Under the King's Command Read online

  "Oh, my Lord." Queen Gwendolyn drew in a sharp breath. "Marcus, look."

  The king stared at the baby. In silence, he slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders.

  "Look at his hair, look at his eyes," Gwendolyn went on. "And that chin. Do you see it?"

  "Yes, Gwen," he said softly, pulling her close to his side. "I see."

  Sam studied the child for a minute, then moved his gaze to the prince. What the queen had meant was clear. Lucas and the child shared the same dark brown hair, the same blue eyes, even the identical stubborn chin. The resemblance was so strong, it was unmistakable. A DNA test would undoubtedly have to be performed, considering the importance of proving the royal heir's identity, but to anyone with eyes, the paternity was obvious.

  Like a man in a trance, Lucas moved forward. If he noticed that the child on the table was a younger version of himself, he gave no indication. He was holding onto the tight control he'd been exhibiting since they left the palace. "Is he all right? Is he healthy?"

  One of the doctors stepped aside, allowing Lucas to reach the table. "Yes, Your Highness. We've done a thorough examination, and the infant appears to be in good health. His heart is strong, his lungs are clear and his reflexes are normal, although he's somewhat underweight for a child of three months."

  It was clear to Sam that Lucas was no longer listening. The prince leaned over the table, his entire body brittle with tension as he regarded the baby.

  The child stopped gurgling and met Lucas's gaze with a disconcerting solemnity. Then suddenly the baby smiled.

  Lucas closed his eyes and tipped back his head, inhaling unsteadily. He was silent for a moment, his shoulders shaking with emotions Sam couldn't begin to imagine. Finally, Lucas blinked and touched his fingertips to the baby's cheek. "Jess," he whispered. His eyes gleamed with tears. "You have Jessie's smile."

  The doctor cleared his throat. "Apparently the child's name is Luke, Your Highness. We'd like to transfer him to pediatrics as soon as possible. We need to run some more tests and we'd like to get his weight up...."

  "He has Jessie's smile," Lucas repeated, looking around as if the doctor hadn't spoken. An expression of wonder was dawning on his face. "Jessie's dimples. She always smiled like that. I thought I'd never see it again. I thought—" He clamped his jaw shut, his words choked off.

  Sam didn't know all the details about the prince's story, but he did know the man was mourning the death of the woman he loved. And now Lucas saw his lover in his child.

  Once more, Sam couldn't imagine the emotions Lucas must be going through. What was it like to love a woman that strongly? Love wasn't something Sam thought much about. With the demands of his career and the danger each mission entailed, he didn't have the opportunity or the inclination for serious relationships.

  At least, that was the excuse he'd always given himself. Except for that one time five years ago...

  Without warning, an image rose in his memory. Long auburn hair, green eyes, the sound of laughter, the feel of skin sliding over sun-warmed skin. The image was so vivid, he could swear he caught her scent.

  Gardenias. Passionate and feminine.

  And fleeting.

  Sam rubbed his face, trying to concentrate on his duty.

  "I want to thank you and the hospital staff for your diligence." King Marcus shook hands with each doctor. "My family and I are in your debt for your care of our newest member."

  Evidently the king didn't need to wait for the test results to confirm what he saw, either. He had publicly recognized the baby as a Sebastiani. Queen Gwendolyn was at Lucas's side, her elegant features lit in a grandmotherly smile as she cooed over her grandson.

  "I'd also like to speak with the person who found him," the king said. "I understand she was a Navy officer?"

  "Yes, Your Highness."

  At the soft voice from the shadows in the corner of the room, Sam's mouth went dry. No, it wasn't possible. He had just been thinking of her, so he must be imagining her voice. How could she be here? Why now?

  A woman moved into the pool of light, her jogging shoes padding quietly on the tile floor. A pair of running shorts bared her long legs. A black T-shirt molded her breasts, and a gold chain with a tiny charm circled her throat. Her auburn hair was a short-cropped mass of finger-combed tufts.

