Bad Nerd Rising (4 page)

But now, with his father gone and buried,
and a host of problems only Tia could solve, he had to discover how
to live again. Granted, his mother might balk, his advisors would
advise against anything he wanted, because that’s what they did,
and his people might worry about this “American” but he couldn’t,
and wouldn’t, stop the locomotive he had set into motion.

Glancing at Tia’s bowed head, and drinking
in her glorious smile as she pointed out each family member and
offered him information on each, Aleksi realized he’d abdicate if
he could just kiss her.

***

Exactly when she became aware Aleksi wasn’t
listening, Tia wasn’t certain, but she was very conscious of the
fact he sat a little closer to her than she was comfortable with.
And she doubted he had heard a thing she said. Not all bad, but her
heart raced and her palms moistened uncomfortably.

Now what?

Like she had time for this nonsense. She
wasn’t interested in a relationship with a prince. Especially not
one as gorgeous as Aleksi. She wasn’t even remotely good enough for
him. And if he tried to convince her otherwise, she had The Apes to
prove her right. Prince Aleksi was every girl’s dream prince. But
she wasn’t wearing glass slippers, she didn’t have evil step
sisters, only annoying brothers, and there was no way she was
attending a ball on the arm of a hottie like Aleksi.

She’d trip and fall flat on her face, smash
her nose, which would bleed profusely, and ruin her dress. Tia knew
this, since that’s exactly what happened at her prom. It was one
thing to do so in the company of her high school classmates, all of
whom were aware of her lack of grace. And a totally different thing
to trip in front of European royalty.

Tia suppressed a groan.

Yes, that would be her. And since she was
nearly six feet tall, there was a lot of her to see falling.

Not a pretty
sight
.

She couldn’t walk in high
heels to save her life, and sneezed if someone wore cologne.
Sunk and stupid
. That’s
what she was. At this point, Tia realized she needed to make a pact
with herself.

Since she was en route to wherever Aleksi
called home, she would just hide in her lab. Provided there was a
lab. That reminded her...

“Have you had people looking into the
wells?”

He blinked those gorgeous
dark eyes at her.
So cute...
Aw....

“Pardon me?”

“Has anyone been testing the wells? Or tried
to figure out what’s wrong with them?”

The sexy confusion cleared and he nodded.
“Of course. We’ve engaged the nation’s top scientists to determine
the problem. Unfortunately, none of them are microbiologists. They
know their own science...” He shrugged, a Gaelic, sexy motion that
likely rippled the muscles under the suit he wore. Maybe she could
talk him out of that jacket...

Tia swallowed the drool, determined not to
fall under this man’s spell. She’d embarrass herself enough in the
future. She was not slipping on her drool, or cracking knees with
him, or whatever Lady Luck had in mind to most mortify her.

“I assume they’ve set up a lab?”

He frowned. “As far as I know. I haven’t
actually visited recently, but it’s within the palace walls.”

“I expect things might get a little stinky.”
She bit her lip.

“How do you microbiologists contend with the
odors of your work every day?”

“You do grow accustomed to them. We love
what we do.” Tia shrugged. So she had to deal with various stenches
from time to time. “Yeast growing on a Petri plate is gorgeous. It
looks like little stars. E.coli, when grown on EMB media, has this
green sheen that’s almost breathtaking.”

He raised a brow and she grinned. “I’m a
scientist. If these things don’t excite me, I shouldn’t be in this
profession.” Tia refused to apologize for loving her work and being
fascinated by what she did.

His eyes grew speculative and Tia wondered.
What exactly was he thinking? Her inquiring mind wanted to know.
Probably that she was the biggest geek he’d ever met.

Unfortunately, her inquiring mind seemed
bent on landing her in as much trouble as possible. Paired with
Lady Luck, and she might as well give up, because she wouldn’t like
the outcome.

Tia sighed. That closet sounded better and
better. The ante upped when Aleksi flashed that million dollar
smile and slanted his dark, sexy eyes at her.

