His secret: he’s a prince!

Her secret: she’s carrying his baby!

After ER doc Lev Vanin shared one unforgettable night with gorgeous Dr. Imogen Hayes, he never expected to see her again. He couldn’t tell Imogen he’s actually a prince! But when a revolution at home forces Lev into hiding, he ends up working in Imogen’s hospital and his secret is out! Plus, Lev’s life is about to be turned upside down once again...because Imogen’s pregnant with his heir!

Born and raised just outside Toronto, Ontario, AMY RUTTAN fled the big city to settle down with the country boy of her dreams. After the birth of her second child Amy was lucky enough to realise her lifelong dream of becoming a romance author. When she’s not furiously typing away at her computer she’s mum to three wonderful children, who use her as a personal taxi and chef.

Also by Amy Ruttan

Convenient Marriage, Surprise Twins

Navy Doc on Her Christmas List

The Surgeon King’s Secret Baby

A Mummy for His Daughter

A Date with Dr Moustakas

NY Doc Under the Northern Lights

Carrying the Surgeon’s Baby

The Surgeon’s Convenient Husband

Royal Doc’s Secret Heir

Pregnant with the Paramedic’s Baby

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Baby Bombshell for the Doctor Prince

Amy Ruttan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90240-7

BABY BOMBSHELL FOR THE DOCTOR PRINCE

© 2020 Amy Ruttan

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Note to Readers

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For my readers.

I wouldn’t be here, at this milestone,

without all of your support.

Much love.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE
Toronto, Ontario

DANG IT!

She was late.

Imogen hated being late. Especially on the first day of the medical conference, in her first lab of the conference. This was a lab she’d specifically signed up for. This was her number one reason for coming to the conference and she was late.

Jet lag. It was jet lag and that was the story she was sticking to.

She’d been in Yellowknife a long time and hadn’t traveled in a while. Jet lag usually didn’t bother her.

Except today, of course. It had to be today.

She slipped into the room, hoping no one clocked her or noticed she was late for the simulation lab that was the talk of this conference. It was the whole reason why she had come. If it hadn’t been for the lab and workshops, she would’ve stayed in Yellowknife, in her safe little bubble where she knew her routines, knew her patients, knew her work.

She tried to move quietly at the back of the lab, looking for any open seat.

“Dr. Hayes?”

She cringed as her name was called out.

“Yes. Sorry,” she responded.

The instructor looked less than impressed. “Join group five over there. They’ve already started without you.”

Imogen’s cheeks heated with embarrassment as she slunk over to group five.

She sat down. The other two doctors briefly filled her in, but she knew they were annoyed she was late.

She was too. The last thing she wanted was to be the center of attention. She hated it, and arriving late had done exactly that.

Her ex, Allen, had craved the limelight and she didn’t.

She loved helping her patients. She loved Yellowknife, but Allen had wanted more.

She was mortified to be the last one here.

“Another latecomer,” the instructor piped up. “Honestly, people, let’s not make this a precedent. Join group five, please.”

Imogen looked up to see the other straggler, hoping to find a kindred spirit with whom she could commiserate. Her mouth dropped open when she saw who was walking toward her group.

He was six-three, at least, broad-shouldered, blue-eyed, and he had a neat beard. He reminded her of all those Viking heroes that she would see on the covers of her best friend’s mother’s romance novels. The ones she and her friend would sneak out and read at slumber parties.

It was like he had walked straight out of the pages of a book.

She was pretty tall herself, at five-eleven, so it was rare for her to find someone who towered over her and made her feel like she could actually wear a nice pair of heels with him and be swept off her feet.

Allen had never liked her to wear heels, as he was already an inch shorter than her.

What are you thinking about? Why are you thinking like this?

It had to be the jet lag. She wasn’t thinking rationally. She shook those thoughts from her head.

He sat down next to her, smiling politely at her; she met his gaze, which was intense. It was as if he could read exactly what she was thinking and he in turn looked her up and down with a brief flick of his eyes.

She really hoped she wasn’t blushing, because suddenly it was very hot in this room, especially after the chilly reception she had received from the others and the hotel air-conditioning, which was cranked up full blast.

“I’m Dr. Hayes,” she whispered. “And I was late too.”

He smiled. “Dr. Vanin.”

He had an accent she couldn’t quite place, but there was no time to talk, as they both had to catch up on what they’d missed.

