If I were being honest, I could admit it made me just a little sick to give up that much cash. But then I imagined Nico’s face when he found out what I had done. That was worse.
He wanted me to trust him. Maybe I needed to be a person he could trust, too.
I shut the laptop and put it back on the floor. I wouldn’t read any articles or tell-alls about him. I didn’t want someone else’s words in my head. I didn’t want them running through my mind every time I talked to him.
There wouldn’t be any other voice but mine as far as he was concerned.
Nico didn’t judge me for my past. I wouldn’t judge him for his.
I snuggled into my bed, pulling the covers up to my ears. It didn’t matter what Nico had done with any of those other women.
Because I was pretty sure I was the only one getting moonflowers and gelato.
I awoke early the next morning because Serafina was prying one of my eyelids open. “It’s time to get up!”
I growled and turned over, hoping she’d go away. She just came over to the other side and started shaking my arm. “Wake up, Kat.”
Had no one in this family ever heard of sleeping in?
“Why won’t she wake up?”
“She’s not a morning person.” I heard Lemon’s voice and opened one eye to glare at her.
“I’d be a morning person if it didn’t start so early in the day.” In my defense, sometimes I got up early all on my own. Like at the crack of noon.
“Come on, we’re going shopping. There’s a lot going on today.”
It was Christmas Eve. We would have to finish shopping because we were running out of time. Which meant I would have to get out of bed. Which I didn’t want to do.
“Can I come? Can I come?” Serafina was jumping on my bed again.
“Sure,” Lemon said. “We already bought your present. You’ll need to ask your mother first.”
“You got me a present?” she asked in a chipmunk-on-crack voice. “What is it?”
“You’ll have to wait until tomorrow,” Lemon said. “Now go ask permission and get dressed. We have to leave soon.” Serafina tore out of the room, yelling something in Italian down the hallway.
“That goes for you too,” Lemon said. “Up and at ’em.”
I groaned but knew I had no choice. I wondered where Chiara had gone off to, but I was too tired to ask. I did the bare minimum to get ready, making sure I had warm clothes on because I could see the snow falling outside of every window. We were going to have a white Christmas.
By the time I pulled my boots on, Serafina was bundled up in similar attire and waiting on my bed with an excited grin. A woman I didn’t recognize was brushing Serafina’s hair and putting it into a complicated braid. “Mamma said I can go!”
Lemon looked up from her smartphone. “So let’s go.”
I started when I noticed Giacomo standing near the door. I went over to see what he wanted. “Good morning. I understand that you are going shopping.”
I nodded.
“His Highness would like you to use this.” He handed me a black and gold credit card. Lemon came over to peer at the card. It looked like it had an actual diamond in the center. “His Highness does not want you to concern yourself with finances while you are here. There is no limit on that particular card.”
“My daddy has been trying for years to get one of those,” Lemon breathed. HRH Prince Dominic II. I ran my fingers over his raised name.
Wow. But no way. I handed it back to Giacomo. “Tell Nico I said thanks, but we’ve got this covered.”
Giacomo looked utterly befuddled. “I don’t understand.”
“I know. But it’s okay. Nico will get it. See ya later, Giacomo.”
Serafina grabbed for my hand, and the three of us walked down the hallway. I could see Nico at the very end of the hallway, walking with Johann toward us.
I felt the moment he saw me, because his grin sent shimmery sparkles all over my skin. His smile was dangerous—joy, excitement, and a definite invitation to trouble.
We were about to meet in the middle, and I started to walk off to the side so as to not interrupt him. But the next thing I knew, Nico had picked me up and was swinging me around. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck. He put me down away from everyone else. He had my heart up in my throat, thumping loudly. His face was just a fraction away from mine, making my stomach do cartwheels. His minty breath mingled with mine, and I leaned in toward him, holding on to him tighter. His glacier-blue eyes were full of mischief.
“My apologies, bella. I thought you were someone else. To think that I nearly kissed you.” He was teasing me. “I didn’t mean to sweep you off your feet.”
He let me go, and I was surprised that I managed to stay vertical as I wanted to collapse into a heap. “I wasn’t swept,” I completely lied. “You think that’s the first time that’s happened to me today?”
Nico laughed as he kissed my hand (again with the hand kissing!) and told me to enjoy my day, that he would see me soon for our date. At least, I think that’s what he said. My hearing wasn’t functioning all that well. Or my brain.
Everything was focused on that almost kiss.
I snapped back into reality when I heard Serafina announce, “I told you Kat loves Nico.”
“I do not,” I said through gritted teeth. I hated how I responded to him, how I felt so out of control. Like all my promises and boundaries just got tossed out the window. How easily I would give in if he pushed. And how he knew it.
“Cream, circus lions, chocolate mousse, you . . .” Lemon said as we continued down the hallway.
“What?”
“Oh, don’t mind me. I was just listing things that are whipped.”
“I am not whipped! It’s not like his kisses are earth-shattering or something. It’s no big deal.”
Lemon scooted away from me, to the opposite wall.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to be standing next to you when God strikes you down for lying.”
