The Princess and the Playboy

‘You didn’t remain behind precisely so we could have the discussion we’re having now?’

She drew herself up. Regal was the only word which fitted her bearing, as if she wasn’t accustomed to having her word doubted. ‘What are you implying, Jase?’

He folded his arms across his chest. ‘You don’t like the idea of a resort at Crystal Bay.’ It wasn’t a question. Her behaviour had already given him the answer.

‘I make no secret of it,’ she confirmed. ‘Today I mean to show you my reasons.’

Honesty at last. He nodded slowly. ‘This should prove fascinating.’

The road to the resort site at Crystal Bay was a winding dirt track, littered with fist-sized stones. Jase kept the car windows wound up against the gritty dust blowing against the glass. ‘This road is the first thing I plan to upgrade,’ he said through clenched teeth.

The daunting road also deterred outsiders from intruding on the villagers’ way of life, but Talay kept the thought to herself, reluctant to invite another lecture about the dangers of stagnation.

Another jolt threw her sideways against Jase and she was forced to cling to him until she could lever herself upright. About the only benefit she could see in a smooth road was to save her the indignity of constantly being thrown into contact with him, she thought, feeling her face flame. In the driving mirror she glimpsed amusement dancing in his eyes. The wretched man was enjoying this.

Fortunately, he blamed the jolting ride rather than the intimacy of the contact for her discomfiture. She would die before admitting that every move, every touch between them, sent her senses haywire. She had never experienced anything remotely like his effect on her, and it took her breath away. Keeping her mind on her mission was becoming more and more of a challenge.

‘I gather you’re a jewellery designer,’ he surprised her by saying.

Her startled look flitted to him. ‘How did you know?’

‘This morning I saw some sketches you left lying on the coffee-table. From the look of them, you have a lot of talent. I’m surprised Michael never mentioned it.’

Her thoughts raced. ‘It’s something I studied as a single woman.’

Jase nodded, his lean hands flexed around the steering-wheel as he controlled the powerful car over the tortuous road. ‘And now you’ve decided to go back to it.’ He shot her a sidelong look. ‘Are you and Michael having some trouble?’

Her eyebrows lifted involuntarily. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘I can add up. He didn’t ask you to go with him to Europe. You’re reviving an interest in a former career. And you obviously don’t see eye to eye on the resort plans.’ Without warning he stopped the car and turned to her. ‘What are you playing at?’

Confusion ripped through her. His instincts had warned him she wasn’t being honest with him but he had reached a totally unexpected—and wrong—conclusion. ‘What do you mean?’ she hedged.

‘Michael didn’t sign the message inviting me to use the villa in his absence. Did you send it, Allie?’

‘What makes you think—?’

He seized her wrist and turned her to face him. ‘First things first. Did you send the message?’

White-hot anger seared her veins. ‘You forget with whom you’re dealing.’ In dismay she realised her imperious tone belonged more to Princess Talay than Allie Martine.

His hold didn’t slacken but thankfully he misunderstood the source of her rage. ‘It’s a bit late to remind me of your married status now, isn’t it? You should have remembered it before arranging for us to be alone.’

‘I have no idea what you mean.’ In truth, she didn’t.

His hard gaze bored into her. ‘Don’t you? You may think you know what kind of man I am—but think again. In spite of my reputation, I have no interest in providing a fling for a woman whose marriage has gone stale.’

Horror gripped Talay. She had never dreamed he would misinterpret her actions so completely. She couldn’t let him believe Allie would do such a thing. ‘You’re wrong,’ she stated emphatically. ‘There’s nothing amiss with the marriage.’

His eyebrows climbed. ‘The marriage, Allie? It’s a peculiar way to describe a love match, surely? What about, “I still love Michael”? Say it and I’ll admit I’m out of line.’

The silence in the car became deafening. Lies argued against Talay’s nature. Already she wished with all her heart that she had never pretended to be Allie. She couldn’t bring herself to compound her crimes by telling Jase she loved Michael.

An impatient breath whistled past Jase’s lips. ‘I rest my case. So there’s only one thing left to prove.’

Something in his tone set her senses on full alert. ‘What do you—?’

