lot more. He was gazing down at her so intensely that, for a moment, every one of her fears vanished.
‘I think that would be a very good idea, Alyssa.’
She stood up again and bowed slightly. ‘Then I’ll arrange to have Prince Ra’id’s things moved into your car.’
‘There’s no need for that. I’ll ride with you in your car, instead.’
Alyssa felt her face relax in a smile of relief.
‘That’s better,’ he murmured to her as they all moved towards the front door. Alyssa thought she felt a slight touch on her arm, but when she looked down there was no trace of his hand. It didn’t matter. Knowing Lysander would be sitting in the same car with them was a welcome distraction. It would give her something other than the flight to think about on their drive to the airport.
As they got to the great front door of Combe House Ra’id broke away and frolicked out into the sunlight.
‘I want to sit next to the driver!’
‘I thought you might!’ Lysander laughed, with a quick sideways smile at Alyssa.
Unable to stop herself, she blushed. As they stepped out of the house the dazzle of bright sunlight reflecting off three highly polished limousines made her blink. It was the perfect excuse to look away from Lysander and hide her nerves. As their chauffeur settled Ra’id into the front passenger seat Lysander reached out and opened the rear door for himself. Alyssa couldn’t look at him directly, but made the most of the glimpse she got of his lean, golden-tanned hand. Suddenly, he stood aside.
‘After you, Alyssa. Since you’re trying to teach Ra’id to be a gentleman, I will of course lead by example! For tips on gentlemanly etiquette, you need look no further than me.’
There was a twinkle in his eyes that was downright wicked and it helped defuse the tension she was feeling, Alyssa smiled back at him in spite of herself and slid demurely into the car.
‘Now that’s more like it.’ He slid into the seat beside her and slammed the door. Pressing a button, he raised a partition that closed the passenger compartment off from where Ra’id was busy distracting their chauffeur.
The second they had complete privacy, Lysander lost his smile. Turning in his seat, he levelled a penetrating stare at her.
‘Joking apart, what is the matter, Alyssa? Are you ill? You’re as white as a sheet, and you look terrible.’
She managed to rally, but it was an effort. ‘Well, thank you very much! I thought you said you were a gentleman?’
Twisting her hands nervously in her lap, she steeled herself to tell him the worst. It had been preying on her mind, and now it felt like the most awful, enormous problem in the whole world.
‘You’re right. I am worried about something.’
‘Well?’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts? Watching you with Ra’id, it’s obvious you’re made for each other.’
She felt a wonderful rush of pleasure that made up for all her nervousness about travelling with him.
‘Thank you! Looking after him doesn’t feel like work to me. I love it so much, and everyone here is so friendly. I can’t believe I nearly missed the chance to work for you, Lysander. It’s turning out to be a dream job for me,’ she said, but he wasn’t taken in.
‘So what has stolen the roses from your cheeks?’ He raised one finger and started to trail it down the side of her face. Alyssa started. Her eyes flicked to where Ra’id and the chauffeur were deep in conversation, just the other side of the soundproof screen. Lysander raised an eyebrow, but dropped his hand. ‘Not me, that’s for sure. I can see by that blush.’
‘I keep telling you, Lysander, it’s nothing you need to worry about,’ she said in a dangerous voice.
He raised a sardonic eyebrow. ‘Well, have it your own way—but remember, if there’s ever anything I can do to help, just ask.’
‘Thank you. That’s very kind,’ she said as he offered her a drink from the car’s chiller. Pouring some freshly squeezed passion-fruit juice into a glass filled with ice, he handed it to her with a shrug.
‘One of the perks of “working for a prince”, that’s all,’ he said with a devastating smile.
When he looked at her like that, Alyssa saw why hordes of beautiful women flocked around him despite his easy-come-easy-go reputation. She also realised her body wasn’t as determined as her mind. It melted under the warmth of his gaze, despite what he said next.
‘And as Ra’id’s nanny, that means you’ll be travelling with him and me in the private quarters of the plane, apart from the rest of the staff. You should be quite comfortable as there is a lounge area aside from my office. While there are some matters I must attend to I want to reassure you that I intend to look after my nephew properly.’
‘Of course. That means we’ll all be able to get some work done,’ she said, trying to sound firm.
Lysander’s smile became more of a rueful grimace as he nodded towards Ra’id’s small, excitable figure in the front seat. ‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that!’
As usual, Lysander and his team were fast tracked onto the plane so he could start work straight away. He was glad of the excuse to bury himself in paperwork, because he needed time to think. Alyssa was starting to affect him far more than he’d expected. She was stealthily stripping away all his certainties about women. He loved women in all their forms and, so far, wanting a woman and sleeping with her had been one and the same thing to him. He had never met one who didn’t want to gratify her desire for his body within minutes of meeting him. Alyssa was no exception, but for some reason she was determined to fight it. Despite her reticence, nothing could hide the signs. He loved watching the pupils of her breathtakingly blue eyes grow large and dark when she looked at him. When the tip of her tongue danced sensuously over her lips it betrayed her thoughts until he wanted to kiss her senseless.
He moved irritably in his seat. Trying to settle himself was impossible, especially as she passed by just then with Ra’id and gave him the briefest of smiles. It wasn’t enough. He was hungry for Alyssa’s laughter. No other woman looked at him like that, or stood up to him the way she did. It was the effect she had on him that concerned Lysander. Women who wanted money or status were easily dealt with, but Alyssa wasn’t like that. She was an unknown quantity. Simply bedding her would pose no problem for him at all. He knew she would come to him, sooner or later. He saw it every day in her eyes, felt it in her touch and, for a few spellbinding seconds, he had tasted it on her lips. Yet each time he tried to get closer, she backed off. It seemed as though life leant too heavily on her mind to let the real Alyssa inside the starchy nanny out to play. That thought ran through his chest like a rapier blade. Lysander knew all about secrets, and the way they could lead to disaster.
He pulled a hand down over his face, blocking out the memories. He didn’t want to think about the past in any more detail than that.
And that was why he found Alyssa so disturbing.
Alyssa was not happy. Ra’id’s excitement made her feel ten times worse about being so nervous. She made herself join in with him, while fighting to hide her fear. She wished she could be like the
