“I’m not,” she confessed in a tremulous voice. Carolena could feel her defenses crumbling and started to tremble. Never had she been around a man who’d made her feel so completely alive.
“My kingdom for an honest woman, and here you are.”
“Only you and Vincenzo could say such a thing and get away with it.”
Her humor didn’t seem to touch him. “Tell me about the man who died. You were speaking about a man. Are you still terribly in love with him?”
His question reached the core of her being. “I’ll always love him,” she answered honestly.
He reached across the table and grasped her hand. “How long has he been gone?”
She couldn’t lie to him. “Seven years.”
After a moment of quiet, he said, “That’s a long time to be in love with a memory. How did he die?”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Those all-seeing eyes of his gazed through to her soul. “Yet somehow you still feel responsible for his death?”
“Yes.”
“Has it prevented you from getting close to another man?”
“I’ve been with other men since he died, if that’s what you mean.”
“Carolena—tell me the truth. Is there one man who’s vitally important to you now?”
Yes. But he’s not in Arancia.
“No one man more than another,” she dissembled.
She heard his sharp intake of breath. “Then do you dare stay with me the way you dared to get close to Etna’s furnace today? I’m curious to see how brave a woman you really are.”
His thumb massaged her palm, sending warmth through her sensitized body until her toes curled. “You already know the answer to that.”
“Dance with me, bellissima,” he begged in a husky whisper. “I don’t give a damn that the crew can see us. You’ve entranced me and I need to feel you in my arms.”
It was what she wanted, too. When she’d heard Vincenzo say that they were leaving in the morning, she’d wanted to cry out in protest that she’d only gotten here. She hadn’t had enough time with Valentino. Not nearly enough.
He got up from the table and drew her into his arms. She went into them eagerly, aching for this since the time he’d put his arm around her up on the volcano. It felt as if their bodies were meant for each other. She slid her arms around his neck until there was no air between them. They clung out of need in the balmy night air that enveloped them like velvet.
His hands roved over her back and hips as they got a new sense of each other only touch could satisfy. They slow danced until she lost track of time. To hold and be held by this amazing man was a kind of heaven.
She knew he was unattainable. Abby had told her he’d been betrothed to Princess Alexandra in his teens, just like Vincenzo’s betrothal to Princess Michelina. One day Valentino would have to marry. He’d explained all that yesterday.
Carolena understood that. It didn’t bother her since she shunned the idea of commitment that would lead to her own marriage. Marriage meant being responsible for another person’s happiness. She couldn’t handle that, but selfishly she did desire this one night with Valentino before she flew back to Arancia and never saw him again.
Tonight he’d made her thankful she’d been born a woman. Knowing he wanted her as much as she wanted him brought indescribable joy. One night with him would have to be enough, except that he still hadn’t kissed her yet and she was dying for it. When he suddenly stopped moving, she moaned in disappointment.
His hands squeezed her upper arms. “The steward will show you downstairs to your cabin,” he whispered before pulling the phone from his pocket. “I’ll join you shortly.”
Carolena was so far gone she’d forgotten about the prying eyes of the crew, but Valentino was used to the whole world watching him and did what was necessary to keep gossip to a minimum. Without words she eased away from him and walked over to the table for her purse before following the steward across the deck to the stairs.
The luxury yacht was a marvel, but Carolena was too filled with desire for Valentino to notice much of anything. Once she reached the cabin and the steward left, she took a quick shower and slipped into one of the white toweling bathrobes hanging on a hook. The dressing room provided every cosmetic and convenience a man or woman could need.
She sat in front of the mirror and brushed her hair. Entranced was the right word. Though she knew she’d remain single all her life, she felt as if this was her wedding night while she waited for him to come. The second he entered the room he would hear the fierce pounding of her heart.
Soon she heard his rap on the door. “Come in,” she called quietly. He walked in and shut the door behind him, still dressed in the clothes he’d worn during their trip.
Without saying anything, he reached for her hand and drew her over to the bed where he sat down and pulled her between his legs. His gaze glowed like hot blue embers. Everywhere it touched, she was set on fire. Her ears picked up the ragged sound of his breathing.
“You look like a bride.”
But, of course, she wasn’t a bride, and she sensed something was wrong. She could feel it. “Is that good or bad?”
He ran his hands up and down her arms beneath the loose sleeves of her robe as if even his fingers were hungry for her. “Carolena—” There was an unmistakable plea for understanding in his tone.
“Yes?” Whatever was coming, she knew she wasn’t going to like it.
“I talked frankly with you yesterday about my personal life. But what you couldn’t know was that last night after you went back to your room, I met with my mother.” His chest rose and fell visibly. “While you and I were out riding, my wedding date to Princess Alexandra was finally set in stone. We’re being married on August tenth, the day of my coronation.”
Carolena stood stock-still while the news sank in. That was only two months from now...
