“Hey, Cap, not like you to look so glum?” Mark Latimer, my Second Lieutenant and anaesthetist extraordinaire said, his boyish face looking just as annoyingly eager as always.

It didn’t matter where the Royal British Army sent us; he was always so damned perky about his next adventure regardless of what waited for us when we arrived. But, this time around, even his infectious smile couldn’t make me feel completely happy about our new mission.

Don’t get me wrong, I was eager and ready to work and thankful to be returning, but I knew nothing would distract or prepare me for what I would see again. I had to brace myself and put my game-face on if I was going to get through a second round of this place; we were finally headed back to the refugee camps in Chad.

A few years ago I’d spent some time there and it had been a heart-wrenching endeavour to see the conditions people had been forced to live in first-hand, and to feel so damned helpless despite my family’s wealth and all the connections I had.

It drove me crazy that I couldn’t offer the semi-permanent hardworking medical teams more official support; couldn’t save more of the poor children and their long-suffering families.

But there were copious amounts of red-tape, not to mention the army needed to be in so many places. The call to serve in Afghanistan had apparently taken a higher priority for the medical corps. So we’d packed our kit bags, hopped on the troop transports and gone where we were ordered.

For months afterwards I had found myself languishing at Camp Bastion, waiting for something to happen. Based in one of the best field hospitals I had ever seen, with more medics than many hospitals could boast back home in the UK—with far fewer patients—I had, for the first time, begun to question the orders I had received.

I felt, and still did, that there was so much more that I could be achieving if only we were stationed where people actually needed us. It had been a waste, and with the way things worked in the army, it took an age before the powers-that-be realised my team could be best utilised elsewhere.

My reservations aside, though, despite the camps being so brutal on the psyche, I was glad in some ways to be heading back to Chad. There had always been so much good work that needed to be done there. Hell, I had been pressuring my commanding officer to send my little team back ever since I heard rumours about the cholera outbreak. I’d even tried to pull rank on him; being a Prince has to have its perks doesn’t it, somewhere, sometime?

I didn’t tend to use my family to get my way, but this felt like it was the right thing to do. As they say, it helps to have friends in high places. Your father being the King of England and Commander-in-Chief was probably about as high as you could go.

I looked at the faces of my highly-skilled squad, and as soon as the troop transport touched down on the baking hot tarmac of the runway, I slapped on a smile for their benefit and barked at them.

“Come on, lads and lasses, let’s find out who’s in charge, find out how we can help out, and then get stuck in!”

They all hitched up their kit bags onto their shoulders and looked keen as we pounded down the ramp and out into the scorching sunlight. You would’ve thought we’d all be used to it by now, but the wave of heat that hit us all felt like a slap in the face from Mother Nature.

“Bloody hell, I hope you all brought sunscreen!” I said over the sounds of heavy boots and the jeeps pulling up. “Though at least it beats the rain back in London!”

“Cap, sometimes I swear you are more excited about being here than when we get leave to go home,” Claire Bailey, my sergeant and head of the nursing team, said with a grin. “Though that aint saying much. Would it kill you to crack a smile at least once in a while. Enjoy the sunshine!”

Claire was an excellent nurse; efficient, ebullient and more importantly, in our little team at any rate, could drink like a fish and curse like a pirate. So she fitted right in, though I had often been asked why I put up with her since she doesn’t take kindly to orders and thinks she knows better than any of us. But to be fair, she isn’t ever wrong. I trusted her with my life, and often asked her advice on everything from gifts for my family at Christmas to open heart surgery.

“It’s hard to smile when you’re roasting like a Sunday chicken, Sergeant. Besides, that’s because you don’t know what my home is like. And well, you don’t get weather like this back in England, do you?” I retorted, thinking about Durham House. Vast, cold, and impersonal. At least it wasn’t the palace though! That place would drive anyone batty.

Durham House was where I laid my head whenever I had leave. But it wasn’t somewhere that I could call home. I shared the apartments with my older brothers, Frederick and William, and it was more theirs than mine since I was barely there. Me, I was just the imposter that crashed there once in a while. In a sense I felt like I had no home; a wandering prince, travelling the world, who didn’t quite know where he belonged.

