Chapter 8

Leaning against the cool wood, Ginny listened to the whisper of retreating footsteps until they died away. The little ache in her heart spread to her head. She lay down on the bed, tucked the luxurious down comforter to her chin, and stared up into the canopy’s vaulted darkness. An hour…two, she lay awake in bed, waiting and hoping. Finally, she slid to her feet, toed on her slippers, and followed her heart to the door. Opening it, she peered into the hall. John, her guard, was nowhere in sight.

Relief wrapped around her life a warm blanket. Taking courage in both hands, she waded into the dim corridor. With no idea of direction, she gave herself over to the simple need to see Lex. She was almost to the stairs when a shadowed figure stepped into her path. Her heart lurched. Alexander! Then a thud of dread. John? Too afraid to move, her mind raced, readying an excuse for being in the corridor at two in the morning.

The man wasn’t tall enough to be either the prince or the ambassador.

“My Lady.” Marcus stepped into the muted light of a bronze wall sconce. “May I guide you?”

“Yes, thank you.” Shame blistered her cheeks. “You know where I’m going, don’t you?”

“Yes, miss. But you’re going the wrong way. Allow me.” He gestured for them to continue farther down the hall.

Marcus was a man of modest height, his blond hair clipped military-short. Nothing special to look at, but he projected self-assurance and dignity. Had he learned these qualities from his master?

When she moved and her shadow followed, she could see his eyes. In their green-gold depths, she saw understanding. Had he loved a dream once, too? She smiled.

“I have no,” she made a Zero with her fingers, “sense of direction. Zilch. None. Lucky you came along.”

“Yes, miss.” Despite his lack of height, his long stride outdistanced her, and he had to pause to allow her to catch up.

“You did just happen by?”

“No, Miss MacDonald.”

“You were sent for me?”

“Yes.” He kept a straight face, though she had the feeling he wanted to smile.

“I see.” Her feet wanted to do a happy dance. She wanted to do cartwheels down the hall. He’d sent for her! Ingrid, beware.

How many times had the good man Marcus led a desperate woman to Lex? A little bolt of surprise pinged through her. She didn’t care how many or how often. She was here. Now. In this moment. And she was deliriously happy. Ginny trotted behind the prince’s manservant, her soft white robe billowing behind her. At least, her satin slippers made little sound.

The retreat was a large two-story log cabin perched on a small, wooded rise that gave way to the mountains. Nothing surrounding Alexander Leandres—not dwellings, vehicles, horses, or the country he’d one day rule—was less than stunning.

Marcus stopped, and Ginny’s heart lurched into overdrive. She concentrated on the moment, and on keeping her breathing normal. He tapped discreetly on a door at the far end of the hall. Ginny tensed, shivering as footsteps approached inside the bedroom. She counted the seconds until the door opened silently on oiled hinges. She forgot to breathe, could only stare. Her prince, robed in green velvet this time, greeted her with a wisp of his lips to hers.

“Ginny.” His voice was almost a whisper. “Come.”

She loved the way he pronounced her name and the soft…affection? His smile was beautiful enough to stop her heart. “Did you know I’d come?”

“I only hoped.” An angel with black hair and blue eyes took her hand to guide her over the threshold.

Marcus stood aside for her, bowed, and quietly took his leave. Lex nodded at his manservant, then closed the door. The lock clicked. In the stillness of a mountain night, Marcus’ light tread sounded like an alert. A sense of unreality possessed Ginny. Looking at the man she’d loved from afar for at least three years, she couldn’t believe this was happening to her. She was going to wake up in her bedroom at home, not in the bedroom of the world’s favorite prince.

“When you left my room…” She freed a pent-up breath, trying to hide her feelings behind the mask of a smile. “I didn’t lock the door.” She hesitated a beat. “In case you came back.”

“I thought about it, but then the ambassador is just across the hall.” He smiled. “You’re here now, and that’s all that matters. I’m so glad you came, Ginny.”

There he’d said her name again in that delicious accent with that lovely shade of…something. She tossed her hair, batted her eyes, and gave him her biggest smile. “Is this a royal seduction?”

“Do you want it to be?” He grinned.

Oh, no, she’d joked her way into a corner. If she said yes, she was the aggressor and could be rejected. If she said no, not only would she be lying, but she might discourage the love scene she’d written in her head a hundred times.

So, she took her cue from Chrissy and shook her shoulders slightly, gazing into his eyes and smiling.

“We’re both overdressed.” But he tugged his belt tighter.

The velvet clung to his body as softly as the satin clung to hers. He had the physique of a Greek God…one with a large phallus. Then she was in his arms, he was kissing her, wiping all thought from her mind. She clung to him, meeting his kisses with equal fever.

“What do you want, Ginny?” he whispered. “No.”

The next thing she knew, she stood on her own two feet.

Abruptly, he’d turned away. One hand splayed, he said, “I simply had to see you…you alone, not the others.”