And she got the feeling, by the way he sat so stiffly beside her, that he wasn’t the chatty type. After the instructor gave them all directions, their group went to work in the simulation lab that had been set up. She was paired off with Dr. Vanin as they practiced using robotic technology to perform a surgery she would usually do with a laparoscope.

Their operation on the silicone abdomen was removing a gallbladder with a gallstone that was lodged in the common bile duct. One that could not be retrieved after an ERCP and that needed to be surgically removed.

Thankfully, this was her forte.

She was one of the top general surgeons in the Northwest Territories.

“Have you ever used this technology before?” Dr. Vanin asked.

“Robotic, no, but I’m pretty familiar with laparoscopic surgery, but when there’s a situation like this with a stone lodged in a duct, I usually do a full laparotomy at that point. It’s why I’m here, to learn how to do this kind of surgery in the most minimally invasive way possible.”

He nodded, seemingly impressed. “I do not do much general surgery, especially delicate work with laparoscopes. My specialty is trauma. I’m here to hone my skills.”

“Well, I can help guide you.” She stepped to the side. “Why don’t you go first?”

He smiled warmly. “Thank you, Dr. Hayes.”

“No problem.” Imogen stood beside him. Her heart raced like she was a young girl standing beside her first crush. It was silly, but there was just something about him that made her feel out of control.

And she didn’t like to lose control.

Control protected her. It had got her where she was today.

And she was kicking herself for offering to guide him with the instruments. The last thing she wanted to do was crow about her achievements. Allen used to get so defensive when she was lauded over him.

Allen’s not here. He’s gone.

“If I’m overstepping...” she started to say, and he looked up at her, confused.

“How? I appreciate the help from a more experienced general surgeon. Please, you are not overstepping.”

She blushed. “Okay.”

He nodded and turned his attention back to the instruments.

She watched him use the robotic controls easily. He was picking it up quickly.

“What stitch do you use on the common bile duct?” he asked.

“A running stitch using a monofilament absorbable suture. That allows me proper repair of the anastomosis of the bile duct. And it will hold well; the last thing a patient needs is a leak, which would lead to sepsis.”

“Show me how you do it.” He stood up and she took his spot. She showed him her running stitch, which she could do blindfolded.

“You do that so efficiently,” he remarked.

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. It is the truth,” he stated.

She blushed. “Still, thanks.”

Imogen couldn’t remember anyone, other than her late father, complimenting her. But her father had had to compliment her—he was her father. He had been supportive and loving, but he’d also been biased.

Allen had never complimented her, but she’d never really worked much with him because the way they’d started out had been through professional rivalry, a torrid romance, then her broken heart when he’d left because he couldn’t handle her popularity or life in the north.

She’d sworn she’d never again date another doctor.

Of course, with her workload in Yellowknife, she never had time to date, and the only people she interacted with besides patients were doctors, paramedics, nurses...medical people.

So she never bothered dating. Never thought about it.

And if she didn’t think about it, she had control over her feelings. She didn’t feel so alone or hurt.

Why are you thinking about it now, then?

She had to get a grip. She was not at this conference to date. She was here to work. Even if her friend and boss, Jeanette, had told her to loosen up and enjoy herself, Imogen had no time for that.

Once she finished her part of the lab, and the class was over, she was going to ask Dr. Vanin out for a cup of coffee. But when she looked up, he’d already left the room. She was disappointed, but it was probably for the best that she keep her distance.

All week she saw him. And as much as she tried to avoid him, they always seemed to sit next to each other and during labs they always partnered up. But when the class was done he’d disappear. Even though she made other acquaintances at the conference, when she’d spot Dr. Vanin, he was always on his own and he always seemed to disappear before she had the chance to really talk to him.

He wasn’t really talkative, but he was smart and knowledgeable and, oh, so sexy.

So when she walked into the hotel bar for the mixer at the end of the conference, and saw him brooding at the bar rather than conversing with the rest of the physicians, she steeled her resolve to go and talk to him.

Even if this was so not her usual modus operandi, she didn’t know anyone else. If she took control of the situation, then she could make a new friend. She could even call it networking, since he was a fellow professional and she absolutely, definitely was not going to date anyone medical ever again.

The way her own parents had ended up had made her a little gun-shy. Her father had been perpetually waiting for her mother to come back, but she never had.

She shook away the thought of the mother she’d never known.

This wasn’t dating. This was a mixer and she didn’t work with Dr. Vanin. All she was doing was going to talk to someone interesting.

