The Royal Cousin's Revenge

by Catherine Mann

  Javier's hand was numb from how hard Victoria had squeezed it during the entire hazardous landing. He'd kept his calm, even though his own gut had twisted at the thought of her in danger.

  Now safely on the ground, he held the umbrella over her head as they raced through the sheeting rain toward the Porsche Cayenne four-wheel drive waiting for them. He needed to get her inside the car and safely to the mansion.

  He nodded to the armed security guards and waved for the Porsche to be brought closer.

  Lightning split the inky sky. Thunder clapped fast on its heels. Too fast for his peace of mind. He hooked an arm around Victoria's waist and pulled her to his side. His feet pounded faster on the paved lot alongside the air strip, each step splashing in deeper puddles as the downpour increased.

  He yanked open the passenger door and guided her inside before racing around the hood to settle behind the wheel. He started the SUV. The finely tuned engine purred to life as guards loaded the luggage in back.

  Seconds later, Javier steered out of the parking area and onto the narrow two-lane road lined with palm trees.

  Victoria plucked at her soaked khakis. "I feel awful dripping water all over such an incredible car."

  He cranked up the heater. There was a nip in the air despite the subtropical climes, worsened by the damp of the rain. "No worries about the water. The car's just a thing."

  "To you, maybe. To me, this sucker costs more than I make in a year."

  "The seats will survive a little water." Although his sanity might not survive the sight of her soaked to the skin, her nipples pressing against her shirt. The white blouse had gone sheer when wet, giving him a too-clear view of her lace bra.

  "Eyes on the road, please."

  "Right." He looked away fast, mentally kicking himself for becoming distracted, especially in such crummy weather. The Porsche's top-of-the-line shocks worked double-time to absorb the bumps of rolling over downed branches littering the road.

  But his mind kept returning to what Victoria had said about the Porsche. He'd never considered that his family's money might make her uncomfortable. His portion of the royal cache was in the millions, but he'd chosen to earn his way in the world, to have a profession. He'd assumed he and Victoria had that work ethic in common, and now he realized she'd never thought anything of the sort.

  Lightning ripped the sky in half just as a realization thundered through his brain. What else had he missed about Victoria while he was too caught up in the incredible sex to look deeper?

  The sky lit up again. A crack sounded, differently this time.

  "Damn!" He jerked the SUV left. Hard. Right when a towering tree split in half.

  The Porsche skidded sideways to a stop just shy of the tree as it crashed down across the road in front of them. Rain hammered the rooftop, the only sound in the aftermath.

  He turned fast. "Victoria?"

  "I'm okay," she said.

  Her face was pale, but otherwise she seemed unharmed.

  "Thank heavens you reacted so quickly, Javier. Now we can just take an alternate route."

  Alternate route? If only it could be that simple. He knew this island like the back of his hand. He had to in order to keep the Medina family safe.

  "There is no other road to the house from here. We're going to have to turn back."

  Her eyes went wide with dawning shock. "But the king? He's waiting for me."

  "He will have to make do with a mansion full of staff and an entire clinic at his disposal. And his other nurse won't leave until you arrive." His mind churned with options…and enticing possibilities. Hadn't he wanted to find closure with her? Maybe he just needed to get her out of his system. "We should get somewhere safe and dry soon."

  Somewhere alone.

  She eyed him suspiciously. "Where?"

  "No worries. I know every inch of this island."

  Because he'd just decided on the perfect place to take Victoria to have her all to himself.

  Chapter Four

  Victoria shivered inside her wet clothes even with the SUV's heater blasting. Her skin still tingled from the way Javier had devoured her with his eyes. And now they would be spending the night together, whether she liked it or not.

  He was on his cell phone informing the main house of their status so the king wouldn't worry.

  "Right," Javier answered the person on the other end of the line, his Bluetooth headset glowing in his ear. "Since the road is blocked, we're going to hole up at the greenhouse for the night. No need to risk sending anybody after us now that you've hunkered down for the storm…. Of course…. I'm sure…. I'll check in first thing tomorrow."

