His Majesty's Secret Passion

by Christina Hollis

  “And so Krisia chose nice brother over nasty brother.”

  The amusement went out of his expression, like the sun going behind a cloud. “Don’t speak about Athan like that.”

  The chill that ran through Sara’s body had nothing to do with pleasure this time. She had roused the eagle in him. To prove he hadn’t intimidated her, she locked her eyes onto his cold stare. “I don’t know the guy so yes, you’re right. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions about him.”

  The relaxation in his muscles was so slight, if Sara hadn’t been watching him minutely she would have missed it. The wild streak in him was satisfied, for now. “My brother is a good man at heart, but when it comes to women he can be...impulsive.”

  Sara didn’t trust herself to guess what that meant. “Then I’m glad I’m sitting on a yacht miles out to sea with you, rather than him.”

  “So am I.” Leo twisted round and slid down to sit beside her. “We understand each other, Sara. You don’t trust men, and use your work as a form of escape. I use women as a form of escape, and I don’t trust anyone else to do my work for me.”

  Sara grinned. “Most people don’t get that, do they? About nobody else doing things properly? They think it makes you a control freak!”

  “Is that what they say about you?” There was no flirtation in Leo’s manner now.

  “Don’t they say it about you too?”

  “Never.” She watched him reconsider, before he added, “Not to my face, anyway. They wouldn’t dare.”

  Sara could believe that. The transformation she’d seen whenever she overstepped the mark with Leo proved he prized loyalty. Anyone close to him had to be above suspicion. His arm was resting on his knee as he sat beside her. A minor tilt of the yacht, and the tip of his fingers almost brushed her thigh.

  His voice jerked her out of a very rude daydream. “Detachment isn’t always bad, you know. By keeping women in perspective, I avoid any messy entanglements.”

  “I’m off men, remember?”

  “So you keep saying...but I am no ordinary man.”

  Watching the sun burnish his bare arms and the wind ruffle his dark curls, she could believe it. Leo was as comfortable with the elements as he had been in the sophisticated surroundings of the Paradise Hotel.

  “You’re the same as me, Sara. An individualist, who won’t let anyone tell them what to think or feel.” His voice was the purr in the throat of a lion.

  “That includes you, Leo.”

  He seemed to have more admiration for Sara than she felt for herself. Her willpower was draining away by the second.

  “You’re showing me a unique experience, Sara. The less you want from me, the more I want from you. It’s usually the other way around.”

  “I think they call it the thrill of the chase.”

  “I’d find it disappointing if you were the first chaste woman I’d met.”

  “I’m sure you can do better than that, Leo! Anyway, my last experience of being caught put me off.” Planting her hands on the deck she pushed herself away from him again.

  “You’re determined not to make this easy for me, aren’t you?” He chuckled, reaching to brush a strand of her windblown hair back from her face. “I like the way your mind works. But I also like my women one hundred percent willing.”

  “So?”

  “You decide what happens, when the time is right. Until then, let’s concentrate on getting to know each other better. Socially.”

  “Yes,” Sara said with a slow smile. “I think that would be a very good idea.”

  “Tell me, Miss Astley, how far do you think this exchange of pleasantries will go?”

  “It might take you as far as you want. Eventually.”

  “Really? For a woman who has sworn off relationships, isn’t that attitude dangerous?”

  “This is a definite one-off. You’re an intelligent man. I’m a careful woman. I’m sure you don’t take risks any more than I do. If we’re both adult about the situation, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t enjoy a simple expedition with no comeback.”

  Chapter Seven

  When they sailed into port on the mainland, men in sinister shades and smart suits were waiting for them. Leo and Sara were escorted to a smart 4x4 for the trip out of town. As they headed northwest, civilization unraveled. Within minutes, they were driving through sunbaked countryside. The land rose, and their surroundings became rougher and lonelier. Although it was still early in the day, Sara felt the heat. Leo handled the vehicle with the same expertise he’d used on the Neroli, and she found that sexy. When they left the main road, the journey got more exciting. Negotiating potholes and rutted tracks, he took them high into the hills until Sara spotted a big spread of low buildings in the distance. Their white walls sparkled like snow against the dry landscape.

