“You won’t. We can agree to a kiss on the lips, no open mouth, no tongue. It’ll be easy.”
“Easy for you.”
“If you want me to kiss you now, I can show you a thing or two. So when you date men later, you’ll know what to do.”
“That would be lovely.”
Cash turned her gently until she faced him. Her lashes lifted and she gazed at him expectantly. He let his eyes wander over her face, taking in every line and curve. Then he slipped a hand into the small of her back and tugged her close.
She gasped as her palms shot up to press against his chest.
“If you want to do this right, you have to get close,” he told her.
She nodded, chewing the inside of her lip. Cash slid his palm along the side of her jaw, just to feel her silky skin. His thumb glided over the pulse in her neck—and he nearly growled in satisfaction. It throbbed against his thumb like a trapped bird.
A voice in his head asked him what the hell he thought he was doing, but he stepped into her, even closer than before, though it should not have been possible, until her body melded to his from breast to hip. He brought his other hand up to cup her jaw so that her face was between his palms.
Then he tipped her head back and dropped his mouth to hers in slow, painful increments.
Chapter 12
Ella’s eyes fluttered closed, though she wanted to watch the whole thing. But it was instinctual, this eye-closing. Parting her lips must have been a part of the instinct thing too, because she didn’t recall telling herself to do it.
The heat of him slammed into her body. She was still trying to process the breast-to-hip feeling of being melded to a man—and the bulge of something pressing against her belly was ultra distracting—when she felt the first brush of his mouth against hers.
Ella whimpered and then hated herself for making a sound when he hesitated. The overwhelmingness of him, right there in her space, eased. She opened her eyes, blinking up at him. Was that it? Just a brush of lips against lips? Was that all he planned to do?
“You okay?”
“Yes. Of course.”
He frowned, his gaze heavy-lidded and sensual. “You don’t need to be afraid, Ella. I won’t hurt you.”
“I know that.”
And she did. He’d been nothing but honorable since the moment she’d met him. And if he was the kind of guy to take advantage of being alone with her, he could have done that yesterday. Nobody would have heard her scream for help if he’d attacked her.
But she’d known he wouldn’t. She’d just known it from the instant he’d stood up for her with the rain beating down and her uncle’s security man telling him it was none of his business.
“Good.”
She curled her fingers into his shirt. He was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, and his arms bulged from the sleeves as he cupped her face. The thought of kissing him made her pulse fly—and other parts of her ache.
“Please kiss me, Cash. It’s okay.”
He dropped his head toward hers, and she closed her eyes again. She found herself rising on tiptoe, seeking his mouth.
And then their lips met again, but this time she didn’t make a sound. His mouth ghosted over hers, so sensual and light, his lips teasing and tormenting her. It was thrilling and painful all at once.
Ella strained toward him, her fingers curling harder into his shirt as if she could tug him down to her with sheer strength.
“Eager?” he whispered against her mouth, laughing.
But he didn’t let her answer. Instead, he took her mouth harder, lips meshing together, his tongue sliding against the seam. Ella opened her mouth—and his tongue slipped in to join hers.
It was the most exciting, the most sensual thing she’d ever experienced. His tongue didn’t devour hers. No, it teased and stroked and tormented. His hands dropped from her face to slide down her back and hold her against him.
The hardness pressing into her belly grew bigger. He shifted, taking the pressure away, and that disappointed her. She wanted to feel him there. Feel him growing bigger. She knew what was happening even if she had no practical knowledge of it herself.
Right now she wanted that experience pretty badly. But he wasn’t going to give it to her.
He kissed her deeply, again and again, and she clung to him, savoring the sensation. At some point her arms had gone around his neck, and when he pulled away she tried to bring him back.
He gently unwound her arms and set her away from him, laughing softly. “Honey, if we keep doing that, I may have to forget every rule I ever made for myself.”
Ella blinked. She could still taste him on her tongue. Her nipples tingled, her sex ached, and she wanted more of the same.
“You have rules?”
He stepped away and scrubbed both his hands through his hair as if trying to scrub away his thoughts. “Yes, I have rules.” He stared at her pointedly. “Never getting married is number one on the list, but I’m about to break that one.”
Ella’s heart flipped. “What else?”
“No virgins. And since I’m breaking number one, I’m not about to break that rule too.”
“I see.”
“It’s not personal, Ella. One day, when this is over, you’re going to find the right guy. And you’ll want to give yourself to him. If you give yourself to me, you’ll regret it.”
Ella folded her arms over her chest, hurt and embarrassment warring for first place. A tiny flame of anger kindled, flickering stronger with each passing second.
“Is that what you did? You waited to give yourself to the right woman?”
He had the grace to look sheepish. “It’s different for guys.”
“Really? And who told you that?”
He was frowning now. Hard. “It’s been my experience—”
“Oh? How many times? How many virgins? One? Two? Ten? How is that representative of every single woman in the world?”
Okay, so she was surprising herself by arguing with him, but really, it was a ridiculous notion that she needed to wait and give herself to the right man. When she’d been sold to Sheikh Fahd for her virginity, it was truly the last thing she treasured. The sooner it was gone, the better. Men like Fahd would no longer want her, and her aunt and uncle would have no reason to want her back.
