Luc shook his head. “No.”
“Darling, she told me what happened.” His mother reached out, took one of his hands in hers and squeezed. “I’m sure she left out some details, but I know you believed she was your fiancée, and she went along with it.”
Luc gritted his teeth. Seriously? Kate went to his mom?
“I wished I’d learned this from you,” she went on. “I can’t imagine how angry you must be, and I know you’re feeling betrayed—”
“Don’t defend her,” Luc growled. “I’m not near that point.”
“I’m not defending her actions.” His mother smiled, tipping her head. “I just want you to really think about how you’re going to handle this. Kate is a wonderful woman and I’ve always been so fond of her. I know we have a rule about remaining distant from employees, but she and her parents have been around so long, they’re like family.”
His feelings for Kate were far from family-like, and he sure as hell hadn’t been feeling brotherly in that shower.
“I will admit I’m surprised you didn’t fire her,” his mother added. “She’s good for you, Luc. She’s the best assistant you’ve ever had. I’m proud of you for not blowing up.”
“It was tempting.”
Temptation. The word seemed to go hand in hand with Kate’s name.
“I still don’t know what to do, but for now, she’s going to be working for me like always. I don’t have time to find a new assistant, and I sure as hell don’t want to have to get to know someone new. I’ve got enough of a mess to deal with.”
“We do need to figure out what’s going to happen on your birthday.” His mother pursed her lips, as if in deep thought. “Your father would change the law if he could, but the truth is, we never dreamed...”
Luc laughed, the sound void of all humor. “I know. You never thought a child of yours would still be single at thirty-five. It’s okay to say it.”
She squeezed his arm. “We’ll figure something out. We have to.”
Luc nodded, unable to speak past the lump of worry in his throat. Failure was not an option. Ever. He was the next leader, for crying out loud. Why couldn’t he figure out a way around this ridiculous issue?
“I’ll let you get settled back in, then.” His mother reached up, kissed him on the cheek. “Glad you’re back home and safe. And I’m glad you didn’t fire Kate. She means more to this family than you may realize.”
What did that mean? Did his mother actually think he and Kate...
No. That was ridiculous. As torn as he was, he couldn’t entertain the idea that Kate could remain in his life as anything other than his assistant...and even that role was still up in the air. He’d have to worry about that later. At this point, time was against him, and finding another assistant before finding a wife—or before the coronation—was impossible.
Once he was alone again, Luc turned and went to his desk. Bracing his palms on its glossy top, he leaned forward and closed his eyes. He would do a great job ruling this country, as his father had before him. Luc just needed a chance to prove he could do so without a wife.
The echo of soft footsteps hit him and he knew instantly who would be behind him. He didn’t turn, though. He wasn’t quite ready to take in the sight of Kate with all her beauty and sexiness.
The click of the heels stopped, Luc’s heart beat faster than he liked. Damn it, he hadn’t even turned to look at her, hadn’t said a word, yet she had already sent his body into overdrive.
“I’ll come back.”
Her soft words washed over him as he turned to face her.
“No.” He spoke to her retreating back, and she froze in the doorway. “Come in and close the door.”
She stood still so long, he thought for sure she wasn’t going to stay. After a moment, she stepped back, closed the door and whipped around to face him.
Luc hadn’t thought it possible, but he still found her breathtakingly gorgeous and arousing. Seeing Kate in a dark blue suit, with a fitted jacket that hugged her waist and accentuated her breasts, and her snug skirt made it hard for him to form words right now. As her heels clicked across the floor, his eyes were drawn to her open-toed, animal-print pumps. Damn, she looked like a woman who was ready to be stripped and laid out on his desk.
What was worse, now that he’d had her wrapped all around him, he knew exactly how amazing they were together. Why was he paying a penance in all this? He was the victim.
She stopped well out of his reach, clasped her hands in front of her and met his gaze. “I didn’t know you were back,” she said. “I was just coming in to make sure your computer was ready to go when you needed it.”
Luc tore his gaze from her painted red lips and glanced at his desk. He hadn’t even noticed the new computer. Hell, he hadn’t even asked for one. Once again, she stayed on top of things and kept his life running smoothly.
“Where’s my old one?” he asked.