Protected by the Prince

‘Wasn’t once enough?’ Surely his unskilled efforts didn’t merit a repeat. ‘Besides, you’ll be sore. You’re not used to sex.’ The words were brutal but it was all he could do to keep talking when he wanted to vault into that bed, tug her close and take her again. The battle against his selfish, baser self was all consuming.

‘I’m not sore.’

‘You will be.’

‘So you’re an expert on virgins?’

‘Of course not! I’m no expert on innocence.’ He spun round, his temper flaring under the goad of her lashing words. ‘Do you really think I’d have brought you here if I’d known the truth about you? This wouldn’t have happened!’

A half-smile stiffened on her lips and the bright flare of gold in her eyes dimmed. Too late he realised she’d been teasing, inadvertently zeroing in on his guilty conscience.

He raked a hand through his hair and breathed deep. His brain wasn’t working and the words shooting from his mouth were all wrong. He couldn’t think straight. Not with her sitting there all demure invitation, tempting him.

He’d thought to kill two birds with one stone. Keep Tamsin where she couldn’t spill any headline news and sate his hunger. Suddenly, though, this had become something else altogether. The stakes, and his own culpability, had grown enormously.

There was a flurry of movement as she clambered out of bed, dragging a coverlet. Her chin was set belligerently but he couldn’t read her face. She kept her expressive eyes downcast as she walked the length of the bed.

Automatically he backed away, knowing if she got too close he’d do something reprehensible, like grab her and plant kisses all over her petal soft skin.

At his movement she stopped so abruptly she seemed to shudder to a halt. Close up her mouth looked pinched tight, her face drawn.

He wanted to ease her hurt, tease her into smiling, but his light-hearted seduction skills had deserted him the moment he’d taken her in his arms.

His hands fisted as he watched her bend to retrieve some clothing. It was only as she rose that he caught the glitter of moisture at the corners of her averted eyes.

‘Tamsin?’ He stepped near and she stiffened. Pain scraped his heart. ‘Don’t cry. Please.’

‘Don’t be absurd. I’m not crying.’ She sniffed and turned away, the bedclothes twisting around her. ‘You’ve made it clear this afternoon was a monumental disappointment. If you don’t mind I’d like to get dressed. Alone. I’ll return to the castle as soon as possible.’

She shuffled away, hampered by the long trail of material which slid down to reveal the voluptuous curve of her spine.

‘You’ve got it wrong!’ He closed the space between them till he could smell the scent of her skin and the sunshine in her hair. Close enough to see her bare flesh prickle with cold. Or distress.

‘Don’t!’ She breathed deep, her back to him. ‘Please don’t. I understand. I may be naïve but I’m not dumb. You wanted it to look like we were having an affair. To fool those other women. So you brought me here and…’ Her averted head dropped low, revealing the vulnerable arch of her nape.

‘I misunderstood.’ Her voice was a whisper now and he had to crane to hear. ‘I thought…you know what I thought. And when you said you didn’t want to talk…’

Her head jerked up and around and she pinioned him with a furious amber stare.

‘No! It’s your fault as much as mine. You know what you implied. You let me think…’ She bit her lip and swallowed hard. ‘You didn’t say anything then about only wanting experienced women!’

‘Because it’s not true.’

‘So it’s just me.’ She blinked and turned away. ‘I see. Well, I’m sorry I don’t come up to your royal standards.’ The wobble in her voice gouged a hole through his chest.

‘I didn’t mean that.’ He planted a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off and moved to the head of the bed. ‘Tamsin! You don’t understand.’

‘Leave me alone, Alaric. I was stupid ever to imagine you’d be attracted to a woman like me. I got carried away with the fairy tale, that’s all. It must happen to you all the time. Women with stars in their eyes.’

She dropped her clothes on the bed in front of her and bent to step into her panties but the coverlet got in the way. With an exclamation of impatience she thrust it aside, letting it slide to the floor.

Frustration filled him. Self-contempt and annoyance at finding himself on the defensive. Plus a sexual hunger even greater than before. One taste hadn’t been enough.