Their relationship lacked definition. He was a prince. She was a professor. It was almost a sitcom, yet she found nothing funny about it. “It’s been months since we’ve been in the same place for longer than a day.”
His brows drew together with his frown, but she didn’t see anger—only intense thoughtfulness. “Yes, we were supposed to have a week on the yacht and I should have made the delay up to you sooner. I was not expecting Armand to send Kate and Richard there for Kate’s recuperation…”
“Wait, Kate is the attorney’s fiancée? The one who was shot?” All of a sudden, Meredith felt like a horrible person. She’d not known who she was, and Kate had been so kind to her while duping her into this visit.
“Yes, but as you can see she is fine. She needed a few weeks to recuperate. Armand was far more comfortable sending them to the yacht to be secure while she did so.” He reached out for her again, but she avoided his touch. With a sigh, he slid his hands into his pockets.
Meredith paced away again, fighting to keep tears at bay. “I’m glad she’s all right. I understood why they needed a place to go…”
“I promise, I will make our lost week up. I know we got off to a poor start here, but we have the island to ourselves for the next couple of weeks. It will just be you and me?—”
A throat clearing interrupted him, and Meredith glanced back to see impatience darken Sebastian’s countenance. Vidal, Sebastian’s head of security, stood a few feet away. “Please forgive the intrusion, Your Highness.”
“Can’t it wait?” Sebastian didn’t take his gaze away from her and she wrapped her arms around herself. They were standing out in the open and they were hardly alone. Security moved to the fringes, save for Vidal, but she could see them arrayed outin a loose circle with several yards between them. Chances were they couldn’t hear anything.
“My apologies, Your Highness. It cannot.”
Aggravation slid over Sebastian’s face and vanished so quickly, she thought she might have imagined it. “Please excuse me, Meredith. I will be right back.” He pivoted and the pair walked several feet away. Beyond them, she saw cars in the circular drive—Kate walked down the front steps and spoke to Terry as he exited one of the vehicles.
Kate greeting him didn’t bother Meredith nearly as much as the very obvious security presence around Terry. Two of Sebastian’s guards bracketed him. He was in trouble because he’d interfered and tried to protect her.
Abandoning her position, she strode toward the cars. The men noticed her approach right away, but she ignored them all except for Terry. “Are you all right?”
“Nothing wounded beyond my pride.” He gave her an easy smile. “How about you?”
She waved off his concern. “You’re not in trouble are you?”
“You assault the boss, you get in trouble.” His chagrined expression mired her in guilt.
“You were doing your job.” She frowned and glanced over to where Sebastian and Vidal spoke. Sebastian’s gaze was locked on her and the frown on his brow deepened. “I’ll talk to him…”
Terry caught her hand and tugged her back before she could take a step. “You don’t have to.” He dropped his voice. “In fact, I think it would be better if you didn’t.”
Very aware of the eyes on them, Meredith lowered her voice. “You shouldn’t be in trouble for protecting me.”
“Don’t worry about me. I mean it. Can you handle this?” He dropped his voice as well.
“I have no idea.” It was the truth. She really didn’t know how she was feeling at the moment. “I’m sorry I got you into thismess. You told me I should reconsider the job offer when it came in.”
In fact, Terry was the only one who counseled her to think the entire thing through. She longed for a distraction and her department head had been over the moon at the idea of the donation and projected grant money the work could generate—not to mention reputation. If she published again, it would have been five major accomplishments in five years. She was at the top of her field and the project would have sealed it.
She’d understood Terry’s caution, but at the time, she’d wanted to leave more than worry about impossible scenarios. What she wouldn’t give to be back in Boston, freezing in class and teaching algorithms.
“Meredith?” Sebastian’s voice washed over her and guilt gnawed at her. Her earlier wishing that she hadn’t met Sebastian was less than charitable and completely untrue. Squeezing Terry’s hand in a show of solidarity, she released him to look at the love of her life. Her heart did another little flip-flop in her chest.
Yes, she was angry and she was frustrated, but, no, she didn’t want to be in Boston. She didn’t even want to be standing outside the house. She wanted to throw herself at Bastian and lose herself in his arms.
“All done?” Her attempt to go for a brighter tone sounded odd to her ears and, based on Sebastian’s narrowed gaze, his as well.
“Quite.” But for the first time since she arrived, she heard a note of question in his voice. He held out his hand to her and even though she knew the rational choice, the smart choice, would be to close him out before he battered down her fracturing defenses, she slid her palm across his.
The touch sizzled and when he drew her close this time, she went. He said nothing to Terry or the others, but led her up thestairs. Threading their fingers together, she sighed. “Going to give me the ten cent tour?”
At the top of the steps, he paused. “Do you want one?”
Despite her exhaustion, and her teeter-tottering emotions, she did. It might give them something to talk about and ease the jagged chasm between them. “Would you mind? I—” She canted her head back and looked up at the huge house. “I’ve never been here before.” It sounded so flimsy, but if Sebastian disagreed with her, he didn’t let it show.
“I would love to show you the house.” He slid her arm through his. The guarded look she’d glimpsed earlier seemed to retreat behind his playful countenance, but it didn’t disappear entirely. “St. Christos has a history, but the house has only been here for about fifty years or so. My grandfather built it for my grandmother…”
