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Authors: Raye Morgan
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her using such a well-known cliché. “The question had crossed my mind a time or two,” he admitted. “And then I decided you just wanted me to learn to connect with my roots.”
“A simple goal, I would think.”
He grimaced. “So okay, I looked each ancient ancestor in the eye and took his measure. And the women, too. And I was impressed.” But he seemed a little impatient. “What else do you want from me?”
She drew a deep breath in slowly, wondering how to put this. She had no idea how he was going to take it. For all she knew, he might storm off and never speak to her again. Finally, she just blurted it out.
“Okay, Max. Here’s the deal.” She steeled herself. “Pellea wants me to teach you how to act like a prince.”
CHAPTER FIVE
MAX stared at her and for a moment, Kayla thought he hadn’t understood. But a faint smile quirked at the corners of his mouth and he repeated slowly, “Pellea wants you to teach me how to act like a prince?”
She nodded, waiting.
He gave her a look as though this was about as kooky as he’d thought things could get. “Really?” he said with a twist to his smile. “Who taught you?”
That was a good question and keyed right in to her deepest fears about this assignment. But she wasn’t going to let him know that. She hadn’t asked for this. In fact, she wished it hadn’t occurred to Pellea at all. But it had, and here they were, stuck with a project to do.
“I’m very observant,” she said cheekily. “Don’t worry. I won’t steer you wrong.”
He grinned, watching her with a slightly lascivious expression. “I’m not worried at all. I have every intention of becoming teacher’s pet in a major way.”
She pretended to frown. “Don’t count on that, mister. I’m a tough grader. You’re going to have to earn your graduation papers.”
“It’s a deal.” He pretended to look at his watch. “You’ve got two weeks to make me into royalty. Better get moving.”
She wasn’t crazy about the way he set it up like an adversarial position, but she’d known from the start that she would have to work fast. He didn’t have to remind her. His attention span wouldn’t last long. And he proved it by jumping to a new topic in seconds.
A man had walked by holding a baby, and they both looked up as the baby made a cooing sound. She met Max’s wide eyes and they both smiled.
“Hey, when do I get to meet little … Teddy, did you say his name was?” he asked.
She felt a surge of unpleasant adrenaline.
“Yes, uh … Teddy.”
He looked at her curiously. “Is he here at the castle with you?”
“He stays with my sister during the day. I’ll … uh … make sure you get to meet him soon.”
“Good.” He frowned and she knew he was wondering why she was so hesitant. “I’ll bet he looks just like Eddie.”
Color filled her cheeks. She tried to force it back but it just kept coming. Had he noticed? Did he see how uncomfortable she was with this?
“He’s a little young to look like anyone right now,” she said breathlessly.
But he didn’t seem to notice her reaction. He was looking into the past, his brows pulled together, and thinking of how it had once been. “Thank God you had his baby,” he said softly, reaching out to touch her cheek. “Thank God there’s a piece of him left in the world.”
Her mind was racing. She had to think of something. Hopefully, he would forget about Teddy once he was thoroughly invested in taking on the royal mantle. That had to be her goal: to convince him that becoming a prince was something he wanted to do, that it would engage his mind and spirit like nothing else he’d ever done. Once he opened himself to it fully, he would be so busy, so connected with what was going on here in the castle, that he would forget about her and her son. They would just fade into a pleasant memory for him, and then her life could go on as it had before he ever got here.
But he was still frowning at her, searching
“A simple goal, I would think.”
He grimaced. “So okay, I looked each ancient ancestor in the eye and took his measure. And the women, too. And I was impressed.” But he seemed a little impatient. “What else do you want from me?”
She drew a deep breath in slowly, wondering how to put this. She had no idea how he was going to take it. For all she knew, he might storm off and never speak to her again. Finally, she just blurted it out.
“Okay, Max. Here’s the deal.” She steeled herself. “Pellea wants me to teach you how to act like a prince.”
CHAPTER FIVE
MAX stared at her and for a moment, Kayla thought he hadn’t understood. But a faint smile quirked at the corners of his mouth and he repeated slowly, “Pellea wants you to teach me how to act like a prince?”
She nodded, waiting.
He gave her a look as though this was about as kooky as he’d thought things could get. “Really?” he said with a twist to his smile. “Who taught you?”
That was a good question and keyed right in to her deepest fears about this assignment. But she wasn’t going to let him know that. She hadn’t asked for this. In fact, she wished it hadn’t occurred to Pellea at all. But it had, and here they were, stuck with a project to do.
“I’m very observant,” she said cheekily. “Don’t worry. I won’t steer you wrong.”
He grinned, watching her with a slightly lascivious expression. “I’m not worried at all. I have every intention of becoming teacher’s pet in a major way.”
She pretended to frown. “Don’t count on that, mister. I’m a tough grader. You’re going to have to earn your graduation papers.”
“It’s a deal.” He pretended to look at his watch. “You’ve got two weeks to make me into royalty. Better get moving.”
She wasn’t crazy about the way he set it up like an adversarial position, but she’d known from the start that she would have to work fast. He didn’t have to remind her. His attention span wouldn’t last long. And he proved it by jumping to a new topic in seconds.
A man had walked by holding a baby, and they both looked up as the baby made a cooing sound. She met Max’s wide eyes and they both smiled.
“Hey, when do I get to meet little … Teddy, did you say his name was?” he asked.
She felt a surge of unpleasant adrenaline.
“Yes, uh … Teddy.”
He looked at her curiously. “Is he here at the castle with you?”
“He stays with my sister during the day. I’ll … uh … make sure you get to meet him soon.”
“Good.” He frowned and she knew he was wondering why she was so hesitant. “I’ll bet he looks just like Eddie.”
Color filled her cheeks. She tried to force it back but it just kept coming. Had he noticed? Did he see how uncomfortable she was with this?
“He’s a little young to look like anyone right now,” she said breathlessly.
But he didn’t seem to notice her reaction. He was looking into the past, his brows pulled together, and thinking of how it had once been. “Thank God you had his baby,” he said softly, reaching out to touch her cheek. “Thank God there’s a piece of him left in the world.”
Her mind was racing. She had to think of something. Hopefully, he would forget about Teddy once he was thoroughly invested in taking on the royal mantle. That had to be her goal: to convince him that becoming a prince was something he wanted to do, that it would engage his mind and spirit like nothing else he’d ever done. Once he opened himself to it fully, he would be so busy, so connected with what was going on here in the castle, that he would forget about her and her son. They would just fade into a pleasant memory for him, and then her life could go on as it had before he ever got here.
But he was still frowning at her, searching
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