Ra’id’s bedroom right now. Her changeless evening routine would be almost over. Everything would be peaceful, calm and predictable—until he dropped in.
Within seconds her neatly starched, ordered calm would be transformed into noisy chaos.
Lysander laughed. Adrenaline powered through his body, preparing him. The sort of happy homecoming he had dreamed about since he was a child was nearly within his grasp—but it wasn’t guaranteed, not by any stretch of the imagination. He still had work to do. Alyssa Dene wasn’t his—not yet. Lysander was a winner in his own country, but he had a different struggle in mind now. He was shaping up to confront Alyssa with what he had just done.
Lysander’s mouth twitched as he considered the problem. This was going to be his hardest battle. He had already seen two tragedies in his thirty-two years, but there was not going to be a third. He was sure of that. So far things were going completely according to plan—his plan. But for how much longer?
His hand strayed towards his pocket again. With a sharp shake of his head, he slapped his fingers back to the controls. He was returning in triumph, secure in his position as leader of his country. He didn’t want to spoil that. So the photograph stayed in his pocket, lodged like a cherry stone. He knew exactly how Miss Alyssa Dene would look right now, moving around the warm, welcoming rooms she had made her own. That was how he wanted to remember her right up to the end, whatever that might be.
His brow contracted. For the first time in his life, there was a slight chance things might not go entirely his way, but Lysander was determined. Thoughts of what he had done in the past, and how she had reacted to it, had tortured him for long enough. He was coming back to offer her the chance of a lifetime, whether she wanted it or not.
He felt his dark, strong features work with emotion, and resented it. That happened each time he remembered the angry words he had thrown at her on the night he left to secure the throne of Rosara.
I’ve got nothing to prove! You’re the one whose future is on the line … Lysander clenched his teeth until they ached. Snatching the damned photograph from his breast pocket, he slapped it down in front of him. As it came to rest on the instrument panel flesh and blood threatened to overwhelm him. All his best intentions crumbled to dust. When he looked at that picture, time stood still.
Suddenly it was summer in his heart again; his body and soul busy with thoughts of the woman whose presence could arouse him with desert-scorching fire. But then he had been forced to make a choice between his country, and her. She had turned her back on him, and the reason why would never go away. In the eyes of other people, Lysander was the world’s most successful man. That was true—up until now. He had won the hearts of his people, but the only battle he truly cared about hadn’t started yet. He exhaled heavily, trying to focus on the stellar image lying on the bulkhead before him. It was no good. He couldn’t quite look her in the eyes.
Alyssa … He savoured her name as well as the sight of her tempting, toned body. The silky feel of her soft blonde hair between his fingers was such a distant dream, but this photograph brought it all back. That swimsuit was supposed to be discreet, but its sleek green gloss showed off her full breasts as provocatively as it sculpted her neat waist and warmly rounded hips.
Lysander drew in a slow, ragged breath. His hands could recognise her shape in the dark of a desert night, but the expression she wore in this picture chilled him to the bone.
She looks as poised and controlling as she did when she turned her back on me for the last time, he thought with a flicker of the falcon in his eyes. There had been little time to think over the past few days, but every second he could spare had overflowed with thoughts of her. Now he had come to a decision, and he was going to stick with it.
Lysander tried to concentrate on the instrument panel before him, not the image of a woman he had last heard telling him to go to hell. Working on automatic, he flicked switches and checked displays, but it was impossible to shut her out of his mind. He closed his hands slowly into fists around the controls. He had been away for too long, fighting through public battles and private negotiations. Now there was only one thing left to sort out. A provocative, priceless woman had trespassed into his private life, and tonight would see the showdown.
He ran a hand through his raven hair once more, and tried to pull his battle-weary uniform into some kind of order. Then he turned his ruthless stare back to the instrument panel. His mouth moved, and he almost smiled again. At last. With one twitch of his hand he set his plane on the path down to find the woman who could change his life for ever.
CHAPTER ONE
A month earlier.
THIS is supposed to be fun, Alyssa reminded herself. It should have been ideal. Everything she loved was all here in one place—solitude, a beautiful setting and time to think. The only downside was the weather. Raindrops were still rustling through the tree canopy after that last shower, but the sky was clearing. This was England in summer, after all. Changeable weather was all part of the fun.
She grimaced. That was the second time she had used the ‘f’ word inside thirty seconds, but it didn’t make her feel any better. If only she could stop remembering … She shuddered.
Rebuilding some sort of existence for herself wasn’t easy. This holiday was supposed to give her space and time to plan her future. Out here in the forest she had the room and the opportunity to think, but all she could do was brood on what had happened, instead of how she might move on.
She hugged her knees, trying to enjoy the feeling of being snug inside the entrance to her tent. It was hopeless. This sabbatical wasn’t working. Listening to the gentle play of water welling up from the spring beside her, she shut her eyes and tried to clear her mind. This spot was a real find. It was miles off the beaten track, in a hidden valley that hadn’t seen the hand of humans for years. There was wildlife, and flowers, and perfect peace—until her phone rang.
‘Hi, it’s only me.’
Alyssa tried her best to raise a smile. Karen, the agency manager, was a good friend, and that wasn’t always a good thing. Today, it was part of the trouble.
‘Look, please don’t take this the wrong way, Karen, but I’d be glad if you could give me a bit of a break. I really don’t need you to keep pushing work in my direction. I’m supposed to be getting away from the whole childcare scene for a bit.’
Looking back, there might have been the briefest of pauses, but Alyssa wasn’t aware of it at the time.
‘Who said this was a job offer?’ her boss began breezily. ‘I’m just ringing up to check that you’re OK. Good grief, you thought I was calling to offer you the job that came in this morning? Believe me, you’ll be glad you’re not available when I tell you about it. They wanted the best, and they’ll need it, but it’s a poisoned chalice.’
Alyssa stiffened. ‘It sounds like trouble.’ Her mouth dried and she couldn’t say any more.
‘No, no. It’s not as though the child is in actual danger …’
But the hint was there. Alyssa felt her blood run cold.
‘So anyway, how do you feel, Alyssa? Any better? What are you up to at the moment?’ Karen said without pausing for breath.
‘That doesn’t matter. I’m more interested in that new job you mentioned. There’s something wrong. I can hear it in your voice.’
‘Rubbish! The new Regent of Rosara wants the best for his nephew. That’s all.’
Alyssa gasped.
‘That’s all?’
Awful headlines had been splashed across every newspaper for days. To read about a child orphaned in a car crash while visiting his family’s holiday home in England was bad enough. When A-list celebrity Lysander Kahani was named as his guardian, the story had stuck in Alyssa’s mind. Glamorous Prince Lysander’s link with the case had instantly snatched all the limelight from the little boy.
‘The prince’s people asked for you by name, Alyssa. You were recommended to them because they want the best, of course.’
‘They’ll need it, with that Casanova turning the poor child’s home into an open house for idiots,’ Alyssa muttered, her head full of all the lurid ‘Playboy Gets Top Job’ stories she had seen.
‘But I’m going to tell them you aren’t available,’ Karen went on airily. ‘Which is probably just as well for all concerned.’
Alyssa definitely didn’t like the way the agency boss said that. ‘Meaning?’
‘Come off it, Lis, would you really want to work in a set-up like that? Everyone knows you’re the best person in the world when it comes to taking care of children, but, let’s face it, would you have been able to fit in with Prince Lysander’s way of life? He’s got such a terrible reputation, I knew you wouldn’t want the job in a million years.’
Alyssa could feel herself being played, and she didn’t like it, but she also couldn’t deny it was working. Maybe this break was doing her some good after all. The only thing she had decided over the past few days was that her life had to change. Could this be where it started?
That child needed a calming influence in his life. Even in the midst of her own misery, Alyssa had never been able to ignore a child in need. Also, she had to admit to a faint flicker of curiosity—the first sign of life she’d felt for ages. What would the palace be like? How could she go about helping the little boy? And after all, she thought, if I say I’m not available, they might go ahead and hire the first hopeless, brainless, wannabe celebrity they come across. Someone only interested in trailing the poor little boy around in Lysander’s wake … That settled it for Alyssa.
‘Have you actually put the royal family off yet, Karen?’
It was difficult to sound offhand when her heart was racing. Keeping quiet had wrecked her life before. And now, telling herself the only thing that mattered was what the child might be going through, she knew she had to have that job. She’d make sure little Ra’id Kahani was safe and properly looked after first, then worry about her own feelings afterwards.
‘Not yet, no. I’m trying to find someone else for them first. Telling them there is no one as good as you is the next thing on my “to do” list.’
‘Then don’t do it.’ Alyssa plunged in before she had time to think about all the drawbacks. ‘You don’t need to ring them. I’ll take the job, Karen,’ she said with the blood pounding in her ears.
There was a considered silence at the other end of the line. Then her boss laughed. ‘But what about the irresistible Prince Lysander? No woman is safe from his charm, apparently!’
‘After what’s happened to me over the past few months, I’m totally immune to men. Don’t say you’ve forgotten one of the things that drove me to take this break from work in the first place.’
Karen hesitated. ‘Of course …’
‘Yes. Him.’
Jerry. Alyssa still couldn’t bring herself to say the name out loud. Thinking about what that rat had done still made her feel ill. This Rosara job would be the perfect way to bury all her horrible memories. It would give her the new start she was craving so badly.
‘So you think you can cope with a dark-eyed, dashing playboy?’ The smile was obvious in Karen’s voice.
‘The only thing I’m interested in is his poor little nephew,’ Alyssa said, and meant it. ‘When can I start?’
‘I’ll tell them you’re on your way.’ Her boss laughed again.
Alyssa’s nerve held right up until she reached the security checkpoint at the entrance to Combe House. She had worked for plenty of rich people in the past and was no stranger to being met by guards inside a home and at its doors, but never at gates so far from the house. It was a new experience for her. But one I shall have to get used to, she thought, driving towards the Kahanis’ mansion along a curving drive that seemed to go on for ever. Starting with a new family always made her nervous, and these surroundings didn’t do anything to make her feel better about the Kahani family. Untamed English woodland pressed in on all sides, while undergrowth spilled out over the gritty approach road. They’re probably nocturnal, she thought grimly. And too busy partying all night to care what the place looks like to daytime visitors.
As she drove on, a huge rambling mansion rose out of the undergrowth ahead of her. Combe House had turrets, weathervanes and flagpoles, all lichenous with age. She could hardly take it all in. It was the most beautiful house she had ever seen, and the setting was lovely despite the weeds.
This whole place is like something out of Sleeping Beauty! she thought.
A little knot of sharp-suited security men stood chatting beside the great entrance doors to the house. When Alyssa rolled down her window to ask where she should park, she got a first taste of working for Lysander Kahani. One man took her car keys to save her the trouble of parking, while a second escorted her into the building. He showed her into a waiting room the size of a ballroom. Much of it was hidden beneath dust sheets while the delicate plaster details of cornices and dados could be restored, but the parts that had been finished were truly beautiful. Alyssa hoped it would take the Combe House staff a long time to find anyone to deal with her. She wanted a chance to look around the room on her own, first.
She didn’t get it. An awful racket bowled through the house towards her. It was a lot of people jabbering among themselves, seasoned with the sound of ringing mobile phones.
The Kahani state circus was coming to town.
Alyssa checked her appearance in the nearest mirror, but she needn’t have bothered. A cavalcade of smartly dressed staff burst into the room where she was waiting, but showed no sign of noticing her. They were only interested in the tall, lean man who strode ahead of them. He had the look of an avenging angel, while they clamoured for his attention like a nest of ravens. Common sense told Alyssa this figure must be Lysander Kahani, but it was hard to recognise him. This man didn’t look much like the amused playboy prince pictured in all the celebrity magazines, and on the front pages of all the newspapers. He looked angry, dark hair tousled untidily over his brow, and he wore a perfectly fitted light grey business suit rather than the tuxedo of his photos. His tie was missing, and his plain white shirt was open at the neck. He certainly wasn’t smiling, and there was a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he saw her watching him. Despite the crowd and noise, Alyssa had never felt so alone and vulnerable.
I thought the royal family were here on holiday, but you’d never know from Prince Lysander’s expression, she thought.
While his rapier gaze was distracted by the arrival of yet another electronic message, she tried to study her new employer. Lysander Kahani was a six-and-a-half-foot scowl, his height impressive and intimidating, but she could only bring herself to look at the lower seventy inches or so. To make up for that, she studied him all the way up from his highly polished, handmade shoes to his dark shaded chin, and then down again. It was scarily enjoyable—so she did it again. On the return journey her eyes made their way right up to his. As she tried her best to look cool and unapproachable she saw the anger leave his face.
