He heard her sigh, but she was still tense, her shoulders tight and her hands still clasped tightly together.

  “Talk to me, Amilee. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

  Amilee forced a smile. “What time will we land?”

  He wanted to talk, to discuss her concerns. But the look in her eyes warned him that she wasn’t ready to have that conversation. Not yet. He told her the time and she nodded.

  “Good, that gives me most of the afternoon to review client files,” she told him, grabbing her bag and moving to the other side of the plane to read the files she’d brought with her.

  Rian watched her, fighting down a chuckle as she pushed those cute glasses higher up onto the bridge of her nose. She had no idea what a temptation she was. Her eyes were dark and mysterious, her long, raven hair a sensuous delight. Not to mention, she had the cutest nose and…okay, the glasses were sexy too. Then there were her breasts. Her figure was the stuff men dreamed of. He remembered holding her in his arms and her soft, curvy body fit against his perfectly.

  And yet, he also enjoyed talking with her, just being with her. That was such a strange sensation that he wasn’t sure what it meant. Women…he usually didn’t connect with them the way he did with Amilee. What was it about her?

  Just to confirm that she felt the connection just as he did, she turned her head and glared at him, letting him know that she didn’t appreciate his staring.

  Rian chuckled and looked away, wondering where his assistant had gone. Didn’t the man have a stack of issues for him to review? Even as he thought it, the man appeared, carrying the leather portfolio stuffed with papers.

  “Your Highness, we have…” and so it began. The man sat down across from Rian, going through each of the documents and pointing to the required signature spaces. For the first time in his life, Rian couldn’t focus. And that was completely because of Amilee. He could feel the weight of her gaze on him, although he kept his attention on his assistant or the papers in front of him.

  Interesting, he thought as he put his signature to yet another document. She could feign indifference most of the time. But not always. And not when he touched her. Damn, he liked that!

  Chapter 12

  Amilee’s cheeks hurt. She’d greeted so many people and couldn’t remember a single name. The hospital opening had been a spectacular success, with hundreds of families bringing their kids to update their vaccinations, many of the kids even going through a quick exam with a pediatrician. Hundreds of adults had signed up to get an annual exam and they were intrigued by the wellness possibilities the hospital would offer throughout the year.

  The only downside was that Rian had commanded that she sit with him on the dais. Her presence here made it seem as if their relationship was more formalized than it actually was. She didn’t like that, but because there had been too many reporters around when he’d whispered in her ear, she hadn’t been able to argue with him.

  So here she stood, shaking hands and nodding greetings as if she knew who each person was and why they were here. Rian was doing the same thing, but he seemed to handle the crowds more efficiently. He also seemed to know people’s names and their importance within the government.

  She was so tired. Down to her very bones exhausted. And more than slightly disappointed, but she’d never admit that she’d hoped Rian would come to her last night. At first, she’d lain awake, angry because she’d expected Rian to come. She’d told herself that she didn’t want him there, that she wanted him to respect her and not invade her privacy. But, by the time midnight rolled around, and he still hadn’t even knocked on her door to say goodnight, she was furious. Didn’t he want her anymore? Was she just a one night stand to him? He’d gotten what he wanted and now, he didn’t want her anymore?

  Her palm itched to slap his handsome face. And yet, Amilee knew she was being completely irrational!

  “Ready to go?” he asked, whispering in her ear.

  Amilee jerked, her eyes angry until she realized how close he was. Her eyes dropped to his mouth, her body almost leaning towards him.

  He growled, pulling her against his side as he nodded to his guards. “We need to get out of here,” he told the lead guard. The man immediately started towards the door, politely telling the others waiting for “just a word” with Rian or Amilee, that they had another engagement.

  Amilee had no idea what the urgency was about, but she was relieved not to have to keep smiling and nodding. She was also gratified that her comments on the discussion panel had been well received, but she was exhausted, both mentally and physically. All she wanted to do was soak in a hot bath and take a nap before the big gala tonight.

  Just thinking about tonight made her head ache and she dove into the waiting SUV with relief.

  “Thank you,” she whispered to Rian as he sat next to her. Leaning her head back against the cushions, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. “All those people seemed to think I should know who they were. And when they realized I didn’t have a clue, they’d introduce themselves, then wait expectantly, as if their names should be significant to me.” She rubbed her temples. “That was exhausting.”

  He pulled her closer, settling her against his chest. Amilee knew she should protest, but he pressed his thumbs into the tight muscles of her shoulders and she melted in his hands. “Oh, that feels wonderful!” she sighed.

  “Why are you so tense?” he asked, his warm breath teasing the hair by her ear.

  “I’m always tense when I have to talk in front of people. And then you asked me to sit on the stage, where I had to stare out at all of those curious faces.” She smiled crookedly. “Do you know how hard it is to cross one’s legs at the ankles? If I’d known that I was going to be on stage like that, I would have worn slacks.”

  “But you have great legs. Why would you cover them up with slacks?”