“Can’t be all that bad, toff like you,” she teased. “Must be nice to have so much money that you can do anything you choose.”

My team obviously all knew who I was; it would be hard for them not to, even though I didn’t use the family moniker of Rothchester. I was Robert Haven here, just another officer, that blended into a sea of camouflage.

They teased me once in a while for my background of course when no one else was around, but I was never treated any differently. They’d accepted me as one of their own. And to them I was merely another public school educated officer. It was so good to be in an environment where who I was mattered not a jot, as long as I did my job and treated them well.

“Trust me, Ballsy, you are freer to do what you want more than I have ever been,” I said wistfully to her, using the nickname she pretended to hate. She rolled her eyes at me. Claire never believed me when we got onto this topic of conversation, but I had been bound by rules and regulations my entire life, a code of conduct that made the army and its arbitrary command structure seem a breeze in comparison.

Nobody in my family would dare to do anything without permission—well except maybe for Will—and if you thought you might get a moment’s peace, then all you needed to do was look outside your gilded cage and see the vultures; paparazzi anxiously waiting to snap you doing something stupid.

Luckily for me they concentrated on my older brothers’ antics more than they did mine. Will’s because of his daredevil ways and Frederick’s because, well, he was going to be king someday. So I was able to fly under the radar a bit. Though I always had it in the back of my mind that someone could be watching and documenting my every move, which curbed any temptation to colour outside of the lines. Well, that was until her.

We were dropped off not far from the camps and I followed my team down the dusty worn path and jogged towards the command tent, thinking about all the lost opportunities and moments that had flittered by in my life. Stunts I’d backed out of, parties I’d forgone, socialites I’d declined to date for fear of how it would look and reflect on the royal family… Life was passing me by and I felt like I hadn’t even begun living yet.

I was juggling trying to be a man, a doctor, a prince, to work out who I was, but life in the goldfish bowl had meant that every one of my life’s mishaps would become public knowledge, mini scandals for everyone to comment on. Then ultimately my mother and father would be criticised for not teaching me better morals, there’d be bad press, and everyone of House Rothchester would be affected. It was a lot of pressure, so reluctantly I played it safe.

But out in the fierce African sun where it was swelteringly hot, the humidity practically suffocating me, ironically I felt like I could finally breathe. I was grateful for the peace and lack of camera shutters going off at every moment.

The green heavy tarp of the command tent came into view and I quickly let go of my reverie and concentrated on the task at hand of getting my team settled in. I wondered if I needed to remind everyone to keep hydrated. But then I thought against it, deciding it wouldn’t go down well. Claire would only tease me for ‘daddying’ them. “Like a mother hen you are,” she’d say and start clucking.

But I couldn’t help it, my need to look after each one of them was high on my agenda. They were my responsibility.

Once we were allotted our bunks for the duration of our stay I dismissed them so they could go get the lay of the land and some kip before we had to get to work.

I needed them fresh. Tomorrow I’d have them working harder than many of them had done before. I also had a number of fresh-faced recruits new to the team, and I wondered how they would hold up. A final night of good rest would keep them on side, at least for the first week or so, but then the realities would kick in, and I just hoped that my senior staff and I would be up to the task of keeping them all from falling apart.

“Captain Haven?” A willowy young woman walked towards me and I had to do a double take.

Most of the medics out here were often very worthy types. At best, they could be described as homely, at worst horsey, but rarely did they look like this paragon of beauty gliding my way.

I nodded to her, trying desperately to keep my eyes pinned to hers, but the more I tried the more I felt them wander; up and down her curvy body. I coughed, trying to get control over myself, and then I moved forward, holding out my hand in greeting.

She took it and shook it firmly, tossing her long strawberry blonde hair back. Streaks of gold fell back down framing her face, natural highlights I presumed courtesy of the unrelenting sun. They glittered in the light, but she didn’t seem as enamoured by them as I was and tucked the strands behind her ears with an impatient sigh.

