“No, no. That was a valiant attempt, Grace. I am impressed. I take it you are enjoying Paris?” Luca asked as he settled back down into the bed.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you so much for sending us. Elle had such a good time she’s already passed out and snoring.”
Just hearing Grace’s voice was already calming Luca down, and he felt his eyelids beginning to feel heavy. With a yawn, he whispered, “Grace, I’m just dozing off. You’re coming back tomorrow, right?”
“If you’ll have me.” He could hear the smile in her voice and it made him indescribably happy.
“Oh, you know I will.”
They said their goodnights and, a split second later, Luca drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
The day after, Luca felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Talking to Grace had made all the difference in the world, though he still didn’t know how he was going to tell her about the media’s renewed interest in his life. Given she was part of the media herself, he suspected she would have to understand, but that didn’t mean she would be interested in tolerating that kind of scrutiny in her own life. If she wanted to pack up and return to the States without subjecting herself to being photographed every time she walked out in public, he couldn’t really blame her. But deep in his heart, he hoped she would make a very different decision.
Later that afternoon, Luca decided to go for a run around his property to take his mind off of everything; it was the only thing he did, besides his painting, that could clear his head when he was stressed. He was on mile three when he came around the corner of the rose garden and spotted Grace getting out of the limo, her arms loaded with shopping bags. He smiled at the thought of all the fun she and Elle must have had in Paris.
Luca ran up to her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek just in case a photographer was outside of the gate. Grace looked confused, and a little disappointed, but the happy glow on her face outshone everything else.
“Luca, we had the best time,” she said, setting the bags down on the ground. “Paris is amazing. I can’t thank you enough.”
“You’re welcome,” Luca answered, casting his eyes to the ground. “What’s in the bags?”
“Everything I even looked at, Elle insisted on buying for me! I have no idea how I am going to get all of this home. Maybe I should have asked for a second suitcase,” Grace said with a laugh. “She even bought me French lingerie that costs more than my couch. I just might have to show it off for someone later.”
Luca winked. “Well, it sounds like Elle is going to have an exciting night.”
Grace burst out laughing and gave Luca a little shove. “I missed you,” she said as she leaned over to kiss him. But panic over the possibility of being watched overtook him and he stepped away before she could reach him. Now, she registered something was really wrong and her eyes grew wide.
“Luca… what is going on?”
He took a deep breath and tried to find his smile again. He couldn’t talk to Grace about any of this yet. He just couldn’t. He didn’t want to ruin her buzz after a wonderful trip to Paris. “Nothing, I’m sorry. The trip to Italy was just a little stressful. But nothing you need to burden yourself with. Why don’t you go inside and get cleaned up, have a rest, and then we can plan our next adventure?”
“An adventure?” Grace asked with her eyebrow raised.
“Absolutely. And there is only one rule. Don’t get too dressed up. Make sure you are wearing comfortable clothes and shoes you can walk in.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Trust me,” he said with another wink. “I’ll meet you at your room at eight.”
Chapter Twelve
Grace pushed and pushed Luca for information about their secret trip, but he wouldn’t tell her anything in spite of her insistence. So, unable to extract any further info from the mysterious king, she excused herself back to her room for a much-needed nap. But before she could fall asleep, Grace decided to write an e-mail to Katie to fill her in on everything that happened since they last spoke. There was a lot to spill.
Hey Kit Kat,
It is my third day in Moreno and the last few days have been incredible. Luca has been more amazing than I ever expected. He is nothing like how you would imagine a king to be, but I suppose we kind of knew that before I got here. It isn’t just that he’s a kind of a playboy, which he definitely he is. But he’s more than that. He’s kind, and soulful when you least expect. Every minute I’ve spent with him has been a surprise… He’s distracting me in ways I never expected. I’m starting to feel really guilty about it, Katie.
I don’t know what to do. He sent me to Paris with Elle and the trip was amazing. She’s so sweet and she was so excited to meet me. It made me feel even worse. She bought me all of these incredible clothes and jewelry and even a little crystal statue of the Eifel Tower (don’t worry, you can steal some of the clothes when I get home). Luca paid for everything, all because he wanted me to enjoy every minute that I was in Europe.
Why in the world is he being so nice to me? I don’t understand it. I sure as hell don’t deserve his kindness, or Elle’s.
I have to tell him, Katie. I’m going to tell him. He has some plans for us tonight that he won’t tell me about, so I’m going to tell him then. I just have to find the courage to do it. I hope he doesn’t hate me after…
I hope everything is okay back home, and you haven’t done anything too crazy. Write soon, Katie.
Love,
Me
Suddenly too tired to keep her eyes open, Grace reached over to set her phone on the night table, so she could take a nap but as soon as she did, it started ringing… and it was Katie.
“Hey… you didn’t have to call me right away,” Grace said with a yawn.
“What?” Katie asked, confused.
“I just e-mailed you,” Grace said sleepily.
“Oh, I haven’t looked. I’m just walking home from a party and I thought I’d check in with you.”
Grace looked at the clock on her bedside table and shook her head with a laugh. “It’s 3am. Do you ever sleep?”
