She wasn’t too proud to drop the blanket and press her naked body against him. “Isn’t it fortunate that I’m just a woman?” He wrapped his arms around her and she smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“We could be called back to the palace tomorrow,” he said softly. “We agreed this isn’t something we can continue once I return you safely to the palace.”
“Then why are we wasting our time arguing?”
“Is this arguing?” he asked with a small smile.
Angelina remembered the conversation at breakfast. Rosa’s advice to pick their arguments. This was worth fighting for.
“Don’t push me away,” she said. “Don’t lock me out. We are still here together until we get called back.”
Her heart ached at the thought of seeing him at the palace and not being able to be close with him like this. She didn’t dare declare her love to him. She knew he didn’t feel the same way for her. If he loved her, he never would have frozen her out like he did.
Would he?
She cupped his jaw. “Please. If we only have tonight, we shouldn’t squander these last few hours.” Maybe she could show him how much she cared. Maybe he’d be able to tell. Maybe it would make a difference.
Maybe he could still fall in love with her.
Angelina rose up on her toes and kissed him. Rico drank her in as if he were a starving soldier. He’d tried to resist, but he knew it was no use. He wasn’t going to be able to be noble. He wasn’t a white knight, no matter what she said. All too soon they would be back home, back to reality where she was a member of royalty and he was the hired muscle. Tonight he was going to pretend she wasn’t his princess.
He scooped her up in his arms and tried not to notice how good she felt there. He carried her back over to the bed and dropped her. She laughed when she bounced on the mattress. He wasn’t going to think about how much he would miss her laugh. It wasn’t a reserved, proper, royal titter, but heart-felt laughter that lit up her lovely face and shook her whole body.
It was not only her laughter he would miss. He would miss everything about her.
Rico shed his underwear and joined her on the bed. Angelina surprised him by rolling on top of him. Her soft body stretched over him, stimulating every part of him. She brushed her lips across his.
“Rico,” she whispered. She swept her mouth along his jaw, over his shoulder and down his arm. When she reached his tat, her tongue darted out to trace the ink on his skin. He never imagined licks along his upper arm could affect his entire body the way they did, shooting sparks of desire everywhere.
It was time for a little licking of his own. He flipped her over onto her back and slid down her smooth body, dropping kisses along her skin as he went. She wriggled beneath him and he smiled at her obvious eagerness. The scent of her arousal grew stronger as he got closer to the juncture of her thighs. His mouth watered in the anticipation of tasting her desire.
Rico grasped her hips and lowered his mouth. Angelina cried out his name, reached out and grasped his hair. She arched her back and pressed harder against his mouth. Her taste was hot and sweet and he knew he could drink from her all night long. But her movements grew more erratic and her sounds more desperate. He curled his tongue around her tiny bundle of nerves and then scraped his teeth gently over it.
She exploded with the force of her climax, her hips jerking in his hands and her fingers tugging painfully on his hair. Her cries echoed off the walls, the sound a heady mixture of screams and laughter. Angelina recovered quickly and pushed him onto his back again, straddling him.
He was hard again for her and she surprised him further by rising onto her knees and guiding him inside her. When she sank onto him, he groaned with the incredible sensations of her surrounding him again. She took his hands and placed them over her breasts as she moved over him.
Soft and firm at the same time, Angelina’s breasts filled his hands perfectly. Her tight nipples poked against his palms and he rubbed them just to hear her whimpers. Her fingers wrapped around his wrists, keeping his hands where they were but also giving her something to hold on to while she rode him.
The erotic tension built so quickly, it was as if he’d not had sex with her less than an hour before. He didn’t want to go over the edge without her coming with him, so he reached between their bodies to give her a little extra stimulation and then suddenly remembered with a shock that he didn’t have a condom on. No wonder this time had felt even more amazing.
He rolled over, taking her with him until she was on her back again and he was on top. He kissed the top of her nose and reluctantly withdrew from her heat. “One moment.” She whimpered and reached for him. “Not so fast, amore. We forgot something important.”
Rico took care of the protection quickly and then he was back inside her. Angelina sighed and wrapped her legs around him. “Yes,” she whispered. She rocked her hips in time with his movements, her cries becoming louder as she rocked faster. When another climax hit her, her spasms squeezed him and quickly pushed him up and over the edge.
He shouted her name on his release and he held her tight as he emptied himself completely, giving her everything he had. When he had no more to give, he stretched over her and kissed her thoroughly once more. “I’ll be right back,” he whispered and reluctantly left her for a quick trip to the bathroom.
After he took care of the condom, they crawled beneath a light sheet. Angelina curled up beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and held her close, savoring the feel of her body pressed up against his. He thought she’d fallen asleep until she spoke.
“How many different ways are there of lovemaking?”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Many.”
Her sigh was more like a disappointed huff. “How many different ways do you think we can try before we leave Tuscora?”
“That depends on when we leave.”
Her breathing slowed and he thought again that she slept, until she murmured, “I’ll just take a little nap and then we can try another way.”
