went ahead and opened the folder and peered at the papers. There were credit cards attached with paperclips inside and several papers were bank statements I had to look at several times. My eyes rose to meet Alex’s, only to find him with a small smile.
“This is… mine?” I literally couldn’t wrap my mind around the numbers. There were millions in each account. There were so many zeros I thought my eyes would cross. I needed a calculator.
“Yes.”
There was a map with a highlighted area and several spots marked in another color. I traced them with my finger, not sure what they meant. While the other papers had been in English, the map was in Lilarian.
“What are these?” Alex scooted closer on the couch so he could look at the paper.
“That is a map of your estate. It is roughly four miles by two.” He traced a finger along the green line before tapping one of the red dots. “And this is one of your oil wells.”
There were four red dots on the map and I stared in disbelief. “They’re all active?”
“The two with orange around them are active. The others are closed right now. The blue dot is the village or township that belongs to the Rousseau family.”
I looked up at Alex, my eyes wide with fear. Suddenly those bank accounts didn’t feel as big. “I’m responsible for an entire village?”
He laughed, some of the amusement from yesterday creeping back into his eyes. “They pay a tax to your family, and you in turn take care of them.”
“Take care of them from what?”
“Think of it as a town where you’re the mayor. If there is a natural catastrophe, you help find a way to take care of it. If it’s too big for you to handle, you would plead the crown, who would take it to the parliament. If they needed a new road or a new school, you would take care of that through your taxes.”
“Oh, sweet baby Jesus.” I looked at him in horror. “I have no idea how to do any of that!”
“I promised I wouldn’t throw you to the wolves.” He leaned his head closer to me and I took a deep breath, enjoying his scent. “As the crown prince, it’s my job to help you understand your duties. Eventually, I’ll be the one you’re reporting things to, so it only makes sense.”
“I see.” I lowered my voice so no one could hear me. “Alex, I’m a wildlife biologist. I’m in way over my head.”
“You’re a smart woman who will rise to the occasion.” His eyes dipped down to my lips and I fought the urge to lick them.
“I’m sorry about yesterday.”
“You were right.” He frowned. “I should know better. I’ll be good if you are.” His eyes glinted with the dare. “Just know if you feel like changing your mind, I’m right here.”
“I’ll remember that.” I couldn’t help smiling at the challenge in his eyes. “Does this mean we can be friends for now? I have a feeling I could use some people on my side.”
“I’ll try for you.” His eyes ran over my body and I shook my head. “For now.”
“Friends don’t ogle friends.”
“I said I’d try. I didn’t promise anything.” Sitting back in his seat, he chuckled. “I have a feeling our friendship will have a shelf life.”
“A shelf life?”
“You’ll either end up hating me or in my bed.” His eyes grew dark. “And I know which one I’d prefer.”
Heat raced over my body and I had to take a deep breath. Unfortunately, that meant inhaling more of his delicious scent. His eyes narrowed and he leaned a little closer to me.
“If you keep looking at me like that, we’re not going to even be able to pretend to be friends.” His voice was husky and the room seemed to narrow around us. Like tunnel vision I forgot there were members of the detail and the maid in the room. It wasn’t until Rose cleared her throat that I came back to my senses.
“This is going to be an interesting challenge.” Alex smiled as he leaned back in his chair.
“Well, I think they’re ready for us to order.” Rose looked at me with a suspiciously bland face. “I hope you’re hungry, Samantha.”
I stood up and brushed my hands on my jeans, embarrassed to be caught in the staring contest with Alex. I took the menu Sarah handed me and took a seat at the table.