The woman blinked up at me. She had the most mesmerising aqua-green eyes I had ever seen and long, sable eyelashes that brushed against her high cheekbones, creating quite the contrast.

She wasn’t what would be called conventionally pretty, she was much more than that… Striking was probably the best word to describe her. Unique. I felt my breath catch as I stared at her and almost had to pinch myself and take a couple of deep breaths to remember that I wasn’t here to meet women—no matter how ridiculously hot they might be. I was here to do my job. To stay under the radar.

“Reporting for duty,” I said, clicking my heels like a fool out to impress. Before stopping myself I gave her a quick salute. She grinned at me and as she did, her face lit up, dimples forming in her lightly tanned cheeks. Tiny freckles graced her nose and barely perceptible lines around her eyes wrinkled.

She had the most seductive smile and I bet she didn’t even know it. A pull in my groin, and a heat not brought on my the sweltering sun seemed to flood through every bit of me told me that though I might not have been looking for one, I had certainly found a woman in a million.

“No need for that,” she said. Her voice had a lilting tone to it, an American accent I couldn’t quite place, maybe somewhere in the West. Montana maybe. It was seriously sexy and I would’ve begged to hear more. Luckily I didn’t have to get down on my knees and make more of a fool of myself.

“We won’t put you to work today, we aren’t that mean, but I wondered if you might like a quick tour so you can familiarise your squad first thing tomorrow? I’m afraid we will be throwing you all in at the deep end; we don’t have time for lengthy induction periods. Hope you can swim?”

“Damn, I didn’t bring my Speedos,” I said, my face deadpan.

The woman’s eyes widened as her lips parted in an O. The silence between us went on longer than it should’ve and I thought I’d royally put my foot in it. But then her cheeks turned pink and she smiled.

“Haha, very funny,” she said and rolled her bright eyes. “I see I’m going to have to watch you.”

“That could be interesting,” I replied, loving the way her voice tickled my skin. Then I quickly remembered myself and coughed. “But I understand. I’ve served in similar camps before, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m ready for whatever you throw my way,” I reassured her.

“That will help. And the rest of the team, what about them?”

“Mostly this little squad is quite new. But they did well at Camp Bastion and work well together. As army medics, we can be dispatched anywhere at a moment’s notice; we’re used to getting up and running fast when we get there.”

“Any staff with real experience, apart from yourself?”

“I have one of the most qualified nurses in the entire army. Sergeant Claire Bailey. She’d be higher ranked if it weren’t for her smart mouth, but nobody works harder. She has served on the frontline and in teams like this all over the globe. And Mark, I mean Second Lieutenant Latimer is the best anaesthetist I have ever had the privilege to work with.”

She nodded and gave me an easy knowing smile, her dimples reappearing again. “Mouthy we can cope with, and we never have enough anaesthetists. For some reason they tend not to volunteer as much as the other disciplines. Speaking of which, I’ll introduce you to Angel, our Senior Camp Medic later. She’s currently in surgery, which is why I’m here to meet you and not her.”

“I’ll take the substitute any day when she looks as good as you,” I teased.

I suddenly regretted saying it even if I felt the need to make her smile; to keep seeing those cute and very kissable dimples again. But I had forgotten my place. I had to remember that this woman wasn’t used to the easy banter of the army. Luckily, though, she winked at me and I couldn’t help but feel egged on.

“That is the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a while. You can stay,” she said back. Her tone was mildly flirtatious, but I decided not to push it too hard. This was only my first day, after all. We would be posted here for three months, and I didn’t want to ruin good relations from day one.

“Thank you, ma’am,” I said suddenly realising she hadn’t introduced herself. She looked at me a little confused, and then it was clear that the same thought had dawned on her too.

“Ma’am? Oh gosh, sorry, I don’t normally do the tours! My name is Penny. Penny Hawkins. Pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Doctor Hawkins.”

“Penny, please.”

I nodded and smiled. “So is this the main hospital?” I asked her as we entered an adequately sized white marquee, the size of a small aircraft hangar.

