“You really are a stickler for rules, huh?” Darcy said.

Before he could say anything, she added, “Children need room to grow, to flourish. Yes, they need schedules, but they also need to learn to be flexible.”

Colin met and held her stare. There was no way this nanny was going to come in here and wreck everything just for the sake of making memories.

“I’ll take her up for her nap,” he told Darcy, picking up little Iris and heading to the nursery, Darcy following. With her little arms around his neck, his daughter still clutched the new doll Darcy had given her. Iris had taken to Darcy exactly how Colin wished his little girl would take to a new nanny.

Yet everything about Darcy hadn’t measured up to anything he thought he’d be getting into.

Colin stepped into the pale green and pink nursery. A room fit for a princess … or duchess as the case might be.

He glanced at beautiful Darcy. The woman had no idea who he was …

And yet the pull between them was undeniable. Somehow he’d have to resist his sexy new nanny.

What the Prince Wants

is part of Mills & Boon® Desire™’s No.1 bestselling series, Billionaires and Babies: Powerful men … wrapped around their babies’ little fingers.

What the Prince Wants

Jules Bennett

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Award-winning author JULES BENNETT is no stranger to romance—she met her husband when she was only fourteen. After dating through high school, the two married. He encouraged her to chase her dream of becoming an author. Jules has now published nearly thirty novels. She and her husband are living their own happily-ever-after while raising two girls. Jules loves to hear from readers through her website, www.julesbennett.com, her Facebook fan page or on Twitter.

To the Gems for Jules Street Team!

Thank you for the encouragement, advice and most of all for the support.

I love you all!

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Extract

Copyright

One

The curves, the expressive green eyes, rich brown hair the color of his favorite scotch—all made for a punch of primal lust Mikos Colin Alexander hadn’t experienced in years. This sure as hell was not the woman he’d expected to see on his doorstep.

Woman? No, she couldn’t be more than twenty years old. She looked as if she’d just stepped out of a photo shoot for some popular American teen magazine. With her pink T-shirt, body-hugging jeans and little white sandals, this was not the image he’d had in mind when he’d gone online seeking a nanny.

Iris’s angry cry drew his attention back to the point of this meeting. The lady at his door immediately shifted her gaze from him to the child on his hip.

“Aww, it’s okay, sweetheart.” Her voice, so soft, so gentle, got Iris’s attention. “What’s a beautiful princess like you crying about?”

Princess. He cringed at the term, hating how dead-on this stranger was. But he was in LA now, not Galini Isle, a country so small that nobody here knew who he was. Which was just how he preferred it.

His wish to be free from his royal heritage had carried him through life, but the urge had never been stronger than after the accident that nearly took his life. Between that, his failed marriage, Karina’s death and his being a widowed prince, the media was all over him. There wasn’t a moment’s peace back home and he needed to get away, to regroup...and maybe to never return.

Now more than ever he wanted independence—for him and his daughter.

“I’m sorry.” Extending her hand, the lady offered him a wide, radiant smile. “I’m Darcy Cooper. You must be Mr. Alexander.”

Darcy. The woman he’d emailed, the woman he’d spoken to on the phone. The woman he’d all but hired sight unseen to be his live-in nanny because of her impressive references and the number of years the agency had been in business.

Na pari i eychi. Damn it.

What happened to the short, round, bun-wearing grandmother type he’d seen pictured on the website? He’d been assured the woman coming to care for his daughter was the owner. No way could this curvaceous beauty be in charge of Loving Hands Childcare Agency. Perhaps they’d sent someone else at the last minute.

Colin shifted his irate daughter to his good hip. Damn accident still had him fighting to get back to normal...whatever normal was after nearly dying and then losing your wife. “You’re not what I expected.”

Quirking a brow, she tipped her head as a smile spread across her face. Her eyes ran over him, no doubt taking in his running shorts, T-shirt and bedhead.

“That would make two of us.”

Her sparkling eyes held his. Was she mocking him? Of course she was. She had no idea who she was speaking to...not that anybody here knew of his royal status, but still. Nobody mocked him except his brother.

Iris’s piercing wails grew louder, more shrill in his ear. Between lack of sleep and the constant pain in his back and hip, he was done trying to be Father of the Year. The fact that he’d had no choice but to find assistance still angered him. Iris was the only reason he was giving in. Her needs had to come before his pride—which is why he now found himself staring down at the petite, yet very shapely, nanny.

This is what he’d wanted, right? To be free from all the servants, the media, the people ready to step in and practically raise his child for him while thrusting her into the limelight? Hell, he’d even been running his own vacuum here. Among other domestic tasks like dusting and putting the trash out at the end of the driveway. His brother would die laughing if he saw Mikos wielding a dust mop.

Colin. He had to keep thinking of himself as Colin now that he was in the United States. His middle name would help him blend in so much better. He was here to see who he was as a man, not a prince. To rediscover a piece of himself he was afraid he’d lost.

He just wanted these next six months to be free of all things involving his royal status. He was tired of being home where pity shrouded the faces of everyone he came in contact with. Yes, he was a widower, but so many people didn’t know he and his wife had been separated for months before her death. They’d had to keep putting up a good front for the sake of their reputations.

Pretenses. That word pretty much summed him up. He wanted this freedom, wanted to see how he and Iris could live without being waited on hand and foot. He’d promised his brother, King Stefan, that he would only be in the United States for six months, the maximum time a member of the royal family could be away from the island for personal reasons. Then Colin would have to decide whether to renounce his title of Prince Mikos Colin Alexander of Galini Isle or return to the island and resume his royal duties.

Colin was first in line to take over the throne if something ever happened to his brother. If he gave up his position, the crown would be passed to their oldest cousin, who’d rather chase skirts and make scandalous headlines than run a country. That fact had guilt coursing through Colin every time he thought about the situation.

He’d temporarily lost his title when he’d married Karina because she had been divorced once. Their land had archaic rules, but that was one he hadn’t been about to fight.

Now that his wife had passed on, he was thrust back into the royal limelight whether he wanted to be there or not. And with his daughter being the next generation of royalty, that automatically made her a duchess. The entire situation was a complicated mess. Added to that, he faced years of ramifications if he chose to walk away from his title.

Colin was determined to be a hands-on father. Being in a new country, still adjusting to this lifestyle and trying to cope with this damn inconvenient handicap forced him to admit he might need just a bit of help. This short-term arrangement would give him good insight into whether or not he could fully care for Iris on his own and if he and his baby should stay here.

When Iris arched her back, screaming as if someone had taken her most prized possession, Darcy instantly reached for the girl.

Without asking, the woman swiped away Iris’s tears and gently lifted her from his arms.

“Now, now,” Darcy said, patting Iris’s back and lightly bouncing his eighteen-month-old. “I’m not a fan of Monday mornings, either.”

Colin crossed his arms over his chest as Darcy continued to speak in a calm, relaxing tone. Yeah, like that was going to work. Iris couldn’t hear this woman for all the screaming. No way would Darcy’s sweet, soft voice penetrate the power of a toddler’s lungs.

Darcy stroked a finger across Iris’s damp cheeks again. Little by little she started to calm as this virtual stranger kept talking in the same soothing tone, never raising her voice to be louder than Iris. Colin watched as his daughter stared at the stranger.

Within a minute or two, Iris had stopped fussing and was pulling Darcy’s ponytail around. Strands of rich, silky hair instantly went to Iris’s mouth as she sniffed, hiccupped and finally settled herself.

