Kitabı oku: «At His Majesty's Convenience / Her Little Secret, His Hidden Heir», sayfa 5

Arms wrapped around him, she held Jake close. His warm masculine scent filled her senses and the heat of his skin against hers only increased her desire. Fingers trembling with anticipation, she took hold of his erection. Jake released a low moan as she ran her fingers over the hard surface, then tightened them around the shaft, enjoying the throb of pleasure that issued through him.

Had she really done this before? She couldn’t believe it. Again that odd sensation of unfamiliarity almost dampened her pleasure. Everything she did was like taking a step into the dark and hoping the floor would still be there under her foot when she put it down. Where would these strange and intense sensations and urges lead her?

Jake’s mouth crushed over hers once more and her doubts crumbled beneath the fierce desire to feel him inside her.

Working together they eased off her panties and he climbed over her. The inviting weight of him pressed against her chest for a moment; then he lifted himself up with his powerful arms and entered her slowly.

Too slowly.

She found herself writhing and arching to encourage him deeper. Her insides ached to hold him and her whole body burned hot and anxious with an urgent need to join with him. Her fingers dug into his back as he finally sank all the way in and she released a deep moan of pleasure into his ear.

Jake layered hot kisses along her neck and cheek as he moved over her, drawing her deeper into the mysterious ocean of pleasure that felt so strange and so good at the same time. They rolled on the bed, exploring each other from different angles and deepening the connection between them. Her hands wandered over his body, enjoying the hard muscle, squeezing and stroking him as he moved inside her.

She loved riding on top of him, changing the rhythm from slow to fast and back again as the sensations inside her built toward a dangerous crescendo. Jake was over her again when she felt herself suddenly lose control of her muscles and even her mind as a huge wave of release swept her far out of herself. She drifted in limbo as pulses of sheer pleasure rose through her again and again. Then she seemed to wash back up in Jake’s arms, exhausted and utterly at peace.

“That was …” She couldn’t seem to find the words. Any words, really.

“Awesome.”

Jake’s unroyal response made her laugh. “Exactly.” Then she frowned. “Is it always like this when we … make love?”

She could swear she felt him flinch slightly. “Yup. It is.”

“I guess that’s good.” She smiled. She must be one of the luckiest people on earth, to have a loving relationship—with really hot sex—with this ridiculously handsome man who just happened to be a king.

She stretched, still feeling delicious pulses of pleasure tickling her insides. She couldn’t help wondering how she’d arrived at this juncture. How did she find herself engaged to a gorgeous monarch? Maybe she was from some kind of upper-crust family herself. It was so odd not knowing anything about yourself. She opened her eyes and peered at Jake.

“Will you tell me some things about myself?”

His sleepy gaze grew wider and a smile tilted his mouth. “Like what?”

“My background, the kind of things I like to do, that sort of stuff.”

He frowned, still smiling that half smile. “Hmm, it’s hard to know where to start.”

Adrenaline buzzed through her at the prospect of nailing down a few details. “How about at the beginning. Did I grow up in New York?”

“No. You moved there after college.” He kissed her cheek softly. “You came to work for me right after you graduated.”

“What did I study in college?”

“Hmm. I can’t remember exactly. I think it was something to do with literature. Or maybe French. You spoke French fluently even though you’d never been to France. I remember that.”

“Oh.” It wasn’t so odd that he didn’t know what she’d majored in. That was before she met him. “Where did I go to college?”

Jake hesitated, and frowned. “Was it U Penn? Somewhere in Pennsylvania. I’m pretty sure of that.”

“You don’t remember where I went to college? You’re almost as bad as I am. Where did I grow up?”

Jake licked his lips. His eyes showed a mild trace of alarm. “Pennsylvania, definitely. Philly, maybe. Or was it Pittsburgh?”

“We’ve never been there together?” An odd knot of tension was forming in her stomach. She propped herself up in bed on one elbow.

“No, our relationship has always been pretty under wraps. The whole professional thing.”

“So you haven’t met my family.” Again, unease niggled somewhere deep inside her.

“No. You have parents and a sister somewhere, though. You get together with them for holidays.”

“In Pennsylvania?”

“I think so. You usually took the train.”