We had breakfast in town (sadly, no bread with chocolate inside) and commenced shopping. I noticed Lorenz and another guard staying a few steps behind us. Lemon utilized them as bag carriers, which they did without complaint.
I bought Giacomo a red and gold silk Italian tie and a matching pocket square. Royal family colors. I thought he would like it.
We had a hard time picking something out for Violetta. I didn’t know hardly anything about her, and had only briefly met her at that one dinner. Serafina was no help. She said Violetta spent most of her time in her room and was very grumpy. Lemon and I settled on some headbands and sparkly hairpins.
The twins were easy—two Xbox gift cards. Lemon wisely decided not to get Salvatore a gift. The way she spoke about him, I could tell, as she would say, the bloom was off the rose. She was already losing interest.
But while we were in the electronics stores, I saw it. The perfect gift for the king. I pointed it out to Lemon, and she agreed. We swore Serafina to secrecy, and she promised not to tell.
Finally finished, we got into the town car to return to the palace. And I didn’t know what I was more excited about—seeing everyone opening their presents tomorrow morning or getting to spend the afternoon with Nico.
Lemon offered to wrap everything, and I agreed. She was the kind of person to match up the seams, place the tape underneath the seam so that it didn’t show, and put on a beautiful, curly ribbon. I was the kind of person who would twist it up in Sunday comics and tape it until it stayed put.
Giacomo and lunch were waiting in my room when I got back, and I scarfed down the sandwich and soup. I asked where I was headed to next, but Giacomo would only tell me to dress warmly and for the outdoors. Then I spent a much longer time getting ready than I should have. I contemplated the makeup question. I kind of wanted to put some on. Maybe some mascara. But then Nico would know it was for him, and I would feel stupid. But on the other hand, as I reminded myself, it was okay
to want to feel pretty. So I settled for some sunscreen and lip-gloss.
A knock at the door. I told my heart to calm down. I opened it and Nico stood there dressed much as he had been the day we’d first met. “Oh frak, we’re not going skiing are we?”
His eyes twinkled. “No skiing, I promise.”
I saw Salvatore and Lemon holding hands, standing behind him. “Double date?” I clarified. He nodded.
I was strangely disappointed. We hadn’t really been on an actual date alone yet. We’d managed to squeeze some alone time in along the way, but I had been looking forward to having him to myself today. So I put on a smile and followed along.
We didn’t have a driver today. Nico said he would be driving the black SUV waiting for us. I went to get into the front passenger seat, and he practically pulled a Dukes of Hazzard move to get across the front of the car and to my door. He opened it for me. “I could have opened that,” I informed him. “I’m not helpless.”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t. I’m being chivalrous.”
Apparently he never got the memo about chivalry being dead. Was it possible to both like and dislike something at the same time? To like being pampered and spoiled, but worried about the implication that I needed him to take care of me?
Instead of arguing, I climbed into the car. Lemon and Salvatore sat in the back.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“That’s a surprise. But it is one of my favorite places,” Nico said.
During the drive the guys asked us about our classes, Lemon’s sorority, what an American university was like.
“Do you have a football team?” Nico asked.
“We don’t have a football team. We’re not big enough for that. We do have a soccer team, though.”
“That’s a real football team.”
“Not where I’m from.”
“Where you’re from it is not football either. The ball never touches anyone’s feet in American football.”
“Sure it does. At kickoff and the point after touchdown. Football. Your thing is soccer.”
It was like I had stabbed his puppy and insulted his European pride. Fortunately, we had arrived at our destination. Nico pulled the car off the road and into a not cleared parking lot. The snow had abated since that morning, and the sun was bright above us. I jumped out of the car before he tried to open that for me too. He cocked his head to one side and gave me a disappointed look. I shrugged back.
Nico and Salvatore pulled some backpacks out of the trunk of the car, passing them out. “Water and some other hiking supplies,” he told me.
“We’re going hiking? Over there?” Lemon asked in dismay. Lemon’s idea of exercising was lifting her feet while I vacuumed. “Look at that grass. It’s tall enough to go duck hunting with a rake.”
“Do you like hiking?” Nico asked me.
“I love hiking. I used to try to spend as much time outdoors as I could because I didn’t want to be at home.” That made him look sad. “Growing up near the mountains and forests, I don’t know. I just liked exploring.” I tried to sound upbeat.
“Good.” He smiled. “I like it too.”
One more thing we had in common. Light and breezy, I reminded myself. Keep it light and breezy.
Because if we didn’t stop the in common stuff soon, we were going to end up in serious trouble.
We stopped to let Lemon catch her breath. She sat on top of a boulder, not caring about the snow. By this point Salvatore was carrying her backpack. He handed her a water bottle, and she chugged it down.
“Are you all right?” I asked her. “You look pale and sweaty.”
“Southern girls don’t sweat. We glisten.”
“You’re glistening a lot.”
“When I pictured my death, there were never this many rocks and trees involved. I’ve been telling myself for the last twenty minutes that there’s a Louboutin sale at the end, but I’m not buying the lie.”