“Oh, no.” He reached for the clump of hair that was serving as Iris’s pacifier, but Darcy shifted her body away.

“She’s fine,” Darcy assured him in the same delicate voice she’d used moments ago to get Iris under control. “Babies put everything in their mouths. I promise it’s clean.”

Colin watched as Iris gripped the strands in her tight fist and gave a swift yank. Darcy only laughed and reached up to pat the baby’s pudgy little hand. “Not so hard, little one. That’s attached.”

Colin couldn’t believe this. Iris had cried off and on all night—more on than off—and had been quite angry all morning. How the hell did this woman calm his child in the span of a few minutes? With a ponytail?

Darcy tapped a fingertip to Iris’s nose before turning her attention to him. “May I come in?”

Feeling like a jerk for leaving her on his porch, Colin stepped back and opened the door wider. As Darcy passed by him, some fruity scent trailed her, tickling his nose in a teasing manner.

If he thought she looked good from the front, the view from behind was even more impressive. The woman knew how to wear a pair of jeans.

Perhaps she was older than he’d first thought, because only a woman would be this shapely, this comfortable with her body. He’d assumed all women in LA wanted that waiflike build, enhanced with silicone as the perfect accessory.

Darcy Cooper was anything but waiflike and her curves were all natural.

Colin gritted his teeth and took a mental step back. He needed to focus. The last thing he needed was to be visually sampling a potential nanny. He had to blame his wayward thoughts on sleep deprivation. Nothing else could explain this sudden onset of lust. His wife was the last woman he’d slept with and that was before his near-fatal rock climbing accident two years ago. Between the accident, the baby, the separation from his wife and then her death...yeah, sex hadn’t been a priority in his life.

Years ago he’d been the Playboy Prince of Galini Isle and now his life revolved around diapers, baby dolls and trying to walk without this damn limp. Oh, and his glamorous life now included housework.

Yet a beautiful stranger had showed up in his house only moments ago and he was already experiencing a lustful tug. He wasn’t sure if he should be elated by the fact he wasn’t dead and actually had hormones still ready to stand up and take notice, or if he should be angry because sex was the last thing he had time for.

He and Darcy had agreed on the phone two days ago that today would be a mostly hands-on type of interview. It was important that Iris connect with her potential caregiver. However, he had nobody else lined up because there wasn’t another agency that had measured up to this one.

Darcy had been here for all of five minutes. How the hell did he expect her to live here for six months if his attraction had already taken such control of his thoughts? His life was already a jumbled mess without a steamy affair to complicate things further.

Colin watched Darcy as she walked around the open-concept living area, bouncing the baby on one hip as if they’d known each other for some time. Iris started fussing a bit, but just like moments ago, Darcy patted her back and spoke in those hushed tones.

He’d never seen anything like this. He’d tried all damn night to calm his daughter.

Karina would’ve known what to do. Even though he and Karina had been separated for nearly a year before she died of a sudden aneurism, he still mourned the loss. The rock-climbing accident had changed him, had him pushing her away due to his stubborn pride and fear of not being the perfect husband and father, but a part of him would still always love her. She’d been a loyal wife and an amazing mother.

When Darcy bent over the sofa and picked up a stuffed lamb, Colin clenched his fists at how the denim pulled across her backside. Why couldn’t he tear his eyes away? Why couldn’t he concentrate on something other than her tempting shape? No, she couldn’t stay.

What he needed was someone old enough to be his grandmother, with many years of experience, a woman with silver hair in a bun and ill-fitting clothing. What he did not need was a woman who could kick-start his libido without even trying. But, damn it, she’d calmed Iris and had done so with the ease of an expert.

“What is her daily routine?”

Colin blinked as he stared back at the woman who was trying to be professional when his thoughts had been anything but.

“Routine?”

Dancing the lamb toward Iris’s nose and then pulling it back, Darcy simply nodded without even looking at him. “Yes. Naps, eating schedule, bedtime.”

Since coming to LA only days ago, he did what worked best for them and he was still adjusting. As hard as this change was, he wasn’t sorry he’d made the move.

Colin glanced at Iris’s smile, the prominent dimple in her cheek that matched his own. Sure, she’d smile for the stranger, but not for him? He loved his little girl with every bit of his soul. He’d give anything to be able to care for her on his own without the fear of his handicap harming her, but he had to face his own limitations to keep her safe.

“Mr. Alexander?”

Colin returned his gaze to Darcy who was actually staring at him. Oh, yeah, she’d asked him a question. Unfortunately, he was going to have to end this trial before it started. Having someone like Darcy here would be a colossal mistake.

Holding those bright green eyes with his, Colin took a deep breath and said, “I’m afraid I can’t use your services.”

* * *

Darcy swallowed her shock. What had he just said? The very survival of Loving Hands was contingent on her landing this job. She refused to take no for an answer. She couldn’t afford to.

She also couldn’t afford to keep making eye contact with Mr. Alexander’s baby blues. No, blue wasn’t the right word. What was the proper description for a set of eyes that were so mesmerizing they nearly made her forget all her troubles? The power he possessed when he held her gaze was unlike anything she’d ever experienced, so she kept her focus on the sweet little girl in her arms.

Holding onto a squirming Iris was difficult enough without the added impact of desire. Though she’d certainly take a dose of lust over the ache in her heart from holding such a precious child. She’d avoided working with babies for years, giving those jobs to her employees. Unfortunately, the entire staff of Loving Hands had been let go and Darcy had to face her demons head-on if she wanted to save her grandmother’s company. So, his “no” wasn’t an option.

This would be the first job caring for a young child she’d taken on since having been told at the age of twenty-one she couldn’t have kids due to severe endometriosis. She could do this...she had to do this. No matter the heartache, Darcy had to pull through.

But first she had to convince Mr. Alexander she was the one for the job.

Turning to fully face the sexy father, Darcy kept her hold on Iris, who was nearly chewing the ear off the poor lamb. A sweet smell wafted up from the child’s hair, no doubt from whatever shampoo her father used for her.

Darcy had learned from the emails and phone conversations that Mr. Alexander was a single father and new to the area. She also knew his wife had died suddenly just a few months ago. What she didn’t know was what he did for a living or where he was from. The sexy, exotic accent that made her toes curl in her secondhand sandals clearly implied that he wasn’t American.

Honestly she didn’t care where he was from as long as he was here legally and the job posting was legit. He’d offered her a ridiculous sum to live here for the next six months and care for his daughter, and that money would help her save her grandmother’s dying agency...the agency Darcy’s ex had pilfered money from, nearly leaving Darcy on the street. Oh, wait, he had left her on the street.

Darcy didn’t know what happened at the end of the six months, and with the amount of money he’d offered, she didn’t need to know.

“You can’t use me?” she asked, not ready to admit defeat. “Do you have another nanny service lined up?”

“No.”

Shoulders back and chin up, Darcy used all of the courage she wished she possessed to cross the room. Closing the gap between them only made her heart pound even more. She would do whatever it took to pay tribute to the grandmother who’d given up everything to raise her.

Darcy’s nerves had kicked into high gear before she’d even arrived here because so much was riding on this one job. Being turned away by the client hadn’t been her biggest concern, either. Darcy had truly feared she’d take one look at the child and freeze...or worse, break down and start sobbing.

