Kristi Gold - A Royal Wager

Kate decided he simply needed a reminder. “It’s very nice to see you again, Your Majesty .”

He released her hand and frowned, fine lines deepening at the corners of his eyes, but they didn’t detract from his magnificent face. “Have we met before?”

“Actually, the last time we were together, we were dissecting a deceased frog.”

Confusion worked its way into his sedate expression followed by a fleeting glimpse of the carefree charmer she had once known. “Katie? The tutor?”

Kate’s gaze faltered for a brief moment as she became the circumspect girl again. She forced away that notion, forced herself to look at him straight on. “Yes, that’s me. Katie, the tutor. But I prefer Kate now. Or Dr. Milner, if that’s more acceptable considering your current circumstance.”

“My current circumstance?”

He actually had to be reminded of that, too? “You’re a king.”

“Ah, yes. That circumstance.” He stared at her for a long moment, as if he couldn’t quite believe she was there. Kate couldn’t quite believe it, either.

After a bout of awkward silence, she finally said, “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, quite a while.” Although his smile had yet to form, he at least looked a little less perplexed when he gestured to a nearby room. “Shall we conduct the interview in the library, Doctor?”

Obviously he had no intention of taking a walk down memory lane. “Of course.”

When Marc stepped to one side of the room’s entry, Kate passed by him and caught a whiff of fresh air and fragrant cologne—clean, expensive, heavenly. Even though she shouldn’t react so strongly, he still made her breathless. She’d always been that way to some degree in his presence.

Gathering her wits, Kate slowly turned around to survey the mahogany shelves lining the room. “This is quite a collection of books.”

“My mother’s favorites.” He indicated a small settee near the window. “Please, have a seat.”

Kate slid onto the green brocade sofa while Marc took the burgundy wingback chair across from her. When Mr. Nicholas positioned himself near the now-closed door, Marc told him, “That will be all.”

The man stood steadfastly in place like a sentry, shoulders square, feet slightly apart, hands behind his back. “Beg pardon, but I believe it would be best if I remained, considering our guest is a lady.”

“This is not the eighteenth century, Mr. Nicholas. You are dismissed.”

“The Queen Mother—”

“Would understand the need for privacy.”

“But—”

“I assure you that Dr. Milner’s virtue is not in peril.” Marc turned his attention to Kate. “Would you prefer not to be alone with me?”

She shrugged. “I don’t see it as a problem at all. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.” She secretly hoped it wouldn’t be the last.

Marc sent another warning look at the attendant. “Tell Madame Tourreau to bring Dr. Milner some refreshments.”

“As you wish, Your Reverence,” Mr. Nicholas said, then took his leave.

Kate turned her attention to Marc, who looked anything but pleased. “Your Reverence?”

“Please ignore Mr. Nicholas. He’s been with the family for quite some time and he has a penchant for making up titles. You should be flattered, though. Normally he doesn’t do this around strangers, unless he feels they might appreciate his extremely dry and somewhat annoying British sense of humor.”

“Oh, I see. It’s sort of a game between you two.”

“One game I would prefer not to play.”

Kate could only imagine the games he did like to play—sensual games—and she really wouldn’t mind playing them with him.

Business, Kate . No games, just business.

Marc crossed his legs at the ankles, his elbows resting on the chair’s arms, hands clasped across his midsection. “So tell me, Dr. Milner, how did you discover we’re seeking physicians in Doriana?”

Kate toyed with her hem, surprisingly drawing Marc’s gaze. Considering her disheveled state, he probably wondered if the royal cat had dragged her across the regal doorstep. Her lavender silk suit showed creases resulting from hours of travel. Her hair had lost every bit of its curl and now hung down in board-straight strands to her shoulders. When his gaze came to rest on her mouth, she assumed she had a pink lipstick smear across her teeth.

Kate resisted the urge to run a finger over her incisors. “I saw the story in the alumni newsletter, right after your coronation,” she said, pulling his attention back to her eyes. “You mentioned that your first order of business involved recruiting doctors, so I contacted the hospital, and now here I am. By the way, I was very sorry to hear about your brother’s car accident.”

She saw a flash of sadness in his eyes before it vanished as quickly as it had come. “Did you attend medical school at Harvard?”

Considering his swift change of subject, Kate made a mental note not to bring up his brother’s death again. “Actually, I returned home to Tennessee and went to Vanderbilt. I needed to be close to my family.”

“Was someone ill?” he asked with concern.

“Not really.” Only needy, and very overprotective as always, which was one of the reasons why Kate had decided to apply for the position—the other was sitting before her. She’d grown tired of being the perfect, reliable daughter—the person both her parents depended upon for everything. She loved them dearly, but at times she wished she’d had siblings to ease some of her burden.

Marc crossed his arms over his chest, looking commanding and no less sexy. “You say you needed to be close to your family yet you have traveled thousands of miles away to work in our hospital?”

“I’ve been looking for a change of pace.” A change of scenery. A change in her life.

“What is your medical specialty?” he asked in an all-business tone, confirming that he was only interested in the interview.

“Family practice,” she said. “But I enjoy treating children the most. I’ve always loved children.”

“They’re our hope for future generations,” he replied. “We’ve made some strides in pediatric health care, but not enough for my satisfaction.”

“I’d enjoy that challenge, Marc. I mean, Your Highness.” Her first breach of royal protocol, and probably not her last. “I’m sorry.”

“No apology necessary, Dr. Milner.”

“I really prefer you call me Kate. I’m just a simple kind of person.”

“But you’re also a physician,” he said. “Not many can lay claim to that.”

Kate felt the bloom of a blush on her cheeks. She’d never been well versed in accepting flattery graciously, but then compliments hadn’t been a common occurrence in her life. “Speaking of doctors, how soon do you plan to reach a decision on who you’ll be hiring?”

“The decision will come when we find the right candidate. And on that thought, could you tell me about your experience?”

“Exactly what experience are you referring to?” How could she have asked such a stupid question? Easy. The man was sucking her brain dry of lucid thought with his high-powered aura.

She noted a spark of amusement in his eyes and the first signs of a smile, but not enough to reveal the dimples framing his mouth. “Medical experience, of course. Unless you have other experience that you believe might interest me.”

If only that were true . “Medically speaking, I’ve only recently completed my residency. I haven’t been in private practice at all.”

His dark gaze pinned her in place, even though she wanted to fidget. “I assume you’ve been adequately trained.”

She lifted her chin a notch. “In one of the top programs in the country.”