Page 10 of Unknown Royal Baby

He knew she was trying to be pragmatic, yet the words felt like a slap to his face. Even though he’d been torn between berating himself over his behaviour and revelling in the memory.

‘You’re not an embarrassment, Avril. And you’re definitely not an inconvenience. Last night was unfortunate because I overstepped the boundaries—’

‘Unfortunate!’

‘But I can’t regret it. I can’t wish it undone.’

He watched her process that, understanding dawning.

During meetings she was the consummate professional, no sign of her emotions. But now he read her like a book. First hurt at believing herself rejected, then regret, then finally annoyance. Now suspicion mixed with something that made her eyes shimmer.

‘If you don’t regret it, why pull away from me just now? Is it that after last night, you’re just not interested any more?’

He felt his forehead twist into a scowl that she should even think him uninterested. He was about to counter with a reference to his painful erection but stopped.

She couldn’t know what was going on in his head.

‘I know years ago the press painted me as a bit of a Casanova, but I was never as bad as they made out. I’m not so callow.’

Besides, after one taste of Avril how could he conceivably have lost interest?

Only the truth would do.

‘I spent the night alternately dreaming about you and awake, fantasising about having you again.’ He watched her eyes grow round. ‘But I thought you needed your rest so I resisted waking you. Especially in light of your inexperience.’

Isam waited for her to say something about that. To explain why she hadn’t warned him, though he suspected she’d feared, rightly, that he’d stop.

Such confidence in your self-control. You were in such a lather, chances are you wouldn’t have been able to hold back even if you’d known.

‘You wanted me...after?’

‘I did, do.’ He saw the spark of excitement in her gaze and felt compelled to go on. ‘You’re right, we’ve created a complicated situation—’

Her voice was breathless. ‘You want me.’

There it was again, that satisfied smile he’d found so bewitching last night. Isam couldn’t help but respond to it. His facial muscles stretched in a grin that he knew was more lascivious than circumspect.

Because suddenly, despite the caution he should employ, despite a lifetime learning to put royal responsibilities and expectations before everything else, he couldn’t dwell on the complications they’d created. He was just a man, bewitched by an alluring woman. A woman watching him with wonder and excitement.

Blood rushed to his groin, leaving him light-headed.

‘I want you,’ he admitted again and felt the last shackles of restraint fall away.

‘I’m glad.’

That was all it took. Her sweet smile, her shining eyes and her welcoming smile. All thought of protocol, duty and the world beyond this bed became hazy and insubstantial.

Isam stroked her cheek with his knuckle, watching her voluptuous shiver that made her berry-tipped breasts shake invitingly. Then slowly, because, despite the thrumming urgency of his need, this was too important to rush, he gathered her to him.

CHAPTER THREE

One year later

‘THISWAY,MSRODGERS.’

The tall man in the sharp suit gestured for her to precede him into the hotel’s lift. His smile was perfunctory, not reaching his eyes. He had an air about him that made her wonder if he was a bodyguard, not an administrative assistant.

His stare made her shiver and pull her too-snug jacket close, the hairs at her nape rising. Would he frisk her before she was allowed into the presence of His High-and-Mightiness?

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