In the Royal's Bed: Wanted: Royal Wife and Mother

It caught him. Something in her voice made him pause. He tugged sharply at her hands, forcing her to look up at him.

‘Kelly, it’s not really a life sentence,’ he said.

‘You know it is.’

‘It might even be fun.’

‘Says the man who wants to flee to Manhattan.’

‘We could make it fun.’

‘Like how?’

His mouth twisted. ‘Don’t ask me.’ He glanced at his wrist-watch and grimaced. ‘I need to go. Any minute now the dinner will end and there’ll be questions as to why I’m not in the royal bed.’

‘Matty will miss you when he wakes.’

‘Remind him you’re his mother,’ he said softly. Then, at the look on her face, he said more urgently, ‘It’s the truth. You are his mother. You love him already and his love will come.’

‘I don’t think…’

‘No, don’t think,’ he said urgently. ‘That’s the way of madness. One day at a time. Starting now. We can do this.’ And then, before she knew what he was about, he’d caught her chin with his fingers and forced her face up to meet his. His mouth lowered on hers in a swift, demanding kiss.

It shocked them both. She could feel it, like a stab of white-hot heat coming from nowhere. It lasted seconds, hardly even that, and then it was over but, as he released her, her hands flew to her lips and she gazed up at him in bewilderment.

Where had that come from? Why on earth…?

He was looking as bewildered as she was. As if some force other than his had propelled the kiss. As if he, too, didn’t understand what had just happened.

‘I guess it’s a pact,’ he said at last as he stepped back and she gazed at him in stupefaction. ‘A kiss to seal a bargain.’

‘A handshake would have done,’ she whispered.

‘Nah,’ he said and suddenly he grinned and it was like the sun had come out. He was suddenly like a kid in mischief. ‘Where’s the fun in a handshake? A kiss is much more satisfactory. Don’t look like that, Your Highness. I meant no disrespect.’

‘I didn’t think…’

‘It’s just as well you don’t think,’ he said. ‘As the mother of the Crown Prince, you could probably have my head skewered and served on a platter for breakfast for doing what I just did. So let’s just forget the kiss. Good though it was.’ He lifted his dress sword and slid it into its scabbard. His smile faded.

‘So, like it or not, we have a deal. We’re in this together, Kellyn Marie. I won’t see you now until we leave. Can you be ready to return with me on Tuesday? Yes? Unless you want to be overrun with media before then, I shouldn’t return here, and now I’m outed I’ll have to do the full diplomatic round. Tell Matty I love him, and tell him he has a mother in a million.’

‘Even if she’s a blackmailing cow.’

‘She’s not so bad for a blackmailing cow,’ he said and grinned. ‘I’ve seen worse things come out of cheese.’

What the hell had he done?

Rafael walked out through the darkened historical village and thought he must have gone completely mad.

He’d just agreed to stay in Alp de Ciel until Matty was twenty-five.

He didn’t have to. He could promise and then leave anyway once Matty was safely back in the country.

He couldn’t. He thought back to Kelly’s face by the firelight. She trusted him.

He was trustworthy. Hell!

He’d kissed her.

Why had he done that?

It was just that she was so damned kissable. She was such a juxtaposition of sweet, meek and… dragon, he thought ruefully. Life had slapped her around and that was what she looked like, that was how she sounded, but underneath there was a fierce and determined sprite.

What had Kass been thinking to treat her so appallingly?

She’d just blackmailed him into moving his life to Alp de Ciel.

His mother would be delighted.

But Anna…

Whoops.

He needed to talk to Anna before she learned of things via the media, he thought. Kelly might come across as a bit of a dragon but that was nothing to how Anna came across when she was angry.

Would Anna relocate to Alp de Ciel?

Ha.

Too hard. It was all just too hard.

Pete was on the gate, obviously waiting for him to leave. Rafael tugged a note from his wallet to leave him something for his pains, but Pete shook his head at the offering as if he was personally offended.

‘I don’t want your money.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Rafael said, surprised.

‘I just don’t want you mucking our Kelly about,’ Pete said strongly. ‘She’s had a rough trot, our Kell.’

‘You could help by not telling anyone I was here tonight. And not telling anyone Kelly has a strange little boy staying with her.’

‘You think I’d do that?’

‘No,’ Rafael said with a faint smile.

‘You really are a prince?’ the old man demanded, and Rafael nodded.

‘Yes.’