Page 23 of Revelations of A Secret Princess

To his surprise Ariane was on the lightweight toboggan alone, sliding down a gentle slope to where Caro waited on a broad flat area, arms wide in welcome.

It should have been his niece who captured his attention. Instead it was her nanny’s amazing smile. Even from this distance it delivered a punch straight to his belly.

The sunlight on her hair picked out warm auburn highlights he hadn’t noticed before. Suddenly she looked less staid and more vivacious.

She wasn’t beautiful but still she was stunning. Jake frowned. It wasn’t merely her hair and the colour whipped into her cheeks by the cold, but her look of sheer joy. Her smile was infectious. His mouth curled up at the corners.

Heat beat at his throat, his chest and lower. He wanted to see her smile athimthat way instead of pretending his collar or the view past his ear was more fascinating. He wanted to see her flushed with pleasure and exertion, beaming up athim.

The realisation corkscrewed through him, jagging his libido and setting off alarms.

She was hisemployee. He still had reservations about her, nothing he could put his finger on but still...

‘Well done,’ he called out, heading towards them. ‘You didn’t tell me you were so good on the snow, Ariane.’

‘Uncle Jake! Did you see? I slided all by myself.’

Her grin was the one he remembered from St Ancilla, from before the accident. It made his breath catch in his lungs. She’d always been a sunny child and he’d told himself she would be again. Yet seeing proof that with time and care she could recover from the recent trauma perversely reminded him again of how much they’d both lost, and how precious she was.

Nothing, he vowed, would upset her world again if he could help it.

‘I saw. I’m very impressed. Was that your first time by yourself?’

She nodded so vigorously a bright coppery curl that had escaped her woolly hat danced around her face.

‘Want to see me do it again?’

He nodded. ‘I sure do. Then you could teach me.’

For answer she looked at Caro as if seeking permission.

The nanny nodded. ‘Remember, not too high, Ariane.’

Jake watched his niece climb off and head back up the slope, dragging the lightweight toboggan behind her. He was tempted to intervene and carry her burden, or offer to accompany her but he held back, seeing the determined thrust of her small chin.

He turned to find Caro watching him, an unreadable expression in her eyes. Instantly he felt that clenching awareness low in his belly, that hot swirl in his blood. Her arms were wrapped defensively around her middle. Did she too feel the tug between them, or was she just cold?

‘I’ll go and help her.’ She made to turn and follow Ariane up the slight slope.

‘No!’ At his command she stopped, brows raised at his urgent tone. ‘Let her do it herself.’ Jake told himself he wasn’t prompted by the need to keep the woman near him.

Caro looked over her shoulder at Ariane then nodded. ‘You’re right.’ She slanted a look at him then away.

‘What?’

She shrugged then met his stare. ‘I might be wrong but I think, as well as the sheer fun of the slide, it’s that sense of being in charge that she’s enjoying.’

‘Because everything in her life has upended?’

Caro nodded. ‘All the things she could depend on have gone or changed. And though you’ve done what you can to establish a home and a routine, she probably feels the world is a scary place.’

The air Jake drew into his chest seemed thick and rough. She was right. Ariane had been through so much. She must feel powerless and adrift. Which was why it was important she have stability.

‘You like working with her?’ He hadn’t consciously formed the question but suddenly he had to know. Providing the right carer for Ariane wasn’t just a matter of him approving someone, but of that someone wanting to stay. Given how Ariane responded to Caro Rivage it appeared that someone was standing before him.

Caro’s eyes widened. ‘Of course! Why? Aren’t you satisfied with—?’

Jake raised a placating hand. ‘I’m satisfied. So far,’ he amended. ‘I wanted to hear your perspective.’

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