As his eyes locked onto hers, he spoke sharply to his crowd of followers. Alyssa didn’t speak his language, but his words had a questioning lilt that was easy enough to understand. He must want to know who she was, and why she was there. His staff all fell silent and turned to stare at her as if she were another exhibit for their madhouse. Alyssa tried to concentrate on the blurry newspaper photos of the poor little boy, Prince Ra’id, who had lost both his parents and must have been shoved aside in favour of this mob. Folding her hands in front of her as a defence, she took a deep breath.
‘I am Alyssa Dene. I’m here by special request of Prince Lysander of Rosara, because I’m to be his nephew’s new nanny.’
The words came out louder and more haughtily than she intended. Before she could apologise, something changed in Lysander Kahani’s expression. It softened, and in the face of his dark amusement Alyssa stopped thinking straight. She couldn’t help it. The sight of his smile sent all the questions she had lined up for her new employer scattering like beads on a tray. It was obvious he knew the effect he was having on her. This was more fun to him than work. His taut frame relaxed. With a few words he sent his horde of advisors scuttling away. Tossing the sheaf of paperwork he was holding onto the nearest table, Lysander followed them to the door and closed it behind them. As he leaned back against it Alyssa came to her senses. She was now totally alone with a notorious man. If that weren’t bad enough, somehow in the past few seconds he had become more attractive than he appeared in all his photographs put together.
She tried to speak, but no sound came out. Lysander Kahani showed every sign of revelling in the situation.
‘That’s more like it!’ he said in beautifully accented English. ‘Now I can hear myself think, and devote my whole attention to you. This job is playing havoc with my lifestyle, I can tell you.’
Alyssa swallowed hard as he prowled towards her. His wicked smile sent tremors straight through her body. It felt incredible, but she couldn’t afford to enjoy it. A man without a fraction of Lysander’s charm had wrecked her life only a few months ago, and she was still trying to recover. Every ounce of her common sense told her this was a dangerous situation and she ought to resist, but Lysander was looking at her as though she were the only woman in the world. The expression in his rich brown, dark-lashed eyes made it difficult not to give in and simply revel in the wonderful feeling of being admired.
‘D-don’t you think you’d better deal with all that paperwork first, Prince Lysander?’ She faltered, looking at the chaos scattered over the nearest table top. She was suddenly desperate for more time to prepare herself for this encounter.
‘No, I don’t,’ he said, strolling over to position himself between her and the table. By leaning back against it he hid the heap of work from her, but she had already stopped looking at it. The fine lines of his suit and the long, strong fingers he curled over the edge of the table top had captured her attention. ‘It’s only parcels of trouble, tied up in red tape. Forget it. I’d much rather talk to you … Alyssa.’
The way he purred her name sent a shiver of anticipation across her sensitised skin. She was already nervous about starting work for such an infamous man, and his flirting set new butterflies dancing inside her tummy. The last thing she needed was this handsome stranger taking over her body by stealth before she was safely hidden away in Combe House’s nursery wing. She had to show she meant business right away.
‘It—it might be important, Your Royal Highness.’
‘You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you?’ His well-shaped mouth twisted with the sulky retort. ‘Maybe if it was about the important things in life I could raise some enthusiasm, but it’s nothing but CRB checks, Health & Safety issues and risk assessments concerning a child I don’t even know. But why are we talking about all that, when we could be talking about you?’
His annoyance over something so close to her heart was the wake-up call Alyssa needed. She stopped melting in the warmth of his gaze and fastened her new employer with a look of her own.
‘Because I am your nephew’s new nanny, and right now that paperwork is the most important thing—in his life.’ You self-centred drone! she added silently to herself.
Prince Lysander Kahani stopped smiling, and she felt a brief spark of satisfaction. That was quickly extinguished as his dark eyes continued to ripple over her like a caress.
‘You sound like a woman who knows what she’s doing and have the added advantage of looking nothing like a headmistress. Goodbye, all my thoughts of a terrifying harridan, and hello to the beautiful vision that is Miss Alyssa Dene!’
With a ridiculously extravagant gesture, he reached out for her hand. Lifting it to his lips, he brushed her fingers with a kiss of long, slow meaning.
‘Please don’t do that, Your Royal Highness,’ Alyssa said sternly, forcing herself to pull her hand out of his grasp, but unable to stop the corners of her mouth curling up at his teasing.
He gave her a mock pained look. ‘Don’t spoil my one moment of hope, Alyssa. You are my only ray of sunshine—the first woman below the rank of minister I’ve been alone with in over three weeks. Look at me!’ He groaned, throwing up his arms in mock despair. ‘I used to have a life. Now I’m a caged tiger, performing for the benefit of others.’
Alyssa was transfixed—a rabbit trapped in the headlights of his charm. Catching herself gazing at him, she shook her head as though waking from a dream. Angry with his effect on her, she gave a dramatic sigh and said:
‘Cursed with a fortune and forced to live in a place like this? Dear, dear—it must be absolute hell for you, Your Royal Highness!’
The moment the words popped out, Alyssa knew she should have kept her mouth shut. Lysander’s eyes hardened to jet. The change in him was like the sun going behind a thundercloud.
Why the hell did I say that? He may be an arrogant so-and-so, but he’s still royalty! What will happen to his poor little nephew if I get sacked before I’ve even met the child?
‘In the past month I’ve lost my brother, my sister-in-law, and my freedom.’ Lysander Kahani’s voice was as cold as the shiver running through Alyssa’s body.
There was nothing for it but to apologise. ‘I know—and I’m sorry, Your Royal Highness, but my first loyalty is to little Ra’id—’ she burst out.
‘I can see that, by the way you didn’t let me finish what I was saying,’ he cut in smoothly. ‘I was going on to tell you that picking up the pieces my brother left behind is a full-time job. It shouldn’t leave me any time for self-pity.’ He gave the tiniest nod of acknowledgement, and the hint of a wry smile.
Alyssa didn’t like the way he interrupted her, but at least he understood why she had spoken out.
‘At least when I take charge of your poor little nephew it will be one weight off your shoulders.’
His gaze had been working its way down her body with slow enjoyment, but her words stopped him. He dragged his attention back to her face. ‘You say that as though you actually give a damn, Miss Alyssa Dene.’
‘That’s because I do. I’m here to make sure your nephew is properly looked after, and gets a sensible upbringing.’
‘And to bring a little light into my life while you do it,’ he said with a widening smile. ‘You can start by dropping the formalities. As we’ll be working so closely together, call me Lysander.’
Alyssa hesitated. This was quite a normal request from an employer, but with a smooth operator like Lysander Kahani it might be an intimacy too far. It broke down a barrier between them, and that couldn’t be a good idea. She already knew it was desperately important to keep this man at arm’s length, so he couldn’t affect her judgement. That had failed her in the past, when it came to adults. The only thing she wanted to rush into now was little Prince Ra’id’s nursery. If she couldn’t trust herself, how could she trust a womaniser like Lysander? Only thoughts of the poor child involved stopped her making some sort of excuse and escaping from Combe House while she still could. Good or bad, this man was her new employer. She had to develop a working relationship with him, and that would involve some give and take.
‘All right, then … Lysander. You can trust me to look after poor Prince Ra’id as if he was my own child,’ she told him.
He raised his dark, finely arched brows. ‘There speaks a woman who’s never met him!’
‘I’m here to care for your poor little nephew, Lysander, not your feelings. So while I’m sorry about your family bereavement and the way you’ve been forced into becoming Prince Regent, you and I have to work together to make the best of it, for little Ra’id’s sake,’ she said firmly, hoping she could be equally determined when it came to resisting Lysander’s charm.
‘Nobody’s ever said anything like that to me before, either.’
The crease between his brows deepened.
Alyssa realised a man would never have risked saying something like that to Prince Lysander Kahani. Only a woman could get away with it. She allowed herself the hint of a smile. Lysander’s interest in her body was turning out to have advantages as well as danger. It could deflect his anger—at least for the moment.
‘Then I hope I can keep your nephew a bit more down to earth.’
Lysander was beginning to have doubts about her. She could see it in his face.
‘I wish you luck,’ he murmured. ‘As Ra’id is my brother’s son, I’ve seen him now and again over the years, but that’s all. What I’ve heard about him from his nursery maids is bad enough. It’ll be a brave woman who refuses that child anything, from the sound of it.’
When she didn’t laugh, he shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets. ‘Well … if you feel confident enough to make a mad claim like that, the least I can do is match it, and raise you. What can I do to help you in your hopeless task, and earn your undying gratitude when I’ve done it?’
She raised her eyebrows, then met his question with one of her own.
‘How do you get on with Ra’id?’
He responded with a quizzical smile. ‘Me? I don’t. My family has used this house in England as a bolt hole for years, so we’ve met up here regularly for holidays, but that doesn’t mean I’ve had anything to do with the child.’
I might have guessed, Alyssa thought. ‘So you’re quite happy to leave that poor mite completely in the hands of strangers?’
His expression hardened. ‘Of course, when they come with qualifications and references like yours. What else would you expect me to do? I don’t know the first thing about children.’
‘Lysander!’ Alyssa chided him, but it was only when she took a step backwards and away from him to underline her disapproval that he looked at all bothered.
Annoyed at her reaction, he moved towards an intercom on the desk. ‘Ra’id has been well looked after by the general nursery staff here since his last nanny left. I think. At least, I assume … No, I’m sure that’s been the case,’ he said through gritted teeth.
Alyssa could tell that not knowing annoyed him. That was a detail she could work with.
‘Well, you’ll be able to judge that side of things for yourself when I’ve called someone to take you to the nursery,’ he went on irritably.
Alyssa had other ideas. ‘I’d rather you took me yourself, Lysander. After all, you did ask how you could help,’ she said, and this time her smile was as winning as any of the looks he kept turning on her.
CHAPTER TWO
THEY were tempting words, but Alyssa’s body language belied her inviting smile, and warned Lysander. He knew she was only trying to use his reputation against him again. Liking her cheek, however, he escorted her to the nursery with the indulgent smile of a man who always got what he wanted. Women generally fell into his arms within seconds, and Alyssa was the first woman in a long while to present him with anything like a challenge. Her beautiful body and long, shapely legs made this new experience very enjoyable. He was confident she would soon be running to him for comfort, and for a prize like that he was willing to be patient. Little Ra’id had sent plenty of distressed nursery maids his way over the past few weeks. Miss Alyssa Dene was different, there was no doubt about that, but Lysander was sure he only had to wait for this latest peach to fall into his lap.
As they walked he sent a series of covert glances in her direction and liked what he saw. She was tall for a woman, so the crown of her head was almost level with his shoulder. Her feminine curves were in perfect proportion, and her blue-eyed beauty was topped by a swirl of shining blonde hair. He knew exactly how that silken waterfall would feel when he released it from her prissy French plait, and looked forward to doing it.
They went straight to the nursery wing’s dining room, drawn by an unholy racket. It was full of people, all talking at once. Lysander introduced Alyssa, then stood back. The crowd fell silent. The staff, like him, were watching to see what Alyssa would do when confronted with five-year-old Ra’id. The child was holding court at the head of his dining table and scowling like a little old man. When Lysander saw the peculiar collection of food on the table, he frowned, too. None of it looked edible—especially the sardines in chocolate sauce and the cupcakes spread with Marmite. He watched Alyssa sum up the situation. Then he leaned in to enjoy the fragrant sensation of whispering into her small, perfectly formed ear.
‘Meet the poor little orphaned mite you’re going to rescue from his wicked, uncaring uncle.’
He expected her to apologise for her starchy attitude towards him, but she didn’t. Instead she hissed, ‘He seems to have recovered from the tragedy well enough to have your staff on the run!’
‘That’s because he was about as close to his parents as I was to mine,’ Lysander flashed back.
She gave him a strange look, then pinned on a smile before speaking out loud to the infant dictator.
‘Good afternoon, Prince Ra’id. It doesn’t look as though traditional Rosarian food meets with your approval, so we’ll get rid of it, and all these people.’
‘But he hasn’t had any food yet!’ A shocked voice burst out from the crowd. ‘And it isn’t traditional—we’ve brought him everything he asked for, but nothing’s been good enough yet.’
‘That’s a shame,’ Alyssa said evenly. ‘But lunchtime should have been over a long time ago.’
‘I’m hungry!’ Ra’id said through clenched teeth.
The huddle of servants held its breath. Lysander carried on lazily watching Alyssa. She took no notice of her little charge. Instead, she started piling up plates with quick, neat movements. After an exchange of glances, the rest of the staff stepped forward to help her. In minutes the table was clear and the room empty apart from Lysander, Alyssa and the little boy.
‘I’m hungry!’ Ra’id repeated, this time with more of a whine.