And why did she keep using the word “sexy”
to describe him? She’d used the word so often she lost count. Tia
pursed her lips.

This Aleksi obsession had to stop. She
needed a new hobby. A new sport. Something.

Maybe she’d take up extreme co-ed
hiding.

***

When the plane landed, Aleksi leaned forward
in his seat to better watch the emotions that crossed Tia’s face in
an overwhelming display. Her mouth opened in an o, and her eyes
widened, but he also saw a little fear. Now why was that?

He wanted to kiss away her fears, but feared
he’d end up contributing to them.

“Welcome to Rurikstan,” he told her and took
her hand, because he wanted to touch her.

“T...thank you.” Her eyes remained on the
scenery outside the plane window.

“We are pleased to host you,” he said and
her eyes left the window to peer at him suspiciously. “That is a
loose translation of the traditional Rurikstan greeting.”

One blonde eyebrow rose, and her eyes swept
him up and down before she turned back to the window. That went
better than he expected.

“What is the tall building in the
center?”

“That is our government building. The
rounded roof beside it is my home.” He pointed.

Her eyes followed his finger and she nodded.
“It looks beautiful.”

“We believe so,” he replied.

“Where exactly are we in the world?”

“Rurikstan is nearly right in the center of
Europe.” He drew out a map and showed her specifically.

“Is Rurikstan a country?”

He frowned. “No. We are a principality, not
a country.”

“Like Monaco?”

“Yes. They, too, are a principality.”

“Isn’t tourism their big draw?”

“Yes.”

“And what is Rurikstan’s claim to fame?”

“We are a leading supplier of precious gems,
minerals, and other natural resources.”

“What kind of gems?” Tia cocked her head in
an enchanting manner.

“Diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, all
of them. And many minor types as well.”

“So mining is a big portion of your
income?”

“Yes. We rely on mining.” He thought about
how many people would suffer without the precious things they drew
from the land. Aleksi shuddered to think what would happen to his
people.

“So your scientists are mostly geologists,
engineers, and gemologists.”

“Correct. We have little need for
microbiologists. Or at least we did have little need.”

Tia nodded, but didn’t say anything. Her
eyes were downcast, so he couldn’t read her expression, and lines
appeared between her eyebrows. Her shoulders drooped.

“What is wrong, Tia?”

She started and turned quickly to look at
him. “Nothing,” she lied. He knew she lied because there were
shadows in her eyes that hadn’t been there moments before.

He used a finger to tilt her chin toward
him. “Want to try that answer again?” How American he sounded.

She grimaced and then their eyes connected.
“I hope I can find the answers your people need.”

Ah, fear. “I too, feel that way. I want you
very much to solve our problematic wells.”

“What if I don’t, Aleksi?”

“What if you do, Tia?”

“What if I can’t figure out what’s causing
your people to get sick?”

He sighed. “Tia, right now, you are our only
hope. If you can’t find out what is happening, I doubt anyone
can.”

She sucked in a deep breath and he thought
he saw resolve chase out the fear. Tia nodded her head, once, but
firmly before their eyes met again.

“I will do whatever I have to. We’ll make
your people well again.”

“That is all I ask.” But he liked the new
determination he saw in her eyes. He didn’t doubt Tia’s skills in
the laboratory.

He only doubted his ability to keep his
possessive hands off her.

Chapter
4

Rurikstan didn’t compare to her imagination.
The old world charm the place exhibited, and the well kept homes
and streets far surpassed everything she thought she might see. The
homes were mostly made out of stone, lining brick and cobbled
streets. Planters bursting with flowers abounded, although she
noticed quite a few of the flowers looked wilted and some were
browned beyond redemption.

The only thing missing in the picturesque
place were mothers pushing baby carriages, kids playing, older
folks conversing while seated on the stone and wooden benches
scattered about the city. But none of those people were in
evidence. There seemed to be a shroud hanging over the city, like
they were all expecting the very worst.