Yet here she was, holding it together and ready to fight for what her ex had stolen from her. Darcy had already given up her apartment and had slept in her car those first two nights until her best friend discovered what happened. Now Darcy found herself spending nights on the sofa in her bestie’s overpriced, undersized studio apartment. This live-in nanny position would secure a roof over her head and a steady income to help get Loving Hands back up and running.

As if all of that weren’t stressful enough, her would-be employer had opened his door and all coherent thoughts had completely left her mind. A handsome man holding a baby was sexy, no doubt about it. But this man with his disheveled hair and piercing eyes had epitomized sexy single dad. Those tanned muscles stretched his T-shirt in ways that should be illegal. Not to mention the flash of ink peeking from beneath his sleeve.

The man who all but had her knees trembling and her stomach in knots was trying to send her on her way. Not going to happen.

“So you have nobody else lined up,” she repeated, praying she came across as professional and not pushy. “I’m here, your sweet little girl is much happier than when you answered the door, and you’re ready to usher me back out.”

When he continued to stare as if trying to somehow dissuade her, Darcy continued.

“May I ask why you’re opting to not even give me a chance?”

His intriguing set of eyes roamed over her face, sending spears of tingles through her body just as powerfully as if he’d touched her. It was as though he was looking straight into her soul.

Iris squealed and smacked Darcy on the cheek with the wet, slobbery stuffed lamb’s ear that had been in her mouth. Still, nothing could stop Darcy from trying to maintain some sort of control over this situation...if she’d ever had any to begin with. She had a feeling Mr. Alexander was a man who was used to being in charge. That thought alone had arousal hitting hard.

Focus, Darcy.

“Mr. Alexander?”

“Colin.” That husky voice slid over her. “Call me Colin.”

A thread of hope started working its way through her. “That would imply I’ll be here long enough to call you by your first name.”

The muscle clenched in his jaw, the pulse in his neck seemed to be keeping that same frantic pace as hers.

Before he could comment, she kept going, more than ready to plead her case. “We discussed a trial period over the phone. Why don’t we agree on a set time? That way if this arrangement doesn’t work for either of us, we have a way out.”

She’d care for Lucifer’s kids to get the amount of money she and Colin had agreed upon.

“May I be honest?” he asked, taking a step back as if he’d just realized how close they were.

“Please.”

Iris wiggled in Darcy’s arms. Darcy set the toddler on the floor to play then straightened to see Colin’s eyes still fixed on her.

“I wasn’t expecting someone so young.”

She was always mistaken for someone younger, which was normally a lovely compliment. “I turned thirty two weeks ago.”

His eyes widened as he raked that gaze over her body once more. At one time she’d been self-conscious of her slightly fuller frame. Being surrounded by so much surgically enhanced beauty in Hollywood would wreak havoc with anybody’s self-esteem.

She could still hear her grandmother’s words on the subject: Be proud of who you are, your body and your spirit. Nobody can make you feel inferior without you allowing it. So Darcy had embraced her curves and her size twelve wardrobe, meager as it may be. Besides, who was in charge of dictating what was and wasn’t socially acceptable?

Her ass of an ex had mentioned her weight. She should’ve known then he wasn’t The One.

When Colin was done taking his visual journey, he rested his hands on his hips and shifted his stance. With a slight wince, he moved in the other direction. That was the second time she’d caught him moving as if he couldn’t stand on one leg for too long.

“Are you okay?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“Fine,” he bit off. “You don’t look more than twenty-one.”

With a smile, she shrugged. “It’s hereditary and I’ll take that as a compliment.”

His eyes narrowed as he tilted his head. “It wasn’t meant to be one.”

Crossing her arms, Darcy glanced down just as Iris gripped Darcy’s jeans and pulled herself up. The little girl with bouncy dark curls started toward the other side of the living area, which was immaculate.

Where were the toys? The random blanket or sippy cup? Other than that stuffed lamb, there were no signs a child even lived here. Even if they had moved in just a few days ago, wouldn’t the place be littered with baby items?

Beyond that, from what she could see, the house was perfectly furnished, complete with fresh flowers on the entryway table and the large kitchen island she could see across the open floor plan.

“Perhaps you have an older, more experienced worker?”

The man was testing her patience. Withholding a sigh, Darcy focused her attention back on the sexy, albeit frustrating, guy. “I’m the only one available for the job at this time.”

Not a lie. She was the only one—period. Just last month she’d had to lay off her final employee. Letting her grandmother’s staff go had been heartbreaking, but the money simply hadn’t been there after several of her clients had changed agencies. They had been like family and had all worked so well together. Fortunately, everyone understood Darcy’s predicament and Darcy happily gave each of them glowing recommendations for other jobs. Hopefully she’d be able to get Loving Hands back on its feet and slowly bring her workers back.

“Listen,” she told him, steeling herself against any worry or doubt. She wasn’t going to borrow trouble yet. “I realize I look young. I understand how you only want the best for your daughter. However, everything I do will be monitored by you since I’d be staying here. You see something you don’t like or you believe her care is not up to par, let me know. That’s what the trial period is for.”

Colin glanced from her to Iris, who was now smacking her hands on the coffee table as if playing the drums. Darcy wasn’t about to give him a chance to answer, because she might not like the one he gave.

“I’m here now and from the dark circles under your eyes, you need to rest.” Darcy smiled, hoping he was not going to put up a fight. “I can take over while you take some time for yourself.”

She waited a beat, her heart pounding. Would he send her away simply because she wasn’t an old lady wearing an apron and sensible shoes?

Colin rubbed his eyes then raked a hand over his face, the stubble on his jaw bristling beneath his palm. Why was that sound so...erotic? His eyes settled on her again and she refused to look away, refused to step back or show any fear. This was her livelihood, her only option of getting out of the depths of hell she’d fallen into. Though being thrust into a lifestyle she’d dreamed about for years, a lifestyle that was completely impossible for her to have, was a whole other layer of hell.

When the silence stretched between them, hovering in the air like an unwelcome guest, Darcy was convinced he was going to show her the door. After what seemed like forever, Colin nodded.

“I’ll give you today to prove yourself.”

Two

Never before had he allowed someone to steamroll him into going against his instincts. Yet a determined woman with enough killer curves to fuel any man’s fantasy for every lonely night had done just that.

Perhaps it had been her sensual body that had him caving and ignoring common sense. But Darcy had something else he admired—tenacity. She wasn’t giving in and she made very valid points as to why he should keep her around.

Such as the fact that he would be monitoring her every move while she was here. Perfect, just what he needed. Watching her every move might very well be his undoing. He’d wanted to figure out who he was as a man while he was here in LA, but this unexpected lust was an angle he hadn’t considered.

Colin clasped his hands behind his head and continued staring up at the vaulted ceiling in his master suite. Sunlight spilled in through the sliver of an opening in his blackout blinds. He hadn’t even bothered getting beneath his navy duvet because he knew his mind simply wouldn’t shut down, and getting too comfortable didn’t really matter. Napping in the middle of the day really wasn’t something he did, but he was exhausted.

Rest wouldn’t be his friend for some time, he feared. He’d needed a nanny fast. Based on previous families his assistants had interviewed, Darcy was the best option. Unfortunately he hadn’t had time to do a full background check on individual people, so he’d just placed a quick call to one of his assistants. Hopefully more information would come back within a few hours, but his gut said he could trust her.

