Royal Seduction

by Donna Clayton

  The silence grew awkward, and he realized she was waiting for more information. Well, she wouldn’t get it from him.

  “Another way to accomplish your goal,” he said, “is by working out at our exercise facility.” Proud of his smooth transition, he continued, “The gym is on the second floor. Take the elevator at the end of the hall. You can’t miss it.”

  From the look on her face, he could tell she recognized the dismissal for what it was. Her silky blond hair fell over her shoulder as she shifted to pick up the booklet from the table. She took her time sliding out of her chair, the muscles in her shapely legs tensing, long and lean.

  Riley didn’t want to look, but he couldn’t help himself.

  Placing her hands on the padded armrests, she raised up to her full height. She had excellent posture, he noticed, his gaze skimming along the flare of her hips, her trim waist, the lush curve of her breasts. His tongue stuck to the roof of his cottony mouth. He couldn’t swallow.

  The woman was a knockout.

  Her sapphire eyes flashed. “I want to thank you for the time you’ve spent with me today. You’ve been very helpful.”

  She lied with the utter perfection of having been schooled in the art. If his cheek muscles hadn’t been paralyzed by her mere presence, he just might have smiled.

  When she took a step toward him, the light scent of sun-warmed flowers wafted in the still air of the conference room. His gut tensed, and he could almost feel the smoky tendrils of that enticing trance plucking at him, tempting him all over again.

  Time to make an exit. Riley murmured, “Have a great evening.”

  The fact that it was only two in the afternoon wasn’t lost on him, but it was too late to retract his valediction, as he’d already turned on his heel and scurried from the room like a frightened rabbit.

  Oregon was a lush and beautiful state. Catherine had landed in LAX and chartered a small private plane to Portland. This city had been very lucky for her cousin Max. He’d found great happiness here. Was she hoping it would be lucky for her, too?

  Sighing, she lifted her face up to the sunshine. The trainer she’d met in the gym had encouraged her to work hard. Then she’d whiled away the afternoon with a good, long steam, a massage and a warm shower. She felt like a new woman as she pushed open the glass doors and exited the clinic.

  She’d told her father she needed time. That hadn’t been a lie. She wished she had more than the two weeks he’d given her to get used to the idea of marrying a man she didn’t love. She’d told her father she planned to shop for her trousseau. On that point she’d stretched the truth a bit, she feared. Shopping for a wedding she wanted nothing to do with wasn’t high on her priority list.

  She wasn’t quite sure what she was looking for from this trip. But for right now, she simply wanted to forget about home, forget she was royal, forget all about her impending engagement, her looming nuptials. She wanted to be just like everyone else. Was that so much to ask?

  “Dr. Lassen, hello!” Catherine was pleasantly surprised to meet the nutritionist in the outdoor breezeway between the hospital and the new health clinic. “It’s a beautiful afternoon, isn’t it?”

  “Lovely.” The doctor greeted her with a smile. “I’m awfully sorry I couldn’t check in on you as I’d promised, Catherine.”

  “It’s quite all right. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but you look awfully harried.”

  The woman nodded. “I just came out of a meeting. Many men. Much testosterone.”

  “Stressful, huh?” Catherine grinned. “Sounds like you need a break. I was just looking for a place to have a cup of tea. Want to join me?”

  Dr. Lassen shifted her briefcase from one hand to the other. “I’d love to. And I’d kill for a muffin to go along with it. I worked right through lunch today and then I had to meet with hospital administration all afternoon.”

  “Let’s find you something to eat, then,” Catherine said.

  “There’s a coffee shop just around the corner.”

  They headed off along the crowded sidewalk.

  “How did you make out today?” Dr. Lassen asked.

  Humor had Catherine’s mouth twitching. “Who was that man you sent to see me? The one who filled in for Sally.”

  “Dr. Riley Jacobs. He’s the new director at the clinic,” she said.

  Dr. Riley Jacobs. His treatment of her had left Catherine feeling a bit put off. And surprised.

