by Kit Kyndall
“Harper again?” asked Asher with a hint of teasing in his tone. “You seem quite impressed by the American.”
“She’s good at what she does.” He winced at the defensiveness in his tone.
Like a shark smelling blood in the water, Sabrina joined in the teasing. “Are you doing everything Ms. Gaines says? Are you behaving yourself and following her around like a little puppy?”
He tried to take the ribbing in stride, knowing his siblings meant no harm, but the back of his neck was still heating, and he was gritting his teeth to prevent answering in anger. “You two are being ridiculously immature. Harper is here to help me, and I’m just taking advantage of that.”
“I’m certain you are, or perhaps she’s taking advantage of you,” said Asher with a wink. “She is lovely.”
“How would you know if she’s lovely? Have you been spending time with her?” The naked jealousy bleeding through his tone betrayed him, and he knew it was his own fault when they burst out laughing.
“I was just teasing, but I think there’s some truth to it.” Sabrina grinned at him. “It’s terribly romantic, isn’t it? Falling in love with the physical therapist that helps you get back on your feet.”
That was the second time he’d been accused of falling in love with her, and he didn’t like his reaction. It made him feel primal and possessive, if not a little freaked out by the whole idea. “Sabrina—”
Before he could finish his retort, Asher interrupted him. “Don’t be ridiculous, sister. I’m certain he’s not in love with her. You know what an aficionado Bennet is of the fairer sex. He enjoys sampling it all too much to settle for one taste.”
Before he could stop himself, Bennet slammed his hand on the table, making his brothers and sister jump in surprise. “That’s enough. The state of my relationship with Harper, whatever it might be, isn’t up for discussion or debate.”
For a moment, Asher looked serious, and then a slow smile spread across his lips. “I believe I was wrong, Sabrina. It appears Bennet might’ve finally found a flavor he could endure tasting every day for the rest of his life.”
“That’s enough, you two,” said Barret sternly. His authoritarian tone was enough to make both of them freeze and nod, carefully avoiding looking at Bennet, he was pleased to note. “Bennet’s been through a lot, and whatever motivates him to heal is a welcome addition.”
He certainly wasn’t ashamed of whatever was developing with Harper, but that didn’t mean he was ready to discuss it with his family just yet either.
***
When he emerged from the dining room almost an hour later, he was surprised to find Fiona waiting for him. It was obvious she was waiting just for him, because she stood up straight and approached him as he wheeled down the hallway. He didn’t pause to wait for her, so she simply increased her pace to keep up with him.
She didn’t speak for a moment, until they were away from the others, who had gone the opposite direction. Once they were out of hearing range, which was what he was certain she was waiting for, she passed and stood in front of him, forcing him to either stop his chair or run over her. It was tempting to keep going for a moment, but he reined it in at the last moment and stopped a hair’s breadth away from her. “What do you want, Fiona?”
She glared down at him, wearing her customary lemon face. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her smile. “I simply wanted to remind you that as a member of the Royal family of Montrovia, you’re obligated to marry someone of similar status. A lowly American with no breeding and no sizable wealth is certain to be unacceptable.”
He gritted his teeth as he glared up at her, mimicking her fierce frown. “My personal life is my business, not yours. You work for Barret, not me.”
She let out a hissing sound through her teeth, and he was almost shocked that she didn’t stomp her foot in the sensible heels she wore. “Everything I do is for this family, and you should be giving it the same consideration and courtesy. She isn’t good enough for you.”
He smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest. “And who is? You, Fiona?”
She looked genuinely disgusted. “Don’t be absurd. I’m simply asking you to think about your country and your family before you allow passion to overwhelm common sense.”
He let out a sigh, trying to suppress his anger. “Your concern is duly noted, though inappropriate and unappreciated. If and when I want counsel on my personal life from you, I’ll ask you for it.”
“Perhaps you should ask me where your precious American is this very moment?”
He didn’t like the sense of smugness in her tone, or the flash in her blue eyes. He knew he should just wheel on by her and ignore the exchange. He certainly shouldn’t respond to the taunts, but he couldn’t seem to make his chair move.
She didn’t wait for him to ask. With a cold smile, she said, “You can find her at the pool with the doctor that you seem to regard so highly. They’re in a very intimate position.” Without another word, she turned and stalked away.
Bennet stared after her for a moment, mulling over her words. It would be easy enough to disprove, but she’d seemed so smugly certain that he had a difficult time disbelieving her. He wanted to wheel himself back to his room and wait for Harper to show up for the morning session, and not give any weight to Fiona’s words. He assured himself that was what he was going to do as he started wheeling his chair forward.
Chapter Eight
“Why are you so quiet this morning?”
Harper looked up from the water, where her feet dangled in, to meet Tucker’s gaze. “I’m not.”
He smiled. “You are. You’re usually a morning person. It’s absolutely disgusting, so I can tell something is bothering you.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “It’s nothing. I guess I’m just tired.” She was also a bit cranky, though she had no right to be. Just because she’d gotten accustomed to having breakfast with Bennet didn’t give her the right to feel annoyed that he had chosen to eat with his siblings that morning without telling her first.