Though marrying this man was going to ruin her value anyway. Her virginity wasn’t even an issue. Except to him, apparently.
He looked about as surprised as she felt. “Ella, I’m pretty sure, no matter how fierce you are about this, that you will get emotionally involved with the man who initiates you. You might not intend to, but it’s going to happen. That man will not be me.”
“I hate that you think you know me.”
He grinned. “Not even married yet and we’re having our first fight.”
She was not appeased. “For your information, it doesn’t thrill me to have to marry you either. I don’t know you—and I don’t like knowing you’d rather have a root canal than marry me. But this is the situation, is it not? So now we deal with it.”
“We are dealing with it. We just aren’t dealing with it by having sex.”
Ella turned her back and started toward the door. Tears pricked her eyes, which annoyed her, but he made her so mad. Not because she expected sex, but because he’d totally dismissed the idea simply because she’d never done it before.
She stopped and whirled. “Tell me something—if I weren’t a virgin, would we be having this conversation?”
He stalked toward her, all pretense of humor gone. “Probably not. Because we’d both understand what the score was.”
Oh, he was infuriating. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? What if I’d had sex exactly once? Would that magically make me able to avoid emotional involvement with you?” She waved a hand. “You think you know everything, Cash, but you don’t. And you most certainly don’t know me.”
He was staring at her as if she’d sprouted another head. She didn’t give
him a chance to speak. “Now please stop wasting my time with your stupid arguments, and let’s get married.”
* * *
Cash didn’t like the way this situation was going. And he didn’t mean the marriage.
No, he meant her. Princess Ella, who’d just princessed all over him. He knew when he was being told off. Worse, he knew when the other person was mostly right.
And she was right to point out the ridiculousness of his arguments. Hell, he had no idea what she would do if he fucked her. He’d never actually initiated a virgin himself—but his best buddy in basic had, and it had crushed his dreams of being a SEAL right out of existence. Charlie had ended up married, pussy whipped, and supporting three kids in three years. He’d also never made it onto the teams. He was regular Navy, which was fine, but when you’d always wanted to be a SEAL, it was a bit of a letdown.
Charlie had never rescued a hostage or taken out a pocket of terrorist assholes, and he was somewhat bitter, though he tried not to let it come through whenever he and Cash talked. But it did. Cash had told him that he could still be a SEAL if he wanted, but Charlie always had a reason why Deidre and the kids wouldn’t like it.
Cash had thought about quietly backing away, but whenever Charlie called or they were in the same town, Cash couldn’t refuse the contact. They’d been best friends when they were young and new to the military, and they’d helped each other.
But seeing Charlie now was painful. His marriage had been rocky as hell, though the last time Cash had spoken to him, he and Deidre were in counseling and things were going well.
Ella stomped over to the door and threw him a glance over her shoulder. “Are we going or not?”
Oh yeah, the wedding.
“We’re going.” He went over and opened the door, preceding her as was his habit. To hell with letting a lady go first. You couldn’t protect the lady if you sent her out in front of you when you didn’t know the territory. But there was no one waiting for them as they made their way down the corridor.
They reached Hawk and Gina’s room without speaking to each other again. Cash was still trying to process the way his guts had twisted the second he’d touched his mouth to hers. Not to mention the way his blood had pounded in excitement when she glared at him and told him off.
He rapped on the door and it opened instantly. Gina beamed at them both while Hawk groaned in the background.
“Baby, what have I told you about opening the door?”
Gina waved him off. “You said to let you do it—but sweetie, I’m not an idiot. I used the peephole and verified it was our happy couple.”
Not that happy, Cash thought.
Gina frowned at them both. “Now what is going on here? Y’all didn’t look so glum on the plane.” She reached past him to hook her arm into Ella’s. “Come here, love. Tell me what bad ol’ Cash did to you.”
“Hey,” Cash protested as he followed them inside. The suite was predictably lush and expansive with a view of the Vegas Strip and the lake below. “I’m right here. And I didn’t do anything. Ella and I are feeling the pressure, that’s all.”
“Well, y’all need to look happy for the pictures—”
“Pictures?” Cash burst out. “What the hell, Gina?”
Hawk was too busy laughing to get mad about Cash demanding answers from his wife.
“Oh honey,” Gina said as she threw him a look. “You really aren’t using your head with this one, are you? The whole idea of getting married has got you so twisted up—” She cocked her head. “Do you need a massage? I can get someone up here in no time flat.”
Cash held up his hands. “No, thanks. I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine. He doesn’t, does he?” she asked Ella.
Ella looked about as happy as he did. Which, he suspected, was something akin to a cornered bear.
“I think it’s still a shock to us both,” Ella said.
He liked that she didn’t instantly start complaining about him. That she actually tried to share the blame for the tension between them.
