The Queen's Impossible Boss (The Christmas Princess Swap, Book 2) Page 6

  ‘Wow. You’re quite the willing martyr.’ His eyes flashed. ‘But you won’t expect that from your husband?’

  ‘I’d expect him to live with his own decisions, as we all must. And I don’t intend to hold any of his decisions against him. I understand the sacrifice we must both make.’

  ‘That’s the biggest load of horse shit I’ve ever heard in my life.’ Alvaro straightened, only to step closer still. ‘So you’re going to calmly turn a blind eye to all his affairs? You’re going to let him parade his lovers in front of you?’

  ‘Leonardo is not a monster. He cares about his kingdom and if he wanted to...to...’ She trailed off, hating to even think of Leonardo in any kind of sexual way. He was like distant family to her. ‘I’m sure he’d be discreet. We both want what’s best for both our countries. We would come to an understanding.’

  ‘Some understanding,’ Alvaro scoffed. ‘He gets to do what he wants while you get to die of boredom.’

  She glared at him. ‘I don’t think that sex is the be-all and end-all of a fulfilling life.’

  Alvaro laughed and she lost it.

  ‘Look, if I desperately want an orgasm,’ she snapped, ‘I can give myself one.’

  His jaw dropped. ‘Sure,’ he almost wheezed. ‘Of course, you can and should...frequently, I would hope.’

  She was mortified that she’d stumbled into this subject so blindly.

  ‘But...’ He cocked his head. ‘You know how they say a trouble shared is a trouble halved?’

  She nodded, mildly confused.

  ‘They also say a pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled.’

  ‘No one says that.’

  ‘Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.’ He took a length of her hair, looped it around his fingers and leaned closer still. ‘And you don’t know that yet, do you?’

  It was a whisper of a kiss, a brush so light and tempting that all caution slid from her again. And then there was another kiss—all temptation, all gentle, sweet tease. He was so hot. But beneath that tender touch, there was the promise of fire—that unleashed passion he’d swept her into only minutes before. She wanted both kinds—now. And when he lifted his mouth a millimetre from hers, she couldn’t stay silent.

  ‘Show me, then,’ she breathed.

  ‘So that’s what you want, Queen Jade?’

  ‘You? Yes.’ She swallowed, but now her desire outweighed her embarrassment again. ‘I don’t know why it is. Part of me wishes it wasn’t you...there’s that cute guy who delivers the post—’

  ‘Vito?’ Alvaro lifted his head and barked. ‘Not for you.’

  She exploded too—in pure frustration. ‘I’m attracted to you. I like kissing you. And I want to explore—’ She hauled back her self-control, trying to explain herself. ‘But I understand if, given everything you’ve just learned, that’s not what you want.’

  ‘You understand?’ Alvaro drew a sharp breath and swivelled to stand right in front of her again. ‘You understand nothing, Queen Jade. Not a damn thing.’

  ‘Enlighten me, then.’

  He pressed his fists against the wall either side of her head and stared into her eyes. ‘I can’t sleep with a woman who’s going to marry another man.’

  ‘Surely most of the women you meet are going to marry another man some time,’ she argued. ‘Are you the marrying type yourself?’

  He froze. ‘No.’

  No. She didn’t think so. He had that air of the loner about him—the distant leader who inspired huge loyalty but remained isolated... Yes, she understood his type very well.

  ‘We’ve already established that if I ever get married, it’s not going to be a normal one. I’ll do what I’m expected to do, at the time I’m required to. But what I do with my body before then? I want to lose my virginity to someone I actually want. At a place and time of my choosing. All of these things are my choices.’

  He still loomed over her and his voice was a thread of steel. ‘And are you saying your choice for all that is me?’

  It was impossible not to answer him honestly when he was right before her, gazing right at her, seeing right through her. But asking? She was suddenly so afraid of his answer.

  ‘Obviously you don’t have to,’ she muttered helplessly. ‘I can’t order you. I am not your queen. And I apologise if I misinterpreted your interest. As we’ve already established, I’m not especially experienced in such things.’