Before she could finish the question he slid an arm around her neck and pulled her towards him, the suddenness of the movement driving the air out of her lungs. His mouth crashed down on hers and she was enveloped in a sensation like drowning.

It was drowning of the most sensuous sort and the protest she tried to make forced her lips apart, exactly the way he wanted them she found out when his tongue sought hers in a sinuous dance. She had been kissed before, but never so compellingly that she could hardly think.

Then, somewhere between her attempted cry of protest and his invasion of her mouth, something changed. All the pent-up emotion of the last few hours forced its way into her response until she found herself returning his kiss with all the passion in her soul.

Her arms came up and wound around his neck, her fingers threading through his wonderful long hair which felt like silk. The firmness of his scalp was another source of sensory wonder and she explored it with fingertips as sensitised as a surgeon’s. She felt hungry for something beyond food, thirsty for something beyond water. Blackness fringed the edges of her vision and she wondered fleetingly if you could pass out from an overload of sensual pleasure.

She never found out. As abruptly as he had begun the kiss, he ended it by drawing away from her, imposing a yawning chasm of space between them as he folded his arms and stared grimly out of the window.

As the sensual heat subsided Talay’s muscles ached, as if from a mile-long run. ‘What is it?’ she asked. Why had he stopped before they had barely begun?

He heard the question, without her having to say it aloud. ‘There’s no need to go on. I’ve proved my point. If you want more you’ll have to find some other man to provide it. Michael is my friend.’

Fighting a crushing sense of disappointment, she decided to tell him the truth. She couldn’t let him go on thinking Allie would ever seek an affair outside her marriage. Not only were she and Michael blissfully happy, they were planning for the arrival of their first child at this very moment.

‘This isn’t what you think,’ she began. ‘I’m not—’

‘Save it, I’m not interested in a litany of Michael’s shortcomings as a husband,’ he cut across her savagely. In spite of her turmoil, Talay was mesmerised by the way his breathing came and went, came and went, as if he, too, had been affected by the kiss. But his voice was steady as he said, ‘If I had a choice I’d turn this car around and take you home right now, but my foreman expects me at Crystal Bay in a few minutes so I have to show up. Once we get there I’ll have someone else drive you back. Until then I don’t want to hear another word out of you.’

As a princess she should have found the injunction shocking. No one spoke to her in such a demeaning way. But in her present guise she understood and even admired his loyalty to his friend. But he had to let her tell him the truth. ‘Please let me—’

With the swiftness of a king cobra, he moved to clamp a hand over her mouth, silencing her. ‘Not a word, understand?’

Over the warm pressure of his fingers she saw the determined glint firing his eyes, and she had no choice but to nod. His palm tasted salty against her lips which felt swollen from his kiss. It came to her that he would be stunned when he found out how he’d treated a member of the royal family. It was a pity Sapphan no longer imposed the death penalty for lese-majesty, she raged inwardly. She would take great pleasure in making Jase pay for his callous treatment. At her nod he slowly removed his hand.

Trying to explain would only invite more punishment so she sat in mutinous silence while he restarted the car and drove the remaining distance to Crystal Bay. When they arrived she was too stunned by the scene which met her eyes to say anything.

He noticed her stillness. ‘It looks worse than it is,’ he assured her calmly. ‘We have a complete reafforestation plan in place to ensure that every tree removed and more are put back before we’re done. I have thousands of baobabs, coconut palms, tamarinds, frangipani and flame trees on standby for this area alone.’

‘Big of you,’ she muttered. She was still smarting from the physical way he had ensured her silence.

He gave her a searching look. ‘Sulking, Allie? Or simply annoyed because I wasn’t taken in by your devious scheme?’

She forced herself to meet his eyes unflinchingly, wishing fervently that looks could kill. ‘It must be a terrible burden, always having to be right.’

‘Then you admit I am right about you?’

‘I admit nothing of the sort.’ During her enforced silence she had decided he would find out soon enough whom he had mistreated. The longer it took the sweeter would be her revenge when it came. In the meantime, since he wasn’t prepared to listen to her explanation, she would maintain a dignified aloofness.

‘I’ll say this for you, you don’t lack courage.’ His tone was grudgingly admiring. ‘And you’re sufficiently beautiful and sexy to make me wish you weren’t married. But you are, and to a man I like and respect too much to indulge you. I’ll arrange for someone to drive you home before I deal with my business here.’