  And that fast, he ended the call as if it was nothing more than a business dealing—rather than sealing their fate. Sealing them together, alone for the next twelve hours. How would she resist him? Suddenly the air felt altogether too hot. Her body flushed with bottled desire.

  Decelerating, Javier rounded a corner, leaving behind the road and lines of towering palms and entering a clearing. Headlamps striped over the glass structure of the greenhouse. Only a small gazebo and a sprawling oak stood between them and the conservatory.

  He pulled up beside the front door, turned off the engine and twisted toward her. "This is the greenhouse I told you about. It also has a café area, so we should be able to find something to eat. There's even a sofa and shower in the back office."

  She drew in a deep, bracing breath and reached for the door handle. "Then I guess we should head inside."

  Racing out before he could come around with the umbrella, she sprinted toward the front entrance. Rain pelted her skin. Javier charged alongside her up the stone steps that led inside. He threw open the double doors, startling a sparrow into flight in the otherwise deserted building.

  As he closed the door, a cloak of darkness and heavily perfumed air enveloped her.

  Slowly her eyes adapted until shadowy images took shape. In contrast to the crowded nurseries she'd visited in the past, this space sprawled like an indoor floral park, and included gathering areas and benches for reading or meditation. Lush ferns dangled overhead. Tiered racks of florist's buckets with cut flowers stretched along a far wall. Potted palms and cacti added height to the interior landscape. An Italian marble fountain trickled below a darkened skylight. Water spilled softly from a carved snake's mouth as it curled around some reclining Roman god.

  She spun slowly in the cavernous room, immersing herself in the thickly intoxicating scents. Vines grew tangled and dense over the windows. Moonlight filtered through the glass roof, muted by rivulets of rain. "This island has everything."

  She shouldn't have been surprised—the island had not only medical and dental clinics, but a chapel, guest houses and stables.

  And a very sexy man who was all hers for the night.

  Amber moonbeams streaked over his broad shoulders. His jet-black hair glinted with raindrops, calling to her fingers to skim over his head with the familiarity they'd once shared.

  "Everything? Very close. My uncle did his damnedest to give his three sons a 'normal' childhood after they left San Rinaldo, as much as he could short of letting them off the island. The king wanted to make sure his family had everything so they wouldn't want to leave."

  She slowed in front of him, feeling the weight of Javier's gaze as he stopped beside wrought iron screens twined with hydrangeas and morning glories.

  "What about you?" she asked.

  "I grew up in Argentina," he answered, his handsome face impassive. "We were the decoy family. We may be cousins, but we looked enough like the Medinas for the king's purposes."

  She gasped in horror. "How awful."

  "My family was only alive because he financed our escape." He stroked a hydrangea bloom nonchalantly. "The danger we faced in Argentina was less than anything here."

  Victoria approached him warily. How had she not learned this about him? She should have pressed him about his background once they grew serious, but there was so much secrecy around
his family and he'd insisted she was safer not knowing.

  Now that the Medina secret had been revealed to the world by Javier's cousin Alys, however, there were fewer restraints. Maybe now she could understand him better, find a way to make peace with their heart-breaking relationship.

  Thinking of Alys, she said, "After being forced into seclusion, used to divert danger, it's easy to see how your cousin might resent the Medinas."

  "Don't try to justify what Alys did." The vine snapped between his fingers abruptly, the bloom crushing in his fist. "She betrayed the Medinas by leaking their secret to the press. Alys is not as closely related to the king and his sons as I am. She hoped to marry a prince and gain all the perks and the fame that came with it. Only the worst kind of person betrays family for money."

  "Just like my brother?" She took a step toward him, anger sparking. "Is that what you're trying to say?"

  His chin tipped—stubborn, uncompromising. "Read into my words what you will."

