A Royal Amnesia Scandal

“What?” she asked.

“Why are you all wet?”

Plucking at the damp material that clung to her thighs, Kate shook her head. “I got caught outside in the storm earlier.”

Those eyes continued to rake over her body. “You’re sexy like this,” he murmured as his heated stare traveled back up. “With your dress clinging to your curves and your hair messy and wavy.”

Kate swallowed, because any reply she had to those intimate words would lead to a lie, and she couldn’t let him keep thinking they were anything more than employee-employer, servant-royal.

“Where’s your cell?” If she didn’t stay on task, she’d get caught up in all those sultry looks he was giving her...and she desperately wanted to get caught up in the promise behind those sexy stares. But he wasn’t himself right now. “I need to call the doctor. I hope we have service.”

Luc glanced around, raking a hand through his hair. “I have no idea. I don’t even remember why I was outside.”

He slapped his hand on the cushion beside him and let out a string of curses. “Why can’t I remember anything?”

The worry lacing his voice concerned her even more than the fact he thought they were engaged. Luc Silva never let his guard down. Even when faced with losing the crown, the man was the epitome of control and power. Sexy and strong and she wanted him. Plain and simple...or maybe not so simple considering she could never have him.

“It’s okay,” she assured him as she leaned down to pat his shoulder. “I’ll find it. Once the doctor comes, we’ll know more. Maybe this will only last a few minutes. Try not to panic.”

That last bit of advice was for herself as much as him, because she was seriously in panic mode right now. She didn’t know much about memory loss, but the fact that something had set his mind so off balance concerned her. She couldn’t even imagine how he felt.

Kate walked around the spacious but sparsely decorated living room, into the dated kitchen and then back to the living room. Crossing to the patio doors they’d just entered, she finally spotted his cell lying on the old, worn accent table most likely left by the last tenants.

Thankfully, she knew the passcode to get into the phone. “I’m just going to step out here,” she told him, trying to assure him he wouldn’t be alone. “I’ll be right back.”

She didn’t want Luc to hear any worry in her tone when she described the incident to the doctor. And for now, she wasn’t going to mention the whole “fiancée” bit. She would ride this out as long as possible. Yes, that was selfish, but, well...everyone had their moments of weakness and Luc Silva was definitely her weakness.

Kate was relieved to get the doctor on the phone and even more relieved when he promised to be there within the next hour. For the next sixty minutes, Luc would most likely believe they were engaged and she would play right along until she was told otherwise.

Luc’s private beach villa just off the coast of Portugal wasn’t far from his own country. He was pretty much hiding in plain sight. This way he could be home quickly in an emergency—or someone could come to him.

Kate was grateful the doctor could use the private boat to get to the island. There was no airstrip and the only way in or out was via boat. Only yesterday she and Luc had been dropped off by her father, so Luc could keep his hideout a secret.

When she walked back inside, Luc had his head tipped back against the sofa cushions. Eyes closed, he held a hand to his head, massaging his temples with his fingers.

“The doctor is on his way.”

Without opening his eyes, he simply gave a brief nod.

“I know you’re hurting, but I don’t want to give you anything before the doctor can examine you.”

What if his injuries were more serious than she thought? Amnesia, temporary or not, wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. People died from simple falls all the time. Even when they felt fine, they could have some underlying issue that went unnoticed.

The possibilities flooded her mind as she continued to stand across the room and stare at Luc. Should he be resting or should she keep him awake? She prayed she didn’t do the wrong thing. She would never forgive herself if something happened to him because they’d been fighting and he’d stormed off. If she didn’t always feel the need to challenge him, this wouldn’t have happened.

The kiss wouldn’t have happened, either, because that was obviously spawned from sexual frustration and anger. Luc’s full-on mouth attack had been forceful, not gentle or restrained. She’d loved every delicious second of it. But now she needed to focus, not think about how good it had felt to finally have him touch her the way she’d always wanted.

As she watched him, his lids kept fluttering, and finally remained closed for a minute.

“Luc,” she said softly. “Try not to fall asleep, okay?”

“I’m not,” he mumbled. “The lights are too bright, so I’m just keeping my eyes closed.”

Crossing to the switches, she killed the lights in the living room, leaving just the one from the kitchen on so she could still see him.

“Does that help?” she asked, taking a seat beside him on the couch, relishing in the warmth from his body.

He opened one eye, then the other, before he shifted slightly to look at her. “Yeah. Thanks.”

