Becoming the Prince's Wife (Princes of Europe)

by Rebecca Winters

  “Buona notte.”

  “Val,” he said again.

  “Val,” she whispered before shutting the door. She lay against it, surprised he was so insistent on her using his nickname, surprised he’d made such an impact on her.

  After their delicious meal, she wasn’t ready for bed yet. Once she’d slipped on her small garden-print capri pajamas, she set up her laptop on the table and started to look up Mount Etna. The amount of information she found staggered her. There were dozens of videos and video clips she watched until after one in the morning.

  But by the time she’d seen a video about six volcanologists killed on the Galeras volcano in the Colombian Andes in 1993, she turned off her computer. The scientists had been standing on the ground when it began to heave and then there was a deafening roar. The volcano exploded, throwing boulders and ash miles high and they’d lost their lives.

  The idea of that happening to the prince made her ill. She knew he took precautions, but as he’d pointed out, there was always a certain amount of risk. The desire to see a vent up close would be hard to resist. That’s what he did in his work. He crept up close to view the activity and send back information. But there might come a day when he’d be caught. She couldn’t bear the thought of it, but she admired him terribly.

  The playboy prince who’d had dozens of girlfriends didn’t mesh with the volcanologist whose name was Val. She didn’t want to care about either image of the sensational-looking flesh-and-blood man. When Carolena finally pulled the covers over her, she fell asleep wishing she’d never met him. He was too intriguing for words.

  At seven-thirty the next morning her cell phone rang, causing her to wonder if it was the prince. She got a fluttery feeling in her chest as she raised up on one elbow to reach for it. To her surprise it was Abby and she clicked on. “Abby? Are you all right? How’s Max?”

  “He’s still running a temperature and fussing. I think he’s cutting another tooth. The reason I’m calling is because I’m going to miss breakfast with you and stay in the apartment with him. It will give Vincenzo and Valentino time to get some work done this morning.”

  “Understood. I’m so sorry Max is sick.”

  “It’ll pass, but under the circumstances, why don’t you order breakfast in your room or out by the pool. I’ll get in touch with you later in the day. If you want a limo, just dial zero and ask for one to drive you into town, and do a little shopping or something.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll love relaxing by the pool. This is heaven after the hectic schedule at the law firm.”

  “Okay, then. Talk to you soon.”

  This was a good turn of events. The less she saw of Valentino, the better.

  CHAPTER TWO

  BY TEN-THIRTY A.M., Valentino could see that Vincenzo wasn’t able to concentrate. “Let’s call it a day. I can see you want to be with Abby and Max. When I’ve finished with some other business, we’ll meet for dinner.”

  Vincenzo nodded. “Sorry, Valentino.”

  “You can’t help this. Family has to come first.” He walked his brother-in-law out of his suite where they’d had breakfast while they talked. When they’d said goodbye, he closed the door, realizing he had a free day on his hands if he wanted it.

  In truth, he’d never wanted anything more and walked over to the house phone to call Carolena Baretti’s room, but there was no answer. He buzzed his assistant. “Paolo? Did Signorina Baretti go into town?”

  “No. She had breakfast at the pool and is still there.”

  “I see. Thank you.”

  Within minutes he’d changed into trunks and made his way to the pool with a beach towel and his phone. He spotted her sitting alone reading a book under the shade of the table’s umbrella. She’d put her hair in a braid and was wearing a lacy cover-up, but he could see a spring-green bikini beneath it.

  “I guess it was too much to hope you were wearing that purple swimsuit I found you in last evening.”

  She looked up. Maybe it was a trick of light, but he thought she looked nervous to see him. Why?

  Carolena put her book down. “You’ve finished your work with Vincenzo already?”

  He tossed the towel on one of the other chairs. “Between you and me, I think he wanted to take a nap with his wife.”

  A smile appeared. “They deserve some vacation time away from deadlines.”

  “Amen. We’ll do more work tomorrow when Max is feeling better. Come swim with me.”

  She shook her head. “I’ve already been in.”

  “There’s no law that says you can’t swim again, is there?” He put his phone on the table.

  “No. Please—just forget I’m here.”

  “I’m afraid that would be impossible,” he said over his shoulder before plunging in at the deep end to do some laps. When he eventually lifted his head, he was shocked to discover she’d left the patio and was walking back to her wing of the palace on those long shapely legs.

  Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. Propelled into action, he grabbed his things and caught up to her as she was entering the door of her apartment. Valentino stood in the aperture so she couldn’t close it on him.

  “Did you go away because I’d disturbed you with my presence? Or was it because you have an aversion to me, signorina?”

  Color swept into her cheeks. “Neither one.”

  His adrenaline surged. “Why didn’t you tell me you preferred to be alone?”

  “I’m just a guest. You’re the prince doing your own thing. This is your home. But I had no intention of offending you by leaving the pool.”