  “That’s our destination.” Leo’s face was transformed. His look of anticipation made Sara forget the two burly security men sitting behind them. Leo had more charm and skill than all the men she had known, put together. When she told him she didn’t do casual sex, it was true—but there was nothing casual about the feelings stirring within her now.

  When they reached the farmhouse, staff gave them breakfast then showed them where they could change into riding gear. Close-fitting jodhpurs and boots made Sara feel the part of a rider, although her nerves were jangling at the thought of getting on a horse for the first time. They were eclipsed by her self-consciousness when she met Leo in the yard.

  “You look good in that outfit.” He nodded appreciatively. Sara could have said the same thing to him, but kept quiet. She had been careful to cover up as much as possible, using the Greek sun as an excuse. Trying to avoid tempting Leo was the real reason. “Are your security men coming with us?”

  Leo shook his head. “There’s no need. This estate and all the land around it belongs to a trusted friend of mine. It’s as secure as anywhere can be. We’ll never be out of contact.” He patted the bulge of his mobile. “I’ve spent plenty of time surviving in the wild.” As if to prove it, he accepted a rucksack from one of his team.

  “A sophisticated guy like you? I’m amazed.”

  “You don’t know the half of it,” Leo told her. “There was such an age difference between my eldest brother and the rest of us, we didn’t have much to do with him. When we were younger, I was always boss in charge of the others. Before my brother Athan discovered Officer Training, he used to nag me to play soldiers, and teach him woodcraft. It was a big relief to go back to helping our sister with her music, I can tell you.”

  “I enjoyed your playing last night,” she said on impulse.

  “Thanks. It’s not often I’m appreciated for what I do.”

  “Honestly, Leo, you say your brother’s a live wire, but you can save lives, sail, teach survival skills—is there anything you can’t do?”

  “No,” he said.

  Two horses were led out from their stables before Sara could tease him about his self-confidence again. Leo left a groom holding his bay gelding, while he explained the basics of riding to Sara. She hadn’t been looking forward to the experience, but Leo assured her the small grey horse chosen for her was very quiet. She steeled herself to give it a try. Once she was in the saddle, the sensation wasn’t as bad as she expected, although the ground seemed a long way away.

  Leo swung himself up onto his own horse, and led Sara out into the countryside. Her nervousness soon evaporated. “Are you saying the army’s not your thing, Leo?”

  “Don’t get me wrong. It’s a wonderful institution, but I spent a long time learning to heal bodies. That isn’t what being a soldier is about.”

  Sara saw him take in a great breath and expel it as a sigh. She couldn’t resist putting out her hand to clap him on the back. “Good choice, Leo. If brainwork’s more your thing, let others do the swashbuckling.”

  He agreed. “I’d rather do something like this—help you to recharge your batteries the natural way—than charge about in burnt cork and
fatigues. I’m happy to leave that side of things to Athan.”

  They rode on, through olive groves streaked with fitful shadows. The sun rose higher in the sky. To begin with Sara was too busy admiring the way Leo rode, and trying to copy his style, to talk. As she relaxed she discovered he had hidden depths. He knew the names of all the birds dancing through the branches around them. Now and then he would point out the dry and cracked remains of a wild boar wallow, or the tufts of gingery hair where deer had scratched an itch against the bark of a tree.

  When they stopped in the shade of an ancient wild fig tree, she looked at him with new eyes. Despite the baking heat, she felt refreshed.

  “It’s amazing. I hadn’t realized how stiff my neck and shoulder muscles were until this trip gave them the chance to relax. This is better than hours of therapy. It must be why you offer trips like this to people like Mrs. Revere.”

  “That is a one-off. I’ll be far too busy to do anything like it in future.” Leo leaped down from his horse to help her dismount.

