Easier said than done.
Two hours later, Mackenzie was seated behind Dev’s desk and still willing herself to be strong when he walked into his palace office. The sight of him in casual denim jeans and a black t-shirt interrupted the natural rhythm of her diaphragm and threatened to damage her resolve. One look at the way the t-shirt outlined his broad chest and how the sleeves stretched to cover his well-developed biceps, and memories of last night flooded back.
Those muscled arms had held her tight and it’d been fabulous. She’d rejoiced in running her hands over the naked flesh of his chest, and been utterly content to pillow her head against it. The recollection of how wonderful it had been to fall asleep listening to the regularity of his strong, sure heartbeat, twisted her guts into knots of anguish.
‘I received a message you wanted to see me?’ His words were delivered in an impersonal tone.
Damn it! You will not let him know how devastated you are!
Taking her cue from him, she swallowed down on her pain before waving at a pile of papers stacked on the desk to her right. ‘You’re late. I got started on this an hour ago. You were supposed to be here too.’
The trace of surprise on his face was only momentary before he folded his arms across his chest and launched tightly, ‘What are you doing?’
‘Going over details for each of the venues.’ She knew that wasn’t what he meant— but, she was damned if she’d make any reference to the night before. ‘You want our races to start in ten days and that’s going to take a superhuman effort.’
‘I meant, why are you still here? I thought you’d be on a plane to England by now.’
She straightened from her paperwork very slowly and put her pen down on the desk. ‘Why would I be on my way home when I have a job to do here?’
‘I thought Hans made it clear to you this morning.’
Resentment seared through her so hotly as she recalled the visit from Hans, it nearly made her skin blister. She wanted to launch at him and tell him what a spineless wonder he was for sending his servant to do his dirty work, but then he’d know she cared.
Instead she kept her expression neutral. ‘Devereaux, Hans made it clear you don’t usually have ongoing contact with the women you’ve had in your bed. I understand, but I’m not some woman you picked up at a club. We had a working relationship before we went to bed. I understand spending the night together was a one-off thing and I’m good with that.’ Huh! I will be good with that even if it kills me! ‘I don’t see any reason to fly home when I have a job to do.’
As she spoke his eyes had widened, the stiffness of his spine had eased and his jaw had almost become slack. Good! She was pleased her attitude had surprised him.
‘You still want to work on this together?’ he asked at last.
‘I don’t see why not. What happened last night, happened.’
‘It was … inevitable,’ he said, slowly.
She shrugged. ‘Probably. I’m a woman and I turned up when you needed one.’
‘I didn’t mean … It wasn’t—’ He looked irritated as he broke off whatever it was he was going to say. ‘There’s been a chemistry building between us right from the moment we met.’
She sent him what she hoped was a considering look, before she flicked her hand in a gesture to dismiss his point as inconsequential. ‘Devereaux, let’s not do a post mortem. I, for one, enjoyed last night, but we both know it’s not going to happen again.’
For a split second his jaw sagged. ‘You intended for it to be a one-off?’
‘Of course.’ She hoped she didn’t get struck down by lightning for the bald lie. ‘Why wouldn’t it be?’
Stupid, stupid. There was still a tiny hope inside her wanting him to acknowledge that they could have so much more together.
He squared his shoulders. ‘I’m glad you’re taking this so well.’
The words seemed forced and she looked at him closely, because she wasn’t convinced they were sincere. Had she dented his ego? Not having pegged him as an egomaniac, she was surprised. Did he want her to break down in tears and beg for more?
Tough! He’d had all he was getting from her. She’d conveniently filled a gap in his evening and as the playboy prince was ready to put it in the past—via his servant—she was determined she would too.
He pointed a finger at her. The action drew her attention to his hands and she remembered how capable they were in rendering utter ecstasy. ‘I thought from your disapproval of my lifestyle you’d be a stranger to one-night stands.’
‘I have a daughter, Devereaux. Being a mother makes it difficult to enter into an affair that’s any longer,’ she lied.
‘Are you telling me you make a habit of one-night stands?’
Mac found herself watching his mouth. Those lips had worked magic at the hollow of her neck before they’d drawn her breasts into his mouth and rendered blinding ecstasy. It took monumental willpower to force the visions away. ‘I’m not telling you anything except that what happened last night is over and it doesn’t affect the job we have to do.’
For a moment, she thought he was going to argue with her. A frown rippled across his brow and he hesitated before he finally spoke. ‘Fine.’
Despite her act to the contrary, his single word acceptance of an end to their involvement flayed her. But, she’d be damned she’d tell him just how much she’d worn her heart on her sleeve.
