Chapter 10
Stazzi forced her heavy lids to open as she was woken by the buzz of the internal telephone, rolling over with a tired groan before picking up the receiver from the top of the cabinet beside the bed. “Yes, Nigel?” she said to the security guard on duty on the desk in the lobby.
“You have a visitor.” There was an awkward pause before Nigel’s voice lowered conspiratorially. “He says he’s Prince Alexandre of Androcco—”
“Send him up!” Stazzi cut in excitedly, her fingers tight about the receiver as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up, her heart racing. “Sorry, Nigel, could you send him up, please,” she repeated in a calmer voice.
Alexandre was here. Downstairs. He had come to her apartment to see her.
Which instantly begged the question, shouldn’t he still be at the clinic?
Oh, to hell with where Alexandre should or shouldn’t be. He was a prince, he could do whatever the hell he pleased. At the moment, it pleased him to be downstairs asking to see her. And she was a mess, still hadn’t changed out of the clothes she had been wearing the previous evening. After cleaning every inch of the apartment, she had been too exhausted to shower and change, and had instead just slipped off her boots before falling asleep on top of her bed.
As her apartment was only on the second floor of the building, it would take Alexandre just a couple of minutes to walk up the stairs, she only had time to stand up and run a hand through her tousled hair before the doorbell rang to announce his arrival.
Not that she cared how she looked. It was how Alexandre was that was important.
Her eyes widened and she took a step back after opening the door to find herself confronted with one of Alexandre’s bodyguards rather than Alexandre himself.
The man did at least give her an apologetic smile. “I need to check your apartment before—”
“That won’t be necessary, Christophe,” Alexandre interrupted smoothly as he stepped around the other man, hair tousled from where he had run his fingers through it repeatedly on the way over here. “As Miss Carmichael saved my life last night, I believe we can safely assume she doesn’t intend killing me today,” he dismissed as he stepped into Anastazia’s apartment to close the door behind him and lean back against it before taking his first good look at her.
She looked…tired. Hauntingly beautiful still, but totally exhausted, with that dark cloud of hair tangled about her deathly pale face, and dark shadows beneath her beautiful blue eyes. There was also a slight redness to her eyes, as if she had been crying.
“Shouldn’t you still be in hospital?” She slipped into that endearing habit of chewing on her bottom lip.
“Come here.” Alexandre reached out and took her in his arms. “I am so sorry this happened,” he murmured against the softness of her hair, so very aware of the trembling of her body as she clung to him.
“It was hardly your fault—”
“It’s all my fault,” he insisted. “I came here straight from the clinic, but I used the phone in the car to call Daniel Meyers on the way over here to tell him I want you reinstated immediately.”
She raised her head to look at him. “I was talking about your allergic reaction, not my suspension from my job.”
That was so Anastazia, Alexandre acknowledged, to be concerned about him rather than herself. “It’s happened before. There’s no guarantee it won’t happen again.”
“But how did it happen this time?” She shook her head. “You were fine when we—when we went to bed. I don’t understand how this could have happened.”
Neither did Alexandre, but the germ of an idea had started to take root when he recovered at the clinic earlier. An idea that seemed too incredible to be true, and yet he could think of no other way in which he might have ingested the shellfish that had almost killed him during the night. He had Ash checking into the details right now, but wouldn’t have any definite answers to his suspicions until Ash reported back to him later this evening.
“You could have died—”
“But I didn’t, thanks to you.” He lifted his head, hands moving to cradle her pale cheeks. “I am so sorry you were just left alone at the hotel, and then you had to face Daniel Meyers on your own too.” His eyes narrowed. “Gerard should have handled that situation but chose not to.”
“His priority was to ensure your health.”
Alexandre could feel a nerve pulsing in his tightly clenched jaw. “That’s no excuse for leaving you to face Daniel Meyers alone.”
Anastazia gave a shudder. “I was so frightened.” She swallowed, tears glistening in her eyes. “I really thought you were going to die, Alexandre.”
“And now I’m here, and we’re together again.” He stepped back so that he could look at her. There was a little more color in her cheeks, but her eyes were still brimming with tears. “My mother always claimed a soak in a hot, scented bubble bath made her feel better when she was upset. Would you like that?”
She gave a teary smile. “Is that your polite way of telling me I look a mess and also need a wash?”
“I want to take care of you. Is your bathroom through here?” He kept an arm about her shoulders as he steered her down the hallway to what he hoped was the bathroom and bedrooms. “It is.” He nodded his satisfaction as the first open door they came to led into the bathroom. “Sit here.” He sat her on top of the closed laundry basket before moving to put the plug in the bath and turn on the taps to the correct temperature. He checked the bottles on the shelf above. “Roses or apple blossom?” He held up the two bottles.
