Chapter Three

She watched and waited for him to appear at the pool, having taken up a hiding place in the women’s dressing area. It was practically a five-star hotel in its own right, so it was no hardship to stretch out on a lounger and enjoy an iced guava juice until he came into sight.

He wheeled out on his own, though Tucker was a few steps behind him. She frowned when she noted how tired her friend looked before her attention moved to Bennet. He was almost wearing a swimsuit. It was slightly more modest than the briefs he’d slept in and had the added advantage of being opaque when he transitioned from the chair to a chaise lounge with some assistance from Tucker.

Harper finished her second juice and waited for him to relax. Ray-Bans soon shielded his eyes, and his body was visibly relaxed as he stretched on the chair. Once the sun had the opportunity to lull him into a nice little semi-doze, she made her move.

Creeping out of the changing room, she caught Tucker’s glance as he looked up from his own lounger. She placed her fingers to her lips and secured a hesitant nod from him before leaping forward. Harper crouched carefully on either side of the prince’s lounger, not pressing him down, but not allowing him to move easily either.

“Let’s start with some range-of-motion exercises that will allow me to determine your current baseline.” Pretending as though she wasn’t half-hovering over him, and she didn’t have a care in the world, she smiled down sweetly. “It was a good idea to conduct your evaluation in water. It will make it easier for me to bear the brunt of your weight for certain exercises.”

His eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to argue before a smirk slowly took shape. “Certain exercises, huh?” His lavender-blue gaze raked her form. “You look pretty good in a swimsuit. It makes you look less dowdy.”

She cringed at the word, but kept her smile in place. “Do you need assistance to get to the pool?” She tried to hide how much the idea of shoving him in pleased her.

He snorted. “Where’s my chair?”

With careful balance that looked a lot more effortless than it was, she lithely hopped off his chaise and moved closer to retrieve his wheelchair. He made no comment as she held it for him while he transferred himself, but glared at her when she tried to push it.

She lifted her hands and took a step back, turning her head to speak quietly to Tucker. “Has he been in the pool since the accident?”

“No.” He stretched and yawned. “I’ll stick close, but I might take a little nap. He’s running me ragged, and I’m too old for this.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re thirty-one. That’s hardly elderly.”

He gave her a lascivious wink that was mostly bluster. “I can’t stay up all night any longer. I don’t have you to inspire me.”

With a wave of her hand, she laughed off his flirtation and moved closer to the pool. The prince had paused near the edge, engaging his brakes as he stared into the six feet of water below. She put a hand on his shoulder, making him jump. “The easiest way would probably be to use the steps. We can float slowly down them—”

Harper bit back a gasp when the prince suddenly lunged forward, dropping himself into the water. Without thinking about it, she jumped in after him, putting her arms around his chest and anchoring him against her. “What were you thinking? That was stupid and careless. You could have hit your head or broken you neck. You might have ended up—”

“Paralyzed,” he offered with a cruel twist of his lips. “That doesn’t hold much threat, love.”

Harper took a deep breath, abruptly realizing just how close she was to the prince when the exhalation pressed her nipples into his wet pecs. She eased back slightly. “There are easier and safer ways.”

“You don’t have to baby me. If you’re here to help, then help. Don’t treat me like a child, and get to work on these exercises.”

Somehow, she stifled the urge to point out she wouldn’t treat him like a child if he didn’t act like one. Instead, she gritted her teeth and focused on evaluating his muscle tone and range-of-motion. It was an excruciating twenty minutes before she was satisfied that she had a better picture of his remaining strengths and weaknesses.

When she moved back slightly, he turned from where he’d been gripping the edge of the pool. “Are you done?”

She nodded. “For today.”

“Then do me a favor and disappear for the rest of the day. Your presence irritates me.”

Harper smiled through her need to glare. “Likewise, Your Highness.” With a mock curtsey that the water probably hid, she moved to the edge and hoisted herself out. “How can I help you get out?” Her tone was all business.

He shrugged. “Tucker’ll handle it when I’m ready. I want to swim for a bit.”

She nodded, moving away from the edge and watching as he started cutting strokes through the water. He had good form and technique in his upper body, and she imagined he must be quite an athlete when fully functioning.

Still keeping an eye on him, she moved toward Tucker, who held out a snowy white towel. As she dried off, she frowned at Bennet, who continued swimming vigorously. “He’s going to tire himself out and not be able to get out of the pool.”