“Maybe we should go back,” I said to Nico.
“No, y’all go on. Salvatore can take me back to the car and we can wait for y’all there.” Salvatore didn’t look too enthused about the idea until Lemon raised one eyebrow at him suggestively, and then he was all too eager to head back.
“Have fun,” Lemon whispered to me as I readjusted my backpack straps. I started to suspect that this had all been a scam on her part to get me alone with Nico, because she looked just fine walking back to the car.
I mean, I wanted to be alone with him. I just didn’t want to be conned into it.
“We’re nearly there,” Nico told me as he helped me climb up and over a big rock. “I used to have a much more direct route, but I promised my mother not to use it.”
“Why?”
He didn’t let go of my hand once I’d cleared the obstacle. Even through our gloves I could feel the heat of his hand.
“You met my father?”
“I did.”
“He was in a boating accident a few years ago. My mother is terrified the same thing will happen to all of us. So she asked us to stop doing anything that had any risk involved. Rock climbing was my favorite hobby. I used to climb up that face there to get to the top—you can still see some of the cams in the rock. But a promise is a promise. I gave away all my gear.” I could hear in his voice how much he missed it, and the whole thing struck me as unbelievably sad.
“You always do what you say, don’t you?”
He gave me a little frown, like I’d confused him. “Of course.”
I could rely on him. He wouldn’t let me down. He wasn’t like other men. I saw that when I looked at him, when I stood with him like this. There was something that felt like security. Strength. Confidence. He was safe. I felt safe.
I liked that more than I should. A heavy, warm glow started up in my heart and spread throughout my limbs.
We finally reached the top of the hill, and he walked me over to the edge. There was a rock carved into the shape of a bench. It overlooked the entire capital city of Imperia. I could see the castle in the distance, perched up on its own hill. Snow blanketed the valley floor, twinkling and sparkling in the afternoon sun. Forests of bright green pine trees filled the landscape. Behind us, I could hear a waterfall falling, crashing into rocks below.
“Everything here is like living in a postcard.”
We stood in silence at the edge of the world, holding hands. The moment felt so romantic. “This is like, the perfect spot for a proposal. You should bring your future princess here.”
While I wanted to smack myself around for the verbal stupidness spewing from my mouth, I was stopped by Nico’s expression. “I have no intention of getting married.”
“Ever?” It surprised me how important his answer to that question was.
He shrugged. “When I marry, my father plans to abdicate and make me king. I want to delay that as long as is humanly possible.”
I didn’t understand why it felt like a thousand tiny daggers were stabbing me in the heart over and over again. I went over to the stone bench, cleared a spot off, and sat down. I felt heavy and uneasy.
There was no future here. Not that in a million years I ever thought it really possible that I’d end up married to Nico, but there had at least been a possibility of it. A chance, however small, at a future. And now he was telling me that there never would be one. My throat felt thick.
Which shouldn’t upset me. Light and breezy, remember? But it felt like something had just died.
I cleared my throat. “I can understand that. It seems like you have a pretty sweet single life. Traveling the world, doing whatever you want, going to parties and balls.”
He sat down next to me and took my hand again. “That’s not what a king does. My father still takes care of as many administrative things as he can, and I do the rest. I had scheduled much of the next two weeks as a holiday, but even then you can see that I am still constantly busy. It is fortunate that you came into my life when I could spend time with you.”
“You only like me because I didn’t want to go out with you.” I was feeling contrary. Like I wanted to pick a fight.
He pinned me down with his intense gaze. “That’s why I was intrigued by you. But that is not why I like you. And you know it.”
I did know it. He’d spelled it out pretty clearly in Paris. I was just being obstinate. I let out a loud, annoyed sigh.
“Are you looking forward to the Christmas festivities?” he asked. He was always good at the changing the subject tactic if things started to go wonky between us. I decided to allow it because I had no real reason to be upset.
“I’ve never really liked Christmas. My mother was either gone or passed out.”
“You’ve never had even one happy Christmas?”
I paused, remembering. “I did have one. Sort of. I was nine years old. My dad had just gotten out of prison, finally sober, and he took me to his parents’ house for the holiday. It was the first and only time I remember meeting my grandparents. I don’t think they liked me too much. Anyway, my dad had just started a new job, and he bought me a present. A Holiday Barbie. She was so beautiful—she had a blue velvet dress with silver lace all over it. She was the Millennium Princess. She was the prettiest thing I had ever owned. I didn’t even want to take her out of the box. I was happy to just sit and look at her. It reminded me that someone loved me.”
Nico squeezed my hand. “And then one day I came home from school and my mom had pawned it. I cried for days. A few weeks later, ironically enough, my dad got hit by a drunk driver and died. So, no, not a lot of happy Christmas memories.”
He wrapped both of his arms around me then, putting his cheek on top of my head. “I am so sorry, cuore mio.”
I nestled into him and took all the comfort he wanted to offer me. Even if we didn’t have a future, and this couldn’t go anywhere, I decided to take what I could while I could.
Royal Date Page 13