‘No, you aren’t. If you’d been hungry, you would have eaten the first thing you were served. You’re not to treat your staff like that, Prince Ra’id. They spent a lot of time satisfying your demands, so the least you could have done was try something. As your uncle Lysander has just told you, I’m in charge now. From today, you’ll eat at regular times. Whatever arrives is what you’ll eat, and that’s an end to it. There will be no alternatives.’ She glanced at her watch, then looked at Lysander. ‘Do you eat high tea at Combe House?’
‘For you, Alyssa, anything is possible.’ He chuckled.
‘Then could you order a simple meal of egg on toast for His Majesty, to be served in your dining room in half an hour?’
‘I don’t like egg. What is it?’ the little boy piped up.
‘It’s what you’re having for tea,’ Alyssa said with a determination Lysander wished he could see more often.
Ra’id wasn’t so impressed. ‘No! And I can do what I like, because I’m King.’
Lysander had consoled enough nursery maids to know that was the killer line. It always worked. He glanced at Alyssa with a grin that said I’d like to see you get out of that!
Alyssa didn’t need to answer him. She knelt down beside Ra’id and folded her arms on the ruined surface of his miniature Georgian dining table so that her face was very close to his.
‘Oho—not yet, you aren’t! Listen to me, young man. Your uncle Lysander is going to be in charge of you, and everything else around you, for at least the next four thousand days, so what he says, goes. That’s a long time, so get used to it. And he says you’ll eat the lovely food the staff are kind enough to make for you. If you don’t, you’ll go hungry.’ She looked up at Lysander with battle blazing in her eyes. ‘Right?’
Wide-eyed and speechless, the little boy switched his gaze from Alyssa to Lysander, searching for support.
‘That’s right, isn’t it, Lysander?’ Alyssa repeated, more forcefully this time.
Lysander knew she wanted him to back her up, but he took his time. He was busy with his own thoughts, enjoying the arousal that pulsed through his body as he watched this determined and beautiful woman in action. The sensation was far more enjoyable than talking to her about nursery routine. Miss Alyssa Dene had the sort of nerve he had never encountered before. He already knew she wasn’t going to roll over and submit to him like so many women that had filled his universe until now. He would have to break down her resistance to him inch by inch. It was an idea he found intensely exciting. It would make the moment she finally fell under his spell a real triumph, and a conquest worthy of his maverick skills. He allowed a slow, seductive smile to warm his face. Her need for him was so deeply buried she might not recognise it yet, but she would. Given time. He would make sure of it.
‘Right …’ He teased the word out slowly. ‘So from now on, Ra’id, you’ll do everything Alyssa tells you, OK?’
His answer satisfied her, although she laid down the law to Ra’id for a long time after that. While she rattled on, Lysander lost himself again in more luscious thoughts involving silk sheets, perfumed massage oil and Miss Alyssa Dene’s soft curves. He only realised he should have been listening to her instead when she coughed politely to attract his attention.
‘So, Lysander, Ra’id and I will see you in your dining room in half an hour.’
‘Of course,’ Lysander said suavely, still wondering if she knew what she was letting herself in for. He sent another leisurely glance over her body. The tempting reality of her promised to be even better than his fantasy.
‘Miss Alyssa Dene is the best nanny in the business, Ra’id,’ he told his nephew. ‘And I’m looking forward to discovering what other talents she has, very soon.’ He smiled, tilting his head towards her in a way that never failed to soften women. She stared at him, her cool blue eyes as assured as his own technique.
‘It’s a pity smiling doesn’t seem to be one of them,’ he went on, standing back to give her room to melt over his teasing. It had no effect.
‘Childcare isn’t a laughing matter, Lysander.’
Her wide-set eyes would have been beautiful if they hadn’t been focusing a stare on him that was as hard as sapphires.
The last few weeks had stretched Lysander’s patience so thin, it was practically transparent. He heard himself snap, like an elastic band that had been stretched too far.
‘Then that’s a shame. You’ll need a sense of humour if you’re going to work here.’
He regretted it instantly. Unleashing his bitterness wasn’t the way to win over rebellious women. Stepping in close to her again, he softened his retort by patting her gently on the back. ‘If only to put up with my short temper. So if you wouldn’t mind giving me a few moments of your time outside so we can discuss it, Nanny—?’
His hand slid sensuously over her ribcage on its way to become a support under her elbow.
‘My name is Alyssa!’
She jerked away from him so savagely, Ra’id gave a little cry of alarm. Instantly, she swooped down to comfort the little boy. Any angry remarks Lysander might have made at her overreaction died on his lips when he saw the way she reassured his nephew—that, and the way her shirt gaped a little as she bent forward. It gave him an illicit glimpse of her lacy bra as it cupped the creamy swell of her breasts. The view was so delicious, he forgave her everything.
It made him look forward to seeing a whole lot more of her, very soon.
Alyssa used a combination of psychology and her own novelty value to make tea a triumph. Comfort eating over the past few months had made her staid navy-blue nanny’s uniform a bit snug. This worked wonders on Lysander. She had his full attention, although it did tend to gravitate towards her breasts. To get him back on track she told him his good manners and charm would soon rub off on his nephew. Ra’id turned out to have a big appetite, and he was so astonished that anyone would stand up to him, he was easy to manage. Food was the perfect bribe. All Alyssa had to do was to make sure he got a healthy diet, and by keeping Lysander on side she would have all the backup she needed.
She was still smiling hours later as she left Ra’id’s bedroom that evening. She closed the door so quietly, it didn’t make a sound. She could have laughed with relief at the end of such an exhausting, perfect day, but didn’t want to wake her little charge. These first few hours in her new job had achieved what her holiday had failed to do—distracted her from the past and helped her to move into the future. It turned out she’d needed a new challenge, and she was relishing it. Ra’id was a real handful, but that was because no one had cared enough to teach him how to behave properly—until now. He was quick, clever, and underneath he had the makings of a dear little chap. Now she could relax for a few hours, and thank her lucky stars that she had gone with her instincts rather than her emotions. She had taken this position to save Ra’id from falling into the hands of some wage slave who was only interested in what the job prospects were. Now she was looking after him, everything would be fine. The only fly in the ointment was her unprecedented response to Lysander, but what with her past and his present she’d certainly never be silly enough to give into him—however wickedly tempting his smile might be … As she entered the suite’s sitting room she jumped violently when she saw that the object of her thoughts had made himself at home on one of the nursery’s low couches, his long legs stretched out beneath a table. A tray set for two with fine china and a steaming cafetiere waited in front of him, untouched. A dozen down-lighters around the walls gave the room a soft golden glow.
‘Thank you, Lysander.’ Alyssa kept her voice cool and professional, desperate not to show him how much his presence unsettled her. She preferred speaking to children rather than adults, but talking with Lysander was all too easy. She tried to concentrate on tidying the room, hoping her busyness would hide her nerves. ‘When you told me you never normally had anything to do with Ra’id, I thought it meant you didn’t have any interest in him. It was good of you to sit with us while he had tea in the main dining room. The different surroundings made him a bit uncertain, and that really helped him behave. Eating with you and other adults instead of being waited on alone will really help his manners. You’ll be a great example for him to follow. Is there any chance you could make afternoon tea with him a regular thing?’
‘It’ll be my pleasure, as long as you promise to always be there, too,’ Lysander purred.
The room’s low light gave his aristocratic features a shadowy mystery—but there was no mistaking the meaning in his eyes. During the meal they had all taken together Alyssa had been focused on Ra’id, but that couldn’t stop her feeling the warmth of Lysander’s interest. Alone with him now, she felt coils of attraction snake through her body. Tearing herself away from his gaze, she moved methodically around the room, picking up scattered toys and plumping cushions.
‘You must have given your army of attendants the slip,’ she said without looking at him.
‘I told them to leave me, yes,’ he said in a light, conversational way.
Remember, men like him gain your confidence, then abandon you when you’re at your most vulnerable. That’s how it works, Alyssa told herself firmly.
When the room was as neat as it was going to get, she couldn’t think of anything else to do to avoid his eyes except pouring the coffee. Trying not to let her nervousness show, she approached the table from the opposite side to where he sat. As she reached for the handle of the cafetiere his hand closed in on hers and he lifted it out of her grasp.
‘That’s OK. I’ll pour the coffee. You should sit down and relax, Alyssa. It’s been a busy day for you. And for me, too. You’ve given me plenty to think about.’
Until that moment Alyssa had been careful to keep her eyes on the tray, but that made her look up and question him. He was watching her with the exotic look of a well fed panther.
It’s bound to be some sort of line, but there’s nothing to worry about as long as I keep that thought in mind, she told herself.
‘What do you mean?’
‘The way you improved Ra’id’s behaviour right from the start, by laying down strict boundaries for him. That impressed me. I went back to my staff and put some ground rules of my own in place, to make my life more structured. My nicely pampered, trouble-free life, as you were quick to point out,’ he drawled, smiling at her in a way calculated to melt the stoniest heart.
Alyssa tried to resist, but the crafty way he recalled their first meeting started every muscle in her face working as she tried to avoid returning his smile.
‘I’d hate to be followed around by all those people the whole time.’
‘I do. But that’s the way my brother worked, and having all those staff hounding me from day one hadn’t given me enough time to devise a better system. I think better when I’m on my own. Clearing my mind by sending them all away for a while gave me the chance to work out a sensible routine for myself. And all it took was the sight of you, taking control.’ He lifted one of the little black and gold cups of coffee towards her. ‘Cream and sugar?’
‘Cream, please. That’s all.’ She felt suddenly shy, rather than scared of him.
‘I prefer cappuccino myself.’
‘Oh, so do I!’ They both looked surprised at her quick reply, and then smiled.
‘You and I will have to indulge ourselves one day,’ Lysander said. ‘My late brother thought frothy coffee was undignified, and out of keeping with high office.’ His smile had been getting wider by the second and Alyssa couldn’t resist its power any longer. She could feel her own face relaxing, too.
‘Thoughts like that don’t stop you?’
‘Nothing stops me.’ His voice was warm.
Alyssa didn’t doubt it. She leaned back in her seat, trying to make the point that she didn’t intend starting anything.
‘This is very good coffee. Your brother may have had a point. I’ve heard he was very respectable. When you can drink coffee that tastes like this, why risk pushing any boundaries?’ she said, making it clear she didn’t only mean coffee.
Lysander wasn’t about to be put off so easily. ‘Akil didn’t start laying down the law until he was unlucky in love and then bang! He reverted to the family type where many things were concerned. For one thing, when it came to women he decided they should be seen and not heard—and preferably not seen either.’ He gave her another smile. ‘I get the feeling you’d be happy to keep this nursery wing as your own private space. I suspect he would have approved of you.’
‘All I’m interested in is giving his son a good start in life.’ Glowing with quiet pride, Alyssa took another sip of her coffee. ‘It’s the early days yet, but I think I’m going to like it here. I already love working with Ra’id so much, I’ll be quite happy to fit in with whatever you want, Lysander.’
The moment the words left her lips Alyssa went hot all over. It was exactly the wrong thing to say to a dangerously tempting man like this.
‘That’s what I like to hear.’ He laughed.
‘Just remember, I’m not here for your benefit!’
Lysander was so taken aback by her sharp retort, Alyssa had time to organise her thoughts before carrying on.
‘My interest is in children, and making sure they’re properly looked after. From what I understand, Ra’id has suffered all his life from a high turnover among his carers, so I intend sticking with this job for as long as I’m needed. That’s needed, and not wanted, Lysander,’ she said with chilling emphasis, letting him know that she assumed infidelity ran through his veins. ‘I’m not going to let anything affect the way I care for Ra’id. That’s why I want to get one thing clear from the start. There have to be ground rules for us as well as him.’
He slipped her a sidelong glance. Alyssa’s heartbeat accelerated, but she tried to ignore her pounding pulse.
‘I mean it.’
‘That’s a shame, but I suppose I should have guessed.’ He sighed, then took a long drink of coffee. ‘I’ve seen for myself how seriously you take your work. Does this mean you think sex isn’t a laughing matter, either?’
Alyssa swallowed, knowing she had to dodge his question. Every time she looked at Lysander she noticed some new detail about him. The slight natural curl in his dark hair, or the muscles that were hardly concealed by the fine fabric of his crisp white shirt.
‘It really doesn’t matter what I think about anything, except my job,’ she said, with a determination to ignore his smile. ‘I’m employed to care for Ra’id. You’ve got your work cut out caring for his country, Lysander. We both want the same thing.’ She felt embarrassed about exactly how true that was, and knew she was colouring up again. It was a good job the background lighting was so soft. It hid her embarrassment as well as her feelings. ‘And that’s the best thing for Ra’id. It means you and I have to work together as a team, and I mean work.’ She emphasised the last word carefully.