And sexy.

Her stomach flip-flopped as she approached him.

“Dr. Vanin... Lev, isn’t it?”

Dr. Vanin turned around on his bar stool and smiled. “Yes. And you’re Dr. Hayes, if I remember, yes?”

“Yes, but you can call me Imogen.” She extended her hand. “May I sit?”

He nodded and motioned to the empty bar stool next to him, and suddenly she felt very awkward and out of place.

Say something.

“We seemed to have been at every workshop together. Quite a coincidence, eh?” She cringed inwardly at using such an obvious Canadian colloquialism.

“That we do,” he said. His eyes twinkled and she hoped he found her awkwardness cute rather than goofy.

“Where are you from?” she asked.

“I’m from Chenar.”

“Where exactly is that again?” She knew it was in Europe but felt silly for not having a better grasp of geography.

He smiled and nodded. “Northeastern Europe. Our country was founded by Viking traders looking for access to the Silk Road by land instead of by sea. It’s why we appear more Nordic than Russian. I get asked that all the time. Not many people know where it is. They just assume I’m Romanian or Russian.”

“Now I remember. It’s a small, unique country. I’ve been there, but a long time ago.”

His smile brightened. “You’ve been there? How unusual.”

“My father loved to travel. It was just the two of us and we went to a lot of places when I was young.”

“Does your father still travel?”

“No. He passed a couple of years ago.” Imogen tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she thought of her father, a scientist, who had been working up in Alert. He’d passed away from a major hemorrhagic stroke. Gone before he’d even hit the floor.

Imogen had been traveling to smaller communities up in Nunavut when it had happened. It was a sore spot for her that she hadn’t been there when he’d passed. He’d been her only family. It had been just the two of them for so long.

Her throat tightened.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Lev said gently.

“Thank you.” She cleared her throat, trying not to cry.

“And now that I have thoroughly depressed you,” he teased, “what should we talk about next?”

Imogen smiled at him. “No. I’m fine. Really.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Are you sure? I mean, this social thing is kind of sad, and then I went and depressed you further...”

“You’re not depressing me.”

“Good.” He took another sip of his drink. “I would hate to drag you down with me.”

Imogen glanced over her shoulder. He wasn’t wrong. It was summer and this was Toronto. She’d lived in the city when she was at university and then medical school. They were in a stodgy hotel with cheap drinks and bland food. Outside, Toronto was just coming to life.

“Do you want to get out of here?” she whispered conspiratorially.

He perked up. “Really?”

“I used to live in Toronto. I could take you on a quick tour if you’d like?”

Lev grinned and there was a twinkle in those deep blue eyes. “I would like that very much.”

“Good.” She set down her drink. “Let’s go, before someone else decides to talk to us.”

Lev finished the rest of his Scotch and followed her out of the bar.

It was kind of exciting to sneak out of the hotel, dumping their name badges on a table just outside the reception room.

In only a few minutes they were out of the hotel and on Front Street. The sun was only just beginning to set, though it wasn’t late. Where she lived now, in Yellowknife, the summer sun wouldn’t set for hours. It was one of her favorite things about living so far north, but there was still something magical about sunset in a bustling city like Toronto, with the city lights coming on and reflecting in the water of Lake Ontario. Toronto never seemed to sleep. It was exciting and thrilling. She’d forgotten that.

“There is one thing I want to do,” Lev said as they walked along Front Street. “Something I’ve wanted to do since I came to Toronto.”

“What’s that?” she asked, curious.

“Go up that!” Lev pointed to the CN Tower.

“Sure. We can see if it’s still open.” Without thinking, Imogen took his hand. She froze for a moment when she realized what she’d done, but he didn’t pull away or seem to mind as they headed in the direction of Union Station. They ran across the road, dodging and weaving through the parked cars and the small evening traffic jam in front of the train station.

There were people on their way to some concert at the Scotiabank Arena and there were others trying to make their way home, taxis dropping off and picking up in front of Union Station. She led him through the train station and to the walkway that connected the station to the major attractions that hugged the Toronto waterfront.

They were lucky and able to get two tickets, which Lev insisted that he pay for because she was his tour guide.

It was a quick elevator ride up, and Imogen had to plug her ears as they popped. Soon they were on the observation deck of what used to be the tallest freestanding structure in the world.