Tucker sighed. “He’s too stubborn to stop while you’re here, and he knows I’ll fish him out.”

She tipped her head slightly as she evaluated her friend more thoroughly. “You look exhausted.”

He shrugged. “Being the royal family’s personal physician should be an easy job, and it usually is. There’s just been a lot of overtime lately.”

She nodded. “I think you need to take a couple of days off.”

He frowned. “I can’t do that right now.”

Harper wrapped the towel around herself to hide the navy one-piece she wore. “I need you out of the way, to be blunt, Tuck. He knows he can count on you to bail him out—of the swimming pool or whatever else. He needs to be able to turn to me and trust me. He’s not going to do that without some nudging in that direction.”

He snorted. “You mean outright manipulation, my dear.”

She shrugged a shoulder. “You could call it that too. Just do me this, please? Go away for the weekend, and I promise you’ll return to your patient in more or less one piece.”

Tucker threw back his head and laughed. “I’m not worried about him, but I’m not as confident you’ll survive.”

With a grin, she moved toward the changing room. “You know you believe in me, or you never would have recommended me for this thankless job.”

“Maybe I just missed you,” he called after her.

She shook her head as she grinned. “So you’ll do it?” she asked as she neared the changing station.

He glanced at the prince for a moment, biting his lip, before nodding. “Yeah, all right. They have some luxury casinos in Stratta that I’ve been wanting to check out.”

“Don’t lose all your money. You’ve always had terrible luck.” With a wave, she stepped through the door and let it close behind her. The next stage of her plan was in motion, and though it wasn’t her finest moment, she knew it had to be done. She couldn’t help Bennet until he accepted her help, which required trust.

***

Bennet watched them flirt as he flipped onto his back to float. He wouldn’t admit it, but the muscles in his chest and arms ached from the unaccustomed vigor of his swim. He also wouldn’t admit that the warm pool water did absolutely nothing to stifle the erection he’d gained while the American rubbed her hands all over his body. It was supposed to be therapy, but it was more like torture. He hadn’t had a woman since the night before his accident, and he’d never abstained for so long in his adult life. It was enough to make even the dowdy physical therapist look good.

He squirmed, and not entirely from the pressure in his swim trunks. She looked decidedly un-frumpy in that one-piece suit, which made him want to see her in a bikini. Or nothing. She hadn’t felt the least bit mediocre pressed against him either. No doubt his lack of sex was affecting his need for it, but he was uncomfortably certain that she would have caught his attention regardless of the circumstances.

Not that he intended to reveal that to her. She was here against his explicit demands to be left alone. His brother might have the power to overrule him on that, but he couldn’t force him to work with any of the therapists or doctors who paraded through the castle with the plan of fixing him and making themselves rich and famous in the process. He had a plan of his own, and he didn’t need any of them.

He certainly didn’t trust the American with her sweet-but-feisty persona and calculating eyes. She was clearly a strategist, and he didn’t doubt she would be formidable. He looked forward to the challenge of vanquishing her. As Tucker loomed over him suddenly, he tried to push aside the erotic thoughts running through his mind of the many ways he could conquer her.

Requiring the other man’s assistance to get out of the pool—such a simple task that he had taken for granted before the car crash—reminded him of why he had shied away from sex for the past few months. Even in his condition, there had been offers. There was even a maid he’d called on for oral service a couple of times in the past few weeks who had made it clear she would be happy to do anything he required, but he hadn’t gone any farther than blowjobs.

Technically, he could function in a full capacity and should have no trouble making love to a woman, but his confidence was shaky. What if he failed in the act, or couldn’t maintain his erection? What if he had an attack of spasticity during foreplay or mid-coitus? That would horrify his partner and humiliate him. She would no doubt be understanding, which would only serve to further emasculate him.

He wasn’t desperate enough—or attracted enough to Harper—to risk that.

***

Harper didn’t see Bennet again for the rest of the day, but she wasn’t lucky enough to avoid Fiona Claremont as she walked down the hallway later in the afternoon, one of her travel bags clenched in her hand. She knocked on Tucker’s door as Fiona came sweeping down the hallway with obvious agitation. Tucker’s door opened as Harper turned to greet Fiona. She didn’t get a chance to say hello or try any pleasantries.

“This is irregular. You were placed in the servants’ quarters because you’re a servant, Ms. Gaines. Obviously, we had to make an exception for the doctor, but not for his lover.”