  His jaw slackened for a few seconds and then he smiled. ‘In “such things”?’

  She’d just propositioned a man she barely knew. What on earth had come over her? ‘If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go—’

  ‘No. I won’t excuse you.’ He leaned closer. ‘Won’t let you leave.’ He gazed down at her. ‘Not yet.’

  But he didn’t kiss her as she wanted him to, and his fierce expression didn’t lighten. In fact, the longer the silence grew, the more remote his expression became.

  Her breathing quickened as every doubt mushroomed. She was so embarrassed. She never should have said anything. Never should have wanted.

  ‘I apologise,’ she muttered in an agonised whisper. ‘I shouldn’t have wanted—’

  His harsh inhalation silenced her. ‘You shouldn’t apologise for wanting someone.’

  She could feel that horrible blush burning across her skin. Worse was the horrible feeling rotting inside. Regret.

  But then he smiled. ‘You do realise you’ve invited a tiger in, don’t you? Hell, Jade.’ He breathed out. ‘You must know I wouldn’t mind if you ordered me to do what you really want.’

  Her mouth dried and she just gazed up at him, unable to say another thing. All courage stolen by the promise in his eyes.

  He lifted a hand from the wall beside her and lifted that lock of her hair again. ‘You know what you need?’

  She shook her head mutely.

  ‘Food.’

  Startled, she giggled.

  ‘I’m serious.’ But he grinned at her, transforming into a teasing, good-humoured hunk. ‘You can’t make important decisions on an empty stomach. And I’ve been watching—you’ve only had a couple of coffees and one sandwich from the lunch platters I specially ordered. I’m hungry on your behalf.’

  Was it wrong to be pleased that he’d been watching?

  ‘I’m starving,’ she admitted.

  ‘Then why the hell aren’t you exploring all the cafés in the neighbourhood? Isn’t that the point of this stupid switch? So you get to eat corndogs from street vendors?’

  Now he knew, she couldn’t help confessing everything to him. ‘I don’t even know what a corndog is.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘And I can’t get Juno’s money card to work.’

  ‘You what?’

  ‘I don’t have any cash.’ She tried to laugh about it. ‘Never have. I know that’s ridiculously precious, but—’

  ‘You don’t have any money.’ He wasn’t smiling any more. ‘And there’s no food in the apartment. Why didn’t you say something?’

  ‘I didn’t want to bother Juno. I wanted to manage alone—without assistants and security...’

  ‘What about a friend?’ He pushed back from the wall, dropping his arms so she was free. ‘Come on.’

  ‘Where to?’ She almost had to run to keep up with him.

  ‘To get the best meal in Manhattan.’

  He didn’t look at her as he repeatedly pressed the button to summon the elevator.

  ‘Don’t you need a jacket?’ she asked.

  ‘Oh, no,’ he said. ‘I could do with the cold air.’

  A minute later he guided her out onto the street; glancing down, he led her swiftly along the pavement. Less than five minutes later he ushered her into a tiny pizza parlour in a side street just down from the office building.

  ‘Is this the best meal to be had i
n New York?’ Amusement bubbled out of her.

  ‘There are so many meals. But when you’re starving, this is a good one to start with. Plus, it’s fast.’

  ‘It needs to be fast?’ Her heart raced.

  ‘It does.’

  He ordered a couple of enormous slices of pizza. There weren’t table or chairs for them to sit at, so instead they slowly walked back to the office and ate on the way. Jade smiled as she licked her finger. She wasn’t just breaking every palace etiquette rule, she was throwing caution completely to the wind.

  ‘Good?’

  So good, she couldn’t reply, her mouth was too full.

  His sudden smile was so stunning she couldn’t have spoken anyway.

  ‘I am so damn glad I am not your employer,’ he muttered beneath his breath.

  She swallowed and grinned impishly at him. ‘So I shouldn’t call you Boss?’

  ‘Absolutely not.’

  She chuckled.

  ‘But I am going to advance you Juno’s pay,’ he said. ‘In cash.’

