Rico tugged, all businesslike, ignoring the fact that he was brushing over her breasts and heating the air around her with his body. He grumbled under his breath before the belt finally gave way and he pulled it free.
He was off of her in a flash, yanking the belt across her body and quickly clicking it into place. “There,” he said. His voice seemed more breathless than it should have for the amount of effort he expended, but Angelina knew it was more wishful thinking on her part. She was just a job to him.
Still, she was looking at Rico differently than she had before tonight. A crush was childish. She felt nothing like a child tonight. What did she feel for him now?
Desire? Lust? Arousal?
All those words that sent shivers through her body. Good shivers. Exciting shivers. Unexpected, unfamiliar shivers.
“We will be a newlywed couple,” he said as he put the car into gear. He still sounded so calm, as if this whole thing was no big deal. “We are renting a small apartment in a villa my uncle and aunt own. Even they don’t know who you are. I told them we needed a place for a quiet honeymoon.”
“You mean they think you actually got married? To me?”
“Yes. But they don’t know you’re their princess. They will think you are a beautiful, charming young woman I fell in love with.”
He made it sound so plausible. Made it sound as if he actually thought she was beautiful. Charming. “Won’t they be angry they weren’t invited to the wedding?” She couldn’t imagine any of her extended family being happy if they discovered she’d gotten married without them being invited to the wedding.
“They will understand. They are busy with their villa and not able to travel often. My parents are the same with their work at the palace. Holidays and family visits…and weddings…don’t take priority.”
She couldn’t imagine family not being a priority. She’d been surrounded by family, close and extended, for as long as she could remember. Family was important. That had been drummed into her head from an early age. As she was imagining not seeing her aunts and uncles and cousins for years, the rest of Rico’s comments penetrated her tired brain.
“Wait. We will be sharing an apartment?”
“Of course. A married couple would obviously share an apartment. Besides, I am not letting you out of my sight.”
The straightforward tone of his voice, as if nothing else would have ever crossed his mind, made her feel safer than anything else had tonight. Still, the reminder that he needed to keep an eye on her at all, sent a different kind of shiver over her skin.
“Do you really think all of this is necessary?” she asked. “Tell me the truth. I think my father is being over-protective.” As always. Especially since her mother died.
“Better to be safe, Your Highness.”
“He over-reacted.”
“Do you remember Enzo and Donato?” Rico asked softly.
Tears prickled her eyes. “Yes, of course.” She didn’t regret leaning out of the car to pull Enzo inside, but it hit her hard that one of those bullets could have slammed into her. She shuddered.
“Your father did not over-react. His Majesty wants you safe. He knows how close he came to losing you tonight.”
Rico stared out the windshield at the dark road before them, illuminated only as far as the headlights reached. His hands rested loosely on the steering wheel. Looking at him, one would think he didn’t have a care in the world, but the tightness in his voice revealed more than she expected.
“It seems unreal,” she added.
“You must take this seriously. There is someone out there who wishes you harm. You can never forget that you could have been killed tonight.”
She nodded and leaned back against the seat. She didn’t want to think about it, but he was right. She could never forget.
“Are you all right, Your Highness?” he asked. “We have another hour or so to go.”
She swallowed. “I’m all right.” She rested her head back against the seat. “How long do you think we’ll have to be away from home?”
“Not long, I’m certain. Our security team is well-trained. They will discover who is behind this very soon.”
Angelina nodded. “I hope so.” She closed her eyes and inhaled. Thank goodness, she couldn’t smell the rank odor as strongly from the front seat. Up here, next to Rico, she could take in the dark, musky scent of him.
You must take this seriously. There is someone out there who wishes you harm. You can never forget that you could have been killed tonight.
What if she’d been killed in the kidnapping attempt tonight? Without thinking, she reached out and placed her hand on Rico’s wrist, his skin warm and alive to her touch. She’d spent her entire life being the good girl, the proper princess. What if she’d died tonight and never knew the pleasure shared between a man and a woman? What if she’d never had a chance to touch a man like this?
Rico glanced at her touch, then quickly turned his attention back to the road. He braked quickly when a small animal dashed across the road in front of them. Angelina knew she shouldn’t distract him, but she couldn’t take her hand away.
“What is it, Your Highness?”
“You can’t call me that when we reach Tuscora,” she said softly.
“Call you what?”
“Your Highness. You’re going to have to call me by my name.” She wanted to hear her name in that deep tone, coming from those lips.
“I can’t call you that, either,” he said wryly. “Everyone knows the princess’s name.”
“Oh. Of course, you are right.” She realized she still had her hand on his wrist and she reluctantly pulled away and dropped her hand into her lap.
“What are your other names?” Rico asked. “You must have several.”
“Yes. Two more. Concetta for my mother, but using the Queen’s name would not be a good idea, either. The other is Lucia, for my maternal grandmother. It is not as well-know, I am certain.”
“Lucia. Graceful light. Yes, I will call you Lucia.”
Foolishly, she thought that name sounded just as wonderful when he said it out loud. “How did we meet?” she asked next.
“What?”