  “Oh, I know the feeling.” Sara thought she had riding all worked out. She wasn’t ready for the wobble that came when her feet landed on the ground. She gasped, and stumbled. Leo’s hands went straight to her waist, helping her regain her balance.

  “Which is why you should take better care of yourself.” He let her go, but not before patting her with disapproving firmness. “You should eat more. I can count every one of your ribs.”

  “You shouldn’t be looking.”

  “I was working by touch.”

  “That’s worse.”

  Pulling the rucksack off his shoulders, he dropped it beneath the wide-spreading boughs of the fig. “Alexander the Great is supposed to have feasted beneath this tree. A frown like yours would have frightened him off.” He unbuckled a kilim from behind the saddle of his horse, and asked her to spread it on the ground while he took the animals to drink from a nearby stream. When he came back from tying them in the shade of an olive tree, she was still setting out their meal.

  “The Greeks believe in feeding people well.” She eyed the amazing number of salads. Each was in its own container, along with cold meats, cheeses, and bottles of mineral water.

  “That’s one of the reasons I love it here.” He dropped onto the rug and stretched out his long legs before helping himself to some feta salad. “How about you?”

  Sara couldn’t reply. She was torn between drinking in the scenery, with its spicy perfume of wild herbs, and selecting something from the picnic. In the end she chose some marinated mushrooms, a sunflower seed roll and a string of cherry tomatoes. Settling down to enjoy the soundtrack of insects and warblers, she considered her answer. “I was born and brought up in the city. I can’t exist without background chatter. My radio goes on the minute I get up, and stays on till I leave the house and plug in my headphones. Sitting under a tree in the middle of nowhere is a new experience for me. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m enjoying myself.”

  A lack of conversation usually made her uneasy. Today was different. She wanted to ask Leo about his life and work, but didn’t say a thing. This was the first time she’d been part of a friendly silence, and she didn’t want to disturb it.

  “You’ve lost your ring,” he said, and looked ready to radio up a search.

  Sara dug a finger into the breast pocket of her borrowed shirt. “Here it is. I took it off.”

  “Does that mean you feel safe enough with me to drop your pretense?”

  She dropped the ring back into its hiding place. Her nails almost went to her mouth, but at the last moment she diverted her hand toward her hair instead. “I don’t make the same mistake twice.” She twiddled a strand of hair between her fingers, hoping it was true.

  “I suppose that’s what makes you the perfect concierge.”

  She searched his expression for sarcasm. Not finding any, she took a sip of water in case he caught her looking smug. “Once a client entrusts me with their project, they don’t have to lift a finger. My team organizes everything for them, right down to the smallest detail. Satisfaction guaranteed.”

  “I can imagine.” Leo tugged some pearly green grapes out of a fruit bowl. Tipping his head back, he dropped them into his mouth.

  Sara sensed he was about to smile, but she was ready for him. “Imagine all you like. I’m very good at my job.” It was what she always told everyone, but somehow today those words didn’t fill her with the usual glow of satisfaction. It was odd.

  Leo didn’t seem to notice anything out of place. “I know you are. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t have confided in you last night.”

  Her brow furrowed. “You don’t like to tell anyone what’s going through your head, do you? When I was sounding off about the women-haters who robbed me, you could see their point of view, couldn’t you?”

  “Yes, because I grew up in that culture. Our women are treated differently from yours. They have their place in society and don’t waste their time heckling men. Instead they care for the sick and elderly, manage the household, and educate the children. Their work is as important as any man’s, but at the moment it’s done within the household, rather than outside.”

  Sara roused with fury, but Leo hadn’t finished. “I’m going to change that. I want all my people—whether men or women—to look outwards. They should share their knowledge, skills, and expertise beyond their own family circles.”

  “How many women are employed in top jobs on your estate?”

  “None. Yet.”

  Her mocking laughter was calculated to get under his skin. “Hah! You’re as bad as every other man born into a mediaeval culture. It’s easy to say you’ll change things. I bet there will always be something more important to do first.”

