her safe. Instead, she had let him get inside her guard. From that moment, she was as good as lost. She wanted Lysander with a fierce hunger she had never experienced before. It was infuriating and scary and she wanted to turn back time to stop herself being drawn into his web of arousal.
But this torment was so sweet, she wouldn’t want to avoid it, even if she could. The only way to protect her heart was to leave this job, and that was something she could never do. The thought that Ra’id would be allowed to run wild again if she weren’t there to protect him sent shivers down her spine. Whatever the personal cost to her, it would be easier to shield him from his uncle’s lifestyle than to expect Lysander to change … She sighed. A one-woman Lysander was the ideal, but it was never going to happen. She knew that, but it couldn’t stop her dreaming.
Next morning, Alyssa found it hard to concentrate on anything. What she needed was something to take her mind off Lysander. Every thought she had turned to him, and how she could get to see him again. It was the worst thing she could do, but in some mad way she hoped it might frighten some sense into her confusion of feelings. If Lysander guessed how she felt, he would enjoy it so much he might try to seduce her again. If he laughed off the whole incident, she would be crushed. Either way, the idea of being a hostage to his reactions made her feel restless and insecure.
Assuming Lysander would be sleeping late after the banquet, she thought it would be safe to go for a walk. The day was already hot so she got Ra’id to take her on another guided tour of the whole palace while it was still early. It was quite a distraction. Walking through room after room of cool marble floors, silken cushions and gilding was heavenly. The whole palace was magical, but Alyssa couldn’t help feeling it lacked something. There was beauty, but no life around. The place was trying too hard to be restrained and tasteful. Ra’id picked up on the lack of atmosphere, too. He was strangely quiet and well behaved.
‘That’s where all the offices are,’ he told her as they ended their tour back on the ground floor. He was pointing along a colonnade that ran down the far side of the main quadrangle. Alyssa wondered if that was where Lysander would spend his days, when he was working. She remembered what he had said about being a caged tiger. This was a sumptuous palace, but for a man like him an office must feel like a prison cell. She looked along the airy corridor for any signs of life, but it was all peaceful.
‘Aren’t you going to show me inside all those rooms?’ she asked Ra’id.
He gasped as though she had suggested putting his head into a lion’s mouth. ‘Oh, no, I’m not allowed down there! But I’ll show you how I get the people inside to come out and play with me, if you like,’ the little boy went on innocently.
Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out into the courtyard. It was a shock. The heat hit her with as much force as her embarrassment. It was only hours since Lysander had kissed her, and trespassing so close to the place where he lived his other life made her feel strangely shy.
Ra’id led her towards a pool of shade beneath a spreading fig tree. That was when she heard Lysander’s voice. He was speaking in a stern, clipped way she had never heard him use before. She stopped, but Ra’id couldn’t have cared less about her feelings. All he wanted to do was check out the tree for ripe figs.
As they drew level with an open office door Alyssa saw why Lysander’s voice sounded so unusual. Lounging back in an executive chair, he had his feet on his desk and was talking into a small dictating machine. With a smile he raised one hand at them in greeting.
Feeling really self-concious, Alyssa stepped back. Ra’id gave a cheerful wave to his uncle and then turned his attention back to searching for figs. Skulking in the shade, Alyssa tried to become invisible. Lysander had other ideas. He stood up and strolled out of his office to lean on the low wall of the colonnade.
‘Alyssa? Don’t hide away in the shadows.’
Through the long, sleepless hours of night she had wondered if her memory was playing tricks. Her fantasy Lysander was so handsome and irresistible, she was half afraid the real thing might be a let-down. He wasn’t. He looked every bit as good as she remembered. When he looked at her she felt her knees go weak, but that was only the start. His smile seduced her straight into saying too much.
‘I have to hide. It’s this horrible navy-blue uniform.’ She flicked at the stiff skirt. ‘I’m not accustomed to wearing a uniform but your staff seemed to think it is the done thing. I look like a relic from the fifties, and feel like I’m wearing a tent. And I’m sorry about last night,’ she finished in a rush.
He leaned forward, over the low wall between them. ‘I’m not …’ he said as he gave her a whimsical grin ‘ … but as for your clothes—if you don’t like them, then that’s easily fixed. It would be my pleasure to get something done about them.’ He smiled at her in a way that explained exactly what his ideas would involve. If that wasn’t temptation enough, he was looking spectacular today, despite his late night. Beautifully dressed in a lightweight linen suit, he had slung its jacket over the back of his chair. His usual gold cufflinks were missing and he had turned back the cuffs of his white shirt. They made a dazzling contrast to his bronzed skin.
‘So, Alyssa—how are you getting on in your new home, apart from that?’
‘Really well, thank you.’ She smiled, trying not to enjoy the sensation of his gaze.
‘Has Ra’id been showing you around?’
‘Yes. I’ve seen some wonderful things.’ But your smile is the most natural yet, she decided.
Gazing at him now brought back every stolen moment of the previous night. She could almost feel his kisses again, and so vividly the breath caught in her throat. She blushed.
‘Remember what I said before we left England, Alyssa? We can take Ra’id out for a picnic this afternoon, instead of taking tea in the palace.’
She bit her lip. ‘I don’t know. It sounds perfect, but …’ Although she was torn between work and desire, there was never any doubt about what she would say. That didn’t make her inner struggle any easier. She tried to put her thoughts into words without embarrassing herself further.
‘My first loyalty will always be towards Ra’id. I can’t let anything distract me from his care.’
Lysander was watching her carefully.
‘Of course. I understand, and I wouldn’t expect you to say anything else. It’s your work, exactly as showing Ra’id how to behave in public is mine,’ he said in a voice so rich with meaning Alyssa had to look away. She couldn’t meet his eyes. They filled her mind until she knew she had to escape. Glancing past him, she saw huge piles of paperwork and document boxes neatly stacked on his desk.
‘Y-you’re busy. We mustn’t disturb you any longer.’ She drew back, transferring her attention to the little boy. ‘Come on, Ra’id—I want to see your ponies.’
‘Do you ride, Alyssa?’ Lysander asked suddenly. The question was so unexpected, she reacted by instinct.
‘Oh, yes, but not for a long time.’
He pounced on the wistful note in her voice. ‘You miss it.’
She smiled, remembering her schooldays. ‘Actually yes, I do—but I didn’t realise how much, until you said that!’
‘Then you’re in for a treat! When’s your next day off?’
‘Tomorrow.’
