He gathered their clothes, and with his arm around her waist, he led her through the low, arched doorway in the thick walls, and along the dark, cold passage that led from the old palace to the relatively modern fourteenth-century wing.
On the dark silk sheets of his bed, he dressed her in deep blue lapis, the gold-flecked stone mystical in the candlelight against her golden skin.
Then emeralds. The heavy collar circled her slender neck and brought out the vivid green of her eyes.
Magic.
The familiar environment of his bedroom—the room he had slept in since birth and which he would one day share with his wife—seemed transformed by her presence.
True, he had invited girls to try on the royal collection before. This particular seduction technique was surefire. He’d recommend it to anyone with a priceless collection of ancient treasures and a beautiful but hesitant woman.
Right now, he was the one being seduced. Not by the sight of hammered gold or precious jewels, but by the splendid woman wearing them.
“You’re spoiling me, Sebastian. What if I wake up tomorrow and just don’t feel like myself without emeralds on?”
“There’s an easy cure for that. Emeralds.”
“Being a prince definitely makes you lose touch with reality.”
“I’m in touch with reality,” he protested. Mostly he wanted to touch her breasts, high and enticing. Or her thighs, sleek, long and gleaming in the warm light.
“There won’t be any emeralds in my life once I go home.”
He frowned. Go home? Why on earth was she thinking about that now? The prospect wrenched at his gut.
“There will always be emeralds in your life,” he growled. “Your eyes.”
Her sweet laughter tickled his ears. “You’re sweeping me off my feet and it’s not a nice thing to do. I have a regular life to go back to. I think Caspia has ruined me for everywhere else.”
“You’re falling in love with our country?”
She startled a little when he said the L word.
Truth be told, he did, too.
She recovered quickly. “How could I not? Everything about it is perfect. The sea, the sky, the mountains, the lovely people.”
“The dust, the flies, roaming goats, the smell of raw fish.” He narrowed his eyes and tried not to smile.
Her eyes shone. “Exactly. They’re all perfect.”
His chest tightened as a rush of feeling flowed through him. He did love everything about his country. Even the things others might criticize. Now Tessa felt the same?
Perfect.
She’d better not be thinking about going back to Phil or Paul or whatever his name was. Throwing her life away in a gamble for some elusive happy-ever-after.
He’d cure her of him.
By the time he was done with her tonight, she wouldn’t be able to think about anyone. She’d be too exhausted, satiated and suffused with pleasure to remember her own name.
He’d make sure of it.
Desire shivered through him. He wanted her naked again, with nothing between them. The jewels ornamented her beauty, but didn’t enhance it.
Tessa was most beautiful as simply herself.
He unhooked the heavy emerald necklace and pressed a warm kiss to her lips.
Her tongue sneaked into his mouth as she kissed him back with passion. Forgotten, the strings of green gems slid between her lush, high breasts and got lost somewhere down in the sheets.
Sebastian got lost somewhere in her lips, in the soft embrace of her arms and the rich sweet scent of her.
When he made love to her again, he didn’t think about charming her or cajoling her or trying to win her over.
He couldn’t think about anything. His heart was too full with emotions he couldn’t name.
His heart?
His friends teased him for being heartless, but Sebastian always laughed it off. He wasn’t heartless. In fact, he was very affectionate and caring.
Just on a short-term basis.
But tonight…
Tessa’s head lay on the pillow next to him, her golden lashes lowered in sweet sleep, her hair flung back from her lovely face.
He drew in a long, sharp breath, which didn’t ease the strange fullness in his chest.
He had a heart, all right. And he was in serious danger of losing it.
Nine
T essa didn’t show up at breakfast.
Not to worry, Sebastian told himself. She was a big girl and he wasn’t her shadow.
Sebastian sat at the table and helped himself to some eggs. His dad was immersed in the London Times and his mom was already gabbing on the phone about some charity luncheon.
He yawned and reached for the silver tray with his mail. He tried to forget the groaning stack of unread correspondence in his New York apartment. A couple of party invitations. A postcard from his pal Ravi, trekking in Nepal. He slit open a slim ivory envelope with his silver opener.
He saw black letters, printed so neatly a machine could have done it.
You are the future King of Caspia.
Your children will rule Caspia one day.
Do not insult our nation and take a foreign bride.
Especially one who is of low birth.
There was a long gap on the paper.
Then the words.
Like Tessa Banks.
Sebastian’s empty stomach growled, as much with rage as hunger. Who dared to insult Tessa in this way?
He lifted the coffeepot from its open-flame burner and placed the crumpled sheet directly on the flames. It withered into a leaf, then turned to ash.
His mother looked up. “What on earth are you doing, dear?”
“Destroying trash.”
“You could have asked Theo for a wastepaper basket.”
“Yes.” He ripped off a hunk of fresh bread. He was used to petty jealousies and trumped-up scandals. Gossipmongers looking for drama.
They came with the territory of monarchy.
Already the note drifted from his mind like the burned-out embers.
