Weight of the Crown (4 page)

She was still smiling hours later as she left Ra’id’s bedroom that evening. She closed the door so quietly, it didn’t make a sound. She could have laughed with relief at the end of such an exhausting, perfect day, but didn’t want to wake her little charge. These first few hours in her new job had achieved what her holiday had failed to do—distracted her from the past and helped her to move into the future. It turned out she’d needed a new challenge, and she was relishing it. Ra’id was a real handful, but that was because no one had cared enough to teach him how to behave properly—until now. He was quick, clever, and underneath he had the makings of a dear little chap. Now she could relax for a few hours, and thank her lucky stars that she had
gone with her instincts rather than her emotions. She had taken this position to save Ra’id from falling into the hands of some wage slave who was only interested in what the job prospects were. Now she was looking after him, everything would be fine. The only fly in the ointment was her unprecedented response to Lysander, but what with her past and his present she’d certainly never be silly enough to give into him—however wickedly tempting his smile might be … As she entered the suite’s sitting room she jumped violently when she saw that the object of her thoughts had made himself at home on one of the nursery’s low couches, his long legs stretched out beneath a table. A tray set for two with fine china and a steaming cafetiere waited in front of him, untouched. A dozen down-lighters around the walls gave the room a soft golden glow.

‘Thank you, Lysander.’ Alyssa kept her voice cool and professional, desperate not to show him how much his presence unsettled her. She preferred speaking to children rather than adults, but talking with Lysander was all too easy. She tried to concentrate on tidying the room, hoping her busyness would hide her nerves. ‘When you told me you never normally had anything to do with Ra’id, I thought it meant you didn’t have any interest in him. It was good of you to sit with us while he had tea in the main dining room. The different surroundings made him a bit uncertain, and that really helped him behave. Eating with you and other adults instead of being waited on alone will really help his manners. You’ll be a great example for him to follow.
Is there any chance you could make afternoon tea with him a regular thing?’

‘It’ll be my pleasure, as long as you promise to always be there, too,’ Lysander purred.

The room’s low light gave his aristocratic features a shadowy mystery—but there was no mistaking the meaning in his eyes. During the meal they had all taken together Alyssa had been focused on Ra’id, but that couldn’t stop her feeling the warmth of Lysander’s interest. Alone with him now, she felt coils of attraction snake through her body. Tearing herself away from his gaze, she moved methodically around the room, picking up scattered toys and plumping cushions.

‘You must have given your army of attendants the slip,’ she said without looking at him.

‘I told them to leave me, yes,’ he said in a light, conversational way.

Remember, men like him gain your confidence, then abandon you when you’re at your most vulnerable. That’s how it works
, Alyssa told herself firmly.

When the room was as neat as it was going to get, she couldn’t think of anything else to do to avoid his eyes except pouring the coffee. Trying not to let her nervousness show, she approached the table from the opposite side to where he sat. As she reached for the handle of the cafetiere his hand closed in on hers and he lifted it out of her grasp.

‘That’s OK. I’ll pour the coffee. You should sit down and relax, Alyssa. It’s been a busy day for you. And for me, too. You’ve given me plenty to think about.’

Until that moment Alyssa had been careful to keep her eyes on the tray, but that made her look up and
question him. He was watching her with the exotic look of a well fed panther.

It’s bound to be some sort of line, but there’s nothing to worry about as long as I keep that thought in mind
, she told herself.

‘What do you mean?’

‘The way you improved Ra’id’s behaviour right from the start, by laying down strict boundaries for him. That impressed me. I went back to my staff and put some ground rules of my own in place, to make my life more structured. My nicely pampered, trouble-free life, as you were quick to point out,’ he drawled, smiling at her in a way calculated to melt the stoniest heart.

Alyssa tried to resist, but the crafty way he recalled their first meeting started every muscle in her face working as she tried to avoid returning his smile.

‘I’d hate to be followed around by all those people the whole time.’

‘I do. But that’s the way my brother worked, and having all those staff hounding me from day one hadn’t given me enough time to devise a better system. I think better when I’m on my own. Clearing my mind by sending them all away for a while gave me the chance to work out a sensible routine for myself. And all it took was the sight of you, taking control.’ He lifted one of the little black and gold cups of coffee towards her. ‘Cream and sugar?’