“Apple blossom. But—”
“But me no buts,” he teased much more gently than he had Gerard earlier, as he tipped some of the bubble bath into the rapidly filling bath. “It’s getting dark, so I’ll light the candles in here too.” He found a box of matches in the medicine cabinet, then struck one and put the flame to the scented candles placed about the tiled room.
The tears fell unchecked down Stazzi’s cheeks as she watched Prince Alexandre of Androcco fill a bubble bath and light scented candles for her. She fully appreciated the irony of it, considering her resentment just three days ago because Alexandre’s early arrival meant she could no longer indulge in a scented bubble bath before meeting Will.
So much had happened in those three days. She had felt poleaxed when she finally met Alexandre. Then Will had hurt and betrayed her in the worst way possible. She had dined with Alexandre at the most exclusive restaurant in London. Last night, she had spent the evening at the hotel with him, eating burgers and watching a movie before the most amazing lovemaking of her life.
And then Alexandre had almost died.
There was something about a near-death experience that clarified exactly what was really important. And Alexandre had become very important to her in a very short time, and Will of almost nonexistent relevance in even less time. Her ex-boyfriend would never have run a scented bath and fussed over her because she was upset, and Alexandre was a ruling prince, for goodness’ sake. She could have loved him just for that.
Loved him…?
Yes, Stazzi was sure, if she wasn’t in love with Alexandre already, then she soon would be.
“Now to help you undress—Anastazia…?” Alexandre’s expression turned to one of concern when he turned from switching off the main light and obviously saw the silver track of tears on her cheeks in the candlelight.
Stazzi smiled through her tears, determined to enjoy this time with Alexandre. He would be returning to Androcco soon, and there would be time enough to miss him after he was gone. “I’m just tired,” she reassured him. “And a bit overwhelmed. Don’t you usually have servants to do this for you at home?”
“Don’t believe everything you hear about the life of a prince.” He gave her a wink. “Besides, my father often ran a bath for my mother,” he added seriously.
“That’s nice.”
He nodded. “They were very much in love.”
And Alexandre’s tone showed he still missed them both very much. “Well, the bath looks and smells wonderful.” Stazzi wasn’t about to make the mistake of thinking Alexandre was in love with her. They had shared one night together, and that had ended in disaster. Best not to read things into his actions or comments that simply weren’t there.
She stood up to take off her T-shirt; there was little point in modesty when Alexandre had already seen, touched, caressed, and kissed every inch of her naked body.
“Let me.” Alexandre stepped forward to gently push her hands aside and take off her top before reaching behind her to unfasten her bra, his close proximity bringing his face just inches away from Stazzi’s. “Being together last night was…”
“It was,” she agreed huskily.
“Anastazia—”
“My bathwater is getting cold,” she reminded him, knowing she wasn’t emotionally strong enough right now to discuss last night and what it had meant to her.
“Can I join you?”
She swallowed. Hard. Merely thinking of a naked Alexandre in the bath with her was enough to cause a quiver of anticipation down the length of her spine. “It’s a small bath for two people.”
“That will only make it more enjoyable,” he assured her as he slipped her bra straps down her arms and dropped it to the floor along with her T-shirt, his fingers then moving to the fastening of her low-rider jeans.
Stazzi moistened her lips before answering. “Okay.”
Alexandre gave a grin. “I like it when you say that.”
She quirked one eyebrow. “Because it means I’m doing what you want?”
“Oh yes…” He kissed her lingeringly on the lips before concentrating on removing her jeans and panties. “But it works both ways. If you recall, I was more than happy to obey your commands last night…?”
Despite her earlier dismissal of modesty, Stazzi felt the warmth of a blush in her cheeks that owed nothing to once again being completely naked in front of Alexandre and everything to being reminded of how she had ordered him to come the previous evening.
Alexandre smiled. “I liked it when you were…”
“Aggressive?” She winced.
“Dominating,” he corrected. “You’re so beautiful.” He bent to place a kiss in turn on each of her pebble-hard nipples. “Now, into the bath with you.” He straightened to turn her in the direction of the bath. “You can sit and watch as I undress.”
Stazzi didn’t really need any incentive to climb into the hot, scented bubbles, but if she had, that would definitely have been it. She quickly gathered up her hair and secured it on her crown so that it wouldn’t get wet. “Go ahead,” she invited once she had stepped into the bath and sunk beneath the bubbles, leaning back as she turned to watch Alexandre.
He held her gaze as he unbuttoned and removed his shirt, baring muscular arms and chest, and the defined muscles of his abdomen before unfastening his trousers and removing them too. He now wore only a pair of fitted black boxers that did very little to conceal the aroused bulge beneath.
