Page 10 of Passion and Deception

With a groan, she realized that she had only one option.

Rushing back into her bedroom, she finished dressing, then hurried out, grabbed her keys and purse, then raced to the grocery store.

In the frozen food aisle, she considered the options. “This will have to do,” she muttered to herself, grabbing the most expensive one. It took her another fifteen minutes to get through the checkout line and drive back home. The lasagna was still frozen, so she put the lump into the oven, but didn’t turn it on.

Maggie tapped a tapered fingernail on the counter as she contemplated her next move. “Go get fixed up, then turn on the oven later.”

Thirty minutes later, Maggie felt a bit more in control. She’d blow-dried her hair, put on makeup and felt that she looked pretty good. Inside, her stomach was doing flip-flops, but she inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself down.

Chapter 4

“I don’t care if you haven’t done a thorough background check on Maggie,” Ramit told his guards. “I’m going to her house and I’m going to enjoy dinner with her.”

His head bodyguard nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. I had two guards watching her house all day and another two have been monitoring the neighborhood. Everything is secure.”

Ramit nodded and started to walk away. Then the man’s words hit him and he did a double take. “You’ve been spying on Maggie all day?”

The guard nodded, completely unrepentant. “Yes, Sire. She went to the grocery store to purchase ingredients for lasagna.” He kept his features completely expressionless.

Ramit noticed the man’s blankness and narrowed his eyes. There was something the man wasn’t telling him. “What?”

The guard lifted his hands. “Nothing, Your Highness. I’m sure that you will enjoy your evening.”

“Of frozen lasagna,” another one mumbled with a quiet chuckle.

There were a few chuckles from the other guards, but none who were willing to reveal their amusement to their boss.

“What aren’t you telling me?” he demanded of his head guard.

The man tried to maintain his silence, but Ramit’s narrowed gaze warned him that now wasn’t the moment to ignore a direct question. With a heavy sigh, the guard relaxed his pose as he explained, “There was a bit of a…mishap…during the preparation of the homemade lasagna, Your Highness. But the issue was resolved with another trip to the store. This time to procure a frozen lasagna. I believe to replace the charred mess that is currently sitting on her back stoop.”

Ramit stared at his guards, shocked at this bit of news. He was warmed that Maggie had tried to make a meal for him, but…? “She burned the meal?”

“The first time, Your Highness,” the man replied with a carefully blank expression.

“The first time,” Ramit parroted. He considered those words, a slow smile curling up the corners of his mouth as he nodded his understanding. “So, she went to a great deal of trouble for tonight’s meal?”

The man opened his mouth, hesitated, then tilted his head slightly. “I believe she did, Your Highness.”

Ramit nodded, feeling that warmth heating up his chest area once again. “I don’t think a woman has ever cooked for me before,” he commented lightly, then turned to the butler assigned to the hotel’s penthouse suite. “I’ll need a bottle of red wine.”

The butler bowed and immediately disappeared. He appeared moments later with two bottles of red wine as well as a bouquet of flowers. “For the lady, Your Highness,” the man explained, then bowed low.

“Thank you. I should have thought about flowers too. Good idea.” He turned, nodding to his head guard. “Let’s go!”

Thirty minutes later, Ramit stepped out of the black SUV and looked at the cottage style house lit up from the inside. It looked cramped and tiny. And adorable! There was a pretty wreath on the front door and gardens that were slowly fading with the cooler nights. Maggie had obviously gone to a great deal of trouble to decorate the house. Nothing was expensive, but it all looked quaint.

Just like the woman herself.

Ramit tightened his grip on the bottle of wine, then looked down at the flowers. Were they too much? He didn’t care. Maggie deserved flowers. And she’d obviously gone through a great deal of trouble to make dinner for them tonight.

“Good luck, Your Highness,” his head guard whispered.

Ramit turned to glare at the man, who merely lifted his eyebrows in sarcastic silence.

Chapter 5

Maggie stared at the blackened mess sitting on her oven. “What happened this time?” she whispered to herself, fighting back tears of frustration. “I hadn’t even turned on the…!”

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