Men were clueless about some things. Like romance. Angelina had spent her life studying romance from afar. From books. Movies.
“People will ask. Your aunt will ask even if your uncle will not. We need a story of how we met.”
“You make up a story then,” he grumbled.
“All right. I work in a small bakery nearby,” Angelina said, remembering the story Mia told her of how the future queen of Stagatland was working in her father’s bakery when she met the handsome prince who was now king. “You stopped into the bakery every morning and we began to share little looks. Small smiles.”
She thought she saw a small smile on Rico’s lips but it was still too dark to tell for certain. “What do I buy?”
“Biscotti, of course. You like to nibble on them with your coffee.”
“I nibble?” The amusement was clear in his voice. Then, a little more sharply, he asked, “How do you know I drink coffee?”
“I see you and Vittorio with your steaming cups of coffee every morning. Don’t change the subject.”
“All right. I came into the bakery all the time to buy biscotti.”
“And to flirt with me.”
“Of course.”
“Where did we go on our first date?”
She smiled at Rico’s groan. “We have to know where we went on our first date?” he asked.
“Of course. Another question your aunt is certain to ask.”
“Your Highness…”
“Lucia.”
“Lucia. Right…”
He was so clearly out of his comfort zone it made Angelina smile again. “If you walked into the bakery one morning, after weeks of veiled glances and little smiles, and you desired to see me away from my usual surroundings, to spend time together with no one else but you and me, where would you want to take
me?”
“I would take you for a drive, like I am right now,” he said immediately. “It is difficult to find time alone otherwise. There seem to be people everywhere.”
“Yes,” she agreed. Especially at the palace. There was no privacy there. So Rico felt it too. She wished for the sunrise so she could see his expression. “All right, you took me for a drive and we talked for hours.”
“Talked? For hours?”
“When you find your soul mate, hours fly by as you get to know each other.” So she’d heard. So she’d dreamed.
“Soul mates.”
“Are you going to repeat everything I say like a parrot?”
The sky must have been lightening because she was certain he narrowed his eyes as he looked at her.
“If you want people to believe that we fell in love and married quickly, we have to convince them that we are soul mates.”
“Your Highness…”
“Lucia,” she reminded him. “Are you certain you are the head of our security force? Have you never been undercover before?”
“This is not quite working undercover.”
“That’s right. It is I who am undercover. Still, you need to remember our cover story.”
“I fear you watch too many movies.”
What else did she have to do on lonely evenings? “How did you propose to me?” She glanced down to her hand. “And where is my ring? If we’re married, I must have a ring.”
Rico’s head was pounding from all the princess’s questions, but she was right about this. They had to have a story. She had to have a wedding ring. He looked down at the pinky ring he’d bought for himself when he made his first million. He’d been pleased to discover he had the right instincts for investing the majority of the salary he’d been paid over the past ten years.
He remembered walking into the jeweler’s, looking at the cases of rings and the satisfaction he felt knowing he could afford to pay cash for his purchase. He’d wanted something not too flashy but enough of a statement to make it a personal celebration. Something he remembered many of the important men who came to the palace wore. Something he thought he’d never have.
It was a platinum band with a round two carat diamond set in the center. He hoped it wouldn’t be too big for the princess’s finger, but it was the only option at the moment. The landscape was becoming hillier, a sign they were getting closer to their destination. The sun was beginning to rise. Once they reached the top of the hill, Rico pulled the car over to the side of the narrow road.
“Why are we stopping?” the princess asked him. There was enough light now to see her bright eyes. They scanned his face, so curious, looking for answers. So beautiful he could hardly bear to look at them.
“Let’s get out and stretch our legs for a moment,” he said.
“All right.” She climbed from the car as he rounded the front. She glanced past his shoulder and smiled. “What a beautiful sunrise.”
“Yes. Beautiful.” But Rico didn’t look behind him. The beauty he saw was in front of him. Before he could think too much, he dropped to one knee in front of the princess of Mezzano. Something he certainly never imagined doing.
“Rico?”
He cleared his throat as he tugged the ring off his finger. “Lovely Lucia,” he said softly. “You are my soul mate. The love of my life. Will you marry me?” She looked at him with wide eyes, her lower lip caught between her small white teeth. “I hope this will fit you.”
“Oh.” Princess Angelina held out her left hand and Rico was surprised to see it trembling. He slipped his ring on her finger. “It’s beautiful,” she said. But her smile was what he thought was beautiful. “It’s not so very loose. I’ll be careful with it, Rico.”
“I know.” The emotion in her voice was more than he could take. This was only a job. He stood and pointed to a small town in the distance. “There is Tuscora. We don’t have far now. Let’s get going.” He started for the car.
“Rico?” He stopped and took a deep breath before he turned back to look at her. “Why didn’t you just hand me the ring in the car?” she asked him.
He smiled wryly. “Now when my aunt asks you how I proposed, you can tell her I got down on my knee at the first hint of sunrise and called you my soul mate and slipped the ring on your finger.”
She sighed, a wistful sound that he really didn’t need to hear. “I didn’t know you were such a romantic.”