  "I really hate it when you do that." She plucked at her clammy clothes, her skin hot and too tight for her body. Damn him for the way he unsettled her.

  "Do what?" He towered over her.

  "Never answer my questions." She stood her ground. She knew he'd never harm her the way he'd crushed that fragile bloom in his fist. "Why can't you ditch the whole regal air and simply give me a straight answer?"

  He studied her so long she wondered if he might just walk away, ignore her altogether. Then something shifted in his expression, his brown eyes turning smoky.

  "Because—" he slid his hand up to cup her cheek, the hydrangea petals soft and fragrant between his palm and her face "—when you stand so close to me, I can only think of kissing you."

  Chapter Five

  Javier had known he had to kiss Victoria from the second he saw her spinning under the skylight, muted moonbeams washing over her. The way she embraced life had drawn him to her from the start.

  Now she stood only a breath away. Her tongue peeking out and touching her top lip was all the encouragement he needed to follow through. He slid a knuckle under her chin and tipped her face to his. After a year apart, a year of aching to have her, she was in his arms again.

  Pulling her to him, he sealed his mouth to hers as she opened for him with a sigh that tasted of pure Victoria. Raw desire seared through his veins, firing hard and low.

  Her arms looped around his neck and she arched against him. Her damp clothes clung to his, fabric warmed from her body. From their passion.

  He delved deeper into her mouth, relearning the feel of her, the texture, what made her respond and wriggle closer. Her breasts pressed against his chest, stirring memories of his hands curved around their creamy softness. The pounding storm overhead echoed the drumming of his pulse in his ears.

  His hands stroked down her back, then lower until he cupped her bottom to bring her more fully against the length of him. "God, Victoria, I want you so damn much it hurts."

  "I know," she whispered against his mouth. "I feel the same way. It's been too long. A whole year without you, without this…"

  Her hand slipped between them and over his arousal. His head fell back, his eyes sliding closed. He ground his teeth in restraint until he feared he'd crack a crown. He drew in a bracing breath. The scent of her fabric softener released by the rain mingled with the heavy floral scent of the conservatory, drugging him.

  He'd chosen the greenhouse deliberately. It was the most private and romantic locale he could think of at a moment's notice. He could have pushed for the local head of security to send someone to retrieve them. But he couldn't give up the opportunity to be alone with Victoria.

  Suddenly a horrible thought occurred to him… He'd manipulated her, brought her here without explaining there were alternatives, without giving her a choice. He hadn't been fair. He might be autocratic, but he prided himself on his integrity. Even when it had cost him her love last year. Even if it cost him this second chance.

  Gripping her shoulders, he eased away with more than a little regret. She swayed under his hands, her eyes fluttering open to reveal dazed desire and a hint of confusion.

  "Javier?" Her fingers fisted in the lapels of his damp suit coat.

  He skimmed a strand of her blond hair from her face. "There's never been any question how much we want each other. But we need to be honest."

  "You want to talk? Now?" Her voice rose with incredulity.

  His libido echoed her objection. But if they were going to take this further, he had to be up front with her. "We don't have to stay here tonight. I can make a call and have someone take us to the mansion."

  "But the storm? I thought the roads were blocked?"

  "The main roads are out, yes. But there are some four-wheel drive options. The weather makes things difficult, but not impossible."

  Realization slid over her face, her eyes going wide. "You're saying you brought me here on purpose?"

  Was she angry? He couldn't tell. At least she hadn't pulled away, so he pressed on.

  "Yes, I chose this place so that we would be alone together. I planned to romance you with flowers." He plucked a hydrangea petal from her hair. "All the same, that kiss caught me by surprise…."

  "Me, too," she admitted wryly.

  "I also didn't expect how fast things would spiral out of control between us. Though I should have anticipated it, given our past." He cupped her face and held her gaze with his. "If we go beyond one kiss, if we stay here for the night, I need you to be one hundred percent certain it's what you want."

