The Heiress's Pregnancy Surprise (Heirs to an Empire 2)

He left her in the living room and checked the other rooms—a dining room with a table for eight, a powder room, a massive kitchen that gleamed with stainless steel appliances and two huge bedrooms, each with their own en suite bathroom. Everything was fine, and he went back out to the living room.

Charlotte had sat on the sofa, and her eyes were closed as she breathed deeply. He’d been maybe five minutes, but she was sound asleep.

Did he leave her there? He needed sleep, too, and had no idea which room was meant to be his, though he could sleep in a chair and have no problem. He knelt before her, looking into her peaceful face, and his heart gave a heavy thump. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. And maybe she was pampered but so far she didn’t act spoiled, which was to her credit. He’d read the messages sent to her. Mildly threatening, but not to be discounted.

Maybe she seemed like a spoiled princess, but someone wasn’t happy with her. It should be an easy assignment, but he would still be doing his job to the letter.

He reached out and touched her upper arm. “Miss Pemberton.”

She snuffled and burrowed deeper into the sofa.

“Miss Pemberton,” he said, more firmly. Still nothing, and he gave her arm a little shake. “Charlotte.”

Her eyes opened and she blinked, confusion clearing as she looked into his face. “I fell asleep.”

“Yes, you did. I thought you’d be more comfortable in your room. I just don’t know which one that is.”

“Oh. Right. And you’d probably like to sleep, as well.” She yawned and then sat up, lifting her arms and stretching a bit. The way she moved her body was languorous and sensual, and Jacob sat back on his heels a bit.

This would be much easier if she were a fifty-something man with a paunch and a bald spot. Oh, he’d be professional, but the attraction he felt was a pain in his ass.

“Come on, then. I’ll show you your room first.”

She led him down the hall and gestured to the first room. “This one is yours. I’ve always liked the other one better.”

Either one suited him fine. The room was more like a suite than a simple bedroom. There was a small sofa and chair and a coffee table, where another bouquet of fresh flowers sat. The bed was king-size and covered with a gold-and-green brocade spread, the green the same deep color as the upholstery on the sofa and chair. He didn’t have to go to the window to know that he had a terrific view of the park. “Wow,” he said quietly. “This is very nice.”

“What did you think, I was going to make you sleep in the closet?”

“No, of course not.”

“Your job is VIP security. Surely this isn’t a novelty.”

“Usually my accommodations are a few steps up from a closet. Not my own suite.”

She leaned against the doorframe. “Well, it’s either feast or famine. We don’t have anything in the midrange here at Hotel Aurora.”

He appreciated her sense of humor, especially since she could find humor when she had to be exhausted. “Sorry. Anyway, thank you. I’ll be more than comfortable here.”

She nodded toward another door. “Your bathroom is in there. There’s a shower and a jetted tub if you’re cramped up from sitting in the plane.” Her gaze ran from his toes up to his eyes. “You’re a bit tall to be jammed into those seats. Even the first-class ones.”

He was six three. And apparently she had noticed, because as he held her gaze, her cheeks turned a charming shade of pink.

She pushed away from the doorframe. “Right. I’m next door. I’ll be drawing the curtains and sleeping until about noon. I have a meeting here at three with my assistant, who arrived a few days ago.”

“She’s not staying here?”

“She’s staying at the hotel with the rest of the staff.”

Interesting. “I’ll see you at noon, then.”

Charlotte disappeared from the doorway and he heard her go inside her room and shut the door. A few minutes later, he heard the muffled sound of the shower running, and tried not to think of her long legs and slight curves under the hot spray. He wasn’t a monk, for God’s sake. He could appreciate a beautiful woman and still keep his head for the job.

And to prove it, he opened up his bag, plugged in his laptop and retrieved his file on Charlotte’s assistant, Amelie. Once he’d read it over twice, he was satisfied. He stripped off his suit, jumped in the shower and then crawled into the plush bed.

It was heaven. And if he was in it alone, it was no more than he deserved. It was his last thought before drifting off to sleep.

CHAPTER TWO