He turned to circle the car. “I’m not.”
Chapter Three
Tuscora was a small town with narrow streets winding through tall buildings decorated with window boxes full of colorful flowers. There were only a few people out on the cobblestone walks, but since it was just after sunrise, that was no surprise. Angelina stroked Rico’s ring as the old car bounced over the rough road.
Her heart had jumped when Rico knelt in front of her, as if she could really be someone’s soul mate. As if he was an actual suitor. Of course, she knew he wasn’t. This was just a job to him. He could claim he wasn’t romantic but that had been about the most romantic thing she’d ever seen. She sighed and rested her head back against the seat.
He hadn’t looked at her since they’d returned to the car. He hadn’t said a word. She could hardly believe they were going off together, just the two of them. That they were staying in a small apartment, just the two of them.
The car seemed smaller, warmer as she sat beside him. She had the incredible longing to experience more romance. More exploration. More of everything with Rico. She was suddenly restless, ready to get out of this vehicle and get on with this adventure.
“How much longer?” she asked.
“Not long now,” he replied.
“Do you know where you’re going?”
Now he looked at her. Frowned at her. “Yes. It’s been years since I’ve been here, but I remember. The villa is just past the market.”
“Market?” Ahead of them, she could see baskets arranged in front of a building. A short, bald man with a white apron wrapped around his waist was placing sunflowers in a deep basket. Bags of pasta and herbs rested in other baskets below strings of onion and garlic. She could see more food displayed behind the large front window. Her stomach growled.
“Hungry, Your Highness?” Rico asked with a touch of amusement.
“Lucia,” she reminded him.
“Lucia,” he repeated. “Here we are.” He turned the corner and pulled the car into a narrow alley that opened onto a small parking area in the back. “We’ll talk with my aunt and uncle and get settled in. Then we’ll get something to eat.”
He rounded the car and opened the door for her. His eyes scanned the area and she shivered at the silent reminder of why they were here in this small town in the middle of nowhere. She stepped out and the mouthwatering aroma of baked bread kissed her senses and wiped the worry from her mind. There must be a bakery close by.
“Can’t we just get some biscotti to nibble on?” She batted her eyes as she looked up at him.
Rico laughed as she’d hoped he would. “And coffee. Soon.” He glanced over her shoulder. “But we’ve been discovered. First things first.”
Angelina turned to see a tall, thin woman in a flowered dress burst out the back door of the villa. Arms spread wide, she descended on them. She swept Rico in her arms, tears streaming down her face, as words flowed from her mouth just as freely. “Rico. Rico. It has been too long. When did you grow so big? What do you mean getting married without telling us? I am so happy you are here, Rico. Rico, my sister’s boy.”
“Tia,” Rico said when he was finally able to break through her stream of words. “I am glad to be here too. Tia Rosa, I want to introduce you to my wife.”
“Of course. Of course.” She took a step away and took off her thick glasses to wipe at her eyes. She replaced her glasses and she turned to Angelina. She nervously pulled her long hair out from behind her ears and brushed the strands down over her cheeks, partially covering her face. Rosa shook her head slo
wly as she looked Angelina over.
Her heart thudded. She held her breath, wiped her damp palms on her thin cotton skirt, waiting for them to be caught out so soon.
“So pretty, Rico,” Rosa said.
“Tia, this is Lucia. Amore, this is my aunt, Rosa Federici.”
Amore. Tingles ran along Angelina’s arms. No one had ever called her that before. Never. But before she had time to enjoy it further, or even feel relief that she had not been recognized, Rico’s aunt pulled her into a crushing embrace. “Oh, I am so happy to meet you. We are so glad you are here.” Rosa kissed her cheeks and then stepped back. She frowned at Rico. “Why did you drive all night long? Your new wife looks weary. Come. We’ll get you settled.”
While Rico pulled their bags out of the car, Rosa took Angelina’s arm. “The apartment is small, but the bed is big. That’s what’s important? Right?” Rosa laughed. With long strides, she led Angelina into the villa. A narrow hallway took them past the kitchen, through a cozy dining room, to a spacious lobby.
“This is lovely,” Angelina said graciously, as she’d been taught. This place was nothing like she was used to. Old-fashioned, with furniture that looked more like cast-offs than anything that could be politely called antiques. Still, it was clean and welcoming. Charming. “Thank you for giving us a place to stay.”
Rosa waved away her thanks. “You are family,” she said. Her eyes sparkled. “Now where is the ring?”
“What?” People were always deferential to Angelina. They were polite. Courteous. People didn’t demand things from the princess of Mezzano.
Rosa reached out and grasped Angelina’s left hand. “The ring. Let me see.”
She resisted the urge to snatch her hand away. She had to remember she wasn’t the princess of Mezzano now. She’d known Rico’s aunt would want to see the ring, just not that she would presume it was permissible to grab her like that.
“It’s not what I expected,” Rosa said, pulling her hand closer and bending over, her nose almost touching Angelina’s knuckles. “Not the usual wedding ring.”
Her Royal Bodyguard Page 3