“Yes, this is our adult ward. We have another tent like this for the children and are hoping that one of the other charities here will fund a third.”

I looked around. Each bed had at least two people resting upon it. They were all thin with the painfully protruding bellies so common in cases of malnutrition. It was so much worse than I had remembered it before. The years had not been kind to these people.

“This shouldn’t be happening,” I said, my emotions evident in my unguarded outburst. She looked at me kindly.

“No, it shouldn’t, but at least we can do something to help them while it does. Fact is, this cause isn’t the fashionable one to be supporting right now. We have to fight for every single cent of aid, have to beg for more medics and still both go to whoever has the most TV coverage.”

I could feel her frustration, and I truly wanted to help, but other than being here I just couldn’t think of anything that I could do to change that.

I almost lost my cool as we entered the children’s ward, but I pulled myself together, keeping a straight face as Penny introduced me to the senior medic for the camp. Years of royal training to not let my emotions show were doing me credit right then. Forcing myself to look upon Penny and the woman I’d just been introduced to instead of the sufferings of the children that surrounded me was the only thing keeping me from breaking down.

I offered my hand and Angel Lebeau, who was Amazonian in stature, returned the gesture. I liked her immediately. “Just tell me whatever you need, and who you need where. My squad will be happy to fit in wherever they can do the most to help out,” I assured her.

“Sugar, careful what you offer an old lady! With a face and body like yours to look at, I may just have to keep you right by my side. Say, don’t I know you from somewhere?” she said with a lascivious grin.

“I was posted here not too long ago, maybe from then? But either way I am yours to command, Miss Lebeau, I don’t think I’d dare do otherwise!”

Angel smiled at Penny and I caught a sly wink that passed between them. “He can definitely stay,” Angel said under her breath.

* * *

“So, that’s the grand tour. A little worse for wear, but you can’t get a view like that anywhere else, now can you?” Penny said as she gestured to vast landscape beyond.

We’d wandered around the outskirts of the camp. I didn’t want the tour to end and wanted to extend our time together a little longer. I had obligations, things to do, but right then standing next to fine doctor and observing our surroundings was all that was on my admittedly selfish mind.

“No, you sure can’t,” I said ignoring the panorama, my eyes on her and only her.

Penny turned and glanced up at me. A puzzled, but bashful frown made her perfect nose crinkle as she contemplated my words and where my gaze was actually falling. The corners of her mouth lifted, that damned dimple reappearing again.

Love at first sight? There was no such thing, right?

Lust, maybe.

And yet my heart was reverberating in my chest so loudly I almost missed her question.

“Have you been in the army long?”

I nodded and jammed my hands into my pockets for fear or doing something stupid. Reaching out to her, taking her into my arms. Shit, I’d only just met the woman and I was already contemplating how she would look naked beneath me, and later a baby at her breast. Steeling myself, I turned my attention to the vista hoping to find a distraction, only to be confronted with a sky that was the same bright colour as her eyes.

“As long as I can remember. You could say it’s my whole life, or at least the best part of it. How about you? How long have you been out here?”

“Not that long compared to Angel, Amy, and the rest of the team. Even after four months I’m still considered the new girl.”

“Do you enjoy it?” I asked, not wanting her to stop talking. I could listen to her sweet drawl till the sun set and came back up again.

“Oh, yes!” Penny’s face burst into a wide smile, but then she faltered, catching herself. “Well, I mean, I don’t enjoy what is happening to my patients, but…”

“I understand what you mean; you have a calling.”

“I guess you could call it that. All I’ve ever wanted to do is help people, the children especially. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else, so I had to come and at least try.”

“Did you come out here alone?” I asked nonchalantly, hoping I was being subtle. “No husband or boyfriend?”

“Yup, I mean. Yes, I came out alone. No boyfriend.”

“So not only are you intelligent and gorgeous, but you’re brave too.”

“Captain, I think you’ll find you’re wrong on all accounts.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Not from where I’m standing, Miss Hawkins.”

Penny gave me a furtive glance, her smile slowly disappearing, a seriousness coming over her, and I cursed myself for making her feel awkward.

