by Sarah Morgan
Once inside, he drew her towards a line of people waiting to meet him.
‘They want to meet you, not me,’ Izzy muttered, but he propelled her forward, refusing to let her hide.
For the next hour she had no time to think about anything as she shook a million hands and said, ‘So pleased to meet you,’ again and again until finally they moved into the ballroom with its ornate ceiling and crystal chandeliers. Giant screens at the side of the stage were playing footage of previous Rock ‘n’ Royal concerts and Izzy’s heart sank as she discovered that she was seated next to one of Matteo’s most important guests, a sheikh.
Daunted by his severe expression but even more daunted by the prospect of an awkward silence, Izzy frantically searched her brain for something interesting to say that didn’t include the weather.
‘Do you know that camels are the only animal whose red blood cells are shaped like a sphere?’
The sheikh appeared startled by the question. ‘I did not know that.’
‘It’s to do with them getting dehydrated.’ Izzy picked up her fork but knew she wasn’t going to be able to eat a thing. She was too nervous. ‘The red blood cells don’t clump together. I find that fascinating.’ Realising that he was staring at her in astonishment her voice trailed off. ‘But I realise that most people don’t so maybe we should just talk about something else. The weather maybe.’ She was about to slide under the table when he smiled and that smile was surprisingly warm.
‘I find it fascinating too. Are you an expert in veterinary science?’
‘No. I’m not an expert in anything. But I did a project on camels at school.’ Grateful to him for being so nice, Izzy gave up on the food on her plate. ‘I think they start at a disadvantage because they’re noisy and smelly on the outside. And what you see on the outside isn’t always a reflection of what’s on the inside, is it?’
‘It is not. I am in complete agreement. If only more people remembered that, the world would indeed be a better place.’ The sheikh reached for his glass, and as he started to tell her more about his home and his family, she realised that however important he was, in the end he was just a person with hopes and insecurities like everyone else.
The me you don’t see.
Across the table her eyes met Matteo’s.
Despite everything they’d shared, he hadn’t lowered his guard. The emotional distance was still there. And she was starting to think it always would be.
Half wishing she could meet Carly so that she could punch her on the nose, Izzy carried on her conversation with the sheikh and enjoyed his company so much that she barely noticed the time passing until she heard the notes of her song playing and saw the music video playing on the big screen.
Her song.
Matteo raised his glass in a silent toast and as soon as the song ended he rose to his feet and silence fell across the packed ballroom, as if someone had hit a switch and turned off the sound.
He spoke eloquently, without the help of notes, highlighting the various charities that had been supported by the Prince’s Fund.
He wore his fame and status lightly, she thought. Yes, he used it when it suited him and then he set it aside. It was just another weapon in his impressive armoury and yet another thing that made her melt inside. She admired him so much.
Who was she kidding? What she felt was far deeper than admiration and that was what scared her.
As the auction began she sat still, careful not to move a muscle in case she accidently bid for something. But when the sheikh parted with several million dollars for the chance to mingle backstage with rock stars, she gave him a spontaneous hug and was incredibly touched when he invited her to visit his family whenever she liked.
And then the auction was over and Matteo drew her onto the dance floor.
Aware that everyone was watching, Izzy couldn’t relax. ‘Why is no one else dancing?’
‘We open the dancing. It’s tradition. How was your dinner?’
‘I have no idea. I felt too sick to eat it. Why did you sit me next to someone as important as the sheikh?’
‘Because I knew he’d like you. You’re unusual.’
‘Thanks.’
‘It was a compliment,’ he murmured as he pulled her closer. ‘You’re not daunted by wealth or power.’
‘I was definitely daunted! I was so daunted I couldn’t eat! And if I’ve caused a diplomatic incident it’s your fault.’
‘He was thoroughly charmed, as I knew he would be.’
