17. Alyx
Chapter 17
Alyx
H an Takahashi was an absolute gentleman, but he definitely wasn’t comfortable with dancing. Alyx held herself loosely in his arms as they waltzed around the floor. The private party took place in the executive suites of the Takahashi building. Over his shoulder she caught sight of Daniel and smiled. He grinned, leaning against the bar, surrounded by the company’s executives, and his gaze never left hers.
“Thank you for the dance, Your Highness.” Takahashi’s words jerked her attention back, which was probably a good thing. She and Daniel had barely come up for air since returning from Napa. He’d canceled appointments, preferring to stay in bed. She’d discovered that he could debug his programs naked—an issue apparently when she completely distracted him.
They were like a pair of randy teenagers, barely able to keep their hands off each other. The balloon of lust floated them higher and higher.
But tonight’s dinner party was unavoidable. The CEO of the Takahashi Corporation flew all the way to Los Angeles just to meet with Daniel and to thank him personally for Spherecast’s assistance in recovering so many of their files. Those meetings meant she’d barely seen Daniel all day, but she could feel his gaze sliding over her with every turn around the dance floor—caressing her skin, teasing her senses.
The music ended and Takahashi released her. He offered her the most formal of bows and she returned it, perfectly. Thank you, Victor, for that lesson.
A hand glided up her spine as the music began again. Daniel smiled at the CEO. “If you will allow me a few moments, Mr. Takahashi, I’ll join you and your board for drinks after.”
“Of course.” Takahashi bowed again and Daniel tugged her into his arms. She fit against him, and the room’s occupants faded as they danced.
“He really likes you.” She smiled up at him.
“Oh? The man is hard to read.”
“Maybe.” She followed him on the slow circuit of the floor, drifting with him and teasing herself with a desire that had hours to go before they could fulfill it. “But unlike everyone else I danced with tonight, all he wanted to discuss was his admiration for your work.”
“Really? That was kind of him. All anyone else wants to talk about is how beautiful you are.” The compliment wrapped her up in an embrace that almost matched the warmth surrounding her from his arms.
“I find that hard to believe. These men look so serious.” She teased, but it wasn’t a joke, exactly. Most of the men in attendance at the party wore smart suits, buttoned down and engaged in earnest discussions. The subjects included everything from financial recovery to advertising methods to penetrate a dense market and of course, the challenges that arose in the wake of the natural disaster that nearly cost them their corporate data.
Despite Daniel’s assertion, his name came up in every conversation—his name and the reliability of Spherecast to develop the right software for the right problem. He was the star tonight and she couldn’t be prouder.
“Want to know a secret?” His lips brushed her ear.
“Is that a trick question?” One song dovetailed into the next and despite his assurance to his host, he seemed to have no intention of leaving her yet.
“Martin told me Takahashi approached him with an exclusive offer to use only Spherecast software. It’ll take about a year to transition all their systems, rewrite some code and get it working, but he is interested.”
“Daniel, that’s amazing.” She cupped his face in her hands, her heart swelled for him. She hadn’t missed the hours he’d poured into this project. Despite all the programmers and developers working for him, he’d dedicated dozens of long nights to perfecting the program.
“It’s pretty awesome.” He grinned again, twirling her a little faster than the music called for. “I’ll have to go to Tokyo in a couple of months. Do you like sushi?”
Martin appeared at their elbows and she swallowed her answer. “Sorry to interrupt you lovebirds, but Takahashi would like to sit down with you now, Daniel.”
The nervous flutters in her stomach beat a rhythm and she squeezed his arms. “You can do this.” She didn’t know why she felt the urge to encourage him, but his quick inhalation and the taut flex of his throat suggested he was a lot more nervous than he let on. He stilled, gazing into her eyes, and his expression relaxed, a smile warming his lips before he brushed her mouth with a whisper of a kiss.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be here when you get back.” A promise.
“You better be.” He squeezed her hand and then he was gone, striding across the room, every inch the confident sun god who blew into her life and turned it upside down. Pride shimmered through her as she watched him greet the executives and they trickled out to a private conference room. He took Martin with him—she trusted the lawyer to look after him. Jittery with nerves, she accepted a glass of wine from the waitress and murmured a thank-you. Sipping the alcohol, she drifted across the room to the great paned windows that looked out over the glittering jewel of Los Angeles’s nightscape.
It was easy to forget that beneath the smog and glamour pulsed a very real city. Standing inside the tower, she could see all the way to the ocean. It was a rare, clear view, the Santa Ana winds having pushed all the tendrils of haze away, leaving the night gleaming with spotlights, strobes and towers that reached up like fingers to stroke the stars.
“Your Highness? Please pardon the intrusion.”
No matter how much she practiced with Victor, it was always a jolt when someone else said it. She glanced up at the reflection in the glass behind her. She didn’t recognize the gentleman, so she turned, a polite smile on her face. “Please, call me Alyx or Miss Dagmar. It’s a little less of a mouthful than Your Highness.” And so much easier to respond to, but she avoided adding the caveat.
“Miss Dagmar. My name is Richard Prentiss.” He withdrew a card and handed it to her. She glanced down at the heavily embossed cardstock. The symbol in the corner was an elegant crest—one she recognized.