When he told her she’d gotten the job, at least provisionally, she’d returned carrying one tattered old duffel bag. Didn’t women have two bags just for makeup alone and another two for shoes? How the hell did she fit everything into one bag that looked as if it would fall apart if accidentally bumped the wrong way or dropped too hard onto the floor?

Before he’d come up to his room, Colin had offered to help her inside with her things, but she’d dismissed him. When she came in with so little, he’d assumed she had more in the car. She assured him she had it all under control and she only had the one bag. There was a story there, and if she was staying around he’d get to the bottom of it. Money was apparently an issue, so he’d be interested what her background check showed.

The cell on his nightstand vibrated. Glancing over he saw his brother’s name lighting up the screen. Not what he needed right now.

With a grunt, he rolled to his side and reached for the device. “Yeah,” he answered.

“I assume by your chipper greeting you’re still on the nanny hunt and not resting?”

“I may have found someone,” he replied, not adding that this someone would most likely keep him awake at night.

Stefan laughed. “As usual you’re not going into details. Fine. I figured you’d have given up by now and be ready to return home.”

“I’ve only been gone a few days. I think you know I wouldn’t give up on anything that soon.”

Returning home only meant going back to the life of status he’d never wanted, raising his daughter in a setting that would consume her and stifle her growth. As the current duchess, she’d be in the spotlight at all times. He remembered how irritated he’d been growing up when he couldn’t just go out and spend a day at the beach. He’d always been escorted by bodyguards, which seriously put a damper on his teen years and his ability to sneak out to have some alone time with friends—not that he didn’t invent some pretty creative ways to lose the guards.

His parents had been wonderful, but still they’d had duties to fulfill, which often kept them away for weeks at a time. Then his mother had passed away from a tragic car accident and his father had been even busier, pouring himself into work and serving the people of the island in an attempt to fill the void.

Colin wanted to be there fully for his daughter. He wanted to form a bond that was so strong she would know just how much he loved her and that he would always put her needs first. Even before the crown. Which reminded him, his brother was still on the phone.

“I know you’ve never wanted this title,” Stefan continued. “You do realize that no matter where you live, you’re still a prince, but if I die and you’ve renounced the title, our cousin will assume the position? He’s the last person Galini Isle deserves.”

Why couldn’t he just have a simple life? A life without the worry of an entire country on his shoulders? A small country, but still.

Again, it was times like this that he wished Karina were still alive. Colin knew his daughter needed a woman’s guidance through life and he needed assistance with these major decisions.

“Listen, if an emergency arises, you know I wouldn’t turn my back on you or Galini Isle. But I may have to renounce my title if I think that’s the best decision for Iris.” Colin sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Maybe I am making a mistake, but for now I need the distance. I need to figure out what the best plan is for Iris and for me. I’m all she has right now.”

Stefan sighed. “If you came home, she’d have many people to love and care for her.”

“I really need this time. Iris and I don’t need to be surrounded by servants who look at us with pity. That’s not what I want for myself or her.”

“What about Victoria and me? We miss you guys.”

Guilt had already eaten away at Colin’s conscience, so Stefan adding another layer was pointless. He missed his brother, but they had their own schedules, their own lives. Years ago the two had been inseparable, often rock climbing or kayaking together. Stefan had stepped up when their father had passed from a heart attack and had scaled back his need for adrenaline rushes.

“When are you coming to the States for a visit?” Colin asked. “Isn’t it time for Victoria to see her family?”

Colin’s sister-in-law was from LA and was a member of the prestigious Dane family of Hollywood.

Stefan chuckled. “I knew you’d say that. Actually we’re not coming for several months, but the annual royal celebration ball is in just over two months and we’d really like you here for that. No pressure, just throwing that out there.”

Coming to his feet, Colin twisted from his waist in an attempt to loosen his back, which had wanted to tighten up and spasm a bit more lately. He’d slowed down on the therapy he was supposed to be doing at home. After this long he figured the prescribed exercises were a waste of time. Apparently not.

“I haven’t even thought about the ball,” Colin told his brother.

“The media will not be allowed inside the palace,” Stefan assured him. “I can always smuggle you in via one of the underground entrances, just like when we were teens.”

Colin laughed, remembering the numerous times they’d covered for each other so they could sneak out and meet up with their girlfriends at the time.

“Will you at least think about this?” Stefan asked. Colin knew he wasn’t just referring to the ball. “Think about how hard life will be for you with no family and no one to help you with Iris.”

Colin’s mind flashed to the woman who had shown up earlier full of confidence and curves. She was helping his daughter, no doubt. It was what she was doing to Colin that had him questioning his judgment.

“I’ve got everything under control,” Colin assured him. “I need to go check on Iris.”

He disconnected the call and slid the phone into the pocket of his shorts. Stefan had wanted Colin to think about this decision to leave the royal title behind, as if Colin had thought of anything else. The moment he’d discovered his wife was pregnant he’d done nothing but try to get out of that damn wheelchair in order to live for his child and be the sole supporter and provider—not in the monetary way, but in the fatherly bonding way.

Growing up with maids, butlers, personal assistants and even people who picked out your daily wardrobe was a bit ridiculous. Just because his family happened to be titled, because they had a certain last name and were wealthy, they had every single material thing at their disposal.

But money could only do so much. Colin still worried about the pressure and responsibility that came with being a member of the royal family. He knew he was projecting his fears onto his daughter, but he was her main source of stability now and he’d rather be overprotective than to pass along something that would overwhelm her.

Raking a hand through his hair, Colin opened his door and stepped out into the hallway. The twelve thousand square foot home was large, not as large as the palace by any means, but big enough that he’d had video monitors installed in most rooms so he could watch the feeds from his bedroom. He’d also had sound monitors wired throughout the house so he could hear Iris no matter where he was. There were alarms on the doors and windows, so he definitely would’ve heard had Darcy tried to take Iris from the house. He might be paranoid, but he would never take a chance with the safety of his child.

Colin was headed for the steps when his back started twitching.

Damn it. He gripped the railing as he stood on the landing and breathed deeply, waiting for the crippling pain to pass. Total agony he could tolerate, but being in a wheelchair and rendered helpless he could not.

Immediately following the accident, the doctors had indicated he might not ever be able to walk again, but the moment he’d heard those words he’d made it his mission to prove them wrong. Granted, he was walking, but the spasms in his back and piercing pain in his hip and down through his leg would blast him at the most inopportune times. Another reason he needed a nanny. Back home he had a driver, but he needed someone for that task here, too. Damn it, he hated being dependent on others for help, but he couldn’t risk his daughter’s safety if his pain hit while he was behind the wheel.

Colin needed to start making use of that home gym he’d had put in before arriving. He couldn’t put off the physical therapy any longer, because he refused to be at the mercy of this injury.

Once the pain ceased, Colin headed down the steps carefully, in case the sensations returned.

Just as he reached the last step, squeals carried through the foyer. Colin followed the sound and stopped short when he spotted the carnage that used to be his spotless living room. He’d seen Darcy and Iris on the screen in his bedroom just before Stefan had called, but he sure as hell hadn’t see this disaster.