“Oh.” How odd that she couldn’t remember anything about them. Or Pennsylvania. And it was a little disturbing that Jake seemed to know so little about her. Did they never talk about her past? “What’s my sister’s name?”

Jake pursed his lips for a moment. “I don’t know.”

“I guess I didn’t talk about her that much.” Maybe she and her sister weren’t close. What a shame. Maybe she’d try to improve their relationship once she got her memory back. “What about my parents? Do you know their names or where they live? We could get in touch with them and see if they could jog my memory back into existence.”

Jake’s brow had furrowed. “I suppose we should be able to find that information somewhere.”

“It’s probably on my computer if I could just figure out the password.”

“We’ll worry about that in the morning.” Jake pulled her closer to him. “Right now let’s just enjoy each other.”

Andi let out a sigh and sank back into his arms. “You’re right. Why get stressed out over something I can’t control?”

But even in his soothing embrace, there wasn’t a single second when she didn’t ache to recover her memory—and her history. How could you really go forward, or even live in the moment, if you don’t know who you are?

After breakfast, Jake left Andi in her office to look over her files. She seemed anxious that she wasn’t able to do her job since she didn’t remember the details of palace life, let alone any specific events. He mused that he should have been concerned, too, since a key purpose of this whole engagement was to keep her at his side running the show, but somehow the palace was managing to tick along. And he was enjoying her company far more than he’d imagined.

How could he have worked with her for six years and not even know where her family lived? As far as he knew she was born behind the desk in his Manhattan office. And he cringed at not knowing her sister’s name. For all he could remember she just referred to her as “my sister.”

He strode to his current office, intent on mining it for the information he should know simply on the basis of their long acquaintance. They spent all day together—did they usually talk about nothing but work?

Andi was always excellent about keeping them focused so no time was wasted. She managed their affairs with such efficiency that there was little downtime for chin-wagging, especially since they’d moved to Ruthenia and tackled challenges higher than the legendary Althaus mountains that loomed over the palace. He’d always appreciated her professional approach to her job and to life in general.

But now he was beginning to realize he’d missed out on enjoying her company all this time. She was much more complex than he’d realized, more vulnerable and intriguing—and not just because of her missing memory. He’d never seen her as a person with emotions, with needs, before, because she’d done such an excellent job hiding that aspect of herself.

And he’d never realized she was so tempting. She’d hidden that, too.

He closed his office door and walked through to the cabinets in the file room, where the personnel files from New York were stored. Thanks to Andi’s relentless organization he quickly laid his hands on her file, and the résumé she’d submitted when she applied for the job as his admin back when he was simply a venture capitalist.

A quick scan revealed that she’d graduated from Drexel University in Pennsylvania—right state, at least—with a degree in business administration and a ridiculously long list of clubs and activities to her name. Apart from some temping in Manhattan, her first job was with him. She’d graduated from North Hills Senior High School in Pittsburgh—ha, right again, maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. He had to congratulate himself on being able to pick such a promising employee despite her lack of relevant work experience.

But that didn’t solve his current problem of finding out about her past and helping her recover her memory.

Wait. Did he even want her to recover her memory? If she did, she’d surely remember that their relationship had been strictly professional and the whole engagement his invention.

Discomfort rose in his chest, threatening to overwhelm the sense of satisfaction—of happiness, dammit—that had suffused his body and mind since their overnight encounter.

Andi was sensational between the sheets. He’d never have dreamed that his quiet, prim assistant hid so much passion and energy beneath her suited exterior. She even looked different, like she’d forgotten to put on the mask of no-nonsense propriety she usually painted on with makeup and pinned into place with a spritz of hair spray. The real Andi—the one without the mask—was soft and sexy and downright irresistible.

Desire stirred inside him again, tightening his muscles. Blood rushed to his groin as he thought about her in his arms that morning, scented with passion as well as her usual floral fragrance. He put the résumé back in its file.

Maybe her memory wouldn’t come back and they could start over from the night he’d found her dancing outside, freed of the inhibitions and anxieties built by a lifetime of experience. He couldn’t help believing that the woman who’d shared his bed was the real Andi, and that she’d been hiding inside all this time, waiting for a chance to be free.