Despite knowing a one-off night together was exactly what she should’ve expected from Devereaux—all she could expect from him, her heart cramped. Painfully.
Stupid! Stupid! What else did you expect him to say? He’s a playboy for heaven’s sake!
‘Mackenzie, I want you to know—’
She held up a hand to stop him. ‘No need to mention it again. Let’s just agree to put this behind us.’
He looked again as though he was about to protest. His expression was grim as he asked, ‘You’re sure you can do that?’
‘Absolutely,’ she told him with what she hoped was a carefree, sunny smile. ‘We still need to work together on a professional basis. Believe me, my job is far more important to me than what happened last night. I say we just forget about it. My purpose here is to achieve your public reform for all the world to see.’
‘I see.’ He didn’t look or sound happy.
Too bad. If he thought she would abandon her work over him, he could think again. If he thought she was going to be heartbroken their one-night stand couldn’t turn into two nights, then she hoped his ego suffered.
Was he used to women begging him to take them to bed again? Probably.
What woman in her right mind wouldn’t want night after night of incredible sexual fulfilment that surpassed every fantasy?
‘Now, back to business. Here’s a list of the entries so far. Which other countries do you expect to participate?’
Seconds dragged past. It seemed to take forever for him to reply. But when he did shift mental gears and discuss the entries, it was Mackenzie who found it hard to concentrate on the task at hand. It might be easy for him to shift from the bedroom to the office, but it wasn’t easy for her.
‘Working on a Sunday morning?’
Mac looked up at the same time Devereaux swung around to face Gabriel.
‘The trade talks start tomorrow,’ Dev said. ‘I’ll be tied up the entire week and these details need to be finished off.’
‘I’m sorry to interrupt you both.’
‘What do you want?’ Dev asked bluntly.
‘I’m dining with Khalid and Sabihah again this evening. Mackenzie, I wondered if you would like to join us?’
Mackenzie shifted a little on her chair and felt flush with embarrassment, wondering what she could say to excuse herself. Dev must’ve been right in thinking Gabriel was keen to get to know her better.
‘I think I’m free,’ Dev said before Mac could answer.
Gabe laughed. ‘The invitation wasn’t intended for you.’
‘It doesn’t—’
Gabe cut off his protest. ‘I’m pleased to see you didn’t end up with your photo in the paper this morning.’
Mortification burnt hotter. Thank God Gabriel didn’t realise why his brother hadn’t been photographed with a woman. Just as well photographers didn’t sneak into the palace or they might’ve photographed her leaving Dev’s suite of rooms this morning.
‘I wasn’t sure you were serious when you agreed to consider a serious relationship and I scanned the paper with some trepidation this morning, hoping you’d be true to your word.’
‘I didn’t promise to stop clubbing.’
‘No. You didn’t. So it made me even more pleased to see you hadn’t visited any night spots last night.’ He turned to Mac. ‘Has Devereaux told you he’s agreed to marry?’
The world stopped spinning, then it shifted on its axis and careered off its usual orbit.
Did he actually have a woman in mind?
Had he actually taken her to bed when there was some woman out there who’d already been earmarked to wear his ring?
‘Pardon?’ Oh Lord, the word screeched out like a novice’s attempt to play the violin and was an assault on her eardrums.
‘He’s agreed—’
‘I haven’t agreed to marry,’ Dev refuted with icy tones. He turned his chilly gaze away from his brother and told Mac, ‘I’ve agreed that my brother and his adviser cronies can make up a list of prospective brides and invite them to a ball here when the race series finishes.’ He drummed his fingertips against the top of the desk and there was agitation in the stiffness of his shoulders.
‘You’ve promised to try to find a bride at that function,’ Gabe underlined.
Oh God. Mac sucked in a huge breath as despair hit her hard. Looking down at her hands, she tried to pull herself together so her emotions didn’t show on her face. She couldn’t look at Devereaux.
‘That’s good news,’ she lied. Looking at Gabriel she said, ‘That was your whole objective for having an image consultant in the first place. I’m glad you think Prince Devereaux now stands a greater chance in attracting the right sort of bride.’
***
As much as he cursed his brother’s rash announcement, Dev was at least pleased with Mackenzie’s telling reaction. She was upset. Although she recovered quickly, he’d come to know her well enough to recognise the British stiff upper lip she manufactured whenever she felt vulnerable or hurt.
Damn it! He didn’t want her hurting, but at least her suddenly shuttered expression told him she cared—that she wasn’t as indifferent to him or their night together as she’d tried to make out.
The question was, did she care as deeply for him as he did for her?