‘Cream, please. That’s all.’ She felt suddenly shy, rather than scared of him.

‘I prefer cappuccino myself.’

‘Oh, so do I!’ They both looked surprised at her quick reply, and then smiled.

‘You and I will have to indulge ourselves one day,’ Lysander said. ‘My late brother thought frothy coffee was undignified, and out of keeping with high office.’ His smile had been getting wider by the second and Alyssa couldn’t resist its power any longer. She could feel her own face relaxing, too.

‘Thoughts like that don’t stop you?’

‘Nothing stops me.’ His voice was warm.

Alyssa didn’t doubt it. She leaned back in her seat, trying to make the point that she didn’t intend starting anything.

‘This is very good coffee. Your brother may have had a point. I’ve heard he was very respectable. When you can drink coffee that tastes like this, why risk pushing any boundaries?’ she said, making it clear she didn’t only mean coffee.

Lysander wasn’t about to be put off so easily. ‘Akil didn’t start laying down the law until he was unlucky in love and then
bang
! He reverted to the family type where many things were concerned. For one thing, when it came to women he decided they should be seen and not heard—and preferably not seen either.’ He gave her another smile. ‘I get the feeling you’d be happy to keep this nursery wing as your own private space. I suspect he would have approved of you.’

‘All I’m interested in is giving his son a good start in life.’ Glowing with quiet pride, Alyssa took another sip of her coffee. ‘It’s the early days yet, but I think I’m going to like it here. I already love working with Ra’id so much, I’ll be quite happy to fit in with whatever you want, Lysander.’

The moment the words left her lips Alyssa went hot
all over. It was exactly the wrong thing to say to a dangerously tempting man like this.

‘That’s what I like to hear.’ He laughed.

‘Just remember, I’m not here for your benefit!’

Lysander was so taken aback by her sharp retort, Alyssa had time to organise her thoughts before carrying on.

‘My interest is in children, and making sure they’re properly looked after. From what I understand, Ra’id has suffered all his life from a high turnover among his carers, so I intend sticking with this job for as long as I’m needed. That’s
needed
, and not
wanted
, Lysander,’ she said with chilling emphasis, letting him know that she assumed infidelity ran through his veins. ‘I’m not going to let anything affect the way I care for Ra’id. That’s why I want to get one thing clear from the start. There have to be ground rules for us as well as him.’

He slipped her a sidelong glance. Alyssa’s heartbeat accelerated, but she tried to ignore her pounding pulse.

‘I mean it.’

‘That’s a shame, but I suppose I should have guessed.’ He sighed, then took a long drink of coffee. ‘I’ve seen for myself how seriously you take your work. Does this mean you think sex isn’t a laughing matter, either?’

Alyssa swallowed, knowing she had to dodge his question. Every time she looked at Lysander she noticed some new detail about him. The slight natural curl in his dark hair, or the muscles that were hardly concealed by the fine fabric of his crisp white shirt.

‘It really doesn’t matter what I think about anything, except my job,’ she said, with a determination to ignore
his smile. ‘I’m employed to care for Ra’id. You’ve got your work cut out caring for his country, Lysander. We both want the same thing.’ She felt embarrassed about exactly how true that was, and knew she was colouring up again. It was a good job the background lighting was so soft. It hid her embarrassment as well as her feelings. ‘And that’s the best thing for Ra’id. It means you and I have to work together as a team, and I mean
work
.’ She emphasised the last word carefully.

‘And I have no doubt at all that we will,’ he drawled, making Alyssa wonder what he thought of as work. ‘That’s why I’m going to study your methods as closely as I can. The job of Regent of Rosara couldn’t be more different from the life I’ve lived until now. With Ra’id years away from becoming King, and despite my brother’s best attempts at marrying me off, I’m still his only living relative. That means our country’s succession is in a precarious state. I have to make sure nothing happens to Ra’id, while running Rosara at the same time, and I intend to succeed at both jobs.’

Alyssa saw he was deadly serious, and knew she had underestimated him. ‘That’s a real challenge.’

‘I know, but I specialise in those.’