They stood side by side, looking out over the city, which was lighting up as the sun sank on the west side of the city. Lev didn’t say much and Imogen stood beside him, her pulse racing with the anticipation of something new and exciting.

Something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“So big,” Lev whispered. “This city is about the size of my country.”

“It’s a pretty big city. All the years I lived here, this is my first time on the observation deck.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Really? Why?”

She shrugged. “I was at medical school. I was focused. I didn’t make time.”

She hadn’t made time for a lot of things and that saddened her.

They wandered along the perimeter of the observation deck until they were looking south at the lake. When she looked out over Lake Ontario, she closed her eyes and imagined she was back home in Yellowknife, on her houseboat and listening to the sounds of Great Slave Lake. She hated being so far from home. No matter where she and her father had traveled, they’d always come back to Yellowknife. She opened her eyes and looked out over the city and Lake Ontario.

Lake Ontario was smaller than Great Slave Lake, but you couldn’t tell when on the shoreline, as both were vast and she didn’t really care to think about it. Not now. Not when she was standing next to a man who made her body thrum with excitement, in a way Allen never had.

It’s just lust.

Allen had been her boyfriend for three years, and lust didn’t last forever.

She’d just met Lev. He was new.

She needed to get a grip on these crazy emotions. She had to get back in control. Only she liked this feeling of living a little. It was fun and new. It wasn’t going to be anything serious.

This was what she should’ve done when she was younger, but she’d been too afraid. She was still afraid, but she was going to savor tonight. It was the first step she needed to take, to put the burning mess of what had happened between her and Allen behind her.

Her first step in moving on.

Even if Allen had moved on a couple of years ago.

“I have never seen a lake so large.”

“This is the seventh largest in Canada.” She winced. Her father had always called her an encyclopedia and Allen had hated her little trivia facts.

Lev’s eyebrows rose. “Only seventh? Which is the largest?”

Imogen frowned. “Uh, I think Lake Superior. It’s farther north, but still in Ontario.”

Lev leaned forward. “I like Canada. I have only been here a short time and I wish I could stay. A man could get lost here.”

He said the last bit almost wistfully, like he wanted to get lost, and she didn’t really blame him for thinking that way. It was why she liked working in the north. Even though Yellowknife was a city, it was far from anything else.

Only a thirty-minute drive out of the city and it was wilderness, trees and rock that had been exposed by glaciers.

It was easy to get lost up there, but it was a place where she’d found herself after Allen had broken her heart and her father had died.

“What is on the islands?” Lev asked as they watched a ferry slowly make its way from Queens Quay to the islands.

“Some homes, parks, a nudist beach,” she teased.

Lev chuckled. “Wouldn’t it be cold?”

“Not in the summer. We don’t all drive a snowmobile to work.” She did, in the winter.

“I never thought that. Do people think that?” he asked.

“Some,” she said dryly.

He shook his head. “Well, I just meant it’s night and the water looks cold.”

“Yes. It can be cold, but I doubt people are at the beach now.”

A lazy grin spread on his face. “Why not? Darkness hides a lot.”

Her heart skipped a beat and she felt the blush rise in her cheeks as she tried not to think of the two of them alone on the nudist beach with only the moon lighting up the sky.

“Where can we get a drink?” he asked, breaking the tension.

“I know a nice place down by the waterfront.”

“Good. Lead the way.” Lev took her hand and it sent a jolt of electricity through her. It just felt right to hold his hand. It made her forget all the rules she’d set up to protect her heart. It made her feel carefree. It made her feel hot and gooey, all the things she’d never really felt before. Or if she had, she’d forgotten and Lev had woken something up inside her.

And as they walked slowly along the waterfront toward the patio, it felt like they had been doing this walk for some time. They didn’t talk much, but then, during the whole week at the conference they hadn’t really spoken a lot. There had just been this instant camaraderie the moment they’d both walked into the robotic lab late. Like they knew each other, even though they’d never met before.

Kindred spirits. Although she didn’t believe in that. Not really.

Still, she felt at ease with him.

Like this was right.

You’re crazy. He lives halfway across the world from you.

She knew all her friends in Yellowknife had told her to let loose and live a little when she was down in Toronto, but this was ridiculous. She couldn’t be interested in Dr. Vanin. Long-distance relationships never worked and she wasn’t leaving Yellowknife. She couldn’t.

She’d tried it when she’d been a traveling doctor and it had crashed and burned, hard. She wouldn’t date someone from far away again.

