Page 18 of A Royal Mistake

On her own nonetheless.

Henry rose and moved around the small table separating them. He crouched in front of her, taking her hands in his. “Breathe, Pippa.” His hands covered hers, the hard callouses on his palms and fingers scraping her tender flesh. She concentrated on the feel of his skin, the warmth of his touch, the compassion in his umber eyes as they locked on hers. “It doesn’t matter how much experience you have right now. You can hire people with the skills you need to develop, but what you can’t do is find a substitute for your passion. No one is going to care as much about Stanley International as you do.”

She sucked in a breath and blew it out through her nose.

Bloody hell. She was cracking under the pressure, the one thing she promised herself she would not do. This was exactly what her parents expected.

Do not give them the satisfaction of seeing you fail.

“You’ve got a lot of heart, and that’s the most important thing.” He squeezed her hand, and awareness crashed over her. She was freaking out in front of a man she barely knew. One she needed to view her as strong and capable if she wanted him to stick around and mentor her. “If you remember nothing else, remember that.”

The sincerity of his words was like a balm, soothing her mind and easing her panic. Henry believed in her, even if no one else did.

“Sorry about the momentary freak out.” She gave a weak smile. “Probably not the best start, huh?”

He laughed and released her hands, but he stayed crouched at her feet. “If I had a franc for every time I panicked my first year, I’d never need to hold another fundraiser.”

“Somehow, I doubt that’s true.” In their few brief encounters, Henry always remained unflappable. It didn’t matter if he was taking heat or dishing it out. The man was steady as a rock. “But I appreciate the sentiment.”

Henry grinned. “Believe me. I’ve got stories that would make your trip to Tanzania seem like a holiday.”

Not bloody likely, but it was sweet of him to say so.

“I’d love to hear those stories. I want to know everything about you.” Well, that just sounded creepy, didn’t it? She quickly added, “I mean, I’d love to hear all about how you got your start with VDRI.”

“Fair enough, but first, we need a break.” He rose to his full height and offered his hand, extending it to her like a lifeline. When he spoke, there was a challenge in his voice. “I’ve got just the thing, if you’re up for a little adventure?”

Pippa hesitated. It was getting late. Common sense told her to call it a night and head back to her suite. She’d promised Sarah she wouldn’t do anything foolish. But when she looked up at Henry from under her lashes and saw the wicked grin curving his lips, she knew it was a promise she couldn’t keep.

* * *

Henry cursed silentlyand tightened his hold on the handgrip. Taking Pippa for a ride on the back of his bike had seemed like a fantastic idea when he’d suggested it. He’d figured the fresh air would clear her mind, and being trapped in close quarters with her was distracting as hell, but as they blew through the back gate of the palace, it became obvious he hadn’t thought this through.

Because now she was plastered to his back, breasts pressed up against him and arms locked snugly around his waist, and he was hard as a fucking rock.

Brilliant idea, Arschloch.

He’d wanted to distract her—to distract himself—but this wasn’t the distraction he’d had in mind when they’d snuck down to the garage like a pair of thieves in the night. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Sure, he was attracted to Pippa, but nothing good could come from acting on his desires. Not when he had a deal to close, and she had a dozen suitors waiting in the wings.

Pippa might not be interested in her bevy of bachelors, but that didn’t change the fact that the world was watching with bated breath for an engagement announcement. No way in hell was he going to get tangled up in that mess. He had enough of his own problems to deal with.

Ones that wouldn’t land him in the tabloids.

The bike chewed up the pavement as he accelerated, leaving the palace behind. The full moon cast a milky glow over the road, but there wasn’t a star in sight as he lost himself to the vibrations of the bike humming through his limbs.

When they rolled into Novellus, he stuck to side streets where traffic was thinner and they were less likely to be recognized. Not that Pippa would be easily recognizable with her blonde locks hidden under a helmet, but he wasn’t taking any chances given they’d ditched her security detail. It was a fool’s errand, but it was impossible to deny the rush of adrenaline that coursed through his veins. Adrenaline that had nothing to do with the way the princess’s body molded to his as he took a sharp right on Essex, the road that led out of town.

You’ll be lucky if the palace guards don’t throw you in the bleeding dungeon.

That would be rather unfortunate since he’d yet to discuss his proposal with Prince William. It had frustrated him when the prince cut their meeting short, but there was nothing to be done about it, so he’d resigned himself to his fate. He could run VDRI remotely as he waited for their next appointment, and he’d help Pippa with her plans in his spare time.

He was actually looking forward to it. So many people had helped him when he was first starting out. It was about time he paid it forward. Besides, he’d severely underestimated the princess when they’d first met, and seeing how passionate she was about using her privilege to make a difference in the world, well, it spoke to his own altruism.

The country road opened up before them and he twisted the handgrip, rolling on the throttle. The bike shot forward, and he grinned as the needle on the speedometer climbed. Pippa’s grip tightened on his midsection, but she didn’t protest. The cool night air whipped around them and the scent of the outdoors invaded his senses, calling him home. He steered the bike up the winding mountain road, toward the lookout point he’d discovered a few nights ago.

When they finally rolled to a stop at the overlook and he killed the engine, Henry was as alive as he’d ever been, heart racing, adrenaline pumping. Riding always had that effect on him. Some people enjoyed fame, others power, but speed was his drug of choice.

He pulled off his helmet and when Pippa made no move to dismount, he twisted around to find her sitting ramrod straight on the back of the bike. With her face shield down, it was hard to make out her features in the dark.