Page 16 of The Prince's Secret Daughter
“Thank you for breakfast,” she gushed, grinning as she bounced a bit on the balls of her feet. “It was delicious. I really liked the blueberry muffins.” Then she was gone again, having spotted Emily in the doorway. “Can we play a game now?”
Emily grinned and extended her hand. “We sure can!” she replied.
Raj watched with silent awe as his daughter trotted happily down the hallway, chatting away about butterflies and bumblebees to the sitter.
When they were no longer in sight, Raj turned to Helen. “Is she always so friendly and accepting?”
Helen nodded. “Yeah, every person she encounters is her friend, whether they know it or not.” Helen grinned and leaned back in her chair, cupping her tea mug in both hands.
Raj glanced over at the guards who were also standing against the wall. One of them gave Raj a wary look as they silently agreed that Angela’s friendly personality was a potential a risk. But the guards would have to figure out how to protect his daughter without diminishing her friendly attitude. Raj didn’t want Angela to change. She was…adorable. Absolutely charming.
Clearing his throat, Raj lifted the linen napkin from the floor where Angela’s embrace had knocked it, then turned to Helen. “Are you ready to figure out what those bastards were trying to do?”
Helen grinned and nodded. “Absolutely!” she replied, apparently energized by the breakfast conversation. “Any chance we could stop by my place? I’d like to change into something more comfortable. If we’re going to be exploring, I don’t think that heels and a business skirt are the best outfit for it.”
“Absolutely,” he agreed. “I’d like to see where you’ve been living these past few years.”
She grimaced and Raj had to control his reaction as he watched her lips move. “It’s not that interesting, I promise. It’s tiny and stuffed full of books and toys for Angela. She’s sweet and adorable, and she’s also continuously curious. Keeping her intellectually stimulated is a constant challenge.”
They stood up and Raj put a hand to her arm. He’d meant to touch her just for a momentary pause, but the startled look in Helen’s eyes reminded him of the near-constant state of sexual tension between them.
He dropped his hand, and it took him a moment to remember what he was going to say. “You’re not alone in this anymore, Helen. I’m here and I will help.”
She smiled, but the expression had a hint of sadness. “It’s going to take me some time to remember that Angela isn’t exclusively mine. I’ve had her to myself for so long, it’s become second nature.”
He didn’t have a response to that, other than to mentally berate himself for not getting in contact with her sooner. He should have gotten the palace security team to find her. He never should have left her all those years ago. Hell, he should have brought her back to Lativa to help him rebuild the country.
Damn it, there were a dozen different ways he could have handled his relationship with Helen five years ago. But he’d just rushed back to his country to be by his brother’s side. Khal had needed help and Raj had pursued his new role as economic director with a single-minded determination.
And that had lost him years of knowing his daughter.
Never again, he vowed. He was going to make things right going forward. He had a new goal; getting Helen and Angela back to Lativa. And he wanted a wedding ring on her finger. He wanted everything. He wanted Helen and Angela with him and to know that they were a family.
“Let’s head out,” he announced.
Fifteen minutes later, Raj stood in the small condo Helen had bought five years before. The space was well used and decorated with just the basics, but it was warm and cozy. The colors were practical, so the space didn’t give him much insightinto Helen’s favorite colors, but it warned him that she would need to be convinced that coming with him to Lativa was the right thing to do. She was too practical for any other approach.
He’d take his courtship of Helen more slowly this time around. He’d keep his hands off her and show her that his feelings for her were more than merely sexual.
However, Raj was painfully aware that Helen was in the next room getting naked. Maybe he could just peek into the room, enjoy the show. He didn’t remember what she’d worn the last time they’d been together. Hell, probably because they’d been naked most of that time. He remembered flashes of his favorite parts of her body. For instance, he remembered that Helen had sweet, tan nipples that turned a soft rose when she was aroused. He remembered the way those nipples had felt in his mouth, and the weight of her breasts in his palms. Helen had an enticing figure; her breasts were a perfect handful, not too much or too little.
And her thighs! Damn, her thighs were soft and rounded, long and lean. He even remembered how she would…!
Raj had to stop those thoughts because his body was becoming painfully tight. It would become obvious what he was thinking about if he didn’t start thinking about something else.
Chapter 10
Helen sorted through her warm sweaters, trying to figure out which sweater would make her look good, but not look like she wastryingto look good. The red one? Was that too obvious? She grabbed a pair of red leggings and black socks. Or should she leave the black socks off? Having a pair of socks on when a man pulled one’s clothes off wasn’t exactly sexy.
But as Helen stood in her bedroom in only a pair of black panties and a black bra, she realized that Raj wasn’t banging on the door, demanding to watch her get dressed. Five years ago, he never would have ignored her when she was dressing. Hell, he would have been sitting on the bed, suggesting what to wear. And then he would command her to take everything off again.
Why wasn’t he doing that now? Did he not want her any longer? Had he moved on?
She snorted and pulled a blue tunic sweater over her head and flipped her hair out. She pulled her hair into a high ponytail as she wondered how many women Raj had been with over the past five years. Probably a dozen, at least.
That hurt. A lot. Especially since she hadn’t been with any other man since the night he’d rushed away from her, saying something about a family emergency. He’d left her with a hot, hard kiss and a promise to call her as soon as he had more information.
But he’d never called. Not even a text message or an email. Nothing.