God, he was beautiful, like some sun-kissed Greek god come to life. Tall, golden, muscular, his dark hair tousled rakishly over his brow.
Stazzi’s breath caught in her throat, her nipples tightening as he removed that last article of clothing and unabashedly revealed the fullness of his aroused cock jutting up from that nest of dark curls. It was just as she remembered from last night: thick, and at least eight inches long, the blood vessels clearly defined along its length, and so engorged, the skin was pulled completely back to reveal the leak of moisture on the mushroomed purple head.
“You have to stop looking at me like that, or I’ll forget about the bath and take you straight to bed instead,” he groaned.
Stazzi laughed throatily even as she reached out to stroke her fingers along that steel-encased-in-velvet cock.
“Shift forward,” Alexandre encouraged gruffly before stepping into the bath behind her and then sinking into the water. He slid the long length of his legs either side of her, his cock nestling against her bottom, as he pulled her back to lie against the heat of his chest. His arms moved about her waist and his hands cupped beneath her breasts. “I could get used to this,” he murmured with satisfaction as he lay back against the top end of the bath.
So could Stazzi. It felt somehow…right, to be lying here in a scented bath in her candlelit bathroom with Alexandre. Arousing and yet comfortable at the same time. As if it were meant to be. As if they were meant to be. They obviously weren’t, because Alexandre was a prince, and she was…well, the daughter of an impoverished English duke who had to work for a living. But for the moment, she could pretend they were meant to be together.
Couldn’t she?
She relaxed back against Alexandre with a contented sigh. “I had the most horrible day,” she could admit now. “I was so worried about you. Are you sure the doctors are happy for you to be released so soon from the clinic?”
“I’m happy to be released from the clinic.” Alexandre’s chest rumbled against her back when he spoke.
“Do you have any idea what you ate to cause that reaction?”
Alexandre didn’t want to discuss his suspicions with Anastazia until he had positive proof. “Have I thanked you yet for saving my life?” He nuzzled his lips against the curve of her throat.
“Yes—”
“But not appropriately,” he murmured. “I believe a thank-you for saving my life needs to be said with much more than words.” He continued to taste the length of her throat with his lips and tongue as his fingers began to stroke lightly over her engorged nipples, and was instantly rewarded by her groan of pleasure. “You’re so responsive—” He broke off as he heard the sound of raised voices outside the bathroom. “What on earth…?” He didn’t get any further in his enquiry as the bathroom door was suddenly flung open.
“Whoa.” A stunned Lissa Forsythe recoiled slightly as she stood in the bathroom doorway. “Well, I wasn’t expecting that…” she muttered to herself.
The disgruntled bodyguard stood behind her. “Your Highness—”
“Alexandre, will you tell this big baboon to take his hands off me?” Lissa attempted to shake off the bodyguard’s grip on her arm. “That I happen to live here too?”
“Oh good Lord,” Stazzi groaned. “Would someone just shoot me now!” There wasn’t enough room in the bath for her to sink completely beneath the bubbles, but if there had been, that was exactly what she would have done.
Could this situation be any more embarrassing?
Not only was Lissa now in the bathroom with them, but also one of Alexandre’s bodyguards. All while the two of them sat completely naked in the bath together.
Maybe she should just sell tickets?
Roll up, roll up, come and see Prince Alexandre of Androcco naked in the bath with his— With his what? Stazzi had no idea what she was to Alexandre. Except he had to be as embarrassed as she was at being seen by one of his employees in such a compromising position?
“It’s okay, Christophe.” Alexandre didn’t sound in the least embarrassed by their audience as he spoke calmly behind her. “Miss Forsythe really does live here. Good to see you again, Lissa,” he added dryly.
She shot the bodyguard an “I told you so” glance before answering Alexandre. “I’m not sure you’re going to continue thinking that after I tell you that the street outside is full of paparazzi.” Lissa grimaced.
Stazzi tensed. “What…?”
Lissa moved farther into the bathroom. “It’s all over the news and social media.”
“What is?” Alexandre prompted guardedly.
Lissa’s eyes flashed darkly. “If I remember correctly, the gist of the story seems to be Prince Alexandre of Androcco narrowly escaping an assassination attempt last night by a female employee of the Meyers Hotel.”
Stazzi felt the blood drain from her cheeks as she stared at her friend wordlessly for several long seconds, before finally finding her voice. “Me?” she squeaked.
Lissa’s mouth thinned. “They haven’t named any names yet, but I don’t think it will take long for one of them to sniff out which employee of the Meyers Hotel has been suspended.”
Oh God…