He cupped her face, relishing the feel of her soft skin under his fingertips, the sway of her body as she pressed closer to him, fitting her body against his.
Then she wound her slingless arm around his neck and deepened the kiss with heavy breaths and throaty moans, and something inside him became undone. All his self-control, all the emotions he’d been stuffing deep inside him exploded into a need he’d never experienced before. He wanted her. Wanted to be inside her again.
She spiked her fingers into his hair, dragging nails across his scalp. ‘Dio, Lucas. This is crazy, but I can’t stop.’
‘I... God, Gigi.’ A single no flitted into his brain and then blurred as he propelled her backwards towards a tree and pressed her up against the bark. He slid his hand under the hem of her cardigan and up to her breast, palming her lace bra. Her breasts were fuller, bigger, even more amazing.
She shivered against him, pressing his hand hard over her nipple. ‘Dio. Dio. Dio. Lucas, don’t stop.’
He started to pop open the buttons, pressing kisses down her throat, and then he saw the bruises again...she was damaged. Hurting. He imagined the pain and trauma she’d been through and pressed his mouth as gently as he could over the yellow and purple marks. ‘Giada. I’m sorry—’
‘I’m okay. It’s okay.’ She cupped his face and tugged him up to look at her, her eyes swimming with affection and desire. ‘Make me feel something good instead of all this pain.’
He covered her mouth again with his, finding the one thing he hadn’t realised he’d been missing for the last three months.
This.
Her.
It was almost too much. He closed his eyes. ‘I didn’t think this was going to happen again.’
‘You think too much.’ She laughed, throwing her head back, revealing the pale white of her throat.
‘We should—’
‘And you talk too much.’ She sucked in his bottom lip. ‘Kiss me instead.’
‘I was actually going to say we should go somewhere more comfortable.’ In truth, those words had not been in his mind. He’d been ready to stop. But looking at her, listening to her, touching her...he wanted it all.
‘I like it here. Fancy some skinny dipping?’ She reached for his trouser belt, playing with the buckle, a wicked glint in her eye. ‘I know how much you like doing that.’
Every sensible idea was being pushed from his brain with every touch of her fingers. ‘I want to taste you again.’
Her eyes widened. ‘Where?’
‘Everywhere.’
‘Do it.’
He didn’t need to be told twice. There was no need for timidity. He didn’t need to relearn her, he knew what she liked, what turned her on. They were back to where they’d left off three months ago. Hungry for each other, never being sated. He pressed his mouth to her throat as he skimmed his hand around her back and undid her bra. He groaned as first his fingers then his mouth found her nipple. He sucked in the darkened, hard nub, making her writhe against him.
‘Oddio, Lucas. Yes.’ She cupped his erection.
‘Gigi—’ Sudden vibrations shook the ground as something thundered through the trees.
She jerked back, swiping the back of her hand across her mouth, shoulders heaving. ‘What the hell?’
Sensing imminent danger, he wrapped his arm around her and pushed her behind him as the thundering got louder and louder. He felt her shiver against his back. ‘It’s okay, Gigi. I’ve got you.’
She made a funny noise as the vibrations started to lessen and the thunder died away so he turned and wrapped her close in his arms and held her tight, vowing not to let anything harm either her or her child. Ever.
But her shoulders shook and she stepped back to look up at him. He realised then that she wasn’t crying in panic but laughing.
‘I’m thinking the end of the world’s about to happen and yet you’re laughing. What’s so funny?’
‘It’s just someone out riding, probably exercising my father’s horses.’ She looked down then, biting her bottom lip, sadness clouding those beautiful eyes. ‘He usually rides them here or along the beach when he can. Will he ever be able to ride his horses again, Lucas?’
Reality seeped into Lucas’s blurry kiss-addled brain and he stepped away, shaking himself out of the spell they’d been under with just a look. With a taste.
He shouldn’t be kissing her. Not here, not again. Not ever. The physical attraction was still very much there, the chemistry too, but they were in her territory now; their lives had irrevocably changed and different rules applied. Not just that, but she was grieving about the accident, stressing about her father, worrying about Dom. Getting tangled up in all of that would just complicate everything, for them both.
He imagined her father riding proudly through these woods and knew he couldn’t promise her anything about his recovery and certainly wasn’t going to lie just to make her feel better. Hell, they’d just agreed to always be honest. He tipped her chin so he could look into her eyes, wanting to kiss her again but knowing that was over now. ‘I hope he will. In time.’
‘And we both know he may not have enough time, sì? I... I need to get back to the palace, Lucas. There may be more news.’ Her eyes closed briefly and he could see her mentally putting the kiss into a box and closing the lid, but not before the heat hit her cheeks too. ‘Is it okay if we meet in the morning at breakfast? I’ll ask Paulo to set it up in the Lega room at eight.’
‘Absolutely. About before...’ He ran his thumb across her swollen lips, leaving her in no doubt he was referring to the kiss. ‘We shouldn’t have—’
‘I know. I know. We got carried away. There’s so much going on. Too much. Forget it happened. Please.’
