His Royal Prize (8 page)

“Of course,” Edmond said.

Geoff knew the older man wanted to say more—he could hear it in Edmond’s voice. But to him, Malcolm wasn’t a father. He had a mother and two great sisters. His family was complete without Malcolm.

“If that’s all.”

“For now,” Edmond said and hung up the phone.

Geoff put on his Hugo Boss suit with a dark blue striped shirt and a yellow tie. His handmade Italian loafers fit perfectly and before he walked out the door, he glanced in the mirror, turning around to look at his backside.

He shook his head. Just because Amelia said she liked it.

He put his mobile phone in his pocket. His housekeeper was just coming out of the kitchen as he walked in.

“Good morning, Mr. Devonshire,” Annie said.

“Good morning. I will not be home for dinner tonight,” he said. “Will you alert the chef?” On the
nights when he was home for dinner, Annie made sure he had a hot meal waiting for him.

“Very well, sir. And this weekend?”

“I will be going out of town,” he said. He wanted to take Amelia away from the city. “I need the house in Bath prepared.”

“I will see to it. Do you need meals there?” she asked.

“Just make sure the kitchen is stocked and I will take care of it.”

“You will?”

He arched one eyebrow at her.

“I’m just remembering the smoky mess the last time you ‘took care of it,’” she said.

Annie was cheeky, which was why he liked her. She was his mother’s age but still had a sparkle in her eyes and enjoyed life. “I was planning to grill.”

“Good idea.”

“I’m planning a house party so make sure we have enough food for at least ten,” he said.

He left his home with the feeling that everything was right in his world, despite the warning from Edmond. He knew that at the end of the day no matter how much Edmond and Malcolm wanted him to avoid scandal, the bottom line would determine the winner of the Devonshire will. And he wasn’t going to let anyone give him an ultimatum involving Amelia Munroe. He wanted her, and he sure as hell wasn’t giving her up.

A
melia dressed in the classic Chanel black suit that put Coco on the map and walked out of her apartment building. She’d straightened her black hair into a classic Audrey Hepburn updo and put on a pair of large, round sunglasses.

She’d thought about this outfit long and hard before leaving her apartment, trying to come up with the perfect elegant, low-key ensemble. She breezed past Tommy at the entrance, feeling like a kid who was sneaking out unnoticed when he didn’t even glance twice at her.

At the corner, she hailed a cab to the Everest Air offices. Her iPhone buzzed, letting her know she had a text message.

She loved the iPhone function that made the text messages into a conversation. This message was from Bebe and was typical of her friend.

Bebe: How was last night?

Amelia: Nice. Will tell you later when we have drinks.

Bebe: No way. I want the story behind that kiss. It looked like it was more than nice.

Amelia realized that she had no idea how to describe what was happening between her and Geoff. She really didn’t want to, either. Everything was new and fresh between them and she wanted to keep it to herself for a while.

But the published photo had made that impossible. It was something that she’d never considered before. Living her life in front of the camera had made sense for the young woman she had been, but the woman she was becoming might appreciate some privacy.

Amelia: Can’t chat now. Let’s talk later.

Bebe: Is he with you?

Amelia: Not now. I’m on my way to meet him.

Bebe: TTYL

Amelia resisted typing in text language because she loved words and it made her crazy to see things like
gr8.
She just couldn’t make herself use those abbreviations.

The cabbie pulled up in front of the office and she stepped out of the car. As the cab pulled away, she caught a glimpse of herself in the plate-glass doors of Everest Air offices. She thought she looked very nice today, if she did say so herself. She hoped Geoff would think so, too.

She slung her Coach bag over her shoulder and walked
toward the building. The door opened as she approached and a tall, blond man walked out.

“Hello.”

She smiled at him. “Hi.”

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“I’m here to see Geoff Devonshire.”

“Just my luck. I’m Grant, Geoff’s second-in-command,” he said, holding his hand out to her.

“Amelia Munroe,” she said, taking off her glasses and taking his hand.

“You are even prettier in person than you are in your pictures.”

“I won’t keep you,” she said graciously. He had that look in his eyes—the one that made her suspect he’d seen her YouTube video.

“I’ll show you up to Geoff’s office,” Grant offered.

She couldn’t think of a polite way to decline so she went into the building. The security guard, however, came to her aid.

“I’ll need some ID, please, and to confirm your appointment with Mr. Devonshire.”

“She’s with me, Will,” Grant said to the security guard. “This is Ms. Amelia Munroe.”

“There are no exceptions, Grant. You know that.”

