So she forced back her embarrassment and bent her head oh-so-meekly. ‘Certainly, King Giorgos,’ she acquiesced breathily as she turned slowly. ‘She buffed my skin,’ she added in a soft whisper over her shoulder. ‘All over. So I’ve not a hair out of place. I guess I’m polished enough for you to be seen with now.’
‘Vixen,’ he accused huskily. ‘You enjoyed it.’
She shrugged and studied her highly polished fingernails. ‘I’ve had harder mornings.’
‘And you’re enjoying my reaction to the result.’ He cocked his head, a rueful light entering his eyes. ‘Everyone will look—are you sure you want their eyes on you?’
‘They’ll look anyway eventually—when I come out of hiding. At least if I’m with you they’ll keep their distance.’
‘There might be speculation, but I believe I can offset that.’
Her pulse raced too quickly at his appraisal. ‘Speculation about what?’
That smile returned—the rare, all too wicked one, full of carnal intent. The one that made all her senses dizzy.
‘How do you offset it?’ she asked unsteadily.
‘I play up the protective angle. Apparently I’m good at that.’
‘Too good,’ she answered tartly. ‘And I don’t get to offset it at all?’
‘I won’t let them come after you,’ he muttered, almost as if he were convincing himself.
‘Of course they’ll come after me—at least for a bit,’ she scoffed. ‘The dress doesn’t matter. I’m not from the right side of the tracks or the right layer of society... They’ll talk about my mother—’
‘What will they say about her?’
She paused. ‘That she was John Gale’s mistress for twenty years. A shameless temptress who never truly succeeded in stealing the man she wanted.’
‘Why did she wait for him for so long?’
‘Because she was weak.’ Kassie shrugged sadly. ‘You should have seen her when he told her he was coming for one of his visits. She’d dance around, she’d dress up... And then he’d come, and he’d swing me around for a moment, and then they’d disappear to her room.’ She frowned, remembering the loneliness that she’d felt then. ‘There was no real relationship between them. No romance. There was him turning up to take her to bed and then her bottoming out when he left again.’
Her mother’s mood swings had been wretched. But then she’d rally and they’d go on happily together—until her father called again.
‘She always waited, believing in him, never moving forward. She always welcomed him back despite that disappointment time and time again.’ She’d never understood why.
‘You’re angry with her?’
‘Because she didn’t fight for what she wanted. Because when she got sick she didn’t fight that either.’ She had been so passive, accepting so little. Kassie was never going to do that.
‘So are you going to fight for what you want?’
‘Don’t I already?’ She lifted her head. ‘Aren’t I doing exactly that now? I know what I want—from my job, from you and from this one performance in front of the world now. This is on my terms, Giorgos.’
‘Good for you,’ he said, glancing away from her. ‘Hopefully they won’t delve all that deeply into your background. It’s not uncommon to be illegitimate now. Or to have been raised by a solo parent. That stigma has eased.’
Maybe for normal people—but Eleni and Giorgos weren’t anywhere near normal...they were royalty.
‘Yet times haven’t changed enough for our King to consort with a commoner?’ She smiled at him sweetly. ‘He still has to find himself a princess.’
‘Some things just can’t be changed.’ He shrugged.
‘And you don’t want to change them,’ she challenged softly. ‘You’ve kept everything the same since your father died. So full of tradition you hardly consider your future.’
‘Because it is important to honour our forefathers,’ he said, stiffening.
She paused, realising she’d touched a wound. ‘You must have loved him very much.’
‘I only wish I had told him so when he was alive.’
‘How old—?’
‘Seventeen. I was seventeen when he died.’ He pre-empted her question sharply. ‘Seventeen and stupid.’ He turned away from her. ‘We need to leave.’
* * *
Giorgos hadn’t made such a massive mistake in a long, long time. Allowing himself to get side-tracked by something personal... Allowing himself to think he could have a moment of fun alongside the execution of his duty... What had he been thinking?
He hadn’t, of course.
Bringing her with him had been total madness, because he couldn’t concentrate for looking at her. In that simple white dress, with its perfectly demure neck and hemline, she was the epitome of sensuality. No gilded artifice required. Her hair had been left loose—it hung in a glorious, glossy swathe down her back—and her make-up appeared minimal. Her lips were not coloured, but their natural rose-pink had been intensified somehow, and her skin was flawless and glowing.
All he wanted to do was kiss her. He shouldn’t think about the traditional significance of the colour of her dress, but he was too sharply aware of her innocence and inexperience...her sweetly sultry desire for his touch. The primal pleasure he got from knowing it was only he who’d touched her—who had aroused that begging, writhing wanton—set his teeth on edge.
He ached to return to the Summer House so he could slowly strip her bare. He’d waited long enough. Teased her enough. She was ready and he was too far gone to care about the risk any more. He just wanted her. Now.
Thank heavens he’d retained enough nous to ensure that this public appearance would be a brief one—a quick stop to unveil a new sculpture in the garden of a nearby gallery. He’d say a few words, drop the curtain on the marble, smile and leave. She’d be on show for thirty minutes or less, if he could manage it. He just had to manage his own mind. His own emotions. His own damn body.
He was utterly, painfully conscious of her walking beside him into the gallery’s garden. She was staggeringly beautiful. He saw eyes widening and jaws dropping as they passed the gathered guests. There were more people lining the street than usual. Of course there were—they wanted to see how things stood since Eleni’s marriage announcement. The curiosity in the crowd flared—murmurs, questioning tones lifted as they stared in fascination at the exquisite woman accompanying him.
He shouldn’t have brought her. He shouldn’t have used her in this way. He should have kept her hidden. His.
She was silent as she walked. Shy. His hand itched. He longed to take her hand in his—to shield her from the intense interest of the invited dignitaries and members of the public. But he couldn’t—he’d embarked on this selfish plan and it was too late to turn back. He was careful not to touch her, hardly to look at her. Not to give the wrong impression or let anyone suspect how desperately he wanted to declare his possession of her.
The urge to reach out for her was so intense it sent him off balance. Distracted, he could hardly focus on the short speech he’d prepared. He couldn’t stall them the way he’d intended to. His mind blanked—because all he could think of was her. In the end he was forced to admit the discomfort of this situation as he introduced her to the waiting media and the world.
‘Ms Marron needed some space away from the scrutiny of the press currently camped outside her home,’ he announced through gritted teeth, making them aware of his displeasure at her treatment. ‘That is why she is my guest for a couple of days. She’s a private citizen and must not be hounded. Naturally she is delighted for her brother and Princess Eleni, but I insist that you respect her privacy. We welcome all of Damon’s relatives into our family. Any questions must be directed to me.’
‘Where’s Prince Xander?’ a reporter queried.
‘Prince Xander has returned h
ome.’ Giorgos fought to keep his message on track. ‘He is a gentleman, and I must stress that all blame for Eleni’s earlier heartache lies squarely at my feet. However, she has forgiven me, and we now move forward together as a family.’
Eleni hadn’t wanted him to be labelled a bully. But he knew he deserved the discomfort of this grilling—and that he shouldn’t have dragged Kassie into it. He was acutely aware of her standing beside him now, quiet and beautiful, and he just knew she was expecting him to deliver. He damn well would.
‘Where is the Princess now?’ another reporter asked. ‘When will we meet Damon?’
‘Princess Eleni and Mr Gale have gone away for the privacy they need at this special time. I may not always show it, but I do understand that they are in love.’