‘And I have no doubt at all that we will,’ he drawled, making Alyssa wonder what he thought of as work. ‘That’s why I’m going to study your methods as closely as I can. The job of Regent of Rosara couldn’t be more different from the life I’ve lived until now. With Ra’id years away from becoming King, and despite my brother’s best attempts at marrying me off, I’m still his only living relative. That means our country’s succession is in a precarious state. I have to make sure nothing happens to Ra’id, while running Rosara at the same time, and I intend to succeed at both jobs.’
Alyssa saw he was deadly serious, and knew she had underestimated him. ‘That’s a real challenge.’
‘I know, but I specialise in those.’
She had been thinking so hard about how a playboy was going to juggle two jobs like that, she didn’t realise he had been leaning steadily closer and closer to her. When he laid a hand on her arm, she jumped.
‘That’s why I need your help, Alyssa.’
She pulled her arm away smartly. ‘If there’s anything I can do to help Ra’id, I will. But that’s all, Lysander.’
‘Of course. You’ve made your point, so I’ll make mine. I prefer partnerships of pleasure.’ Despite her obvious anger, he didn’t sound at all apologetic.
‘I suppose by that you mean little and often,’ Alyssa snapped.
The smile returned to his beautiful mouth. ‘I’ve never had any complaints.’
‘Until you met me, and I’m out of bounds,’ she told him meaningfully. ‘As long as you remember that, Lysander, you can keep your record with women—which I’m sure must be one hundred per cent perfect.’
‘Oh, don’t worry. One little setback in a lifetime wouldn’t bother me. A single rejection among thousands of triumphs would only amount to a fraction of a percentage point,’ he said with a careless smile.
‘Ah, but if you don’t try, you’ll make sure you never fail—’
Alyssa had never known a man with such easy, natural charm. Those flashing eyes and that devilish smile made him almost impossible to resist, but then she remembered something. His one and only weakness would always be her greatest strength.
‘And if you ever force me to give you a black eye, Lysander, it would make other girls think twice about tangling with you, until your bruises have faded.’
He stopped smiling. His eyes narrowed. He pursed his lips, thinking.
‘I’m a fast healer, but … point taken.’
Alyssa wasn’t going to take any chances. ‘I’m serious, Lysander.’
He took another long, slow sip of coffee but his eyes didn’t once leave her face. ‘I’m sure you are.’
‘I’m here to work, so I don’t have time for distractions. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do my very best for your little prince. I once let a child down …’ She paused, not wanting to complete the story. ‘From that moment on, my job became the most important thing in my life. Do you understand?’
Lysander leaned back, resting one arm along the back of the couch. His eyes were dark and inscrutable. ‘Ah … yes, I remember somebody bringing that to my attention when they were checking your references. It was truly a tragedy that that little boy died because nobody took any notice when you told them how sick he was. That was unforgivable.’
Alyssa’s heart began to beat very quickly, and not only because of the way he was studying her. Talking to Jerry about the tragedy of little Georgie had been hard enough. Discussing it with a stranger would be impossible.
‘Yes, it was. Which is why I’d rather you changed the subject,’ she said abruptly, her breathing shallow.
Lysander’s expression altered. The intensity of his gaze made her blush.
I was never this forceful until—she thought, and felt the sharp pain of sadness in her throat. Oh, no. Why must that come back to haunt me, right now? The events of a few months ago had snowballed until they threatened to suck all the life out of her. This job was her chance of a fresh start. She couldn’t afford to weaken.
Lysander was so self-confident. Alyssa wished she had his sort of nerve, but she was at least determined not to let him see her eyes fill with tears. She looked away quickly, but for the first time since she had lost Georgie she found that her tears were easily blinked away. Painfully, she wondered if this was the start of her recovery.
‘Of course. It’s no wonder you mistrust people after that.’ Lysander’s voice was as slow and calculated as his smile. ‘Is there anything I can do to persuade you we aren’t all bad?’
He had picked up on her suspicions about him, so there was no point in denying them. It wasn’t good for her new employer to feel he was under surveillance, but that wasn’t Alyssa’s only worry. If a gorgeous man like this could see how troubled she was, her life really had gone too far in the wrong direction. She had to do something, fast, but what? Maybe she could do with talking about what had happened rather than bottling everything up … but this handsome, piratical prince looked more trouble than he was worth. Wanting to talk was one thing. Trusting him was something else. Finishing her coffee, she put her cup and saucer back on the tray and stood up.
‘Well, thank you for the drink, but unless you have some aspect of Ra’id’s care you’d like to discuss I think you’d better go, Lysander. I’ve got a lot to do.’ She took a last look around the sitting room, then started off towards the door she assumed must lead to her own suite. ‘The chap who parked my car earlier said he’d bring my luggage up but I got so involved with Ra’id, I haven’t even had a chance to find where I’m sleeping.’
‘The nanny’s rooms are through there.’ He pointed to the door. ‘But that way is kept locked all the time, to stop Ra’id disturbing her during the night. You’ll have to go out into the corridor and use the main door, at the top of the stairs.’
Alyssa flashed a dangerous look at him. ‘And how would you know that, if you’ve never had anything to do with Ra’id before?’
Lysander smiled at her knowingly. ‘Let’s call it a lucky guess, shall we?’
‘Well, the minute I find the key I’m going to unlock that door, and leave it open. That’s how it’s going to stay. I can assure you I’ll never have any reason to stop Ra’id coming into my rooms to see me.’
‘Really?’ He gave her a mocking look of disbelief.
‘Really.’
Her reply led him to give a casual shrug. ‘Then it must be time for me to take you to your lonely suite.’
Alyssa raised her eyebrows.
‘To the door and no further,’ he assured her, offering his arm.
She hesitated. All day she had fought against falling under his spell. She had managed it so far. Surely she could reward herself with this one, brief point of contact? The fear that Lysander would misunderstand and assume it was the start of something warred with the excitement of being escorted by such a gorgeous, polite man. She already knew he was too much temptation, but had to find out if he was enough of a gentleman.
‘Thanks, but I want you to know I’m giving you the benefit of some very big doubts, Lysander,’ she told him, slipping her hand into the crook of his arm.
It was just as well she answered before the sensation of his warm, vital body rose through the thin fabric of his jacket. The feel of it shook Alyssa to the core. She wanted to go on standing there in the middle of the room, enjoying the casual intimacy with this dark stranger. Lysander had other ideas. At the very moment she was most vulnerable, he ignored his advantage and started off towards the door.
‘Would it help to put your mind at rest about me if we talked about work?’ he asked her.
‘That depends,’ Alyssa said warily. ‘Whose work did you want to discuss? Yours or mine?’
‘Yours, of course. Now I’ve discovered little Ra’id isn’t the creature from hell that everyone warned me about, I think I will want to take a more active role in his upbringing.’
Alyssa considered his words carefully. Ra’id was so full of himself, he wouldn’t be helped by a fickle uncle who would be distracted by every woman who lured him away. On the other hand, whatever his motives, she didn’t want to put Lysander off getting closer to Ra’id. In her bitter experience, it was better to have an adult getting in her way than taking no interest, and ignoring her professional advice.
‘You’ve already told me that Ra’id didn’t have a very close relationship with his parents. What he needs is some stability and routine in his life, not to mention some love and affection from a parent figure. If you could offer him that, it would be great. I’d love to have your help,’ she continued cautiously, ‘although I wouldn’t want you to overcommit yourself. Why don’t you try to make tea time with Ra’id a daily appointment to begin with, and see how you manage with that? Making some time available regularly in your schedule is much better than overwhelming him with attention to begin with, and then leaving him high and dry when something comes up to divert your attention.’
‘I agree. I can’t abide people who promise everything and then don’t deliver.’
Alyssa looked at him quickly. ‘That sounded heartfelt!’
‘I’ve got good reason,’ he told her, but didn’t say anything else until they reached a door at the point where the nursery wing joined the main house.
‘Here it is—the main entrance to your suite. To the door and no further, as promised.’
‘Thank you—and I didn’t promise anything at all, so that means you won’t be disappointed when I say goodbye and let you go,’ Alyssa said firmly, taking her hand from his arm. Going inside her suite, she turned around quickly to block the doorway in case he tried to follow her.
‘I was thinking about someone else who didn’t keep their word—to me.’ His voice was slow and thoughtful. ‘I find this hard to say but the fact is I need you, Alyssa.’
Alarmed, she took another step backwards into her rooms and tried to close the door on him. Lysander was too quick for her, and grabbed the edge of the door. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you, Alyssa. For once, I wasn’t flirting. I meant that I need you professionally, because I don’t know the first thing about children.’
He sounded so genuinely pained, she laughed. ‘You were one yourself once, don’t forget!’
‘I know and I remember all too well what I had to go through. I admit, I’d rather leave all the caring to experts like you, and just be there for the fun stuff,’ he said with real feeling.
Alyssa was moved. Without realising what she was doing, she reached out and patted him on the arm.
‘That’s better than nothing, and right now might be exactly what Ra’id needs his uncle for. It’ll be great.’
‘With you in charge, I’m sure it will be perfect.’ His voice was a low murmur, full of possibilities. Alyssa tensed, but his hand slid from the door straight into his pocket.
For two heartbeats she thought about simply closing the door on him, but she couldn’t do it. Lysander didn’t move a muscle. His stillness was as arousing as the look in his darkly mysterious eyes. She knew exactly what was going to happen, but could not stop herself waiting for it.
Slowly, silently, Lysander reached out to her. She was unresisting, so he drew her into his arms for a kiss that made her forget everything—until she remembered that she was in the grip of a serial womaniser. With a heart-rending effort she forced herself out of his grasp.
‘Lysander! You promised you were going to take me to my door and no further!’
He pointed towards the floor. Without knowing what she was doing, Alyssa had stepped over the threshold. She was now out in the hall again.
Lysander was already coolly backing away from her. ‘I was as good as my word. That is exactly what I did. No more—but no less, either.’
With that, he blew her a kiss, turned and sauntered off.
Alyssa was rooted to the spot. She watched him go, her fingertips resting on her lips as she tried to recapture the pressure of his mouth against hers. When he reached the top of the stairs, he stopped and glanced back. His smile told her everything she didn’t want to know. It took her right back to those few delicious seconds she had spent in his arms. She responded with a sudden rush of sensual warmth. Her body would have done anything to experience his strength surrounding her again.
But her heart was too afraid …
CHAPTER THREE
EARLY next morning, Lysander appeared in the nursery doorway. His unexpected arrival threw Alyssa into a panic, but she was careful not to show it. She was briefing her members of staff when she saw him, and didn’t want to betray her feelings in front of them. Luckily, this wasn’t a social call. He stayed brisk and businesslike as he informed them he was arranging for the royal household to fly back to Rosara in a few days’ time.
‘Once we get there, instead of Ra’id taking tea in my suite I thought we could take him out for a picnic every afternoon, Alyssa,’ he told her.
She nodded, glad he was keeping things light and impersonal. ‘If the weather’s good, it’ll be a great idea.’
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Christina Hollis
Now duty is his only mistress For notorious playboy Prince Lysander Kahani, playtime is over… Left with a country to run, he draws the line at playing nanny to his orphaned nephew! Instead he sends for a professional. But one glance at buttoned-up Alyssa Dene and Lysander’s wicked side re-emerges!Wary of his scandalous reputation, Alyssa tries to keep her distance – but Lysander draws her like a moth to a flame. Lysander is fighting a battle between public duty and private desire, but he is determined to make Alyssa a royal offer she won’t refuse…
She looks as poised and controlling as she did when she turned her back on me for the last time,he thought, with a flicker of the falcon in his eyes. There had been little time to think over the past few days, but every second he’d been able to spare had overflowed with thoughts of her. Now he had come to a decision.
It was impossible to shut her out of his mind. He closed his hands slowly into fists. He had been away for too long, fighting through public battles and private negotiations. Now there was only one thing left to sort out. A provocative, priceless woman had trespassed into his private life, and tonight would see the showdown.
He ran a hand through his raven hair once more, and tried to pull his battle-weary uniform into some kind of order. Then he turned his ruthless stare back to the instrument panel. His mouth moved, and he almost smiled. At last. With one twitch of his hand he set his plane on the path down, to find the woman who could change his life for ever.
About the Author
CHRISTINA HOLLIS was born in Somerset, and now lives in the idyllic Wye valley. She was born reading, and her childhood dream was to become a writer. This was realised when she became a successful journalist and lecturer in organic horticulture. Then she gave it all up to become a full-time mother of two and run half an acre of productive country garden.
Writing Mills & Boon
romances is another ambition realised. It fills most of her time, in between complicated rural school runs. The rest of her life is divided among garden and kitchen, either growing fruit and vegetables or cooking with them. Her daughter’s cat always closely supervises everything she does around the home, from typing to picking strawberries!