  She chuckled. “Because I’m up on stage! My skirt doesn’t reach my knees, so if I crossed my legs, even a little, I’d end up flashing the audience.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “That’s not something that men ever have to worry about. It’s yet another injustice that women have to endure.” She said that last with a teasing tone, but her point was valid. It was damned uncomfortable to sit on a stage and not move for fear that one’s skirt might gape. She supposed that’s why so many female political figures wore black panties. It was hard to distinguish one’s panties from a shadow. In her case though, she hadn’t considered the potential for on-stage flashing, so she’d worn her regular, white cotton panties.

  “I’m sorry the world is so unfair.”

  She shrugged, grumbling a bit more. “Well, men have to kill all the spiders.”

  He laughed again. “I suppose there are compensations for the hurdles women have to deal with.”

  “You’re making fun of me.”

  He bent, kissing her neck. “You’re right. I am. What are you going to do about it?”

  She laughed softly, pulling away so that she was sitting beside him. “I’m not going to do anything about it because you would enjoy my wrath too much.”

  He threw back his head, laughing at her quip. “You’re probably right.”

  “Why is that?” she asked, tilting her head quizzically.

  He reached out and took her hand, lifting it up so that he could press kisses to her fingers. “Perhaps because any reaction from you is worthwhile. It reminds me that you’re not as oblivious to me as you pretend.”

  “I’m not oblivious at all. Unfortunately.” She saw the heat building in his eyes and pulled her hand away. “I shouldn’t have said that. Now you’re going to…”

  He reached out and lifted her into his arms, settling her on his lap. “I’m going to what?” he asked, his hand sliding down her thigh.

  “You’re going to…” she stopped, words caught in her throat as his hand slid under her skirt. “Rian!”

  He watched her face while his hand inched higher. “Why are you so tired?”

  “Because…”

  “Is it because you were waiting for me last night?

  “You wish!” she gasped, grabbing his hand, but there was no strength in her grip and his hand inched higher. And higher!

  “We can’t…not here!” she hissed, closing her eyes at the heat stealing up through her body.

  “You’re right,” agreed, lowering his head to kiss her neck. “We will be at the palace in less than three minutes.” He nipped at her earlobe. “I’m hoping to convince you to take a nap with me.”

  “A nap?”

  His hand continued to slide along her thigh, making rational thought impossible. “Yes. A nap. In my bed. Alone. Without anyone to stop me from exploring every inch of you.”

  Amilee shivered, wanting that too. But in the back of her mind, a warning bell sounded.

  “Stop thinking, Amilee,” he coaxed. “Just feel.”

  Unfortunately, the limousine pulled into an underground parking garage. The abrupt transition from bright sunlight to darkness startled Amilee. She opened her eyes and looked around. “Oh!” she gasped and slid off of Rian’s lap as the driver pulled up beside the palace elevator and another guard stepped up to open the door.

  Rian stepped out first, then extended his hand to Amilee. For a long moment, she hesitated to accept his help, but in the end, she didn’t really have a choice. So, she extended her shaking fingers to him, almost relieved when his strong hand wrapped around her smaller one, balancing her as she stepped out of the vehicle.

  “This way,” he told her, leading her towards the elevator. Thankfully, several bodyguards entered the elevator as well, surrounding them. Amilee breathed a sigh of relief, even though her body protested the withdrawal of his touch.

  As soon as the elevator doors opened up, Rian’s assistant came into view. It was obvious that the man wanted to discuss something with Rian, and Amilee smiled brightly, feeling pleased at somehow thwarting Rian’s seduction.

  “I’ll see you tonight at dinner,” she told him, shooting an amused glance over her shoulder as she continued down the hallway.

  Rian watched as Amilee sauntered away, his body tight and desperate for her. Of course, she thought she’d escaped him. Little did she know that the look she’d thrown his way had ignited his predator instincts. She wanted him to chase her? He was going to chase her until she was screaming his name with pleasure.

  His assistant continued to natter about… whatever it was, but Rian wasn’t listening. In fact, he lifted a hand, silencing his assistant as he watched Amilee turn the corner, heading towards her suite.

  He knew that she thought she’d gotten away from him. But that look, that challenging glance called to him. Dared him! And he wasn’t a man to ignore a challenge.

  “We’ll have to discuss this later,” he told his assistant, unwilling to wait until tonight to respond to her challenge.

  Chapter 13

  Rian knocked on the door, but didn’t get an answer.

  “She’s in her suite?” he asked one of her personal bodyguards. Amilee didn’t grasp that the men and women standing outside of her doorway were her permanent team. He suspected that she thought they were just watching out for her while she was in the palace.

  “Yes, Your Highness,” the man on the right replied. “She entered about fifteen minutes ago.”

  Rian nodded and pushed the door open. Silence.

  Then there was a small squeaking noise and the sound of water splashing. “Bath time?” he asked, moving towards the large bathroom.

  Sure enough, as soon as he stepped into the steam-filled bathroom, he spotted Amilee leaning her head back against a rolled up towel, the bath filled with lavender scented suds.

  Her hair was piled on top of her head and she was bouncing to the music coming through her headphones. Walking over to her, he moved to the opposite side of the tub, watching to see how long it would take for her to realize that he was there.

