Page 17 of Claimed By the Crown Prince

The article was from a month or so ago, so it had nothing to do with his current disappearance.

Laia breathed a sigh of relief and absorbed the fact that perhaps Dax didn’t seem too put out by his current situation because he’d already been taking time out? For what?Wasthere someone special? Hardly, if he wasn’t asking her to let anyone else know he was okay.

For a moment Laia wondered what it would be like to have someone like Dax care enough about you to let you know he was okay. To care enough about him to be worried about him.

She felt a swooping sensation in her lower belly and quickly shut her laptop.

Maybe she would follow Dax’s lead and go to the gym...try to work off some of the restless energy she was feeling. She told herself itwasn’tbecause she was more acutely aware than ever that she had one of the world’s most notorious playboys on her private island and completely at her behest.

The words that he’d said to her on that first day came back in her head.‘Now you have me here, what are you going to do with me?’

Laia let out a sound of frustration and left her room—but not until she’d made sure it was locked again.

Late that afternoon, Dax was flicking through the apps on the TV in the media room when he heard a sound and looked up to see Laia in the doorway. He went very still.

Every inch of her athletic physique was lovingly outlined by the clinging Lycra of her leggings and the tank top she wore. Her hair was pulled back and up into a ponytail. Her face was clean of make-up. A little shiny from exertion.

Dax’s entire body pulsed with awareness and something much more basic—lust.

He realised she was holding something. A mobile phone. She came into the room and said, ‘I have your assistant John on the phone. He wants to verify that it is you who is sending the instructions via email.’

Dax stood up. He held out his hand for the phone. But she shook her head.

She said, ‘I have it on mute at the moment. I’ll put him on speaker.’

Dax almost smiled. It would be nothing for him to take the phone from Laia, but he had to admit that he felt disinclined to do it. He told himself that it was because he knew gaining her trust would be far more effective.

‘Okay.’ He folded his arms.

Laia unmuted the phone and pressed the speaker button. She said, ‘Okay, John, go ahead.’

‘Dax, are you there?’

Dax didn’t take his gaze off Laia’s. ‘I’m here. Did you get the email?’

‘Yeah... I just wanted to make sure it really was you. What’s going on Dax? Is everything okay?’

Laia’s finger hovered over the disconnect button.

Dax said, ‘Everything is fine. If I need anything else I’ll contact you. I’m on a holiday and I don’t want to be disturbed unless it’s urgent, okay? If my brother calls looking for me, tell him I’m still working on his project.’

His assistant sounded bemused. ‘Okay... Dax, do you know how long you’ll be on this holiday?’

Laia took the phone off speaker and turned around, saying into it, ‘Sorry, John, Dax has just stepped out. He’ll be away for at least ten days, okay? Thank you.’

She terminated the call.

But Dax had barely even heard what she’d said because his gaze was glued to her behind. High and firm. More lush than he would have imagined.Sexy.He had a sense that she wasn’t even aware of that. There was an innocence about her that made him wonder fleetingly if she might still be a virgin. There’d certainly never been any hint of a relationship or even an affair in the press, in spite of her socialising.

Or not socialising.

His suspicions about that rang even louder now.

She turned around and he lifted his gaze. Her face was pink. He unsettled her. He couldn’t deny a deep sense of satisfaction that he had such an effect on her. That he could ruffle that serene surface.

And nothing will ever come of it.

A lead weight settled in his belly.

---