Mistress to the Prince (25 page)

Max was instantly alert that something was wrong. 
Tara
’s face looked white and her eyes were troubled. 
“What’s the problem?” he asked, apparently unconcerned with the idea of his mother wanting to talk to him urgently.
“Did she say something to hurt your feelings?  What did she want?”

“I don’t know but I’m guessing it isn’t good,” she said and almost fell into her seat.
Tara
handed him the file that contained the notes for his next meeting, neatly typed up and organized the way he liked it. 

“My mother only does good things.  Don’t worry about her phone call.”

“She asked me why she hadn’t seen you lately.”

Max had started reading the file she’d handed him but at her comment, he looked back up at her, his eyes narrowing.  “I think you should come into my office,” he said and walked away, knowing she would instantly follow him.

Tara
picked up her notebook and followed him, sitting down in the chair on the opposite side of his desk.  Max frowned and closed the door before walking back to stand in front of her.  “Okay, tell me what’s going on inside that pretty brain of yours,” he said, pulling her up so she was standing between his legs.  His hands held onto her waist and
he looked into her eyes, patiently waiting for her to explain her apprehension.

“Max, it really isn’t anything.  Shouldn’t you call your mother?”

“Later.  I’m more concerned with why you are upset.”

Tara
took a deep breath.  “I’m not upset,” she replied, pasting a bright smile on her face.

Max didn’t smile back.  “You’re lying to me.  Why?”

Tara
dropped the pretense.  Taking another deep breath, she looked out the window behind him.  “I know what you’re mother wants to talk to me about and I’m not looking forward to the conversation.”

Max didn’t answer for a moment. 
He knew exactly what his mother was hoping to discuss.  She was desperate to find out if Max had proposed already.  Unfortunately,
Tara
didn’t look too thrilled at the idea. 
“I think I understand as well.  Why would it bother you so much?” he asked.

Tara
shrugged.  “I just don’t want it to happen yet.  I know it is inevitable, but I was hoping to last longer than the others,” she said and a tear slipped out of her eye.  She wiped it away quickly. 

That definitely wasn’t the answer he’d been bracing for.  He had started to think she wasn’t as emotionally involved as he’d suspected.  Had he been mis
-
communicating his intentions all along and she was just now trying to figure out how to get out of t
h
eir relationship.  Things just weren’t making sense. 
Max shook his head.  “I think we’re talking about two different things,” he said.  “Maybe you should explain exactly what you think my mother wants to discuss with you.”

Tara
stepped back, grateful that he released her.  “She’s going to talk to me about your duties as the crown prince,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“And?”

Tara
shook her head.  “Max, you have obligations.  And I’m getting in the way.
  I know your parents want you to get married and have children.  It is your duty to produce the next king of Cordova.  I’m definitely not helping the situation, am I?
”

Max chuckled.  “On the contrary.  I think you’re exactly what my obligations need.”

Tara
turned her back on him so he couldn’t see the tears that threatened to overwhelm her.  “Max, we should stop this,” she said.  ‘

The laughter instantly died.  He didn’t like the sound of that statement. 
“Stop what?”

Tara
crossed her arms over her chest as if that would protect her from the pain she was about to endure when they broke things off.  Taking a deep breath, she answered his question. 
“Sneaking around.  There’s bound to be speculation sooner or later.  And that might be embarrassing for you and your family.”

The phone rang and someone knocked on Max’s door at the same time.  He sighed deeply as he stood up.  “Let’s continue this conversation tonight, okay?  I’ve had something I need to talk to you about and I’m hoping you’ll keep an open mind about things.  Will you at least promise me that?” he asked, looking deeply into her eyes.

Tara
watched him for a long moment, ignoring the person outside his office and the phone ringing again.  “Yes,” she said, wishing she didn’t already have suspicions on what he was going to ask her.

Tara
walked back to her desk and sat down.  It was over.  She knew it.  Tonight he’d ask her if they could remain friends.  The office seemed to pick up pace that afternoon
for
which she was grateful.  It helped keep
her mind off her almost-
over relationship with Max. 

Late that afternoon, Max was summoned by his father.  The message was phrased in the-don’t-try-and-get-out-of-it way his father had whenever he was trying to get some information. 
Max
walked down the hallway to his father’s office
, feeling frustration that he couldn’t pull
Tara
aside and formalize his proposal.  And why was she so worried about his mother’s phone call?  Her words of explanation just didn’t make sense in his mind. 

As soon as he stepped into his father’s domain, h
e was instantly
wave
d into the inner office. 

King Stephan looked at his son striding across the wide office
and stood up
.  “Max, what’s going on with your assistant?” he asked without preamble.  “And don’t sugar coat it, boy.  I want the truth.”