  ‘I don’t want—’

  ‘Consider it a loan. You know you need money for food and to do things,’ he interrupted bluntly. ‘Don’t worry, I have the feeling you’re good for it.’

  She was. But she truly appreciated the offer. ‘Thank you, that’s very kind of you.’

  He shot her a sardonic smile and half bowed. ‘It’s my pleasure, Your Highness.’

  She winced inside. ‘Don’t...’

  ‘Then don’t “polite me” off.’

  ‘It was basic manners, nothing fancy,’ she said defensively. ‘Boss.’

  There was a pregnant pause in which she wondered just what he was about to do. Every cell overflowed with anticipation.

  To her disappointment, he just huffed out a tense growl.

  ‘Come on, I’ve ordered you a car.’ He nodded towards the black sedan now waiting outside his building. ‘I’m not driving you. Not tonight.’

  Crushed, Jade almost stumbled. So he’d declined her other—unmentionable—invitation? Given her some pizza to soften the blow?

  But then he took her hand in his. ‘We can have one night, if that’s really what you want.’

  ‘One?’ Her heart leapt.

  ‘Neither of us need complicated.’

  ‘So we don’t see each other after?’ She nodded. ‘That’s good.’

  His eyes widened slightly, then narrowed. ‘So to clarify, we’re going to have a one-night stand in which we do almost every possible carnal act, including you giving me your virginity, and then we’ll never see each other again.’

  His blunt description of the plan scorched her sensibility, leaving her with nothing left but excitement and acquiescence. ‘Yes... I... You...’

  She couldn’t finish. Couldn’t articulate what it was she wanted him to give her. It felt, not forbidden, but too greedy.

  ‘Yes,’ he confirmed. ‘You do. I do. We do.’ He rolled his shoulders and walked her nearer to that waiting car. ‘You’ve finished that report, right? So don’t come in tomorrow. Take the day. Then I’ll pick you up and we’ll have dinner.’

  ‘We just had dinner.’

  He brushed her hair back from her face, letting his fingers linger on her jaw as he did. ‘We’ll have another dinner. Most people need them every day.’

  Heat swept over her again at the light caress and she couldn’t resist turning to the slight cup of his hand. ‘You don’t want to just—’

  He stroked her jaw gently but the blaze in his eyes was all erotic warning. ‘I’m not settling for anything less than a whole night with you, Jade. Start to finish. I want drinks and dancing and privacy and all the hours there can possibly be in one damned night.’

  Her legs trembled. ‘Where?’ She swallowed nervously. Drinks and dancing could mean cameras. There could be cameras even now and she’d been so mesmerised by him she hadn’t even thought of them.

  ‘My place,’ he answered swiftly and released her. ‘But now you leave. Now you have the rest of this night to decide if this is what you really want. You need to be sure, Jade. And I’m not touching you again because if I do...’ He drew in a sharp breath.

  The sensations swirling deep within her now were so hot and exciting...how was she supposed to wait? But her training—that insistence upon emotional control—finally came to her aid.

  ‘Okay.’ She stepped away from him.

  ‘Tomorrow, I’ll come and you’ll either get into my car, or you won’t. Let me know your final decision then.’

  Her mouth dried at a horrible thought and she quickly turned back. ‘What if you change your mind?’

  CHAPTER SIX

  AS IF HE would ever change his mind?

  At work the next morning Alvaro tried to stay so busy he didn’t have a second to think. It didn’t work. The only thing going round in his head was Jade.

  Jade the tempting. Jade the innocent. Jade the literal freaking queen.

  Jade, who lived on the other side of an enormous ocean, who had endless responsibilities, obligations and duties that he would never really understand, and who faced intensely unique, challenging pressures. No wonder she wanted her three weeks of freedom.

  She’d embarked on a totally crazy caper with her sister, risking so much if either of them got caught. Yet she’d wasted almost a full week of it struggling to succeed in something she knew little about, to save her sister’s job. Chancing discovery to an even more massive extent. No wonder she’d plugged in her headphones and stared into that computer screen for hours. And she’d pulled it off...until the moment she’d blurted the truth to him.