Harper rolled her eyes. “I’m not Tucker’s lover. He’s going away for a couple of days, so I’m going to stay in his room in case the prince needs anything.”

Fiona scowled. “Have you cleared this leave with the king, Dr. Carlton?” Her tone was icy enough to freeze the syllables in midair.

Tucker seem to enjoy himself when he gave her a lazy grin. “I sure have, Fiona, but thank you for your concern. I know you wouldn’t want me to lose my job.”

She harrumphed at both of them before glaring pointedly at the space between them, as though she couldn’t bring herself to look into either of their eyes. “This is a temporary arrangement. As soon as you return, the physical therapist will return to the servants’ quarters.”

Harper couldn’t resist the urge, and she found herself copying Tucker’s tone when she said with a sweet smile, “Of course, Fiona.”

It should have seemed impossible for the woman’s tightly pinched lips to purse further, yet they somehow managed the task. With a glare, she spun on her heel and strode down the hallway without looking back at either one of them.

As soon as she had turned the corridor, Harper giggled. “I guess I shouldn’t have done that.”

Tucker shrugged. “Torturing Frigid Fiona is a source of amusement. There’s something about her that makes it irresistible. Perhaps it’s the need to finally remove the stick that’s wedged firmly in her ass.”

Harper laughed with him. “I didn’t know your specialty was in proctology.”

He waggled his eyebrows. “I’ve had my hand in that, but it’s not my preferred specialty.”

She groaned at his joke as she smacked him on the arm. “Are you all set to leave?”

Tucker patted the bag he carried. “I sure am. As you requested, I haven’t told Bennet what’s going down.”

She smiled. “I appreciate that. I know it must be difficult to keep it from him, since he’s your friend and your patient.”

Once more, Tucker shrugged. “I don’t like deceiving him, but I know this is for the best. If you think it will help you make a breakthrough with him, I’ll do just about anything to make that happen. He can’t get better until he commits himself to trying.”

He startled her by reaching out for a hug and pulling her in. She hugged him back, but squirmed away when he started to sniff her hair. “What the heck?”

He grinned at her. “I was just seeing if you still use that mold shampoo.”

Harper rolled her eyes. “Marigold, as you very well know. And yes, I do.” She slipped past him into the doorway of his room. “Get out of here before Bennet hears you.”

She didn’t wait for him to take her advice as she closed the door behind her and quickly examined Tucker’s room. It wasn’t quite as opulent as the prince’s, but it was about ten times better than the servants’ quarters, and they weren’t anything too unpleasant either.

Moving through the suite, she dropped her bag on the large bed before going into the bathroom and moaning aloud in pleasure. There was a tub big enough for three, complete with jets set in the black marble, and she knew how she was going to spend her evening unless Bennet called for help.

She forced herself to leave the temptation of the bathroom and moved to the dressing table, slightly amused to see Tucker’s hair products lined neatly along the shelf above it. There was an antique mirror with an ornate frame, and he had stuck pictures into the sides. There was a mix of images from places he’d been, and with the people in his life, including a couple with her. Other than the pictures, and his clothes in the closet, there was no further evidence of Tucker’s occupation of the room.

She went to the intercom system to make sure it was switched on, so she could hear Bennet if he called for help. She did the same in the bathroom before filling the tub and sinking into the hot water. She intended to fully enjoy the moments of relaxation ahead of her, because once Bennet realized Tucker was gone for a couple of days, she was unlikely to have any peace until her friend’s return.

***

She woke early the next morning and had time to finish a breakfast tray one of the maids had brought to the room before she heard Bennet stirring for the day. Harper slipped out of Tucker’s room and crossed the hallway to Bennet’s, opening the door without knocking. She made her way through the suite to his bedroom and opened that door as well. She braced herself for his reaction as she crossed the threshold and approached the bed.

He glared up at her. “What are you doing here? This isn’t going to become an every morning thing, is it?”

She shrugged. “I’m a firm believer in getting your physical therapy done early in the day, but I probably won’t make you do it every morning.”

He sneered. “You can’t make me do anything. Where’s Tucker?”

“He’s taking a couple of days off, so I’m all you have. Do you need some help getting out of bed?”

“I can do it myself,” he said with a hint of sullenness as he pushed back the covers and scooted to the edge so he could transfer to his chair. She couldn’t help admiring the flex of his muscles in his arms as he moved confidently, and when he gave her a knowing look, she forced any hint of appreciation from her expression. “It’s good that you have all that upper body strength, but we need to make sure you work those muscles so you don’t overtire them or lose what ability you have.”