‘Afraid, Jase?’ She deliberately used his own words against him.

‘Afraid of what? You? I thought I demonstrated my resistance to your charms rather effectively on the way here.’

At the reminder of his forceful kiss her insides clenched but she managed to remain outwardly calm, blessing years of royal training which enabled her to disguise her inner turmoil. ‘I was referring to your obvious fear of learning anything that might not fit your preconceptions about this place,’ she said, pleased that her voice hardly shook at all.

He gave a grunt of annoyance. ‘You’re still determined to show me the error of my ways.’

‘You did a good job of pointing out mine. I only wish to return the favour.’

His eyes glinted ferally. ‘Touché. Very well, I’ll deal with my business here then you can show me around. But if your behaviour is less than exemplary I’ll return you home so quickly your head will spin.’

It was already spinning but she bit her tongue. She was determined not to give him the satisfaction of revealing how strongly he affected her. Even if he knew he would probably assume it was a new ploy on Allie’s part to seduce her husband’s friend.

Silently Talay asked for Allie’s forgiveness. Now she had come this far she had to continue playing the part long enough to convince Jase to change his plans. Afterwards she would take great pleasure in setting the record straight for Allie and herself while she watched Jase choke on his ugly suspicions.

CHAPTER FOUR

JASE had chosen his location well, Talay admitted reluctantly to herself. The resort rested on nearly eighteen hectares of swaying palms and tropical foliage against a backdrop of lush green rainforest.

A white sandy beach stretched around two sides of the area and curved into deep, secluded bays. A small coral reef at one end of the crescent would provide snorkelling in Sapphan’s crystal-clear waters, Jase explained. From the shore it was possible to watch shoals of brilliantly coloured fish, playing among the coral gardens almost at her feet.

The buildings would blend with the lush jungle, waterfalls and mist-covered mountain peaks, Jase assured her. He borrowed plans from the foreman overseeing the site preparation to show Talay sketches of how the finished resort would look. Built from traditional materials, using timeless Sapphan carpentry techniques, it could easily be mistaken for the abode of an island chieftain from her country’s history, she concluded, impressed almost against her will.

The resort would comprise several low-lying main buildings and a dozen thatched cottages, known as bures, facing the tropical sunsets. She noticed Jase took special care to describe the honeymoon bure to her. ‘It will have a hand-carved four-poster bed curtained with mosquito netting, an outdoor shower for two,’ he emphasised, ‘and a private spa and sundeck where the newlyweds can entertain themselves, without having to set foot in the main complex. Tropical fruit and champagne will be provided and even a yacht to take them to the resort’s private island, complete with gourmet provisions, if they wish to spend a night entirely alone.’

A wave of sensual heat swept through her as his words painted a vivid picture in her mind. No need for clothing on an uninhabited island. No need for anything except the company of the man you loved and endless hours to enjoy each other, free of all commitment and restriction. Her throat felt dry but she refused to swallow.

‘I see the notion appeals to you,’ Jase drawled, shattering the fantasy. ‘Maybe you can convince Michael to reserve it for the two of you so you can direct those passions of yours where they belong.’

‘If you’ve finished lecturing me it’s my turn to show you around,’ she snapped, uncomfortably aware of how easily she could imagine sharing the private island paradise with Jase himself. Having tasted the heady pleasure of his kiss, she trembled at the thought of what other sensual treats might await his partner in such a place. It would, indeed, be paradise on earth.

She froze in horror at her own thoughts. He was the last man with whom she should dream of spending nights in paradise, or anywhere else for that matter. He had as good as admitted that his playboy reputation was deserved. His refusal to seduce his friend’s wife, as he believed she wanted, was honourable but hardly radeeming, given the number of other fish in the sea. And he was still the enemy. Nothing he had shown her today had altered her opinion of him as an interloper here.

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice the foreman approaching them to consult the plans spread out on the car bonnet in front of Jase. The man froze as he caught sight of Talay, and immediately brought his palms together at chest height in a gesture of respect. ‘Your Royal Highness, forgive the intrusion. I didn’t recognise you from a distance.’

