To Kiss a King (Royal Scandals: San Rimini Book 6)

by Nicole Burnham

  “But you didn’t date.”

  His fingers flexed against her hip. “I didn’t think I’d find the intimacy I had with Aletta. Even if I could, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to find a woman who’d be comfortable dating me and all it entails. There’s no getting around the sheer opulence and tradition of the palace. Some people crave that type of environment, but others find it uncomfortable. There’s a lack of privacy, too. You know what it’s like. When anyone enters or leaves, dozens of people know. And it’s not only my security team or my staff; my children also live under that roof. When I have a guest, they’re aware of it. And then there’s the media.”

  She acknowledged that with a tilt of the head. “And then there’s the media. It’s not only a matter of privacy where they’re concerned. They handed you a certain reputation. That must have played into it.”

  “Ah, yes, the man known as a romantic icon? The venerable widower?”

  “I would never phrase it that way.”

  “The rest of the world does. Even so, my reputation shouldn’t play into my decisions.”

  “But it does.” He knew as well as she did that in politics, reputation affected one’s ability to accomplish goals. It couldn’t be completely ignored, even in one’s private life.

  “It does,” he admitted. “If I’d wanted to date casually, I probably could have found a way to do so with minimal risk. Miroslav or Chiara could have managed it. But that’s just not me. And when I met the right woman, I didn’t want it to be casual.”

  “Were you lonely?”

  He was quiet for several seconds. “I live a busy life and I enjoy what I do. I have a purpose. I have friends. But yes. I was lonely. I did a fine job of not thinking about it for a long time. But I didn’t ask you for the opera date because I was lonely.”

  He covered her hand where she’d flattened it against her chest. “I was debating the risks of asking you out when I learned that Amanda and Marco are expecting a child. It isn’t public knowledge, but Amanda carries multiple mutated genes that make her prone to breast and ovarian cancer. She and Marco had long discussions with doctors about preventive measures and about the pros and cons of having children. They decided to try for one child and to give it six to nine months, then stop. She became pregnant after seven months. I didn’t know the details of her medical history until they told me about the pregnancy. But they wanted me to understand why they waited until the last possible moment to make the public announcement.”

  He smiled and kissed her fingertips. “Marco said that we only live life once, and that he and Amanda hoped to live it with a child. They were willing to take a calculated risk. When he said that, I knew I felt the same about you. That night, I told Giovanni I wanted to ask you for a date. I knew before I talked to him that I would, but it felt better to have his encouragement.”

  “I always knew I liked him.” She scooted closer, then added, “But I like you more. Stay for pancakes?”

  He glanced at the clock on her nightstand, then grinned. “Pancakes? At midnight?”

  “I was thinking around seven or eight. Nine, if you care to sleep late.”

  His hand moved from her hip to her rear and he pulled her flush to his body. “Let me give security a quick call. Then I’m all yours.”

  Chapter 19

  Half an hour after Eduardo talked to his security team, his cell phone rang.

  Claire heard it first and stretched to retrieve it from the nightstand.

  “They said a ten a.m. pickup wouldn’t be a problem,” he murmured, his brain foggy from the first moments of sleep.

  “Missed something on your schedule, maybe?”

  He grunted a no. Other than an evening phone call to congratulate members of the University of San Rimini’s robotics team, which had finished third in a worldwide competition, his day was clear. He’d planned to spend it reading his briefing book and catching up on correspondence.

  He accepted the phone from Claire, then put it to his ear. “Pronto?”

  “Your Highness, I realize it’s after midnight, but your security chief told me she believed you were still awake.”

  Eduardo recognized the voice as that of his defense ministry liaison. He sat up, suddenly alert. “What has happened?”

  “You remember the accident that took place on the Strada il Teatro about three months ago? We’ve had another a block west. A family of five walked from their hotel to the park near the stairs that connect the Strada to the Via Vespri to see fireworks from a wedding taking place near the marina. On their return, they entered the crosswalk at the top of the stairs and were struck. The driver was looking at the opposite side of the street and failed to see them. He stopped and provided assistance, but their injuries are grave. A group of men exiting one of the casinos began yelling at the driver and dragged him to the sidewalk. He had already called emergency services and the police arrived before the altercation went too far. The driver hit his head on the curb and may have broken ribs, but the initial report is that he will be all right. His attackers have been detained. There are two ambulances on the scene assisting the family. The media are on the way and will be held a few blocks from the accident. However, given that the accident will shut down the Strada for at least an hour as the situation is sorted, you needed to be informed.”

  “Do you know the condition of the family?”

  “Not yet, Your Highness. As of now, there are no reported fatalities, but the situation is fluid.”

  “Keep me updated.”

  Eduardo dropped the phone and rubbed a hand over his face. This was his nightmare.

  “I heard,” Claire said. “Do you want to go back to the palace to wait for news?”

  “I just sent my driver home.”

  “Mine lives a few blocks away. He told me he rarely goes to bed before two or three. Let me send him a quick message. He’s worked for the embassy for years and understands security protocols.”

  Eduardo hesitated, but only for a second. “If he’s available, that’s fine. Otherwise, I’ll call mine back.”

