Page 14 of Falling for the King

They said in unison.

‘You’re up—’

‘No-one sa—’

They did it again.

He jammed his lips together and extended a hand indicating for her to speak first.

‘I didn’t realise you were here; I wouldn’t have interrupted your swim if I did.’ Low and husky, her voice rose every single one of his hairs at the back of his neck and did nothing to assist his struggle to get himself back under control.

‘You didn’t interrupt, I’d finished,’ he replied, his voice sounding harsh even to him. Drawing out a breath he acknowledged he was furious with himself, not her. Softening his delivery, he stated the obvious. ‘You’re up early.’

Her fingers toyed with the end of her braid then flicked it behind her shoulder and brought her eyes back to his.

‘Not as early as you.’

‘There’s a lot to do today.’ There was, but that didn’t explain why he was here so early. He would never reveal, especially to Katerina, that images of her had chased him from his bed to the pool to ease an ache that had snuck in under his skin and threatened everything he stood for. ‘And after last night’s storm I’m doing an early inspection of the damage before we begin the official engagements for the day.’

‘I’ll join you.’

He wasn’t surprised yet a part of him had not only wanted to save her the additional hours, but also escape from her presence. This was coming from him, who could never be considered someone who avoided anything. And it was only day two of the tour. A tour he had insisted she join for reasons which still stood.

‘Of course.’ He paused. ‘I didn’t realise you were a swimmer.’

He didn’t know much about her daily habits except that she put in enormous hours and obviously kept herself in shape. Which was not an inappropriate thing for him to notice, he wasn’t hard of sight after all.

‘I have a pool in my wing.’ She gave a husky little laugh. ‘Well, you’d know that.’

He nodded. He didn’t think his voice box would work as he imagined her naked in the mosaic tiled indoor pool that he’d learned to swim in before he’d moved to the other side of the palace when he became king.

‘I swam regularly growing up, the Vegas heat made it mandatory and there was always a rooftop pool in Dad’s casinos. Although, of course, none of them were designed for swimming laps.’

She stared at this chest for a series of thundering heart beats before looking over his right shoulder again.

Another charged silence ensued while he gave himself a talking to, she was his sister-in-law, had been married to his brother.

‘I don’t imagine they were. Did you meet Max at one of his pool parties?’ It had been well documented that they’d met at a party thrown by her father. That’s why he’d been so surprised when he’d first met her, just prior to the wedding. He’d found her to be a shy, modest young woman who was clearly besotted with his brother. Not some wild party girl like he’d expected.

‘I never attended any of those.’

A haunted look crossed her face making him regret his question.

‘Katerina—’

‘I met him at a fundraiser thrown by my father. It wasn’t until later, after I married him, that it was made crystal clear it had been orchestrated by my father. All of it.’ She raised her chin and once again he admired her courage, her innate classiness.

He couldn’t even say that her late father had acted with the best of intentions because they both knew it wasn’t true.

‘I’m sorry you got hurt by Max, by his behaviour.’ Behaviour that he’d been unable to check despite arguments, restrictions, sanctions.

‘Did you know about it? The money? Before the wedding?’

‘No.’ He dragged a hand through his short, cropped hair. ‘I didn’t find out about his gambling debts until later.’

‘And still you weren’t happy about the wedding.’

‘You were so young, inexperienced. You barely knew each other. Max was reckless and far from ready to settle down and I didn’t like the connection with your father. Yet I—’