When he reached over to take her hand, Kate tensed. This wasn’t real. The comfort he was seeking from her was only because he was uncertain—and he thought they were engaged.

Oh, if they were truly engaged, Kate could hold his hand and not feel guilty. She could wrap her arms around him and give him support and love and...

But no. She wasn’t his fianceé so thinking along those lines would get her nowhere.

For now, she could pretend, she could keep her fingers laced with his and feel things for him in ways she never had before. This was no longer professional...they’d crossed that threshold when he’d captured her mouth beneath his.

“I’ll be fine.” Luc offered a wide smile, one rarely directed at her. “Just stay right here with me.”

Swallowing the truth, Kate nodded. “I’m not going anywhere.”

She tried not to relish the fact that Luc’s thumb kept stroking the back of her hand. She tried to fight the thrill that he was looking at her as more than just an employee.

None of this was reality. He was trapped in his own mind for now. She didn’t know if she should focus on the kiss earlier or the nasty knot on his head. Both issues made her a nervous wreck.

The hour seemed to crawl by, but when Dr. Couchot finally knocked on the back door, Kate breathed a sigh of relief. Beneath her hand, Luc tensed.

“It’s okay.” She rose to her feet, patting his leg. “We’ll figure this out and you’ll be just fine.”

Dr. Couchot immediately came inside, set his bag down and took a seat on the couch next to Luc.

“Tell me what happened,” he said, looking at Kate. Worry was etched on the doctor’s face. This man had cared for Luc since the prince had been in diapers, and held all the royals’ medical secrets.

Kate recounted the events, omitting the fiancée bit, and watched as the doctor examined his patient while she spoke. He looked at Luc’s pupils with his minuscule light, then lightly worked his fingertip around the blue knot. With a frown, he sat back and sighed.

“Have you remembered anything since I was called?” he asked.

Luc shook his head. “I know Kate, but she had to tell me her name. I know I’m a member of the royal family because of my name, and I believe I’m the prince. I know this house is mine and I know I wanted to fix it up, but apparently I didn’t get too far, so I had to have just bought it.”

All this was right. A little burst of hope spread through Kate. Maybe his injuries weren’t as bad as she’d first feared.

“From what I can tell, you’ve got temporary amnesia,” the doctor stated. “I’m not seeing signs of a concussion and your pupils are responsive.” Dr. Couchot looked up at Kate. “I would like him to have a scan to be on the safe side, but knowing Luc, he’ll be stubborn and refuse.”

“I’m sitting right here,” Luc stated, his eyes darting between Kate and the doctor. “I don’t want to get a scan. I’d have to go home and face too many questions. Unless I’m at risk for something more serious, I’m staying here.”

Kate shared a look with the doctor. “What about if I promise to monitor him? You said there was no concussion, so that’s a good sign.”

“Fine,” Dr. Couchot conceded. “I won’t argue. But Kate will have her eyes on you 24/7 for the next few days and I’ll be in contact with her. At the first sign of anything unusual, she will get you back to the palace, where we can treat you. No exceptions.”

Luc nodded. “Agreed.”

After receiving her instructions and a list of things to look for in terms of Luc’s behavior, Kate showed the doctor out.

Once they reached the edge of the patio, Dr. Couchot turned to face her. “Make sure you don’t force any memories on him. It’s important he remembers on his own, or his mind could become even more confused and his condition could actually worsen. It’s a blessing he remembers as much as he does, so I believe he’s only lost a few months of his memories.”

A few months. Which would explain why he didn’t recall the real fiancée or the fake pregnancy.

“I’ll make sure not to feed him any information,” Kate promised. Smoothing her hair back, she held it to the side in a makeshift ponytail. “Can he see photos or listen to his favorite music? Maybe just subtle things that will spark his thoughts?”

“I think that would be fine. Just don’t push all of that on him at once. Give this some time. He may wake tomorrow and be perfectly fine, or he may be like this for another month. Every mind is unique, so we just don’t know.”

Kate nodded, thanking the doctor for coming so quickly. She watched as he made his way back down to the boat, where a palace guard was waiting. Thankfully, it wasn’t her father, but his right-hand man.

Kate gave a wave to the men and took in a deep breath. When the doctor mentioned unusual behavior, did that include believing you were engaged to the wrong woman?

Weary and worried, she stepped back through the doors. All her stuff was at the guesthouse, but she would need to stay here.