“Though I made the promise to my mother that I’d be faithful to Alexandra from here on out, I really made it to myself and have already gotten word to my latest girlfriend that it’s over for good.”
She could hardly credit what she was hearing.
“But little did I know I was already being tested by none other than Abby’s best friend.”
A small cry escaped her throat. “I shouldn’t have come, but Abby kept insisting.” She shivered. “This is all my fault, Val.”
“There you go again, taking on blame for something that’s no one’s fault. If we were to follow that line of thinking, shall I blame myself for inviting Vincenzo to come on this trip? Shall we blame him for bringing his wife and her best friend?”
His logic made Carolena feel like a fool. “Of course not.”
“At least you admit that much. In my whole life I’ve never wanted a woman more than I’ve wanted you, since the moment we met at the swimming pool. But it’s more than that now. Much more.”
“I know. I feel it, too.” But she remained dry eyed and smiled at him. “The gods are jealous of you. They’re waiting for you to make a mistake. Didn’t you know that?”
He squeezed her hands gently. “When I dared you to stay with me tonight, I crossed a line I swore I would never do.”
“I believe you. But the fact is, it takes two, Val. I didn’t know your wedding date had been set, of course. Yet even knowing you were betrothed, I crossed it, too, because I’ve never known desire like this before, either. I’ve never had an affair before.”
“Carolena...”
He said her name with such longing, she couldn’t stand it. “Let’s not make this situation any more impossible. Go back to the palace tonight knowing you’ve passed your test.”
“And leave you like this?” he cried urgently, pulling her closer to him. “You don’t really mean that!”
<
br /> “Yes. I do. You have Vincenzo to think about, and a mother who’s waiting for your return. Your wedding’s going to take place soon. You need to concentrate on Alexandra now.”
But she knew he wasn’t listening. He got to his feet, cupping her face in his hands. “I don’t want to leave you.” He sounded as if he was in agony. “Say the word and I won’t.”
Abby could hear her grandmother’s voice. You go where angels fear to tread without worrying about anyone else but yourself.
Not this time, nonnina.
“Thank you for your honesty. It’s one of your most sterling qualities. You truly are the honorable man your sister idolized. But I have enough sins on my conscience without helping you add one to yours.”
His brows formed a bar above his eyes. “You told me you caused the death of the man you loved, but you also said it wasn’t intentional.”
She averted her eyes. “It wasn’t.”
“Then no sin has been committed.”
“Not if we part now. I don’t want you going through life despising yourself for breaking the rule you’ve set. Believe it or not, I want you to go, Val,” she told him. “After the promise you made to your parents when your uncle died, I couldn’t handle it otherwise.”
“Handle what? You’re still holding back on me. Tell me what it is.”
“It’s no longer of any importance.”
“Carolena—”
He was willing to break his vow for her because he wanted her that much. Just knowing that helped her to stay strong. But he didn’t realize all this had to do with her self-preservation.
“Val, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to remain on board until tomorrow morning and then fly back to the palace. But please know that when I leave Gemelli, I’ll take home the memory of a man who for a moment out of time made me feel immortal. I’ll treasure the memory of you all my life.”
She pulled away from him and walked over to the door to open it. “Addio, sweet prince.”
CHAPTER FOUR
THE MOMENT VALENTINO walked into the palace at eleven that night, he texted Vincenzo, who was still up. They met in Valentino’s suite.
“How did your day go?” his brother-in-law asked after he’d walked into the sitting room.
Valentino was still on fire for the woman who’d looked like a vision when he’d walked into her cabin.
“After we left Etna, I thought Carolena would like dinner on the yacht where there’s a wonderful view of the island. She’s staying there overnight. My pilot will fly her back in the morning. You should have seen her when we got out of the helicopter and walked over to view one of the fumaroles. She was one person who really appreciated the experience.”
“Michelina would never step foot on Etna and was always afraid for you. Sorry about this morning. I guess I thought it might frighten Carolena.”
Valentino had forgotten about his sister’s fear. It showed how totally concentrated he’d been on Carolena. “If she was, she hid it well. Now I want to hear about Max. How is he?”
“For the moment both he and Abby are asleep. It’ll be a relief to get him home. After the doctor tells us what’s wrong and we can relax, I’d like it if you could arrange to fly to Arancia so we can talk business.”
He nodded. “I’m as anxious as you to get started on the idea we’ve discussed. I’ll clear my calendar.” It would mean seeing Carolena again. He was going to get the truth out of her one way or another.
“Abby thinks Carolena would be a good person to consult over the legalities of the plans we have in mind. Did I mention her expertise is patent law? It’s exactly what we need.”
She was a patent attorney? Valentino’s heart leaped to think he didn’t need to find an excuse to see her again when he had a legitimate reason to be with her before long. On his way to the palace, he’d come close to telling the pilot he’d changed his mind and wanted to go back to the yacht.
“Valentino? Did you hear what I said?”
