“I already have too many names to remember for you,” he said glibly, but he couldn’t help but see the hurt that flashed in her eyes. It was better to start putting the wall back up. He didn’t want anyone back home to see that they had been anything to each other but a princess and a bodyguard.
His mother had recognized the interest in his eyes when he looked at Princess Angelina, long before he’d even admitted it to himself. She’d pulled him aside and warned him about her as she’d warned him about Vittorio all those years ago.
For a few years when they were young boys, he and Vittorio had been equals. Neither of them had cared whether their parents were royal or servants. They were simply two boys who both loved to climb trees and roll in the grass and chase each other around the palace grounds. His mother’s words hadn’t made sense until the day Vittorio had come up to him in fancy clothes and told Rico he had to start calling him, “Your Royal Highness,” because he was more important. Because his father was the king and Rico’s father was a gardener. Because he was a prince and Rico was just a little boy.
Looking back, Rico knew that his friend had simply been repeating what he’d been told and had not intended to hurt Rico, but things between them had never been the same after that. They had remained friends, but were never equals.
His mother’s warning came to mind now as he sat on a blanket in the grass, rubbing knees with the princess of Mezzano. She wore shorts and a long T-shirt but she still looked every inch a royal. Her familiar scent wrapped around him and he wanted nothing more than to lay her down and make love to her again.
He should never have touched her in the first place. Should never have let his desire for her become apparent. Should never have given in to her at all.
“I thought we were friends at least,” Angelina said softly.
“I can’t be friends with you, Your Highness.” He couldn’t go through life pretending his feelings for the princess weren’t much stronger than friendship. Thank goodness, he’d already decided to leave the palace. He wouldn’t have to try to avoid Angelina every day. He just had to get through the next couple.
“I see.” She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap, then back up to him. “I’m not even Angelina now?”
“We don’t need to make this difficult,” he said smoothly, “but we need to plan as carefully for when we return as we did when we came here.”
“Plan what? Our story?” She shook her head. “No. I’m sorry. I’m not lying any more. I won’t tell anyone we had sex, but I’m not going to pretend we didn’t talk and laugh and get to know each other. I can’t do that.”
“I understand,” he said. “We can make that work.” It was more realistic. Everyone in the palace knew they had been pretending to be husband and wife. A bit of familiarity was to be expected.
“Make it work?” she snapped. She started chucking things back into the basket his aunt had packed for them. “I thought things might work out, but it doesn’t look like it, does it?”
All of a sudden Rico felt lost. Somehow this conversation had gotten out of control. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
“I’m going to tell you.” She slammed the lid on the basket and turned to glare at him. Dios, she was beautiful. “I’m going to be honest with you because I’ve been lying to everyone else in the world and I’m tired of it.”
“I know.”
“You do?” She laughed, but it was a quick, bitter laugh. “Well, do you know that I’ve fallen in love with you?” Her voice dropped, softened, while he was still trying to process the words. “Because I have. I love you, Rico.”
Chapter Eleven
Angelina shouldn’t have been surprised by the shock on Rico’s face. Maybe that’s why she’d blurted it out like that. He’d gotten all calm and logical again and it irritated the hell out of her. So many emotions were roiling around inside of her and there was no way she could remain calm. So why should he?
“Angie. I…”
She couldn’t help but notice he’d called her Angie for the first time. “It’s okay,” she interrupted. The last thing she wanted to hear was some pitiful excuse he’d struggled to come up with to keep from hurting her feelings. Didn’t he know that anything other than an immediate declaration of love was going to hurt? “I didn’t expect you to say it back,” she said, although she’d foolishly hoped. “I know it’s only been a few days, but they’ve been a pretty intense few days.”
“Yes, but…you shouldn’t love me.”
“Why not?”
He didn’t answer her question. “You don’t really love me,” he said instead. “It’s the sex. It makes you feel good and think you’re in love.”
She crossed her arms in front of her. “So did you think you were in love with the other women you had sex with?”
“No, but—”
“Did you think you were in love with me after we had sex?”
He didn’t meet her eyes. “Um, no.”
“So there goes that theory.”
She rose to her feet and he did the same. Even though she didn’t get the response from Rico she’d hoped for, it was a relief to finally speak the truth about something. Now it was time to change the subject. “I’m ready to go. On our way back through town I want to buy a new pair of sandals to replace the ones that got ruined in the rain.”
The rain. The kisses. The wild happiness. She’d never regret those kisses in the rain. Or what came after. If Rico wanted to regret them, that would be his loss.
“Okay,” he replied grudgingly. “One last purchase.”
“We still need to get a gift for Rosa and Giuseppe too.”
He didn’t even try to stifle his groan. “What should we get them?”
“I don’t know. We’ll find something. Come on.”
They both bent down to pick up the blanket and their hands touched, clutched. Rico tugged and she fell on top of him as they both tumbled to the ground. His lips were on hers in an instant.
They rolled around on the blanket. Lips, teeth and tongues were all involved in the hungry kisses. Their hands grasped and stroked and tugged. Their legs intertwined, their groins pressing together, bringing them as close as they could be with clothing still on. Why was their clothing still on?