“What the—”

Darcy sat on the floor surrounded by toys. Her hair, which had been pulled back earlier, was now down and in complete disarray, as if her hands—or the hands of a lover—had been running through it. Dry cereal was strewn across his coffee table and had trickled down to the rug beneath. From the looks of things some of the pieces had been trampled on and ground into the carpeting. A sippy cup sat on its side, but, fortunately, no liquid appeared to puddle beneath due to the spill-proof lid. There was one blessing in this chaos.

While Darcy was smiling, her eyes on his, Iris was playing with the hair on a doll. Doll? That wasn’t one of her dolls. Colin had only shipped her favorite things and this wasn’t part of Iris’s collection.

“Did we wake you?” Darcy asked, smiling as if this scene were absolutely normal. “We were trying to be quiet.”

He’d turned the sound down in his bedroom, hoping sleep would come.

“You didn’t wake me.” He took a cautious step into the room, almost afraid to look for any more destruction. “Is this typically how you watch children? You let them destroy a house?”

Shoving her hair back, Darcy pulled a band from her wrist and secured the dark mass into a low, messy style. As she came to her feet, she wiped her hands on her pants.

“This is far from destroyed, Colin.”

The second his name slid through her lips, his eyes locked onto that unpainted mouth. He’d been told numerous times how intimidating his stare could be, yet she hadn’t blinked or even shied away from him. Granted, he didn’t want to intimidate her, but he was pretty impressed by how strong she seemed to be. One more aspect of American women he found intriguing. So independent, so strong-willed. As if he needed another reason to be drawn to Darcy.

“Iris and I are playing, and when we’re done we’ll pick it up.” Her arms crossed over her chest, sending the swell of her breasts up to the opening of her V-neck. “There were no toys in here at all so we quietly snuck to her room and I grabbed a few things. Then I wasn’t sure what her eating schedule was and she was hungry. Took me a second to figure out what nack-nack was, but I figured it meant snacks when she tugged me toward the kitchen.”

As she defended herself, Colin couldn’t help but slide his gaze to the way the V of her shirt twisted toward one side, showcasing the swell of her breasts, all but mocking him. Then there was the way her rounded hips filled out her jeans in such a way that would make any man beg.

Prince Mikos Colin Alexander had never begged for anything in his life and he sure as hell wasn’t about to start now because of some punch of lust to his gut that he couldn’t get under control.

Darcy was quite a captivating woman. He still couldn’t get over the fact she wore no jewelry or makeup whatsoever. The woman oozed simplicity and for some reason he found that to be utterly sexy and ridiculously arousing. She wasn’t out to impress him in any way other than relating to the care of his daughter.

Iris squealed when she spotted him. With her little arms out wide, she ran across the hardwood, over the rug, crushing even more cereal pieces beneath her bare feet before she collided with his legs. Colin cringed when she reached for him. He wanted to scoop her up, but with his back just coming off a muscle seizure, he opted to take a seat in the closest armchair and pull her into his lap instead.

Iris’s little hands smacked up and down his arm and he placed a kiss on top of her head, where her wayward curls always tickled his nose. The smile she offered him had him returning her five-toothed grin. How could he look at her and not smile instantly? She was his every reason for being, the motivation behind all decisions he made.

“How long will the living room be a war zone?” he asked, turning his attention back to Darcy.

She glanced around then back to him with a laugh. “You do realize you’re raising a toddler, right? They will make messes, they will make memories and they will learn to clean up later. I assure you this area will be spotless once she lays down for a nap.”

Iris wiggled right off his lap and headed toward the coffee table covered in a buffet of snacks. Weren’t kids supposed to eat in high chairs? Had his assistants at the palace let Iris be so carefree when he hadn’t been around?

“She’s been playing in her room,” Colin informed Darcy when she continued to stare at him. “That’s why the toys are kept there.”

A wide smile spread across Darcy’s face, making her look even younger. “You really are a stickler for rules, huh? Children need room to grow, to flourish. Yes, they need schedules, but they also need to learn to be flexible.”

Even though she stood above him, Colin met and held her stare. There was no way this nanny was going to come in here and wreck everything just for the sake of making memories or whatever the hell else she’d babbled about.

Colin wasn’t stupid. He knew he owed his not-so-sunny disposition to the fact that he couldn’t get a grip on his attraction. Why this woman? Why now? And why the hell were her breasts right at eye level?

“By flourish do you mean grinding cereal into the floor?” he asked, focusing on the mess. “Or maybe you mean throwing toys around the room without a care of what may break?”

“That was another point I was going to bring up.” Darcy stepped over a stuffed animal and sank down on the edge of the sofa. Lacing her fingers over the arm, she brought her eyes back to his. “All of these breakables should probably be put away for now, or at least placed higher where she can’t pull them down. She’ll get used to what she can and can’t touch, but for now I’d try to avoid unnecessary injuries.”

The home had come fully furnished. Colin had simply paid a designer to get everything set up so he only had to bring their clothes and personal belongings. All the breakables and any other knickknacks sitting around meant nothing to him. He’d replace whatever was broken, if need be.

Colin glanced across the mayhem on the floor. Iris sat on her beloved lamb while playing with the new doll.

“Where did that come from?”

Darcy glanced over as Iris gripped the doll’s long, dark hair and started swinging it around. “I brought it for her.”

So in the single bag she’d brought, Darcy had managed to squeeze a doll in among her belongings?

“Is that something you normally do? Bribe potential clients?”

Darcy’s eyes widened. “I’ve never had to bribe anybody. Your daughter was being introduced to a stranger and I used the doll as a way to talk to her and make her comfortable. I can take it back if it offends you.”

Colin gritted his teeth. In the span of a few hours his house had been taken over by this free spirit who seemed oblivious to the mess surrounding them and was trying to tell him how to raise his child. She’d calmed Iris in a way he’d never seen and now his new nanny was stomping all over his libido. And he was paying her for every bit of this torture.

Iris started whimpering as she rubbed her eyes.

“Is this nap time?” Darcy asked.

“She tends to nap once a day.” He smoothed a wayward curl from Iris’s forehead and slid his finger down her silky cheek. “There’s no set time. I just lay her down when she seems ready.”

Darcy came to her feet, crossed the room and lifted Iris into her arms. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you down for a nap. I’ll clean the mess today and you can help tomorrow.”

Colin rose. Now that he didn’t have to bend over and pick Iris up, he figured he could carry her to her bedroom. He hadn’t felt even a twinge in his back since he’d been downstairs.

“I’ll take her up.” Colin took Iris from Darcy’s arms, careful not to brush against any part of her tempting body. “You can work on this.”

Holding his daughter tight, he headed up to the nursery. With her little arms around his neck, she still clutched the new doll and with each step he took it slapped against his back. Iris had taken to Darcy exactly the way Colin hoped his little girl would take to a new nanny. Yet some things about Darcy didn’t add up. He’d picked her agency because of its reputation and level of experience. Okay, so she was older than he’d first thought. But why did she have so few belongings and why were her clothes a bit on the cheap, hand-me-down side?

With Iris nuzzling his neck, Colin stepped into the pale green and pink nursery. This was the one room he’d had painted before they’d moved in. Every other room had just been furnished as he’d requested. He’d wanted something special for Iris and the designer really went all out with the round crib in the middle of the spacious room, sheer draping suspended from the ceiling that flowed down over the bed and classic white furniture complete with all things girly, pink and just a touch of sparkle. The floor-to-ceiling window also had sheer curtains that were tied back with some pink, shimmery material, and toy bins were stacked neatly against the far wall.