He just snorted without a response as he spun the chair and pushed himself toward the bathroom. She followed along behind until he abruptly spun near the threshold and glared up at her. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I was going to assist you”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t think so.”

She struggled for a neutral expression. “It’s my job to assist you. If you need help transferring to the toilet or the shower—”

He put up a hand. “Stop right there. I can handle those things myself. If I couldn’t, I would ask anyone,” he emphasized that heavily, “Before asking you for help.”

His words stung, and she frowned. “I don’t understand your attitude. I’m just here to help you.”

“Well I don’t want your help.” He practically roared the words at her.

She shrugged and took a step back. “Very well.” She turned and moved deeper into the bedroom.

“You’re not going to argue?”

She shrugged. “I’ll just hang out in here, and if you need me, I assume you’ll call for help. If not, I’ll hear you fall.”

Muttering something about her bedside manner, he turned the chair again and disappeared into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

With little alternative, Harper sank down onto a sinfully comfortable chaise lounge and waited for Bennet to finish his morning preparations. She strained her ears to hear everything, because, of course, the stubborn ass would not call for help if he needed it. She half expected to hear him fall at any moment, so it was a relief when the door opened twenty minutes later, revealing him still in one piece.

Unfortunately, he was a tempting sight. Clearly, he had just emerged from the shower, and there was only a towel around his waist. She didn’t know for sure that there was nothing else underneath it, but unless he’d put on the same briefs he’d worn to bed, he was naked. He was certainly naked from the waist up, and there were a few stray water drops splashed across his lightly furred skin. His hair was damp and in disarray around his face. There was something indescribably appealing about his state of dishabille.

She tried to shove down any reaction she felt that was beyond professional as she got to her feet. “You should wear something comfortable for the exercises.”

A slow, wicked smile curved his lips. “I think I’ll need your help getting dressed. I’m pretty tired after exerting myself in the shower.”

He was probably telling the truth, but he was also clearly enjoying putting her in that position. Determined not to allow him to see any hint of her discomfort, she simply nodded as she walked over to him to grasp the handles of his chair and spin it around to take him to the closet. Of course it was larger than her current apartment, and neatly organized. She had little trouble finding a drawer full of casual clothes that she was partly startled to discover someone like him would own. The designer names didn’t surprise her though, and she quickly selected a T-shirt and shorts for him.

“Underwear is in the next drawer over.”

She gritted her teeth at the helpful information as she opened the drawer and stared down at the largest collection of undergarments she’d ever seen. He must’ve had two hundred in the space, and she quickly selected a plain white pair before closing the drawer firmly. She held out the underpants to him. “Can you do these yourself?”

He was clearly enjoying watching her squirm when he shook his head. “I’m too tired. Swimming yesterday took a lot out of me.”

Oh he was going to be tired, she vowed to herself. After putting her through this, she wasn’t going to have any mercy on him when it was time for his physical therapy. She wouldn’t push him past the point of his own endurance, but she wasn’t going to baby him either after this stunt. Not that she would have anyway, since that wasn’t her style. Sometimes, patients needed to be cosseted, but more often, they needed to be pushed.

Pretending like she did it every day, she knelt down on the floor and tugged his towel free. Since his legs were still wet, she quickly dried them for him before sliding his underwear on his feet and up his calves. She paused at the knees and looked up at him, studiously avoiding looking at his cock. “Can you lift your butt?”

He managed to heft himself a few inches, and she was able to slide the underwear into place. It was only then that she allowed herself to look down, and only briefly. The choice of white underwear proved to be a bad one, she quickly realized. He must have still been damp, so the material was now moist and clinging to the outlines of his erection, reminding her how big it was. She hadn’t seen it, and she probably never would, but she was getting an even better eyeful than yesterday’s pair had provided.

She avoided looking at his gaze as she moved hers down to his feet and repeated the process with his gym shorts. It was practically impersonal by the time she got to her feet and helped him put on the shirt—at least she told herself that as she ignored the rush of warmth between her legs. Plastering on a professional smile, she looked down at him. “Would you like breakfast in your room, or outside, or somewhere else?”

“In here is fine. Order us something.” For someone who was exhausted from the shower, he certainly moved his chair quickly enough as he backed out of the closet and didn’t wait for her assistance.

She moved out of the room behind him and crossed to the phone on the table. If it was like the one in her room and Tucker’s, it connected directly to various departments in the house. She chose the kitchen and quickly relayed Bennet’s order, and then paced as she waited for it to come.

