Christmas in His Royal Bed Read Online Free PDF

great length, but she’s just arrived and I haven’t had the chance to fill her in yet on everything she’ll need to know.” Pushing back his chair, he rose to his feet. “In fact, if you’ll excuse us, I’d like to get started on that now.”

    He came around to her side of the table, taking her arm and giving her little choice but to leave with him. She said her good-nights and followed him across the room.

    “Nicolas,” the queen called out as he reached the door. “I’d like a word with you.”

    “Certainly, Mother,” he replied in a respectful tone. “As soon as I see Alandra to her rooms, I’ll return to the library. We can speak there.”

    His mother offered an almost imperceptible nod and they left.

    With his hand once again at the small of her back, he guided Alandra to the main stairwell, and they started slowly up the steps. She didn’t miss his continued attempts at familiarity. And while his fingertips warmed her through the material of her dress, sending tiny shocks of desire through her system, she had to wonder if it was merely the first phase of his orchestrated attempts at seduction.

    Even if it was, it wouldn’t work.

    She was stronger than that. Nicolas might be charming and gorgeous, his status as a prince alluring, but he had brought her here under false pretenses, and she was not going to be won over.

    “So,” he began, his voice low and persuasive, “have you had a chance to look over the files I left in your room?”

    He had, indeed. A pile of colored folders had been left on the desk, each summarizing a different Glendovian charity she assumed she would be working with if she decided to stay.

    “I glanced at them,” she said.

    “And…”

    “You have some interesting organizations set up.”

    “They’re not running as well as they should,” he said.

    “I noticed.”

    “Do you think you can fix them?”

    That was the problem—she did. Even looking over the files for a few minutes before she’d started getting ready for dinner, she’d had a dozen ideas for improvements. Not to mention raising awareness and drawing in larger amounts of funding.

    They were concepts she was excited about and eager to put into effect. But in order to do that, she would have to remain in Glendovia and fulfill the terms of her contract.

    “I have some ideas,” she replied guardedly, as they turned down the hall that led to her suite.

    “Excellent.” He waited a beat before continuing. “Does this mean you’ve decided to stay and work here?”

    “I’ll stay,” she told him. “I’ll stay through the month, as agreed in the contract, and at the end of the month you’ll give me the bonus you promised.”

    “Of course.”

    He might have said more at that point, but she cut him off. “And no matter what your reason for bringing me here, no matter what you expected to happen, I will not be sleeping with you. You can cross that little item right off your Christmas wish list.”

    At that, she turned the knob, spun on her heel and disappeared into the suite.

    Five

    T he door to the library was open when Nicolas arrived. His mother was sitting in one of the armchairs before the fireplace, sipping a glass of sherry and staring at the flames leaping in the hearth. Closing the door behind him, he moved to the sideboard and poured himself a drink before joining her.
    “You wanted to speak with me?” he asked, leaning back.

    Typical of his mother, she got right to the point. “What is she doing here, Nicolas?”

    He didn’t pretend to misunderstand the question. “As I told you at dinner, I hired her to help with our charities. She’s very good at what she does. I think she’ll be a boon to the organizations.”

    “And that’s the only reason,” his mother said shortly, eyeing him over the rim of her glass. “Nothing else?”

    He took a sip of his brandy. “What other reason would there be?”

    “Come now, Nicolas. I may be your mother, and therefore not