Andi let out a cry of sheer joy. She’d finally cracked the password on her computer. A cryptic penciled list in the drawer seemed like a meaningless string of words—until she started typing them in one by one.

Queen had proved to be the key that unlocked her hard drive, and possibly her whole life. Funny! She must have picked it because she knew she soon would be queen.

That thought stopped her cold for a second. Queen Andi. Didn’t quite sound right. Still, she’d get used to it. And maybe Andi was short for a more majestic name, like Andromeda or something.

Her heart raced as the computer opened her account and laid a screen full of icons out before her. Yikes. So many different files, some with the names of countries, some of companies. She didn’t know where to start. A sound issued from the machine, and she noticed that the email icon announced the presence of fifty-three messages. She clicked on it with a growing sense of anticipation, and scrolled back to the last one she had opened. Eticket confirmation.

Frowning, she opened the email, which revealed an itinerary for Andi Louise Blake—apparently she wasn’t really named Andromeda—to travel from Munich to New York. The date listed was … yesterday.

Her blood slowed in her veins and her breathing grew shallow.

Obviously she hadn’t gone on the trip, and if it was a business-related one, surely Jake would have mentioned it. Munich—the nearest international airport, perhaps?—to New York, where she used to live …

She had been planning to leave.

Head spinning, she sat back in her chair. Why would she leave, if she was in love and about to get engaged?

She should just ask Jake about this. Why get all worked up when it could be a business trip that just got canceled at the last moment, maybe due to her loss of memory, or their engagement?

Andi glanced down at her ring with a growing sense of unease. She never had figured out why her clothes were creased as if they’d been packed. She must have changed her mind and unpacked at some point, but when? And why did Jake not know about her plans to take off?

Had she issued an ultimatum and forced him into proposing to her?

She swallowed, then started to chew on a nail. Her stomach curled up into a tight ball. Maybe she should see what else was going on in her email before she spoke to Jake.

It was hard to read with so much nervous energy leaping through her system. Her eyes kept jumping around on the screen. Most of the emails were business related—responses to invitations, scheduling questions, orders for supplies and that kind of thing.

Then one titled What’s going on? from a Lizzie Blake caught her eye. Blake—the same last name as her. What was going on? She clicked on it with her heart in her mouth.

Andi, I know you told me not to email personal stuff to this account, but I’ve tried calling you and you won’t call back. We saw a news story on TV yesterday saying that you’re going to marry Jake Mondragon, your boss. Is this true? How come you didn’t tell us? I thought you were getting ready to quit from the way you’ve been talking lately. Mom is pretty upset that you’d keep something like this from us. I remember you saying years ago that your boss was hot, but you never mentioned dating him, let alone getting engaged. Anyway, get in touch ASAP and let me know if I need to find a dress for a royal wedding. XX Sis.

Andi sat back, blinking. She had a sister called Lizzie. Who knew absolutely nothing about her relationship to Jake. And who’d been calling her but not getting through. She must have another phone somewhere that she used for personal calls.

She scanned the rest of the emails, but nothing else looked truly personal.

Where would she keep another phone? Brain ticking fast, she hurried back to her bedroom, glad she didn’t run into anyone in the hallway—especially Jake.

A pang of guilt and hurt stung her heart. She was avoiding him. Only this morning they’d lain in each others arms and she’d enjoyed such contentment and bliss that she hadn’t even minded about her memory being gone.

Now she was racked with suspicion and doubt. She locked her bedroom door behind her and started to go through the closet and drawers again. Finally, in the pocket of a black pair of pants she found a small silver phone. The pants showed signs of being recently worn—slightly creased across the hips and behind the knees—so maybe she had them on just before she lost her memory.

She flipped the phone open and pulled up recent messages. There were three from Lizzie and one from her mom, who sounded noticeably upset. Her voice, with its hint of tears, struck a sharp and painful chord deep inside her. On instinct Andi hit the button to dial the number.

“Andi!”

“Mom?” Her voice shook slightly. “Is it really you?”

“Of course it’s me. Who else would be answering my phone?” A bright laugh rang in her ear. “What the heck is going on over there?”

Andi drew in a steadying breath. “I don’t really know, to be honest. I lost my memory.”