“I know. I thought we’d never be alone.”

He faced her. “This isn’t a royal seduction.” He made a sweeping gesture, indicating his body. “I think you can tell I’m attracted to you, but I refuse…not you.”

She didn’t know whether to be flattered or hurt. “Why?”

“Because you deserve more than a quick tumble.” He gave the belt at his slender waist a fierce tug. “You mustn’t damage your relationship with the Calhouns. I understand from my father that you’re the ambassador’s assistant.” Did she imagine it or did his expression brighten? “Does this mean you plan to stay?”

“At least a year.” She gestured at the mountains framed in a snow-festooned window. “I love your country. Desjardins is stimulating. Everyone so alive, so vibrant. Not to mention the natural beauty. The beach within miles of the sea. Secret, I aspire to being a beach bum.” A pleasant shiver rippled over her, and she rubbed her arms.

Warm hands branded her arms, drifting from elbow to shoulder. The caresses were intimate, exciting. His eyes were such an intense blue. He gazed into her eyes as his fingers brushed fire along her neck, traveling to her cheek, trailing heat on her skin. Anticipation zinged over her, awakening desire on strong belly tugs. She risked glancing down. He might resist making love to her, but his body was ready. The sculpted tip of an erection parted his plush robe. The tumultuous tremors inside shook the hands she lifted to his waist.

Long, elegant fingers glided to her temple. “Still cold?”

“I didn’t shiver from cold.” She tried to control her reaction to his touch. He’d sense the passion rising in her.

“Haven’t you noticed?” she asked in little more than a whisper. “That your nearness makes me shiver.”

His hand glided down her hip, over the white satin of her robe. “You make me more than shiver.” He took her into his arms, their bodies close as skin, so that she felt her effect on him.

Mother Nature had been kind to Lex in so many ways. Not only was he breathtakingly handsome and charming and born a prince, but the size of his equipment also promised deep, dark delights.

Cold embraced Ginny. Physical cold and a chill wash of emotions. Fear chased humiliation through her. She was no longer safe and warm in his arms. He’d turned away, saying, “You know I have nothing to offer you…but this.”

“I know.” She placed a hand on his rigid back. “This is enough. Whatever this is.”

“Whatever this is,” he echoed, his beautiful voice rough, and an octave lower than usual.

“Never mind. It’s not very smart for me to stay.” She bit her lower lip to steady its trembling and started to prepare for the heartbreak gathering inside her. How was it possible to feel like you were dying and go on living? Oh, she had her answer. This was no royal seduction because he didn’t want her in his bed. He had Ingrid for that. Why did he want her? But he did. She’d felt the hard evidence. What was she to think? What to do? She retreated a couple of steps toward the door and escape, but she couldn’t run from the pain. Like something dark and alive, it hovered, waiting to descend. So, this was how it felt for a dream to die.

Lex turned, his face a portrait of his inward struggle. “Well, it’s not enough for me.”

“Why?” Was she asking why he didn’t want her, or why being with her wasn’t enough for him?

He lifted his hands, let them fall. When he met her gaze, the emotion in his eyes shocked her. “Go, Ginny, before I change my mind and ask you to stay.”

She had to glance away. His gaze burned into the darker recesses, the secret needs she’d told no one. “You must have wanted me here. You sent Marcus.” She threw her hands up, all the time hating the helplessness of the gesture. She didn’t want to beg but found herself saying, “I don’t understand.”

He shook his head. Lord, he looked as sad and confused as she. “I do understand, and that’s the problem. If I could offer…” he broke off and shrugged.

His gaze slid down the front of her, caressing her breasts, lower, lower until she was on fire. It was all she could do not to squirm. She had to move; do something. She ran a hand back through her hair and shook the mass over her shoulder.

“You’re beautiful, Ginny.” He smiled a little boy grin. “But I think I repeat myself.”

“Thank you. You can repeat yourself as much as you like.”

Simply being in his presence was enough. Looking at him fed her dreams, but her presence didn’t seem to affect him as deeply. She curbed her insecurities, told herself she was a little hurt, but a lot more disappointed. On a small table between a couple of leather chairs facing the hearth, she saw an unopened bottle of champagne. Grieving for what might have been, she drew herself up straight and tilted her chin.

“Well, I suppose I should go. Goodnight, Lex.” No tears in her voice. They were scattered in the remains of her shattered heart. She turned to embark on the longest journey of her life—the first day without a dream. Hoping against hope that she could make it to her room before the dam burst and the flood of tears came, she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other.

She’d taken two strides toward the door when he caught her to him, wrapping around her from behind. He breathed her name into her hair, turned her into a hot, demanding kiss that resurrected that dead dream. Pride told her to resist, but she ignored the screams of the warning bells. Ginny gave herself over completely to him. His lips glided to her neck, Ginny’s erogenous zone. She moaned, moving against him as he planted suckling kisses at her collarbone.