She made a concentrated effort not to look at him, since the one time she had done so, he’d been so unbearably smug that she’d almost wanted to smack him. It was a relief when his tray arrived, and she didn’t join him as he sat at the table to eat. Instead, she read the paper, which was in British English, since that was Montrovia’s national language.

After he was finished, she pushed the chair out of his room and down the hallway to the therapy room. She had taken a quick tour of it on the day of her arrival, and it had everything she had requested, along with a few things she hadn’t. It was definitely top-of-the-line, so the working conditions couldn’t have been what drove away the other two physical therapists. That had to be Bennet, and she could see why they had fled.

Harper moved him to the rowing machine and positioned his chair in front of it before bringing the paddles closer so he could grab them. “You know how to use this machine?”

He nodded, looking irritated. “I’m familiar with it. It was one of the Dragon Lady’s favorite tools of torture.”

She kept her voice gentle when she said, “It’s important to keep your arms strong, since you’re going to need them to do so many tasks. If you want to maintain your independence, along with pushing your chair and functioning in your daily life, you’ll need upper body strength.”

He pursed his lips, but didn’t reply as he grasped the paddles and started turning. He was going too quickly and expending too much effort, but she didn’t rebuke him. It was a win that he was even doing it, so they could work on his technique after he grew more comfortable with the sessions.

When the timer stopped at six minutes, he quickly dropped the paddles and pushed back before rolling his chair a few feet away. It became obvious that he was heading for the door, and she moved to block his path. “What are you doing?”

“I’m done for the day.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “You aren’t done yet, Your Highness. There’s still a lot of work ahead of you, and the longer you delay, the more function you lose. If you had applied yourself, you’d be farther along on the path now. There’s only a small window of opportunity after a spinal injury to regain your mobility, and you’re wasting precious time that you could be using to get more functional.”

He mimicked the way she was holding her arms across her chest as he glared up at her. “I’m not wasting my time with this foolishness.”

She frowned. “Don’t you want to regain as much functionality as possible?”

“Of course I do, which is why I’m going to Switzerland next month to meet with Dr. Rhodes.”

She frowned. “Who is Dr. Rhodes?”

“He’s the head of a research program that has made fantastic strides in helping people with paraplegia and tetraplegia.”

“How does he do that? How did you hear about it?”

“He uses stem cells and neural implants.”

She tried to hide her skepticism. “I’m familiar with the theories and I’ve read some of the research papers, but it’s an emerging field. You can’t—”

“I can. Come with me.”

She followed in his wake as he turned the wheels of his chair with such ferocity that she was almost surprised they didn’t leave grooves in the antique Persian carpet. He veered into his room less than a minute later, and she followed him down a hallway she had not yet taken, and into another room that revealed a sleek office with the latest equipment.

When he went to his desk and turned on his computer, a huge screen on the wall projected his desktop. She watched without comment as he opened his email and pulled up a correspondence. Her cheeks filled with heat as she read the first few intimate lines from someone who was clearly very familiar with Bennet’s body. “Who is Celeste?” Her voice sounded thick and unnatural to herself, but she hoped he didn’t hear the difference.

“An old girlfriend. She’s the one who told me about Dr. Rhodes.” As he spoke, he clicked on the hyperlink in the email, and the Internet page opened to reveal a sprawling clinic in the picture with a picturesque background with towering mountains and glittering snow. He immediately went to the research tab, and she quickly read all the information available.

She wasn’t any more confident in the program working when she had finished, but she at least had gleaned enough information that she thought she could gain his cooperation. “It certainly sounds like it’s worth trying, but did you see the part where participants need to be in top physical shape?” At his reluctant nod, she pressed home the point. “That means they want you to be as far along in your own progress as possible, so you can get the maximum benefit from the stem cells and neural implants. Full benefit of the program.”

His frown furrowed deep ridges in his cheeks. “I know what you’re saying.”

“Does that mean you’ll work with me to get you into top shape so you can get the most out of your experimental treatment?”

Still looking reluctant, he finally nodded. “I suppose.”

She ignored his lack of enthusiasm and gave him a brilliant smile. “Great, then let’s get started again. We have a lot of work ahead of us, especially if your appointment is in just a few weeks.” She hoped it didn’t prove to be a futile attempt for him, but if it was enough to fire him up to work harder now, that would prove useful in its own right.