“What?”

“Jake found me dancing around outside and I couldn’t remember anything at all. I didn’t even remember you or Lizzie until I saw her email and found the messages on my phone.”

“Oh, my gosh, that sounds terrifying. Are you okay?”

“More or less. It’s been strange and kind of scary, but I’m not sick or injured or anything.”

“That’s a blessing. Has your memory come back?”

Andi blinked. A blurry vision of a face—an energetic woman with short light brown hair and bright blue eyes filled her brain. “I think it’s coming back right now. Do you have blue eyes?”

“Of course I do. That’s where you got them from. You forgot my eye color?”

“I forgot you even existed. I didn’t know my own name.” Other images suddenly crowded her brain: a man with gray hair and a warm smile, a blonde with long curls and a loud laugh. “But it’s coming back now that I hear your voice.” Excitement crackled through her veins. Finally she had an identity, a past. The details crashed back into her brain one after the other—her childhood home, her school, her old dog Timmy …

“Are you really engaged to your boss?” Her mom’s voice tugged her back to the present.

Andi froze. That part she didn’t remember. “He says we got engaged right before I lost my memory. I don’t remember it.”

“Do you love him?” The voice on the phone was suddenly sharp.

“Oh, yes. I’ve always loved him.” The conviction rang through her whole body. “I’ve loved him for years.”

“You never said a thing. I had no idea you were even involved with him.”

Andi blinked rapidly. The memories flooding her brain were curiously devoid of any romantic images of her and Jake. She had plenty of memories of working with him, but as she mentally flipped through them looking for signs of their relationship a strange and awful truth dawned on her. “That’s because I wasn’t involved with him.”

Six

Her mom’s confused and anxious reaction prompted Andi to make excuses and hang up the phone. She needed someone who could answer questions, not just ask them. Instinct told her to call her sister, Lizzie.

“Your Majesty!” Her sister’s now-familiar voice made her jump.

“Lizzie, you wouldn’t believe what’s been going on.”

“You’re right. I don’t, so you’ll have to break it down into tiny pieces for me. Are you really marrying your boss?”

Andi bit her lip. “I don’t know. It’s the weirdest thing, I lost my memory and ever since then we’ve been engaged. But my memory’s coming back now—since I found your phone messages and spoke to Mom—and I don’t remember anything at all about being engaged to him.”

“You never even told me you were dating him.”

“I don’t remember anything about that, either. I do recall being seriously attracted to him for, oh, years and years, but not that anything actually came of it. Now suddenly I seem to be engaged to him and I have no idea what’s going on.”

“How does he explain the situation?”

Andi blew out. “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him about it yet. My memory only just started coming back and he doesn’t know yet.”

“Do you remember him asking you to marry him?”

She thought for a second. “No. I don’t remember everything, though. There’s a gap.” She raised a hand to her head where she could still feel a slight bump. “I must have fallen and banged my head, or something.” She paused, remembering the etickets she’d seen on her computer. “Did I say anything about coming back to the States?”

“For Christmas, you mean?”

Andi wondered how much to reveal, then decided things were so complicated already that she might as well be truthful. “For good. I think I was planning to leave here. I had tickets back to New York.”

“And you don’t remember why?”

I do.

The realization was seeping back into her, almost like blood rushing to her brain. She had intended to leave. She wanted to go because she was tired of adoring Jake while he flirted with other women in the name of business.

Because she loved him and knew she could never have him.

A sharp pain rose in her middle around the area of her heart. How had six years of yearning turned—overnight—into a fantasy engagement?

It didn’t add up. There was a missing piece to the puzzle and she had no idea what it was.

“So are you marrying him, or what?” Lizzie’s amused voice roused her from her panicked thoughts.

Her eyes fell on the big ring, flashing in the afternoon sunlight pouring through the large office window. “Yes.” Then she frowned. “At least I think so.”

“Well, I saw it in the National Enquirer, so it must be true, right?” Lizzie’s voice was bright with laughter. “There’s a picture of you with a rock on your finger the size of my Mini Cooper. Is that thing real?”