Who said anything about dating?

All this was... Well, she didn’t know what it was, but she was enjoying herself. She couldn’t quite believe that she was here with Lev, walking along the waterfront, hand in hand, talking about the city, enjoying the summer evening.

She didn’t want to go to the patio and be around other people, because she liked this so much. It was as if they were in a little bubble together and she didn’t want anyone to burst it.

Of course, it would burst eventually when they both went home tomorrow, but for now, it was nice, just the two of them.

They stopped and Lev leaned over the railing, watching the water and the city lights reflecting in the lake.

“It’s a beautiful night. It’s nice out here. So calm. So quiet.”

“It is a nice night, though I would hardly call Toronto calm or quiet.”

“Well, it seems quiet here.”

“I prefer the country,” she said.

“Do you?” he asked, surprised.

“Why are you shocked by that?”

“I thought you were a city girl.”

“What made you think that?” she asked.

“You could navigate that traffic outside the hotel. You seem not to be bothered by crowds of people.”

“I went to school in Toronto for many years. I’m used to it, but I’m not a city girl. I much prefer a quieter setting. A smaller setting.”

“Tell me about it.”

“What would you like to know?” she asked.

“You’re a surgeon where you’re located?”

“Yes. I did some work with a flying doctor service, but now I’m based in a hospital.”

“Flying doctor?” he asked. “I have heard of this, but I’m intrigued about how it works.”

“There are so many small communities that have no other way to connect them. You’re at the mercy of the weather, though, as a flying doctor. Food and medical supplies are all brought in that way for some communities.”

“And if the plane can’t fly?” he asked.

“People can die.” She thought of her father again. Maybe if he’d been in a city...

She shook that thought away. His stroke had been so catastrophic that even if he’d been in a hospital, he would’ve died.

“You have to be tough to live there.”

She nodded. “Being a flying doctor is not for everyone.”

“It’s for you, though,” he said softly, and he touched her cheek as he said that, which caused a flush to bloom in her cheeks. “When you blush, you look so...beautiful.”

Imogen’s heart raced. Her body seemed to come alive at his touch. His compliments made her swoon. It had been a long time since someone had touched her so intimately, and the fact it was Lev made her heart beat just a bit faster.

It was like she’d been asleep for years, walking around in a haze.

Numb.

“Well, your job as a flying doctor is admirable,” he stated, breaking the heady tension that had fallen between them.

Another compliment. It caught her off guard.

“You could be so much more if you’d leave Yellowknife,” Allen huffed, annoyed with her.

“Why would I leave Yellowknife? My services are needed here.”

Allen shook his head. “Being a flying doctor? You could earn so much more if you came south.”

“Are you asking me to marry you and come south?” She was shocked and a little thrilled at the prospect of marrying Allen.

“No,” Allen said bluntly. “I’m going south. You can come if you want, but you know I don’t believe in marriage.”

“I’m not going south.”

Her heart broke, but she couldn’t choose a man who couldn’t commit.

“Then I guess this is it.” Allen turned his back on her and left.

“How is it admirable?”

“I take it not many physicians want to do what you do,” Lev said, interrupting her thoughts.

“No. You’re right. They don’t.” It was an ongoing problem that the north had a hard time keeping people. “I don’t anymore. I do like the hospital I work at.”

“Still, you amaze me.”

“I don’t know why. I love my life. Perhaps I’m selfish,” she said sheepishly.

“No. Not selfish. Not to live like that. I’m envious of you. In Chenar, I work in the capital city and deal with...the elite of my country. It’s not what I like. Not at all.” His tone was one of dissatisfaction. “I much preferred my military work, but that came to an end and I was discharged.”

“You don’t sound happy.”

“No. I’m not. I enjoyed it, but...my time was up.”

“You could always leave,” she offered. “Go somewhere else.”

“If I could, I would.” He took her hand again. “I wish I could be free like you, Imogen. I envy you.”

Was she free? She didn’t feel free.

“Last time I checked, Chenar was a free country. Sure, there’s a king...but I don’t think he’s cruel.”

A strange smile passed over his face. “No. Not at all. But let’s not talk about it anymore. You promised me a drink.”

“I did. It’s just over here.”

It was a short walk to the patio that she had been thinking of, but when they got there, it was closed. Instead, a small boutique hotel had opened up in its place. And though it didn’t have a public bar, it had a rooftop patio for guests.