Luc’s eyes were instantly on hers when she returned to the living room. That warmth spread through her once again as she recognized that look of need. She couldn’t let him keep this up. There would be no way she could resist him. And based on his reaction after that kiss, he wouldn’t be happy that he’d indulged his desire for her, no matter how good together they might be.

The warning from the doctor played over in her mind. She couldn’t force memories, so for now she’d have to let him think what he wanted, until his mind started to cooperate.

“Sit with me,” he whispered, holding his hand out in invitation.

Kate cringed, wanting nothing more than to take his hand and settle in beside him. “I need to go get some of my things.”

Lowering his hand, he frowned. “Where are your things?”

Coming up with a quick excuse, she tried to be vague, yet as honest as possible. “I have some things next door at the guesthouse. Let me get them and I’ll be all yours.”

Okay, she didn’t necessarily need to add that last bit, but it just slipped out. She’d have to think through every single word until Luc fully regained his memory. For now, she’d have to play along...and still try to maintain some distance, or she could find herself in a world of hurt when he snapped out of his current state. Getting wrapped up in this make-believe world, even for a short time, wasn’t the wisest decision. Still, he would need her during this time and they were on this island together. How could she resist him? How could she resist more touching, more kissing?

“Why do you have anything next door?” he asked.

“I was working there earlier.” Still not a lie. “Give me five minutes. I’ll be right back.”

She escaped out the back door, unable to look at the confusion on his face any longer. If she got too far into the truth as to why she had things at the cottage, she’d have to come clean and produce the information his mind wasn’t ready for.

As quickly as she could, she threw a change of clothes into her bag, adding a few essential toiletries. Everything else she’d have to smuggle over a little at a time, provided she stayed at the main house for longer than a few days.

Her biggest concern now was the fact she hadn’t packed pajamas, assuming she’d be living alone. She stared at her pile of silky chemises in various colors. There was no getting around this. She didn’t even have an old T-shirt to throw on for a sleep shirt.

With no other choice, she grabbed the pink one and shoved it in her bag before heading back to the main house. There was no way she could let Luc see her in this chemise, but how could she dodge a man who thought they were engaged? Most likely he assumed they slept together, too.

Kate froze on the path back to the main house. There was no way she could sleep with Luc. None. If they shared the same bed, she’d be tempted to give in to his advances.

As the moonlight lit her way back, Kate was resigned to the fact that things were about to skyrocket to a whole new level of awkward.

Four

Kate glanced over her shoulder, making sure she was alone as she slipped back out onto the patio to call her mother. There were times in a woman’s life she just needed some motherly advice, and for Kate, that time was now.

“Darling!” Her mother answered on the second ring. “I was just thinking of you.”

“Hey, Mama.” Kate leaned against the rail on the edge of the patio, facing the doorway to make sure Luc didn’t come up behind her and overhear things he shouldn’t. “Are you busy?”

“Never for you. You sound funny. Everything all right?”

Not even close. Kate sighed, shoving her hair behind her ear. “I’m in a bit of a bind and I need your advice.”

“What’s wrong, Katelyn?”

Her mother’s worried tone slid through the line. Kate swallowed back her emotions, because tears wouldn’t fix this problem and they would only get her a snotty nose and red eyes. Not a good look when one was shacking up with one’s sexy boss.

“Luc fell earlier.”

“Oh, honey. Is he okay?”

“Well...he has a good-sized goose egg on his head. And he has temporary amnesia.”

“Amnesia?” her mother repeated, her voice rising an octave. “Katelyn, are you guys coming back to the palace? Do his parents know?”

“I actually called them before I called you. Dr. Couchot was just here and he’s assured us that Luc is okay, no concussion or anything. He isn’t sure when Luc will regain his memory, but he’s confident it’s a short-term condition.”

“I can’t even imagine how scary this must be,” her mother commented. “What can I do to help?”

“Right now Luc and I are staying here as planned,” Kate stated, her eyes darting to the patio doors on the far side of the house. Luc stood there for a moment, looking out at the ocean, before he turned and disappeared. “The doctor said keeping him relaxed and calm is best for now. Luc had wanted to get away, so staying here is still our best option.”

“I agree. So what else has you upset? If the doctor has assured you this is temporary, and you’re staying there as planned, what’s wrong?”

Pulling in a deep breath, Kate blurted out, “He thinks we’re engaged.”

Silence settled over the line. Kate pulled her cell away from her ear to make sure the connection hadn’t been cut.

“Mom?”

“I’m here. I just need to process this,” her mother stated. “Why does he think you’re engaged?”

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