Yet in the space of a few moments the distance between us had shrunk. I wasn’t entirely sure or conscious of how we’d managed to become within touching distance of each other.

Had I stepped closer or had she?

She gave off an exotic but sweet scent that reminded me of Golden-Delicious apples we got back home. Maybe it was a fragrant body cream she used or perhaps her shampoo, either way I longed to take in more of her smell, burying my face into her hair.

Penny seemed to realise her close proximity and we both, in a weird comical kind of way, took a step apart. Giving ourselves much needed breathing room. Or at least I know I needed it… It felt like I was in the smallest of saunas, trapped inside with a woman I wasn’t allowed to get close to, and yet the temptation to touch her was almost too much to bear.

Somehow she’d managed to cast a spell over me and I was in danger of throwing out all of the army regulations, their rules about not fraternising while on the job. Conduct unbecoming.

“Maybe we should get back?” she said quietly while biting her lip, “I still have a few things I need to do.”

“Of course,” I agreed and gestured for her to go first. I had every intention of escorting her back to the camp without laying my hands on her, getting back to business, but then disaster struck. Or good fortune depending on how you looked at it.

As the good doctor turned and took a step back, she stumbled, her foot planted awkwardly. An unexpected divot underfoot. Her body twisted in order to compensate, but in the split second that I registered what was happening, it was clear she was about to take a tumble and I took action.

Nothing short of a fatal blast to the head could’ve stopped me from intervening. In a flash and with a long stride forward, I captured her in my arms before she landed in a heap on the dry arid ground.

Anyone looking at us in that position, my arms cradling and supporting her weight with her torso close to mine, and her legs extended, would think we’d just finished a frantic salsa and ended with an extravagant dip.

Penny was breathing hard. Her eyes wide, she gazed up at me, possibly wondering how on earth in the space of a few seconds we’d managed to end up like that.

Neither of us said a word for what seemed like the longest time. I could’ve held her like that for hours, not caring about the time that slipped away. Anything to be able to look at her.

Her mouth parted as if to say something, but no words came. I wanted to kiss her.

It was then I noticed that she was holding onto me too. One of her hands gripped my upper arm and had stayed there even after she was safe from her fall.

As if reading my thoughts, her hand flexed and released its grip.

“Are you okay?” I managed to say, finally breaking the silence.

“I think so.”

Reluctantly I pulled us out of the impromptu dip and straightened up, waiting till she found her footing before even contemplating letting her stand unaided.

She winced as she stood.

“You’re hurt.”

Penny shook her head and gingerly began to take a step on the foot that was giving her trouble. “I’m okay.”

“You’re not. Is it your ankle?”

“I’m fine really. Once I walk it off, I’ll be right as rain, as they say.”

I stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Let me have a quick look. I want to make sure nothing is broken.”

She let out a little huff. “Just a twisted ankle is all. I swear I’m fine.” She grimaced as she took another step.

I stood with my hands on my hips watching as she attempted another step. She did so, but only put her weight down lightly on the ball of her foot.

“Well, if you won’t let me take a look it at it, you leave me with no other choice.”

“What do you mean?” she said and glanced at me with determination, fully intent on trying to traverse back to the camp on the uneven ground without any assistance.

She had another thing coming.

Before she could stop me or realise my purpose, I got close to her again, bent slightly at the knees and just like that scooped her up into my arms. One swift and fluid movement.

God did she feel good in my arms, and the look on her face was an added bonus.

“What on earth do you think you are doing, Captain?” she demanded as I began to take careful but purposeful strides back to camp.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” I said, failing miserably to hide my smile.

“Put me down, I can walk.”

“Nope. Doctor’s orders.”

Penny scowled at me, pouting, a fierce twinkle in her eyes.

“But if you want this to go faster, how about you put your arms around my neck? The sooner we get to camp, the sooner you can have your wish and I’ll put you down. And the sooner we can get that ankle looked at.”

“I told you, it’s nothing,” she replied a little grumpily, but even as she said it, she hooked her arms over my shoulders and clung on tight.

I smiled and increased my pace.