Secret Child, Royal Scandal

Her eyes widened at his abrupt invitation, but she shook her head. “I can’t. Geoff—”

“Isn’t here and from the sound of things isn’t likely to visit any time soon.” A half step brought him close enough to hear her sharp intake of breath and feel the way her muscles tensed as he traced his knuckles along her jawline. The old, familiar chemistry sparked between them. “You deserve a man who will appreciate you every minute of every day, not whenever his business dealings permit.”

Noelle batted his hand away. “What would you know about how I deserve to be appreciated? When we were together, the only time you concerned yourself about my needs was when we were in bed.”

“You make it sound like that’s a bad thing.” He spoke lightly, hiding his regret that he’d hurt her. He’d been a selfish bastard when they were together and hadn’t grasped her worth. How ironic that finally understanding her value had compelled him to send her away.

Yet was he behaving any less selfishly now? After ignoring her for five years, he’d suddenly decided to drag her back into his life because he needed her once again. Was it fair to disrupt the tranquil, comfortable world she’d made for herself? Probably not, but now that he’d begun, Christian couldn’t bring himself to stop. They’d made a child together. He had a son. That wasn’t something he intended to walk away from.

“Christian, you weren’t good for me five years ago, and you’re not going to be good for me now. I was so madly in love with you I was happy with whatever scraps of your life you were willing to share with me. That’s not enough for me anymore. I have a son who deserves to be loved and nurtured. He is my primary focus. Every decision I make is with his best interests foremost in my mind.”

Christian’s temper flared. “And you don’t think his mother being married to his father is the best thing for him?”

“Not if the only reason his parents marry is so the Alessandro line continues to rule Sherdana.”

Christian wasn’t accustomed to cynicism coming from Noelle. She’d been sweet, innocent and as trusting as a kitten. His opposite in every way. It was why he hadn’t been able to give her up even when he started to see shadows darken her eyes and her smiles become forced.

“Making Marc my heir is not the only reason I want to marry you.” Although it was an important one to be sure. “I can’t forget how good we were together.”

Noelle shook her head. “I’m not sure you were good for me.”

“I’m no longer the man I was.” In so many ways that was true. He’d lost the ability to be frivolous and irresponsible. “The accident saw to that.”

She flinched. “And I’m not the woman you once knew. Who’s to say it would even work between us anymore?”

“Who’s to say it wouldn’t be better?”

As if to demonstrate his point, Christian slid his fingers around the back of her neck and drew her toward him. Without giving her a second to process his action, he lowered his lips to her and drank in her sweetness. A groan gathered in his chest at the way her mouth yielded to him. She gasped softly as her lips parted. He remembered all the times he’d held her in his arms and indulged his need for her with long, drugging kisses.

With other women he’d been quick to get to his pleasure. He liked his lovemaking hot and frenzied. Being with Noelle had brought out a different side of his personality. He’d never been in a rush with her. Her warm, silken skin and the gentle rise and fall of her slender curves had been worth appreciating in great detail. He’d adored her every gasp and shiver as he learned what pleased her. After a month he knew her body better than any woman he’d ever been with and yet she continued to surprise him.

Desire buzzed in his veins, the intensity rising as Noelle leaned into him. He freed her lips before longing made the kiss spiral out of control. Heart thumping madly, he inhaled her light floral perfume. The fragrance was more sophisticated than what she used to wear, reminding him that time and distance had made them strangers. His lids felt heavy as he lifted his lashes and regarded her flushed cheeks.

“You didn’t stop me from kissing you,” he murmured in satisfaction, wondering if it could really be this easy.

“I was curious how it would feel after five long years.” Her neutral tone dampened his optimism.

“And?”

“Your technique hasn’t diminished.”

Christian stepped back and gave her a lopsided smile. “Nor has my desire for you.”

“Yes...well.” She didn’t sound as if she believed him. “I’m sure you can find any number of women eager to distract you.”

“It’s not like that anymore.”

“The tabloids say otherwise.”

“The tabloids exaggerate. Any drama attributed to my love life is concocted to sell newspapers.”

“So how do you explain the twin models from Milan photographed topless on your hotel balcony in Cannes?”

“They needed a place to crash and I spent the night on the phone to Hong Kong.”

Noelle’s lips thinned as she nodded. “And the Spanish heiress who ran away from her wedding with you?”

“It was an arranged marriage and she was in love with an architect from Brussels who happened to be doing some work on my apartment in London.”

“You’re asking me to believe you’re in the habit of rescuing women these days?”

He understood her skepticism. Five years earlier his playboy reputation had been well earned. But the day he’d arranged for Noelle to study in Paris was the day he’d begun to change. She’d been the first woman he’d saved. And the only one who’d needed to be rescued from him.

“There’s a long list of women I’ve helped. I could put you in touch with some of them if it would help improve your perception of me.” She wasn’t going to take his pursuit seriously if she thought he hadn’t changed.

“I’m sure there are scads of women who would line up to sing your praises.”

“Have dinner with me.” He repeated his earlier invitation, determined to convince her this wasn’t a ploy or a scam. “We have a great deal to talk about.”

She shook her head. “The only thing that concerns me is your intentions for my son. We can talk about ground rules here or at your office. There’s no reason for us to become more than civil acquaintances.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I can name several very good reasons why we should take our relationship to a close, personal level. Starting with the fact that I make you nervous.” He caught her chin and turned her face so he could snare her gaze. “I think that means you still have feelings for me. I know I have feelings for you. We belong together.”

“I’m with Geoff. Nothing you can say or do will change that.”

Christian slid his thumb across her lower lip and watched her pupils dilate. No doubt she was counting on her words and actions to effectively put him off, but there was no hiding her body’s reaction.

With a slow smile, his hand fell away. “We’ll see.”

Four (#ulink_fd8c89d3-3c4f-58fb-ae8b-ba766585703d)

With her pulse hammering in her ears, Noelle spent a full minute staring at the empty hallway after Christian had gone. What had just happened? Knees shaking, she retreated to her desk and dropped into her comfortable chair with a hearty exhalation. To her dismay, her fingers trembled as she dialed a familiar number. When Geoff answered the phone, his deep voice acted like a sturdy net she could fall into and be safe.

“Geoff, thank goodness.”

“Noelle, are you okay? You sound upset.”

“I’ve just done a terrible, cowardly thing.” Such drama wasn’t like her, and she noticed that several beats passed while Geoff adjusted to her tumultuous state.

“I’m sure it’s not as bad as all that.”