You can learn more about Christina and her writing at www.christinahollis.com
Recent titles by the same author:
THE COUNT OF CASTELFINO
THE TUSCAN TYCOON’S PREGNANT HOUSEKEEPER
THE RUTHLESS ITALIAN’S INEXPERIENCED WIFE
HER RUTHLESS ITALIAN BOSS
Weight of the Crown
Christina Hollis
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To Martyn, who makes all things possible.
PROLOGUE
LYSANDER was flying. Far below, the glitter of city lights was a diamond necklace drawn back into the velvet case of night. His lips parted in a wicked smile. He had made it to the top, and he was coming back to a hero’s welcome. Nothing could stop him now, no matter how exhausted he was. His uniform was open at the neck, the sleeves turned back anyhow and he needed a shave. He dug the fingers of one hand through his tousled hair, trying to stop exhaustion shadowing his eyes. To him, tonight, sleep felt like a waste of time. He had too many things to do, and they all involved a certain person he hadn’t seen for six days, four hours, eighteen minutes and counting …
Alyssa …
Her name moved around inside his mind like polished stones as he cruised over the sleeping English countryside. Several times his hand went towards his breast pocket as though to pull something out. Each time, he hesitated. His memory was enough. That snapshot couldn’t affect him any more.
The intercom buzzed.
‘You are cleared to land, Your Royal Highness!’ a respectful voice informed him.
‘That’s OK.’
Lysander smiled. For the first time in his life, he felt comfortable with the title. Now he was flying through the night to reclaim what was his. This was what he was born to do. He had it all, and it felt good.
But the feeling didn’t last.
His knuckles whitened as he gripped the controls of his private jet, anticipating trouble. It was a mistake to assume anything when it came to Alyssa. He didn’t have everything he desired. Not yet.
That thought made him uneasy. Dragging at his cuff, he checked the watch on his smooth golden wrist. Timing this next move was crucial. He dug his teeth into his lower lip. The cause of all his sleepless nights would be in Ra’id’s bedroom right now. Her changeless evening routine would be almost over. Everything would be peaceful, calm and predictable—until he dropped in.
Within seconds her neatly starched, ordered calm would be transformed into noisy chaos.
Lysander laughed. Adrenaline powered through his body, preparing him. The sort of happy homecoming he had dreamed about since he was a child was nearly within his grasp—but it wasn’t guaranteed, not by any stretch of the imagination. He still had work to do. Alyssa Dene wasn’t his—not yet. Lysander was a winner in his own country, but he had a different struggle in mind now. He was shaping up to confront Alyssa with what he had just done.
Lysander’s mouth twitched as he considered the problem. This was going to be his hardest battle. He had already seen two tragedies in his thirty-two years, but there was not going to be a third. He was sure of that. So far things were going completely according to plan—his plan. But for how much longer?
His hand strayed towards his pocket again. With a sharp shake of his head, he slapped his fingers back to the controls. He was returning in triumph, secure in his position as leader of his country. He didn’t want to spoil that. So the photograph stayed in his pocket, lodged like a cherry stone. He knew exactly how Miss Alyssa Dene would look right now, moving around the warm, welcoming rooms she had made her own. That was how he wanted to remember her right up to the end, whatever that might be.
His brow contracted. For the first time in his life, there was a slight chance things might not go entirely his way, but Lysander was determined. Thoughts of what he had done in the past, and how she had reacted to it, had tortured him for long enough. He was coming back to offer her the chance of a lifetime, whether she wanted it or not.
He felt his dark, strong features work with emotion, and resented it. That happened each time he remembered the angry words he had thrown at her on the night he left to secure the throne of Rosara.
I’ve got nothing to prove! You’re the one whose future is on the line … Lysander clenched his teeth until they ached. Snatching the damned photograph from his breast pocket, he slapped it down in front of him. As it came to rest on the instrument panel flesh and blood threatened to overwhelm him. All his best intentions crumbled to dust. When he looked at that picture, time stood still.
Suddenly it was summer in his heart again; his body and soul busy with thoughts of the woman whose presence could arouse him with desert-scorching fire. But then he had been forced to make a choice between his country, and her. She had turned her back on him, and the reason why would never go away. In the eyes of other people, Lysander was the world’s most successful man. That was true—up until now. He had won the hearts of his people, but the only battle he truly cared about hadn’t started yet. He exhaled heavily, trying to focus on the stellar image lying on the bulkhead before him. It was no good. He couldn’t quite look her in the eyes.
Alyssa … He savoured her name as well as the sight of her tempting, toned body. The silky feel of her soft blonde hair between his fingers was such a distant dream, but this photograph brought it all back. That swimsuit was supposed to be discreet, but its sleek green gloss showed off her full breasts as provocatively as it sculpted her neat waist and warmly rounded hips.
Lysander drew in a slow, ragged breath. His hands could recognise her shape in the dark of a desert night, but the expression she wore in this picture chilled him to the bone.
She looks as poised and controlling as she did when she turned her back on me for the last time, he thought with a flicker of the falcon in his eyes. There had been little time to think over the past few days, but every second he could spare had overflowed with thoughts of her. Now he had come to a decision, and he was going to stick with it.
Lysander tried to concentrate on the instrument panel before him, not the image of a woman he had last heard telling him to go to hell. Working on automatic, he flicked switches and checked displays, but it was impossible to shut her out of his mind. He closed his hands slowly into fists around the controls. He had been away for too long, fighting through public battles and private negotiations. Now there was only one thing left to sort out. A provocative, priceless woman had trespassed into his private life, and tonight would see the showdown.
He ran a hand through his raven hair once more, and tried to pull his battle-weary uniform into some kind of order. Then he turned his ruthless stare back to the instrument panel. His mouth moved, and he almost smiled again. At last. With one twitch of his hand he set his plane on the path down to find the woman who could change his life for ever.
CHAPTER ONE
A month earlier.
THIS is supposed to be fun, Alyssa reminded herself. It should have been ideal. Everything she loved was all here in one place—solitude, a beautiful setting and time to think. The only downside was the weather. Raindrops were still rustling through the tree canopy after that last shower, but the sky was clearing. This was England in summer, after all. Changeable weather was all part of the fun.
She grimaced. That was the second time she had used the ‘f’ word inside thirty seconds, but it didn’t make her feel any better. If only she could stop remembering … She shuddered.
Rebuilding some sort of existence for herself wasn’t easy. This holiday was supposed to give her space and time to plan her future. Out here in the forest she had the room and the opportunity to think, but all she could do was brood on what had happened, instead of how she might move on.
She hugged her knees, trying to enjoy the feeling of being snug inside the entrance to her tent. It was hopeless. This sabbatical wasn’t working. Listening to the gentle play of water welling up from the spring beside her, she shut her eyes and tried to clear her mind. This spot was a real find. It was miles off the beaten track, in a hidden valley that hadn’t seen the hand of humans for years. There was wildlife, and flowers, and perfect peace—until her phone rang.
‘Hi, it’s only me.’
Alyssa tried her best to raise a smile. Karen, the agency manager, was a good friend, and that wasn’t always a good thing. Today, it was part of the trouble.
‘Look, please don’t take this the wrong way, Karen, but I’d be glad if you could give me a bit of a break. I really don’t need you to keep pushing work in my direction. I’m supposed to be getting away from the whole childcare scene for a bit.’
Looking back, there might have been the briefest of pauses, but Alyssa wasn’t aware of it at the time.
‘Who said this was a job offer?’ her boss began breezily. ‘I’m just ringing up to check that you’re OK. Good grief, you thought I was calling to offer you the job that came in this morning? Believe me, you’ll be glad you’re not available when I tell you about it. They wanted the best, and they’ll need it, but it’s a poisoned chalice.’
Alyssa stiffened. ‘It sounds like trouble.’ Her mouth dried and she couldn’t say any more.
‘No, no. It’s not as though the child is in actual danger …’
But the hint was there. Alyssa felt her blood run cold.
‘So anyway, how do you feel, Alyssa? Any better? What are you up to at the moment?’ Karen said without pausing for breath.
‘That doesn’t matter. I’m more interested in that new job you mentioned. There’s something wrong. I can hear it in your voice.’
‘Rubbish! The new Regent of Rosara wants the best for his nephew. That’s all.’
Alyssa gasped.
‘That’s all?’
Awful headlines had been splashed across every newspaper for days. To read about a child orphaned in a car crash while visiting his family’s holiday home in England was bad enough. When A-list celebrity Lysander Kahani was named as his guardian, the story had stuck in Alyssa’s mind. Glamorous Prince Lysander’s link with the case had instantly snatched all the limelight from the little boy.
‘The prince’s people asked for you by name, Alyssa. You were recommended to them because they want the best, of course.’
‘They’ll need it, with that Casanova turning the poor child’s home into an open house for idiots,’ Alyssa muttered, her head full of all the lurid ‘Playboy Gets Top Job’ stories she had seen.
‘But I’m going to tell them you aren’t available,’ Karen went on airily. ‘Which is probably just as well for all concerned.’
Alyssa definitely didn’t like the way the agency boss said that. ‘Meaning?’
‘Come off it, Lis, would you really want to work in a set-up like that? Everyone knows you’re the best person in the world when it comes to taking care of children, but, let’s face it, would you have been able to fit in with Prince Lysander’s way of life? He’s got such a terrible reputation, I knew you wouldn’t want the job in a million years.’
Alyssa could feel herself being played, and she didn’t like it, but she also couldn’t deny it was working. Maybe this break was doing her some good after all. The only thing she had decided over the past few days was that her life had to change. Could this be where it started?
That child needed a calming influence in his life. Even in the midst of her own misery, Alyssa had never been able to ignore a child in need. Also, she had to admit to a faint flicker of curiosity—the first sign of life she’d felt for ages. What would the palace be like? How could she go about helping the little boy? And after all, she thought, if I say I’m not available, they might go ahead and hire the first hopeless, brainless, wannabe celebrity they come across. Someone only interested in trailing the poor little boy around in Lysander’s wake … That settled it for Alyssa.
‘Have you actually put the royal family off yet, Karen?’
It was difficult to sound offhand when her heart was racing. Keeping quiet had wrecked her life before. And now, telling herself the only thing that mattered was what the child might be going through, she knew she had to have that job. She’d make sure little Ra’id Kahani was safe and properly looked after first, then worry about her own feelings afterwards.
‘Not yet, no. I’m trying to find someone else for them first. Telling them there is no one as good as you is the next thing on my “to do” list.’
‘Then don’t do it.’ Alyssa plunged in before she had time to think about all the drawbacks. ‘You don’t need to ring them. I’ll take the job, Karen,’ she said with the blood pounding in her ears.
There was a considered silence at the other end of the line. Then her boss laughed. ‘But what about the irresistible Prince Lysander? No woman is safe from his charm, apparently!’
‘After what’s happened to me over the past few months, I’m totally immune to men. Don’t say you’ve forgotten one of the things that drove me to take this break from work in the first place.’
Karen hesitated. ‘Of course …’
‘Yes. Him.’
Jerry. Alyssa still couldn’t bring herself to say the name out loud. Thinking about what that rat had done still made her feel ill. This Rosara job would be the perfect way to bury all her horrible memories. It would give her the new start she was craving so badly.
‘So you think you can cope with a dark-eyed, dashing playboy?’ The smile was obvious in Karen’s voice.
‘The only thing I’m interested in is his poor little nephew,’ Alyssa said, and meant it. ‘When can I start?’
‘I’ll tell them you’re on your way.’ Her boss laughed again.
Alyssa’s nerve held right up until she reached the security checkpoint at the entrance to Combe House. She had worked for plenty of rich people in the past and was no stranger to being met by guards inside a home and at its doors, but never at gates so far from the house. It was a new experience for her. But one I shall have to get used to, she thought, driving towards the Kahanis’ mansion along a curving drive that seemed to go on for ever. Starting with a new family always made her nervous, and these surroundings didn’t do anything to make her feel better about the Kahani family. Untamed English woodland pressed in on all sides, while undergrowth spilled out over the gritty approach road. They’re probably nocturnal, she thought grimly. And too busy partying all night to care what the place looks like to daytime visitors.
As she drove on, a huge rambling mansion rose out of the undergrowth ahead of her. Combe House had turrets, weathervanes and flagpoles, all lichenous with age. She could hardly take it all in. It was the most beautiful house she had ever seen, and the setting was lovely despite the weeds.
This whole place is like something out of Sleeping Beauty! she thought.
A little knot of sharp-suited security men stood chatting beside the great entrance doors to the house. When Alyssa rolled down her window to ask where she should park, she got a first taste of working for Lysander Kahani. One man took her car keys to save her the trouble of parking, while a second escorted her into the building. He showed her into a waiting room the size of a ballroom. Much of it was hidden beneath dust sheets while the delicate plaster details of cornices and dados could be restored, but the parts that had been finished were truly beautiful. Alyssa hoped it would take the Combe House staff a long time to find anyone to deal with her. She wanted a chance to look around the room on her own, first.
