Mistress to the Prince (24 page)

Tara
did as she was instructed and the view from on top of the horse was great.  It wasn’t like being on a skyscraper but it was nice to be this high up while the horse moved along the stable fences, heading
toward
the unknown. 

Within moments, they were cantering down the pathway away from the palace and into the woods.  The silence of the woods hit her suddenly.  All she could hear was the horse’s hooves as he walked quickly down the path.  Then the asphalt gave way to just a dirt pathway and the muted steps of the horse allowed her to hear the birds singing and smaller creatures scuttling away as they heard the slight noise. 

Eventually, she relaxed and let her body move with the horse’s walking and she started to enjoy the soft sway of the horse as it picked its way through the trees. 

After fifteen minutes, Max leaned down to her ear.  “I told you you’d like it,” he said. 

Tara
ignored him and held onto the saddle horn but she really did like the ride.  It was different on top of a horse than it was walking.  The ride was actually relaxing. 

They rode for about a half hour before Max turned the horse around and they sped up on the ride back.  Once they were back in the stables, he helped her to the ground.  “That was wonderful,” she said shyly. 

Max leaned down and kissed her gently.  “I’m glad you enjoyed it.
  Maybe next time I order you to try something new you’ll just follow my instructions blindly,
”
he teased.

“Fat chance,” she mumbled, only to receive a smack on her bottom. 
Tara
chuckled but moved away from his long reach. 

He showed her how to rub down and then brush the horse’s shining coat, then she fed Z
e
us
a bucket full of oats
, visited with Lady one more time, then they headed back to the palace, holding hands and just listening to the birds sing.

If she’d ever imagined a day with Max, she never would have considered it to be a relaxing period.  He was just too high energy in the office, too commanding and demanding of his staff and the other government officials who worked through
out
the palace. 

But the reality of Max was different than she assumed. 
The afternoon
turned out to be
a lazy day. 
After their ride through the woods,
Tara
wanted to head home but he insisted that she watch a movie with him, then they shared lunch in his suite.  After lunch, he took her in his arms and carried her back to his bedroom where they made love all afternoon, listening to a thunderstorm that had moved into the area. 

After dinner on the terrace Sunday night, Tara had insisted on going back to her house to sleep.  Max argued, telling her that he would have someone go to her house and pick up clothes for her so she could spend the night with him but Tara was horrified at that idea. 
First of all, she explained to him, she didn’t want someone going through her clothes.  It seemed too invasive. 

The second part she didn’t explain to him but it came down to needing to keep her relationship with him a secret for as long as possible. 
She didn’t want anyone to know that she was having an affair with Max so she left him, heading back to her house.  But she didn’t sleep well
that night
.  She kept wondering what it would be like to wake up every morning in Max’s arms, knowing he was hers and hers alone.  Around
two o’clock
in the morning, she punched her pillow and told herself to forget those silly kinds of dreams.  Max was the crown prince and would never be able to settle down with a commoner for his queen. 
And
Tara
would never be satisfied being his mistress for the rest of her life while someone else played the official wifely role.  She kept coming back to the idea that
she’d just have to accept whatever Max was willing to offer her when it came to their relationship.  When it was over, she’d have to walk away with her head held high and with the fond memories their time together would give her. 

Thankfully,
Monday went by quickly with
meetings back to back. 
Tara
barely saw Max all day since he was conferring with various people and the King. She reviewed contracts and budgets, making sure that the costs hitting the various projects were accurate and approving several invoices for payment.  By
six o’clock
, she was staring at her computer and could barely read the words anymore.  She had worked hard with the hope of seeing Max that night and wanted to get as much cleared off her desk as possible.  She should feel exhausted, but she actually felt rejuvenated. 

When Max walked in five minutes later, she tried to avoid eye contact with him.  But he was having none of that. He reached around her and shut down her computer, then grabbed her hand and led her down the hallway.  He didn’t say a word to her until they reached his suite of rooms, then he pulled her inside the doorway, barely closing the door behind them before taking her into his arms.

“I’ve wanted to do this all day,” he said, kissing her neck and then taking her breath away with a passionate kiss. 

“Me too,” she said, gasping as she felt his warm hands on her bare skin. 

“You drive me crazy in these business suits,” he laughed, unbuttoning her jacket and tossing it over a chair.  He then bent down and tossed her over his shoulder.

Tara
laughed, holding onto his back for bal
ance as her hair fell out of it
s pins and covered her face.  “Max!  What are you doing?” she said between gasps of breath
and laughter
.

“I’m feeling like a caveman,” he growled, tossing her onto his large bed.  “I hope you aren’t hungry
yet
because you’re going to have to wait a while before I feed you,” and he unbuttoned her shirt to reveal her sexy bra underneath, his eyes lighting up when he realized what she’d been wearing all day.  “Do you always wear these little nothings under your suits?” he asked, his voice husky
and his finger traced the edge of the fabric sensuously
.  The lace of her bra barely covered her nipples that were already taught, the edges peeking over the tops.

