Page 15 of Royal Heir (Westerly Billionaire 3)
Chapter Nine
Holding true to most of his promise to Eric, Magnus arranged for their arrival in Vandorra to be unannounced. They’d landed at the private airfield of one of the smaller royal residences an hour away from Finn’s hospital. Both Eric and Rachelle had retired to their rooms shortly after arrival. Rather than confine himself to the home’s office, Magnus took his laptop to a table on a balcony that overlooked the lush gardens and pool.
He was in the middle of answering an e-mail regarding a policy change he’d proposed when he felt Rachelle’s presence. Rather than turn around to immediately confirm her arrival, he took a moment to appreciate how his senses came alive for her. Being that aware of someone else was a novel experience.
She moved closer, and he could no longer fight the need to see her. He stood and turned to face her. She’d changed into simple white cotton shorts and a blue T-shirt. Free of makeup and shoes, with her hair hanging loose down her shoulders, he thought she’d never looked more beautiful. “Are you busy?” she asked, the hesitation in her voice revealing she didn’t know that in that moment he was powerless to deny her anything.
He closed his laptop without taking his eyes off her. “Just finished.”
She smiled. “It’s about tomorrow.”
He motioned toward the steps. “Why don’t we walk as we talk?” Otherwise we may end up making love right on this table. He flipped a switch, and the garden below became illuminated by decorative light posts.
She fell into step beside him. Once on a path in the garden, he offered her his arm. She tucked her hand around it, and the connection felt right. Another woman might have come to him in an outfit designed to turn him on. Or already have started to flirt outrageously with him. Female companionship came easily to a man with a title. Magnus was a healthy male in his prime. He’d accepted more of those appetizing offers than he cared to admit, but he couldn’t remember any holding his attention for long. What was the old saying? Familiarity breeds contempt? For Magnus, it bred boredom.
Rachelle holds my attention with ease. Is it because we haven’t been together yet? His gut told him she wouldn’t be a one-night stand. Once would not be enough to know her the way he wanted to.
“I love this! It’s an edible garden, isn’t it? Funny, it didn’t look it from far away, but these are mostly vegetable plants.”
“My mother called it a kitchen garden, even though she didn’t cook.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve seen beautiful gardens and I’ve seen vegetable gardens, but this mixture of colors and textures with the burst of flowers here and there—it’s dazzling. I can’t wait to see it in the light of day.”
Her comment pleased him. “My mother put a great deal of planning into the design. She studied in France as a child and said it gave her an appreciation for all that is beautiful as well as useful. She often said we cheat ourselves when we choose one over the other.”
“She sounds like she was an amazing woman.”
“She was.”
“How did she—I mean, if you don’t mind my asking . . .”
“She was born with a weak heart valve. It never held her back, but it did take her from us too early.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. She is never far from my thoughts, therefore never far from me.” It was something Magnus had once heard his father say about his deceased wife. Magnus had never repeated it, but he realized in that moment that it was also how he felt.
“That’s beautiful, and how I feel about my mother’s second husband.”
“I know.”
“You do?”
“Funny thing about small planes—sound carries better than you’d think.”
She froze beside him. “You heard my conversation with Eric.”
“We all heard it.”
She closed her eyes as if remembering all she’d said. “Oh my God. You should have said something.”
He shrugged. “What you were saying was too important to be interrupted. Except perhaps the last part about how we met. I don’t believe you have my accent down when you do your impression of me.”
She opened her eyes, looking pained. “And all your men were there. I’m so sorry.”
He tipped her chin upward and ran his thumb lightly over her parted lips. “Stop apologizing all the time. It’s not necessary. Do I look upset?”
She shook her head slightly, and desire once again lit her eyes. He much preferred that expression. “But your men—”
“Would not dare to have an opinion regarding a moment from my private life.” He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. “And I must admit, the story becomes more entertaining each time you retell it.” People usually presented themselves in whatever way they thought would be most advantageous to them. Rachelle was refreshingly real.
She smiled then, relaxing against him. “Every time I think I know what to expect from you, you surprise me again.”
“I could easily say the same about you. You are many things, Rachelle, but boring is not one of them.”
She ran her hand over his chest in a light caress. “You might not say that if you knew me. My life back home was a quiet one. I taught six-year-olds all day, hit the gym most evenings, and spent a lot of time with my family. Before this trip, I hadn’t even left the United States.”
“And yet you came alone.”
“Yes.”
He kissed her then but kept it gentle and in control. She was a remarkable woman, and there was no need to rush. When she came to his bed, he wanted it to be completely without fear or regret. She melted against him, and his need for her challenged his decision to go slowly. Reluctantly he broke off the kiss while he still had the strength to.
They stood in each other’s arms, breathing heavily. He remembered how boldly he’d spoken to her the first time he’d met her. It hadn’t seemed to scare her. Despite being alone with him in a secluded garden in his country, she didn’t appear intimidated by him at all. She might not consider herself daring, but she had a natural strength.
A man could make a partner of such a woman.
He frowned at where his thoughts wandered. A night with her—even a prolonged affair—was all he was looking for.
Wasn’t it?
He stepped back and offered her his arm again while chastising himself for bringing her to his mother’s favorite weekend escape rather than a more appropriate and less personal hotel. Rachelle was the first woman he’d brought here, and he didn’t like what that implied.
Rather than taking his arm again, she searched his face. “What’s wrong?” Rachelle Westerly surprised him. There were few in his daily o
rbit who took the time to read him. Her ability to read his disposition was disconcerting.
“Nothing.”
She hugged her arms to her stomach. “Now that’s an answer I no longer accept. It never mattered how bad things got in my family, they always said things were fine. They weren’t, though. If there’s a problem, just say it. I’d rather dig in and try to fix something than pretend it’s not there.”
Okay. “I like you.”
“That’s the problem?”
His shoulders tensed. He wasn’t one who opened up to people easily. “I enjoy your company more than I thought I would.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It is for me. If I have any intention beyond bedding you, I’m doing this wrong. You’re currently a joke in the media. If it gets out that I’ve also made you my lover, it’ll be another hit to your reputation, even though substantial damage has been done already.”
“Wow, okay, remember when I asked for honesty? Feel free to deliver it in a way that’s less of a kick to the groin.”
Her turn of phrase amused, but the situation did not. “I care about your public image.”
“Because?”
He frowned again. I should have just kept kissing her. What am I doing here? “Because I don’t want to see you hurt by your affiliation with me.”
She smiled then. “You’re concerned about me. Despite all that tough talk, you’re a worrier, just like me.”
“We could not be less alike.”
She lowered her lashes, then gazed up at him from beneath them. “You’re a big softie, aren’t you?”
“No.”
“You don’t have to be embarrassed about it. It’s actually really sexy.”
“Really?” That piqued his interest.
“Definitely. I’ll admit that when I first met you, I thought you were attractive. I mean, all the ‘I will have you’ stuff was sexy, but I would never have slept with that man.”
“No?”
“No, all he cared about was himself. Then you told me about Finn, and I saw how hard you fought to help my brother, and I thought, Now there’s a real man.” She went up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips across his.