She was asleep almost before she finished the sentence but Rico stayed awake for a long time. He soaked up the feeling of her in his arms and dreaded the early morning phone call he knew would come.
When Angelina woke up the next morning, her head was resting on Rico’s shoulder. His arm was wrapped around her, holding her tightly against him. In his arms she felt cherished. Content. She inhaled, drawing in his scent so she would never forget it.
He slept on, looking more peaceful and relaxed than she’d ever seen him. She would be sad if they were called back home today. She missed her family but not much else about her life at the palace. Before she’d spent some time here in Tuscora, she’d never realized how unhappy she’d been.
So what was she going to do with this newfound knowledge? It would be her own fault if she let her life slip back into the same boring existence it had been before. The problem was, she had no idea what she wanted to do. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her days as she had the past few years, so she would need to use the people she’d met here as inspiration for making changes in her own life.
Rico’s phone buzzed on the nightstand. He was awake in an instant and eased away from her in order to reach for it. “Santori,” he answered, sounding wide awake, not as if he’d been deeply asleep the moment before. “Hey, Tony.” Angelina propped up on her elbow to watch him, and he glanced at her while he listened. “If you think so.”
“What did he say?” she whispered.
He put his finger up to his lips to silence her. Yeah, he probably didn’t want Tony to know they were in bed together. But they could have been in the kitchen or living room together, so it shouldn’t matter if Tony heard her voice. Was this the call that would bring them back to the palace? The call that would separate them forever?
Suddenly restless, Angelina climbed out of bed. When she was finished in the bathroom, Rico was still on the phone.
; There was no use trying to get any information out of him yet, so she pulled on a fluffy white robe that hung from a hook on the back of the bathroom door and padded into the kitchen. They hadn’t spent any time in the kitchen yet, so Angelina looked to see what the fridge and cupboard held. She’d pulled out a bottle of orange juice when Rico joined her.
“Thirsty?” she asked.
He’d pulled on a pair of jeans. “Thanks.”
“What did Tony have to say?” she asked as she poured two glasses of juice, trying to keep her voice light when all she wanted was to demand to know if they would be leaving Tuscora this morning.
“The Duke is denying he had anything to do with the kidnapping attempt.”
“Does Tony believe him?” she asked.
“Do you?” Rico asked.
Her first thought was that she’d believe anything of Phillip, but she paused to think logically instead of emotionally. “I don’t know. I never thought he’d try anything with me in the back of the car. Or that he’d get all stalkerish after that. So I don’t know what he might be capable of.”
“Tony doesn’t trust him, either.” Rico took a long drink. “Apparently there have been hundreds of people inquiring to your health. The Octopus Duke was the only one to try to go around the recognized channels to get information. That makes him very suspicious. Tony thinks he’s guilty, but without a confession, he’s not convinced it would be safe for you to return yet. The King agrees.”
“Oh.” Angelina tried not to let her happiness show on her face like the brilliant smile she wanted to flash. She put the juice bottle back in the refrigerator. “I should talk to my father. He worries about me. Could I use your phone?”
“Of course.” But instead of handing her his phone, Rico grasped her by the waist and smoothly lifted her onto the counter. The granite countertop was cold enough to make her gasp, but when he stepped in between her legs, she forgot all about the chill. His hands were warm where he grasped her thighs.
He leaned in and caught her lips with his. She tasted the hint of orange along with his own unique taste. Oh, how terrible it would be if she could never taste him again. Never touch him so intimately again. She threw her arms around his neck and then wound her legs around his, drawing him closer.
A sense of desperation swept over her. They’d been given a reprieve of at least one day. But it was probably only for this one day. She tore her lips away and stared at Rico. “How long do you think we can stay here?”
He slipped his hands beneath her robe and his clever fingers began to roam over her body. “We can’t stay here indefinitely. You know that.”
She gasped when he tweaked a nipple. “I know.”
“I expect the duke will break under pressure today and admit to his wrong-doing. Stalkers rarely hold their tongues for long, if only to have a chance to explain why they felt they had to do what they did. I have no doubt he’ll want to talk about you and once he does, he’ll spill his plans for the two of you.”
She shivered. “I don’t want to think about him.” She wanted Rico to keep his hands on her.
“And you have no need to. Let us worry about him for you.”
“I don’t want you to worry about him, either.” She brushed her hands over his bare chest. “I may be selfish, but I want you here with me. Body and mind.”
“Oh, amore, I am here with you. Have no worries about that.”
“Good.” She tugged him in for a kiss. “I really should call my father. I should have done it before now. He’ll worry if he doesn’t hear from me.”
Rico pulled his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans. “Here. I’ll take my shower while you talk to him.” He handed her the phone, then lifted her off the counter. He let her body slide along his on the way down, then shot her a mischievous grin. “If your call doesn’t take too long, you could join me.”
Angelina couldn’t resist checking out the great view of his butt as he walked away before she quickly dialed the palace.
