Her purse slipped from her hand as she reached out to him. Her fingers slid beneath his gray sports jacket to the black T-shirt beneath. As her palms slid over the defined contours of his chest, a moan swelled in the back of her throat.
Oh, yeah... This kiss—this moment—was so much better than she’d ever imagined. She definitely approved of this change in Luca.
His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. Need, wonderment and eagerness consumed her. The rush of emotions was more intoxicating than the bubbly they’d just shared.
As their kiss intensified, his tongue slipped past her compliant lips. She leaned in closer, pressing the length of her body against his. If this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up.
A whistle followed by applause from the stage crew had her reluctantly pulling away. She wasn’t sure what she expected to find when she gazed into Luca’s face. Perhaps disappointment or regret, but instead he was smiling at her. It was one of those smiles that made his eyes twinkle.
“Are you ready to go?” Luca whispered into her ear, sending goose bumps racing down over her body.
“Um...yes.”
“Good. I want to make this a very special evening for you.”
It was already special. That kiss had been so unexpected and so much better than she’d ever imagined. This was a different side of Luca, and she liked it—she liked him—a lot.
After retrieving her purse from the floor, she slipped her hand into his and they rushed out the door. She refused to second-guess this decision. It was her one chance to be something so much more than Luca’s friend.
At last, he’d seen her as a desirable woman.
CHAPTER ONE
Nine weeks later, Mirraccino Island,
the Mediterranean
SHE’D HEARD IT said that you can never go home again. Maybe she should have heeded that warning.
Elena stared at herself in the full-length mirror in her bedroom at her parents’ modest home on the royal estate of Mirraccino. This trip had not been her idea. It had come about rather suddenly when her mother broke her leg.
Her mother had called to say that she couldn’t get around on her own, and since Elena’s father was needed at the palace, her mother was home alone all day. As their only child, it was up to Elena to return home. And though the timing wasn’t ideal with the start of the new campaign for the Renard line, Elena had worked feverishly to reschedule all of her appointments. She was more than willing to help her mother, who’d always been there for her.
But unbeknownst to Elena, her mother had exaggerated her condition. The fact that her mother had played on Elena’s emotions was unusual, so she let it pass without comment. The truth was she didn’t make it home often enough.
Don’t think about it. Not this evening.
She hadn’t even unpacked yet when her mother had handed over an invitation printed on heavy cream stationery sealed with a deep purple royal crest. A little confused, Elena had opened it, surprised to find that she’d been invited to Lady Annabelle’s engagement festivities. The invitation had said the event was to be intimate and to dress casually.
Now, two days later, she’d tried on every single dress she’d brought with her from Paris at least twice. Some were too revealing. Others were too flashy. And some were too formal. What exactly did one wear to dinner at the palace?
She’d never been in this situation before. Although she was the daughter of the king’s private secretary, she wasn’t the type who received invitations to royal events. And this wasn’t just any party. It was a weeklong series of events. And her mother had taken it upon herself to post an acceptance on Elena’s behalf.
Knock. Knock.
“Come in.”
Her mother smiled as she entered the room. Her long dark hair was pulled back and tucked up at the nape of her neck. Only powder accentuated her natural beauty. “I just wanted to see if you needed any help getting ready.”
“I’m the one who should be asking if you need anything.”
Her mother waved off the concern. “I’m fine.”
“Isn’t Father home yet? I thought he might stay with you while I’m out for the evening.”
The smile slipped from her mother’s face. “I don’t see your father much lately.”
Elena had noticed her father’s increased absence. “What has him so busy?”
“The same thing as always—the king.”
“Oh.” Elena knew from growing up that her father kept his work to himself. And that was probably why he was the king’s most trusted employee. “I’m sorry. I had hoped the king would be back to normal by now.”
“I had hoped the same thing. Nothing has been right since they arrested that murderer. The news hit the king really hard.”
“I’m sure it was quite a shock to learn there was a murderer wandering through the palace all those years.”
Her mother shuddered. “I don’t like to think of it. Your father saw that criminal every day. Just the thought—”
“Don’t go there. It’s all over.” Elena hoped to reassure her. “Father is safe.”
Her mother sent her a weak smile and nodded.
Elena turned back to the full-length mirror. She’d finally settled on a little black dress. It wasn’t anything special. But the black suited her mood. She’d been sullen and reserved ever since her night with Luca. It had been just one more mistake on her part—a total error in judgment.
The only right decision she’d made was agreeing to be the face of one of the world’s hottest designers. The work was now coming in droves. In fact, there were so many requests for appearances and photo shoots that she couldn’t do them all. But once word got out about her condition, it would all end.
She was pregnant with Luca’s baby.
Pregnant. The word still sounded so foreign to her.
She’d always kept track of her cycle—a little tick mark on her day planner. With the hectic schedule of a new campaign, she hadn’t noticed right away that her timely cycle had suddenly drifted off course. But referencing her day planner to schedule future shoots, she’d stumbled across the missing tick mark. Her heart had clenched before panic ensued.
