At His Majesty's Convenience / Her Little Secret, His Hidden Heir: At His Majesty's Convenience. Jennifer Lewis

      At His Majesty’s Convenience

      Jennifer Lewis

      Her Little Secret, His Hidden Heir

      Heidi Betts

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      At His Majesty’s Convenience

      Jennifer Lewis

       “Was I good at being your assistant?” Her serious gaze touched him. “I don’t remember anything about my job.”

      “Exemplary. You’ve been far more than my assistant. My right-hand woman is a better description.”

      She looked pleased. “I guess that’s a good thing, since we’re getting married.”

      “Absolutely.” Jake swallowed. How would she react when her memory returned and she realized they had never been romantically involved? She wasn’t in love with him. Still, that kiss had been surprisingly spicy. In fact, he couldn’t remember experiencing anything like it in his fairly substantial kissing experience.

      Maybe it was the element of the forbidden. He’d never considered kissing his assistant and it still felt … wrong. Probably because it was wrong of him to let her think they’d been a couple. But once a ring was on her finger, they really would be engaged and everything would be on the up and up.

      At least until her memory came back.

      Dear Reader,

      I’ve always been attracted to amnesia stories. In fact the first book I ever wrote—which will never see the harsh light of day!—featured a hero with amnesia. I’ve written about twenty books since that first brave attempt, but I’ve always wanted to return to the theme of amnesia and explore it in a new story. There’s something so fascinating about someone waking up and having to interact with the world around them without the familiar filter of experience and memory that governs so much of what we do.

      In this story, Andi’s amnesia allows the characters to step out of their accustomed roles, as monarch/boss and loyal admin, and see each other with fresh eyes. On the other hand, Andi’s memory loss gives her no choice but to trust Jake and what he tells her about their relationship, so things get very complicated when her memory returns and she realizes he’s taken liberties with the truth.

      I hope you enjoy Jake and Andi’s romantic (mis)adventures!

       Jen

      About the Author

      JENNIFER LEWIS has been dreaming up stories for as long as she can remember and is thrilled to be able to share them with readers. She has lived on both sides of the Atlantic and worked in media and the arts before she grew bold enough to put pen to paper. Happily settled in England with her family, she would love to hear from readers at [email protected]. Visit her website at www.jenlewis.com.

      For Lulu, a gracious lady and a powerful

      communicator who’s encouraged me to slow

      down and see the big picture.

      Acknowledgements:

      More thanks to the lovely people who read this book

      while I was writing it, Anne, Cynthia, Jerri, Leeanne,

      my agent Andrea and my editor Charles.

      One

      He won’t ever forgive you.

      Andi Blake watched her boss from the far end of the grand dining room. Dressed in a black dinner jacket, dark hair slicked back, he looked calm, composed and strikingly handsome as usual, while he scanned the printed guest list she’d placed on the sideboard.

      Then again, maybe he wouldn’t care at all. Nothing rattled Jake Mondragon, which was why he’d transitioned easily from life as a successful Manhattan investor to his new role as king of the mountainous nation of Ruthenia.

      Would her departure cause even a single furrow in his majestic brow? Her heart squeezed. Probably not.

      Her sweating palms closed around the increasingly crumpled envelope containing her letter of resignation. The letter made it official, not just an idle threat or even a joke.

      Do it now, before you lose your nerve.

      Her breath caught in her throat. It didn’t seem possible to just walk up to him and say, “Jake, I’m leaving.” But if she didn’t she’d soon be making arrangements for his wedding.

      She’d put up with a lot of things in the three years since she’d moved from their lofty office in Manhattan to this rambling Ruthenian palace, but she could not stand to see him marry another woman.

      You deserve to have a life. Claim it.

      She squared her shoulders and set out across the room, past the long table elegantly set for fifty of his closest friends.

      Jake glanced up. Her blood heated—as always—when his dark eyes fixed on hers. “Andi, could you put me next to Maxi Rivenshnell instead of Alia Kronstadt? I sat next to Alia last night at the Hollernsterns and I don’t want Maxi to feel neglected.”

      Andi froze. How could it have become her job to cultivate his romances with these women? Ruthenia’s powerful families were jostling and shoving for the chance to see their daughter crowned queen, and no one cared if little Andi from Pittsburgh got trampled in the stampede.

      Least of all Jake.

      “Why don’t I just put you between them?” She tried to keep her tone even. Right now she wanted to throw her carefully typed letter at him. “That way you can kiss up to both of them at once.”

      Jake glanced up with a raised brow. She never spoke to him like this, so no wonder he looked surprised.

      She straightened her shoulders and thrust the letter out at him. “My resignation. I’ll be leaving as soon as the party’s over.”

      Jake’s gaze didn’t waver. “Is this some kind of joke?”

      Andi flinched. She’d known he wouldn’t believe her. “I’m totally serious. I’ll do my job tonight. I’d never leave you in the lurch in the middle of an event, but I’m leaving first thing tomorrow.” She couldn’t believe how calm she sounded. “I apologize for not giving two weeks’ notice, but I’ve worked day and night for the last three years in a strange country without even a week’s vacation so I hope you can excuse it. The Independence Day celebrations are well under way and everything’s been delegated. I’m sure you won’t miss me at all.” She squeezed the last words out right as she ran out of gumption.

      “Not miss you? The Independence Day celebrations are the biggest event in the history of Ruthenia—well, since the 1502 civil war, at least. We can’t possibly manage without you, even for a day.”

      Andi swallowed. He didn’t care about her at all, just about the big day coming up. Wasn’t it always like this? He was all business, all the time. After six years working together he barely knew anything about her. Which wasn’t fair, since she knew almost everything about him. She’d eaten, slept and breathed Jake Mondragon for the past six years and in the process fallen utterly and totally in love with him.

      Shame he didn’t even notice she was female.

      He peered down at her, concern in his brown eyes. “I told you to take some vacation. Didn’t I suggest you go back home for a few weeks last summer?”

      Home? Where was home anymore? She’d given up her apartment in Manhattan when she moved here. Her parents both worked long hours and had moved to a different suburb since she left high school, so if she went to see them she’d just end up hanging around their house—probably