Page 36 of Mistaken as His Royal Bride

Aristedes looked at her. They were approaching the arch that led back into the stables. People were milling around in the distance.

‘What’s funny?’

The full import of what had just happened hit Maddi and she took her hand down and shook her head, suddenly deadly sober again. ‘Nothing.’

Grooms came to meet them, but before one of them could help Maddi off the horse Aristedes was there, his hands around her waist. She put her hands on his shoulders and let him take her weight. She slid down and stood. Her legs still weren’t entirely steady.

The grooms led the horses away. Maddi could see the security men at a discreet distance. Also one of Aristedes’s aides, who looked as if he needed to tell him something. But he was looking at her.

Maddi felt exposed. Conscious of her hair loose and wild.

She wasn’t sure how to try and articulate what was in her head. ‘Aristedes... I—’

‘We have a formal event to attend this evening. Hannah will help you get ready. We leave at six.’

With that, he turned and strode away, his aide hurrying to catch up and walk alongside him. Security men followed.

Hannah appeared in a golf buggy. ‘Princess Laia? I’ll take you back to your rooms. Would you like a snack before preparing for tonight’s event?’

Maddi blinked at the girl. The fact that she’d taken Maddi’s healthy appetite into account made Maddi feel absurdly emotional. It was as if a layer of skin had just been removed from her body, leaving her open to the elements.

To emotion.

She realised she was ravenous after the overload of adrenalin and shock and everything that had happened. She smiled at Hannah. ‘That would be amazing, thank you.’

The girl smiled. ‘I will arrange it, Princess Laia.’

Ari adjusted his bow tie for the umpteenth time. It was perfect. But it felt too tight. He cursed softly and left it alone.

His valet asked, ‘Anything else, Your Majesty?’

Ari said, ‘No, thank you, Tomas. You can go.’

The man left and Ari looked at his watch. He was ready early. As if he was some eager teenager, going on a date. He scowled at himself and went out to his living area, helping himself to a generous shot of whisky.

The burn down his throat couldn’t burn away the memory of the stark, cold panic he’d felt in his guts when he’d seen Maddi clinging on to La Reinafor dear life, hurtling towards certain maiming or even death on those rocks.

How he’d managed to get to her on time and bring the horse to a stop was still something he couldn’t fathom.

And then he’d pulled her off the horse, fearing the worst... But she’d been okay. She’d been fine. So fine that he hadn’t been able to resist the temptation to kiss her.

He took another slug of whisky to try and drown how that had felt, but the alcohol only made the memory burn hotter.

She’d been everything he’d fantasised about. Soft and lush and firm and strong. Hesitant at first, and then matching him stroke for stroke. The weight and feel of her breast in his hand had been more erotic than anything he could remember experiencing in years.

He still couldn’t understand where the control to stop had come from. The control not to take her from the beach and give in to the almost overwhelming need to take her there and then on the sand.

The intervening hours had done little to douse his desire. Tasting her had opened the floodgates. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted another woman. She couldn’t be more inappropriate. She couldn’t be more off-limits. She was lady-in-waiting to his future wife.

A future wife who is currently hiding in some corner of the world to avoid marrying you, pointed out a small voice.

Right now that fact didn’t seem pertinent to Ari. Not as pertinent as how he was going to be able to stand beside Maddi for an entire evening and not give in to the temptation to touch her again.

Kiss her again.

Echoes of memories of his father, doing little to hide his desire for his latest mistress, whispered over Ari like a chill breeze. He’d vowed to be different. He had more control than that. He’d built his life around it.

But on the beach earlier...had shown that perhaps he was as susceptible to a woman as his father had been.