She ached with arousal and reached for Rico’s belt buckle between their bodies. He was on top of her, once again a welcome weight. Then he moved his head to nuzzle her throat and the bright sunshine made her squint. She groaned with the reminder that they were at the top of the hill in full view of anyone who walked by. She dropped her hands to the rumpled blanket.
“We’re out in the open here, amore,” Rico murmured, his heavy breathing loud in her ear. He caught her lobe with his teeth and tugged lightly.
She moaned. “Yeah.” She nipped his ear in response.
“Let’s get back to the villa where we can continue this in private.”
Even though her body cried out to do just that, she knew they couldn’t yet. “Shopping first.”
He rubbed his face against hers. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
“We may not get another chance.”
He groaned, but helped her to her feet. “If Tony calls in the next hour and tells us to head home immediately, I will be very disappointed.”
She cupped his face. “Me too.”
This could still work out. They’d be going back to the palace together. They could continue to see each other. Grab quick kisses when no one was watching. Take long walks around the grounds. Sneak into each other’s bedrooms late at night. She’d talk to Vittorio about giving Rico more free time. He could take her out on more dinner dates.
He could still fall in love with her.
Her heart felt lighter as they walked into town. They had to stop in more than one store to find the right kind of sandals. Angelina had borrowed the pair that had been ruined and she wanted to make sure she replaced them with another pair of equal or better quality.
When they stepped out
of the store with bag in hand, Angelina thought she felt eyes on her. The hair had prickled on the back of her neck earlier but she’d put it off as just some of the townspeople watching them. But right now she didn’t see anyone else on the sidewalk. Or did she? She thought she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Had someone just ducked out of sight?
She put her arm through Rico’s and stopped him, then turned to face the store window, as if she was showing him something there. She rose on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I think we’re being followed,” she whispered. Her heart raced. Had Phillip sent someone to Tuscora? Or was it someone else? Was Phillip not to blame at all?
“He’s been following us for a while,” Rico said calmly. He kissed her back. “Let’s stop in here, amore,” he said, his voice louder.
They entered the shop, a jewelry store with bright lighting and sparkles coming from every display case. The sales clerk called out a cheery hello. Angelina walked over to the older woman who was cleaning the surface of one of the glass display cases.
“I think someone is following us,” she told the woman. When she was out in public as Princess Angelina, she’d come to expect being followed, stared at. But she’d never really gotten used to it. And now she didn’t like it at all. It seemed even more wrong here in Tuscora, the small town she’d grown to love.
“I’m afraid you are a celebrity around here,” the clerk said with a shrug as if it explained everything.
“I have had a stalker,” Angelina admitted. She wanted the woman to understand this could be a serious situation. “I’m scared it might have something to do with him.”
“I’ve heard your husband is a member of the royal guard. I’m certain he’ll protect you.”
“Stay away from the windows and doors,” Rico said softly. He turned so he was mostly hidden by the wall, but he could still see out the front window. He slid his gun out of its holster. The clerk gasped. Angelina’s heart took off at a full gallop.
The sales clerk’s eyes widened. “Should I push the alarm button?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Rico said. “Both of you stay in the back of the room.”
Angelina watched him lunge out the door and she bit her lower lip so hard she tasted blood. She tried to see what was happening, but Rico was out of her field of vision. Less than a minute passed when the front door was flung open and Rico strode in with his hand around the arm of a man in dark jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt. When Rico pulled the hood back, Angelina gasped when she saw it was Maria’s boyfriend, Seb.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I wasn’t really following you,” Seb said. His hands were raised, his eyes wide and frightened.
Rico glared at him. He kept his weapon pointed at the young man. “You’ve been following us since the first store we entered.”
Seb looked scared to death and Angelina almost felt sorry for him. “Okay, I was, but I wasn’t spying on you or anything. I was just waiting for you to be done shopping,” he said. “I just wanted to talk to you.”
I just wanted to talk to you. Angelina shuddered. Seb couldn’t have been involved in the incident on the highway. Could he?
“You could have acted like a man and walked up to us instead of trying to hide,” Rico told him. “All that does is make you seem more suspicious.”
Seb’s eyes shifted guiltily and his face turned red. “I know. I know. I can explain.”
Rico grimaced. “Put your hands down.” He holstered his weapon. “We’ll be back to the villa in a few minutes. My wife has a little more shopping to do. Go now and wait for us there. If you’re not waiting for us there, I will report you to the polizia.”
“Okay. That’s cool. I’m sorry I scared you, Lucia. I didn’t mean to. Man, you have a big gun. That is so epic.”
“Leave, Seb.”
“Yes, sir.”
Angelina grabbed Rico’s arm after Seb left. “Do you trust him?”
“I think so.” He turned to the sales clerk. The older woman had remained cool-headed while all of that was going on. “Do you know that kid? Sebastian?”
“Yes, sir. He’s a bit, shall we say, enthusiastic. But he means well. I can’t imagine he meant you any harm.”