Tia frowned as she watched the scenery.
Where there should have been bustling, busy life, instead there
was... nothing. The still living flowers, shrubs, and trees had an
ominous brown tinge. Something was definitely wrong.

“There are no people,” she murmured.

Aleksi leaned forward and peered out the
limousine window next to her. He shook his head sadly. “They’re all
occupied with keeping their families healthy. They don’t have time
to play any longer. Plus they have to take care of those who are
sick.”

Deep lines etched his face, and Tia realized
how greatly his people needed her skills. How much depended on her
discovering what was making his people sick. Aleksi had sought her
out because his people desperately needed a solution.

“No one in your family has been
affected?”

“Not so far. No one in the palace has
displayed the same symptoms.”

This could be a
challenge
, Tia thought.

The car swung into a circular drive in front
of an elaborate building worthy of royalty. Tia clearly defined it
as a palace. This must be Aleksi’s home. She thought about the
dingy dorms they had lived in at school, and then the apartments
many of them rented off campus later. After being used to the
palatialness of this residence compared to what he’d lived in
during school, Tia wondered how he had coped.

The driver exited the car and opened the
door for them. Tia climbed from the long vehicle, aware of Aleksi’s
hand at the small of her back. She couldn’t remember walking
anywhere with a man’s hand on her back. It was an interesting, if
slightly disconcerting experience.

“My mother will be awaiting us in the main
parlor.”

She darted a quick look at him as fear
cascaded down her spine. “Your mother?”

“Yes, she lives here.”

“Shouldn’t we clean up first?” Tia
desperately wanted to shower and clean off the dust of travel.
Sure, Aleksi owned his own plane, and the plane had been quite
comfortable, but that didn’t alleviate the fact that she still
would have felt better showering and changing out of her rumpled
clothing.

“We don’t need to. After you meet her we can
freshen up before supper, which is customary.”

Wonderful
, I have to freshen up
before dinner.
What have I gotten myself
into?

He guided her through a series of hallways
and Tia watched carefully. How embarrassing to get lost while she
was in residence. And she’d learned that he expected her to live in
his home. Any trepidation she might have entertained of them living
together dissolved upon seeing his home. The entire state of
Montana could live here.

The butler preceded them
down the hallway and threw open the right door that made up one
half of the ornately inlaid doors that must lead to some sanctuary.
Tia swallowed and allowed Aleksi to steer her into the room. She
had enough time for the panicky thought,
Wealthy, dignified, understated –
don’t knock anything over
, before a
woman, slender, elegant as the room, and with her nose aloft, rose
from a chair near the unlit fireplace.

When she turned to look Tia over, Tia
received the absolute impression that this woman didn’t plan to
play nice. “So, this is the little biologist you found in America,”
she said, and her nose seemed to climb higher. Tia wondered how the
woman could breathe with her nose so high in the air.

The way she
pronounced
America
made Tia wonder if she’d dipped her nose into something foul.
Of course, Tia also received the impression
she
was rather foul. Lovely. What an
excellent way to set off her time here.

“Mother,” Tia heard the warning in Aleksi’s
voice, “this is Dr. Tia Morrison. She’s a renowned microbiologist
who is here as a favor to me. Tia, this is my mother, Princess
Gracia.”

The woman’s eyebrow did the climbing this
time, but the effect was quite similar to her peering down her nose
at Tia. Aleksi’s mother still didn’t appear to approve of Tia, or
her rumpled clothing. Of course, what possessed her to wear linen
trousers and matching shirt to travel in was beyond her.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Tia said, purely
for her own entertainment.

Gracia
? She nearly snorted. If this woman held any grace toward her
fellow beings, Tia would eat Nick’s nastiest baseball
cap.

I could take you down in a
matter of seconds, skinny butt,
she decided
as she assessed the woman. The problem would be which wrestling
hold to use once she smacked the woman’s supercilious, arrogant
self against the authentic Persian carpeting.