Royal Heartbreaker

Chapter Six - Leopold

LEOPOLD

Four days.

With any other woman, that would be plenty of time—four days of passion and pleasure, four nights to explore each other in every way imaginable. In fact, the more I think about it, four days might be the ideal length for a hot little affair—by the fifth, sixth, or seventh day, I'm usually bored and ready for my next amusement.

But with Doctor Elle, four days will be a challenge. Yes, she desires me—it's clear even through the piercing fire of her glare—but if she refuses to admit that to herself, four days might as well be a lifetime. I won't force her, of course. I like my women willing and eager—begging for it, preferably.

Hm. I find a special pleasure in seducing women I've just met, but the intoxicating Elle might require a little more romancing than usual. Very well. I have a feeling this spirited doctor might be worth the extra effort.

"Well," I say, straightening, "since it's clear I've missed a few important details about the situation here, I suppose I should retire to review my files again." And figure out how in bloody hell I missed the fact that her contract was expiring this week. I dip my head slightly. "Have a good evening, Elle."

When I rise out of my shallow bow, I find her staring at me, her lips parted in apparent surprise.

She expected me to have a very different reaction to that news, I think, smiling to myself as I turn away. She thought I would try and convince her to stay—or perhaps that I would press her up against the wall again and make her forget about this place altogether. But while the thought of tearing off her clothes and taking her right here on the floor is certainly appealing, I doubt she'd let it get that far. No, I think I need to adopt a different strategy.

She still hasn't said a word by the time I reach the door, so I pause at the threshold and look back.

"You might only be here for a few more days," I tell her, "but I still have a job to do. We'll have that chat about the finances before you go. That way I can make sure your replacement will be made aware of how things will be done around here. Good evening, Doctor Parker."

I don't wait for her response. I simply turn and head back out to the street.

Street, perhaps, is a rather generous word. It's little more than a wide dirt path leading through the town.

When I spotted the clinic on the way into town, I asked Matthias to stop and continue to the hotel with our bags. Thankfully, my father allowed my valet Matthias to accompany me on this little adventure—after all, I am a prince of Montovia, and it wouldn't do for me to undertake a diplomatic mission all by myself, without any sort of entourage—but I know Matthias is mainly here to keep an eye on me, to ensure I don't cause any more trouble than my father believes I already have. Matthias has been my valet for several years now, and while he is a pleasant fellow—and as loyal as they come—my God if the man doesn't shut up when he gets a few cups of coffee in him. And he had five on the plane. He chattered at me for approximately thirteen of the fifteen hours on the flight over here, and I only escaped him for those last two hours by pretending to sleep. By the time he'd turned our rental car onto this road, I'd been ready to throw myself out the window. The sight of the clinic was my salvation—even as exhausted as I was, taking an initial inspection of the clinic seemed a far better alternative than sitting in the car for another ten minutes with the man. Fortunately, Matthias agreed to continue to the hotel with our bags and check in.

I slide my hand into my pocket for my mobile phone. I should call Matthias and ask him to retrieve me, but I think I'd prefer to walk into town. My legs could use a good stretch after that flight—and my body could use a little exercise to release the tension caused by Elle.