“I’ll reserve judgment until we hear what he has to say,” he told Angelina.
She nodded. Her knees trembled from the after effects of the last few minutes. Most of the time, this had felt more like a holiday. She knew Rico was her bodyguard, but the reality didn’t hit her until this incident, when he’d put himself in possible danger for her without a second thought.
“Can I help you with something today?” the clerk asked after Angelina and Rico just stood there staring at each other.
Rico looked at Angelina. “Amore?” He smiled and her mood lightened. They were fine. No one had gotten hurt. They had shopping to finish before they went back to the villa to talk to Seb.
That romantic side of her desperately wanted to look at jewelry, but they were supposed to be looking for a thank you gift for Rosa and Giuseppe. She almost said no when a display in the back corner caught her eye. “You have silver serving trays?”
The clerk beamed. “Yes. All sizes. Excellent quality.”
Angelina turned to Rico. “How does that sound for a gift for your aunt and uncle?”
“Perfect.”
She quickly chose a size and design. “Can we have it engraved?”
“Of course. Unfortunately, I will not be able to have it for you today. It will be two days before it will be ready.”
“That can’t be helped. We may have to return home before it’s ready, so would it be possible to have it delivered to Rose and Giuseppe?”
“Of course. I would be happy to take care of the delivery for you.”
“Thank you,” Angelina replied. It would probably be better to have it delivered after they were gone anyway. Once Rico’s family discovered the truth, they might not be so willing to accept a gift from them face to face.
Rico took care of the bill and they left the shop hand in hand. Rico carried the picnic basket and she carried the shoe bag. She felt comfortable here in Tuscora. She felt safe again, the sudden rush of fear a fading memory.
“What do you suppose Seb wants to talk to us about?” she asked.
“I don’t know. He was definitely trying to shadow us without being spotted, so there must be more to his story. He’s going to have to explain himself.”
“You don’t suppose he’s working for whoever was behind the kidnapping?”
“I can’t see how. Besides, Seb saw us yesterday. He knows where we’re staying. He could have tried to snatch you long before now if that was what he wanted.”
“Yes, you’re right. He scared me though.”
“And he’s going to have to answer to that as well,” Rico replied darkly.
They reached the villa and although Rico knew Angelina wanted to climb the stairs to the apartment just as much as he did, they entered the front door and saw Seb and Maria sitting on one of the sofas in the lobby. Rosa hurried in from the dining room to join them when she saw them come in.
Seb jumped to his feet. “I’m sorry I frightened you,” he said to Angelina. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t think about what it would look like. I had no idea you’d think someone was really following you, like for an evil reason. That’s just crazy.”
Of course, the foolish young man would have no way to know about the attempted kidnapping and the resulting shoot-out. Rico didn’t think for one moment that he was involved with the kidnapping attempt. Seb wouldn’t have known they were in Tuscora to hide out from the unknown perpetrator. So why was he shadowing them?
“The thing is, you were following us,” Rico said, keeping his voice low, his anger evident. The princess had been frightened and that was unacceptable. “You need to explain yourself.”
“Bah. That boy,” Rosa exclaimed. “He doesn’t think. Always looking for shortcuts instead of doing the work he should be doing.”
“Mama,” M
aria protested. “Don’t say that about Seb.” She pulled him back down onto the sofa with her.
“I was thinking,” Seb insisted. “At least, I thought I had a plan.” He blushed and looked at Rico. “I guess it was a bad idea. I thought I would impress you.”
Rico frowned. “Impress me?”
Seb flashed him a cocky grin. “I’ve been practicing. No one else in town has ever caught me when I followed them around. It must be because you’re a professional. You have sharper eyes.”
Rico groaned. He sank on the other sofa and the princess sat beside him. Rosa continued to stand, wringing her hands.
“I don’t understand,” Angelina said. “What are you talking about?”
“He wants to be on the palace guard,” Maria said in a rush. “He thought Rico could help him.” Rico loved his cousin, but he thought she needed to find a new boyfriend.
“You need to let him speak for himself.” Rico’s gaze nailed Seb. “Do you have any military training?”
Seb shrugged, his cocky expression still in place. “No. I don’t want to go into the military.”
“Then have you attended a security training academy?”
Seb’s smile dropped. “No.”
“Police academy?”
Seb shifted on the sofa cushion. “No.”
“You realize there is more to being a palace guard than following suspects. In fact, that is a very small portion of our duties.”
“Yeah, but I can do anything I’d need to do. I’ve been reading up on the Internet. I’d be a great palace guard. I know it.”
The young man had a lot of growing up to do before that would ever be possible. If it would ever be possible. “That may be,” Rico said sternly. “But you can’t be a member of an elite security team without the proper training. The lives of those you protect will be in your hands.”
“Yeah. I understand that.”
“Do you? You have to be willing to step in front of a bullet for your charge. You have to be willing to make that sacrifice without a second thought.”
“Okay.” He didn’t sound quite as confident as he had earlier.
Her Royal Bodyguard Page 13
