Darias shook his head. “It’s still something of a crime scene, even though the murders didn’t happen there. Gibran’s team is going through my grandmother’s papers and effects, looking for clues.”
“Have they found any?”
“Nope.” He sipped his coffee. “No weird sex toys or kinky outfits. No revealing diaries. Only the correspondence and wardrobe of a busy monarch with a passion for her rose garden.”
“You’re sure she didn’t have some kind of secret lifestyle.” It wasn’t a question, more of a statement. She knew Darias was horrified by the idea. But she couldn’t help wondering if he was being blind because this was his sweet old grandma.
“Absolutely sure. And my father, too. He was no angel, mind you. I’m pretty sure he had affairs over the years. In fact, there may even be a longtime mistress somewhere, mourning him. I have no proof, though. You don’t realize how little you really know someone until they vanish out of your life under mysterious circumstances.” His jaw set in a hard line, and he put his cup down with a clatter. “But I’m gathering information. Sooner or later the broken pieces will join together and form a picture.”
She ate an apricot tart carefully. Tiny pieces of pastry stuck to her lips, and the sticky apricot jam got on her fingers. Darias watched her tongue at work, and his face softened. “Thank goodness you are here to keep me sane. To be my muse.”
His muse? He was painting her. She felt quietly honored. “How long does it take you to make a painting?”
“Depends. Sometimes months, sometimes just a week. Sometimes it depends on how long I want to stare at my model.” His gaze hovered over her mouth, making her lips swell and part. “With you…I might have to do a whole series.”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
“You didn’t find it hard to sit still?”
“Not at all. Besides, he doesn’t mind if I move.” It was very easy to sit there and watch Darias at work. Finally she had an excuse to just stare at him. “It’s relaxing. I feel important without actually doing anything.”
Darias laughed. “Then you know what it feels like to be royal. People stare at you, they’re curious and envious and admiring, and you didn’t do anything except get up in the morning. It used to really annoy me.”
“And now?”
“I’m just used to it, I guess. Has its benefits. I had a much easier time finding gallery representation than most artists, for example.”
“But Keane Moss wouldn’t have taken you on if you were drawing stick figures in pencil.”
“Wouldn’t he?” Darias stirred his coffee. “Maybe I’m more cynical than you. You’d be surprised by how excited people get about hanging with royalty, even royalty from a tiny country like Altaleone.”
“It must be weird never knowing if people like you for yourself or because you’re a prince.”
“It makes you cherish opportunities to meet strangers who know nothing about you.” His eyes twinkled.
“Like me. But once you introduce yourself it’s all ruined. Unless you give a fake name and pretend you’re someone else. Have you ever done that?”
“Once or twice.” A wry smile tugged at his mouth. “When I was much younger. After a while I grew confident that people appreciated me for who I really am.”
“I appreciate you.” She could admit that. Especially if she intended to make love to him, which was apparently still on the agenda. Sexual energy wafted in the air between them like the steam from their coffees. She wanted to touch him desperately.
Would it be so wrong? They were married after all.
She liked him. He liked her.
“Where can we go for some privacy?” Was she being too pushy? The suspense was killing her.
A smile creased Darias’s face. “I’m shocked. It’s still morning.”
She bit her lip. All these nights lying next to him had done something to her mind and body. And of course it had been a very long time since she’d enjoyed any kind of sex, so her hormones were bubbling over.
“Sorry to shock you.”
“I love it.” He placed his hand over hers, and the heat from his palm sent a wave of excitement through her. “Let’s go.”
She wiped crumbs from her fingers, rose, and Darias held out his arm for her. She took it, and they were a few steps away from the restaurant when she remembered. “Do royals not have to pay for anything?”
“Not with our pennies.” He lifted a brow. “Everyone in the world knows where we live so they can just send a bill to our house.”
“I guess they know you’re good for it.”
“That, too. My family’s been eating pastries at that shop since the mid-eighteenth century. Still owned by the same family, too.”
“It must be very grounding living surrounded by so much history.”
“Oppressive is one word.” He chuckled. “But I’m learning to embrace that, too.” He leaned in close enough to bump her gently as they walked. “And you’re about to learn one of my little secrets.”
“What?” A tiny prickly of anticipation—or was it nerves?—spiked deep inside her.
He didn’t answer but simply led her along the picturesque cobbled street. They turned into a tiny side street. He pulled car keys from his pocket and pressed a button on the remote, and an ancient-looking double door opened to reveal a shiny black sports car. “My undercover disguise.”
She grinned. “Oh, yes. I’m sure no one knows it’s you. What is it, a Lamborghini?”
“Ferrari. Much more low-key. You’d be surprised by how many black Ferraris there are in Altaleone.”
“I’m sure I would.” They climbed in, which involved almost lying on the floor because the seats were angled back. Darias backed out expertly in the tight space, and they headed through the town and out toward the fields around it.
This time they went in the opposite direction of the summer palace, where the murders happened. They started out climbing through similar daisy-strewn fields with herds of placid cows and sheep, but as the climb grew steeper, the landscape became more forbidding and treeless. Soon there were no animals or buildings, and the road had narrowed to a one-lane track.