He nodded, unable to agree out loud. He would try, of course. But forgetting a blazing, desperate kiss like that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.
If ever.
CHAPTER SIX
SHE DIDN’T SLEEP, of course. Not for the next three days.
How could she when there was so much to think about? Her father. Domenico. The baby... Oh, she couldn’t stop thinking about that as it grew inside her.
And Lucas.
Here he was, strolling down the main staircase as if he was meant to be here. Her heart rate doubled at the sight of him. He was dressed in smart-casual beige chinos and a collared pale blue polo shirt that hugged his swim-assisted muscles, freshly shaved and with a smattering of grey in his hair that she hadn’t noticed before. But, then, she’d been too transfixed by his eyes and his kisses and trying to work out how they could move forward.
He’d been here three days and she’d been the perfect hostess, showing him around her country, taking him on walks through the gardens, even a trip to the theatre to see a Christmas play. They were the epitome of polite and reserved, not referring again to the kiss, but they also hadn’t got anything sorted out about the baby...neither of them seemed to have the stomach to start discussing a future that was months away.
So they’d fallen into a semi-domestic routine of meeting for breakfast, making small talk, reading through social media comments.
It was killing her.
Being so close every day and not being able to touch him.
She pretended she was fine. He kept his distance. He didn’t touch her. In fact, it was almost as if he went out of his way not to touch her, as if he’d switched off that part of him. But she couldn’t find her off switch. And her body strained for just the brush of his hand against hers.
Three days and her sexual awareness was off the scale. But at least he’d stayed.
He nodded as he reached the bottom stair. No air kisses. Still no kiss at all. ‘Good morning, Giada.’
‘Hello, Lucas.’
He’d called her Gigi down at the lake that first evening here, she remembered, and then realised she was looki
ng at him for a sign. Something, anything to let her know what was going on in his head. Was he reliving that kiss the way she did night after night? Was he mentally pushing her up against a tree?
His face was a mask of politeness and she knew he’d retreated back behind the barrier he was too fond of constructing to keep himself free from emotional entanglements. Was that because of the way his family had treated him?
And why did it matter so much to her? She just couldn’t fathom how he’d worked his way under her skin, into her head.
He nodded at her arm. ‘Any better today? I see you’ve mastered the art of the sling.’
‘The throbbing’s stopped and the swelling’s getting better.’ She raised her right arm. ‘Maria did the sling. We watched a video on the internet. She’s determined to get it right for...when you’re not here.’
Because there would be a time, she knew, when he would have to go back to his work. Of course, his life was there while hers was here—for the foreseeable future if not for ever, and especially while her father was sick.
There was no way she could do what Dom had done and give any of this up. She had responsibilities and duties to perform for her nation and her family. But maybe Lucas could move here? Maybe they could try to be a family? It could happen. If they both wanted it.
Stupid idea.
He was going to leave and she was going to stay. She would do the lioness’s share of the childcare and he would, no doubt, appear when he saw fit. She’d cope. She had more than enough help. Everything would be fine.
‘I see.’ His jaw twitched and then tightened but he didn’t say anything else.
In many ways he was right to put up barriers. The future was too unsure and adding her heart into the mix wasn’t going to help any of them. Just one touch from him and she was all but undone but they had very different paths to follow, tied only by their child...and she knew how distant a father could be even if he was in the same room, so she couldn’t let her feelings for this man get any stronger. ‘Let’s get something to eat.’
‘I do like this room. It’s so unlike everywhere else in the palace,’ he said as he walked into the cosy yellow breakfast room with its simple six-seater table and a huge picture window that overlooked the kitchen gardens. She’d originally chosen this room because she’d thought he’d feel more relaxed here—she always did. ‘When we first came in here I thought we’d be twenty feet apart, one each end of a long table.’
It appeared they were doing small-talk today. ‘It’s one of my favourite rooms in the whole palace, probably because it isn’t so staid or formal. Domenico and I ate breakfast in here for years before heading off to school.’ She ran her fingers over the dented mahogany and smiled at the memories of her mother shushing them as they’d chattered and laughed together. Of looking up to her clever, handsome brother and not minding one bit about how he’d refuse to speak to her in front of his friends, because in private he’d tickle her and, just to stop her bothering him, had even let her put nail varnish on his toes...as long as he could wipe it off before school the next day. Life had been so much simpler for them all back then. ‘I doubt he even eats breakfast these days.’
‘Probably shovels in a protein bar on the way to work, like I do.’ Lucas picked up a plate and sniffed the air. ‘Smells great. I’m starving.’
At least one of them had an appetite then. Lack of sleep made her head hurt and her tummy roil.
She prompted him to help himself from the silver platters on the side table that held bacon, eggs, pancakes and fruit.
He piled a stack of pancakes onto his plate alongside bacon and blueberries. ‘Have you heard any more news about your father?’
‘Dom texted to say Papa was still stable. Nothing new. That’s good, right? I mean...obviously it would be better if he was out of the coma.’
‘They’re keeping him in the coma to give his brain time to heal from the surgery,’ he said in the kind of tone you’d use to a young child.