  Jade not Juno. Stranger instead of employee.

  The relief had been intense, before the uncontrollable urge had slammed into him and stolen his reason. He’d barely slept last night, his brain kept wildly awake by the constant recollection of those frantic few moments in the office and the resulting tension in his body.

  Her confession. His kiss. Her killer response.

  He hadn’t given her the tender first-time kiss she should’ve had—that he would’ve given her if he’d known. He’d been so wound up he’d lost it the second he’d realised they weren’t bound by workplace restrictions. He hadn’t just unleashed, he’d all but lost his mind as he’d done what he’d wanted to do for days—kissed her to total satisfaction, subduing the desire that had been straining between them both since they’d first clashed last Monday morning...while stoking it higher at the same time. Their chemistry hadn’t just been combustible, it had become an out-of-control inferno in seconds.

  Then her second confession—of such complete innocence? And her barely whispered request for him to help her with that?

  Yeah, his eyes had been wide, wide open for hours.

  Because this was wrong. So wrong. Wasn’t this worse than sleeping with an employee? To seduce a virgin queen—didn’t that go against every one of his own rules?

  No drama, remember? Certainly, no dreams...

  He’d needed to get away from her. Not only to ensure her certainty and his own, but to prepare himself for the pure torture of her—he knew her gorgeously eager body would devastate his.

  Not going to do that. Not going to rush this, or rush her.

  He should’ve said no. But never had anything been as impossible as saying no to Queen Jade Monroyale. But while he couldn’t resist, he could control the event and its outcome. He wanted it to be good for her and he was arrogant enough to believe he could make it so. He’d felt her shaking in his arms, he’d heard her moan in pleasure and felt her restless movements as she’d sought more...

  It seemed her life had been almost completely prescribed, but she was mostly happy to go along with that. Even insisting she would eventually marry whomever was the best political match for her country. Irritation flared the length of his spine. He loathed that idea
—which was ironic, because he never gave the idea of marriage a thought. It wasn’t for him and wouldn’t ever be. He valued his independence too much. So she was right, who she chose to marry later on was no concern of his. At all.

  He gritted his teeth. She wanted what she wanted with whom she wanted. And frankly he was absurdly privileged to be her pick. He knew this wasn’t simply opportunity. She could have found other times, other ways, other men, if she’d so wanted—she’d proven herself a resourceful survivor at heart—but until now, she hadn’t wanted to.

  So who was he to deny her all she wanted in her few weeks of freedom? Or say whether she should or shouldn’t? Especially when he badly wanted the exact same thing?

  He paced through the office, wishing time would speed up as long as it then slowed down once he got to her. He picked up a copy of the free daily paper that someone had left in the chill-out area. The international section slid out—the second he saw the lead picture, he knew why. For there ‘she’ was. ‘Queen Jade’ with King Leonardo—monarchs of the neighbouring nations of Monrova and Severene. They were dancing together at the Monrova Winter Ball, Juno looking up at the King while he was as intently focused on her.

  Alvaro studied the image closely, seeking to spot the differences between the sisters. Juno’s hair was tied up, masking the shortened length, and her face was slightly fuller, her smile wide, her skin a touch more bronzed. The real Jade appeared slightly more physically fragile than this. Yet she wasn’t weak. She was strong and controlled and very determined. But she was also lonely. He recognised her isolation and her raw need for physical connection reverberated someplace deep within him.

  He felt it too. It was exactly why he couldn’t deny her. It was also exactly why he should.

  One night. What harm could come from one night?

  He glanced at King Leonardo again and his hackles rose. That was not a man who’d ever be willing to commit to a sexless marriage. Frankly Alvaro didn’t know anyone who would—male or female. Jade shouldn’t be so glib about making such a sacrifice either.

  But the way Leonardo was looking at the woman he was dancing with? Alvaro tensed. Did the King know this wasn’t Jade?