  He found his clothing and headed for the bathroom. When he emerged, the lamp was on and Claire was sitting on the edge of the bed, fully dressed. “Fabiano is on his way.”

  Eduardo reached for her hand. “A family of five means children.”

  She kissed his knuckles. “I’ll come with you.”

  He nodded, then they went to the front door to wait.

  Fabiano took them to La Rocca using side streets, but every so often Eduardo caught glimpses of the emergency lights on the Strada il Teatro.

  Claire followed his gaze, then reached for his knee and gave him a reassuring squeeze before flipping her palm to hold his hand.

  When security waved the car through the rear entrance, he told her, “I need to go to my office. I could be a while.”

  “I’ll send Fabiano home and find a spot to wait.” She held her phone aloft. “I have a few documents I can read.”

  Sergio and Zeno were talking outside his office when he arrived. He should have been surprised to see them, but somehow he wasn’t. “You heard?”

  Sergio nodded. “My wife and I had dinner near the marina, then stayed to watch fireworks from a wedding. We heard the sirens and I called to see what was happening. Zeno received a media alert and decided to come in.”

  Sergio offered to make coffee and the men settled around the coffee table in Eduardo’s office to wait for news.

  They sat in silence for several minutes, then Sergio said, “You were at Claire Peyton’s home, Your Highness?”

  Zeno’s head snapped up, as if he couldn’t believe Sergio had asked the question when they both knew the answer.

  “I was.”

  Sergio ran his index finger around the rim of his coffee cup. “She has Selvaggi, doesn’t she? I heard a rumor.”

  “She does. Not officially, but it’s coming.”

  This time, the silence fell like a weight.

  “No matter what we hear from the hospital
tonight, this is a tragedy.” Sergio was hesitant, picking his words with care. “A family will be devastated by this, even if they all survive. The driver will be forever changed. Tourists will worry about their safety.”

  “We can’t fix tonight, much as we might wish it. We can only move forward.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.” Sergio swallowed, then said, “Tonight’s tragedy points out why the improvements are necessary. But if Ambassador Peyton gets Sonia Selvaggi’s support and you introduce that legislation, it will not go over well, particularly at a time when you need the public to believe in you and your vision.”

  Eduardo shook his head. “We won’t sabotage her talks with Selvaggi, if that’s what you’re suggesting. The timing isn’t ideal, I’ll grant you, but what she’s arguing for is legislation I support. You support it, Sergio. It’s the traditional role of the monarch to promote these kinds of programs.”

  “Yes, Your Highness. But given the circumstances, you need to postpone it. We’ve had to devote so much time and effort in the Strada project precisely because it’s not the type of legislation in which San Rimini’s monarchs involve themselves. The commitments we have are fragile. If it’s going to go through, you need the public’s support. If San Rimini’s citizens believe you’re making a choice for your girlfriend’s sake, no matter how viable that choice, your popularity will plummet even more than it already has and you’ll be in a Catch-22. You won’t be able to fix the very thing they need fixed.”

  “Sergio, I gave my word.”

  Sergio said nothing, but his jaw clenched.

  Zeno said, “You did give your word, Your Highness. But not only to Ambassador Peyton.”

  Eduardo closed his eyes. He’d promised he’d have Claire’s back. He’d said it the very night she’d received a call from the President checking to be sure she had her priorities straight.

  His phone vibrated in his pocket. Almost simultaneously, Zeno received an alert and said he needed to make a call. As Eduardo answered, Sergio’s phone rang. They separated, each moving to a different section of the room so they could hear.

  The news was grim. The driver had a concussion, a cracked rib. and a possible eye injury and would be admitted for observation. The family consisted of a mother, father, two children, and the mother’s sister. The mother and her sister had minor injuries and were being treated and released. One of the children, a girl, was receiving stitches to cuts on her back and one leg. She would likely be released by morning. The father had been carrying the second child, also a girl. They’d suffered the most worrisome injuries. Both had hit their heads on the pavement. The girl’s head injury didn’t appear to be severe, but her arm and collarbone had been broken and the arm required surgery. The father had a broken pelvis and several broken ribs. He was still being examined to determine the extent of his head injury.

  Police remained on the Strada il Teatro as part of the accident investigation, but would clear the scene and reopen the street by sunrise.

  He ended the call shortly after Sergio and Zeno finished theirs. They compared notes; all had received the same information, albeit from different sources.

  Zeno asked Eduardo if he wanted to make a statement in the morning, given the high profile of the Strada il Teatro. He nodded, then said, “I doubt we’ll hear anything for another hour or two. You should sleep while you can. I’m going to take a walk through the garden and clear my head, then I’ll draft a statement for your input.”

  With that, Eduardo turned and made his way outside.

  The air was cool, forcing him to shake his arms so his sleeves covered his wrists before he shoved his hands into his front pockets. His right thumb hit velvet and tears stung his eyes. He shook off the sensation and strode along the gravel path toward the fountain. He wasn’t surprised to see Claire sitting on a bench facing the pool.