“Rosa. Giuseppe. Maria. Thank you again for the wonderful party last night,” Angelina said at breakfast. She didn’t know how she was ever going to admit the truth to these wonderful people. They already felt like family. They were Rico’s family. How could she ever look them in the eye when this was over?
Maria laughed. “Mama is always looking for an excuse to throw a party.”
“No. Your cousin’s marriage was not an excuse,” Giuseppe said with a frown. He pointed his fork at Maria as he talked. “It was a joyous event and we were honored to help them celebrate.”
Maria blushed. “Right. Sorry.”
Rosa laughed. “And I was so happy for the reason to throw a party.”
“Tia, I thought I would take Lucia up to see the olive grove,” Rico said. “Can we still get up the hill?”
“Of course,” Rosa replied. “I will pack you a picnic lunch. It should be a beautiful day for a walk.”
“What a lovely idea,” Angelina said. She’d love to see the place where Giuseppe proposed to Rosa, and the hill she rolled down after her surprise. “Does your family still own the property?”
“No. When Beatrice and I finally admitted we were not interested in olive trees, Papa sold the property to the neighbor.”
“Was it difficult to tell him the truth?” Angelina asked softly. “When you knew what you had to tell him would probably hurt him?”
Rosa caught her gaze, held it. “It was difficult, of course. But the truth is always the best, don’t you think?”
Angelina grabbed her coffee cup and stared into its depths as if she could find the answer there. “Yes. And thank you for the picnic lunch.” She fingered Rico’s ring. “I’ll have to be careful not to lose my ring up there.”
“You should have taken it to the jeweler and had it sized,” Rosa said sternly. “You could do it today.”
“When we get home,” Angelina said and glanced to Rico for help.
“This may be our last day here,” Rico explained. “We’ll take care of the ring as soon as we get back.”
“Last day?” Maria cried. “But you just got here. You can’t leave already.”
“I wish we could stay longer,” Rico said. “Unfortunately, we have real life to get back to.”
Real life. Angelina knew she couldn’t avoid her real life forever, but a few more days—weeks—years couldn’t be too much to wish for. Talking to her father this morning made her a little homesick, but not enough to want to leave Tuscora. Not yet. Not before she decided what she wanted her real life to be from now on.
And not before Rico had a chance to fall in love with her.
The sky was a brilliant blue, the green and golden hills rolling as far as he could see. Rico remembered coming up to the top of this hill when he was a boy. Now with Angelina by his side, he thought the view was just as breathtaking as he remembered. The first time he was here, he’d felt as if he was at the top of the world and even after all the traveling he’d done since then, Rico still felt the same way now.
“What a gorgeous view,” Angelina murmured. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed. “Thank you for bringing me up here.”
“Of course.” For some reason, he wanted to share this place with her, this spot where he’d first realized how big the world was. Where he’d realized there was a huge universe outside the palace and that anything was possible.
“So this is where Giuseppe proposed to Rosa?”
He came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Yes.”
Angelina peered over the brink of the steep hill. “And that’s where Rosa rolled all the way down.” He smiled at the delight in her voice. “And those are the olive trees. Right down there.”
He tightened his grip on her waist. “Careful. Don’t get too close to the edge.”
“I’m going to miss Tuscora when we go back,” she said, leaning back against him. “The town. The people. I’ve had such a good time here.”
He sighed. It was time to talk about going b
ack. They couldn’t continue to pretend they were a couple in love, couldn’t continue to pretend a small town like this was where they were meant to be. They could no longer pretend they were doing anything but making memories.
“You can come back to Tuscora anytime you want, you know,” he said. “The town is not going away.”
“I know. But the people of Tuscora may not want to see me again when they learn the truth.”
He shrugged, released his hold on her waist and turned from the view. “You’re the princess. They’ll forgive you.”
“Perhaps.” She helped him spread the blanket on the grass and take out the food his aunt had packed for them.
They’d rushed up to the apartment after breakfast and made love again amid the tangled sheets. He knew Angelina felt the same desperation he did, the same sense of time ticking away. He had a bad feeling about that rotten duke and he was certain Tony or the prince would be calling soon to bring them home.
“How do we tell them the truth?” Angelina asked. “I can’t bear to think about the disappointment they’ll feel. I’m sure they’ll be angry at being lied to. We deceived them. And I can’t blame them if they are angry.”
“When we tell them it was because your life was in danger, they will forgive you,” he assured her.
“I hope so. I like your family and their friends here very much.”
They ate in that comfortable silence Rico had recognized at the beginning of the trip. The more he got to know Angelina, the harder it was to think of her as a princess, a member of royalty who was out of his reach. The more he got to talk to her, touch her…taste her….his mind started to play with those dangerous what-if thoughts.
What if she wasn’t a princess?
What if he wasn’t leaving the palace?
What if her father wasn’t the king?
What if they were equals?
It all came down to that. If they couldn’t be equals they could have no future together.
“Angelina…”
She looked up at him through thick lashes. “You know, my friends call me Angie.”
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