‘Is Alyssa all right, Uncle Ly?’
‘Oh, yes.’ He nodded, although his face was grave. ‘She’s perfect.’
And that’s dangerous, he thought.
ALYSSA stretched out luxuriantly, still hazy from the dream she’d just had. Opening her eyes, she lurched back to reality. This was Lysander’s bed, and she was still in his cabin on-board his private plane. Only the touch of his lips had been a dream. The wonderful, guilty feeling of being held in his arms slipped away as she woke fully, leaving her alone again. It wasn’t his pulse she could feel purring through the length of her body, but the soft vibration of aircraft engines.
That was enough to get her moving. She wished she could enjoy Lysander’s own private space, but the sensation of being in a plane played on her nerves. She needed distraction, and was about to get up when sounds of soft movement came from outside the bedroom. She froze. Without knowing why, she shut her eyes again and rolled onto her side with her back to the door. There was something about being found awake in this room that felt all wrong, and her only defence was to play possum. Whoever was coming to investigate was bound to let her sleep on. That would be less embarrassing all round.
She heard the cabin door brush over the thick carpet as it was pushed open. She expected her visitor, whoever it was, to retreat after a quick peek. Forcing herself to breathe slowly despite her pounding heartbeat, she waited to hear it close again. It didn’t happen. Instead, muffled footsteps crossed the room to her bedside. Despite straining her ears she hardly heard a sound, but there was a definite presence very near to her. She felt it grow closer as someone leaned over her—and she inhaled the clean fresh scent of Lysander’s aftershave. It gave her such a lift she let her eyelashes part a fraction. When she saw the pale shape of his hand drifting towards her cheek she drew in a long lingering breath, waiting for his touch.
It never came. His hand hovered beside her face, then moved down to linger over her shoulder. He was almost touching her—but his fingertips never quite connected with her body. The suspense stroked an exquisite glow over her skin. Then she saw his fingers clench. Abruptly, he pulled his hand out of her restricted field of view. Her heart sinking, she waited for him to vanish and quietly close the door on her fantasy.
When he slammed it with enough force to demolish the place, Alyssa didn’t have to pretend to jump—she did it naturally. She sat up sharply in the bed, then remembered she should be half asleep. Rubbing her eyes, she pretended to be confused. Lysander was standing in the doorway, looking carefully at everything else in the cabin, but not her. Alyssa was glad she wasn’t the focus of his attention. It meant she didn’t have to meet his eyes.
‘Come on, Goldilocks, it’s time to get out of my bed. Alyssa!’ he called across the room.
Oh, why couldn’t you have thought of Sleeping Beauty instead? she thought, but deep down she knew. It was the same reason why he hadn’t shaken her awake. That would have bridged the invisible dividing line between them—the one she had been so keen to draw. His bedroom was the place where it was stretched so thinly, Alyssa was glad Lysander was the one making sure things didn’t get too personal. The reason for her being here in his bed was awkward enough. She already felt at a disadvantage, and wouldn’t have known what to say.
‘You’ll have to get your seat belt on for the landing,’ he announced as she checked her watch.
She sighed, but it had nothing to do with sleepiness. It was such a let-down to get up and leave all that comfort behind. Lysander’s on-board office was geared up for work, not fantasy. She had experienced a lovely dream, but that was all. He had made waking her up nothing more than a chore, to be ticked off his ‘to do’ list. Given his casual attitude to women and her damaged feelings, Alyssa knew it was probably just as well. Trying to hide her mixed feelings about that, she busied herself getting Ra’id ready for touchdown. To distract herself, she risked a look out of the nearest window as she fastened his seat belt. If anything could take her mind off Lysander, it was the reminder that she was on a plane.
As the clouds thinned the lion-colored landscape of Rosara became visible below. Alyssa’s stomach lurched, and not only through fear. She hadn’t anticipated the way she would feel when seeing Lysander’s country. His beautiful land appealed to her heart straight away, in the same way something about him reached out to her. It was a mystery, just waiting for her to explore …
The moment they landed Ra’id bounced out of his seat. Alyssa was glad of the excuse to chase after him. She couldn’t wait to get off the plane, but Lysander caught her arm as she passed him. She looked back, and her reaction made him let go instantly. He raised his hand in a wordless apology.
‘I thought you might like to let me go on ahead, Alyssa. That’s all. I’m more used to the reception committee,’ he began, but his cabin crew were already swinging the aircraft’s door open.
She caught Ra’id’s hand before he reached the top of the steps, and she was almost thrown backwards by a wave of noise. Looking out of the plane, she registered the huge crowd of people gathered around Rosara’s small airport building. They were lined up around the roof, the balconies and spilling onto the airstrip. Panic almost swamped her. She gripped Ra’id’s hand, but the little boy was in his element.
‘Wave, Alyssa!’ He laughed, but all she wanted to do was dive back into the plane. She half turned, but Lysander was right behind her. There was nowhere to run, but suddenly that didn’t matter. She couldn’t move. The change in Lysander was so amazing, she wasn’t going anywhere. Acknowledging the cheers of his people, he seemed taller and more impressive than ever. Everything that had intrigued her about him was magnified under Rosara’s golden sunlight.
Rising to the occasion, he lifted one hand to salute the crowds. They went wild with delight. Lysander must be as popular with his people as he was with supermodels and celebrities! Swept up in the romance of it all, Alyssa couldn’t help being impressed. She had wondered if Lysander saved his best behaviour for abroad, making his home ground the place where he was Player King. Instead, he looked every inch the suave, sophisticated statesman. With one hand on Ra’id’s shoulder, he encouraged the little boy to wave to their audience. Alyssa decided she might have misjudged Lysander. His country was bringing out the professional best in him. Maybe she would be able to relax her guard a little bit while she was here, after all … The heat of Rosara flowed over her, filled with exotic sounds and scents. It was exciting, but terrifying at the same time. The breath caught in her throat, and she had to fight the urge to lean back against Lysander’s reassuring bulk.
He had no qualms about lowering his head until she could feel the whisper of his words, warm against her neck.
‘Are you OK?’
She nodded. ‘Just a bit overwhelmed, that’s all! Are you always greeted like this when you arrive in Rosara?’
‘Pretty much. With so few flights in and out of our country, a royal arrival is always a real event. Practically the entire local population turns out to welcome us home.’
That explains everything, she thought with a rueful smile. He’s playing to the gallery. It’s an easy way to impress the maximum number, with the minimum effort.
Letting Lysander deal with the cheering crowds, she basked in the warmth of his reflected glory. It was lovely to pause, and take in her new surroundings. The atmosphere was rich, and Rosara was well named—The Land of Roses. She could smell flowers with every breath, and it was wonderful. She drank in optimism with the dry air as she walked down the aircraft steps holding Ra’id’s hand. With Lysander so close beside her, her dream job was getting better and better.
‘There. You’ve done it. Solid ground beneath your feet at last.’ He chuckled quietly.
Alyssa