  She lowered her phone as he approached. When he sat beside her, she said nothing. He stared at the water for several seconds. He ached for Claire, but couldn’t bring himself to touch her. As if on cue, she turned sideways and kicked her legs across his lap, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his temple.

  “Three adults, two children,” he said. “The father has unknown head injuries, a broken pelvis and broken ribs. A little girl is in surgery for a broken arm. The others are injured, but will be all right. The driver will likely be all right, but he has a concussion and a possible eye injury.”

  She cupped his cheek and pressed another kiss to his temple. “You’re a good man, Eduardo diTalora.”

  “It doesn’t feel that way.”

  “You care. You’re doing all you can to prevent an accident from happening again. That’s more than most people can say.”

  “Am I doing all I can? I don’t know. And I don’t know if I have the strength.”

  He’d made a promise to Claire, but he owed his allegiance to his country first. It was what Sergio and Zeno had wanted to say, but hadn’t.

  The citizens of San Rimini relied on him to make wise choices. Where safety on the Strada il Teatro was concerned, that meant hundreds of thousands of people, perhaps millions, given that the changes would affect the area for decades to come. What was that when weighed against educational legislation that he could postpone for later, once the Strada changes had passed through parliament?

  But if he reneged on the deal he’d made with Claire, he could very well lose her. It wasn’t a straightforward matter of her being mad at him or feeling lied to. His decision could ruin her professionally. The President had appointed her to a coveted job because of the work she’d done on education in Uganda, and with the understanding that she would continue that work. It was the cornerstone of his campaign when he’d run for office.

  More than that, the issue spoke to Claire personally. Her mother and two uncles had worked their way out of poverty because they’d been presented educational opportunities and scholarships through similar programs. Claire had mentioned more than once that she owed her career to her parents and the example they’d set. It was who she was. It was one of the many traits that made him love her.

  He enveloped her in a hug.

  Lightning had struck him twice in his life. First with Aletta, and now with Claire. He couldn’t hold on to it the first time. If he didn’t hold on now, he’d never be the same again.

  He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. He needed to imprint the feel of her on his mind.

  Then he let go.

  His throat tightened as if he were being choked by the weight of the world. “Claire, I—”

  “You know what you have to do, Eduardo.”

  Her eyes searched his, then she said it again.

  He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Claire, I made a promise. So did you, to the President of the United States.”

  “Yes, I did. I promised to address a number of issues during my tenure here, involving everything from defense to business to the environment to education. I also promised him that I’d avoid a conflict of interest. I have no intention of going back on my word.”

  “I need to postpone our deal, Claire. If you agree to that, I don’t see how that’s avoiding a conflict of interest.”

  He didn’t miss the tremor of her lower lip, but when she spoke, it was with the same clarity that had earned her the respect of both her coworkers and his family.

  “You bought me an olive tree. It’s a symbol of peace. But you and I both know that peace isn’t easy. Peace means that, at times, you have to be a good partner. In this case, the United States needs to be a good partner to San Rimini. That means allowing the king to prioritize another issue so that we can count on his full, unwavering support for the education program when he introduces it to parliament at a later date, when his popularity is high because he’s ushered in a project his country has needed for a long, long time. By giving the king this latitude, I’m confident that we will have his support on future projects, as well.”

  Emotion rippled through his voice
despite his effort to control it. “You sound like a rather accomplished diplomat. I could take some lessons from you.”

  Her eyes brightened with tears and she smiled. “I do my best.”

  “It may not be enough. You could still lose your job. Your job is your purpose, Claire.”

  “I’ve thought about that a lot lately. I’ve come to the conclusion that, job or no job, I have a purpose. I might not have the same platform, but I have the desire and the drive. I don’t have to be an ambassador to continue helping others. It’s no different than what your family does on a daily basis. Or any of the thousands of people who work for causes that matter to them.” Her mouth lifted into a smile. “Do you remember at the opera, when you told me you were old enough to know your heart and your mind? I know mine, too. This is the right thing.”

  “Claire, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say that you love me.”

  He buried his hands in her hair and kissed her. There was heat to it, but one that was borne of trust and love. A love that was growing deeper and deeper every day. Between kisses, he said the words over and over.

  When he finally paused long enough to press his forehead to hers, she said, “You should go back inside. If there’s more news, your staff will come looking for you.”

  “Soon,” he said, then kissed her again. “I want to do something else first.”

  “You can kiss me later. If you play your cards right, you can do a lot more.”

  “No. Not that. I want you to marry me.”

  She blinked and pulled back. “What?”

  He’d surprised himself with the words, but he meant every one of them. He couldn’t help but smile at the astonishment on her face.

  “I want you to marry me, Claire, but on your timeline. You can’t be married to me and hold your job. So do the work you love for as long as you wish to, or until you can’t. When you’re ready for a change, I’ll be here. You can pursue any philanthropic interest you want as a member of my family.” He took a deep breath, then added, “On the other hand, it isn’t easy being a member of a royal family. It comes with the expectations of an entire country. If you don’t wish to take on that burden by marrying me, I understand. But I hope you’ll stay in San Rimini and I hope you’ll stay with me. I don’t want to live another day of my life without you in it.”