A room fit for a princess...or duchess, as the case may be.

When he sat Iris in her bed, she quickly grabbed her little heart pillow, hugged her new doll to her chest and lay down. Colin watched until her eyes closed, her breathing slowed.

Darcy might be a bit of a mystery, but with his status, he had to be extremely watchful. She seemed trustworthy so far. If she just wanted privacy that was one thing. Who was he to judge? Wasn’t he lying and pretending to be someone else right now?

The fact that there was more to figure out with the alluring, frustrating nanny left him no choice but to head back downstairs and talk with her now that they were alone.

Of course, he was hiding the fact that he was a prince, one who found her to be sexy as hell. Still, he needed help with Iris. For now he’d have to keep Darcy around, but that didn’t mean she’d be here for the full six months. They needed to pin down a suitable trial period. In the meantime, he could be researching a backup in case Darcy didn’t work out.

Regardless of the end result, he had to ignore how enticing she was. Romance, whether short-or long-term, was not on his agenda, and he sure as hell wouldn’t be so trite as to fall into bed with his baby’s nanny.

Three

Darcy had picked up the living room, piling all the toys and infant blankets neatly in the corner. The rogue cereal pieces were in the trash, except for the crushed bits. She’d have to ask Colin where the vacuum was kept to get the rug back in order. She’d work with Iris and her cleaning skills next time. The girl needed a nap more than she needed a lesson.

Playing with Iris, truly feeling a bond starting to form, was both a blessing and an ache she couldn’t begin to put into words. For so long she’d had that little-girl dream of having her own family, but such things were not meant to be. Darcy hadn’t thought this job would be so intense, yet maybe it was the combination of the baby and the man that had her stomach in knots. As grouchy as he was, Colin was still very sexy, there was no denying the obvious.

At first, the instant attraction to Colin had layered over her anxiety of working with an infant. The man was hot, hot, hot, and that was just the physical packaging. When he spoke with that accent he only rose another notch on the sexy scale. But there was nothing like seeing him holding his beautiful daughter, the way he looked at her with all the love in the world. Something about watching him with his guard down had Darcy melting even more.

As Colin’s footsteps pounded down the steps, she stood at the kitchen sink rinsing the sippy cup. Quickly placing it on the drying mat, she wiped her hands on her jeans. She had no clue what mood Colin would be in or how he might react once they were alone.

Would he ask her to leave simply because of the mess? A good first impression was everything and she’d probably blown it. He’d told her she had until the end of the day to prove herself, but she may not make it that far. She stood to lose her pride and her grandmother’s legacy. There was no plan B, there was no knight who would ride to her rescue. So if Colin was angry enough to ask her to go, she wouldn’t have much choice.

Darcy couldn’t get a good read on him. When he looked at her she couldn’t tell if he was angry or turned on. Ridiculous to think a piece of eye candy like Colin Alexander would find her attractive, but he volleyed between being pissed and raking his eyes over her.

No way would she bring up the fact he turned her inside out. She’d always been a professional and this job was no different...except for the fact she needed this one more than any other.

Just as Darcy turned, Colin was rounding the large center island. Even in the openness of the kitchen, the man seemed to dominate the room. She stepped back, the edge of the counter biting into the small of her back.

“Is she asleep?” Darcy asked, trying to keep her voice steady, though she felt anything but.

“Yes.” His eyes pinned her in place as he rested one hand on the granite counter. “We need to talk while she’s down.”

Swallowing, Darcy nodded. This was like the equivalent of the breakup in a business setting. Still, she wouldn’t go down without a fight.

“I need to clean the rug first,” she told him, knowing he probably recognized the stalling tactic. “I wasn’t sure where you kept your vacuum.”

“There’s a handheld one in the utility room. I’ll get it later.”

Oh, this wasn’t good. An image of her grandmother flashed through her mind. Darcy had promised Gram before she passed that Loving Hands would stay up and running. Then love had entered the picture...or what Darcy had thought was love. How could she have been so naive as to trust a man with her life and her family business, and not see that he was a lying, greedy user?

* * *

Colin leaned against the island and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Why only one bag?”

His question jerked her from her thoughts. That’s what he’d initially wanted to talk about? Her luggage?

“How many bags do I need?” she countered.

A sliver of a tattoo peeked out from beneath the hem of his T-shirt sleeve. Darcy’s belly clenched. She’d always been a sucker for ink. But shallow lust is what got her into a mess of trouble the last time. A sexy, smooth-talking man and tats over solid muscles...she refused to go down the same path again, when all she’d met at the end of her journey was a broken heart. Not that Colin was a smooth talker. He was more of a blunt, grumpy, irritable talker.

“Will you be sending for more belongings?” he asked.

Still stunned that this was what he’d wanted to discuss, she shook her head. “I have all I need. Does this mean I’m staying?”

When he raked a hand through his tousled hair, a masculine, woodsy scent slid across the gap and straight to her. How did the man positively reek of sex appeal when he looked like he’d spent days without sleep?

“I want to discuss the trial period,” he told her, shifting his weight with a slight wince. “The contract we mentioned on the phone was for six months. I’ll give you one month to prove that you’re the right fit for the job. Anytime in that month we can decide to terminate the agreement.”

Relief spread through her in waves. She would definitely win him over in a month. She was good at her job, she’d been raised helping her grandmother care for children and, honestly, raising kids was all she knew. The irony of the situation as it related to her personal struggles was not lost on her.

And, actually, caring for kids wasn’t all she knew, just all she knew to pay her bills. Cooking was her hobby, her therapy, really, but it wouldn’t keep her afloat financially no matter how much she enjoyed it.

“That sounds fair.” She rested her hands on either side of her hips, gripping the edge of the counter with her palms.

“I know we agreed on compensation,” he went on as if conducting a business meeting and not standing in his kitchen with sexual tension vibrating between them. “I’ll give you half now and the other half at the end of the six months, if you stay. Between now and the sixth month, there may be incentives along the way. Bonuses, if you will.”

“And if I leave at the end of this month?”

Colin’s bright eyes held hers as he lifted a shoulder. “Then take the first half of the money and go. No incentives.”

Half the money was better than no money. Still, she needed the full amount to pay off Thad’s debt and jumpstart the agency again. This job would save her business and get her back where she needed to be so she would make sure she impressed him with her skills.

She was an excellent cook, if she did say so herself. Surely that would be another check in her favor. What single man wouldn’t want someone who had hot meals ready for him every single night?

“I expect you to care for Iris during my working hours which I already went over with you on the phone,” he went on. “I don’t expect you to cook every meal, that’s a duty we can share. I do need you to drive if we go out, as I’m still recovering from an accident that has limited my activities. If all of this is fine with you, then you can stay.”

Darcy nodded, though she wanted to ask about his injury. But now wasn’t the time and if she stayed on as nanny, she’d most likely discover what had happened to him.

“I’m fine with that deal.”

She held out a hand to shake. He darted his gaze down to her hand, then back up to her face. With an emotionless expression, Colin slid his warm, strong hand into hers and an electric sensation shot straight up her arm. His eyes widened for the briefest of moments. The grip on her hand tightened.

This wasn’t happening. No way could an attraction form so quickly, be so intense. She’d been convinced the tension and fascination was one-sided. Apparently not.

Darcy swallowed, wondering what he was thinking, feeling. She didn’t want the awkwardness to settle between them. This was only day one, though, so she’d chalk it up to them getting a feel for each other...not the chemistry that was growing and already causing problems.