Whispering kisses to her lips, he waltzed her back, lifted her off her feet, and spun her as they fell on the bed, Ginny on top. Through his velvet robe and her satin one, she felt his heat. He was rock hard. She needed no clearer sign that he wanted her. The desire that had smoldered between them burst into an all-consuming inferno, the kind of passion the lucky only know once in a lifetime. He sank one hand into her hair, kissing her hard. His free hand caressed her breast. She pressed her hips harder to his. He freed her hair to smooth his hands down her figure.

Ginny seized courage in both hands—in all of the rest of her forever this feeling might never come again. She slid astride him, leaning into his kiss. Her breasts were on his chest, her nipples tingling. His hard shaft flexed against her belly. His lips drifted to her neck, his hands gripping her butt.

And his blasted phone rang.

He showed no inclination to answer, but she broke the kiss. “Maybe you should.”

Lex closed his eyes, nodding. “Perhaps, but I don’t want to. You feel just right in my arms.” On the third ring, he finally rescued his mobile from the bedside table and came instantly alert. “Yes, Marcus.”

“Sir, the ambassador is looking for Miss MacDonald.” The manservant’s voice was all decorum. “Apparently, Miss Calhoun knocked on her door but received no answer.”

He laughed low in his throat like the purr of a fierce dark lion. “Because she’s not in in her room. Very well. Do you think you can smuggle our missing Miss MacDonald back to her chambers without being seen? Come at once, I suppose.”

Marcus chuckled. “I thought you might need my services. I’m outside your door.”

“Ever devoted, my man.” Lex smiled at Ginny, but the light of mischief was missing from his eyes. His expression and his tone serious, he said, “Her name is Ginny, Marcus. We’ll meet you at the door momentarily.”

Ginny scrambled to her feet. “So, John has guessed, or is fishing.”

“If anything is said, please…” He rose, took her gently in his arms, and brushed a kiss to her brave attempt at a smile. “Let me take care of it. I’ll make sure that, if I’ve caused you any trouble, it goes away.”

Heart and soul, she believed him. Simply by being near her, he made all her troubles vanish. Reality washed over the romantic. This could mean losing her position. Losing her position meant going home and leaving Lex to Ingrid and Chrissy to fight over. It would be quite a competition. Chrissy had never shown that side to Ginny, but she knew her friend could be a Class A bitch.

“I hope I’m not too wrinkled.” She smoothed her gown and finger-combed her hair, then nodded sharply. “All ready.”

Lex looked tousled and gorgeous. Less than perfect, he was stunning. She looked down at his bare feet. Even they were beautiful. The belt at his waist had loosened, the dressing gown parted, and she could see the shape of his shaft, still ready for their interrupted engagement. What gift had Mother Nature not given this man?

“I guess I’m ready, too.” He traced a fingertip along her jaw and ducked a kiss to her lips.

She nodded, and he took her hand, walking with her to the heavy oaken door. Their footsteps made little sound in the depth of the night. The rustic mantel clock struck three deep-throated notes. Three AM on an enchanted mountain night. A starry night, a dreamy night smiled on by a glacial white full moon. Tonight would be stored with her other treasured memories.

She had to ask, “Did you know I’d come?”

He shook his head, his hair moving beguilingly. “I feared you wouldn’t. That’s why I sent Marcus.”

Lord, how she longed to run her fingers through Lex’s thick, dark hair. It looked like silk; shined like satin. Was it a sin to want something as bad as she wanted him? If so, she wouldn’t repent. She’d remain a happy sinner.

He grinned—a wicked little boy unafraid of being caught stealing not a slice but the whole pie. “I’m glad you did.” A long pause. “Are you?”

She nodded, gazing into his eyes, willing him to understand. “Yes.”

“Me, too.” He opened the door. “Goodnight, Ginny.”

“Goodnight.” She whispered a laugh. “Again.”

His eyes darkened to an intense indigo. “Sleep well for about,” he glanced at his phone. “Two hours.”

“I’m pretty tough. I can take—”

He silenced her with a kiss. A sweet and loving, hot and lusty, kiss that swept her feet from under her, so that he had to hold her up.

Marcus cleared his throat. “I hear voices.”

“Sounds like a mental problem to me,” Lex said, and kissed her again quickly as she walked away.

***

Alexander’s POV

For the two days we remained at the retreat, I was never again to be alone with Ginny. As was necessary, in the others’ presence, we acted our parts well, I believe. Nothing was ever said about the hour Ginny MacDonald was lost in the log cabin. It wasn’t a likely story, but perhaps our audience wanted to believe a lie.

The night before our party was scheduled to depart, a heavy snowfall blanketed the landscape in white. The roads were impassable until plows could be dispatched. Even the all-wheel SUV was grounded. Except for the donuts on the front lawn. This was a new snow pastime to me, but the South Carolina girls assured me everyone did donuts when it snowed back home. We had a blast while John and Isabel—the snow bunnies in this instance—watched from the large window at front of the cabin.