‘You’ve done an outstanding job so far, Mackenzie,’ Gabe said. ‘The press conference went superbly, and I’ll ensure the media knows Dev is in attendance at the trade talks this week as well.’
She directed a traffic-stopping smile at Gabe. ‘I’m really pleased you’re happy with my work.’
‘You’ve worked miracles. I’m thrilled you’ve come to Santaliana—more thrilled than I can express.’
Dev’s mood turned bleak. His shoulders tensed as he watched the interaction between Mackenzie and his brother. Had he misread the situation?
He’d told Mackenzie last night that Gabe was interested in her. Now she thought he’d dismissed her so easily, did she plan to transfer her attention to his brother?
For several moments he couldn’t focus on the conversation they shared because his thoughts bogged down in quicksand. Seconds ticked by as he struggled to haul himself out of the force which dragged him down and threatened to suffocate him. It was surreal to observe each warm facial expression between the pair with sharp clarity—to watch as Gabe reached out and touched Mackenzie on the shoulder—to see her send him yet another warm smile …
Hell!
Shaking his head slightly, he fought against the pressure weighing him down.
When Mackenzie finally looked at him, he saw the hurt in her eyes. ‘What made you change your mind about marriage, Devereaux?’
The conversation had moved away from marriage, yet Mackenzie didn’t shy away from asking the direct question. That was a plus, wasn’t it? If she hadn’t cared, surely she wouldn’t have bothered asking?
The uncertainty that had swamped him began to recede and once more hope took its place.
The quick glimpse of vulnerability he saw in her eyes reinforced that hope. It also demanded his honest response. ‘I was left with no choice.’
‘Nobody is forcing a gun to your head,’ Gabe underlined.
Weren’t they? Dev disagreed. Unless he’d agreed to start looking at women as prospective brides, Gabe had as good as confirmed that he had Mackenzie in his sights. Dev wasn’t about to let that happen. He looked down to where his brother sat and stared him down, feeling every bit as though they were about to draw guns from their holsters.
Everything in him wanted to tell Gabe he’d already found the woman he wanted to marry. He wanted to haul Mackenzie away and tell her why he’d agreed to play along with Gabe’s plan.
Instead, he had to sit in silence. Mackenzie was hurting. Her bruised expression told him she cared for him, but he was forbidden to say the words that would ease her hurt.
Once, jealousy had been an unfamiliar emotion. Now he recognised it again as it streaked through his veins. He was as jealous as hell because Gabe monopolised Mackenzie’s attention as he asked her questions about the planned television documentary. But, he forced himself to look at the way she interacted with his brother objectively. She wasn’t flirting. She was definitely warm—but hadn’t she been warm to Gabe from day one? There was no change in her behaviour towards him now she knew he was keen on her—no overt encouragement.
Dev wanted to jump up from his seat, haul Mackenzie out of the room and kiss her to reignite their passion.
Internally, he groaned. He was turning into a Neanderthal. He knew Mackenzie. She couldn’t have turned off from him so easily. He didn’t accept she could pass off the night they’d shared so casually. It had to be a lie—a self-defence mechanism kicking in so he wouldn’t realise just how hurt she’d been by Hans when he’d made out the evening had been a one-off—that Mackenzie had been the latest in a tediously long line of lovers.
He reached out for his empty glass, got out of his chair and went to the water cooler for a refill. He didn’t just need a glass of cold water right now. He needed a whole damned bathtub full of it to try to soothe his physical need and his mental anguish.
Mackenzie had been hurt by Eliza’s father. He was sure of it. He was almost completely certain she now downplayed what she and Dev had shared together out of purely reflexive defensiveness. She didn’t want to be hurt again, and this morning Hans had deliberately set out to hurt her.
The playboy reputation he’d built up made her believe he’d used her. Although he’d had his share of fleeting affairs, the women he was photographed with were would-be models. They enjoyed media exposure by being seen with him at the clubs, but the evening ended with a limousine ride home and an entree to an exclusive modelling agency. It was part of a deal the British secret service agency had arranged to facilitate his reputation as a playboy who wasn’t to be taken seriously.
His phone pinged and his nerves jagged as he set the glass down on top of the water cooler and took the phone from his trouser pocket. A second later he’d punched in the code and the message flashed up on the screen.
We have what you require.
Five words that would hurt Mackenzie even more than he had already.
Could his personal life become any more tangled?
‘I’d love to have dinner with all of you.’ Mackenzie’s words to Gabe penetrated Devereaux’s brain. ‘Sabihah is such a lovely person and I’m enjoying getting to know her.’
‘I hope you’re also enjoying getting to know me,’ Gabe said.
‘Of course.’
Oh shit! It just got more tangled.