“Sorry. The news about her work in patent law took me by surprise. Abby and Carolena are both intelligent women. With them being such close friends and attorneys, it will be a pleasure to have them consult with us. I’ve worried about finding someone we could really trust.”
“Amen to that. We don’t want anyone else to get wind of this until it’s a fait accompli,” Vincenzo muttered. “Abby asked me to thank you for taking such good care of Carolena today.”
If he only knew how dangerously close Valentino had come to making love to her. Once that happened, there’d be no going back because he knew in his gut he’d want her over and over again. That would jeopardize both their lives and put them in a different kind of hell.
“It’s always a rush to go up on Etna with someone who finds it as fascinating as I do.”
“She really liked it?”
“I wish I had a recording while we were in the air.”
Vincenzo smiled. “That’ll make Abby happy. She brought Carolena along because seven years ago yesterday her fiancé was killed days before she became a bride. Apparently this date in June is always hard for her. They were very much in love.”
Fiancé?
Valentino’s gut twisted in deepest turmoil when he remembered telling her she looked like a bride. More than ever he was determined to find out what kind of guilt she’d been carrying around all this time.
“Abby says she dates one man after another, but it’s only once or twice, never really getting to know anyone well. She believes she’s depressed and is pretty worried about her. Abby was hoping this trip would help her get out of herself. Sounds like your day on the volcano may have done just that.”
The revelations coming one after the other hit Valentino like a volcanic bomb during an eruption.
“I hope so.”
“I’d better get back to our suite. It’ll be my turn to walk the floor with Max when he wakes up again. My poor wife is worn out.”
“From the looks of it, so are you.” He patted Vincenzo on the shoulder before walking him to the door. “I’ll have breakfast sent to your suite at eight. Carolena will be waiting for you on the helicopter.”
“Thanks for everything, Valentino.”
“The queen says this will pass. She ought to know after raising me and my siblings. See you in the morning.”
After his brother-in-law left, Valentino raced out of the palace to the swimming pool. He did laps until he was so exhausted he figured he might be able to sleep for what was left of the rest of the night. But that turned out to be a joke. There were certain fires you couldn’t put out.
The next morning when he walked out to the landing pad with Vincenzo and his family, Carolena was still strapped in her seat. One of his security men put the luggage from her room on board as he climbed in.
Other than a smile and another thank-you for the tour of the volcano, she displayed no evidence of having missed Valentino or passing a tormented night. They were both accomplished actors playing roles with such expertise they might even have deceived each other. Except for the slight break he heard in her voice that caused his heart to skip several beats.
* * *
Four days later Carolena had just finished taking a deposition in her office and had said goodbye to her client when her new secretary, Tomaso, told her Abby was on the line. She hoped it was good news about the baby and picked up.
“Abby? How are you? How’s Max?”
“He’s doing great. The gastroenteritis is finally gone.”
“Thank heaven!”
“I feel so terrible about what happened on our trip.”
“Why do you say that? I was sorry for you, of course, but I had a wonderful time!”
“You’re always such a good sport. I know it made Valentino’s day for someone to be excited about his work.”
<
br /> “He’s an incredible man, Abby.” Carolena tried to keep the tremor out of her voice.
“He was impressed with you, too. That’s one of the reasons I’m calling. He flew into Arancia this morning so he and Vincenzo can talk business.”
She almost had heart failure. It was a good thing she was sitting down. Valentino was here?
“Since you’re a patent law attorney, both men want you to meet with them. They need your legal counsel along with mine.”
Her pulse raced off the chart. “Why?” She’d thought she’d never see him again and had been in such a depression, she’d decided that if she didn’t get over it, she would have to go for professional help.
“They’re putting together a monumental idea to benefit both our countries. I’ll tell you all about it when you get here. Can you come to the palace after work? The four of us will talk and have dinner together.”
Carolena jumped up from her leather chair. No, no, no. She didn’t dare put herself into a position like that again. Legitimate or not, Valentino had to know how hard this was going to be for her. She didn’t have his self-control.
If for any reason she happened to end up alone with him tonight, she might beg him to let her spend the night because she couldn’t help herself. How wicked would that be? She’d spend the rest of her life mourning another loss because there could never be another time with him. This was one time Carolena couldn’t do what Abby was asking.
“I’m afraid I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I have a date for the symphony.”
“Then cancel it. I just found out this morning that Valentino is rushed for time. Did I tell you his wedding and coronation are coming up in August?”
She bit her lip. “No. I don’t believe you mentioned it.”
“He’d hoped to get this business settled before flying back to Gemelli tomorrow.”
Here today, gone tomorrow? She couldn’t bear it. This request had put her in an untenable position. What to do so she wouldn’t offend her friend? After racking her brain, she came up with one solution that might work. It would have to work since Carolena didn’t dare make a wrong move now.
Becoming the Prince's Wife (Princes of Europe) Page 6