Free MAID FOR A PRINCE: (Book 1) (Point St. Claire, where true love finds a way) by Robyn Grady

“This room has been used by staff for as long as I can remember, but I don’t know who slept here fifty years ago. A hundred.” He glanced at the wardrobe. “Is there more?”
    “I poked around. Through the drawers, on the ledge. All through the room. I thought the rest might be hidden behind a skirting board.” She looked up. “Or the ceiling.”
    He grinned. “You want me to rip the room apart?”
    “I meant this might be all there is.”
    He slid a fingertip over the initials at the top of the page. “I guess D.D. will stay anonymous and his, or her, story unfinished.”
    She looked longingly at the pages. What happened to Leandros? Who was the woman who had plunged to her death?
    The distant bray of a wild donkey filtered in and she glanced out the window over the sun-drenched landscape at the same time Darius found his feet.
    “Given we can’t solve that mystery, I vote we go.”
    “Go where?”
    “For a swim.”
    She glanced around the room again. Rummaging through the same places wouldn’t make more pages suddenly appear. And a swim with Darius did sound mighty good.
    She stood, too. “I’ll get my bikini.”
    “Don’t need one.”
    He grabbed her hand and they hurried down to the bay.
     
    They’d made love only hours ago. He’d seen her naked—every inch. Now, with a warm breeze combing his hair, he shucked off his shirt and stepped out of his pants. But Helene was biting her lip. There might not be anyone around for miles. Still, they were out in the open.
    Normally she was adventurous, but this was pushing the envelope.
    He closed the distance between them. “Don’t tell me you’re nervous?”
    “I’m allowed.”
    “What if I help?”
    She drew in a deep breath and then smiled. “I think I could deal with that.”
    Holding her gaze with his, he undressed her like he had that morning, only this time at a far less frantic pace.
    Then, like the couple in those pages, they moved into the water, letting the coolness swirl around them as their mouths and bodies slipped against each another. When she turned so that he could wind his arms under her breasts, he nuzzled her neck from behind. Beneath the water, his hands ran over her belly while overhead swallows darted and played. After a delicious few moments, he spoke against her hair.
    “I’ve been thinking about the figurine. It’s overkill taking her in and out of the safe all the time. If that cave hadn’t fallen in, she’d still be there, balanced on that ledge.”
    If he was thinking about letting her out of that safe and into the light, Helene was all for it.
    “I thought I could leave her out,” he said.
    “In your room?”
    “In the study, just off the main room. In three days she’ll be packed up and on her way back to the main island anyway.”
    A withering feeling fell through her. “This week’s going so fast.” She snuggled back against him. Only three more days…
    “Alexio will be missing you at his taverna.”
    “He’ll be happy it’s all worked out.”
    She hadn’t phoned or texted Alexio since the day she’d met Darius. Through his communication with the palace, Darius had assured her that Alexio knew about this arrangement. Somehow she didn’t think Darius or his office would condone a private discussion between Alexio and her about the prince’s decision to bend the rules and keep her on, which would explain why he hadn’t texted her back. Alexio wouldn’t want to get anyone into any more trouble.
    As Darius’s fingertips slid up one side of her throat, his bristled cheek grazed her temple and he asked, “When you get back, do you plan to stay on at the main island?”
    “That first day when we met, after the trouble I put you through, I thought I’d need to leave on the first boat out.”
    “And now?”
    Letting her eyes drift shut, allowing his strength and heat to burrow in, she reached back and twined one arm around his neck. “I’m thinking I should leave Tierenias on a high note.” After