Izzy relented. ‘He’s a nice man actually. And he owns an awful lot of camels. Which he probably can no longer afford to feed now he’s donated so much to your charity, not that I’m saying it isn’t a worthy cause—’
‘I wouldn’t worry too much about the welfare of those camels,’ Matteo drawled, pulling her against him. ‘He owns most of a desert and several oil fields.’ His hand was warm and strong against her bare back and as the heat rose between them he breathed deeply and eased her away from him. ‘Time to go.’
‘You can’t leave yet.’
‘I can do anything I like. It’s my party.’ His mouth flickered at the corners. ‘And besides, there is somewhere I want to take you. Did you bring that dress with the sequins?’
‘Yes, but—’
‘Bene. Let’s fetch it from the apartment and then go.’
She’d been expecting a nightclub, but instead he took her to the huge hospital, a contemporary building with views of the sea.
Walking in through a rear entrance, clearly familiar with the layout, the prince took a flight of stairs and buzzed the door of the children’s unit.
A brisk, efficient-looking woman opened the door and let them in.
‘We weren’t expecting you tonight!’ She beamed at Matteo, clearly delighted to see him. ‘We assumed you’d be too tired from the effort of parting people from their money.’
‘Raised twice as much as last year.’ Without releasing Izzy’s hand, Matteo strode onto the ward. ‘Where are they all?’
‘You really need to ask? In the den, as always. You should know, you paid for it. They were all in there earlier, watching you on the news as you walked down the red carpet.’ Her voice softened and she gave Izzy a warm smile. ‘I can’t believe you came. Thank you! Your Royal Highness, when you’ve said hello, why don’t you and your guest pop in and see Jessica? She’s had a rough day and this will lift her spirits.’
Matteo nodded. ‘That’s why we came.’
The den turned out to be a large, airy room equipped with sofas, bean bags and enough electronic equipment to satisfy the most demanding teenager.
Izzy looked around her and thought about the fact that a visit from the prince could make someone’s day. Only now was it dawning on her just what an impact he had on people. ‘You paid for this?’
‘The Prince’s Fund supports the hospital, among other things. There was the need for a specialist teenage unit. We provided the funding to equip the place.’ He lifted his hand to his throat and undid his bow tie with a few deft flicks of his fingers. Two teenage boys and a girl were playing pool in one corner, but the moment they spotted Matt, they stopped.
‘Hey!’ The girl grinned and rested her hand on her hip. ‘Looking hot, Your Highness.’
‘Behave yourself.’ But Matt was smiling as he strolled across to talk to the three young people.
Izzy couldn’t hear what he said but whatever it was had them all laughing.
Looking round, she noticed that one wall was dominated by a huge flat-screen TV and next to it a library of DVDs and computer games. In the corner was a kitchen complete with popcorn maker.
‘Izzy?’ Matteo took her hand and led her towards a two-bedded room. ‘I want you to meet someone. This is Jessica.’
Izzy looked at the pale face of the girl on the bed. ‘Hi—’ she gave an awkward smile ‘—ignore me. I’m just a hanger-on. Honestly, you just go ahead and talk to Matteo and pretend I’m not here.’
‘Pretend you’re not�
�’ The girl gave an excited gasp and turned to Matteo. ‘You brought her! Thank you—you said you would but I didn’t believe you.’ She turned back to Izzy, her eyes filling with tears. ‘You’re, like, totally my hero. I love you so much. We all do.’
Izzy stared at her. ‘You love me?’
‘I’ve got all your songs on my iPod,’ Jessica burst out, ‘you’re my inspiration. Will you sign something? If I’d known you were coming I would have asked my mum to bring in the poster I have of you.’
Overwhelmed and feeling decidedly undeserving, Izzy fiddled with a strand of her hair. ‘You’re mixing me up with someone. My last single bombed. I mess up quite often.’
‘I know. But you never give up. You get knocked down and then you pick yourself up again. Even when you make mistakes, you keep going—’ Jessica’s eyes shone ‘—and when I saw those pictures of you crying in your wedding dress …’
Izzy pulled a face. ‘You saw those?’
