Susan Stephens - Maharajas Mistress

SHE had to steel herself to place the call. Hard to believe she had once taken Ram on as easily as any tomboy took on her older brothers best friend, but a lot of water had passed under the bridge since then and these days Ram was a royal playboy.

While Mia had issues

Scars and issues, as well as a desire to race cars again that refused to be repressed.

Get real, Mia. At least, dont lie to yourself. This is a chance in a million to see Ram again.

She hadnt spoken to Ram fortoo long, anyway, Mia reflected as she waited for the call to connect. From what shed read about him in the press she expected Ram to be as changed as she was. Ram had announced he would shortly be quitting his playboy life to serve his people in the independent state of Ramprakesh, but before that he was to enjoy one last indulgencea timed rally car race across Europe in his super-car.

As soon as the newsflash came on, saying Rams co-driver had been taken ill, Mia knew it was her chance to step in. Ram had to find someone in order to complete the last leg of the rally, which would take place in the winding streets of Monte Carlothe same glittering locale where Mia had made a new life after an accident in a rally car had nearly blinded her.

She had believed she would never race again, and this was a chance in a million to compete at the highest level, but first there was a little hurdle to overcome: she had to convince Ram to take her on. To do that she would have to be as determined and as pushy as she had been as a child. There could be no allowances made for the years that had passedwhen and if he answered the phone she would have to launch straight in as if she were that same tomboy who had never flinched from baiting him

Heat curled inside her as she remembered wicked eyes, and a man who had filled her early years with the hottest of fantasiesmade all the safer for knowing Ram would never look at her that way. But she had to put all that to one side now. Raking her dark, cropped hair, Mia fixed her gaze on the bold print headline that had fired this crazy idea in the first place. The Maharajas Back in Town! screamed the headline. Ram, or the Maharaja, as Ram was more popularly known thanks to his heritage, his unbelievable good looks and his moneynot to mention his raw and dangerous sex appealwas still her brothers closest friend, and had been Mias

Childhood crush?

Trying to force the lid down on that box proved impossible. Ram meant so much more to her than thatand was still as far out of her league as he always had been. The English edition of the Monte Carlo Times pulled no punches where celebrity was concerned and Ram Varindha needed no introduction, either to this playground for the rich and famous, or to the world. When a man was too good-looking or too rich, or he originated from an exotic land with which he shared an equally exotic reputationand Ram filled all these criteria admirablythe glamorous principality of Monte Carlo was only too eager to welcome him home.

Mias heart cannoned into her throat as a familiar black velvet voice growled a suspicious greeting.

Ram? She played it coolauthoritative and cool. Ram, its me

Silence.

Ram, its Mia

Mia?

More silence as Ram no doubt trawled the telephone directory in his mind, running down the list of Mias until he came to one who lived in Monte Carlo.

Give me a clue.

So there were a thousand Mias in his life.

Dont pretend you dont know me. Her voice might sound confident, but beads of sweat were breaking on her browthis was so much harder than she had imagined.

But not insurmountable.

Her life consisted of kicking down doors

And licking wounds

But she wouldnt think about those now, Mia determined, unconsciously adjusting the position of her jewelled eyepatch.

As I slipped under the anaesthetic I dreamed I was trying to stick an ice pick into Rams cold, unfeeling heart, but his heart was a stone that bounced away from me, and when I woke up I was blindShed been having that nightmare a lot since the accident, and this was her chance to break free from ita chance to put an end to the sense of desolation that had overwhelmed her when Ram had walked out of her life.

That had been years ago and she should be over it now. This was the best chance she was ever going to get to prove she wasnt over-faced by Ram, by life, by anythingand she wasnt going to waste it. Surely you remember me beating the heck out of you on your best stallion when you were careless enough to choose my parents to stable your horses with?

Mia Spencer-Dayly?

Resultbut could he sound any less enthusiastic?

Thats the one, Mia confirmed, keeping up the bright act.

In fairness, she had never been the girl to whom boys eyes were drawn, so Ram would hardly be eager to see her again. When other girls were trading style tips shed been happiest mucking out the stables or hot-wiring the tractor. No doubt when other boys had been reading the Beano, Ram had spent his formative years mugging up information in the pages of a heavily illustrated Kama Sutra, but whether this crazy scheme of hers was mad, sad or just plain crazy, she had no intention of putting the phone down now.

According to the article in that days newspaperthe one beneath the stunning shot of a tall, dark and unreasonably handsome hunk of a man with thick black hair and sharp black stubbleRam had no intention of giving up on the last leg of the Switch-Back rally.

What do you want, Mia?

What do I want? Its you thats in trouble, Ram. She wasnt exactly home free herself, Mia realised as her gazed fixed on the newspaper shot of Ram with his thumb casually hooked through the belt loop on his jeans, long, lean fingers pointing the way to his number one attraction.