In the spacious palace offices, Tessa spread her notes and contact information out on an antique desk. She planned to call all the meeting attendees to confirm their arrival times and remind them what was expected of them
She’d even dressed in a smart beige pantsuit. She was here on business, and intended to remind people of that fact. Lately she’d noticed the staff giving her sideways looks in the hallways. No doubt they wondered what she was up to, gallivanting all over Caspia with their prince when she was here to arrange a meeting and organize some files.
Whatever they were thinking, she’d prove them wrong.
Well, not wrong, exactly. It was a bit late for that.
She pushed her hair out of her eyes and blew out a breath.
She’d succumbed to Sebastian’s charms like so many other women before her.
She probably never stood a chance. Everything about Sebastian was intoxicating. His energy and spirit, his warmth and passion, his kindness and—
Hello, you have a job to do.
Tessa flipped through the numbers in her PDA and was about to dial the first.
Then she hesitated. She suddenly remembered the way Sebastian had looked at her last night, as she sat on his magnificent bed, decked out in his country’s royal splendor.
The memory took her breath away. His eyes, dark and wide and so full of…love.
Impossible?
Suddenly hot, she lifted her hair off her neck. It was hard to think. Thoughts of Sebastian consumed her mind and tormented her body.
She couldn’t forget his rough yet gentle hands on her body, his rousing kisses, or the lovemaking that left her gasping and shivering with ecstasy.
Then there were his intimate conversation, his genial smiles and encouraging caresses.
Of course, he was warm and enthusiastic with everyone. Sebastian never met a person, or an animal, he didn’t like. She’d even seen him give a friendly and encouraging pat
to an olive tree.
She couldn’t help smiling as her chest filled with affection for him.
They’d worked together for nearly five years and their relationship had always been professional. Cordial. Polite.
Suddenly it was so different.
He’d danced with her in front of hundreds of guests at the ball. Held her and kissed her as if she was his…girlfriend. Was she totally delusional in imagining it as a possibility?
Her PDA screen had gone blank. Hey, you’re here to work. She snapped herself to attention and punched the button to make the first call. It would be embarrassing if no one showed up for the meeting.
Still, she wondered if Sebastian was already looking for her. Maybe even heading toward her right now.
Her fingers and toes tingled with delicious anticipation.
Once the first round of phone calls was made, the sun was high in the sky. She decided to step out onto the terrace outside the offices and enjoy the view of the harbor and some heliotheraphy while she typed the agenda from her notes.
She stepped over the threshold, put her laptop on a carved, stone table and stretched.
Then she noticed someone watching her.
A tall, slim woman. Standing on the far side of the long terrace, in the opposite direction from the harbor.
“Ms. Banks.” The woman’s voice rang out across the stone tiles.
“Hello?” Tessa squinted in the sun. It wasn’t the queen, but she looked vaguely familiar.
Faris. The woman from last night with the blue dress and the snotty remarks. What was she doing here?
Faris marched toward her, heels clicking on the stone tiles. A long white dress draped over her slender yet voluptuous body.
“I imagine you’re busy arranging all the details of your little meeting.”
Tessa’s back stiffened. “It’s a pretty big meeting. Thirty principals.”
Faris waved an elegant hand. A tinkly laugh grated on Tessa’s ears. “How tiresome to put it all together. I do admire you working girls. I’d never be able to keep up a fake smile while wading through all that drudgery.”
“Hardly drudgery here on this lovely terrace. I couldn’t be happier.” Tessa forced a bright smile. Her hand itched to slap Faris’s expertly made-up cheek, but she managed to resist.
“It must be marvelous to be content with so little. But I suppose you get used to it.” Faris glanced out at the horizon, as if deep in philosophical contemplation. “I imagine the difficult part will be going back to the rat race once you’ve become used to living in a palace.”
“I suspect I’ll manage.” Tessa arranged her papers on the table. She tried not to think about how hard it really would be to return to the dreary world of subway platforms and electric bills.
There wasn’t going to be any liberating move to California now. By sleeping with Sebastian she’d slammed the door on that possible future.
Unease tightened her muscles, along with guilt that she’d cheated on Patrick and fear of what lay ahead of her now. She wasn’t really foolish enough to think that she had a future with Sebastian.
Was she?
“Sebastian’s such a charmer, isn’t he?” Faris stood over her, casting a long shadow across Tessa’s notes. “Let me guess. He gave you his famous ‘royal treatment.’”
Tessa frowned. “Sebastian has been very gracious.”
Faris tilted her head. “Which did he choose first? The gold diadem or the emerald necklace?” A smile played about her perfectly shaped mouth.
Tessa’s own mouth dropped open.
“Oh, come on. Just between us girls. Those rubies are heavy, aren’t they?”
“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She swallowed hard.
Faris narrowed her dark eyes. “Did you think you were special?” She pouted. “Oh. Sebastian can be quite wicked. Don’t take it personally, though. He doesn’t mean to break your heart, he just can’t help it.”
Her laugh rattled in the air. “And you shouldn’t feel bad, either. Half the women of Europe have worn those jewels with stars in their eyes, myself included.”