It represented her family.
She studied him. He didn’t resemble any of the photos she’d memorized nor did his features suggest a personal relationship with her. “Mr. Prentiss, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Extending her hand, she wasn’t surprised when he bowed over it and brushed a kiss lightly to the air over one knuckle. It was a kind, respectful greeting.
“And a rare pleasure to make yours. I understand that you are attending this function to support your fiancé, Mr. Voldakov.”
She didn’t have to manufacture the soft smile curving her lips. “Yes, he’s done some wonderful work for the Takahashi Corporation and they are showing him a rare honor with this party. I would introduce you, but…” She motioned to the conference room Daniel vanished into.
“I would enjoy such an introduction but I am actually here for two reasons and I hope you’ll forgive the minor subterfuge.”
Sipping the wine, she resisted the urge to rub her suddenly damp palms against her dress. What subterfuge? The vellum card weighed heavily in her hand. Instead, she focused on breathing, calm, and canting her head to suggest a hint of patient curiosity. Hours of drills with Victor paid off in that moment. “And what subterfuge would that be, Mr. Prentiss?”
The man had the good grace to flush, a hint of red staining his ears. “To inquire whether you would accept an invitation from your cousin, His Highness, the Grand Duke Armand.”
My cousin.
A second jolt in as many minutes and her confidence wavered. The grand duke divided his time between his native Norway and France most of the year. The newspapers referred to him as a playboy, often featuring photographs of the prince with a host of women at various functions throughout Europe.
“Because an invitation cannot be extended if I will not accept.” It was a statement, not a question. Protocol demanded that no one could turn down the royal family, whether they were a displaced one or not. It was how the royals played. Kind of weird, but then who wanted to be rejected?
“Precisely, Your Highness, and I apologize for putting you on the spot. His Highness recognizes that you may be reluctant to see him and asked that I extend to you his deepest desire to make your acquaintance. If you could see it in your heart to accept his invitation, he would like a chance to speak with you in person.” There was a subtext to his words, a suggestion that the grand duke wanted to do more than just talk to her . The jittery butterflies in her stomach flapped harder. This was exactly the type of invitation Daniel wanted, the reason he’d approached her. Access to the grand duke and his European connections could help him launch Spherecast’s influence in the EU.
So why did she hesitate?
“I’m not entirely sure what my schedule is.” That seemed the safest answer and her heart beat against her ribs so hard, she was certain he could hear it. “But if you would let me pass this card to my assistant, I can have him get in touch with you.” She tucked the card into her clutch, careful to make sure it slid inside before she snapped the little purse closed.
“Absolutely.” Prentiss’s expression relaxed and he smiled. “Which brings us to the second reason for my approach.”
The reminder that he had two reasons ramped her already emotionally unsettled state closer to full-blown panic. She took another sip of the wine and prayed the alcohol would relax the jangling of her nerves. Amazingly, her voice didn’t betray a quaver. “I am filled with curiosity.”
Prentiss actually grinned at that, some of the stiffness leaving his shoulders. Dark haired and dark eyed, he cut a striking image in his equally dark suit, but she cataloged his looks more from a clinical standpoint.
His darkness couldn’t compete with the sunshine in Daniel.
“To give you a gift. Your birthday is approaching and whether you accept the invitation or not, the grand duke wanted you to have this.”
He held out a small box, wrapped in a simple gold foil. She had to set her wineglass down and slipped her clutch purse’s strap over her shoulder to take the box. Eagerness flared inside, pushing away the anxiety. “I’m surprised he would send such a gift, considering we have never met.” Maybe it wasn’t politically correct to say such a thing, but the sentiment remained genuine.
“He has many years to make up for and while this simple gift cannot possibly repair such a history of oversight, he hopes that you will wear it with the pride you should. His words, exactly, Highness.” Prentiss gave her another kind look and party or not, she slid one manicured nail through the tape and revealed a velvet jewelry box. She wasn’t really sure of the protocol of such a thing but she wanted to know. She glanced at him before lifting the lid. Inside nestled a lovely cameo on a silver strand. But instead of a profile, it was her family crest set against a background of royal blue.
The breath caught in her throat and tears swam across her vision. “How can he accept me? Just like that?” She forgot about the rules, the manners and the control she’d worked to perfect.
“You are the image of your great-grandmother, Your Highness. If you’ll look beneath the necklace, he included a small photo of her. He has no doubts that you are indeed the grand duchess and he is most eager to welcome you to the family.”
The tears prickling her eyes threatened to spill. She chewed at her bottom lip and blinked at him. Prentiss shifted with just the barest hint of discomfort. Daniel appeared in her periphery, an arm snaking around her waist.
“Are you all right?” He murmured the words to her, but set a hard look on the attorney.
She gave a watery little laugh and nodded, holding the necklace over to show him. “Daniel, this is Richard Prentiss, he’s—I’m not sure if you work for him or are just associated with the grand duke?” She glanced back to Prentiss.
“I’m a personal friend. Armand and I went to university together.” He extended a hand to Daniel, who accepted it only briefly, but continued to stare at him until Prentiss cleared his throat and retreated a step. “If you will excuse me, Your Highness, Mr. Voldakov. I will await your assistant’s call.”
