Page 31 of Raul
Erica straightened and murmured,“Sus Majestades.”
Luis walked directly to his son, bending to kiss him on both cheeks. “Hijo mío,how are you feeling today?” She had never seen the king’s face so soft and lit with love and worry. It stole her breath a little to get this peek at the feelings between the father and son.
Her father had never looked at her with such tenderness. Mostly, his gaze had held disapproval or baffled disappointment.
“Well, I was bored until Erica arrived.” The prince gave her a quick wink. “And now I have even more company, so I feel terrific.”
The queen offered her hand and a smile to Erica. “So nice to see you. Thank you for keeping our reluctant invalid entertained. The longer he stays off his ankle, the faster it will heal.”
“It’s my pleasure,Su Majestad,” Erica said, shaking the queen’s hand before she began to back toward the door. “I will leave you all to talk.”
“Un momento,”the king said, turning toward her. “My son has told me about how much he enjoyed the trip, as short as it was. I appreciate your time and effort in arranging it.”
“You’re welcome,Su Majestad.” Erica gave a little bow of her head. “It was like a vacation for me. I love the mountains.”
The king raised a skeptical eyebrow but smiled. “Now Raul loves the mountains as well. You have passed your passion along to him.”
Erica felt a blush rise in her cheeks as she caught Raul’s sly grin. “I hope he will return to them when his schedule and ankle allow it.” She once again began to sidle toward the door.“Con permiso.”
The king nodded, and the queen gave her a warm smile, while Raul looked disappointed. Maybe it wasn’t just boredom that made him want her there. No, she couldn’t think that. It was too dangerous.
“I’ll be in touch,” he said. “About what we discussed.”
Erica lifted a hand in acknowledgment and slipped out the door.
Chapter 8
Erica unzipped her windbreaker as she walked into the hangar where Gabriel’s jet was parked. She wanted to check on the progress of the maintenance crew tuning up the aircraft for the honeymoon flight. After her meeting with Raul and most of his family, it was good to be forced to focus on something other than how much she lusted after the prince and how inappropriate that was.
“Erica!” Gabriel rose from one of the folding chairs at the mechanic’s desk, startling her.
“Señor!I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.” Probably because he was wearing his favorite all-black attire, and it was dim in the hangar. “How may I help you?”
Surely he wasn’t planning a flight out of the country so close to his wedding?
The duke tugged at his short ponytail in a surprising gesture of discomfort. “It is not me I wish you to help.” He gestured to the folding chairs. “Would you sit with me a moment?”
“Por supuesto.Of course.” She loved the fact that her royal boss treated her with such courtly manners. It was one of the duke’s many charms. Quinn was a lucky lady.
When they were both seated, Gabriel set his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands together. “Raul enjoyed his time in the mountains very much. I haven’t seen him so enthusiastic about anything in a long time.”
“Guiding him was my pleasure,” Erica said automatically.
“It was a shame that he had to cut the trip short. He needed the break from work,” Gabriel said. “And he’s beating himself up because he did something he considers stupid in spraining his ankle. He has the idea that the press will focus more on his injury than on my wedding. Which bothers him, not me.”
“Accidents happen when you challenge yourself,” she said. “Especially when you don’t expect them.”
“Raul is hard on himself.” Gabriel sighed. “Too hard these days. And that is where I am asking for your help.”
“Myhelp?” What could she do to stop Raul from worrying about his ankle?
“It wasn’t just the camping and climbing that made Raul light up. It wasyou.” Gabriel pinned her with his gaze. “He talked about experiencing a sense of connection when he was climbing.”
So this was about her role as Raul’s guide. A little clunk of disappointment hit her, but she pushed it away. She should be relieved that no one had noted her attraction to the prince. “That’s because I was handling the belay rope. It’s necessary to form a sort of partnership to make that work.”
“He said he talked about the kidnapping with you. I have never known him to share that with anyone else. It’s a good thing for him to begin to let those feelings out.”
Erica shifted on the hard metal seat. Gabriel seemed okay with her having that knowledge, but was he really? “I, uh, we had both had somepitorrorum when he told me about that. And I work for you, which means I’m good with confidentiality.”