“I’m about to go home and sleep. The real question is, why are you just going to bed at what? Ten in the morning?”
“Nine. Elle and I left Paris really early and just got back to Moreno. I’m about to take a nap.”
Beth gasped with a surprised laugh. “Paris? Why the hell were you Paris? Is this king taking you on a whirlwind tour of Europe?”
“Not exactly. But I did get to see Paris with Elle, which just made me feel like crap. I couldn’t even enjoy myself for most of it. I just kept thinking about everything I am lying about…” Katie stopped Grace from finishing her sentence.
“Come on, girl. You are there to a job. Get it done and then you can leave and never think about it again. If you have a little fun in the meantime, just do it. You have earned it after everything you’ve been through.”
Grace sighed and burrowed down deeper into her pillow. “We’ll see. I’ll call you tonight and let you know what happened. Love you.”
“Je t’aime,” Katie said with a laugh as she hung up, leaving Grace to her thoughts. Her mind raced until she finally fell asleep, but her best friend’s advice lingered even her dreams. “Have a little fun…”
Was that even an option now?
Chapter Thirteen
Once Luca was sure that Grace had been given enough time to sleep and get dressed, he returned to her room, ready for their evening adventure. When she opened the door, he saw that she had taken his instructions seriously. She was wearing a pair of sneakers, stretchy jeans, a warm sweater, a running jacket, and a wool hat. Instead of her purse, she had thrown her things into the backpack she had used on the plane when she arrived.
“Thank you for listening to me, but I’m kind of surprised you had all those clothes with you…” Luca said, an amused smile on his face.
“I try to pack for any occasion. I also had this fear you would drag me on a hike up a moun
tain or skiing or something. I know you are into extreme sports. So, I wanted to prepared. Just in case.”
Luca laughed. “You really did your research, huh?”
Grace blushed. “You were on the cover of Xtreme Sports Monthly. It didn’t take a lot of effort to figure it out. Anyway, are you going to tell me where we are going that required me to dress for yeti hunting?”
“Damn, you guessed it,” Luca teased, gesturing for Grace to follow him down the stairs and outside as she clung tightly to her backpack. “But in all seriousness, you’ll find out soon.”
“Fine,” Grace scoffed, joining him by the elevator. “Keep your secrets.”
As soon as the elevator door slid shut, Luca pressed the “R” button on the panel on his right.
“R as in…”
“… roof,” he said, finishing her sentence. “It’s a beautiful, clear night and there is a great view from up there.”
“Yeah, but it is freezing,” she said, suddenly nervous. “Why would you want to go the roof? And why would I need to get this dressed down to stay here? I could have put on pajamas and a coat.”
Luca bit his lower lip in an attempt not to laugh. He had to stay silent, afraid he might give away the surprise, and instead waited patiently for the elevator to stop. When it did, and the door slid open again, Grace walked out into the chilly night air and scanned her surroundings. Her mouth dropped open in utter disbelief when she spotted his sleek, shiny helicopter sitting on the helipad.
“Holy shit,” she whispered as Luca joined her outside.
“You’re not afraid of flying, are you?” he asked with a smile.
“Where is the pilot?”
“You’re looking at him. I’ve been flying for twelve years,” he informed her, sliding into the pilot’s seat. “Are you coming, or not?”
“Sure,” she answered nervously as she jumped into the seat next him. Luca strapped himself in and put his headphones on, eager to show her the majestic view from above the mountains. First, he checked the gauges and affixed his seatbelt, then he reached over and snapped on Grace’s. When he leaned across her, she instinctively gave him a quick kiss that he allowed to linger longer than he should have. There was no chance any photographers were hovering around his roof, but it also wouldn’t be the craziest thing one of them had ever done.
Luca pulled away and smiled bashfully, which was something he’d never done in his life. He didn’t want Grace to worry about anything tonight and that meant keeping on a brave face as best he could.
“Ready to go?”
Grace raised an eyebrow at him. “Will you tell me where we are going now?”
“Fine! God, woman. You really don’t like surprises, do you? We are going to Ohana. It’s a resort area about forty miles from here, right near the French/Moreno border,” he replied. The rotors began to pick up gravel and dust from the ground. “I want you to see the area, so we’ll land near the lake.”
“This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever done. I don’t know what to say,” Grace said, shaking her head as the skids slowly left the ground.
“You don’t have to say anything. We could have driven there, but you don’t get this view from a car. Look to the right.”
They had not picked up much altitude yet, but the stunning glacier in the distance was visible from where they were flying. It seemed to shine in the sparkling moonlight.
“It looks even better from up here,” she yelled. He smiled in Grace’s direction, but he was trying to focus on keeping the chopper upright. He was even more conscious than usual of making sure his passenger was safe and that meant keeping his eyes on the horizon.
But, after a while, the cool and clear night weather allowed Luca to steal a few glances at her. Grace was like a little kid who was flying the first time; the smile on her face expressed nothing but pure bliss. She kept pointing at everything that caught her eye and her enthusiasm was contagious. It was as if Luca was seeing Moreno for the first time through her eyes, and it was majestic.