“Well, that’s a shame. We can find somewhere else,” she suggested.

“Didn’t you say this was a good place?” he asked.

“I did, but the bar is only for hotel guests.”

He grinned, a devious look in his eyes. “Let’s get a room together.”

Her pulse quickened. “What?”

“Get a room so we can have a drink.”

“You’re crazy.” It was a mad idea, but still kind of thrilling.

“What do you think? We get a room, have a drink and then leave.”

Live a little.

“Okay,” she said excitedly. “Let’s do it.”

This was perhaps the craziest thing she’d ever done, but this whole night was so out of the norm for her, it was exciting. Her heart was not in danger and then she’d return to Yellowknife and her normal routine.

Lev was going to take a room just so they could have a drink on the rooftop. All that was left was a penthouse suite, but he paid for it anyway.

Soon they were on the rooftop patio of a penthouse suite that overlooked the lake, drinking glasses of champagne, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“I still can’t believe we did this,” she said.

“Have you never done this?”

“No.” She laughed.

He grinned and clinked her champagne flute against his. “Well, there’s a first time for everything.”

“Oh?” she asked, intrigued. “You do this a lot, do you?”

He took a sip and shook his head. “No. This is my first time too.”

Her blood heated when he said that and she tried to swallow the bubbly liquid, but it was hard to do that with her heart racing, her body trembling, while the rational part of her brain was still trying to process why she was here.

The limbic part of her brain told her she was in the right place and it keenly reminded her that Allen had left a long time ago and she was single and had been alone for quite some time.

One glass of champagne led to another and another. It was a beautiful summer evening and somewhere they could hear the muted strains of jazz music from some piano bar, somewhere down there.

“I would like to dance,” Lev announced, setting down his flute and standing up. “Dance with me.”

“Does everyone follow your orders?” she teased, although she wanted to dance with him too. She’d been swaying to the music because she couldn’t help herself. The champagne was getting to her.

“Yes. Because where I work I am the Chief of Staff.” He grinned. “Dance with me, Imogen, and then we’ll get a cab back to the conference hotel.”

She set down her flute and took his hand, letting Lev pull her into his strong arms. It felt so good to be held by him, one hand holding hers and the other on the small of her back as they slowly moved together to the echoing music that was intermixed with the sounds of the waves lapping against the shore. Her body thrummed with desire.

It was magical and she didn’t want the night to end. She didn’t want the moment to end and she didn’t want to go back to the conference hotel.

Warmth bloomed in her cheeks as she thought about kissing him.

She wanted to kiss him.

He smiled down at her. “You look so beautiful I almost don’t want to leave.”

“I don’t want to leave either.” She bit her lip and then leaned in, standing on her toes, because she’d worn flats and he was so much taller than her. She pressed her lips against his for a quick kiss.

She was doing what she had always been afraid of doing—getting involved with a doctor.

You don’t work with him. He won’t hurt you.

This was out of her comfort zone, but she was really enjoying what it felt like to live a little. There had been so many times that she’d been afraid to take a chance on something she’d wanted and had let the moment get away. This time, with Lev, she wasn’t so afraid. She was only afraid she would regret not having this stolen moment with him.

The kiss was light at first and then deepened. His arms went around her back, pulling her close, and suddenly it was no longer a light, butterfly kiss but something deep with longing.

It had been so long since a man had made her feel this way. Since she had felt this need to relinquish her careful control and just feel.

The kiss ended.

“I’m sorry, Imogen. I didn’t mean for that...” he whispered against her ear, his voice deep and husky.

“Don’t apologize,” she whispered, and kissed him again, running her hands through his overlong blond hair, wanting to have more of him.

Even if it was just for one night.

She didn’t care. She wanted something to remember him by. She pressed her body against him, not wanting an inch of space separating them as she melted in his arms, his hands hot through the thin fabric of her summer dress. She couldn’t help but wonder what they would feel like on her skin.

All she knew was that she wanted more.

“Imogen, are you sure?” he asked.

“I am.” She had never been so sure of anything. Even if nothing came of this, even if she never saw him again, she wanted this moment.

She’d been wandering in a fog for too long and Lev had awakened something deep inside her. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her off the patio into the room. She was glad it was just the two of them, far from the rest of the conference, far from what they both knew.

Just the two of them in this moment.

CHAPTER TWO

LEV WATCHED HER SLEEP. He couldn’t help himself—she was so beautiful.

