Virgin Princess, Tycoon’s Temptation / The Secret Child & The Cowboy CEO: Virgin Princess, Tycoon’s Temptation

“He’s banged up, but he’ll recover.”

“Is that why you had to break our date? To come here?”

He nodded. “Weird, huh?”

“Very weird. If we knew we were both coming here we could have carpooled,” she joked.

He grinned. “Except I was already here when I called you.”

“He must be a special friend for you to stay here all day with him.”

“We’ve known each other most of our lives.” He knew he should probably tell her the truth, but he just didn’t feel like explaining. With any luck Ian would heal, then be out of Garrett’s life forever, and the royal family would never be the wiser. “Is Melissa all right?”

“They managed to stop her labor, but she’s on strict bed rest for at least four weeks, and they’re keeping her in the hospital just to be safe.”

“Please send her and Chris my best.”

“She’s having some tests right now, but I’m sure she would love a visit from you later. She’s only been here a few hours and already she’s crawling out of her skin.”

Normally he wouldn’t visit a stranger, but under the circumstances, it couldn’t hurt. Besides, he’d liked Melissa from the moment he met her. She wasn’t a typical royal. Of course neither was Liv, or Louisa for that matter. Maybe there was nothing unusual about any of them. Maybe it was his preconceived notion that was way off.

“I’d like that,” he said. “As long as it’s not an imposition.”

“Of course not. Chris and Melissa really like you. In fact, Chris told me …” She paused and pressed her fingers to her lips.

“Chris told you what?”

Her cheeks flushed to match the pink of her pants. “Forget it.”

He smiled. “You’re blushing, Your Highness.”

“I’m not sure if I should have said anything.”

He folded his arms over his chest. She was usually so poised and self-confident. He liked that she had a vulnerable side. “Maybe you shouldn’t have, but now you’ve piqued my curiosity. It wouldn’t be fair to leave me hanging with no explanation, would it?”

“I suppose not.” She glanced over at the busy nurses’ station, then whispered, “Not here.”

Whatever she had to say, it was apparently private in nature. All the more reason for him to know what was said. “Where?”

“I was on my way back to our private waiting room,” she told him. “You could join me.”

“I’d like that,” he told her, realizing it was true, and not just for the information. Meeting like this in the hospital hallway could have been awkward, but instead he felt totally at ease with her. In fact, the moment he saw her standing there, some of the stress from the last few days seemed to melt away.

He held out his arm and she slipped hers through it. Thankfully the guards didn’t knock him to the ground and cuff him. “Lead the way, Your Highness.”

Louisa led Garrett into the royal family’s private waiting room. She was relieved to find it empty. If this was the only time they could be alone, she could think of worse places.

“This is nice,” Garrett said, gazing around. “More like a hotel suite than a hospital.”

“It didn’t used to be so modern, but the last few years, with my father’s condition, we’ve spent a lot of time here so it was renovated.”

“I expected Chris to be here.”

“He’s with Melissa. She’s having a test to determine the development of the babies’ lungs.” She turned to set down her purse and felt Garrett’s hands settle on her shoulders. A warm and delicious feeling poured through her like honey and the purse dropped with a clunk on the table.

“Does that mean we’re alone?” he asked, and something in his tone made her heart skip a beat. Until now, she was the one to instigate the physical contact. It was exciting, and yes, maybe a little scary, that he had taken the upper hand.

“I guess we are.”

His hands slipped off her shoulders and down her arms. His palms were smooth and felt hot to the touch. “Security won’t barge in at any second?”

“Only if I call them.”

“Are you going to call them?”

Now that they finally had some time alone? Not bloody likely. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Even if I do this?” He pulled her hair over one shoulder and brushed a kiss on the back of her neck. Goose bumps broke out across her skin, and her legs suddenly felt limp. Men had kissed her before, but it had been a long time since one made her tingle all over or feel the warm tug of arousal between her thighs and in her breasts.

He kissed her shoulder and she willed him to touch her, to cup her breasts in his palms, to slide his hand down, inside her panties. She almost moaned out loud imagining it, but she knew this wasn’t the time or the place.

“I like your hair this way,” he said, running his fingers through it. “You should wear it down all the time.”

“Maybe I will.”

“You were going to tell me what Chris said,” he reminded her, his breath warm on her nape where he dropped soft kisses.

“I’d hoped you’d forgotten about that.” She let her head fall to the side, giving him more area to explore, and he didn’t disappoint. “Chris might be upset that I told you.”

“We’ll keep it between you and me.”

“You promise?”

He turned her to face him and brushed his lips across hers. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”

Even if she’d wanted to tell him no, there was no way she could. He could ask her the royal family’s most intimate secrets right now and they would spill willingly from the lips he so skillfully nibbled. “I was talking to Chris the other day and he mentioned that if … well, if you and I were to get married, you would be a good choice to replace Aaron when he goes back to school.”

He stopped kissing her. “He said that?”

“Just the other day.”

“Well, I’m … I’m a bit speechless, actually. I’m flattered that he would even consider me.”

“Nothing is set in stone, of course, which is why I never should have said anything in the first place. Me and my big mouth.”

He smiled and made a growling sound deep in his throat. He cradled her face in his hand and brushed the pad of his thumb across her lower lip. “Hmm, I love your mouth.”

She loved the way it felt when he touched it. Especially when he used his lips.