Page 23 of His Impossible Heir

Amanda blinked, staring at her friend with serious eyes. “I’m sorry, but…weren’t we talking about the guy with the hole in his head a moment ago?”

“Yes. Of course.”

Amanda slumped in her chair. “Okay, so could you explain the leap you made from the dead stranger in my hotel suite to me having a fling with a random stranger?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “First of all, Crown Prince Daniesh Odenton of Quarati is not a random stranger.”

Amanda crossed her legs and her arms while her eyebrows shot up. “Out of that whole statement, the first point is the random stranger issue?” she queried. “Not the dead body issue?”

Emma laughed and mimicked Amanda’s posture. “Well, Rayed’s security team is already looking into the dead stranger.”

“Why?” Amanda interjected. “Shouldn’t the police be investigating?”

Emma snorted. “The police think you killed him. They’re looking at all of the evidence with an eye to confirming their hypothesis.”

That news stunned Amanda. For a moment, everything inside of her went slack. “Seriously?”

“Yep.”

She stared at her best friend, not sure how to respond. “But…that’s wrong!”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Amanda, please don’t try to convince me that you live in a fantasy world where people aren’t lazy. Those detectives have a gift in you. You’re a foreigner with few resources. You’re the perfect person to pin this murder on to close the case quickly.”

Amanda sighed, then slumped slightly. “You’re right.” Leaning her head back, she slapped her hands over her face. “This is such a mess!”

“I agree. However, I have the perfect solution.”

Amanda lifted her head again and peeked at her friend through her fingers. “What’s that?”

“Have sex with Daniesh.”

The four words hung in the air, vibrating between them. Amanda’s heart pounded, her body began to thrum with hope. Sex with Daniesh?

Amanda realized that she was staring at Emma and shook her head, trying to dislodge the images. “I…uh…can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

Why not? Because it was crazy! The idea of having sex with…with him…was outrageous! “Because…well, because I just…”

Emma leaned forward. “Look, Daniesh is very attracted to you. You’re attracted to Daniesh. I can guarantee he’s a good man. He’s handsome, powerful, attractive, and what’s even more important, you want to have sex with him, and he with you.”

Amanda wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t. So instead, she asked, “Says who?” Not the most pithy response, but…hell, she was being framed for murder! If ever there was an excuse for fuzzy thinking, that was a good one!

Emma snorted. “Says you! I saw you when you came back in from the terrace last night. You were completely dazed from his kiss.”

After an uncomfortable squirm in the plush chair, Amanda asked, “Who says that he kissed me?”

Emma’s gaze turned cynical. “Are you seriously going to try to convince me that you didn’t kiss him last night? You went out onto the terrace looking slightly wary and came back inside with a dreamy, completely stunned expression. So, there’s no way you can convince me that you were out there arguing about investment strategies.”

Amanda laughed and the sound eased some of the tension in her shoulders. “So, you’re saying I should go from just a kiss to hopping in bed with the man?”

Emma nodded emphatically. “Purely medicinal. To ease the stress of being accused of murder, as well as going through a ridiculous investigation.”

It was Amanda’s turn to roll her eyes. “Right. And after all of our years together and late night chats over cheap, barely drinkable wine, you think I’m the type who would indulge in casual sex?”

Emma groaned, then sighed heavily. “Okay, no. You’re definitely not the casual sex type.” She leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her knees. “How about this; if the opportunity arises to have sex with Daniesh, take it.” She lifted her hand, stopping Amanda’s argument. “I’m not saying that you should jump the guy and climb him like a monkey. I’m just saying that, if things should progress and you’re in the mood, he’s in the mood, and you have the time, why not indulge?” She paused, then pointed out the window. “You’re in Paris. It’s one of the most romantic cities in the world. It’s the perfect place to splurge a bit, not just on the clothes and the food, but maybe on a certain man that…Isuspect,” she paused, emphasizing the verb, “genuinely cares about you.”

Another knock on the door revealed the man in question. Rayed followed, but Amanda only had eyes for Daniesh. When he came in, he paused by the doorway, sliding his hands into his pockets. It wasn’t the way he stood that caused her heart to flutter. It was the way he looked at her. It was almost as if he’d heard what she and Emma had been discussing! But…was that possible? The door had been closed. Hadn’t it?

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