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Cathy was suddenly acutely aware that she was dressed in a scarlet evening gown—even though her shoulders were covered in a pashmina which had been thrust at her by an aide before their hasty departure And aware too that her presence was superfluous to ould—and should—be an emotional reunionbetween the two brothers She shook her head ‘No Better that you see him alone,’ she said quietly

Eyebrows arrowed together in a frown ‘You’re sure?’

‘Quite sure’

She sat drinking coffee while she waited, unable to stop the strea into her mind—no matter how much she tried to stop them But shamefully the one which dominated all others was purely selfish And while Cathy’s heart felt fit to burst for joy that the young King should have come back to life, she wouldn’t have been human if a deep dark wave of fear hadn’t washed over her

Because my place here is now redundant

Xaviero didn’t need her any more He didn’t need a wife by his side to ease the burden of unwanted duty thrust upon him by circuing by what the doctor had told the ell on the way to recovery and would soon resuhtful place on the throne

She was so caught up in her troubled thoughts that when Xaviero appeared in the doorway for a nised him Because this was a man she had never seen before—one transformed by a sudden sense of joy It was as if he had been carrying around with him an impossibly heavy burden—and soht had vanished He was free, she thought—with another shiver of foreboding

‘Ho is he?’ she asked

‘It’s unbelievable’ Xaviero expelled a ragged sigh—because hadn’t the past come back to haunt him as he had stood beside his brother’s bed? Didn’t he know better than anyone that doctors sometimes raised hopes when those hopes were better to let wither, and die? But the spectre of his mother’s own failed recovery had been banished by the first sight of his brother’s smile ‘He’s…’

He had been about to say that Casimiro was the same as he’d ever been, but that would be a lie His brother had changed—Xaviero had sensed that from the moment he had walked into the intensive care unit And when you stopped to think about it an experience like that was bound to change you profoundly—for didn’t death’s dark shadow throw the rest of your life into focus and force you to reevaluate it?

‘He’s going to be okay,’ he said, in a shaky voice which didn’t sound like his own voice

Her own fears forgotten, Cathy went to hi her head against his shoulder, breathing in the raw masculine scent that was all his

‘Oh, Xaviero,’ she whispered ‘I’m so very happy for you So happy for him’

‘Not as happy as I’ round her waist as he buried his face in the silken tumble of her hair

The car took the the assembled staff the news, they hurried to their suite with ent steps Xaviero was on fire, and so was she—he barely waited until the door was shut before i the soft silk-satin up over her hips Questing fingers found her searing heat and he didn’t even bother to remove the delicate lace panties—just hurriedly thrust the panel aside, as he unzipped and freed hiainst the wall

Cathy gasped as she felt the tip of hi to squir to feel his hard power filling her and co her But as he prepared to thrust into her—it was she who realised as about to happen Who cried out a little protest before firainst his chest before it was too late—before he risked trapping hi which was preventable

‘C-c-contraception!’ she gasped out

Xaviero’s ly complied with her wishes—the ed by her shuddered co the barrier between them distilled so his blood His thrust was still deep, but his movements were more ht, he now controlled the pace al her to fulfilain until at last she sobbed out his name in a helpless kind of plea