“Do you want to give me a tour of the house?” Darcy asked, needing to remove herself from temptation.

Colin blinked, dropped her hand and nodded. “Of course. I also wanted to let you know that if you need an evening off to go out or have some personal time, just give me notice. I don’t expect you to put your life on hold and work twenty-four hours a day.”

Laughter bubbled up and Darcy couldn’t keep it contained. Colin’s brows drew together.

“You find that funny?”

Waving a hand in the air, Darcy shook her head. “I have no social life. I won’t require any time off.”

He tipped his chin down slightly, causing a longer strand of dark hair to fall over his eye as he studied her. “You keep surprising me.”

Besides his striking looks, Colin had a voice that would make any woman tremble with need. She didn’t want to tremble, didn’t want to have any type of unexpected attraction toward this man or any other. From here on out, until her agency was back in business, Darcy vowed to stay focused. No men, regardless of how lonely she was. She didn’t need someone to complete her, not by any means. But there were those nights she missed being held, missed the powerful touch only a man could provide.

“I’m really pretty simple,” she told him. “My work keeps me happy so I don’t need anything else.”

“What about friends? Boyfriends?”

Okay, that wasn’t subtle. Was he asking as an employer or as a man?

Pulling her self-control up front and center, Darcy stepped away from him and headed out of the kitchen. “How about that tour while Iris is sleeping?”

* * *

Two weeks and a great deal of sexual tension later, Colin led Darcy down the hall toward the back of the house, well aware of her closeness behind him and even more aware of the unspoken attraction that seemed to be hovering between them. He’d been struggling to keep any emotions hidden. He didn’t want her to look at him and see any sign of lust. Colin had no room for such things, not when he and his daughter were desperate for help.

But each time he’d seen Darcy with Iris, something had moved in him. Something he couldn’t identify. He assumed at this point she had no boyfriend. She’d made no mention of one even though she’d never come out and answered him when he’d grilled her on the subject her first day.

She’d managed to put him in his place without a word. Fine. He didn’t have time to get involved in her personal life and he sure as hell shouldn’t want to.

Earlier today, when he’d mentioned working out, he’d seen a brief interest pass over her face. He figured if he showed her the gym and they both made use of it, maybe they could work through...whatever this was brewing between them. He couldn’t speak for Darcy, but fourteen days of strain and sexual tension was taking its toll on him.

Colin headed toward the back of the house where the first floor bedroom had been turned into a gym. He’d specified to his designer all the equipment he’d need to continue his therapy on his own and to keep in shape. He had to keep his workouts inside now since his injuries prevented him from going out for a run or rock climbing. He’d never rock climb again. His one main passion in life had been stolen from him.

Shoving aside unwanted anger and frustration, Colin eased the French doors open and stepped inside.

“I know you’re busy with Iris, but I wanted you to know this is available to you any time you want to use it. I have weights, a treadmill, elliptical, bike, all top of the line.”

“Wow, you certainly take the meaning of home gym to a whole new level.” Darcy glanced through the room and smiled. “I’ve never had much time to devote to a workout before.”

Colin didn’t think she needed to work out at all, but he wanted to extend the offer since he’d been using the gym and he hadn’t invited her to make use of the space yet. Darcy’s shapely body was perfect from every angle...and he’d studied it at every opportunity since the moment she moved in.

“You’re more than welcome to everything in here if you decide you’d like to try,” he told her.

“I’ve never used any of these machines before,” she muttered. “But I’m sure I could muddle my way through.”

Or he could offer to show her.

Colin cursed himself. If they were both going to use this space, he knew they had to do so at different times. The last thing he needed to see was a sweaty, flushed Darcy because that would conjure up a whole host of other images and fantasies.

At this point, he had to get something out in the open. They’d gone two weeks with passing glances and innocent touching as they worked with Iris. Each day he found it more difficult to quash his desires. And Darcy was a damn good nanny, so getting rid of her was not an option.

“I need to be honest with you,” he told her.

Tucking her long hair behind her ears, Darcy nodded. “Okay.”

“You’re a beautiful woman,” he began, hoping he wasn’t making a mistake. “There’s a pull between us and I don’t think I’m being presumptuous when I say that. However, I plan to remain single and I have every intention of keeping our relationship professional.”

Darcy’s mouth had dropped open. For a moment he wondered if he’d gone too far or if his imagination had taken over.

Upfront and honest was how he preferred everything. Okay, obviously there were exceptions since he was keeping a colossal truth from her. But his royal status wouldn’t affect her life. She was a nanny, she’d get paid, they would part ways in less than six months and their personal lives could remain private, for the most part.

“Then I’ll be honest, too.” She laced her fingers in front of her and lifted her chin. “I won’t deny the attraction. I mean, you have to know what you look like, but that’s just superficial. I still don’t know you very well because you’re so quiet and brooding, but my main focus is Iris. I promise I’m not here looking for anything other than a job. I’ve had enough difficulties in my life the past few years. Does that help ease your mind?”

Part of him wanted to know what she’d been through, but the other part told him to shut up and deal with his own issues. Had she just called him brooding? He suppressed the urge to smile at her bluntness. Admiration for this woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind mixed right along with his arousal where she was concerned. The combination of the two could prove to be crippling if he didn’t keep a tight rein on his emotions.

Still, Darcy wasn’t like any woman he’d ever known. She wasn’t blatantly sexual, she wasn’t throwing herself at him even though she’d admitted to being attracted, and she’d been in his house ample time to try her hand at seduction. Not once had she come out with skimpy pajamas or purposely been provocative to try to capture his attention. Perhaps that was just another reason he found her so intriguing and refreshing.

Would she be so controlled if she knew who he really was, how much he was worth?

Being a member of royalty had always made him an instant magnet for women. His late wife hadn’t cared about his status, which was one of the things that had initially drawn him to her. But then reality had hit, and the accident that nearly claimed his life wedged between them at the same time she’d discovered her pregnancy. Months of stress and worry had torn them apart and for once in his life, money couldn’t fix his problems.

“You okay?” Darcy asked.

Her delicate hand rested on his bare arm and Colin clenched his teeth, fighting away the memories. He couldn’t live in the past, trying to pinpoint the exact moment his marriage went wrong. Like everything else, little things started adding up to bigger things and, slowly, the marriage had just dissolved.

Iris was his main concern now. He needed to relax, work on being a regular father giving his daughter the best life possible.

And to decide whether to renounce his title. The pressure of knowing that their wayward cousin, who didn’t deserve the title, would have it if something happened to Stefan was overwhelming. He hated being in this position, but ignoring it wouldn’t make the situation go away.

“Colin?”

Nodding, he let out a sigh. “I’m fine,” he assured her, hating when her hand slid away. Those gentle fingertips trailed down his arm before leaving him wanting more than just an innocent touch. “Anything you want to ask about the equipment while I’m here with you?”

Her eyes roamed over the apparatus in the workout room. An image of her sweating with him flashed through his mind which led to other images of them sweating and he cursed himself. If he didn’t get control over his libido he’d have more trouble on his hands than he could possibly handle.

“If I wanted to start working out, what would you recommend? The treadmill? I’m pretty out of shape.”

Out of shape? Everything about her shape screamed perfection. He never was one of those guys who needed his woman to be supermodel thin. He preferred having plenty of curves to explore.