  She’d read a great write-up about Portland’s Healthy Living Clinic in the newspaper the very first day of her arrival. Apparently it was a friendly place, one that was extremely popular with the locals. Unlike some of the exclusive fitness centers that catered to the affluent sector of the population, this clinic was a facility where anyone and everyone could go to improve their health and well-being.

  Since she’d decided to shed her royal status and become a run-of-the-mill tourist for a bit, Catherine had thought that the clinic could be the perfect place for her to meet people as well as lose a few extra pounds.

  She’d toured the clinic with Faye Lassen yesterday and had arrived today feeling fired up about starting her fitness regimen…but the handsome Dr. Riley Jacobs had nearly snuffed out her flame.

  “Why?” Faye frowned slightly. “What did he do?”

  “Well,” Catherine began, “I guess it’s more what he didn’t do.”

  Before she could explain further, they arrived at the coffee shop and spent a few moments being seated by the hostess. And then the waitress arrived with menus.

  “I don’t believe we need those,” Catherine told the teenager. “We’d like two cups of tea, please. And a muffin for Dr. Lassen.”

  “Blueberry or low-fat bran?” the waitress asked the doctor.

  Dr. Lassen chose the bran.

  Once the teen walked away, Dr. Lassen planted both elbows on the tabletop. “Now that you’ve rescued me for a much-needed break, I think that makes us friends, don’t you think? You have to call me Faye.”

  Catherine smiled. “I’ll be happy to call you both. Faye and friend.”

  Faye reached for the napkin, shook it out and placed it in her lap. “Now let’s get back to Dr. Jacobs and what it was he didn’t do. He was supposed to go over the nutrition information with you, but if you have to ask his name, it seems he didn’t even introduce himself.”

  “Oh, he attempted to go over the information,” she assured Faye. “But something happened. He seemed to become…” Catherine searched for just the right word, but finally had to settle on one that didn’t seem to her to be quite appropriate. “Befuddled.”

  Faye reached up and pushed her glasses higher on her nose. “I’d use a lot of words to describe Dr. Jacobs, but befuddled would never be one of them. He’s extremely capable. Very intense. So much so that he can be a little grumpy at times.”

  “Bearish and brusque was the description I came up with.” Catherine grinned. Once he’d left the conference room and she realized that her nose had gotten out of joint, she’d decided that no one—other than her father—had ever treated her so curtly before. She’d wanted to call after Dr. Jacobs and ask if he had any idea just who she was. However, she’d immediately chuckled to herself.

  Of course, he hadn’t had any idea who she was. And that was exactly how she wanted it.

  The entire time she was working out in the gym, she’d thought about the incident, and she was actually pleased that the man had felt free enough to show his true colors. If he’d known her identity, he’d have probably been less candid.

  She’d wanted to forget the problem she was facing and experience the regular, workaday world. And that was just what she was doing.

  “Ah, so you did see his gruff side.”

  “Just a touch.”

  Faye sighed. “Sorry about that.”

  The waitress served their tea and Faye’s muffin. Both women thanked the girl before she went off to check on other customers.

  “Don’t apologize,” Catherine said to Faye,
automatically reaching for the string attached to the tea bag. “He didn’t bother me. In fact, I may have deserved the terseness. I was pressing for information, you see. I’d heard about NoWait from some of the people I’d talked to before leaving the clinic yesterday. When he told me the oil wasn’t being used any longer, I should have left well enough alone.” She lifted one shoulder a fraction. “But I didn’t.”

  Faye’s mouth flattened. “Yes, we have pulled NoWait. For the time being, anyway. In fact, Dr. Jacobs is still in the meeting with hospital administration. He arrived after he’d met with you. It was his decision to stop using NoWait. But I back him one hundred percent.”

  Catherine was disappointed all over again. From what she’d heard from the people in the gym that oil was like some kind of phenomenon. “That’s too bad.”

  “It was causing some side effects that were…unexpected.” Faye seemed to put extra effort into splitting her muffin in half.