Tessa was seeing stars in front of her eyes right now. Her desire to slap Faris was morphing into a desire to get face-to-face with Sebastian and—
She sucked in a deep breath. “I hate to be so…bourgeois, but I’m afraid I have work to do.”
Faris smiled. “Of course you do. I just thought I should warn you. That’s all. As a friend.”
The final word dripped with malice.
Tessa’s good cheer plummeted with each farewell click of Faris’s sharp heels.
She sagged into the cushioned wrought iron chair. The bright sun and the glare of white buildings and blue sea hurt her eyes.
How naive could she be?
Did she really think Sebastian dressed her up like a queen because he wanted to make her his queen?
It was a little fun foreplay for him.
A practiced seduction technique.
Not that he needed to seduce her. She’d been ready to rip his clothes off on the dance floor.
Besides, they’d already made love—no, scratch that, they’d had sex—before he started weighing her down with jewels.
She drew in a ragged breath. She had nothing to be ashamed of. She hadn’t begged to get decked out like a Homerian goddess. It was all his idea.
And he had enjoyed it.
Even now her heart swelled as she remembered the caress of his dark eyes. Of his big, gentle hands.
Her PDA vibrated and she picked it up.
The number on the screen made her heart thud.
She inhaled and composed herself. “Hi, Sebastian. How are you?”
“That depends on how you are.” His low, seductive voice tickled her ear.
“I’m fine.”
“Theo told me you had breakfast early so you could get to work.”
“Yes. I had to call the meeting attendees. Make sure they’re coming.” She could barely get the words out. “I’m about to type the agenda.”
“Can you fit me into your agenda today?” His tone was warm and flirtatious. She couldn’t help a stirring of excitement in her chest.
Then the image of Faris, mocking her about the jewels, cooled her blood. “You’re the boss.”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Want to go for a ride?”
“I can’t. I haven’t even started the agenda yet and the meeting is tomorrow. Let me get it typed up so you can look at it. This afternoon I’ll print and collate the copies.”
“I’m sure someone else could do all that.”
“It’s my job.”
“Magna misses you.”
“Who?”
“Your horse. She told me this morning.”
“Oh, stop.” She couldn’t resist chuckling. “She’s probably plotting her revenge.”
“I’m plotting my revenge. I can’t believe you beat me to the top of the crag last time. I’ve got a reputation to defend.”
Tessa’s blood heated with the thought of racing up the mountainside on the athletic and bighearted mare.
The prospect of another carefree, exhilarating day with Sebastian.
But it wouldn’t be the same. Not now that she knew the magical night they’d shared had been a standard offering from his well-worn repertoire.
Her heart clenched. “I wish I could, but there’s so little time left that I need to focus and get this done. I’ve goofed off enough already.”
“It doesn’t count as goofing off when it’s on the boss’s orders.”
He sounded so cheerful. He obviously thought he had her thoroughly under his spell.
Which was true, until a few minutes ago.
She actually owed a debt of gratitude to the mean-spirited Faris.
“I should command you to cease and desist all tiresome administrative activities.”
“I’m not in the mood to be commanded.”
“I might be.”
Oh, why could she picture his
mischievous grin so clearly? Her chest hurt with trying to fight off emotion.
“Seriously, I want to get this done.” At least then she would have actually accomplished something here in Caspia other than being Sebastian’s Playmate-of-the-Week.
“Okay, okay. But don’t miss lunch or I’ll have the royal guard hunt you down. One o’clock in the dining room.”
“Sure.” She hung up.
She could make it through another lunch. Another dinner even. She could smile and be polite and hold her chin up.
The meeting was tomorrow and after that she could begin the heartbreaking process of leaving behind the most wonderful days of her life.
Of trying to forget Sebastian.
“Tessa!” Sebastian rose to greet her as she entered the dining room on trembling legs. She hadn’t seen Sebastian’s parents—aka the king and queen—since her embarrassing display at the ball the previous night.
“Good afternoon,” she said with what she hoped was an obsequious nod.
“Come sit here next to Mama.” Sebastian indicated an empty chair. His mother looked every bit as surprised and not-delighted as Tessa. What was he trying to pull?
She did like the way he still called his mother “Mama.” It was kind of cute.
For a womanizing jerk.
Sebastian held out the chair next to his mother for Tessa then returned to his seat on the other side of her. His father sat farther down the table, perusing a newspaper folded open to the crossword puzzle.
The prickly and poised Queen of Caspia surveyed Tessa down the length of her elegant nose. “How are preparations for the meeting coming?”
Tessa opened her mouth to reply, but Sebastian cut her off.
“She doesn’t want to talk about that boring stuff. Didn’t she look radiant at the dance last night?”
His dark eyes shone with the same admiration she dimly remembered from—Oh, my gosh. It was only this morning he’d layered soft, wet kisses over her neck and breasts.
“Yes. That was a pretty dress, dear. From one of your new boutiques?” She managed her entire response without glancing at Tessa.
Sebastian shot Tessa a warm smile. He didn’t seem to notice she wasn’t glowing back. A young man in a white uniform served her bread and salads, and she tried to eat a bite or two. But it was hard.
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