Fortunately he addressed her in Sapphanese and she answered in kind, assuring him she was not seeking special treatment but was here as Jase’s guest to inspect the site. ‘Go about your work and take no notice of me,’ she urged with a smile. She had deliberately dressed in a western-style white shirt and slim-fitting cream linen trousers to avoid being recognised too easily. So far it had worked, but the foreman was spreading the word, she saw, as the distant workers began to look their way.

A deep V of interest furrowed Jase’s brow. ‘Your presence seems to be causing a stir.’

‘I’m patron of some local charities so I’m well known around here,’ she answered truthfully.

She wasn’t sure if he accepted the explanation or not but he said no more about it as he concluded his business at the site. Unfortunately, the problem was even worse at their next port of call mere minutes away, the village she wanted very much to show him. There was nothing she could do about it except be glad few of the villagers spoke English and when they used her title it was in Sapphanese.

The village comprised a collection of bamboo and thatch buildings clustered around an arc of white sand where turtles came to lay their eggs between November and February. Behind the village was a forest of casuarina trees. Overhead the palm fronds waved and the rest of the world could have been on the moon.

Sea-nomads, shell hunters and pearl divers had lived here for centuries. At night they strapped batteryoperated lamps to their foreheads and walked in the tidal shallows to where jutting rocks hissed and popped as they dried. Wielding hooks of bent iron, they pried up the rocks and tipped them over to expose slimy shells which, when cleaned, were breathtakingly beautiful.

A thatch-roofed cottage served as a trading post for the shells. In their raw state they wore thick rubbery coats which washed away to reveal key scallops, nautilus shells, cowries, olives, cones and the delicate, spinetipped Venus’s combs.

There were pearls, too, not the perfect farmed variety but the bizarre baroque shapes created by wild oysters in the open sea. Jase picked up a specimen which was amazingly heart-shaped. Its rainbow colours glistened in the sunlight spilling through the cottage door. ‘Ask the trader how much she wants for this pearl,’ he told Talay.

The woman, having recognised Talay, wanted to press the gem on her as a gift, and it took a lot of gentle persuasion to convince her to name a price, which was still ridiculously low. Jase paid for the pearl with a large note and walked away before he could be given change. Too late Talay remembered that Jase came from Broome and was bound to know the pearl was a bargain.

‘Either these people are dangerously naïve or unusually generous,’ he commented outside the trader’s hut.

‘Is generosity a crime in Australia?’ She evaded the issue.

He ignored it and his searching gaze swept the area. ‘No building rises higher than the palm trees.’

She welcomed the change of subject. ‘It’s their idea of a planning code.’

He glanced at the palm-leaf-wrapped package in his hand. ‘How do they live? Educate their children?’

‘There’s a snake farm nearby where they milk poisonous snakes of their venom to make snake-bite serum,’ she explained. ‘The women also make silk on traditional hand looms. In spite of the rustic appearance, this village is prosperous and its members happy and healthy in their isolation.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘In other words, hands off. Point taken. Where can we get lunch around here?’

Her tension escalated rapidly. There were several thatch-roofed cafés where they could eat and her presence would be considered an honour. Which was the problem. She had managed to explain away the reaction to her so far, but over a meal it would become obvious that she was more than a respected charity-worker.

‘I thought you couldn’t wait to dump me back at home,’ she reminded him sharply, not liking to bring up his earlier suspicions of ‘Allie’, but seeing no other option.

‘Since I made my position clear you’ve been on your best behaviour. There’s no need to let you starve.’ His searching appraisal took in her slender waist and hips, their narrowness emphasised by the cut of the pants. ‘There’s nothing of you as it is. I’d hate to have you fainting from hunger on me.’

‘Sapphan women are naturally slender. We eat like horses,’ she snapped back, as his disturbingly slow appraisal sent waves of warmth flooding through her, try as she might to prevent it.

‘All the more reason to take you to lunch now. This one looks good.’ He indicated an unpretentious little restaurant on a bluff with a superb view of Crystal Bay.

Talay’s heart sank. She had hoped he would ask for her recommendation. She would never have chosen this café, where she was well known. The restaurant was famous for its local lobsters, marinated duckling and seafood steamed in a crab shell, and was also a favourite of her uncle, the king, when he visited the province on his way to the royal retreat at Chalong.

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