  As he watched, one of her toes appeared through the suds, tapping along to the beat in her ears. Rian thought she was adorably sexy, even if a part of him was annoyed with her for being completely unaware of someone in her bathroom. He made a mental note to increase the guards on her team. If she was this unaware, he would do what needed to be done to protect her.

  Unbuttoning his shirt, he tossed it over the clothes she’d left piled on the counter, watching her the whole time. It was pretty shocking how important she’d become. She was like a stealth lover, inching into his psyche a little bit at a time, until Amilee was all he could think about.

  He’d just tossed his slacks away when a sound must have filtered through the music because she opened her eyes, startled to find him stepping into the steamy water.

  “What…!” she gasped, sitting up straighter as she pulled her ear buds out. “Rian! What are you doing?” she demanded, sliding across to the other side of the large tub.

  “I’m taking you up on your invitation,” he explained calmly, grabbing her foot when she tried to slip further away. With deft fingers, he pressed his thumbs against the arch of her foot. Initially, she tried to pull her foot away, but when he applied the pressure, she closed her eyes with a moan, leaning her head back slightly.

  For several moments, there was silence as he continued to massage her feet. Then Amilee lifted her head back up and, searching for her glasses, again tried to pull her foot away. “What do you mean? I didn’t invite you here!”

  He laughed and reached down to take her other foot. “Of course you did,” he argued, pressing his foot into the arch of her foot.

  She moaned again, then shook her head. “I didn’t.”

  “Sure you did.” He pressed again, eliciting another groan, this time she had to reach out to steady herself before she slipped below the water’s surface. “That look you sent to me before you walked away,” he replied, continuing the massage. “It was definitely an invitation.”

  Amilee bit her lip in indecision. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to pull her foot away and argue with him, or remain silent and enjoy his ministrations. She settled somewhere in the middle.

  “That look wasn’t an invitation, Rian. It was me walking away from you.”

  “It was a challenge, Amilee,” he argued, as his fingers explored their way along her leg.

  She opened her mouth to argue, but his hands moved higher. He loved that he could fluster her like this. But at the moment, he knew that her reaction was more than just being flustered. There was desire in her eyes. Desire, heat, and need.

  Rian intended to satisfy every one of those needs. Many times over, he vowed.

  Amilee gazed at Rian over the froth of bubbles, shocked and…okay, so maybe she had been secretly hoping that this would happen. Last night, she’d missed him. But…maybe she wasn’t quite prepared for this.

  “I think that the fantasy of you is quite different from the reality of you, Rian,” she announced, her voice weak as she moved her foot away from his lap. “You’re incredibly intimidating.”

  Rian’s dark eyebrow quirked at that statement, then he scooted over to her side of the tub. “Amilee, talk to me. I’m not sure what you mean by that comment.” He lifted her from the water, moving her so that she was sitting with her back against his chest, his impressive erection pressing against her back as well.

  “You’re…” her eyes fluttered closed as his hands slid over her outer thighs, straight down to her knees. But those hands didn’t stop there. They moved higher, but this time, his fingers trailed along the soapy skin of her inner thighs. Amilee’s body betrayed her, opening to him with every intimate foray closer and closer to parts of her that craved his touch.

  “I want you, Amilee,” he whispered into her ear, nipping at the lobe to reinforce his statement. “Tell me that you want me too.”

  “I do!” she replied, because there was nothing else she could say. It was the truth. She wanted him and…after missing him last night, she was terrified of what that meant. “But you’re going to hurt me, Rian.”

  “I’m not going to hurt you, love,” he promised. “I’ll be gentle.”

  Amilee closed her eyes as the tears burned under her eyelids. He didn’t understand, and her betraying body wasn’t giving her the chance to make him understand. So instead, she shifted around so that she was straddling his lap, his hands moving her hips into place. He lifted her higher, his mouth latching onto one taut nipple and Amilee arched into him, feeling that touch in ways that seemed impossible! His strong hands held her still, pressed against her back as he moved to her other breast. It was too much and Amilee cried out, her body pressing against his lap until she felt that delicious pressure against her core. Slowly, she lowered herself down, loving the way he filled her up. She arched her back again, rolling her hips until she could take all of him. Then, she remained still, savoring this moment, reveling in the uniqueness of being so intimately connected to Rian!

  “You gotta move, love!” he hissed, his hands stroking her back, which was slick from the water and bubbles.

  “Just a moment,” she breathed, adjusting their bodies a bit more. She smiled when she heard him groan again, feeling powerful. “Okay, now we can…”

  Before she could finish, Rian lifted her into his arms, shifting their positions so that she was seated, barely, on the edge of the massive tub. As he slowly thrust into her, Amilee clung to him, not just because she worried about falling backwards onto the hard marble floor, but also because every thrust sent her pleasure spiraling higher and higher. She could barely manage to tell him that it felt wonderful. All she could do was cling to him, completely at his mercy. Thankfully, he held her safely in place as he shifted and thrust, building their pleasure higher and higher. Although it seemed impossible, every plunge into her body felt like he was touching her soul, every shift of his hips sent her pleasure coursing through her veins like fire. And when she reached that pinnacle, Amilee buried her face against his neck, almost sobbing as her release throbbed around them.