“I want to marry her,” Max said, sitting down across from his father.

“Good!” the king said instantly.  “About time!” he grumbled.  “Glad you’re admitting your feelings.  I was starting to wonder if you actually knew what was going on.
  Some people tend to be obtuse about the subject.  You’re not an idiot, thankfully.
”

Max laughed at his father’s indignant expression.  “Were you hoping to have to order me to marry
Tara
?”

King Stephan smiled ruefully.  “Perhaps.  If you were going to be
slow
about it.  I’ve never heard of you acting like this with a woman so naturally, I was assuming…”
  The king sort of
wave
d his hands in the air as if that ended the statement and added all the necessary explanations as well. 

He didn’t have to finish
since Max understood what his father was saying, and not saying
.  “Don’t worry, father.  I’m more than ready to settle down with her.”

The king nodded his head and his mouth relaxed into a smile. 
“Well, that’s the good news.  The bad news is that you need to get security on her and her family immediately.”

Max lea
ned forward.  “What’s going on?” He was instantly alert and worried.  Just the thought of something happening to
Tara
made his blood run cold.  He also knew how close she was to her mother so nothing could hurt her as
well since it would in turn hurt
Tara. 

“Nothing at the moment
,” the king reassured his son
. 
“
But I’d like to keep it that way.  There are rumors going around and the press is starting to speculate on what is going on.  They don’t have her name but know you’ve spent the past few weeks with her.
  You know eventually they’ll figure out something and
will report on it, even if it’
s their silly speculations.
”

“I haven’t seen anything in the papers,” Max countered, concerned with
Tara
’s family and her safety. 

“
Like I said, there
are
only suspicions that you’re seeing someone
new.  They don’t know that it’
s serious. 
Not yet.  But Sam’s seen increased traffic from his sources.  They know something is up.
  And they won’t stop digging until they figure it out.  You’ve been out of circulation completely for several weeks now.  It is only whetting their appetites, being denied pictures of you around another society chit.
”

Max stood up and walked around the room, feeling like a caged animal.  “She’ll have to move into the palace immediately,” he said.

The king nodded in complete agreement. 
“I know.  I was hoping you’d realize that.”

Max ran his hands through his hair.  He’d had enough trouble just getting her to spend the night with him.  She loved her independence and he hated having to ask her to give it up. But he wasn’t going to let her go. 
“She won’t like it.”
  He’ll just have to show her that there are things that would compensate her for her loss of freedom and anonymity. 

“Why not?”
the king asked, not understanding why anyone wouldn’t want to live inside the palace.  After all, his son was there, he thought from a parent’s biased opinion.  Why would anyone turn down him?

Max smiled ruefully. 
“Because she thinks she’s not queen material.”

“Nonsense.  She’s beautiful and intelligent from what my sources say.  I’ve met the girl and instantly liked her although I spent less than thirty seconds with her,” he said ruefully.  “Your mother didn’t like me intruding.”

Max smiled.  “Mother does rule the family with an iron fist, doesn’t she?”
  He considered other aspects of the situation.  “She will balk, father,” he said tightly. 

King Stephan watched his son wrestle with the issue.  “So change her mind,” he said simply. 

Max thought about it for another long moment.  When he turned to face his father, he wore a determined expression.  “I will,” he said.

King Stephen smiled broadly.  “Good.”
  Without a pause, he asked, “When will I get my next grandchild?”

Max laughed at his father’s stern expression.  “Soon, I hope,” he said and left his father’s office to head back to his own. 

It was almost
seven o’clock
when Max walked out of his office and leaned against the wall, watching
Tara
type something on the computer.  She looked tired, he thought. 

“Are you almost ready to stop?” he asked
gently
.

Tara
looked up, her eyes turning sad when she took in his casual stance. 

“Yes,” she said and quickly shut down her computer. 
She felt like she was heading for a death sentence she knew. 

Pulling her purse over her shoulder, she followed him down the hallway, her car keys in her hand in preparation for leaving for the night right after he told her they had to end their short affair.

Max led her to his suite of rooms and closed the door behind them.  “I’ll be right back,” he said and went into his room for something.  Coming out, he had his jacket and tie off and he was carrying something in his right hand.

“
What are you doing?” sh
e asked
, worried about their earlier conversation. 

“Come over here,” he said and took her hand to pull her
toward
the sofa.

Tara
pulled back and tried
to free her hand.  “Max, why don’t you just say what you need to say and I’ll be out of your hair.  There’s no need for an elaborate discussion.”

Max was confused for a long moment but then her words hit him and he understood.  “Why in the world would you think I want you out of my hair?” he asked, walking up to her and putting his hands on her waist.  He bent down to gently kiss her lips before lifting his head again.  “Will you at least listen to what I have to say?”