  Leo had been leaning on one elbow, twirling the sprig from his bunch of grapes. The venom in her voice made him sit up. “It’s bad enough when my ambitions have to take second place to someone else’s expectations. Now you’re accusing me of being callous, because from one conversation you’ve deduced everything there is to know about my culture? At least we value our women. We don’t treat them with the contempt ACS showed you.”

  Sara stared at him in breathless silence, realizing she’d crossed a line.

  “I want to make life better for everyone, without making it worse for anyone,” he ground out. “But whatever I do will upset someone. It’s a nightmare. You don’t think I’m taking on this job for fun, do you?”

  Sara released the breath she hadn’t known she was holding. “You keep telling me to take advice—your advice, my doctor’s advice, my board’s advice—so take some yourself. Give it up, Leo!”

  “Loyalty is a serious matter. It means a lot to me.” He wrenched the lid off a bottle of iced mineral water. He drank, straight from the neck of the bottle.

  She watched, feeling the tension draining out of the air. “Leo,” she said after a long pause. “About last night... I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.”

  “So am I. For the first time in my life, my fabled bedside manner didn’t get the result I expected.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.” Her thumb rubbed against her bare ring finger, ready to twiddle the golden fake. It was another habit she would have to lose, and fast.

  The nod he gave her might have passed for understanding, but she got the idea he knew she wasn’t telling the whole truth.

  He started gathering their picnic things. “Then I’ll stop stirring up your inner demons, and concentrate on trying to protect your exterior instead. Did you put on any sunscreen before we set off?”

  Sara looked down. She had diverted her nervous fingers to the tingling skin of her wrists. They were red from the sun. “Some, but I wasn’t intending to bask. I’m not a lizard.”

  “Now that, I can see for myself. Let’s ride back to civilization before you’re burned to a crisp.”

  ...and before I do something I’ll regret, Sara thought.

  They traveled to the farm buildings in uneasy silen
ce. Sara finally admitted to herself she wanted Leo, on her own terms, or not at all. For her, losing control wasn’t an option. The thought of losing it out here in the wilds unnerved her still more.

  She couldn’t get back to the stables fast enough.

  “You’ve forgotten how to enjoy yourself.” Leo helped her down from her horse. “And before you say I’ve gone to the other extreme, don’t forget the sand is running out of my egg-timer of freedom.”

  “What? What do you mean?”

  He gave her a strange look. “You know. What’s happening next month...” He gestured with his hand to encourage her to fill in the gap.

  “No, I don’t know. What are you talking about?”

  Leo looked down at a brilliant green damselfly as it settled on his shirt and clung there, glittering like the highlights in Sara’s eyes. “Oh, come on! I know you said when we first met that you had no idea who I was, but I assumed you were humoring me...” he said, but she didn’t cut in with the confession he expected. “So you’ve really got no idea what’s going on?”

  She twisted a lock of her hair. “I only know what you’ve told me. You’re Leo Gregoryan, ex-medical student, otherwise international man of mystery. If the hotel hadn’t been issued with instructions to keep me offline I would have checked you out long ago, but as it is...” She shrugged.

  It was decision time. Leo set his jaw. If Sara didn’t already know he was the as-yet uncrowned King of Kharova, she would change the instant he told her. Women always did. It happened the moment they were formally introduced. He’d watch them calculating his net worth and measuring themselves for the crown of his queen consort. Every time, they were disappointed. Leo never allowed himself to get close to any of them. His father had taken a wife from outside the aristocratic clans of Kharova. Leo wanted to do the same, but it would take a very special woman and all his tact and diplomacy to keep his beloved country onside. His distant relative Mihail wanted the throne. That man had powerful friends, and came from a pure Kharovan bloodline he could trace back for centuries. The job of king was risky enough for someone born to it, who had been trained to recognize the dangers. It had killed both Leo’s parents in the end, and Leo didn’t intend exposing any woman to the same risk if he could help it.