When her eyes came back to his, he fought the urge to pull her inside and get that sweat going. He’d bet his royal, jeweled crown she would look even sexier all flushed, with a sheen of perspiration across her body.

“Do you really want to work out?” he asked. “I don’t want you to feel pressured. I’m just offering the room to you.”

Darcy shrugged. “I could stand to lose a few pounds.”

Anger simmered beneath the surface. “Who told you that?”

Darcy entered the room and checked out the elliptical, the treadmill, the free weights. “He’s no longer in the picture, but that’s not what matters. What matters is that I’ve let myself go, and with all of this at my fingertips I don’t see why I shouldn’t take advantage of it while I’m here.”

Colin stepped in and came up behind her, close enough to touch. He clenched his hands at his sides. “If you want to feel better about yourself, that’s one thing. If you’re doing this because some bastard told you you’re overweight, then I have a problem.”

Her shoulders stiffened as she turned. The second she realized how close they were, her eyes widened, but she didn’t step back. Their bodies were only a breath apart and with each inhale, the tips of her breasts brushed against his chest. He was playing with fire and damn if he could stop himself. He’d always lived for the adrenaline rush and Darcy got his blood pumping.

Being this close he noticed a sprinkling of freckles across her nose. There was so much innocence in this woman, yet in some ways she seemed too tough to be innocent. She’d gone through hard times, according to her. Even if she hadn’t said so, he could tell by the way she was headstrong, determined and focused. How the hell could he not find that completely sexy?

“My weight may have been mentioned in my last relationship,” she told him, keeping her eyes on his. “But he’s history and I want to do this for me. Will you help me or not?”

Would he help her? Close quarters, alone without Iris as a buffer and having Darcy’s body as his sole focus for hours? He may not want this attraction, but it was there nonetheless and only an idiot would turn her down.

“I’ll help you,” he told her. “We’ll start tonight after Iris goes to bed. That work for you?”

Her smile spread across her face, lighting up those expressive eyes. “It works if you take it easy on me.”

Oiktirmon. Mercy.

“Oh, I plan on giving you just what you need.”

Four

What had she been thinking? Darcy had been so impressed by the gym she’d opened her mouth before she could even think about what she was saying. Now she’d committed to exercising with someone who should be posing for calendars sans shirt, while she looked like the before picture on a Weight Watcher’s ad.

She’d been taken with Colin and his blunt declaration of attraction. Apparently a lust-filled haze had clouded her mind and hindered her common sense. He’d called out the obvious and now they both had to deal with the tension that would no doubt envelop them every time they were together.

Dinner had been comfortable, though. Iris as the focal point certainly helped. Now she was bathed and in bed, and Darcy had pulled on her favorite yoga pants and an old Loving Hands T-shirt. After pulling on her worn tennis shoes, she headed toward the gym.

The whirring of the treadmill filtered out of the partially open doors and into the hallway. When Darcy peeked around the corner, she was so, so glad she had the advantage of being behind him. Obvious eye-candy images aside, she was thankful no one could see her because there was no way she could take in this male form, all sweaty, shirtless and in action, and not stand here with her mouth open, eyes wide.

The full view of his tattoo caught her attention. A dragon started over one shoulder blade, swirled down one biceps and disappeared over his shoulder to the front. Her fingers itched to trace the pattern, to feel all that taut skin beneath her fingertips. Surely there was some meaning behind the image. Most people had tattoos based on something personal in their lives. She couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever uncover anything beneath the surface with him.

Just as Darcy eased the door open, Colin stumbled, shouted a curse and smacked the red emergency button on the treadmill. Gripping the sides of the machine, he panted, head hanging between his shoulders.

“Are you all right?” she asked, crossing to the piece of equipment in case he needed help.

Colin jerked his head around, wincing as he caught sight of her. “I thought you’d be longer with putting Iris down.”

As he turned completely and started to step down, his leg went out from under him and he collapsed, landing hard on the belt of the machine.

Darcy squatted beside him, her hands resting on his bare knee. “Colin, are you okay?” she repeated.

Stupid question, as he’d obviously hurt himself and was trying to hide the fact. Still, she couldn’t just stand here and not do or say something.

“Fine,” he bit out through gritted teeth. “I’m supposed to walk every day, but the doctor says if I feel like it I can try jogging.”

“Is that why you were running full speed on an incline when I came in?”

His eyes met hers. There went that click once again when this man stared at her. The intensity of his gaze couldn’t even be put into words because she’d never experienced such a force in her life.

“I’m not going to be held prisoner by this injury.” His tone left no room for argument. “And I don’t want your pity.”

Colin’s eyes held hers another second before they dropped to her hands on his knee. The dark hair on his leg slid beneath her palms as she started to remove her hands. Instantly, his hand covered hers, holding her in place.

“I wasn’t feeling pity,” she whispered. “Attracted, intrigued, yes. Not pity.”

His thumb stroked the back of her hand. “This can’t be an issue.”

She knew he wasn’t referring to his injury or the fact that she’d found him in a state of pain.

“It’s already an issue,” she retorted, not even trying to pretend she had no idea what he was referring to. “We just have to take control of the tension instead of it controlling us.”

His eyes held hers, the muscle ticked in his jaw. “Are you ready to get sweaty?”

Darcy swallowed, then took her own advice and tried to get a grip. Offering a smile, she said, “If you’re trying to keep this attraction on the backburner, I think you probably shouldn’t ask questions like that.”

Laughing, Colin started to rise. “Just wanted to see the look on your face.”

The man actually laughed. And there went that zing of desire shooting through her again, because a brooding Colin was sexy, but a smiling Colin was flat-out irresistible.

Darcy came to her feet. “I’m sure I didn’t disappoint,” she joked.

As Colin got his feet beneath him, Darcy took a step back. “So what are you recovering from?”

Raking a hand through his hair, Colin sighed and shook his head. “A life I’ve left behind,” he muttered.

Curiosity heightened, she wanted to know more about this mysterious man who’d so easily and swiftly captured her attention.

“Tell me what your goal is,” he said, resting a hand on the rail of the treadmill. “Are you wanting to lose weight, tone up or just work on feeling better about yourself?”

“All of the above.”

A wide smile stretched across his face. The combination of those bright blue eyes and that knee-weakening smile could have any woman throwing all morals and professional behavior out the window.

“Let’s get started,” he said, clasping his hands together.

An hour later, Darcy was questioning her sanity and wondering why she’d let those sexy, dark-skinned muscles sway her judgment. How in the world did she think she could keep up? This man was obviously in shape and she was obviously...not.

She resisted the urge to bend over and pull in much-needed air to her overexerted lungs.

“Ready for more?” he asked, hands on his hips, devastatingly handsome smile on his face.

She sent him a glare. “I’m not a masochist.”

“You’re honest,” he replied, using his T-shirt to wipe the sweat off his brow. “I prefer honesty.”

“That makes two of us.”

He moved over to the small refrigerator in the corner of the room and pulled out two bottles of water. After handing her one, they both uncapped the drinks and took long pulls. Water had never tasted so good.

“So why the nanny business?” he asked, propping his foot upon a workout bench. His elbow rested on his knee, the bottle of water hung between two fingers. “Because you’re an amazing cook. Dinner was pretty damn delicious. All of the meals have been great, but tonight’s was my favorite.”

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