Vows to Save His Crown

In fact, the lack of problem suggested a problem. Because Mateo hadn’t expected that variable, hadn’t expected to want more and more from the woman who had become so pliant in his arms.

Well, he told himself now, there had been another variable—the fact that he hadn’t had sex in a very long time, and so his response had to have been predicated on that. Explainable. Simple. It didn’t mean anything. It certainly didn’t mean he had some sort of ridiculously overwhelming attraction to Rachel Lewis, when he hadn’t looked at her that way even once in ten years.

Which right now felt like a comfort. He could be attracted to her, but it wasn’t a force in his life. It wasn’t something he would have to keep under control.

Not that it mattered anyway, because she’d stormed out of here as if she never intended seeing him again.

So what should his next step be? Why had she been so offended by his kiss? He’d felt her response, so he knew it wasn’t some sort of maidenly revulsion. He thought of her words—‘You might think you’re God’s greatest gift to women...’

He hardly thought that, of course. Admittedly, he’d never had trouble finding sexual partners, not that he’d had all that many. He was too focused on his work and too discerning in his companions to sleep around, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of interest on women’s—many women’s—part. But Mateo didn’t think he was arrogant about it, and he hadn’t been proving to Rachel how attractive she found him, but rather how good they could be together.

And the answer was they could be quite surprisingly good indeed.

So why had she been annoyed? Why had she seemed, rather alarmingly, hurt?

Mateo was still musing on this when there was a tap on the door. Expecting the waiter back, to deliver the main course they now wouldn’t be eating, he barked a command to enter.

The door creaked open slowly and Rachel appeared. Her hair was in damp tendrils around her face, and the shoulders of her coat were wet. The look she gave him was one of abashed humour.

‘I think I may have been a little bit of a drama queen there,’ she said, and Mateo nearly laughed with the relief of having her back, smiling at him.

‘At least you were a queen,’ he returned with a small smile. ‘I knew you had it in you.’

She laughed ruefully and shook her head. ‘This is all so crazy, Mateo.’

‘I agree that it seems crazy, but how many experiments have we conducted over the years that others said were crazy? Or pointless? Or just wouldn’t work?’

She bit her lip, white teeth sinking into pink lushness, making Mateo remember exactly how those lips had felt. Tasted. ‘Quite a few.’

‘And this is just another experiment. The ultimate experiment.’ It sounded so clever and neat, but a shadow had entered Rachel’s eyes.

‘And what happens when the experiment fails?’

‘It won’t.’ He answered swiftly, too swiftly. She wasn’t convinced.

‘We write up the lab results? Draw some conclusions? Marriages between princes and commoners are not a good idea.’

‘I admit, the experiment analogy only goes so far. And you only have to look at this country’s royal family to know that a marriage between a prince and a commoner has an excellent chance of success.’

‘Or not.’

‘The point is, our marriage can be successful. There’s absolutely no reason for it not to be.’

‘Isn’t there?’ There was a note of sorrowful vulnerability in her voice that made Mateo tense. And this had all been starting to look so promising.

‘Are you referring to something specific?’ he asked in as reasonable a tone as he could manage.

She sighed, shrugging off her wet coat as she sat back down at the table. It seemed they

would be eating their main course, after all. ‘Yes and no, I suppose.’

Mateo took his own seat. ‘As you know, there are no yes-and-no situations in science.’

‘This isn’t science. But it may be chemistry.’ She met his gaze evenly, her expression determined.

‘Physical chemistry,’ Mateo stated, because it was obvious. ‘You think we don’t have it? I thought I proved—’

‘You proved you were a good kisser,’ Rachel cut across him. ‘And that you can...make me respond to you.’