LITMIR.BIZ

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Alex wouldn’t do that to his own daughter after what he and his brother had been through, would he?

      “Dot?” Zoe came running into the alcove and hugged her so hard, she almost fell off the chair.

      Without conscious thought Dottie closed her eyes and hugged her back, aching for this family and its archaic rules that had hung like a pall over their lives. When she opened them again, there was Alex standing there in a navy crew neck and jeans looking bigger than life as he watched the two of them interact.

      She saw lines and shadows on his striking face that hadn’t been there yesterday. But when their eyes met, the black fire in his took her to the backseat of the car where the other night they’d kissed each other with mindless abandon.

      “We’re here to invite you out for a day on the water,” he explained. “The galley’s loaded with food and drink. We’ll do lessons and have fun at the same time.”

      As he spoke, Zoe sat down to do one of the puzzles on the table out of hearing distance. It was a good thing, because Alex’s invitation had frightened Dottie. Though her mind was warning her this would be a mistake, that vital organ pumping her life’s blood enlarged at the prospect.

      The other night she’d almost lost control with him and the experience was still too fresh. To go with him would be like watching a moth enticed to a flame fly straight to its death.

      “Perhaps it’s time you enjoyed one day without me along. It won’t hurt Zoe to miss a lesson.” She’d said the first thing to come into her mind, frantically searching for an excuse not to be with him.

      Lines marred his arresting features. “I’m afraid this is one time I need your cooperation. There’s something critically urgent I must discuss with you.”

      Dottie looked away from the intensity of his gaze. This had to be about his brother. The distinct possibility that Prince Stasio needed Alex to do double duty for him right now, or to spend more time with him, crossed her mind. Of necessity it would cut short the time he’d been spending with Zoe. If that was the case, she could hardly turn him down while he worked out an alternative plan with her.

      “All right. Give me a minute to put some things in the bag for our lesson.”

      “Take all the time you need.” His voice seemed to have a deeper timbre this morning, playing havoc with the butterflies fluttering madly in her chest.

      After Zoe helped pack some things they’d need, Dottie changed into a sleeveless top and shorts. When she emerged from the bathroom with her hair freshly brushed, the prince took swift inventory of her face and figure, whipping up a storm of heat that stained her cheeks with color. Once she’d stowed her swimsuit in the bag, she put on her sunglasses and declared she was ready to go.

      Dottie had assumed they’d be taking his sailboat. But once they left the palace grounds, Alex informed her he had business on one of the other islands so they were going out on the yacht. The news caused a secret thrill to permeate her body.

      That first morning when she and Zoe had gone down to the private beach, she’d seen the gleaming white royal yacht moored in the distance. Like any normal tourist, she’d dreamed of touring the Aegean on a boat while she was in Hellenica. Today the dream had become reality as she boarded the fabulous luxury craft containing every amenity known to man.

      With the sparkling blue water so calm, Zoe was in heaven. Wearing another swimsuit, this one in lime-and-blue stripes, she ran up and down the length of it with her father’s binoculars, looking for groupers and parrot fish with one of the crew.

      Alex settled them in side-by-side loungers while the deck steward placed drinks and treats close enough to reach. With Zoe occupied for a few minutes, Dottie felt this would be the best time to approach him about his brother and turned in his direction. But he’d removed his shirt. One look at his chest with its dusting of black hair, in fact his entire masculine physique, and she had to stifle a moan.

      The other night she’d been crushed against him and, heaven help her, she longed to repeat the experience. Fortunately the presence of Zoe and the crew prevented anything like that from happening today.

      Admit you want it to happen, Dottie.

      After losing Neil, she couldn’t believe all these feelings to know a man’s possession had come back this strongly. For so long she’d been dead inside. She was frightened by this explosion of need Alex had ignited. She had to hope Dr. Rice would email her the good news that her replacement could be here by next week because she could feel herself being sucked into a situation that could only rebound on her.

      Not for a moment did she believe Alex was a womanizer. He was a man, and like any single male was free to find temporary satisfaction with a willing woman when the time and opportunity presented itself. With her full cooperation he’d acted on one of those opportunities and she’d lost her head.

      It wasn’t his fault. It was hers. She’d been an idiot.

      Unless she wanted a new form of heartache to plague her for the rest of her life, she couldn’t afford another foolish moment because of overwhelming desire for Alex. There was no future in it. She’d be gone from this assignment before long. Nothing but pain could come from indulging in a passionate interlude with a prince. Nothing.

      “Alex. The head of my department at Stillman’s responded to one of my emails this morning.”

      He removed his sunglasses and shifted his hard-muscled body on the lounger so he faced her. “Was that the one asking him to find another therapist for Zoe?” he inquired in a dangerously silky voice. An underlying tone of ice sent a tremor through her body.

      “Yes. He says he’ll probably have someone to replace me within another week. By then Zoe ought to have more confidence in herself and will work well with the new speech teacher.”

      Paralyzing tension stretched between them before eyes of jet impaled her. “You don’t believe that piece of fiction any more than I do. In any event, there can’t be a question about you leaving, not with the coronation almost upon us.”

      She sat up in surprise. “You mean there’s still going to be one?”

      Like lightning he levered himself from the lounger. “Why would you ask that question?”

      “At the end of Dr. Rice’s email, he told me there were headlines about Prince Stasio calling off his wedding to Princess Beatriz.”

      “So it’s already today’s news in New York.” He sounded far away. She watched him rub the back of his neck, something he did when he was pondering a grave problem.

      Growing more uneasy, Dottie stood up. “Forgive me if I’ve upset you.”

      He eyed her frankly. “Forgiveness doesn’t come into it. They were never suited, but I didn’t know he’d made the break official until he told me last night.”

      She rubbed her arms in reaction. “What a traumatic night it must have been for all of you and your grandmother.”

      “I won’t lie to you about that.” His pain was palpable.

      Dottie bit her lip. “For both their sakes I’m glad he couldn’t go through with it, but you’ll probably think I’m horrible for saying it.”

      “On the contrary,” Alex ground out. “I’d think something serious was wrong with you if you hadn’t. His life has been a living hell. He should have ended the betrothal years ago.”

      Alex … She heard the love for his brother.

      “Does it mean the queen will go on ruling?” she asked quietly. “I’m probably overstepping my bounds to talk to you like this, but after meeting your brother, I can’t help but feel terrible for what he must be suffering right now, even if he didn’t want the marriage.”

      “Between us, he’s in bad shape,” he confided, “but the coronation is still on. Our grandmother is failing in small ways and can’t keep up her former pace as sovereign,

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