  The comment made Catherine curious, but her probing for information on NoWait had already gotten her into trouble once today so she let her questions go unasked. “Well, unexpected side effects can’t be good.”

  Faye lifted her chin. “That’s the consensus of hospital administration, too. But we’re thinking of doing some testing. That’s what Dr. Jacobs is up there discussing now.” She nibbled the muffin and swallowed. “Now, back to your session with him. Did he answer your questions about a healthy diet? If not, I’m going to give him what for when I get back to the clinic.”

  “Oh, please, no.” Catherine set the tea bag on the saucer. “Don’t say anything to him. As I said, he did go over a little bit with me.”

  A very little bit.

  She paused long enough to sip from the cup. “But then he got all flustered and started repeating himself.” She tried not to smile. “He seemed to be a little confused with the time of day. He was tense about something, that much was clear.” Absently, she picked up her spoon and swirled it in the hot liquid. “He actually ended up rushing out of the room.”

  “Hmmm.” Faye’s eyebrows arched. “That sure doesn’t sound like him at all.” Something in her gaze twinkled. “But the mere peculiarity of it does sound interesting, though.”

  After a moment, Catherine commented, “He doesn’t smile much, does he?” Then she lapsed back into memories of her short time with him. Finally, she couldn’t hold back her question any longer. “Is he married?”

  Faye stirred a splash of cream into her tea. “Dr. Jacobs? No.”

  The cup warmed Catherine’s fingers as she cradled it between both hands. “He’s quite good-looking.”

  “Um-hmm,” Faye agreed. She tipped her head a fraction. “You interested?”

  “Let’s put it this way, I like handsome men just as much as any other woman does.” Catherine straightened the angle of the spoon sitting in her saucer. “I don’t mind admitting that there’s something about Dr. Jacobs that intrigues me….”

  Ever since she’d turned twenty-one, she’d had a slew of men chosen for her—very wealthy, very appropriate, very boring and forgettable men. But there was nothing about Riley Jacobs that was forgettable. In fact, he had been on her mind all afternoon. What was it about him that attracted her?

  Almost as if she’d heard the silent question that whispered through Catherine’s head, Faye teasingly suggested, “Could it be the challenge?”

  A mysterious and awesome sensation suddenly filled her…a sensation so delicious it had her wanting to curl her toes into the soles of her shoes.

  “Could be,” Catherine breathed. “It very well could be.”

  Two

  Catherine sat in the exam room tapping her fingers against the side of the paper-covered mattress on which she sat. When she’d asked to make an appointment with Dr. Jacobs, she’d meant she merely wanted to talk to the man. However, the receptionist must have misunderstood and thought she needed medical assistance and had escorted her here.

  Oh, well. It didn’t matter to Catherine if she talked to Riley in his office or in an examination room. She only wanted to talk to him.

  Although the walls were painted a peaceful shade of blue, the newness of everything lent a stark feel. She wondered if all doctors in America tended to their patients in such impersonal surroundings.

  A robe had been draped on the mattress for her. But she hadn’t touched it. Catherine couldn’t imagine taking off her clothing and wrapping the flimsy fabric around her body.

  She felt a sudden appreciation for the royal physician who was on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for the von Husden family. Dr. Wallingford rushed to the palace to treat her father or her sisters or herself in the comfort of their own bedchambers whenever the need arose. However, house calls, as Americans would call them, were a thing of the past in this fast-paced, ultramodern society, she was sure.

  Sitting on the exam table, Catherine felt her heart flutter. Her bout of nerves was caused by the brazenness of summoning Dr. Riley Jacobs, she knew. There wasn’t a darn thing wrong with her. And she wondered how he would react to that. What he would say. How he would be. But the most interesting speculation of all was whether she could make him smile.

  That was her sole goal in being here.

  Normally, anywhere she went she was treated with the utmost respect. Everyone she met practically fell over themselves to supply her every whim. But Dr. Jacobs didn’t know she was Princess Catherine von Husden. He’d had no idea when they’d met the day before yesterday that he’d been in the presence of royalty.