Four home pregnancy tests later, her worst fears had been confirmed. She was pregnant with Luca’s baby. At this point, only Elena and her doctor knew the truth. And for the moment, that was how it’d remain.
“Is that what you’re wearing to dinner?” her mother asked, studying Elena’s black dress. A decided frown came over her face. “Don’t you have something more cheerful?”
For some reason, her mother’s disapproval decided Elena’s attire for her. “I like this.”
“You’re awfully skinny.” Her mother clucked her tongue disapprovingly. “While you’re home, you need to eat more. Thin is nice, dear. But when a man wants to wrap his hands around you and—”
“Mother, stop.” She couldn’t believe her prim and proper mother was talking about a man having his hands on her. It just sounded so wrong to hear her mother talk about sex. Ew!
“Really, Elena. I didn’t think you were a prude, especially with those sexy outfits you model.”
“I’m not a prude. It doesn’t mean I want to talk about—about that—with you.”
Her mother smiled. “I didn’t think people your age were so shy talking about sex.”
“Enough. You’re really making me uncomfortable here.”
“Okay. Okay. I’ll stop.”
“Thank you.”
Ding. Dong.
Elena looked at her mother. “Are you expecting anyone?”
“Not that I recall.”
“I’ll get it.” Elena made a move toward the door, immensely grateful for the interruption.
Her mother held up a hand. “You stay and finish getting ready.
I’ll entertain your date.”
“I thought you didn’t know who was at the door?”
“I, ah, just remembered.” Her mother’s gaze avoided hers.
“Really? That’s interesting, because I don’t recall making a date.”
“I know, dear. That’s why I arranged for one. After all, you don’t want to show up at the palace all alone.”
Stunned by her mother’s matchmaking, Elena stood slack jawed as her mother used her crutches to maneuver out of Elena’s bedroom. She even pulled the door shut behind her.
Elena didn’t know what shocked her more—her mother’s agility or the fact Elena had a date that evening and her mother hadn’t even told her the man’s name. At least with her mother doing the matchmaking, Elena knew the man would be honest and a gentleman.
The only problem was Elena didn’t want a date. She was perfectly happy going to the palace alone. This wasn’t the good old days when it was unseemly for a twenty-five-year-old woman to be seen in public without an escort.
She had to put a stop to her mother’s meddling. After all, she’d returned to Mirraccino to take care of her mother, not the other way around.
Elena glanced back at the mirror. She turned, giving a side view. Would anyone be able to tell she was pregnant? She didn’t think so. She wasn’t far along. And so far she’d been able to avoid the dreaded morning sickness. A little nausea now and then and being a bit more emotional than normal were her only symptoms.
She turned away from the mirror and slipped on a pair of platform stiletto heels adorned with crystals. The added height to her five-foot-ten stature always gave her a boost of confidence. The peekaboo toes would give a glimpse of her pedicure. Thankfully, she’d had a nail appointment just before she left Paris. She’d hoped it would lift her spirits. It hadn’t.
She pulled open the bedroom door and headed downstairs. “Mother, I—”
The words died in her throat. There, making chitchat with her mother, was Luca. Her heart lurched into her throat. How could this be? Luca never visited Mirraccino. And yet here he was, smiling and laughing with her mother.
He looked incredibly handsome with his dark hair cropped short on the sides and back while the top was a bit longer. He wore a charcoal suit that amplified his already broad shoulders—shoulders where not so long ago she’d rested her head. She squelched the thought as fast as it came to her.
Sans a tie, the top two buttons of his white dress shirt were unbuttoned, revealing a glimpse of his tanned chest and the gold chain that held his St. Christopher medal. He’d been wearing that necklace—a gift from his mother—almost as long as Elena had known him. She knew it meant a great deal to him.
He looked like he was ready to step onto a runway in Paris or Milan. He was certainly photogenic enough. He had it all—the looks, a title and money. He wanted for nothing. Even though he’d settled down with a job in the financial sector, she knew he traveled routinely. With his home base in Milan, he often traveled throughout Europe to the States and then to Australia before he started the expedition once again. And he certainly never lacked for companionship.
She should have known that Luca would be her mother’s idea of an appropriate date. Her mother would like nothing better than to have her marry into the royal family. But Elena had made it clear that would never happen. She’d had enough of men. They only wanted one thing. Once they got it, it was game over and they were on to their next conquest.
Not so long ago, Luca had been the love ’em and leave ’em type. And the aftermath of their night together hadn’t convinced her that this particular leopard had changed his spots. It was best that she trod carefully where he was concerned.
“Hello, Elena.” Luca placed a practiced smile on his face, but there was a flicker of something dark in his eyes. In a blink it was gone, leaving her to wonder if she’d imagined it.
“Hi. I... I didn’t know you were back on the island.”