Gina put her hands on her hips and faced them both with a stern look on her face. “Now look, you two, this is important. If we’re going to pull this off, you have to look like you like each other. Even better would be if you can’t seem to keep your hands off each other, though I’ll accept looking at each other with longing. We’re going to have a wedding, with pictures, and then we’re going out on the town for a little while. The point is to be seen and to dispel the notion that anybody was kidnapped.”
Cash looked to Hawk for help. There was nothing forthcoming from that quarter. No, Hawk was too busy laughing.
“She’s right, Money. This may not be an official op, but you’ve got to get in the game like it is. Play the part for the media and then go to your room and refuse to speak to each other if you like.”
It was Gina’s turn again. “I had some more clothes sent up, Ella. I think you should wear white, even if it’s not a formal dress like the one you brought on the plane. I have a few options to try.” She glanced at her watch. “The minister will be here in fifteen minutes.”
“What about her documents?” Cash asked when Ella and Gina disappeared into one of the bedrooms.
Hawk picked up a packet from the table nearest him. “Delivered.”
He handed Cash the packet, and Cash opened it to reveal a black Capriolan diplomatic passport and a Virginia identification card. He opened the passport.
* * *
Princess Antonella Maria Rossi of the royal family of Capriolo
* * *
There was a picture of Ella, her birth date—she would be twenty-three in another month—and her address. A stone formed in his stomach as he thought about what would have happened if he hadn’t intervened when she needed him.
Didn’t matter that he’d gotten himself tangled up in Capriolan politics. Cash had done what was right, and he’d given Ella a chance.
“There’s something else you should know,” Hawk said, and Cash lifted his head.
Hawk looked mighty serious.
“What’s that?”
He nodded at the passport in Cash’s hand. “I don’t think she knows it, but Ella isn’t just a princess. If the Rossis hadn’t been exiled from Capriolo, she would be their queen.”
Chapter 13
Ella still couldn’t quite believe she was hanging out with Gina Domenico, the golden-voiced singer who’d sung in her ear when she holed up in her room and wished she were living a different life than the one she had. Gina’s songs were about strength and purpose and heartbreak. They were about life lived to the fullest. Ella could hear the refrain from one of her favorites, “Get It, Girl,” playing in her head as she surveyed the dresses hanging from a garment rack in Gina’s bedroom.
Gina was strong and amazing. She had a gorgeous man, two adorable children, and the world at her feet. Ella wished she was half as strong and accomplished.
“You okay, hon?” Gina asked.
“Yes.” Ella cleared her throat. “Just thinking. So much has happened.”
“Do you wish you’d stayed where you were?”
“No, definitely not.” There was nothing for her in the life she’d left behind.
“I know Cash is a bit gruff and pissed off right now, but he’ll come around. He’s a good guy, Ella. I know the type because I married one. But let me tell you, it wasn’t all roses and sunshine. It was hard, and I had to fight for what I wanted.”
Ella’s brows drew together. Gina and Jack seemed so happy. “He didn’t want to get married?”
Gina snorted. “He didn’t want anything to do with me. It’s complicated, but the short story is that we didn’t see each other for four years after the first time. I had Eli, our son, but I didn’t tell Jack because he’d told me he didn’t want children.” Her expression pinched. “Well, it was more than that—but anyway, it took four years. And he was furious with me. Truthfully, I thought he hated me—but it worked out. Everything happens for a reas
on.”
“I don’t even know Cash. I don’t know that I want to be married to him. But I’m grateful for him, and I’ll do whatever it takes to be free of my aunt and uncle.”
Gina reached out and squeezed her hand. “Cash was there for a reason. I believe that. Whatever happens between you is meant to happen.” She shrugged. “Nothing to do but wait and see. Now, tell me which of these dresses you want to try on first.”
Ella chose a long strapless white dress with a sweetheart neckline. The dress was silky and glowing, the skirt falling to the floor and trailing behind. Gina had underwear to go with it, and Ella changed in the bathroom, gasping at the sleek lines of the dress in the mirror. When she walked out to show Gina, the other woman put her hand to her mouth with a soft oh.
“That’s lovely, Ella. I don’t think you should try anything else.” She pulled a black ribbon off the rack and came over to wind it around Ella’s waist. “Just a little contrast. What do you think?”
Ella turned to the mirror and stared at herself in wonder. This dress was more her than the lacy, bejeweled thing she’d worn yesterday. It was perfect.
“And one more thing,” Gina said, going over to the dresser and retrieving something. When she returned with a tiara, Ella started to shake her head. It was too much like yesterday, too much making her into what she was supposed to be rather than what she felt like.
“Oh honey,” Gina said. “It’s okay. It’s meant to drive home the idea that you are a princess to the media. If they don’t see a tiara, they won’t quite emphasize that fact. And we want them to. We want them to run with the narrative that a royal princess has found her American prince. It will make your aunt and uncle’s story much less appealing.”
Ella bowed her head while Gina put the tiara into place. When she lifted her head and gazed in the mirror, it wasn’t as out of place as she’d feared. The tiara was small, tasteful, nothing like the bejeweled crown of yesterday. It perched on her hair like an airy confection. Enhancing but not dominating. It worked.
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