He’d thought so the moment he’d first laid eyes on her at the conference when he’d arrived late. She’d been the only friendly face in the crowd.

And a beautiful one at that.

Usually he avoided women.

He’d been so in love with Tatiana.

His father hadn’t approved of her, but he hadn’t cared. He’d believed they were meant for each other. He’d been about to propose to her when he’d caught her cheating.

She’d acted like it was no big deal. His father had cheated on his mother. It was all about position and wealth in Tatiana’s eyes. There was no such thing as love.

To the world they had seemed perfect, but Lev remembered how sad his late mother had been in her marriage and he felt that same sadness and hurt too. He’d broken it off with Tatiana and joined the Chenarian armed forces as a trauma surgeon.

He’d been burned before. They never saw him, only his position.

His plan had been to keep far away from Imogen, but the fates seemed to have another plan, because every time he turned around, there she was.

And he was glad to see her, even though he knew he should keep away, but there was something genuine about her.

He knew he shouldn’t have gone to that mixer, he knew he shouldn’t have engaged with her, but he couldn’t help it. She was beautiful, with long, soft, silky light brown hair, big expressive blue eyes, and her pink full lips were ones he could kiss for a long time. He liked it that she was tall and could almost look him in the eye. She held her head high with confidence, and she was funny, intelligent and dedicated to learning and furthering her career as a surgeon.

When they had been working in the simulation lab, he’d seen her ace the new surgical technique with skill, and the way she’d handled a laparoscope with such grace had been admirable. And she’d been willing to help him.

As a trauma surgeon, he had to get in fast and do repair work, but he wanted to learn all he could.

Imogen’s had been the only friendly face in the crowd.

Everything about her was admirable.

His father and brother would not find that particular quality, intelligence, something to admire in a woman, but that was what he always looked for. He wanted an equal partner, and in his circle of Chenar society, that was almost impossible to find. Especially after Tatiana.

Imogen was a rarity in his world and he wished he could stay here forever with her. He hadn’t planned on making love to her tonight, but he was glad it had happened. It had been a momentary lapse when he had forgotten who he was and who his family was. He had been caught up in the moment with her.

One stolen moment with her...

He reached out and touched her arm. She murmured in her sleep but didn’t wake up. He smiled and couldn’t help but think of how it felt to taste her lips against his, have those arms wrapped around him and be buried deep inside her.

Everything else in his life was a complete blur.

It was just her and him at that moment. It was an escape. One he desperately wanted.

Lev’s phone buzzed and Imogen stirred in her sleep. He cursed inwardly, angry that it was intruding on their time together, and picked up his phone, to see a stream of texts that he’d ignored all night.

The last one made him angry as he realized that they had tracked his phone’s GPS and were in the lobby. His bodyguards. Lexi and Gustav had been plastered to his side all weekend, not giving him a chance to breathe, and he felt bad for them. He knew they were bored out of their skulls, attending a medical conference, but his father had insisted when he’d given Lev permission to attend.

Lev wasn’t to leave Chenar without Lexi and Gustav. His father had become so overprotective lately, not that his father really showed any affection. It was all about preserving his male heirs.

It was why his father had forced him to leave the military. His father had ordered it so. In his father’s words, it was high time he used his foolish medical degree for the benefit of the cream of Chenar society.

He was actually surprised he’d been able to slip away from them at the mixer with Imogen. It had been an act of defiance, and a thrill of freedom to do that.

He didn’t want Imogen to know who he really was. He didn’t want the truth of his family to cloud her judgment of him, like it almost always did when women found out that Dr. Lev Vanin was just an alias. He was a doctor, but he tried to keep it quiet that he was the spare to the heir and really Prince Viktor Lanin of Chenar.

Women, once they found out who he was, changed. They wanted the fantasy. The prestige and power of being with a prince. Women like Imogen put their careers first, instead of duty to a country, and he couldn’t begrudge them that. He envied Imogen’s freedom and he would give almost anything to stay here in Canada and move to the north to get lost.

He loved the wilderness and loathed the pomp and ceremony surrounding his birth. Especially his ever-present bodyguards.

Lev quickly got dressed and texted Lexi that he was on his way down, that there was no need to come up. He’d get rid of them and then he would go back to Imogen and tell her he had to leave and why—because of who he was.

It would change everything. He was sure it would—it always did, even if part of him wanted to think that Imogen was different.