“I was told by my sister that if I didn’t make an appearance for her engagement celebration, she would track me down and it wouldn’t be pretty when she found me.”
“I can imagine your sister following through on that threat.”
“Me, too. So here I am.”
“And since your appearance was last minute,” her mother interjected, “Luca kindly agreed to be your escort. Isn’t that right, Luca?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Yes, that’s right. It looks like we’re both without dates this evening.”
“But that doesn’t mean my mother should have imposed on you.” Elena sent her mother a pointed look.
“I didn’t.” Her mother feigned innocence.
Elena’s gaze narrowed on her mother, not believing her. “And I suppose Luca is now psychic and knew I’d be here this evening without a date?”
Elena could feel Luca’s gaze on her, but she refused to face him. She was already embarrassed enough. How could her mother do this to her?
“I was just trying to help,” her mother said. “Luca came round the other day to check on me. He’d heard about my accident, and he wanted to make sure I was okay.”
It sounded innocent enough, but how that translated into a date was another story. “And that’s when you hatched this scheme to impose on his kindness.”
“Young lady—” her mother’s voice took on a sharp edge of indignation “—I don’t now, nor have I ever, hatched a scheme. I merely mentioned that you were flying in to town.”
“And I suggested that we go to the dinner this evening—together.” Luca was no longer smiling.
He was mad at her? She was only trying to undo her mother’s meddling. She was certain her mother had more to do with this arrangement than she was letting on. Wait. Had he just said he was the one who’d wanted to go to the dinner with her?
Elena’s gaze shifted to Luca. But it was like he had built a wall between them, and she wasn’t able to read his thoughts. Drat! She felt as though she was standing on shifting sand and she just couldn’t get her footing. The best thing to do was let him off the hook, gently.
“I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but you don’t have to bother,” she said, watching his eyes grow darker. “I don’t mind going to the palace by myself.”
“What about the palace?” Her father stepped through the doorway in his standard black suit, collared white shirt and black tie.
“Luca came to escort Elena to the dinner at the palace.” Her mother beamed. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
Her father’s face was pale and drawn. Dark circles had formed under his eyes from being on call for the king at any hour of the day or night. Elena wished her father would set some boundaries in his life, but he insisted that his duty was to the king, and he could not be deterred.
Everyone stood quietly waiting for her father to speak. It wasn’t like him to be so quiet. Usually he would tell her to have a good evening and be on his way.
“Are you all right?” Elena asked her father.
“I’m fine. Just a little tired.” Her father moved to stand in front of Elena. He leaned forward and pressed a feathery kiss to her cheek. “But I’m feeling better now. How could I not with my wonderful family around me?”
Elena’s mother nodded toward Luca. “Aren’t you going to say anything to our guest?”
Her father grunted as though he’d forgotten. He turned to Luca. “Don’t do anything to hurt my girl. Or else...”
Her father didn’t finish the threat, but Luca’s rigid stance and the firm line of his lips said that he’d gotten the message.
“I’ll go clean up for dinner,” her father said and moved toward the stairs.
“Shall we go?” Luca asked.
Elena had to try one last time to call off this awkward date. “As I was saying before, I really don’t mind arriving alone.”
L
uca sighed. “Ah, but see, I do mind. I hate showing up at these family events alone. There will be questions about who I’m dating, if it’s serious and if I ever plan to settle down and get married. I’d rather avoid all that.”
So she would be doing him a favor? By what? Being his decoy? A shield?
No. No. No.
She wasn’t comfortable with any of those titles. Elena had enough of her own secrets. She didn’t need to be drawn into anyone else’s drama.
The past few months in Paris had consisted of making one bad decision after the other. It had gotten to the point where she had no faith in her own judgment. And now that she was pregnant, she had to make the right decisions. There was an innocent baby counting on her. She had mixed emotions about her unexpected condition. How could she tell Luca she was pregnant when she didn’t even know how she felt about it?
That was why her mother’s request for her to return home couldn’t have come at a better time. She had hoped some downtime would clear her head. At the time, she’d had absolutely no idea that Annabelle was having a big celebration or that she would include Elena in the festivities.
Her gaze landed on Luca. He looked uncomfortable and anxious to be anywhere but here. Things had definitely changed between them. Where there had once been an easiness, there was now this crackling tension. If she needed any confirmation that they could never go back to how they used to be, this was it.
Tonight, she would be nervous enough being a guest at the palace. She really didn’t need the added awkwardness she felt around Luca. If only he wasn’t so insistent on being a gentleman and escorting her.
“I’m not quite ready to go.” When he didn’t say anything, she added, “I don’t want to make you late.”
“I don’t mind waiting,” he said. “It’ll give me some more time to talk with your mother.”
Her mother smiled. “And I just made a fresh batch of those amaretto cookies that you enjoy.”
“They’re my favorite,” Luca said. “And I haven’t had them in a very long time. You really are the best in the kitchen.”
Married for His Secret Heir Page 2