“Where are we going?”
“The desolate valley. That’s what it’s called in our language.”
“Sounds lovely,” she teased.
“It’s very lonely. Which is exactly what I’m looking for right now.”
“You want to write some soulful poetry.”
“Yes.” He turned and flashed her a dark glance. “With my tongue. On your body.”
Her body responded with a shimmer of arousal. But there was nothing around them but jagged rocks and the beginning of what looked like a long, deep lake. “That sounds intriguing. But this landscape looks like the background in the Mona Lisa. Are we going to perch on a rock?”
He smiled. “I have another secret.”
A secret royal sex shack in the mountains? Nothing would surprise her at this point. They followed the shore of the dark lake, then climbed even higher, past some of the sharpest peaks she’d seen. She even glimpsed a mountain goat on one near-vertical surface. Then the rocks parted and they drove into a smooth green oasis, ringed by rocks, with a mossy carpet specked with tiny white flowers.
“Wow.” She looked around her as he stopped the car. “Is this a volcano crater?” She climbed out of the car and studied their surroundings. The rocks formed a perfect circle.
“Yes. It’s been extinct for a very long time. The rich soil grows this soft grass.” He helped her from the car. “But even shepherds don’t bother to come all the way up here anymore. Most people in Casteleone probably think it’s just a legend.
“Stunning.” She reached down and touched the mix of grass and moss that felt like silky carpet. The sky above was a bright sapphire blue that only added to the otherworldly atmosphere. “I feel like we’re the last people left on earth.”
“Let’s pretend we are.” He took her in his arms and pulled her close until
her chest bumped against his. She drank in the warm male scent of him. When his lips met hers, her eyes closed and emotion swelled in her heart.
She’d learned so much about Darias in the past couple of weeks. In addition to being confident and commanding, he was warm and funny and cared deeply about the people who were important to him—which to a certain extent was everyone in Altaleone. Darias was truly a prince among men, royal titles aside. She’d never met anyone like him.
His fingers slid inside the waistband of her fitted pants and reached for the lace top of her panties, but the pants were too tight for his hand to slide in. His fingers roamed around to the front and undid them, then he resumed journey, caressing her backside, kissing her all the while.
Her hands followed the hollow of his spine down to his firm butt and slid inside his black jeans with ease. She felt his arousal harden against her belly, and their kiss deepened. His tongue probed her mouth, and she felt a tiny moan of pleasure rise from deep inside her. Already she was so aroused she might explode.
Were they really going to rip their clothes off right here up on this mountain top? She was ready to tear his off with her teeth. She fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, managing to undo them, then undid his jeans and pulled his shirt loose.
As he lifted her top over her head, her eyes opened for a moment and she looked right into his—which were dark with lust. “What if a plane flies over?”
“What if a butterfly flies over?” he taunted her, mischief playing around his mouth. “That’s much more likely.”
“I don’t think I’d notice.”
“I intend to make sure of it.” Clothes half off already, he reached into the vestigial trunk of his Ferrari and pulled out a soft gray blanket, then spread it on the ground with a flourish. “Come here.”
She stepped into his embrace, then he sank slowly down in front of her, pleasuring her with his tongue. Her neck, then her nipples. Then he traced a tantalizing wavy line down over her belly to her crotch. She let out the strangest little sigh as his tongue pushed into her private places, hot and cold at the same time.
She clutched at his hair while he licked her, making her buck with pleasure. She’d just started to get worried that her knees would give way and that she’d crumple in a heap on top of him, when he rose up again and lowered them both gently to the blanket.
He rolled on a condom and climbed over her. She shivered slightly, despite the warm summer air, her body wound so tight with pent up desire that she could barely contain it. He eased himself down until his erection brushed her belly, which was so sensitive that she gasped audibly.
He kissed her softly as he entered her. She felt herself open for him, so aroused that there was no resistance. He filled her and she kissed him back, all her foolish hopes and fears mingling into intense passion.
She’d never met anyone like Darias—so confident, capable and ridiculously gorgeous. He’d swept into her life like a tornado and blown it apart.
Now, in his arms she felt whole again, filled with joy and excitement. The way he moved inside her sent shockwaves of pleasure rippling to her toes. She wriggled under him, enjoying each new sensation that drew her deeper into a state of bliss.
Her hips rose to meet his as he quickened the rhythm, brushing her face with kisses and nuzzling into her hair. The tenderness of his kisses touched her heart. Could this really be the beginning of a true partnership between them?
The rhythm grew more insistent and she heard a rumble rise in his chest. Tension built inside her, growing and swelling and sweeping through her body until she couldn’t hold it back any longer, and her climax exploded through her. Darias let out a low groan and she felt him shudder, then his arms tightened around her and they fell to the blanket together.
They lay there, gasping and holding each other for what felt like a long time—and a very short one. Gradually Emma opened her eyes, almost surprised by the bright sun and the clear blue canopy overhead. She turned to look at Darias and saw his eyes crack open just a little.
“You have no idea how much I’ve been wanting to do that.” His voice was so low it was almost a rasp.
