had hoped to take his mind off his problems in the usual way, but he hadn’t been able to.
Now the reason that he hadn’t smiled back at him.
This morning her hair was worn down, though it was more wavy and unkempt than usual. She didn’t wear a lot of make-up, but she had on none today.
She belonged on his pillow.
‘Are you ready?’ she asked him.
‘Am I?’ he asked. ‘Did you finish my packing?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I went into your suite with the butler this morning. He didn’t want to—he was worried we might disturb something.’
‘There was nothing to disturb last night,’ Kedah said. ‘In fact there hasn’t been anything to disturb for quite some time.’
‘I don’t believe you for a moment.’
‘That’s up to you. My theatre date bored me, as did my date last night. Did you get the chocolates?’
‘You know I did.’
‘Did you like the towels?’ he asked. ‘Oh, I apologise—I forgot there are things that bore you to discuss.’
She said nothing.
‘Did you get my note?’
She nodded.
‘And did you?’ he asked.
And then he looked at the shadows under her eyes that were so much darker than before and the slight gritting of her jaw. The answer as to whether she had thought about it was clear.
‘Of course you did.’
She wished she could go back to their first meeting, when she had been sure about never sleeping with him.
But she hadn’t really been sure even then.
On sight she had wanted him, and that feeling remained.
‘I’m going to freshen up,’ Kedah said.
When he had left she stood there, as the driver made small talk and worried about angering Kedah’s father, the King.
She remembered the tingle at the base of her spine at the way he said her name.
She did not mix business with pleasure, but he blurred all the lines.
He wanted the tough woman who had stepped into his office—which she still was—and yet Felicia was also aware that she liked him more than she should for such a relationship to work.
He didn’t need to know that.
More than anyone, Felicia knew how to hold onto her heart.
‘How long did he say?’ the driver asked now. ‘Apparently they’re furious at the palace that he’s so late. The captain’s trying to sort out a flight path to make up the time...’
‘He shouldn’t be too long,’ Felicia replied. ‘I’ll just go and see.’
She should text him, really.
It would be far safer.
Instead, just a few moments later, she stood at the door of his hotel suite.
She had the access card—of course she did—but usually if he was in there she’d knock first.
This morning she didn’t.
She stepped into the entrance hall and saw Kedah was emptying his safe.
‘You forgot my diamond.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Attention to detail, Felicia,’ he said, and wagged his finger in a small scold.
‘I told you on the first day that I would not make a good PA.’
‘You did.’
He closed the safe and pocketed the stone, but made no move to walk towards her.
‘You need to hurry up.’
His eyes met hers. ‘Says who?’
‘Word from the palace is that the King is concerned you haven’t left yet. The pilot is going to try to make up the time...’ All this was said as he walked towards her, and her voice was breathless.
‘Oh, well.’ He shrugged.
And now he stood right in front of her, and Felicia looked at his mouth and wondered what the rest of her life would feel like should she never taste it.
‘Did you think about it?’
‘Yes.’
It was pointless to lie, and the fact that she stood there rather than stepped back, that she met his beautiful gaze, spoke of the decision she had come to.
‘We have to continue to work together,’ he warned her.
‘I know that. So there are things we need to discuss...’ Felicia attempted, because she would be laying a few ground rules.
‘There’s no time for that now,’ that beautiful mouth said. ‘We can speak on the plane.’
But that was a full twenty-six minutes away, at best. And she looked at the dark pink of his lips and then the black roughness of his jaw. It would be cruel to look back on this moment and regret walking away.
And so she did not turn to go.
Instead she stood as his hand moved to her shoulder and he peeled away the strap of her bag. He placed the bag on an occasional table, and that gesture alone told her of the thoroughness of the kiss to come.
She was shaking—not outwardly, but there was a low tremble that seemed to start at midthigh and inch with every heartbeat nearer to her throat.
‘Kedah,’ Felicia warned again, ‘we have to speak.’
‘First we taste.’
There was no time for this. Kedah knew that. His father’s mood would not be improved by his late arrival, and things were already tense.
And yet he too could not resist.
White-hot, Felicia turned him on. There had been a slow burn as he’d walked towards her. Now he was hard and ready, and he hadn’t even tasted her mouth.
Now he did.
Their flesh, their tongues, finally met, and both were wet and wanting, and both moaned in mutual bliss as eight weeks of want found an outlet.
Their mouths moved slowly and appreciatively at first, relishing the heady taste that they made.
‘That,’ said