  It hadn't been his imagination, Sam thought. Somehow, she really was here.

  When had she cut her hair? When had she taken up jogging? Did she still cry over old movies? Did she ever think of him when she was alone at night and the sound of the waves were like sighs from the past?

  Kate. His Kate. In the flesh, and close enough to smell.

  And beautiful enough to make him want to forget the promise he'd made her five years ago.

  Chapter 2

  Kate couldn't meet Sam's gaze. Not yet. Not with this lump in her throat from the emotional scene she had just witnessed.

  But oh, God, he was more handsome than ever. She'd studied him when he hadn't known she was in the room. There were sun streaks in his brown hair. There were new lines around his amber eyes. His cheeks were leaner, his shoulders broader. His entire bearing radiated the mature confidence of a man who knew what he wanted and had the strength to get it.

  He had once wanted her.

  That's over, Kate told herself. Don't think about the past. Concentrate on your duty.

  Despite her lack of uniform, Kate drew herself to attention and snapped up her hand in a salute. "Lieutenant Kate Mulvaney, Your Highness."

  As diplomatic as he was reputed to be, King Marcus ignored her dishevelled appearance and her lack of military attire as he returned her salute. "I gather you were jogging past and witnessed what happened?"

  "Yes, sir. After I apprehended the suspect, I thought it best to guard the child until someone from the palace arrived. Admiral Howe, the base commander, agreed when I reported the situation to him. I'm at your service until you wish to relieve me."

  "I appreciate your quick thinking, Lieutenant."

  The baby was gurgling again, happy with the attention he was receiving from the queen and the prince. Montebellan royalty who just happened to be his grandmother and his father. Kate felt the gleeful sound grate across her nerves.

  Standing guard over the baby had been difficult. Not because there had been any danger, but because she had wanted her involvement with all of this to be over an hour ago. Had she thought the baby stirred painful memories? That was nothing compared to what she'd felt when she'd seen Sam walk in the room.

  Why couldn't she have kept on running?

  "I was happy to help, sir," she replied.

  "I hate to impose further, but I'd appreciate it if you could remain and answer a few questions for us." The king nodded toward Sam. "This is Lieutenant Sam Coburn."

  Unable to postpone it any longer, Kate let her gaze meet Sam's.

  Oh, God. Five years had passed, but some things hadn't changed. His golden brown gaze still had the power to make her knees weak.

  She wanted to leap into his arms.

  She wanted to curl into a ball and hide.

  Duty, she reminded herself. Do your duty, just as you have always done.

  "Yes," she said. She was proud of the way her voice remained level though her pulse pounded in her ears. "Lieutenant Coburn and I have already met."

  "Excellent." The king glanced at his son. Under the supervision of the doctors and the doting gaze of Queen Gwendolyn, Lucas was carefully lifting his child into his arms. A look of amazement softened his features.

  Kate pressed her nails into her palms to keep herself steady. The emotions kept on coming. Seeing the prince cradle his infant so tenderly made her wonder what might have happened if Sam...

  No. She wouldn't go down that road. She wouldn't let that thought form. She'd avoided it for five years. She could keep it at bay for another five minutes, couldn't she?

  "Since you two are already acquainted," King Marcus continued, moving to join his family, "I'll let Lieutenant
Coburn fill you in. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a grandson to get to know."

  And just like that, Kate found herself face-to-face with the one man she'd believed she'd never see again.

  "Hello, Kate."

  His voice strummed over her raw nerves in a melody too haunting to forget. She'd always loved his voice. It didn't belong here in the sterile efficiency of a hospital. It belonged on a moonlit beach, with the sound of the waves whispering over the sand and the rhythmic smack of naked skin on naked skin....

  She tightened her fists, surprised her nails hadn't yet drawn blood. Her gaze returned to his. "Hello, Sam."

  "You're looking well."

  "You, too."

  He smiled. "I guess it would be kinda too corny to say long time no see."