He slipped out of the room and headed downstairs. He knew that Lexi and Gustav, who had been with him since medical school, would be more than annoyed that he’d managed to give them the slip and go to an unsanctioned hotel with a woman.

And he was sure his father, once he found out, would be none too happy, but Lev didn’t care. He didn’t regret a single moment of his stolen freedom. It had been worth it.

The moment he got off the elevators he could sense there was something in the air. Lexi was acting strangely and his stomach knotted. Something was wrong. Gustav was on the phone, Lexi’s gun was visible on his holster, and he was pacing. Outside, through the glass doors connecting the small lobby to the outside world, he could see black SUVs waiting and more guards.

Canadian bodyguards.

Something was wrong.

“Lexi,” Lev said, coming forward, speaking Chenarian, which had developed over centuries from a blend of Norse and Romanian, so that no one else would understand. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s been a coup,” Lexi responded, his face somber. “Your father... I’m sorry, Viktor.”

Lev couldn’t breathe for a moment as Lexi’s words sank in. That his father had been overthrown and was dead. It was something his father had talked about. It was one of the dangers of ruling a country with an unstable government, and though Lev had logically known something like this could happen, he’d never really thought it would.

He lived in an idyllic bubble where his father and his family were impervious to the machinations of those who sought power.

“What about Kristof?” Lev asked.

“Missing in action and presumed dead, but in reality he’s safe. He just wants the world to think he’s dead...and he wants you to go into hiding. Here,” Gustav responded, ending his phone call. “It’s a mess in Chenar. We’ve been speaking with the Canadian government and we need to protect you in case...”

“In case something happens to Kristof,” Lev finished.

“The insurgents don’t know where he is or where you are, because they don’t know your alias. They don’t know you’re a surgeon,” Lexi said. “The Canadian government has agreed to hide you. Embassy cars are outside and a plane is waiting. We have to go.”

“I can’t go into hiding. My father, my brother...our people.”

“There is no choice, Your Highness,” Gustav responded. “Our allies are sending in troops. This will be resolved, but until then we need to keep you hidden and safe.”

“I cannot hide away. Not when there’s trouble in Chenar. I need to go and—”

“Your Highness, there is no other option. This plan was put in place by your father if something like this were ever to happen.”

Lev was furious. It was just like his father to do something without telling him or Kristof what was going on. And even though he had no desire to be King or even a prince, for that matter, he hated knowing that his people were in danger.

That there was suffering, violence, and he was powerless to do anything.

He was safe and that was not right. He clenched his fists in frustration, but he knew he couldn’t make a scene. It was late at night and he didn’t want to draw attention to himself or his bodyguards, who were just as worried, upset and powerless to do anything to help their country.

They are helping their country by keeping you safe.

And then it really hit him that his father was gone and he didn’t know where his brother was. At least Kristof was safe, or that was what he’d been told. He really didn’t know.

He was being selfish by standing here and arguing with Gustav and Lexi about what needed to be done. Even though it drove him mad that he couldn’t be on the front line, giving help to his people during this time of crisis, he had to do his duty and he had to go into hiding.

Imogen.

He looked back to the elevator with regret. He wanted to tell her everything now more than ever. He wanted to tell her why he was disappearing, but that wouldn’t be safe.

It certainly wouldn’t be safe for her.

Lev knew he had no choice but to leave. He was glad the room was paid for and that Imogen could just check out. He grabbed a piece of hotel stationery and quickly scrawled a note, apologizing to Imogen for his abrupt departure but not telling her why.

“Would you please give this to my guest when she leaves tomorrow morning?” he asked the concierge.

“Of course,” the concierge responded, taking the envelope.

“Thank you,” Lev said.

He wished he could go up to the room and tell Imogen in person why he was leaving. He wanted to tell her everything, but couldn’t. She was the sacrifice he had to make for his country.

He couldn’t let his people down. He couldn’t let his brother down.

He couldn’t let his father down.

“Your Highness,” Gustav said gently. “We have to go.”

“I know.” Lev sighed. “Let’s go.”

Lexi and Gustav walked beside him. Their guns were visible at their sides, and Lev felt ill as he exited the hotel and saw the heavily armored dark SUVs waiting. The Canadian government had come to take him away to who knew where.

He just hoped that, wherever he went, he could still practice medicine while he waited for news from Kristof about when he could safely return to his country and mourn his father.

Properly.

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