She didn’t get it. An awful racket bowled through the house towards her. It was a lot of people jabbering among themselves, seasoned with the sound of ringing mobile phones.
The Kahani state circus was coming to town.
Alyssa checked her appearance in the nearest mirror, but she needn’t have bothered. A cavalcade of smartly dressed staff burst into the room where she was waiting, but showed no sign of noticing her. They were only interested in the tall, lean man who strode ahead of them. He had the look of an avenging angel, while they clamoured for his attention like a nest of ravens. Common sense told Alyssa this figure must be Lysander Kahani, but it was hard to recognise him. This man didn’t look much like the amused playboy prince pictured in all the celebrity magazines, and on the front pages of all the newspapers. He looked angry, dark hair tousled untidily over his brow, and he wore a perfectly fitted light grey business suit rather than the tuxedo of his photos. His tie was missing, and his plain white shirt was open at the neck. He certainly wasn’t smiling, and there was a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he saw her watching him. Despite the crowd and noise, Alyssa had never felt so alone and vulnerable.
I thought the royal family were here on holiday, but you’d never know from Prince Lysander’s expression, she thought.
While his rapier gaze was distracted by the arrival of yet another electronic message, she tried to study her new employer. Lysander Kahani was a six-and-a-half-foot scowl, his height impressive and intimidating, but she could only bring herself to look at the lower seventy inches or so. To make up for that, she studied him all the way up from his highly polished, handmade shoes to his dark shaded chin, and then down again. It was scarily enjoyable—so she did it again. On the return journey her eyes made their way right up to his. As she tried her best to look cool and unapproachable she saw the anger leave his face.
As his eyes locked onto hers, he spoke sharply to his crowd of followers. Alyssa didn’t speak his language, but his words had a questioning lilt that was easy enough to understand. He must want to know who she was, and why she was there. His staff all fell silent and turned to stare at her as if she were another exhibit for their madhouse. Alyssa tried to concentrate on the blurry newspaper photos of the poor little boy, Prince Ra’id, who had lost both his parents and must have been shoved aside in favour of this mob. Folding her hands in front of her as a defence, she took a deep breath.
‘I am Alyssa Dene. I’m here by special request of Prince Lysander of Rosara, because I’m to be his nephew’s new nanny.’
The words came out louder and more haughtily than she intended. Before she could apologise, something changed in Lysander Kahani’s expression. It softened, and in the face of his dark amusement Alyssa stopped thinking straight. She couldn’t help it. The sight of his smile sent all the questions she had lined up for her new employer scattering like beads on a tray. It was obvious he knew the effect he was having on her. This was more fun to him than work. His taut frame relaxed. With a few words he sent his horde of advisors scuttling away. Tossing the sheaf of paperwork he was holding onto the nearest table, Lysander followed them to the door and closed it behind them. As he leaned back against it Alyssa came to her senses. She was now totally alone with a notorious man. If that weren’t bad enough, somehow in the past few seconds he had become more attractive than he appeared in all his photographs put together.
She tried to speak, but no sound came out. Lysander Kahani showed every sign of revelling in the situation.
‘That’s more like it!’ he said in beautifully accented English. ‘Now I can hear myself think, and devote my whole attention to you. This job is playing havoc with my lifestyle, I can tell you.’
Alyssa swallowed hard as he prowled towards her. His wicked smile sent tremors straight through her body. It felt incredible, but she couldn’t afford to enjoy it. A man without a fraction of Lysander’s charm had wrecked her life only a few months ago, and she was still trying to recover. Every ounce of her common sense told her this was a dangerous situation and she ought to resist, but Lysander was looking at her as though she were the only woman in the world. The expression in his rich brown, dark-lashed eyes made it difficult not to give in and simply revel in the wonderful feeling of being admired.
‘D-don’t you think you’d better deal with all that paperwork first, Prince Lysander?’ She faltered, looking at the chaos scattered over the nearest table top. She was suddenly desperate for more time to prepare herself for this encounter.
‘No, I don’t,’ he said, strolling over to position himself between her and the table. By leaning back against it he hid the heap of work from her, but she had already stopped looking at it. The fine lines of his suit and the long, strong fingers he curled over the edge of the table top had captured her attention. ‘It’s only parcels of trouble, tied up in red tape. Forget it. I’d much rather talk to you … Alyssa.’
The way he purred her name sent a shiver of anticipation across her sensitised skin. She was already nervous about starting work for such an infamous man, and his flirting set new butterflies dancing inside her tummy. The last thing she needed was this handsome stranger taking over her body by stealth before she was safely hidden away in Combe House’s nursery wing. She had to show she meant business right away.
‘It—it might be important, Your Royal Highness.’
‘You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you?’ His well-shaped mouth twisted with the sulky retort. ‘Maybe if it was about the important things in life I could raise some enthusiasm, but it’s nothing but CRB checks, Health & Safety issues and risk assessments concerning a child I don’t even know. But why are we talking about all that, when we could be talking about you?’
His annoyance over something so close to her heart was the wake-up call Alyssa needed. She stopped melting in the warmth of his gaze and fastened her new employer with a look of her own.
‘Because I am your nephew’s new nanny, and right now that paperwork is the most important thing—in his life.’ You self-centred drone! she added silently to herself.
Prince Lysander Kahani stopped smiling, and she felt a brief spark of satisfaction. That was quickly extinguished as his dark eyes continued to ripple over her like a caress.
‘You sound like a woman who knows what she’s doing and have the added advantage of looking nothing like a headmistress. Goodbye, all my thoughts of a terrifying harridan, and hello to the beautiful vision that is Miss Alyssa Dene!’
With a ridiculously extravagant gesture, he reached out for her hand. Lifting it to his lips, he brushed her fingers with a kiss of long, slow meaning.
‘Please don’t do that, Your Royal Highness,’ Alyssa said sternly, forcing herself to pull her hand out of his grasp, but unable to stop the corners of her mouth curling up at his teasing.
He gave her a mock pained look. ‘Don’t spoil my one moment of hope, Alyssa. You are my only ray of sunshine—the first woman below the rank of minister I’ve been alone with in over three weeks. Look at me!’ He groaned, throwing up his arms in mock despair. ‘I used to have a life. Now I’m a caged tiger, performing for the benefit of others.’
Alyssa was transfixed—a rabbit trapped in the headlights of his charm. Catching herself gazing at him, she shook her head as though waking from a dream. Angry with his effect on her, she gave a dramatic sigh and said:
‘Cursed with a fortune and forced to live in a place like this? Dear, dear—it must be absolute hell for you, Your Royal Highness!’
The moment the words popped out, Alyssa knew she should have kept her mouth shut. Lysander’s eyes hardened to jet. The change in him was like the sun going behind a thundercloud.
Why the hell did I say that? He may be an arrogant so-and-so, but he’s still royalty! What will happen to his poor little nephew if I get sacked before I’ve even met the child?
‘In the past month I’ve lost my brother, my sister-in-law, and my freedom.’ Lysander Kahani’s voice was as cold as the shiver running through Alyssa’s body.
There was nothing for it but to apologise. ‘I know—and I’m sorry, Your Royal Highness, but my first loyalty is to little Ra’id—’ she burst out.
‘I can see that, by the way you didn’t let me finish what I was saying,’ he cut in smoothly. ‘I was going on to tell you that picking up the pieces my brother left behind is a full-time job. It shouldn’t leave me any time for self-pity.’ He gave the tiniest nod of acknowledgement, and the hint of a wry smile.
Alyssa didn’t like the way he interrupted her, but at least he understood why she had spoken out.
‘At least when I take charge of your poor little nephew it will be one weight off your shoulders.’
His gaze had been working its way down her body with slow enjoyment, but her words stopped him. He dragged his attention back to her face. ‘You say that as though you actually give a damn, Miss Alyssa Dene.’
‘That’s because I do. I’m here to make sure your nephew is properly looked after, and gets a sensible upbringing.’
‘And to bring a little light into my life while you do it,’ he said with a widening smile. ‘You can start by dropping the formalities. As we’ll be working so closely together, call me Lysander.’
Alyssa hesitated. This was quite a normal request from an employer, but with a smooth operator like Lysander Kahani it might be an intimacy too far. It broke down a barrier between them, and that couldn’t be a good idea. She already knew it was desperately important to keep this man at arm’s length, so he couldn’t affect her judgement. That had failed her in the past, when it came to adults. The only thing she wanted to rush into now was little Prince Ra’id’s nursery. If she couldn’t trust herself, how could she trust a womaniser like Lysander? Only thoughts of the poor child involved stopped her making some sort of excuse and escaping from Combe House while she still could. Good or bad, this man was her new employer. She had to develop a working relationship with him, and that would involve some give and take.
‘All right, then … Lysander. You can trust me to look after poor Prince Ra’id as if he was my own child,’ she told him.
He raised his dark, finely arched brows. ‘There speaks a woman who’s never met him!’
‘I’m here to care for your poor little nephew, Lysander, not your feelings. So while I’m sorry about your family bereavement and the way you’ve been forced into becoming Prince Regent, you and I have to work together to make the best of it, for little Ra’id’s sake,’ she said firmly, hoping she could be equally determined when it came to resisting Lysander’s charm.
‘Nobody’s ever said anything like that to me before, either.’
The crease between his brows deepened.
Alyssa realised a man would never have risked saying something like that to Prince Lysander Kahani. Only a woman could get away with it. She allowed herself the hint of a smile. Lysander’s interest in her body was turning out to have advantages as well as danger. It could deflect his anger—at least for the moment.
‘Then I hope I can keep your nephew a bit more down to earth.’
Lysander was beginning to have doubts about her. She could see it in his face.
‘I wish you luck,’ he murmured. ‘As Ra’id is my brother’s son, I’ve seen him now and again over the years, but that’s all. What I’ve heard about him from his nursery maids is bad enough. It’ll be a brave woman who refuses that child anything, from the sound of it.’
When she didn’t laugh, he shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets. ‘Well … if you feel confident enough to make a mad claim like that, the least I can do is match it, and raise you. What can I do to help you in your hopeless task, and earn your undying gratitude when I’ve done it?’
She raised her eyebrows, then met his question with one of her own.
‘How do you get on with Ra’id?’
He responded with a quizzical smile. ‘Me? I don’t. My family has used this house in England as a bolt hole for years, so we’ve met up here regularly for holidays, but that doesn’t mean I’ve had anything to do with the child.’
I might have guessed, Alyssa thought. ‘So you’re quite happy to leave that poor mite completely in the hands of strangers?’
His expression hardened. ‘Of course, when they come with qualifications and references like yours. What else would you expect me to do? I don’t know the first thing about children.’
‘Lysander!’ Alyssa chided him, but it was only when she took a step backwards and away from him to underline her disapproval that he looked at all bothered.
Annoyed at her reaction, he moved towards an intercom on the desk. ‘Ra’id has been well looked after by the general nursery staff here since his last nanny left. I think. At least, I assume … No, I’m sure that’s been the case,’ he said through gritted teeth.
Alyssa could tell that not knowing annoyed him. That was a detail she could work with.
‘Well, you’ll be able to judge that side of things for yourself when I’ve called someone to take you to the nursery,’ he went on irritably.
Alyssa had other ideas. ‘I’d rather you took me yourself, Lysander. After all, you did ask how you could help,’ she said, and this time her smile was as winning as any of the looks he kept turning on her.
CHAPTER TWO
THEY were tempting words, but Alyssa’s body language belied her inviting smile, and warned Lysander. He knew she was only trying to use his reputation against him again. Liking her cheek, however, he escorted her to the nursery with the indulgent smile of a man who always got what he wanted. Women generally fell into his arms within seconds, and Alyssa was the first woman in a long while to present him with anything like a challenge. Her beautiful body and long, shapely legs made this new experience very enjoyable. He was confident she would soon be running to him for comfort, and for a prize like that he was willing to be patient. Little Ra’id had sent plenty of distressed nursery maids his way over the past few weeks. Miss Alyssa Dene was different, there was no doubt about that, but Lysander was sure he only had to wait for this latest peach to fall into his lap.
As they walked he sent a series of covert glances in her direction and liked what he saw. She was tall for a woman, so the crown of her head was almost level with his shoulder. Her feminine curves were in perfect proportion, and her blue-eyed beauty was topped by a swirl of shining blonde hair. He knew exactly how that silken waterfall would feel when he released it from her prissy French plait, and looked forward to doing it.