‘Yes, and the ones when you kissed that guy and you were, like, “I am not going to let a man ruin my life,” and then you went to all those parties even though you were totally miserable—’
‘I looked miserable?’
‘Yes, but the thing is, you didn’t just lie down and pull the covers over your head. Loads of people would have given up, but you didn’t. Would you sign this for me?’ Jessica scrabbled in the locker by her bed and dragged out a stack of magazines, all open to articles on Izzy. ‘You’re so brave. And you look amazing. Mum says that once I’m better she’s going to try and find me a red sequin dress like the one you wore to the engagement party at the palace. I’ve got a picture of it right here.’
‘You liked that dress?’
‘Ohmigod, are you kidding? It totally rocks.’
Suddenly Izzy understood why Matteo had wanted her to bring the dress. She looked at the girl’s pale face and pulled it out of the bag. ‘Here—you might have to have it taken in a bit because I’m much bigger than you.’ She pushed it into Jessica’s hands. ‘I’m not giving you the shoes because frankly they should come with a health warning.’
‘You’re giving me your dress?’ Jessica held it reverentially, touching the sequins in fascination. ‘You can’t do that.’
‘I can.’ And she discovered that the delight on the girl’s face gave her the same high as singing to thousands of people. ‘It’s yours. You’ll look great in it.’
‘I’ve never owned anything so pretty.’ Jessica looked up at Matt, adoration on her face. ‘I can’t believe you brought her. Thank you.’
‘Good job you mentioned she was your idol.’ Matteo sprawled in a chair by the bed, taking a backseat as the girl questioned Izzy on everything from singing to make-up. After about twenty minutes Izzy realised he’d fallen asleep.
‘He’s been working hard,’ she said by way of apology, and Jessica smiled.
‘I don’t care. It’s you I wanted to see. Not that I’m saying he’s not cool, because he is. He raises loads and loads of money and he’s always popping in here when no one is looking. You’d think he’d want the press to know but he isn’t like that.’
‘No.’ Izzy thought about all the times she’d courted publicity for her own sake. Matteo used who he was for the good of other people. His cold, ‘moody’ act was simply that. An act, to keep the wrong sort of person at a distance.
Finally she understood why his reputation mattered to him so much. It wasn’t just that he wanted people to be positive about the royal family. It wasn’t that he wanted to read good things about himself. He wasn’t that shallow, and acknowledging that made her blush because she knew she was exactly that shallow. His reputation mattered because without it people wouldn’t support the Prince’s Fund. They wouldn’t turn up to his charity functions and bid huge sums of money for deserving causes. If the press printed bad things about him it didn’t just affect his reputation, it jeopardized the work he did and the lives of all the people he helped.
She loved him, she thought numbly. Really loved him.
And the realisation terrified her because their relationship was a disaster, wasn’t it? He was never going to trust any woman and she couldn’t live her life walking on eggshells and worrying about letting him down.
‘Are you OK?’ Jessica was staring at her. ‘If the doctor says my blood count is OK, Matteo is going to get some of us seats at the concert in a special roped-off VIP area or something. If my mum can alter it in time I’m going to wear this dress.’
Humbled by her bravery, Izzy reminded herself that her problems were nothing in comparison. ‘That’s great.’
‘I expect you’ll be too busy to talk to me,’ Jessica said casually, and Izzy leaned across the bed and hugged her, shocked by how thin the girl was and how tightly she hugged.
‘I won’t be too busy,’ she said huskily. ‘It would be great to see you there.’
‘So are you and the prince—you know—like, together?’
Izzy had no idea how to answer that. What was the definition of ‘together’? ‘We’re friends.’
Matteo was like a castle, she thought miserably. He’d built a moat round himself for protection and so far he hadn’t lowered the drawbridge.
She was beginning to think he never would.
‘You’re unusually quiet.’ Matteo shrugged off his jacket, watching Izzy as she slipped off her shoes. ‘Did the visit upset you?’