‘I understand that, but I want to fast-forward to where he wakes up. But then we’ll have to tell him about this...’ She put her hand over her belly, convinced she was bigger now than yesterday, although that was likely improbable. Lucas’s eyes drifted to her stomach and she could see the softening there, the undisguised interest. ‘Soon enough I’ll be too big to hide the fact I’m pregnant.’
He stared at her then. ‘Is everything okay?’
‘As far as I know. Is it stupid to want to have a scan every day just to watch the baby growing?’
He shook his head. ‘Not at all. Every mother wants reassurance.’
And father too? ‘Oh, I never sent you the ultrasound video. Here.’ She sat at the table and opened her digital tablet, scrolled through and clicked. The whoosh-um-whoosh-um-whoosh-um echoed around the room. ‘Shoot! Better turn the volume off in case anyone comes in.’
He sat down opposite her and shook his head, quite vehemently. ‘Just email it to me. I can look later.’
His attitude stung. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing.’
She’d had enough of this tiptoeing around; they’d been doing that for three days and it was only making things worse. ‘Is it the kiss? Are you still angry about it? Or is it something else? The baby?’
‘Angry?’ He frowned at her words then his shoulders dropped and he exhaled heavily. ‘No, Giada, not at you. But I am...frustrated that we got into this situation.’
‘You have to admit it was fun, though.’ She shrugged, trying to make a joke. She wanted to see him smile, for reassurance more than anything but also because he looked so good when he let his guard down. ‘I think you’re still sore about that kiss.’
He flinched at the memory. ‘I’m just glad we pressed the stop button.’
Funny, she hadn’t been thinking that at all—sure, in theory, he was right, but it hadn’t stopped her wanting a rerun. ‘There’s a lot for us to deal with at the moment. We can’t help it if emotions run high and we get...um...carried away.’
‘We can help it.’ He gaped at her. ‘We can’t just let our emotions run amok and do what we want. You know full well anyone could have seen us and spread gossip and you certainly don’t want to have to deal with that.’
‘You sound just like my father.’
‘That’s probably the age difference showing itself.’ He speared a piece of pancake with his fork.
‘Ouch, Lucas. You didn’t think much about that down by the lake. Or three months ago. Not when you had your hands on me.’ She put her palm near her breast where his mouth had been. Where she wanted it again. And his eyes followed, his pupils widening.
He rubbed his forehead with his fingers. ‘Giada, please. This is very difficult.’
‘I know and you’re not helping. I’m trying to get my head around things and a bit of light relief will keep me sane. It would be great if you could loosen up a bit.’
He put down his knife and fork. ‘This is who I am, Giada. I’m a doctor, not a clown.’
‘You did a lot more smiling back in August.’
‘Things were very different then.’
‘You don’t say.’ She’d been able to cajole him then, seduce him. He’d been a challenge and she’d managed to push through his reserve. She’d had a glimpse of the real Lucas Beaufort, unfettered, unworried, unconstrained, but she didn’t know if she had the strength or emotional wherewithal to do it again with everything else going on.
She managed a mouthful of coffee then remembered it made her queasy. Or maybe it was the realisation that he’d retreated so far he wasn’t planning on coming back any time soon that made her tummy hurt. Oh, he was a challenge all right. ‘Right, eat up your breakfast and then we can get on with the day.’
She put her digital tablet back onto the table and turned it on but he covered it with his palm.
‘Do you want to go through the m
edia comments?’
‘Too late. I’ve already looked. Through my fingers, before I got up.’
He glared at her. ‘Why?’
‘What can I say? I’m an independent woman. I was awake half the night and it seemed like a good use of my time.’ Instead of Lucas bearing witness to some of the less savoury comments about her. Princess Party... The Giada Problem...
Shaking his head, irritated, he leaned forward and frowned. Again. ‘What did they say?’
‘There are still a lot of good wishes. Many, many from all around the world. But there are questions too. Why the silence now? Three days and no more updates. Where is Domenico? Where is the King? When is he being brought back to Isola Verde?’
He nodded curtly. ‘All questions that can either be ignored or pacified with non-specific statements.’
‘I’m not good at being impartial and non-specific when it’s about my family.’
He shrugged. ‘As a doctor you learn to keep your emotions to yourself. It isn’t helpful or professional to get upset in front of a patient. I can do noncommittal when necessary.’
‘Yes, Captain Sensible. I’d say you’ve achieved expert level.’
He blinked and sat up straight as he took in her words. Maybe no one had ever spoken so forthrightly to him before? He seemed to think it through and then wrestle inwardly for a couple of moments before he answered her. ‘Tomorrow I will check them first. It’s not good to look at that before you even get out of bed.’
‘Okay. It’s a date.’ She dug for a smile, trying to show him that his attitude towards her would not bring her down. ‘And today I have a treat in store for you.’
‘Oh?’ His expression was wary.
‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to lose control and kiss you again.’ She watched the sudden flare of heat in his eyes and smiled to herself. Oh, yes. Lucas Beaufort could say what he liked, but no matter how much he tried he couldn’t always mask the way his body reacted to her. ‘We are going to see my hospital.’
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