  His smile deepened the new lines around his eyes and folded brackets beside his mouth and still made her stomach knot like that of a schoolgirl with her first crush.

  Damn him, that hadn't changed, either. "The king said you would have some questions for me."

  At her brisk tone, his smile dimmed. "That's right."

  "All I did was recover the baby. I'm not sure I understand how that would involve a Navy SEAL."

  Sam tilted his head toward the door. "I'll fill you in on the way to the security office."

  She started to move forward when she saw him lift his hand. He was going to touch her. She felt his intent as plainly as if he had spoken aloud.

  Sam had always been a toucher. In public it had been a palm on the small of her back, a brush of fingertips over her forearm or an easy drape of his arm over her shoulders. Casual, respectful touches that had kept her body humming with awareness.

  And when they were no longer in public, he hadn't only made her body hum, he'd made it sing.

  Kate stepped to the side to avoid his hand and strode out of the examining room. Sam might not have changed, but she had. She was older, wiser and in complete control of her life. She could do this. Yes, she could.

  Sam fell into step beside her. "What would you like to know first?"

  Where did you go after your letters stopped? Did you ever think of me? Did you ever wonder what would have happened if only circumstances had been different?The questions clamored in her heart, but she asked, "Why are you taking orders from the king of Montebello?"

  "I'm working as an adviser. He requested our government to provide someone with my training to help coordinate the efforts of the police and our navy in the search for a murderer."

  "The woman who killed his nephew, Desmond Caruso?"

  "That's right. How did you know?"

  "I saw the artist's sketch of the suspect in the paper today. It's logical that the king would ask for high-level help." She glanced at Sam. "And by someone with your training, you mean counterterrorism, I assume."

  "Right again."

  " Congratulations."

  "Why?"

  "If you're an expert in counterterrorism, then that must mean you're in SEAL Team Six. Just like you always said you wanted."

  "There were plenty of things that I wanted, Kate."

  She could tell by his tone that he wasn't referring to his career. But she wasn't going to talk about this now. It was over. The past was gone, gone, gone. "And you succeeded," she said, refusing to let the conversation get personal. "But how does all of this involve the prince's baby?"

  "That's what I'm here to find out."

  They reached a set of swinging doors. Sam stretched his arm past Kate's shoulder and pushed open the door before she could reach it. He didn't touch her, but she could feel the warmth of his arm as it passed near her head.

  She tried to attribute the shudder to fatigue. "I still don't understand."

  "I started this assignment today, so there are a lot of details that need filling in, but here's what I do know. Last year, Prince Lucas was in the States, flying over Colorado, when his plane went down. He was in bad shape for a while, wandered around not knowing who he was. That's when he met a woman named Jessica Chambers."

  "Jessica. Jessie," Kate said, remembering the reverent way the prince had said the name. "That would be the baby's mother."

  "Right. The prince had an affair with Jessica before his duty brought him back to Montebello. Several months later, he found out she died in childbirth. Her, and the baby."

  "They thought the baby died, too?" she asked.

  "Yeah. What makes it worse is he hadn't realized she was carrying his child when he left. No wonder the poor guy is looking like he's been hit by a truck."

  Kate stumbled.

  "Are you okay?" Sam asked, catching her arm.

  No, she was not okay. After five years of coping, it seemed as if every painful memory of her past was getting dredged up tonight. She wrenched free of Sam's touch, her heart pounding as if she were still running. "I'm fine."

  He tilted his head, his gaze more golden than brown as he studied her. "We could grab a coffee before we question the Hanson woman. From the looks of the family reunion back there, the king will probably be busy for a while."

  "No, I'm fine. I just want to get back to..." She frowned, zeroing in on the pronoun he had used. "Before we question her?"

  "Considering the way you were in at the start, I figured you'd want to see this through." He glanced pointedly at his hand and then at the place on her arm where he had touched her. When his eyes met hers once more, his gaze was direct and much too knowing. "You always did like to see neat, clean endings, didn't you?"

