A Royal Amnesia Scandal. Jules Bennett
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Kate laughed. “You’re being ridiculous. I’m a big girl, you know. I was perfectly fine and I sure as hell don’t need a keeper. Next thing you know you’ll be calling my parents.”
With her father being head of security and her mother the clothing designer and seamstress for the family, Kate had been surrounded by royalty her entire life...just without a title of her own. Oh, wait, she was an assistant. Equally as glamorous as queen, princess or duchess.
Actually, she liked being behind the scenes. She had an important role that allowed her to travel, make great money and do some good without being in the limelight. And she would continue to try to persuade Luc to visit the orphanage so close to her heart. They’d taken care of her there, had loved her and sheltered her until she was adopted. Now she was in a position to return some of their generosity.
“Your father would agree with me.” Luc stepped forward, closing the gap between them as he gripped her arm. “Don’t go anywhere without your phone again. Anything could’ve happened to you.”
“You can admit you were worried without going all Neanderthal on me, Your Highness.” She jerked from his grasp, but he only stepped closer when she moved back. “What is your problem? I was out, I’m back. Don’t be so grouchy because you can’t admit you were scared.”
“Scared?” he repeated, leaning in so close she could feel his warm breath on her face, see the gold flecks in those dark eyes. “I wasn’t scared. I was angry that you were being negligent.”
Kate really wasn’t in the mood to be yelled at by her boss. She didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of his wrath when the issue he had was clearly with himself.
Her soggy dress needed to go, and she would give anything to soak in a hot bubble bath in that sunken garden tub in her master bathroom. She only hoped it worked. She hadn’t tested it yet, and the sink in her kitchen was a bit leaky...
“I’m heading home.” Kate waved a hand in the air to dismiss him and this absurd conversation. “We can talk tomorrow when you’ve cooled off.”
The instant she turned away, she found herself being jerked back around. “I’m getting real sick of you manhandling—”
His lips were on hers, his hands gripping the sides of her face, holding her firmly in place as he coaxed her lips apart. There was nothing she could do but revel in the fact that Prince Lucas Silva was one potent man and quite possibly the best kisser she’d ever experienced.
And he was most definitely an experience. Those strong hands framed her face as his tongue danced with hers. Kate brought her hands up, wrapping them around his wrists. She had no clue if she should stop this before it got out of hand or hang on for the ride, since he’d fueled her every fantasy for so long.
Arching against him, she felt his firm body do so many glorious things to hers. The chill she’d had from the rain was no longer an issue.
But just as quickly as he’d claimed her mouth, he released her and stepped back, forcing her hands to drop. Muttering a Portuguese curse, Luc rubbed the back of his neck and kept his gaze on the ground. Kate honestly had no clue what to do. Say something? Walk away without a word?
What was the logical next step after being yelled at by her boss, then kissed as if he needed her like air in his lungs for his survival? And then pushed away with a filthy term her mother would blush at...
Clearing her throat, Kate wrapped her arms around her waist. “I’m not quite sure why you did that, but let’s chalk it up to the heat of the moment. We’ll both laugh about it tomorrow.”
And dream about it tonight.
“You just push me too far.” His intense gaze swept over her, but he kept his distance. “For a year I’ve argued with you, but you’ve always had my back. I know there’ve been times you’ve intervened and stood up for me without my even knowing. As far as employees go, you’re the best.”
Confused, Kate ran her hands up and down her arms as the ocean breeze chilled her damp skin. “Okay. Where are you going with this?”
“Nowhere,” he all but yelled, flinging his arms out. “What just happened can’t happen again because you’re an employee and I don’t sleep with staff. Ever.”
Kate couldn’t help the laugh that erupted from her. “You kissed me. Nobody mentioned sex.”
His gaze heated her in ways that a hot bubble bath never could have. “I don’t have to mention it. When I look at you I think it, and after tasting you, I feel it.”
If he thought those words would deter her, he didn’t know her at all. Kate reached forward, but Luc stepped back.
“Don’t,” he growled. “Just go on back to your cottage and we’ll forget this happened.”
Smoothing wet tendrils off her forehead, Kate shook her head. “Oh, no. You can’t drop that bomb, give me a proverbial pat on the head and send me off to bed. You went from arguing to kissing me to throwing sex into the conversation in the span of two minutes. You’ll understand if I can’t keep up with your hormonal swings tonight.”
The muscle tic in his jaw, the clenched fists at his sides, were all indicators he was irritated, frustrated and angry. He had no one to blame but himself, and she wasn’t going to be caught up in his inner turmoil.
“This is ridiculous,” she said with a sigh. “We’re both obviously not in a position to talk without saying something we don’t mean.”
“I always mean what I say,” he retorted. “Otherwise I wouldn’t say it.”
Rolling her eyes, Kate again waved a hand through the air. “Fine. You meant what you said about wanting to have sex with me.”
“Don’t twist my words,” he growled.
Kate met his leveled gaze, knowing full well she was poking the bear. “Did you or did you not say you thought of having sex with me? That you actually feel it.”
He moved around her, heading for the steps leading to the beach. “This conversation is over. Go home, Kate.”
She stared at his retreating back for all of five seconds before she took off after him. Just because he was royalty and she was his assistant didn’t mean he could dismiss her anytime he wanted. Rude was rude no matter one’s social status.
She didn’t say a word as she followed him. Luc’s long strides ate up the ground as he headed toward the dock. Surely the man wasn’t going out on his Jet Ski now. Granted, the water was calm since the storm had passed, but it was dark and he was angry.
Just as she was about to call his name, he went down. The heavy thud had her moving faster, her thighs burning from running across the sand. She prayed the sound of him falling was much worse than any injury.
“Luc,” she called as she approached. “Are you all right?”
He didn’t move, didn’t respond, but lay