They went straight to the nursery wing’s dining room, drawn by an unholy racket. It was full of people, all talking at once. Lysander introduced Alyssa, then stood back. The crowd fell silent. The staff, like him, were watching to see what Alyssa would do when confronted with five-year-old Ra’id. The child was holding court at the head of his dining table and scowling like a little old man. When Lysander saw the peculiar collection of food on the table, he frowned, too. None of it looked edible—especially the sardines in chocolate sauce and the cupcakes spread with Marmite. He watched Alyssa sum up the situation. Then he leaned in to enjoy the fragrant sensation of whispering into her small, perfectly formed ear.
‘Meet the poor little orphaned mite you’re going to rescue from his wicked, uncaring uncle.’
He expected her to apologise for her starchy attitude towards him, but she didn’t. Instead she hissed, ‘He seems to have recovered from the tragedy well enough to have your staff on the run!’
‘That’s because he was about as close to his parents as I was to mine,’ Lysander flashed back.
She gave him a strange look, then pinned on a smile before speaking out loud to the infant dictator.
‘Good afternoon, Prince Ra’id. It doesn’t look as though traditional Rosarian food meets with your approval, so we’ll get rid of it, and all these people.’
‘But he hasn’t had any food yet!’ A shocked voice burst out from the crowd. ‘And it isn’t traditional—we’ve brought him everything he asked for, but nothing’s been good enough yet.’
‘That’s a shame,’ Alyssa said evenly. ‘But lunchtime should have been over a long time ago.’
‘I’m hungry!’ Ra’id said through clenched teeth.
The huddle of servants held its breath. Lysander carried on lazily watching Alyssa. She took no notice of her little charge. Instead, she started piling up plates with quick, neat movements. After an exchange of glances, the rest of the staff stepped forward to help her. In minutes the table was clear and the room empty apart from Lysander, Alyssa and the little boy.
‘I’m hungry!’ Ra’id repeated, this time with more of a whine.
‘No, you aren’t. If you’d been hungry, you would have eaten the first thing you were served. You’re not to treat your staff like that, Prince Ra’id. They spent a lot of time satisfying your demands, so the least you could have done was try something. As your uncle Lysander has just told you, I’m in charge now. From today, you’ll eat at regular times. Whatever arrives is what you’ll eat, and that’s an end to it. There will be no alternatives.’ She glanced at her watch, then looked at Lysander. ‘Do you eat high tea at Combe House?’
‘For you, Alyssa, anything is possible.’ He chuckled.
‘Then could you order a simple meal of egg on toast for His Majesty, to be served in your dining room in half an hour?’
‘I don’t like egg. What is it?’ the little boy piped up.
‘It’s what you’re having for tea,’ Alyssa said with a determination Lysander wished he could see more often.
Ra’id wasn’t so impressed. ‘No! And I can do what I like, because I’m King.’
Lysander had consoled enough nursery maids to know that was the killer line. It always worked. He glanced at Alyssa with a grin that said I’d like to see you get out of that!
Alyssa didn’t need to answer him. She knelt down beside Ra’id and folded her arms on the ruined surface of his miniature Georgian dining table so that her face was very close to his.
‘Oho—not yet, you aren’t! Listen to me, young man. Your uncle Lysander is going to be in charge of you, and everything else around you, for at least the next four thousand days, so what he says, goes. That’s a long time, so get used to it. And he says you’ll eat the lovely food the staff are kind enough to make for you. If you don’t, you’ll go hungry.’ She looked up at Lysander with battle blazing in her eyes. ‘Right?’
Wide-eyed and speechless, the little boy switched his gaze from Alyssa to Lysander, searching for support.
‘That’s right, isn’t it, Lysander?’ Alyssa repeated, more forcefully this time.
Lysander knew she wanted him to back her up, but he took his time. He was busy with his own thoughts, enjoying the arousal that pulsed through his body as he watched this determined and beautiful woman in action. The sensation was far more enjoyable than talking to her about nursery routine. Miss Alyssa Dene had the sort of nerve he had never encountered before. He already knew she wasn’t going to roll over and submit to him like so many women that had filled his universe until now. He would have to break down her resistance to him inch by inch. It was an idea he found intensely exciting. It would make the moment she finally fell under his spell a real triumph, and a conquest worthy of his maverick skills. He allowed a slow, seductive smile to warm his face. Her need for him was so deeply buried she might not recognise it yet, but she would. Given time. He would make sure of it.
‘Right …’ He teased the word out slowly. ‘So from now on, Ra’id, you’ll do everything Alyssa tells you, OK?’
His answer satisfied her, although she laid down the law to Ra’id for a long time after that. While she rattled on, Lysander lost himself again in more luscious thoughts involving silk sheets, perfumed massage oil and Miss Alyssa Dene’s soft curves. He only realised he should have been listening to her instead when she coughed politely to attract his attention.
‘So, Lysander, Ra’id and I will see you in your dining room in half an hour.’
‘Of course,’ Lysander said suavely, still wondering if she knew what she was letting herself in for. He sent another leisurely glance over her body. The tempting reality of her promised to be even better than his fantasy.
‘Miss Alyssa Dene is the best nanny in the business, Ra’id,’ he told his nephew. ‘And I’m looking forward to discovering what other talents she has, very soon.’ He smiled, tilting his head towards her in a way that never failed to soften women. She stared at him, her cool blue eyes as assured as his own technique.
‘It’s a pity smiling doesn’t seem to be one of them,’ he went on, standing back to give her room to melt over his teasing. It had no effect.
‘Childcare isn’t a laughing matter, Lysander.’
Her wide-set eyes would have been beautiful if they hadn’t been focusing a stare on him that was as hard as sapphires.
The last few weeks had stretched Lysander’s patience so thin, it was practically transparent. He heard himself snap, like an elastic band that had been stretched too far.
‘Then that’s a shame. You’ll need a sense of humour if you’re going to work here.’
He regretted it instantly. Unleashing his bitterness wasn’t the way to win over rebellious women. Stepping in close to her again, he softened his retort by patting her gently on the back. ‘If only to put up with my short temper. So if you wouldn’t mind giving me a few moments of your time outside so we can discuss it, Nanny—?’
His hand slid sensuously over her ribcage on its way to become a support under her elbow.
‘My name is Alyssa!’
She jerked away from him so savagely, Ra’id gave a little cry of alarm. Instantly, she swooped down to comfort the little boy. Any angry remarks Lysander might have made at her overreaction died on his lips when he saw the way she reassured his nephew—that, and the way her shirt gaped a little as she bent forward. It gave him an illicit glimpse of her lacy bra as it cupped the creamy swell of her breasts. The view was so delicious, he forgave her everything.
It made him look forward to seeing a whole lot more of her, very soon.
Alyssa used a combination of psychology and her own novelty value to make tea a triumph. Comfort eating over the past few months had made her staid navy-blue nanny’s uniform a bit snug. This worked wonders on Lysander. She had his full attention, although it did tend to gravitate towards her breasts. To get him back on track she told him his good manners and charm would soon rub off on his nephew. Ra’id turned out to have a big appetite, and he was so astonished that anyone would stand up to him, he was easy to manage. Food was the perfect bribe. All Alyssa had to do was to make sure he got a healthy diet, and by keeping Lysander on side she would have all the backup she needed.
She was still smiling hours later as she left Ra’id’s bedroom that evening. She closed the door so quietly, it didn’t make a sound. She could have laughed with relief at the end of such an exhausting, perfect day, but didn’t want to wake her little charge. These first few hours in her new job had achieved what her holiday had failed to do—distracted her from the past and helped her to move into the future. It turned out she’d needed a new challenge, and she was relishing it. Ra’id was a real handful, but that was because no one had cared enough to teach him how to behave properly—until now. He was quick, clever, and underneath he had the makings of a dear little chap. Now she could relax for a few hours, and thank her lucky stars that she had gone with her instincts rather than her emotions. She had taken this position to save Ra’id from falling into the hands of some wage slave who was only interested in what the job prospects were. Now she was looking after him, everything would be fine. The only fly in the ointment was her unprecedented response to Lysander, but what with her past and his present she’d certainly never be silly enough to give into him—however wickedly tempting his smile might be … As she entered the suite’s sitting room she jumped violently when she saw that the object of her thoughts had made himself at home on one of the nursery’s low couches, his long legs stretched out beneath a table. A tray set for two with fine china and a steaming cafetiere waited in front of him, untouched. A dozen down-lighters around the walls gave the room a soft golden glow.
‘Thank you, Lysander.’ Alyssa kept her voice cool and professional, desperate not to show him how much his presence unsettled her. She preferred speaking to children rather than adults, but talking with Lysander was all too easy. She tried to concentrate on tidying the room, hoping her busyness would hide her nerves. ‘When you told me you never normally had anything to do with Ra’id, I thought it meant you didn’t have any interest in him. It was good of you to sit with us while he had tea in the main dining room. The different surroundings made him a bit uncertain, and that really helped him behave. Eating with you and other adults instead of being waited on alone will really help his manners. You’ll be a great example for him to follow. Is there any chance you could make afternoon tea with him a regular thing?’
‘It’ll be my pleasure, as long as you promise to always be there, too,’ Lysander purred.
The room’s low light gave his aristocratic features a shadowy mystery—but there was no mistaking the meaning in his eyes. During the meal they had all taken together Alyssa had been focused on Ra’id, but that couldn’t stop her feeling the warmth of Lysander’s interest. Alone with him now, she felt coils of attraction snake through her body. Tearing herself away from his gaze, she moved methodically around the room, picking up scattered toys and plumping cushions.
‘You must have given your army of attendants the slip,’ she said without looking at him.
‘I told them to leave me, yes,’ he said in a light, conversational way.
Remember, men like him gain your confidence, then abandon you when you’re at your most vulnerable. That’s how it works, Alyssa told herself firmly.
When the room was as neat as it was going to get, she couldn’t think of anything else to do to avoid his eyes except pouring the coffee. Trying not to let her nervousness show, she approached the table from the opposite side to where he sat. As she reached for the handle of the cafetiere his hand closed in on hers and he lifted it out of her grasp.
‘That’s OK. I’ll pour the coffee. You should sit down and relax, Alyssa. It’s been a busy day for you. And for me, too. You’ve given me plenty to think about.’
Until that moment Alyssa had been careful to keep her eyes on the tray, but that made her look up and question him. He was watching her with the exotic look of a well fed panther.
It’s bound to be some sort of line, but there’s nothing to worry about as long as I keep that thought in mind, she told herself.
‘What do you mean?’
‘The way you improved Ra’id’s behaviour right from the start, by laying down strict boundaries for him. That impressed me. I went back to my staff and put some ground rules of my own in place, to make my life more structured. My nicely pampered, trouble-free life, as you were quick to point out,’ he drawled, smiling at her in a way calculated to melt the stoniest heart.
Alyssa tried to resist, but the crafty way he recalled their first meeting started every muscle in her face working as she tried to avoid returning his smile.
‘I’d hate to be followed around by all those people the whole time.’
‘I do. But that’s the way my brother worked, and having all those staff hounding me from day one hadn’t given me enough time to devise a better system. I think better when I’m on my own. Clearing my mind by sending them all away for a while gave me the chance to work out a sensible routine for myself. And all it took was the sight of you, taking control.’ He lifted one of the little black and gold cups of coffee towards her. ‘Cream and sugar?’
‘Cream, please. That’s all.’ She felt suddenly shy, rather than scared of him.
‘I prefer cappuccino myself.’
‘Oh, so do I!’ They both looked surprised at her quick reply, and then smiled.
‘You and I will have to indulge ourselves one day,’ Lysander said. ‘My late brother thought frothy coffee was undignified, and out of keeping with high office.’ His smile had been getting wider by the second and Alyssa couldn’t resist its power any longer. She could feel her own face relaxing, too.
‘Thoughts like that don’t stop you?’
‘Nothing stops me.’ His voice was warm.
Alyssa didn’t doubt it. She leaned back in her seat, trying to make the point that she didn’t intend starting anything.
‘This is very good coffee. Your brother may have had a point. I’ve heard he was very respectable. When you can drink coffee that tastes like this, why risk pushing any boundaries?’ she said, making it clear she didn’t only mean coffee.
Lysander wasn’t about to be put off so easily. ‘Akil didn’t start laying down the law until he was unlucky in love and then bang! He reverted to the family type where many things were concerned. For one thing, when it came to women he decided they should be seen and not heard—and preferably not seen either.’ He gave her another smile. ‘I get the feeling you’d be happy to keep this nursery wing as your own private space. I suspect he would have approved of you.’
‘All I’m interested in is giving his son a good start in life.’ Glowing with quiet pride, Alyssa took another sip of her coffee. ‘It’s the early days yet, but I think I’m going to like it here. I already love working with Ra’id so much, I’ll be quite happy to fit in with whatever you want, Lysander.’