‘No.’ She didn’t look at him. ‘I’m glad you took me along.’
‘From the moment they saw your picture at the engagement party they’ve been nagging me to bring you. Especially Jessica.’ Still watching her, Matteo dropped his cufflinks onto the table. ‘You have a bigger fan base than you know.’ Something was bothering her, that was obvious, but for once she didn’t seem to be spilling her feelings all over the place.
‘That’s nice.’
‘It was kind of you to give her the dress.’ When she didn’t respond he shot her a look of concern and exasperation. ‘Normally I can’t stop you talking. What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing at all.’ Her smile was a little too bright. ‘Unzip me?’
She turned her back and Matteo unzipped the dress.
As his hands brushed against her she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck.
‘Kiss me,’ she said urgently. ‘Right now.’
Her head tipped back and heat went rampaging through his body. The part of him that wanted to demand to know what she was thinking was eclipsed by that primitive part of him that just wanted to flatten her to the nearest hard surface and claim her as his woman. The tangled web of contradictory messages inside himself was starting to drive him mad.
He wanted her.
But he didn’t want her too close.
He was programmed to avoid intimacy but when she was the one building the barriers he just wanted to smash them down.
Losing himself in the one response he was sure of, he hauled her against him and attempted to blank out the questions in his head. Sexual excitement ripped through both of them and he felt his body harden, the arousal powerful and immediate. The unzipped dress surrendered to the firm touch of his hands and slithered to the floor. She was hot, naked and willing, and yet even in the storm of physical excitement there was no escape because he felt things he’d never felt before and wanted to say things he’d never said before.
He knew he was out of control but so was she, her nails scraping his back as he rolled her under him and entered her with a single smooth thrust that brought a gasp to her lips and a harsh exclamation to his.
‘Izzy—’ He closed his eyes and tried to regain some element of control but there was none to be had, not with the slick slide of her body under his and the heat of her mouth branding his throat.
Afterwards she wrapped herself around him and after a moment’s hesitation he held her tightly, wondering how a hug could feel as close as a more intimate connection.
It was the closest he’d ever been to a woman and the feeling shook him so much tha
t for hours after she’d fallen asleep he lay awake staring into the darkness.
He woke to find her already dressed in the minuscule lacy shorts that made her legs seem endless. She was stuffing clothes into her case.
Matteo sat up and ran his hand over his face. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Packing. The concert is tonight and I’m going home after that.’
‘Home? Home as in England?’
‘Where else?’ Brisk and efficient, she stuffed her clothes into her case. ‘And because it’s going to be mad and crazy this afternoon I wanted to say thank-you now in case I don’t get the chance later.’
The sudden chill in the room made him wonder if the air conditioning was malfunctioning. ‘What are you thanking me for?’
‘Everything you’ve done for my career, of course. Because of you I’m suddenly hot stuff. Well, maybe not hot quite yet but I’m definitely room temperature—’ she pushed a bikini into a side pocket ‘—which is a step in the right direction after a few years in the freezer. When I made you my Goal of the Day I had no idea so much would come of it.’
Shock held him silent and then Matteo was consumed by a blast of outrage. They’d spent a month living together. They’d had the most incredible sex. Damn it, he’d eaten picnics and swum in his own fountain. And she was thanking him for boosting her career?
‘So the past month has all been about your goal?’ The hardness of his tone earned him a reproachful look.
‘No, of course not! We had a lot of fun, but all good things come to an end, as they say, and you have things to do and I have things to do….’
Matteo discovered that the only thing he wanted to do was haul her back into bed and show her that some good things could be repeated as many times as necessary. ‘You could stay on after the concert.’
‘What would be the point of that? Neither of us has ever pretended this is anything but a fling. It was the perfect relationship. Perfect for me because I needed the boost to my confidence after that fiasco with Brian, and perfect for you because you want to keep your relationships superficial.’