  He frowned. “Yesterday I asked if you were afraid of me. You said no, but I think you are and I want to know why. It’s true that though I’ve been betrothed to Princess Alexandra for years, I’ve had a love life of sorts. In that way I’m no different than Vincenzo before he married Michelina. But I’ve the feeling Abby has painted me as such a bad boy to you, you’re half terrified to be alone with me.”

  “Nothing of the sort, Your Highness!” She’d backed away from him. “Don’t ever blame her for anything. She thinks the world of you!”

  That sounded heartfelt. “Then invite me in so we can talk without the staff hearing every word of our conversation.”

  She bit her lip before standing aside so he could enter. “I’ll get you a dry towel so you can sit down.” He closed the door and watched her race through the suite. She soon came hurrying back with a towel and folded it on one of the chairs placed around the coffee table.

  “Thank you,” he said as she took a seat at the end of the couch.

  He sat down with his hands clasped between his legs and stared at her. “What’s wrong with you? Though I’ve told you I find you attractive, it doesn’t mean I’m ready to pounce on you.” She averted her eyes. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

  “I wasn’t going to, and I didn’t mean to be rude. You have to believe me.”

  She sounded sincere enough, but Valentino wasn’t about to let her off the hook. “What else am I to think? Last night I thought we were enjoying each other’s company while we talked, but today you act like a frightened schoolgirl. Has some man attacked you before? Is that the reason you like to be alone and ran the minute I dived into the water?”

  Her head lifted. “No! You don’t understand.”

  “Since you’re a special guest, help me so I don’t feel like some pariah.”

  “Forgive me if I made you feel that way.” Her green orbs pleaded with him. “This has to do with me, not you.”

  “Are you this way on principle with every man you meet? Or am I the only one to receive that honor?”

  She stood up. “I—I’m going through a difficult time right now.” Her voice faltered. “It’s something I really can’t talk about. Cou
ld we start over again, as if this never happened?”

  Much as he’d like to explore her problem further, he decided to let it rest for now. “That all depends.” On impulse he said, “Do you like to ride horses?”

  “I love it. I used to ride all the time on my grandparents’ farm.”

  Good. “Then I’ll have lunch sent to your room, and I’ll collect you in an hour. We’ll ride around the grounds. It’s someplace safe and close to Abby, who’s hoping you’re having a good time. But if you’re afraid of what happened to my sister while she was riding, we could play tennis.”

  “I’m not afraid, but to go riding must be a painful reminder to you.”

  “I’ve worked my way through it. Accidents can happen anytime. To worry about it unnecessarily takes away from the quality of life. Don’t you think?”

  Her eyes suddenly glistened. “Yes,” she whispered with such deep emotion he was more curious than ever to know what was going on inside her, and found himself wanting to comfort her. Instead he had to tear himself away.

  “I’ll be back in an hour.” Reaching for his towel and phone, he left the apartment and hurried through the palace to his suite. Maybe by the end of their ride today, he’d have answers...

  * * *

  Carolena stood in the living room surprised and touched by his decency. He’d thought she’d been assaulted by a man and wanted to show her she didn’t need to be afraid of him while he entertained her. No doubt he felt an obligation to her with Vincenzo and Abby indisposed.

  He was sensitive, too. How many men would have worried she might be afraid to ride after what had happened to his sister? She’d gotten killed out riding, but he didn’t let that stop him from living his normal life. His concern for Carolena’s feelings increased her admiration for him.

  So far she’d been a perfectly horrid guest, while he was going out of his way to make this trip eventful for her when he didn’t have to. This wasn’t the behavior of a playboy. The crown prince was proving to be the perfect host, increasing her guilt for having offended him.

  Within the hour he came for her in a limo and they drove to the stables across the vast estate. Once he’d picked the right mare for her, they headed out to enjoy the scenery. In time, he led them through a heavily wooded area to a lake. They dismounted and walked down to the water’s edge.

  “What a beautiful setting.”

  “We open it to the public on certain days of the month.”

  “Abby used to tell me she felt like a princess in a fairy tale growing up on the palace grounds in Arancia. If I lived here, I’d feel exactly the same way. You and your siblings must have spent hours here when you were young.” On impulse she asked, “Were they interested in volcanology, too?”

  His eyes swerved to hers. She had the feeling she’d surprised him by her question. “Quite the opposite.”

  That sounded cryptic. “What’s the real reason you developed such a keen interest? It isn’t just because Etna is there.”

  “It’s a long story.” There was that nuance of sadness in his voice again.

  “We’ve got the rest of the afternoon.” She sank onto her knees in the lush grass facing the water where an abundance of waterfowl bobbed around. “Humor me. Last night I was up until one o’clock looking at video clips of Etna and other volcanoes. They were incredible. I really want to know what drove you to become so interested.”

  He got down on the grass next to her. “My father had a sibling, my uncle Stefano. He was the elder son and the crown prince, but he never wanted to be king. He fought with my grandfather who was then King of Gemelli.