Andi stared at the glittering stones. She was pretty sure it was a real diamond, but was it a real engagement ring? “Sure. It’s from a jeweler here in town. Jake bought it for me yesterday.”

“Sounds pretty official to me. Is he good in bed?”

Andi’s mouth fell open.

“Come on, I’d tell you. Or do royal romances not involve any sex?”

Her teasing voice brought a smile to Andi’s lips. “He’s amazing.”

“Ha. I had a feeling. I’ve seen pictures of him and he’s seriously handsome. I love the dark flashing eyes. Is he romantic?”

“Very.” She could almost feel his arms around her right now, holding and steadying her. “He’s been so sweet with me since I lost my memory. We’ve managed to keep it a secret so far. You and Mom and the doctor he called are the only other people who know.”

“Why keep it a secret?”

“I guess because I felt so vulnerable. Like everyone around me knows more about me than I do. I didn’t want anyone to know. It’s all coming back now, though. Not all the tiny details yet, like work stuff I have to do, but the bigger things like who I know and where I’m from and …”

How much I’ve always loved Jake.

Were they really going to be married and live happily ever after? It seemed too much to hope for.

“So you’re going to be a queen. Will I have to curtsy to you?”

“Gosh, I hope not.” Andi laughed. “What a strange idea. I can’t quite see myself with a crown on.”

“You’d better get used to the idea. Can I be your maid of honor? Or maybe they don’t have them in Ruthenia.”

“I have no idea. I’ve never planned a wedding here and apparently I haven’t paid close enough attention at the few I’ve attended.” Images of Jake’s other would-be brides crowded her mind. Alia and Maxi and Carlotta and Liesel … there were so many of them. Rich and beautiful and fawning all over him. Why, out of all the glamorous and powerful women available to him, had Jake chosen her?

It was time to track him down and ask some questions.

After promising to call Lizzie back and tell her the details, Andi went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her cosmetics were strung out along a shelf, which was not how she used to keep them. She also remembered that she nearly always tied her rather wispy hair up in a bun and slicked it down with gel—she was always experimenting with different brands as the Ruthenian climate was surprisingly humid. Now her hair lay loose around her shoulders, and her face looked oddly colorless without the lipstick and blush she usually donned.

A glance in her closet reminded her she was a hardcore suit wearer. She felt it was important to project a professional image, and she liked bright colors as they seemed assertive and positive. Right now she had on a rather uncharacteristic pastel yellow blouse and a pair of slacks and her hair wafted around her shoulders. People must have noticed the difference.

Part of her felt embarrassed that she’d been walking around the palace looking like a paler, less polished version of herself. And part of her wondered whether Jake actually preferred the less made-up look. He’d chosen the super-casual jeans and T-shirt she’d worn all the previous day. She blushed as she remembered he’d also chosen the racy lingerie. A glance in her underwear drawer confirmed that cotton briefs and no-nonsense bras were more her style.

Still, if Jake liked lacy lingerie and jeans, she could adjust. She couldn’t resist smoothing just a hint of blush on her cheeks. They were a bit pale with shock. But she used a clear gloss instead of lipstick and left her hair loose—maybe it didn’t look so bad after all.

With a deep breath, she set off for his office. Her pulse rate roared like a runaway truck by the time she finally plucked up the courage to peek around the open door. Jake was in conversation with a man she instantly remembered as the minister of economics. Jake looked up when she entered the doorway, and an expression flickered across his face—shock?—almost as if he suddenly knew her memory was back.

Andi struggled not to fidget as the conversation continued for another couple of minutes—something urgent to do with trade tariffs. Her nerves were jumping and her palms sweating.

In his dark suit, with his usual air of unhurried calm, Jake seemed perfectly poised and in control of any situation. She, on the other hand, had no idea what their situation really was. She could remember nearly everything about her life—except a romance with Jake.

He finally closed the door behind the economics minister and turned to her. Again she could see in his face that he knew something was different.

“My memory is coming back.” She floated the words out, as if on a string, wondering what his response would be. Would he take her in his arms with a cry of joy?

Jake didn’t move an inch. “That’s great.” He seemed to be waiting for her to reveal more.

“It started when I saw an email from my sister. Then I phoned my mom. That jogged something in my brain and the memories started bubbling up.”

