Page 15 of His Highness's Hidden Heir

But sacrifice to the crown was not just expected or desired. It was required. Becoming a king meant he couldn’t indulge the man within him.

Or keep the woman who had given that man more pleasure than he could stand.

Steeling himself against the ire and bitterness over what felt like yet another theft from his life, he finished dressing and went back into the shadowy bedroom where he sat on the edge of the bed.

Lexi’s neck was warm and soft. Her shift into wakefulness stirred his desire to crawl back into those sheets and lose himself again, but he made himself pull his hand away before she had finished fluttering her eyelids.

She tried to get her bearings by glancing at the clock and the place where daylight was coming through the cracks in the drapes.

“I let you sleep as long as I could. Ulmer is running a bath in the guest room. Your clothes are there. Vijay will be here shortly.”

He leaned to snap on a lamp, flooding the room with more harsh reality that made her wince. He made himself stand and lift the robe off the foot of the bed, holding it ready for her, catching a flash of stunned hurt on her expression before she schooled it.

He didn’t allow it to move him. This was his life. There was no changing it.

“Ulmer has your gown. He’ll make arrangements for its return.”

She said a small “Thank you” before she started to sit up. A strangled groan left her.

“That’s why the bath,” he said drily. He had felt as though he’d been hit by a truck when he rose. There was a certain euphoria in the ache of his sore muscles, though. He liked it.

With another muted whimper, she rose to thread her arms into the robe, hurrying to close it and fumbling with the belt, head ducked.

It was a bit late for shyness or embarrassment. It wasn’t shame, was it? That thought bothered him, but she hurried out and he could hear Vijay arriving so he went to the lounge.

Vijay Sahir was second in command at TecSec, a world-renowned private security firm. Vijay always wore a calm demeanor along with an exceptionally nice suit. Not flashy, but reassuringly authoritative. His wife and her twin were fashion designers. They knew how to make an impression and Vijay always made a quiet yet powerful one.

After a brief handshake, he accepted a coffee and told Magnus he had forwarded a report on Lexi and the various threats against her. And, because he was very good at his job, the report summarized the threats Lexi posed to Magnus.

While sipping his own coffee, Magnus read through them.

Her reputation was top of the list, obviously. It was sullied enough that their dance would have a knock-on effect to his own, but associating with him gave her social cache she badly needed. Was that why she had invaded the breakout room last night and come up here with him?

Magnus didn’t want to believe it, but the state of her finances was listed as a potential threat. She had alluded to financial strain and a need to find work. The report didn’t outright accuse her of looking for a bailout or a sugar daddy, but the implication was there.

As for threats against her, Vijay had identified possible malfeasance by the agency that her brother ran, but he couldn’t rule out their colluding on those things.

Damn. Given his position, Magnus could not afford to be anything less than suspicious of her. Last night began to seem more calculated on Lexi’s part. She was an actress, after all.

Her had already resigned himself to having to distance from her, but now it became imperative.

Lexi didn’t linger in the tub of lavender-scented water, even though she was completely disoriented by all that had happened and really needed time alone to put it all in perspective.

She was most especially disturbed by the remoteness that had come over Magnus after their intimate, passionate night. He couldn’t have made it more clear that their night was over. She had known it wasn’t the start of anything long-lasting, but she hadn’t expected him to turn off like a light switch.

His businesslike demeanor had made her feel self-conscious about her nudity and a sense of beingtoonaked had her rising abruptly from the water without washing her hair.

She dressed in the dark purple suit with an oyster-colored blouse that Ulmer had brought for her. His attention to detail meant she had everything: underwear, shoes, even a small toiletry bag with her hairbrush and makeup to hide the shadows beneath her eyes.

When she left the bedroom, she looked as professional as she would on a press junket, but she felt horribly exposed as she entered the lounge.

A man of South Asian descent rose from the sofa.

Magnus stayed seated. He set aside a tablet and lifted his incisive gaze to her, making her hyperaware of herself. She had to concentrate on not letting her ankles wobble or her smile falter.

“You must be Vijay.” She offered her hand. “Good morning.”

“Ms. Alexander. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My children have discovered reruns of your show. The theme song is embedded in my ears.”

---