She had been thinking so hard about how a playboy was going to juggle two jobs like that, she didn’t realise he had been leaning steadily closer and closer to her. When he laid a hand on her arm, she jumped.

‘That’s why I need your help, Alyssa.’

She pulled her arm away smartly. ‘If there’s anything I can do to help Ra’id, I will. But that’s all, Lysander.’

‘Of course. You’ve made your point, so I’ll make
mine. I prefer partnerships of pleasure.’ Despite her obvious anger, he didn’t sound at all apologetic.

‘I suppose by that you mean little and often,’ Alyssa snapped.

The smile returned to his beautiful mouth. ‘I’ve never had any complaints.’

‘Until you met me, and I’m out of bounds,’ she told him meaningfully. ‘As long as you remember that, Lysander, you can keep your record with women—which I’m sure must be one hundred per cent perfect.’

‘Oh, don’t worry. One little setback in a lifetime wouldn’t bother me. A single rejection among thousands of triumphs would only amount to a fraction of a percentage point,’ he said with a careless smile.

‘Ah, but if you don’t try, you’ll make
sure
you never fail—’

Alyssa had never known a man with such easy, natural charm. Those flashing eyes and that devilish smile made him almost impossible to resist, but then she remembered something. His one and only weakness would always be her greatest strength.

‘And if you ever force me to give you a black eye, Lysander, it would make other girls think twice about tangling with you, until your bruises have faded.’

He stopped smiling. His eyes narrowed. He pursed his lips, thinking.

‘I’m a fast healer, but … point taken.’

Alyssa wasn’t going to take any chances. ‘I’m serious, Lysander.’

He took another long, slow sip of coffee but his eyes didn’t once leave her face. ‘I’m sure you are.’

‘I’m here to work, so I don’t have time for
distractions. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do my very best for your little prince. I once let a child down …’ She paused, not wanting to complete the story. ‘From that moment on, my job became the most important thing in my life. Do you understand?’

Lysander leaned back, resting one arm along the back of the couch. His eyes were dark and inscrutable. ‘Ah … yes, I remember somebody bringing that to my attention when they were checking your references. It was truly a tragedy that that little boy died because nobody took any notice when you told them how sick he was. That was unforgivable.’

Alyssa’s heart began to beat very quickly, and not only because of the way he was studying her. Talking to Jerry about the tragedy of little Georgie had been hard enough. Discussing it with a stranger would be impossible.

‘Yes, it was. Which is why I’d rather you changed the subject,’ she said abruptly, her breathing shallow.

Lysander’s expression altered. The intensity of his gaze made her blush.

I was never this forceful until—
she thought, and felt the sharp pain of sadness in her throat.
Oh, no. Why must that come back to haunt me, right now?
The events of a few months ago had snowballed until they threatened to suck all the life out of her. This job was her chance of a fresh start. She couldn’t afford to weaken.

Lysander was so self-confident. Alyssa wished she had his sort of nerve, but she was at least determined not to let him see her eyes fill with tears. She looked away quickly, but for the first time since she had lost
Georgie she found that her tears were easily blinked away. Painfully, she wondered if this was the start of her recovery.

‘Of course. It’s no wonder you mistrust people after that.’ Lysander’s voice was as slow and calculated as his smile. ‘Is there anything I can do to persuade you we aren’t all bad?’

He had picked up on her suspicions about him, so there was no point in denying them. It wasn’t good for her new employer to feel he was under surveillance, but that wasn’t Alyssa’s only worry. If a gorgeous man like this could see how troubled she was, her life really had gone too far in the wrong direction. She had to do something, fast, but what? Maybe she
could
do with talking about what had happened rather than bottling everything up … but this handsome, piratical prince looked more trouble than he was worth. Wanting to talk was one thing. Trusting him was something else. Finishing her coffee, she put her cup and saucer back on the tray and stood up.

‘Well, thank you for the drink, but unless you have some aspect of Ra’id’s care you’d like to discuss I think you’d better go, Lysander. I’ve got a lot to do.’ She took a last look around the sitting room, then started off towards the door she assumed must lead to her own suite. ‘The chap who parked my car earlier said he’d bring my luggage up but I got so involved with Ra’id, I haven’t even had a chance to find where I’m sleeping.’