“What a relief.” His voice was oddly flat. He still made no move toward her.

Andi’s eyes dropped to her ring, which seemed to sting the skin underneath it. “It’s strange, I remember working with you for years, but I don’t …” Her voice cracked as fear rose in her chest. “I don’t remember anything about us.” She faltered. “I mean us being … romantically involved.”

Jake stepped up to her and took her hand. Her heart surged with relief and she was about to smile, but his deadly serious demeanor stopped her. “I’ll be completely honest with you.”

“About what?” Her pulse picked up and a sense of dread swelled inside her.

“We weren’t involved. Our relationship was strictly professional until two days ago.”

“We weren’t dating? Not even in secret?” Her heart hammered against her ribs.

“No.”

Andi swallowed hard and her rib cage tightened around her chest. The ostentatious ring suddenly seemed to weigh down her hand and drain her strength. “So, the engagement is fake?” Her voice came out as a rasping whisper, filled with every ounce of apprehension and terror she felt. “It was all pretend?”

Jake tilted his head. “No.”

Andi wanted to shake him. “Could you be more explicit?”

He frowned. “It’s hard to explain. You were going to leave, and I didn’t want you to. I was under pressure to choose a bride, and then you lost your memory. Things fell into place and I realized you’re the ideal woman to be my wife.”

She blinked, trying to make sense of his words. “So we are engaged?”

“Absolutely.” His dark eyes looked earnest.

Then a cold sensation crept over her. “But you’re not in love with me.”

He swallowed. “Love is something that grows over time. I’m confident that we’ll enjoy a happy and successful marriage. The important thing is to provide stability for Ruthenia, and as a team we can do just that.”

Andi struggled for breath. The man of her dreams, whom she’d fantasized about and mooned over for six long years, wanted to marry her.

Because she’d be a key member of his team.

A cold laugh flew from her lips. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to just offer me a higher salary?”

He raised a brow. “I tried that.”

“And I said no? Wait. Now I remember saying no. You were so sure you could talk me around, just like you always do.” Her vision blurred as tears rose to her eyes. “And you really thought I’d go along with this crazy plan?”

“You’re sensible and practical. I knew you’d see the sense in it.”

“In spending my life with a husband who doesn’t love me? You never even noticed I was female.” A flashback to their lovemaking filled her brain. He’d noticed it then. But maybe he’d just pretended she was one of the glamorous socialites that usually buzzed around him. He’d had no shortage of girlfriends in the time she’d worked for him.

“My parents married because their families were both exiled Ruthenian nobles. They were married nearly fifty years.”

His parents had died before she met him. She knew little about them except that they were part of New York society. “Were they happy?”

He hesitated. “Of course.”

“You don’t sound convinced. Did they love each other?”

“It was a successful marriage, and they achieved their lifelong goal of producing an heir who’d be ready to take the throne of Ruthenia when the time came.”

“Lucky thing you were cooperative. It would be a shame to throw away fifty years of your life and have your son insist he was going to be a pro skateboarder. Did you really think I’d just go along with your plan?”

“Yes.”

His calm expression exasperated her. He still thought she was going to go along with his scheme. He obviously didn’t care about her feelings at all. “We slept together.” Her body still sizzled and hummed with sensual energy from that amazing night.

The passion they’d shared might have been fake on his side, but on hers it was painfully real.

“I didn’t intend for that to happen.” His expression turned grim. “I understand that you must be furious with me for taking advantage of your situation.”

“You’re right. I am.” Devastated would have been a better word. Their lovemaking wasn’t the fruit of a long-term and loving romance, at least not for him. On her side she’d probably had enough romance in her head to last a lifetime.

He must have found it hilarious that she fell into his arms so easily. “Didn’t you think it was wrong to sleep with an employee?”

His eyes narrowed. “Yes. I didn’t intend to sleep with you until I’d explained the situation.”

“Until you’d explained to me that you needed a wife and I was handy?” She still couldn’t quite believe he took her so totally for granted.

Obviously he had no respect for her feelings and wishes. A chill swept through her and she hugged herself.

“You were confused after losing your memory. I didn’t want to complicate matters when I knew you were in no state to make an important decision.”