The moment the words left her lips Alyssa went hot all over. It was exactly the wrong thing to say to a dangerously tempting man like this.
‘That’s what I like to hear.’ He laughed.
‘Just remember, I’m not here for your benefit!’
Lysander was so taken aback by her sharp retort, Alyssa had time to organise her thoughts before carrying on.
‘My interest is in children, and making sure they’re properly looked after. From what I understand, Ra’id has suffered all his life from a high turnover among his carers, so I intend sticking with this job for as long as I’m needed. That’s needed, and not wanted, Lysander,’ she said with chilling emphasis, letting him know that she assumed infidelity ran through his veins. ‘I’m not going to let anything affect the way I care for Ra’id. That’s why I want to get one thing clear from the start. There have to be ground rules for us as well as him.’
He slipped her a sidelong glance. Alyssa’s heartbeat accelerated, but she tried to ignore her pounding pulse.
‘I mean it.’
‘That’s a shame, but I suppose I should have guessed.’ He sighed, then took a long drink of coffee. ‘I’ve seen for myself how seriously you take your work. Does this mean you think sex isn’t a laughing matter, either?’
Alyssa swallowed, knowing she had to dodge his question. Every time she looked at Lysander she noticed some new detail about him. The slight natural curl in his dark hair, or the muscles that were hardly concealed by the fine fabric of his crisp white shirt.
‘It really doesn’t matter what I think about anything, except my job,’ she said, with a determination to ignore his smile. ‘I’m employed to care for Ra’id. You’ve got your work cut out caring for his country, Lysander. We both want the same thing.’ She felt embarrassed about exactly how true that was, and knew she was colouring up again. It was a good job the background lighting was so soft. It hid her embarrassment as well as her feelings. ‘And that’s the best thing for Ra’id. It means you and I have to work together as a team, and I mean work.’ She emphasised the last word carefully.
‘And I have no doubt at all that we will,’ he drawled, making Alyssa wonder what he thought of as work. ‘That’s why I’m going to study your methods as closely as I can. The job of Regent of Rosara couldn’t be more different from the life I’ve lived until now. With Ra’id years away from becoming King, and despite my brother’s best attempts at marrying me off, I’m still his only living relative. That means our country’s succession is in a precarious state. I have to make sure nothing happens to Ra’id, while running Rosara at the same time, and I intend to succeed at both jobs.’
Alyssa saw he was deadly serious, and knew she had underestimated him. ‘That’s a real challenge.’
‘I know, but I specialise in those.’
She had been thinking so hard about how a playboy was going to juggle two jobs like that, she didn’t realise he had been leaning steadily closer and closer to her. When he laid a hand on her arm, she jumped.
‘That’s why I need your help, Alyssa.’
She pulled her arm away smartly. ‘If there’s anything I can do to help Ra’id, I will. But that’s all, Lysander.’
‘Of course. You’ve made your point, so I’ll make mine. I prefer partnerships of pleasure.’ Despite her obvious anger, he didn’t sound at all apologetic.
‘I suppose by that you mean little and often,’ Alyssa snapped.
The smile returned to his beautiful mouth. ‘I’ve never had any complaints.’
‘Until you met me, and I’m out of bounds,’ she told him meaningfully. ‘As long as you remember that, Lysander, you can keep your record with women—which I’m sure must be one hundred per cent perfect.’
‘Oh, don’t worry. One little setback in a lifetime wouldn’t bother me. A single rejection among thousands of triumphs would only amount to a fraction of a percentage point,’ he said with a careless smile.
‘Ah, but if you don’t try, you’ll make sure you never fail—’
Alyssa had never known a man with such easy, natural charm. Those flashing eyes and that devilish smile made him almost impossible to resist, but then she remembered something. His one and only weakness would always be her greatest strength.
‘And if you ever force me to give you a black eye, Lysander, it would make other girls think twice about tangling with you, until your bruises have faded.’
He stopped smiling. His eyes narrowed. He pursed his lips, thinking.
‘I’m a fast healer, but … point taken.’
Alyssa wasn’t going to take any chances. ‘I’m serious, Lysander.’
He took another long, slow sip of coffee but his eyes didn’t once leave her face. ‘I’m sure you are.’
‘I’m here to work, so I don’t have time for distractions. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do my very best for your little prince. I once let a child down …’ She paused, not wanting to complete the story. ‘From that moment on, my job became the most important thing in my life. Do you understand?’
Lysander leaned back, resting one arm along the back of the couch. His eyes were dark and inscrutable. ‘Ah … yes, I remember somebody bringing that to my attention when they were checking your references. It was truly a tragedy that that little boy died because nobody took any notice when you told them how sick he was. That was unforgivable.’
Alyssa’s heart began to beat very quickly, and not only because of the way he was studying her. Talking to Jerry about the tragedy of little Georgie had been hard enough. Discussing it with a stranger would be impossible.
‘Yes, it was. Which is why I’d rather you changed the subject,’ she said abruptly, her breathing shallow.
Lysander’s expression altered. The intensity of his gaze made her blush.
I was never this forceful until—she thought, and felt the sharp pain of sadness in her throat. Oh, no. Why must that come back to haunt me, right now? The events of a few months ago had snowballed until they threatened to suck all the life out of her. This job was her chance of a fresh start. She couldn’t afford to weaken.
Lysander was so self-confident. Alyssa wished she had his sort of nerve, but she was at least determined not to let him see her eyes fill with tears. She looked away quickly, but for the first time since she had lost Georgie she found that her tears were easily blinked away. Painfully, she wondered if this was the start of her recovery.
‘Of course. It’s no wonder you mistrust people after that.’ Lysander’s voice was as slow and calculated as his smile. ‘Is there anything I can do to persuade you we aren’t all bad?’
He had picked up on her suspicions about him, so there was no point in denying them. It wasn’t good for her new employer to feel he was under surveillance, but that wasn’t Alyssa’s only worry. If a gorgeous man like this could see how troubled she was, her life really had gone too far in the wrong direction. She had to do something, fast, but what? Maybe she could do with talking about what had happened rather than bottling everything up … but this handsome, piratical prince looked more trouble than he was worth. Wanting to talk was one thing. Trusting him was something else. Finishing her coffee, she put her cup and saucer back on the tray and stood up.
‘Well, thank you for the drink, but unless you have some aspect of Ra’id’s care you’d like to discuss I think you’d better go, Lysander. I’ve got a lot to do.’ She took a last look around the sitting room, then started off towards the door she assumed must lead to her own suite. ‘The chap who parked my car earlier said he’d bring my luggage up but I got so involved with Ra’id, I haven’t even had a chance to find where I’m sleeping.’
‘The nanny’s rooms are through there.’ He pointed to the door. ‘But that way is kept locked all the time, to stop Ra’id disturbing her during the night. You’ll have to go out into the corridor and use the main door, at the top of the stairs.’
Alyssa flashed a dangerous look at him. ‘And how would you know that, if you’ve never had anything to do with Ra’id before?’
Lysander smiled at her knowingly. ‘Let’s call it a lucky guess, shall we?’
‘Well, the minute I find the key I’m going to unlock that door, and leave it open. That’s how it’s going to stay. I can assure you I’ll never have any reason to stop Ra’id coming into my rooms to see me.’
‘Really?’ He gave her a mocking look of disbelief.
‘Really.’
Her reply led him to give a casual shrug. ‘Then it must be time for me to take you to your lonely suite.’
Alyssa raised her eyebrows.
‘To the door and no further,’ he assured her, offering his arm.
She hesitated. All day she had fought against falling under his spell. She had managed it so far. Surely she could reward herself with this one, brief point of contact? The fear that Lysander would misunderstand and assume it was the start of something warred with the excitement of being escorted by such a gorgeous, polite man. She already knew he was too much temptation, but had to find out if he was enough of a gentleman.
‘Thanks, but I want you to know I’m giving you the benefit of some very big doubts, Lysander,’ she told him, slipping her hand into the crook of his arm.
It was just as well she answered before the sensation of his warm, vital body rose through the thin fabric of his jacket. The feel of it shook Alyssa to the core. She wanted to go on standing there in the middle of the room, enjoying the casual intimacy with this dark stranger. Lysander had other ideas. At the very moment she was most vulnerable, he ignored his advantage and started off towards the door.
‘Would it help to put your mind at rest about me if we talked about work?’ he asked her.
‘That depends,’ Alyssa said warily. ‘Whose work did you want to discuss? Yours or mine?’
‘Yours, of course. Now I’ve discovered little Ra’id isn’t the creature from hell that everyone warned me about, I think I will want to take a more active role in his upbringing.’
Alyssa considered his words carefully. Ra’id was so full of himself, he wouldn’t be helped by a fickle uncle who would be distracted by every woman who lured him away. On the other hand, whatever his motives, she didn’t want to put Lysander off getting closer to Ra’id. In her bitter experience, it was better to have an adult getting in her way than taking no interest, and ignoring her professional advice.
‘You’ve already told me that Ra’id didn’t have a very close relationship with his parents. What he needs is some stability and routine in his life, not to mention some love and affection from a parent figure. If you could offer him that, it would be great. I’d love to have your help,’ she continued cautiously, ‘although I wouldn’t want you to overcommit yourself. Why don’t you try to make tea time with Ra’id a daily appointment to begin with, and see how you manage with that? Making some time available regularly in your schedule is much better than overwhelming him with attention to begin with, and then leaving him high and dry when something comes up to divert your attention.’
‘I agree. I can’t abide people who promise everything and then don’t deliver.’
Alyssa looked at him quickly. ‘That sounded heartfelt!’
‘I’ve got good reason,’ he told her, but didn’t say anything else until they reached a door at the point where the nursery wing joined the main house.
‘Here it is—the main entrance to your suite. To the door and no further, as promised.’
‘Thank you—and I didn’t promise anything at all, so that means you won’t be disappointed when I say goodbye and let you go,’ Alyssa said firmly, taking her hand from his arm. Going inside her suite, she turned around quickly to block the doorway in case he tried to follow her.
‘I was thinking about someone else who didn’t keep their word—to me.’ His voice was slow and thoughtful. ‘I find this hard to say but the fact is I need you, Alyssa.’
Alarmed, she took another step backwards into her rooms and tried to close the door on him. Lysander was too quick for her, and grabbed the edge of the door. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you, Alyssa. For once, I wasn’t flirting. I meant that I need you professionally, because I don’t know the first thing about children.’
He sounded so genuinely pained, she laughed. ‘You were one yourself once, don’t forget!’
‘I know and I remember all too well what I had to go through. I admit, I’d rather leave all the caring to experts like you, and just be there for the fun stuff,’ he said with real feeling.
Alyssa was moved. Without realising what she was doing, she reached out and patted him on the arm.
‘That’s better than nothing, and right now might be exactly what Ra’id needs his uncle for. It’ll be great.’
‘With you in charge, I’m sure it will be perfect.’ His voice was a low murmur, full of possibilities. Alyssa tensed, but his hand slid from the door straight into his pocket.
For two heartbeats she thought about simply closing the door on him, but she couldn’t do it. Lysander didn’t move a muscle. His stillness was as arousing as the look in his darkly mysterious eyes. She knew exactly what was going to happen, but could not stop herself waiting for it.
Slowly, silently, Lysander reached out to her. She was unresisting, so he drew her into his arms for a kiss that made her forget everything—until she remembered that she was in the grip of a serial womaniser. With a heart-rending effort she forced herself out of his grasp.
‘Lysander! You promised you were going to take me to my door and no further!’
He pointed towards the floor. Without knowing what she was doing, Alyssa had stepped over the threshold. She was now out in the hall again.
Lysander was already coolly backing away from her. ‘I was as good as my word. That is exactly what I did. No more—but no less, either.’
With that, he blew her a kiss, turned and sauntered off.
Alyssa was rooted to the spot. She watched him go, her fingertips resting on her lips as she tried to recapture the pressure of his mouth against hers. When he reached the top of the stairs, he stopped and glanced back. His smile told her everything she didn’t want to know. It took her right back to those few delicious seconds she had spent in his arms. She responded with a sudden rush of sensual warmth. Her body would have done anything to experience his strength surrounding her again.
But her heart was too afraid …
CHAPTER THREE
EARLY next morning, Lysander appeared in the nursery doorway. His unexpected arrival threw Alyssa into a panic, but she was careful not to show it. She was briefing her members of staff when she saw him, and didn’t want to betray her feelings in front of them. Luckily, this wasn’t a social call. He stayed brisk and businesslike as he informed them he was arranging for the royal household to fly back to Rosara in a few days’ time.
‘Once we get there, instead of Ra’id taking tea in my suite I thought we could take him out for a picnic every afternoon, Alyssa,’ he told her.
She nodded, glad he was keeping things light and impersonal. ‘If the weather’s good, it’ll be a great idea.’
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