  Royalty schmoyalty. What good was a gem-encrusted tiara, she wondered, if it kept you guessing whether people were treating you well simply because you were who you were, or because they truly wanted to be your friend?

  She wanted Dr. Jacobs to be her friend. Heck, that wasn’t the full truth. She wanted more from him than that. She’d come to Portland seeking a naughty adventure. This vacation she’d planned would be her one and only chance to experience the sparks that flashed between a man and a woman.

  All she had to do was figure out how to make his sparks flash. Catherine chuckled at the thought.

  However, instinct told her that if she was going to get anywhere with the good doctor, the first thing she had to do was make him smile.

  Two short raps on the door had her lifting her gaze. Dr. Jacobs pushed his way into the small exam room, his brow marred with a frown.

  “So where are you hurting? You strain a muscle in the gym?”

  Nothing like being direct. He was so grumpy, it was kind of cute.

  “Hello to you, too,” she said.

  Her bright greeting made him pause. He remained silent, just looking at her, and Catherine took full advantage of the quick second to give him a thorough once-over.

  His eyes were a rich shade of brown with enticing flecks of amber. His eyelashes were thick. His hair—chestnut-brown with deep red highlights—was short and traditionally styled. She liked his clean-cut look. His smooth skin had an olive tone.

  “When you were training to become a doctor,” she quipped, “you must have missed the lesson on bedside manner.”

  The bedazzling smile she offered him had won over the Queen of England, herself. Surely it would charm him, too.

  His frown faded, but his wide mouth didn’t curl up at the ends as she had hoped it would. Well, she’d just have to try harder.

  “Just trying to get down to business.” He tossed the file onto the counter and reached for the stethoscope draped around his neck.

  “I can’t say I know a thing about being a doctor,” she began, “but I’d think part of the ‘business’ of treating people is garnering their trust. Putting them at ease so they’ll feel comfortable enough to tell you about their problem.”

  His jaw went tight. Apparently he didn’t take kindly to her friendly advice.

  Feeling suddenly mischievous, she wondered just how far she could goad him until he caught on that he was being goaded.

  “What would it hurt f
or you to have come into the room and greeted me with a happy hello?”

  He dipped his chin just a bit. “Lady, I don’t give anyone a happy hello.”

  That didn’t surprise her in the least. “Well, maybe you should. And how about asking about my day? That might be nice.”

  The man looked about to implode, and Catherine could barely contain her laughter.

  “Do you know,” she continued, “that we met two days ago, sat down together and talked, and you never even introduced yourself. I didn’t know your name until I asked Dr. Lassen. You’re too tense, Dr. Jacobs. Too focused.” She pinched her chin between her thumb and fingers, narrowing her gaze. “Do you think that’s a problem you might need to work on?”

  A storm brewed all around him.

  “I’ll have you know,” he said, “that up until a week and a half ago, I was treating real patients with real problems. I didn’t have time for happy hellos.” Annoyance tightened the muscles in his face, making the angles sharper, more defined. “The people I treated were most often unconscious and completely helpless. There wasn’t time for polite conversation.”

  Wow, she’d whipped him up into a real huff. She ought to be ashamed that she’d enjoyed doing it.

  Curiosity had her wondering about the previous job he’d just described, but now wasn’t the time to ask. She was too close to her goal of provoking him to his limit. She tilted her head and queried, “So you’re saying I’m not real?”

  She injected the question with a jesting tone, let the humor she felt twinkle in her eyes.

  Finally realizing he was being purposely prodded, he shook his head. Then he looked down at the floor, chuckling.

  The sound was rich and heady. Catherine liked it. A lot.

  And when he lifted his gaze to hers, he was smiling.

  Smiling.

  A tingling heat permeated Catherine’s entire body.

  “No,” he said softly. “I’m not saying that at all. You’re perfectly real.”

  He draped his stethoscope back around his neck and laced his fingers together at his waist.

  “You should smile more often,” she told him.