  * * *

  Whether it was an oversight by the renovators or had been left alone deliberately for the psychological effect, the room that served as the security office for the hospital looked as if it belonged in a previous century. One of the walls was bare stone, giving the chamber the chill of a dungeon.

  "I want complete immunity. You promise me that, then I'll answer your questions."

  Sam propped a hip against the edge of the table and shrugged. "Why would you want immunity if you've done nothing wrong, Miss Hanson?"

  Gretchen Hanson tossed her mouse-colored hair out of her eyes with a flick of her head. She leaned back in her chair and attempted what she probably thought was a coy smile. "I already told you, I was trying to bring that child back to his father. I showed you baby Luke's birth certificate. That proves who he is. You saw the names."

  The document had appeared genuine, Sam thought, and the date of birth was nine months after the prince had spent time at Jessica's ranch in Colorado. Each detail Hanson had revealed during her questioning so far had supported her story of the baby's identity, reinforcing what had been obvious to anyone seeing the prince and the baby together. "Considering the way you treated the child," Sam said, "you shouldn't be making any demands."

  "What do you mean? I've been taking good care of that baby. I deserve a reward."

  "That's an odd way to care for a child, Miss Hanson," Kate said. "Leaving him to fend for himself in the dirt of a flower bed on a cool October night." She paced across the small room and stopped at the opposite side of the table from Sam.

  He tamped down the twinge of irritation he felt at Kate's movement. The room was small, but she had been careful to keep as much distance as possible between them since they'd arrived. She'd already made it clear that she didn't want him to touch her, no matter how casually—she had jerked away as if she'd been burned when he'd touched her arm in the corridor. And she seemed to have no problem staying away from him.

  Didn't she remember being naked and screaming his name?

  All right, this wasn't the time or the place to revisit the past. His irritation was unwarranted, nothing but a bruised male ego. It was sensible of her to treat him like a stranger. He was finding it difficult enough to concentrate with Kate in the room. If she were any closer, he wouldn't have a hope of doing his job.

  Gretchen was continuing to protest her innocence. "I wasn't going to leave him there."

  "Please, let's not waste any more time," Kate said, interrupting what was shaping up t
o be yet another whining plea. "We've gone over this before. I saw what you did and I heard what you said. You're in deep trouble, Miss Hanson."

  Sam nodded. "Better listen to Lieutenant Mulvaney. Do you have any idea what the penalty for child abuse is in Montebello?"

  Gretchen's gaze flicked back and forth between them, her bravado fading. "I'm an American citizen. I have rights."

  "But you're in San Sebastian, the capital of Montebello. It's a very old, very traditional monarchy. And it's not just any child we're talking about, it's the royal heir." He lifted one hand toward the stone wall, deciding to use the setting to try a bluff. "I assume you've heard that there are dungeons under the palace?"

  "What?"

  "Those thick stone walls are centuries old and completely soundproof." Sam lowered his voice. "No one can hear what goes on inside, but there are stories...."

  "You can't let them put me in a dungeon!"

  "I'm trying my best to dissuade them, but unless you show some sign of cooperation, there's not much I can do."

  "But I've been cooperating!"

  "You told the hospital security guard you had information on the woman the police are seeking," Sam said. "If that's true, I can guarantee you won't be clamped in irons."

  Gretchen's pasty complexion paled even further. "Irons?"

  Sam saw Kate lift an eyebrow at him. She would know as well as he did that Montebellan justice was as modern as any system in the West. It was easy to guarantee that Gretchen wouldn't be mistreated because nobody was mistreated. Sam hoped Kate wouldn't blow his bluff.

  "Better take Lieutenant Coburn's offer," Kate said. "It's not immunity, but it's the best we can do."

  Obviously Kate understood what he was doing. And why shouldn't she? He'd always known she was an intelligent woman, he'd just never been overly concerned with her mind. He'd been occupied by.. .other things.

  And he wanted to reach across the table and drag her to his side and make her remember every single one of them....