Grant looked at his watch and then smiled at Amelia. “I’ll leave you in Will’s hands. It was very nice to meet you.”

Grant left and Amelia was relieved to see him go. Being the woman that she was, Grant’s reaction was one she was used to. But now that she was trying to keep a low profile for Geoff’s sake, it had made her feel a bit odd to have a man staring at her like that.

“I’m not sure if I’m on his calendar yet. We spoke this morning,” she said to the guard.

“You are in fact expected. But I need to see your ID and verify that he is in before I send you up.”

She nodded and handed him her photo ID, thinking about the conversation she and Geoff were about to have. She had sent a message to Auggie this morning telling him that she was going to explain his absence by saying he was on a research trip to check out some of the newer Munroe Hotels. He had yet to get back to her, but she knew her brother would be more than happy to travel to the latest hotel opening and report back on its success.

She thought that moving him out of the executive offices and into a public role would be the best solution to Auggie’s boredom and the board’s impatience with him.

Now she just had to figure out how to convince them both that the solution she’d come up with would work. But she was confident she could do it, especially if she and Geoff could work out a partnership deal. The board would be ecstatic at the thought of a joint venture with an Everest company. It was a win-win situation.

“Here you go, Ms. Munroe,” Will said, handing back her ID. She tucked it into her wallet while he called Geoff’s office. And it was then that she realized she didn’t know his numbers—any of them. He knew her address, but that was it.

She’d spent the night with him and she had no idea where he lived or how to get in touch with him. And that was a very weird feeling.

How was she going to ask for his number without appearing clingy?

This was uncharted territory for her and she had absolutely no idea how to react. What was it she was supposed to do?

“You are cleared to go up, Ms. Munroe,” Will said. He pushed a button under his desk and the glass door leading into the elevator area buzzed. She walked over to it and opened it.

She went to the elevator, reminding herself that Geoff had suggested this. He wanted to see her. She knew he’d be thrilled that she wanted to pursue the partnership. She just had to relax and enjoy being with him. But in the back of her mind was that fear—that it wouldn’t last.

Geoff looked up as Amelia entered his office, stunned by the sight of her in classic clothes. She took his breath away. Maybe it was the fact that he now knew the body underneath the suit. Or maybe it was just that he now knew her better than he had before.

God, he was starting to sound like a sap. What was his problem? She was still just a woman. One who could set him on fire just by entering a room, but still, she was just a woman. A woman who was here to conduct business.

He stood up to greet her. When his secretary left, he was tempted to pull Amelia into his arms and kiss her. But he resisted. He had to start controlling his impulses around her.

“You look lovely,” he said. “This isn’t your normal type of outfit, is it?”

“No, it isn’t. I decided to try this out because we are doing business together and…the paparazzi aren’t used to seeing me this way. I walked right past one of them
who is always hanging out at my front door. He didn’t even recognize me.”

“That
is
good,” he said, unable to keep his eyes from roaming over her body. “Please, have a seat. Can I get you a coffee or some water?”

“Water would be great,” she said.

He pulled bottles of Evian from the refrigerator in his credenza and poured them both into highball glasses. Then he leaned back against his desk, not wanting to be too far away from her.

“Have you made a decision?” he asked her.

“I have. I’d like to proceed,” she said, sounding strangely formal and slightly nervous.

“Wonderful. I’ve had a chance to talk to one of my managers about packaging our brands and he thinks it’s a great idea. He’ll be working with us on the project.”

“Who is it?”

“Carson Miller. Why?”

“I met Grant downstairs and he seemed very familiar with me, did you mention the deal to him?” she asked.

Geoff caught a flash of something in her eyes and he wondered if Grant had tried to flirt with her.

“Did he make you uncomfortable?” he asked her.

She shrugged and tipped her head to the side. “Not really, but he was a little too friendly. And I’d rather not work with him.”

“I’ll speak with him,” Geoff said.

She shook her head. “Don’t do that. It was just me being silly.”

“Silly in what way?” he asked.

She put her water glass down and stood up, walking over to his window with a view of Heathrow Airport.
“You made me realize last night that I am more than videos and publicity stunts, and he reminded me that to the rest of the world, I’m not.”

Geoff didn’t know how to respond to that. To him Amelia was always more than a girl in a video. And to most people she met she would always be. Because of the charity work she’d done and just her personality, she projected more than someone in a scandalous video would. But to a certain kind of man she’d never be more than her public persona.

“Amelia, if I talk to him—”

She turned around. “No, you shouldn’t. That would just make matters worse. Tell me about Carson, and what you will need from Munroe Hotels.”

