Page 22 of Prince She Shouldn't Crave
Lena had checkedher compact mirror earlier, noting that all attempts to hide the dark circles under her eyes had failed. She wondered how they were shaping up now, after two hours at their morning engagement. Last night she’d barely had any sleep after her moment with Gabriel. She didn’t understand it, the electric attraction that had seemed to sizzle between them. It was as if the feeling was something necessary to her very being. She craved it again. That need to simply be close to someone when she’d never really wanted it before. She couldn’t shut down her mind, the memories of the feel of his embrace on the terrace, even though it had happened by accident. That moment in his room where they were so close she could almost feel his breath on her face. The way he looked down at her, eyes full of heat.
No, she couldn’t think about it, yet that didn’t stop the truth that she wanted him. An unsettling feeling when she’d never really wanted anyone before, not like this at least. She’d never really trusted enough, but there was something she trusted about him… It was almost as if hesawher, more than just as his employee, but as a person he might trust too. Lena took a deep breath to settle her racing heart. She had to keep focussed on her job.
The picture from last night had been received well. How couldn’t it have been? With him, backlit in the low light of his room. Tie off, top button undone. Removing the cufflinks fromhis shirt. Such an intimate moment, which she hadn’t thought about when she’d posted it in a fluster. She almost couldn’t bear to read the comments so had asked Gabe’s private secretary to scan them to see if there was anything that needed to be deleted. She was almost at the stage of needing a junior employee to help manage the account, so many people were beginning to follow. He’d said there was nothing, but was amused at the hashtag trending in the comments,hashtag thirst-trapas it related to their boss.
Thirst trap indeed.
She was parched dry just being around him, trying to do her job.
Now they were heading to the car to another meeting. Gabriel’s shoes crunching on the gravel drive under his purposeful stride. His private secretary was planning to travel ahead to prepare. Lena almost wanted to join Henri, yet she didn’t have an excuse to change the arrangements. She’d be left alone in the vehicle with Gabriel instead, with that scent of his, all fresh and evergreen. She almost couldn’t breathe at the thought.
‘Sir, I’ve loaded the documents into your reader for the next engagement. Is there anything else you need?’ Gabriel’s private secretary asked.
The crunch of Gabriel’s shoes on the drive faltered, then quickly picked up to the same rhythm again. Reader? What was that about…?
‘No, Henri. There’s nothing else. I’ll see you there. Lena, what are your plans for the next talks?’
Gabriel was all business this morning, not a shred of softness in him. No doubt regretting the moment between them last night. He was looking sharp in a navy suit, white shirt, and a yellow and blue tie echoing the colours of Halrovia’s flag.
‘I thought I’d take a photograph of you and the defence minister shaking hands in front of the countries’ respective flags.’
They were attending bilateral security talks. Not that Halrovia or Lauritania had been in conflict with anyone for almost a century, but she guessed it was a show of solidarity and closeness of ties.
‘Excellent,’ Gabriel said, glancing down at her feet, which were in low-heeled shoes today after yesterday’s debacle. Was he remembering her clumsiness on the terrace? How he’d worn a cup of coffee, and, for a little while, her? She couldn’t tell, his expression hidden behind his sunglasses. Lena’s cheeks flared with heat.
Before she could respond, her phone rang. She checked the number. Her mother? Lena’s stomach twisted in complicated knots. They’d had some text exchanges when she’d taken this job. She’d kept in touch with her brother to make sure that he was still in university and studying. That there was food on the table and the bills were being paid, because her mother was useless at that sort of thing, never having had to worry about money in the past. Lena was tempted to decline the call, but she needed to know what was happening and her mother was terrible at texting. It would be easier to get it over with by speaking to her.
‘Sir, I need to take this call,’ she said as she swiped to answer. ‘I’ll meet you at the car in a few moments. We’re ahead of schedule so you won’t be late.’
He nodded, and strode on as Lena stopped in the shade.
‘Mama…’ Lena said. She couldn’t get any other words out before her mother started.
‘The landlord is increasing the rent.’ Her mother’s voice was tremulous, panicked. Lena’s heart sank. This was bad news. She’d told her mother that she should leave her home becausethey couldn’t afford it, but her mother had been so upset with the death of Lena’s father and all that had happened, Lena had agreed to give her time. She’d given her mother and brother the money she would have spent on her own rent to cover some of the cost, topping it up with her wages. It left her with very little for herself, but she had accommodation and didn’t have many needs. She could be frugal…except now, this would leave everything short.
Lena’s chest tightened. She took a deep breath, wondering when it would ever end. Would she be responsible for her mother for ever? It seemed wrong. Her mother was an adult and wasn’t her responsibility. Though there was her brother too… The burn of acid started in her belly as her thoughts whirred.
‘When?’
‘In eight weeks. What do I…?’
‘You have to leave. There’snoother choice. I’m at work now but I’ll sort something out.’
‘You don’t get paid enough in this role. You could always—’
‘No, I couldn’t.’
She knew what her mother was about to say.Marry.Her mother claimed there were any number of men who would be interested on certain specialised dating sites for just that kind of thing. Rich men who’d look after her. Her family. The bile rose to her throat. She swallowed it down.
‘I—I have had some other job offers. Maybe one will pay me more. We’ll talk later, I promise. But everything will be okay.’
‘You say that, and it hasn’t been since your father died.’ Her mother’s voice cracked as she hung up.
Tears pricked at Lena’s eyes. She wiped them away. She didn’t believe Queen Lise had been joking about the job, should she want one, and she bet that King Rafe would offer her a premium to leave Gabriel. Yet that wasn’t what she wanted.She’d committed to this job,lovedthis job. Felt as though she finally had a place.
There was more to do, that was all, and Lena never wanted to leave work half done. She was only now starting to get traction. Really achieving something. Turning the tide of press opinion as Gabriel’s PR and image advisor, rather than as a junior part of a team, as she’d been on Isolobello. If she succeeded, it would make her career. A glowing reference from two royal families would mean she could go anywhere in the world for work, ask her own price. It was what she’d always wanted. Independence, security.
Wasn’t it?