Tara
couldn’t think very well when he was
touching her and
staring at her in that way.  “No,” she said, her breath coming in gasps.  “Only when I’m hoping you’ll do this after work,” she explained, reaching for his shirt to undo the buttons.
  “I will be from now on though.”

Max groaned and helped her with his shirt, tearing off the fabric when the butt
ons became too difficult for her
unsteady
hands.  They made love passionately that night, neither one wanting to hold back as they explored each other’s bodies, reveling in the sensations that were
becoming
familiar, yet still different each time they touched. 

When their sexual appetites were finally appeased, Max called the kitchens and had some food sent over.  There was delicious fish and steamed asparagus and they ate curled up on the couch, each of them telling the other about their day since they hadn’t seen each other for most of it. 
Max growled his frustration when she told him she’d have to leave that night.  No amount of arguments would stop her though.  Finally, around
midnight
, he walked her to her car, kissing her with all the lingering passion, showing her what she would be missing by going home instead of staying here with him through the night. 

The rest of the week was much the same.  By Thursday,
Tara
surprised Max by arriving with a change of clothes stored in her trunk.  Wednesday, she’d been too exhausted to drive home but insisted that she not spend the night with him.  He’d relented only when she agreed to let him drive her home in the limousine.  It was already
midnight
and he didn’t want her driving home at that time of night
when she was so obviously exhausted
. 
She told him that it was his fault since she’d been spending her evenings here with him and still getting up early to get to the office.  She was afraid that any perceived slacking off would be misinterpreted by the others who worked in the office with them. 

The weekend was just as relaxing and spectacular as the previous weekend.  Max escorted her to a charity ball helping to raise funds for a new museum on Saturday night and Sunday was spent at a brunch with the family since his sister Ana was in town with her children. 
Tara
got to see Max play with his nieces and nephews and was amazed at how relaxed he seemed around the small children. 

Monday was a harsh surprise for her but she tried to get back into the previous week’s pattern.  She didn’t want to spend every night with Max. 
Tara
didn’t want to become addicted to something she knew she wouldn’t be allowed to have for the rest of her life.
When she told him she was going home after work on Tuesday night, no amount of arguing with her would convince her to stay.  She just shoved more work into her bag and ignored his arguments.  In the end, he gave in because she looked exhausted and knew he would keep her up until
midnight
again if she stayed.  But he refused to let her bring a bag of work home with her.  He said if she was going home, she needed to catch up on her sleep and prepare herself for the following night when he wouldn’t take no for an answer. 

Wednesday,
Tara
answered the phone in her usual professional way
, still preoccupied with a project that had to be reviewed before an afternoon meeting.  She was surprised to hear the gracious voice at the other end of the phone
.
  It was Max’s mother.  Not her secretary but the woman herself calling.
  “
Tara
, how are you lately?”

Tara
was flustered to have received a call from the queen personally. 
For a moment, she almost stood up to curtsy but then remembered that the queen wouldn’t be able to see her.  It would definitely look silly to anyone passing through the office. 
“I’m fine, Y
our
M
ajesty.  How can I help you?’ she said,
taking her pen and prepared to take notes on whatever the queen might ask of her now. 

The queen didn’t beat around the bush but came right to the point. 
“I need two things.  First, I was hoping to have lunch with you again.  Would you be
available on Friday?” she aske
d
.

Tara
didn’t even refer to her calendar.  “Of course, your majesty.  What time?” she said, knowing she would cancel anything that might be already scheduled. 

“How about
noon
?
 
Will that work for you?” she ask
ed.

“Perfectly,”
Tara
responded instantly.  “What was the other item?”

“Please ask Max to come see me at his earliest opportunity,” Queen Natasha said into the phone. 
“I would ask him myself but I haven’t been able to catch him lately.  He’s been rather busy lately.  You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

Tara
thought she heard a teasing note to the queen’s voice but dismissed the possibility.  The queen didn’t seem like the type to be teasing, especially to her son’s secretary. 
“Absolutely
,
Your Highness
.  I’ll have him contact you immediately.  I know he has been tied up in many meetings lately but I’ll be happy to set up a meeting with him if you’d prefer
,” she said.  “Anything else?
”

“
A meeting isn’t necessary. I was just hoping…well, I was just being silly,” she said
airily
.  “
No
thing else at the moment
, that will be all.  I look forward to Friday, dear,” she said and rung off.

Max strolled into the office at that moment.  “What’s going on?” he asked, noting the strained look on her face.

Her hands were shaking as she hung up the phone and looked into his handsome, concerned eyes. 
“Your mother wants you to call her immediately,” she said, not able to keep the sadness out of her voice.