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It wasn’t rational. He had no explanation for it. He’d never experienced anything quite like this. When she’d left the palace the other night, remorse had plagued him and lingered for days. Was he pathetic? Or simply a man who knows what he wants.
She was perfect, his ideal woman. She was royal, beautiful, smart, but at the moment...quite unattainable.
“Princess,” he said.
“Would you like something cold to drink?” she asked.
“No, thank you.”
“Okay, then maybe we should sit down and you can tell me what this is all about.”
She took a seat, her eyes widening as she waited for him to explain.
“It seems I might have need for your services.”
“My services? As an art advisor?”
“Well, yes. In a way. It would be something quite adventurous. You did say you liked adventure, didn’t you?”
“I do.”
“Well, then, let me explain. I don’t know how much you know about the history of Alma, but it’s been rumored that right before my family fled the country, they hid artwork dating back before World War II on the grounds of their abandoned farm. It’s very run-down and Tantaberra never went there, so it was the perfect hiding place. Now that I’m king, I want to find those treasured pieces belonging to the royal family. It would go a long way in helping the country heal and bring new hope to our people. Imagine what a find that would be.”
“It would be monumental,” she agreed. Fireworks lit in her eyes at the mention of hidden art.
Good. He had her attention.
“But I see that you’re vacationing here, so maybe you’d be too busy to help me locate the treasure.”
“You want my help in locating the artwork?”
“Yes, I would need someone to help me hunt for it, and then assess its value. You’d be able to look at something and determine if it’s authentic, I would imagine.”
“Yes, for the most part. It’s what I do. But you plan on doing this by yourself?”
“I can donate a few days of my time, yes. I wouldn’t want word to leak out about what I was doing. If I come up empty, or if there are other issues regarding the artwork we find, I would rather it not become public knowledge immediately. Bella and her husband had already begun renovations on the property but given the site’s historical significance, they’ve agreed to allow me to take over and devote the full resources of the crown to the project. As we speak, there is a team working on the grounds, getting it ready for my arrival. So Princess Portia, would you consider helping me? Of course, you’d be paid for your time.”
“So, this is a job offer?”
“Yes, I’m offering you a job and an adventure.”
She smiled, leaning forward and placing her hands on her crossed knee. “Who else will be there?”
He gathered his brows. “No one but my bodyguards. As I said, I plan to do this discreetly.”
“It’s intriguing, Your Majesty. But the two us alone, all that time?”
“Is that a problem for you?” God only knew, it was a problem for him. How could he keep his hands off her? It would be a living hell, but not worse than having her living a continent away. A few days was all he was asking of her.
“Maybe. Answer one thing for me, please.”
He extended his arms, palms up. “Anything.”
“Do you have an ulterior motive in offering me this opportunity? And please don’t make me spell it out.”
He smiled. She’d made her point and he wouldn’t do her a disservice by lying to her. “If you mean, do I value a few more days in your company, then yes. I suppose. But I do honestly have good reason to be asking this of you. You are an expert, are you not?”
“I am.”
The sparkle in her eyes evaporated.
“What is it?”
She rose from her seat, and good manners had him rising, too. She walked behind the chair, putting distance between them, and leaned her elbows on the back, a battle raging in her eyes, on her face. “I’m not presuming anything here, but I do have to tell you where I stand. It’s...it’s complicated. Because I do like you.”
Encouraging. He nodded.
“And that kiss we shared...well, it bordered on amazing.”
He nodded again. She had something to say and he wanted to hear it.
Or maybe not.
“But the truth is, you’re King Montoro of Alma. You’re new to this king thing, but you’ll find out how demanding a job it will be. And you’ll be in the spotlight. All. The. Time.”