“Yes.” She tried to clear her throat, embarrassed at the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. “Thank you and please—please—pass my thanks on to the grand duke as well.” She made a second attempt to get around the lump in her throat, but too much clogged it. The tenderness from Daniel cuddling her side, the weight of the family necklace in her hands and the encouragement of a man she’d never met who accepted her as a member of his family.
Her head spun from all of it.
Prentiss excused himself and Daniel circled around to block her from the rest of the room. He held out a handkerchief and she dabbed at her eyes again, trying to quell the unfamiliar tears.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He frowned.
“I’m fine. Really—I think I’m more than fine. I wasn’t—I wasn’t expecting anyone to approach me tonight, you know, not from him. He’s my cousin—third cousin once removed or something like that. I’ve lost track of how all that works. But he wants to meet me and more than that—” she held up the necklace, tears threatening again, “—whether I want to see him or not, he sent this as a token to acknowledge me as a member of the family and for my birthday.”
“Your birthday…” Daniel exhaled and she saw his pained look. He’d not realized. “When is it?”
“Oh, that’s not important. I don’t know why this is getting to me so much.” She really didn’t. Why should a stranger’s approval touch her so deeply?
Her thumb traced the crest. Before three months ago, before Daniel, she’d never heard of the Andraste royal line, much less imagined herself a part of it. She was a waitress working her ass off between auditions, an actress desperate to make her mark and break out of the fifty-dollar-a-day extra jobs.
Now she was the Grand Duchess Alyxandretta and none of Victor’s lessons could prepare her for the weight of that responsibility.
“Well, I beg to differ. It is important.” Daniel closed his hand over hers on the necklace. “In the meantime, contracts have been proposed and it’s up to Martin to hammer it all out. Want to run away with me for a while?”
She sniffled and grinned. “Running away to Beverly Hills isn’t exactly running away.”
“No—but I was thinking a little further. Ever been to Big Bear?”
Having repaired most of the tear damage, she shook her head slowly. “No.”
“Me either. Wanna go?” His eagerness must have been contagious, because she no sooner nodded than he threaded her arm through his and they cruised through the room. Quick pleasantries, glad handing a few executives and they were at the door, claiming her wrap.
As she stepped into the elevator, she caught sight of Prentiss’s gentle smile and he lifted his wineglass in quiet salute. She inclined her head and let out a squeaky breath as the doors whooshed closed.
As if by mutual consent, Daniel caught her face in his hands and his lips slanted over hers, a hot salty kiss that smashed through the wobbly barriers, already raw from the grand duke’s invitation and Daniel’s success. She clung to him, arms twining around his shoulders. A clatter of noise pushed between them as the doors opened and a couple of photographers snapped their photos. The flashes dazzled her eyes. Daniel lifted his head with a mild oath and tucked her into his side.
Building security appeared and escorted the photographers away, but more waited in front of the building. The flashes cut through the dark evening and she hid her face against Daniel’s shoulder as he guided them through the throng and to the open door of the limo. The driver closed them in and hurried around to pull away.
“Holy crap.” She glanced back at the crowd on the sidewalk.
“Yeah, I know. But let’s forget them.” Daniel grinned and tugged her to him. She met his lips with a sigh and dropped the necklace box onto the seat. He palmed the privacy control and the window to the driver slid shut. When his hands shaped over her breasts, she let out a little moan.
“In the car?” Breathless laughter rose up. She was still seeing stars from the flashes.
“Oh, yeah. In the car. On the car.” A zipper on the side of her dress gave way and he hiked her skirt up. Dampness flooded between her legs and she could feel the weight of his erection pressing up to her as he tugged her onto his lap. “Right here. Right now.”
“But the driver—” This was insane. They’d just been in the middle of a formal party and the grand duke sent someone to approach her. Everything about that event had been foreign to her just weeks earlier.
He cut her off with another tongue-thrusting kiss. She forgot about the necklace, the photographers and the driver. It took a little juggling to get his pants open and she teased his cock as she helped him into a condom. There was something so lovely about the silken heat of his skin as she rolled the condom into place.
Once it was fitted to him, he closed his hand over hers and she rose a little higher so they could line his cock up. There was a little jolt and she bumped her head against the roof before she could sink down. Still laughing, she made a face at Daniel and then he was inside of her, stretching her perfectly.
“The driver,” she gasped out in between kisses. “Is he going to know?”
“Who cares?” He palmed her breast as he thrust upward. Pleasure licked lazy flames through her as she braced her hands against his shoulders. “He’s paid by the hour. He can drive us around all night.”
That pulled another laugh from her. “Pretty sure Victor would frown at the etiquette.” His next thrust upward pushed the air from her lungs.
“Do you want me to stop?” The question whispered against her lips sent a cascade of feeling through her.
“Absolutely not,” she said, her tone probably sharper than it needed to be. Then again, she also fisted his hair as she rolled her hips, taking her cue for the rhythm from him.
“Thank God,” he muttered.
“Daniel…” But his kiss swallowed the rest of her words.
I love you.