He walked around behind his desk and sat down. “Give me your e-mail address and I’ll forward the information to you.”

“It’s [email protected],” she said. “I realized earlier I don’t have any of your numbers.”

“Nor I yours,” he said, pulling out his iPhone and smiling at her. “Why don’t you give them to me now?”

A second later they’d exchanged information. “Are you available this weekend?”

“For?”

“A trip to Bath. I have a house there and I thought it’d be nice to spend the weekend away from the city together.”

She chewed her lower lip as she mulled over his invitation. “I’d like that.”

“Good. My mother wants to meet you so I thought I’d invite her to dinner on Saturday.”

“Your mother? Geoff, I’m not sure about that,” she said.

Geoff wasn’t a man who was used to hearing the word
no.
And he certainly wasn’t going to let Amelia decline. “I promise, it will not be painful at all. She’s a nice lady and she asked about you specifically.”

“Does she want to talk to me about the photo in
The Sun?
”

Geoff had the feeling he was going to be on trial more than Amelia. His mother had always been very sensitive to the women he dated, always making sure he treated them properly. As if he wouldn’t. He was her son and he certainly understood that women could be badly hurt by a callous man.

“I think she wants to meet you because we are dating.”

Her eyes widened. “Are we dating?”

“I told you I want to let things develop.”

“So that means we are dating in your mind. You should have said something.”

“I just did,” he said, grinning at her.

She shook her head. “You are one bossy man.”

“Is that a problem?” he asked enjoying sparring with her. He could tell she was enjoying herself, too, by the sparkle in her eyes.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

He stood and walked around his desk. “Let me know when you do.”

He put his hands on her narrow waist and drew her closer to him. She tilted her head back, anticipating his kiss.

He toyed with her for a moment before bringing his
mouth down on hers with the pent-up passion of having been in her presence without touching her. He knew that this business deal was going to be complicated because keeping his mind off her and on the bottom line was more difficult than he’d expected.

Amelia felt confused as Geoff kissed her. He had been so cool and businesslike when she’d first entered his office but now he was the passionate man she’d spent the night with. A knock on his door had him pulling away and again, she wasn’t sure how to act.

Then she realized that she was being ridiculous. She couldn’t let one man shake her so much. She tossed her head as the door opened.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but Carson is here with some numbers for you. He said he thought you needed them for this meeting,” his secretary said.

“We do. Please send him in,” Geoff said. “Do you have time for a quick rundown of the proposal Carson has put together?”

Amelia pulled out her cell phone and glanced at her schedule. The only way she’d make her luncheon was if she left immediately from here. And that wouldn’t work because she’d wanted to go home and change back into her normal clothes. “I can spare maybe five minutes. I have a luncheon at one and I need time to go home and change.”

His brow creased and as the door opened he turned to the man and said, “Give me a moment.” Geoff closed the door and leaned back against it. “Why do you need to change?”

“If I go to the luncheon dressed like this, then
everyone will know that I’ve changed. This luncheon is for teenaged mothers…I am going to use every media connection I have to bring attention to their need. I can’t risk our relationship—”

She stopped as she realized what she was saying. Her motivation was her desire to keep her relationship with Geoff quiet—because he had asked her to. For a second, she worried that he was ashamed of her, and that was why he wanted to keep things quiet.

“Thank you, Amelia. I didn’t realize how complicated this was going to be.”

She had. “It’s not a big deal but I will be later than is acceptable if I don’t head out soon. Why don’t you just e-mail me the figures Carson came up with? Do you suppose your secretary will call a cab for me?”

“She will. When can you meet again to discuss the details of our joint venture?” he asked.

She glanced down at her schedule again. “I can do it on Thursday, or early next week. I’m going to talk to my marketing person at Munroe this afternoon and I’ll forward to her the e-mail you send me from Carson. Will that work?”

“Yes. I think next week is a good time to meet,” he said. “But of course I’ll be seeing you before then.”

“Will you pick me up on Friday night or do you want me to meet you in Bath?”

“We can talk about that tonight.”

Tonight? Had she missed something? She had accepted a dinner invitation from Lady Abercrombie and she couldn’t miss another of her mom’s friend’s dinner parties. “I have an engagement tonight.”

“Break it.”

“Geoff! I can’t just—”

“I want to take you flying,” he said. “I had planned on doing it last night, but desire got the better of me and we ended up in your garden instead.” He stared at her with such intensity that her pulse raced.

Flying sounded infinitely more appealing than Cecelia’s would ever be. But if she went with him…he’d begin to know that she wanted to be with him all the time.