  “Uncle Stefano hated the idea of being betrothed and having to marry a woman picked out for him. Our country has never had a sovereign who wasn’t married by the time he ascended the throne. It’s the law. But Stefano didn’t ever want to be king and left home at eighteen to travel the world. I knew he had various girlfriends, so he didn’t lead a celibate life, but he never married.

  “In time, volcanoes fascinated him and he decided he wanted to study them. To appease my grandparents, he came home occasionally to touch base. I was young and loved him because he was so intelligent and a wonderful teacher. He used to take me up on Etna.

  “The day came when I decided I wanted to follow in his footsteps and announced I was going to attend the university to become a geologist. My parents could see my mind was made up.

  “While I was at school, the family got word he’d been killed on the Galeras volcano in the Colombian Andes.”

  “Valentino—” she gasped. “I read about it on the website last night. One of the people killed was your uncle?”

  Pain marred his striking male features. “He got too close. The ash and gas overpowered him and he died.”

  She shuddered. “That’s horrible. I should have thought it would have put you off wanting anything more to do with your studies.”

  “You might think it, but I loved what I was doing. Statistics prove that on average only one volcanologist dies on the job each year or so.”

  “That’s one too many!”

  “For our family it was traumatic because of the consequences that followed. His body was shipped home for the funeral. A few weeks later my grandfather suffered a fatal heart attack, no doubt from the shock. His death meant my father took over as king with my mother at his side.

  “While we were still grieving, they called me into their bedroom and told me they were all right with my desire to be a volcanologist. But they prayed I wouldn’t disappoint them the way my uncle had disappointed my grandfather. They said my uncle Stefano had disgraced the family by not taking up his royal duties and marrying.

  “I was torn apart because I’d loved him and knew he’d suffered because he’d turned his back on his royal heritage. But when I heard my parents’ sorrow, I promised I would fulfill my princely obligation to the crown and marry when the time was right. They wouldn’t have to worry about me. Michelina and I made a pact that we’d always do our duty.”

  “You mean that if she’d wanted to marry someone else other than Vincenzo, she would still have done her duty.”

  He nodded. “I asked her about that, knowing Vincenzo didn’t love her in the way she loved him. She said it didn’t matter. She was committed and was hoping he’d fall in love with her one day.”

  “Did you resent him for not being able to love your sister?”

  “How could I do that when I don’t love Alexandra? When I saw how hard he tried to make Michelina happy by agreeing to go through the surrogacy process, my affection for him grew. He was willing to do anything to make their marriage better. Vincenzo is one of the finest men I’ve ever known. When he ended up marrying Abby, I was happy for him.”

  “You’re a remarkable person. So was your sister.”

  “I loved her. She could have told our parents she refused to enter into a loveless marriage, but she didn’t. Uncle Stefano’s death had affected all of us, including our brother, Vito. One day after his military service is over, he, too, will have to marry royalty because he’s second in line to the throne.”

  “The public has no idea of the anguish that goes on behind locked royal doors.”

  “We’re just people who’ve been born to a strange destiny. I didn’t want to disappoint my parents or be haunted with regrets like my uncle. Fortunately, Mother is still capable of ruling, and my time to fulfill my obligation hasn’t come yet.”

  “But it will one day.”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s hard to comprehend a life like yours. May I be blunt and ask you if you have a girlfriend right now?”

  “I’ve been seeing someone in town.”

  She had to suppress a moan. Did you hear that, Carolena? “And she’s all right with the situation?”

  “Probably not, but from the beginning she’s known
we couldn’t possibly have a future. In case you’re wondering, I haven’t slept with her.”

  Carolena shook her head. “You don’t owe me any explanation.”

  “Nevertheless, I can see the next question in your eyes and so I’ll answer it. Contrary to what the media says about me, there have been only a few women with whom I’ve had an intimate relationship, but they live outside the country.”

  “Yet knowing you are betrothed has never stopped any of them from wanting to spend time with you?”

  “No. The women I’ve known haven’t been looking for permanency, either.” He smiled. “We’re like those ships passing in the night.”

  It sounded awful. Yet, since Berto, she hadn’t been looking for permanency, either, and could relate more than he knew.

  “I’ve warned my latest girlfriend our relationship could end at any time. You’re within your rights to condemn me, Carolena.”

  “I could never condemn you,” she whispered, too consumed by guilt over how she’d accidentally brought out Berto’s death to find fault with anyone. “You’ve had every right to live your life like any ordinary man. But like your uncle, it must have been brutal for you to have grown up knowing your bride was already chosen for you.”

  “I’ve tried not to think about it.”

  Her mind reeled from the revelations. “Does your betrothed know and understand?”

  “I’m quite sure Princess Alexandra has had relationships, too. It’s possible she’s involved with someone she cares about right now. Her parents’ expectations for her haven’t spared her anguish, either.”

  “No,” she murmured, but it was hard to understand. How could any man measure up to Valentino? If Princess Alexandra was like his sister, she’d been in love with Valentino for years. “Does she support your work as a volcanologist?”

  “I haven’t asked her.”

  “Why not?”

  “Up to now we’ve been living our own lives apart as much as possible.”