She’d shown up in his room at the usual time, prepared to eat before they started working. Tucker had greeted her in the hallway with the news that Bennet had risen early and decided to join his siblings for breakfast. When he had suggested they dine by the pool, she had acquiesced. Somehow, that had transitioned to sitting on the side with her feet dangling in the water, and not a bit of food in sight.
“I didn’t realize how much I’d missed you until I saw you again,” said Tucker. As he spoke, he reached for her hand and folded it in his. His dark skin was a complementary contrast to her lighter golden brown—tanned that color courtesy of the Montrovian sun and time spent by the pool.
She couldn’t explain why, but she felt uncomfortable holding his hand. It wasn’t that Tucker himself had done anything, but it felt wrong to her. It didn’t take hours of contemplation to realize why. Bennet. She was getting closer to him, and sitting this close to someone else and holding their hand felt a bit like the edge of cheating despite her innocent intentions, and her certainty that Tucker meant nothing by it. He’d always been an affectionate person, which had never bothered her until now. She gently tugged away her hand, softening the motion with a small smile. “I’ve missed you too. Emails and Skype just aren’t the same.
He let out a small sigh. “Why didn’t we work out?”
She shrugged. “You left, and I was okay with that. That says enough right there, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe we made a mistake.” As he said the words, he leaned forward to brush his lips against hers.
She was shocked enough by the gesture for a moment to remain still, but quickly pulled away and scooted a few inches to the left to put some distance between them. “I don’t think we did. Do you remember one thing we were lacking?”
He looked regretful. “Chemistry.”
She nodded, recalling the few times they had made love. It had never felt quite right, and it was only after their engagement broke up that she rea
lized their relationship had lacked the necessary component of passion to keep them together.
If she had loved him the way she was supposed to, and had been drawn to him the way she was to Bennet, she never would’ve allowed him to just walk away. She would have moved heaven and earth to find a way to go with him when he worked with Doctors Without Borders, or she would have implored him to stay until she finished training, and they could go together. Instead, she had been a little melancholy at his departure, but not heartbroken.
He patted her leg before leaning his hand on his lap. “Sorry, but I guess I needed to be sure.”
She arched a brow at his strange tone. “Sure that we’re over?”
He snorted as he laughed, then looked embarrassed. “No, I’m sure about that. I guess I was just grasping at straws and hoping to avoid facing something else.”
“What’s that?”
“I think I’ve fallen in love despite my best efforts not to. I don’t even know how it happened, or how it’s possible. She’s so awful and completely opposite of me. Rigid and conforming. The only time I’ve ever seen her worked up or passionate is when she’s spewing direct quotes from the decorum manual.”
Harper clapped her hand over her mouth as she started to get an inkling of who he was talking about. “No way,” she said, her words muffled by her palm. She dropped it to her lap and repeated them. “You can’t mean that.”
He looked a little bit nauseated. “That’s what I keep telling myself. It makes no sense at all, does it?”
She shook her head. “Are you even involved in any fashion?”
“Not unless you count verbal sparring. I think she hates me, and she’s clearly offended by the fact that I have a room in the family’s private wing. How could this be?” He scratched his short hair in a thoughtful way. “It’s crazy, isn’t it?”
She was tempted to giggle for a moment at the thought of the two of them together, but quickly reined in the impulse. “Maybe it’s crazy, but maybe it’s not impossible?” She needed to believe that for herself just as much as for Tucker and his unexpected love interest. “Do you think she feels the same way at all?”
“I’m not sure she feels anything except the stick wedged up her ass.” His expression turned rueful. “I’m starting to think even that’s adorable. I have it bad, Harper.”
She laid her head on his shoulder and patted his knee. “It’s the worst, isn’t it?”
He stiffened slightly, his tone only mildly curious when he asked, “Are you speaking from experience?”
She shrugged her other shoulder, the one that wasn’t leaning against him. “I can’t say just yet.”
He pulled away, and she lifted her head so that they were looking at each other. There were only a few inches between them, so they were able to whisper quietly.
“If you mean what I think you mean, you need to be careful. I don’t need to tell you what’s at stake.”
She nodded. “Everything I’ve worked so hard for, but somehow, it doesn’t seem as important as it used to.”
He seemed like he wanted to say something more, then he sighed. “I’m certainly not one to give advice on steering away from toxic relationships. Not that I think that yours would be toxic, but it could cause you great harm.”
“So could yours.” She chose to take a teasing track to lighten the mood. “You might end up with your own stick.”
His expression was one of mock horror. “Anything but that.”
With a laugh, she shook her head and got to her feet as she heard wheels moving forward on the concrete. “You’re incorrigible, and I have to get to work.”
He reached out and took her hand for a moment, squeezing it in a tender way. “Thank you.”
“And the same to you for not being Judgey McJudger.”
He looked morose as he turned his attention back to the water in the pool. “I’m the last person who should be judging anyone’s relationship.”