“Me, too,” she admitted. “We’d agreed not to, so I tried to keep my feelings to myself.”
“I don’t think I ever really imagined I’d be able to live with you for a year without making love to you.” He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips again. “You’re far too lovely for that.”
Her chest tightened. So he’d known all along that they’d end up kissing? Maybe he’d known that even when they signed the contract. Maybe he’d made his negotiations with her—a strictly business arrangement—knowing full well that he’d get to enjoy some funny business on the side.
Of course, when you were a gorgeous, wealthy prince—soon to be king of your own nation—you could probably anticipate getting whatever you want, whenever you want it.
“What’s the matter?” He stroked her cheek.
“I really thought this was a business arrangement,” she admitted. “When I agreed to it.”
A cheeky smile creased his face. “Business is always better when mixed with pleasure.”
“So our agreement is still in force?” She tried to keep her voice from shaking. One year. Just one year.
“Of course.” He smiled. Clearly, he found nothing disturbing about that. “I pledged to uphold my side of the agreement, and I am a man of my word.”
Maybe he thought she was worried he’d try to avoid paying her now that they’d become intimate. She didn’t think that for a minute. In many ways, she trusted Darias completely.
Just not with her heart.
“I suppose we should put our clothes back on. We’re scandalizing the butterflies.” She tried to sound breezy. She really should just live in the moment and enjoy this delicious intimacy with such a gorgeous and wonderful man.
He deserved to enjoy it, too. He was under a lot of pressure, trying to get up to speed to rule a country and meet the expectations of family and strangers alike. She didn’t want to add to his burden by asking too many questions or making inappropriate demands.
You knew what you were getting into. It’s your fault if you’re letting your feelings get involved.
Darias had rolled to one side, still holding her close in his arms. “The butterflies will keep our secrets. Not that we really have any. How is it wrong for two married people to make love?”
“It isn’t. In fact, it would be weird if we didn’t. You probably should have written it into the contract.” She was joking, trying to make light of the situation.
“Would you have signed it if I had?” He lifted an eyebrow slightly.
“No.” That would have made her feel like a prostitute. This whole situation was so strange and messy. If she’d had any idea what she was really getting into.…
What would she have done? Right now, she really didn’t know.
“So it’s lucky I didn’t.”
“I suppose so.” She kissed him back, not wanting him to sense all the doubts and fears roiling her brain. “I’d be in New Jersey, writing lesson plans, and you’d have had to find someone else to marry.”
He chuckled and buried his face in her hair. “Perish the thought.”
“I wonder who it would have been? Maybe the other gallery assistant, Farah. She’s taller than me and twice as pretty.”
Darias laughed. “She’s nothing like as beautiful as you. I can’t imagine any other woman as my queen.”
For a year.
She didn’t add that last part. He’d hired her because he didn’t want a real, permanent queen. His freedom was more important.
“You’re sweet. And so far I’m enjoying this adventure. Who’d ever think that a girl from South Orange would get to live in a royal palace? It sounds like something you’d read about in the tabloids.”
“I’m sure people are reading about it in the tabloids.” He sounded rueful. “Luckily, we don’t get them here in Altaleone. Though I suppose I sho
uld run a check to make sure the strange details of the murders haven’t leaked. I don’t want anyone surprising my mom with awkward questions at the coronation tomorrow.”
“Do you think they would?”
“Reporters would love to. Maybe even jealous acquaintances. Royals always have a lot of haters,” he said with a grin. “Goes with the territory.”
“If the person who did the murders wanted scandal, then sooner or later they’ll spread the story themselves.”
“In a way I’d welcome that, then we could find them.” He sighed and held her close.
A bird circled over them, so high in the sky she couldn’t make out what kind it was. A hawk or kestrel or a vulture. She pointed to it. “A spy.”
“They’re everywhere these days. I suppose that’s our cue to return to civilization.”
“Tomorrow you’ll be king.”
“I will, whether my enemies want it or not.”
“Are you afraid?”
“Never.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
That night they made love in a tense and sexy silence, then slept holding each other. Emma alternated between sensations of deep bliss and fear of where this would end up. She told herself to live in the present.
In the morning they rose bright and early for the coronation. It would have been hard not to, for the town of Altaleone bustled with preparations—bands tuning, servants rushing around carrying trays of glasses and bottles of champagne, guests arriving by plane, train and car, villagers already lining the streets, jostling for the best place to see the royal procession.
Darias vanished early on to join his ministers in preparing for the ceremony, and Emma was left alone with the family as usual. Beatriz had helped her choose a dress to wear, and for the first time she also wore a jaunty hat in a matching jade green that made her feel both ridiculous and royal at the same time.
The coronation would take place in the town’s ancient cathedral, and the royals headed there early to wait for Darias to arrive with his ministers in a state procession. Emma could feel eyes on her as they emerged from a fleet of limos in front of the church, and walked down the aisle toward the altar. Seated in the front pews between Beatriz and Darias’s brother Rigo, Emma distracted herself by looking at the printed program—none of which was in English—and the elaborate carvings and paintings of the beautiful old church.
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