  She stared at him for so long he prepared himself for the increasing possibility that she would turn him away. And this time, it would be for good. There would be no more chances with her. This woman, her beautiful blue eyes, her scent, her touch, would haunt him for the rest of his life.

  Her fingers unfurled from his suit coat and regret slammed through him so damn hard he almost rocked back on his soaked heels. Could he really let her go again?

  She dusted her hands along his jacket, brushing off more hydrangea petals that clung to the fabric. And he realized she wasn't pushing him away at all. In fact, her hips were nestling closer in a perfect fit against him.

  "Javier—" she stroked her finger along his neck to his jaw "—no one should drive in this weather when we have a safe place to stay. I am exactly where I want to be."

  Relief flooded him, more than he expected. He knew there were still more things they should discuss, more issues to be aired and resolved…

  Like the full extent of the role he'd played in her brother's incarceration.

  She sketched her fingertips along his lips. "Let's stop talking and make the most of this night together. We'll deal with the rest tomorrow when the storm clears."

  He couldn't miss the surety in her voice. And while he questioned the wisdom of letting sex distract them as it had so often in the past, he couldn't resist this opportunity to be with her.

  Extending his hand, Javier stepped back toward the office which he happened to know conveniently housed a shower. "I think it's time we got out of these wet clothes."

  Chapter Six

  Victoria fit her hand in Javier's, committing to the moment. She pushed aside thoughts of when she'd harbored dreams of committing her life and heart to him, as well.

  Tonight, they would make love again. She hadn't forgiven him for what he'd done to her brother, but she couldn't deny herself this chance to be with Javier, to ease the ache that had been building for an entire year.

  She needed to have one last time with him. Although there weren't a lot of flat surfaces here to choose from. "Where are we going?"

  Leaves brushed her legs as she walked past a climbing vine.

  He smiled, his dark eyes lit with promise. "The office has a full bathroom. I have fond memories of how we used to shower together."

  "This place has a tub?" Her thumb grazed the inside of his wrist along his strong, steady pulse, envisioning floating rose petals.

  "Garden
ing can be messy business." He backed her around a potting station with terra cotta urns in a neat line, bags of soil stacked under the table.

  "Makes sense, I guess. And wonderfully smart of you to think of that."

  He reached beyond her to open the office door. "If I was as smart as you give me credit for, I would have thought of this long ago."

  "Shhhh…" She pressed a finger to his mouth. "No more talking."

  She replaced her finger with her lips and thank heaven he took the hint. His hands returned to her body, making fast work of the buttons down her blouse. And she had no intention of lagging behind. She skimmed off his jacket, her hands remembering how best to undress him, until their clothes left a trail into the bathroom.

  Skin to skin, she fitted herself more fully against his body, sighing with a deep satisfaction of just the feel of him. Her head lolled back with a sigh and she looked around them….

  Wow…this wasn't just some tiny powder room.

  Her eyes took in the tan travertine tiles, the thick towels, and most importantly, the spacious spa shower with an assortment of floral soaps stacked on shelves built into the wall.

  Her visions of floating roses shifted to fantasies of lathering each other with soap flecked with lilac, gardenia, jasmine or honeysuckle. "I just wouldn't have expected anything so luxurious in a greenhouse."

  "My uncle does not scrimp." He reached past her to turn on the water.

  She trailed her fingers down Javier's bare chest, reveling in the flex of muscles under her touch. "No complaints here. One last question…" Her stomach clenched in apprehension. "Do you have birth control? We didn't exactly plan for this."

  "I have it taken care of," he vowed. "I would never leave you unprotected. The bathroom on the corporate jet is fully stocked, and when we were on the plane I took what we might need." He bent to snag his pants from the floor and dipped a hand into his pocket. "I didn't want to be caught unprepared."

  "Thank goodness." She stood in the open shower, one hand braced on the wall. "How many did you bring?"

  He devoured her with his eyes as he backed her inside and placed the stack of packets in the soap dish. "Ambitious plenty."