With a small word of parting, she turned her attention to Bennet, frowning when she saw his stark expression. “Are you ready to get to work?”
Without a word to her, he spun his chair and rolled back inside, not waiting for her to join him or keep up. With a frown, she followed behind him, wondering if he had somehow acquired his own stick.
***
Instead of continuing onto the therapy room, Bennet veered into his private suite. He heard her calling him, but didn’t wait for her. As soon as he cleared the door, he started to slam it shut. He rolled forward, irritated when the lack of slamming of the door against the jamb indicated she intercepted it before it could close. A moment later, he heard the door close far more quietly than it should have, but he refused to turn to look at her as she walked across the floor behind him. When she put her hand on his shoulder, he tensed and tried to shrug it off.
“What’s wrong, Bennet?”
He let out a snort. “As if you don’t know.”
Her hand moved from his shoulder, but only because she was coming to stand in front of him instead of behind. He turned his head away as she knelt down to be at his level, trying to ignore her fingers on his chin as she tried to coax him to look at her. He held out, but just barely.
“Please tell me what’s wrong. I don’t know how to fix it if I don’t know what the problem is.”
At those words, his head turned without his permission so he could glare at her. “You lied to me.”
She frowned, and her ragged inhalation was audible even from a few feet away. “How did I lie to you? I’ve never done that.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, angling his chin out of her hand to avoid her touch. He didn’t need her proximity distracting him. “You told me you were through with Tucker, and there was nothing left. You stood there and promised that you didn’t cheat either. It’s obvious you lied to me. How involved with him are you? Is it still just emotional, or have you resumed a physical relationship?”
She simply laughed, which only heightened his anger. He clutched the arms of his wheelchair to keep from screaming at her. “You think it’s funny? I trusted you, and you’ve betrayed me. I feel so much for you, much more than I ever wanted to, and you think it’s okay to—”
She put her fingers against his lips, which had the effect of silencing him immediately despite his urge to resist. It wasn’t as strong as the compulsion to be gentle with her even with how she’d hurt him.
“I’m assuming you saw Tucker kiss me?” At his jerky nod, she stroked her fingers across his lips. “He kissed me, not the other way around, but it was a last-ditch effort on his part. He was trying to avoid something, and he’d hoped he’d find a way with me. All the kiss did was remind him of one of the main reasons our relationship didn’t last. We have no chemistry, and our attraction wasn’t strong enough to overcome even the mildest of obstacles. He’s one of my best friends, but that’s it.”
“I don’t go around kissing my best friends.” He squirmed slightly in his chair, not willing to admit to her that only males comprised his best friends circle, and there were only a few among them. He could honestly say he’d never had any attraction to any of them.
“Neither do I. I also didn’t see the need to overreact and shove him into the pool or something. I was startled by his kiss, but I wasn’t moved by it in any fashion. And then when he explained why he did it…” She started giggling.
He arched a brow. “What’s so funny?”
She leaned closer, and his body didn’t stiffen in resistance at her touch this time, and he wasn’t sure he wanted it to anyway. She seemed so calm about the situation, and not at all guilty. Either she was a consummate liar and the world’s best actress, or there was truly no reason to be concerned about the brief moment between her and Tucker.
“He’s trying desperately not to love someone.”
He frowned. “Who? He hardly ever leaves the palace, especially since my accident. Is it someone on staff?”
She nodded, lips twitching as she clearly tried to contr
ol herself. “Fiona.”
His mouth dropped open, and a startled laugh escaped him. “That’s insane. She hates him.”
“I know, and I think he knows it too. You could see why he’s desperate to find a way out, but he quickly realized that wasn’t with me.”
He shook his head. “How is anyone able to fall in love with her? That requires some real fortitude.”
“It sure does. It would take more tenacity than I could ever hope to achieve.” Her amusement slowly faded, and her expression became serious. “I need love to be easier than that, and most importantly, reciprocal.”
“It should be effortless.”
She shook her head at his words. “It’s never effortless. Love requires work, and keeping a relationship together can be hard, but it should be worth the effort. I wouldn’t even try if I weren’t sure of that.”
“That makes sense, but sometimes you stumble into a relationship without ever intending to fall in love.”
She nodded. “Those are either the best or the worst kind. They have the potential to be amazing, but it could also completely destroy you.”
“If the other person feels the same way, they’re taking the same risk.” Tentatively, he reached out for her hand and brought it to his mouth to press his lips to her palm. “If you’re both taking the risk, it cuts it in half, right?”
She closed her eyes as his lips moved over her hand, letting out nothing more than a small moan for a long moment. Finally, she opened her eyes and said, “I’m ready.”
He frowned. “Ready for what?”
She didn’t answer directly. “I know we have an agreement that mornings are for physical therapy, and afternoons or evenings are for us, but do you think would be all right if we made an exception today?”
He could feel his brows creeping upward. “What kind of an exception, and for what?”
She moved closer, cupping his face between her palms after pulling free of his hold. Her lips brushed against his in a feathery kiss before she whispered, “I’m ready to make love with you.”