Twenty minutes later, Ohana came into view. The town was cradled between two mountains and surrounded by lush greenery, with the lake itself at the furthest edge. Even from a distance, you could see the tranquil and peaceful body of water as the moonlight reflected on the surface. Luca slowed down and banked right, losing altitude as they approached a snowy meadow next to the lake.
Grace could not believe her eyes; it was more beautiful than she even could have imagined. Once they were on the ground, Luca reached forward and switched off the engines, but, once again, she didn’t wait for him. Instead, Grace picked up her backpack, pushed the helicopter door open, and jumped outside.
“It’s so beautiful!” she called out to Luca, who was walking toward her.
“Follow me,” Luca said, peeling off his coat. Then he made his way toward a small boat at the edge of the lake and gestured for Grace to follow him. Grace indulged him as he dragged the boat across the sand. Luca jumped into it, but his attempt failed miserably. He landed hard on his chest, banging his head against the boat’s bottom, legs dangling in the air as he reached for the ores.
“Damn it…” he grumbled, as Grace burst into laughter. “I wish there was a dock.”
“Are you okay?” she chuckled.
“I’m fine,” Luca assured, rolling over onto his back. He sat up, as the boat floated away from the shore. Without wasting any time, he grabbed the oars and rowed closer to her. “Pretty obvious why I didn’t want you getting dressed up for tonight, huh?”
“Yeah,” Grace said with a nod, her eyes glinting with amusement as he dropped the oars. Luca reached his arms out toward her.
“Jump,” he urged. “There’s no other way.”
She pulled her backpack from her shoulders and tossed it into the boat. Then Grace lunged towards him, her arms outstretched as he grabbed her body in midair. Unfortunately, he wasn’t prepared for the awkward angle at which Grace hit him. Once more, he banged his head against the bottom of the boat, just as her laughter filled the air. Her head landed on his chest with a thud, but he didn’t even register the pain because he knew how ridiculous they looked.
“Well, shit…” Luca said with a sigh of frustration. “I did not think this through.”
“No, you didn’t,” she chuckled. “You don’t plan on sinking us out here in the lake, do you?”
“I hadn’t considered it before, but now…” Luca laughed. “I promise, that’s not why we are here.”
“That’s good to know,” Grace said, as she crawled up to the seat on the back of the boat. “I wouldn’t want to miss anything. It’s so beautiful here.”
“I’m glad you like it. It’s one of my favorite places in Moreno.”
“I have a question for, your highness. Exactly how many women have you brought here?”
“One,” he was quick to respond. “She’s American, has really beautiful eyes, asks a lot of silly questions...”
“Really?” Sky asked, unable to hide her surprise. “You’ve not…”
“No,” Luca interrupted, rowing harder as a cool breeze began to pick up in the valley between the mountains. “You’re the first.”
“I find that a little hard to believe,” Grace said.
“Why?” Luca asked, shaking his head. “I haven’t exactly had the kind of relationship that leant itself to midnight boat rides. Charity galas? Nightclub launches of new vodka lines? Sure. But not boat rides in heavy sweaters under the stars.”
“Well, it’s their loss. This place is unbelievable.”
“You should see it during the summer,” Luca said. “But it’s a lot more crowded. Sunbathers, swimmers, rock climbers… You name it. But it’s also warmer than it is now. I’m sorry about that.”
“Luca, are you crazy?” Grace laughed. “I said I loved it. I don’t care about the cold. I’m here with you.”
“You look gorgeous under the moonlight,” Luca said as he gazed deep into her eyes. “Too bad I didn’t bring my supplies, so I could pain
t while we are here.”
Grace didn’t speak. Instead, she put her hands down on the deck and began to crawl towards him. He drew the ores into the boat and embraced her, their mouths joining in a long, tender kiss. She tasted his cool lips and lost herself in the strength of his strong arms, relishing the sound of the water as it gently splashed against the boat. Grace caressed Luca’s face, a strong gust of wind whipping her hair about. Luca ran his hand up her back and slipped it into her hair; she could feel his heart thumping against her chest.
“This is all so crazy, Luca,” she said, her voice, a breathless, loving whisper as their gazes met. “What’s next? A carriage ride to a ball in Freeland?”
Luca laughed “My family has a small cabin just up the hill,” he said with a devilish smile. “Why don’t I start a fire and make you some cocoa?”
Chapter Fourteen
Luca and Grace walked up the narrow trail that led to his cabin from the lake, after passing through a deceptively secure gate. Once Luca got Grace inside of the cabin, he made his way down to the shed where he could gather a hearty cache of firewood. After loading the wood into a crate and making his way back inside, where Grace was nowhere to be seen, so he set about getting the fire started to warm up the freezing cabin. It had been a while since he visited; it may have even been before his father died. Luca was happier to be back than he had expected, and even happier to be in one of his favorite places in the world with a woman he was growing to care for very much. After a few minutes of struggling with the wood, he finally got the fire going, and took a second to enjoy the warmth the roaring flames provided.
Suddenly, the lights in the living room went out.
“Oh, come on,” he groaned. The electricity in the cabin had needed replacing for years, but it had never been much of a priority, especially lately. But then, he heard a faint sound: it was Grace’s footsteps as she made her way down the stairs.
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