Sarah & Vittorio (Royals of Valleria #9)

by Marianne Knightly

  “Then let’s go and get it over with.”

  He kneeled and brushed the plaque once more. He pressed a kiss to his fingers, then touched the kiss to Nanny’s name. “Bye, Nanny.”

  Sarah gripped his shoulder tight. “Bye, Angela. It was lovely to meet you.”

  He took another moment, then pushed some leaves and grass to cover it once more. He hated to cover her up, but it was best in case someone from his family discovered the garden and visited here. They’d never stoop to clear anything themselves, but the gardeners would know what to do to protect her plaque, if needed. When Rio came back, after the title came to him and he’d kicked his family out, then he’d uncover it again.

  They walked slowly back to the house, hand-in-hand, each lost in their own thoughts. They’d shared so much, revealed so much, vowed so much. And after only a few days of knowing each other.

  Was it meant to happen this quickly? Was this love? He’d heard it could happen quick, a flash of lightning that struck, its electricity coursing through every cell in his body. Or was this just lust, or maybe companionship?

  He watched her determined gaze from the side of his eye, the tense, ready-for-anything stiffness of her body, the beautiful fury and fire he’d seen in her that first morning after.

  His light.

  Oh, this was more than lust or friendship.

  This could be everything.

  With those thoughts filling his mind and heart, they returned to the house. His family was waiting in a sitting room, sipping drinks. From the looks of it, it wasn’t their first, either.

  Franco was leaning heavily on the fireplace, a sharpness in his eye that Rio didn’t like. His brothers were lazing on one couch, slumped a little. Giulia’s back was perfectly straight in her chair, but she held her wineglass loosely, and he thought it would likely slip from her grip at any moment.

  Before they entered the room, he leaned down to Sarah’s ear, whispering quickly. “Don’t drink anything.”

  She squeezed his hand, letting him know she heard and wouldn’t.

  He thought of something else at the last second and whispered again. “Record this.”

  Another hand squeeze.

  Franco lurched forward, his drink sloshing in his glass. “Well, finally deigned to grace us with your presence, Your Highness.”

  Sarah stood rigid beside him; he didn’t let go of her hand, wouldn’t as long as this farce continued.

  “What do you want, Franco?”

  “What’s owed to me.”

  Rio shifted slightly in front of Sarah. “Oh? And what, in your deluded mind, do you think you’re owed?”

  Franco stretched out his arm, then his hand, then his index finger. One impeccably manicured nail pointed to Sarah. “Her.”

  Rio heard footsteps. With a glance to the side, he saw her agents nearby, standing at the ready.

  Thank Christ they were here.

  Sarah’s hand let go as she shifted behind him, and he heard a couple beeps. He hoped she was engaging the recording on her watch.

  Rio’s face went solid steel. “That’s where you’re wrong. She’s a human. She’s not something to be owed.”

  “She has power,” Franco spat out. “True power! Finally, I’ll have true power to do whatever I want.”

  Christ, was Franco that much of a fucking idiot? “That’s not how it works. Neither she nor her family has the authority to give power to anyone except the next generation of rulers, which is not Sarah. Not only that, if they could, they would never give any to you, you worthless piece of trash.”

  Franco’s eyes were wild with greed. “Lies! With her family, we can also see riches beyond our wildest dreams.”

  He heard Sarah’s sharp intake of breath, felt the heat of her anger behind him, and this time he squeezed her hand to keep her temper at bay. “You’d never get any money from them, either. Is this why you summoned me? To try to convince her to, what? Sign over power she doesn’t have? Give you Valleria’s money she doesn’t have access to?”

  Luca and Carlo staggered to their feet and flanked their father.

  Luca’s face scrunched in distaste. “You’re useless. Always were. The only good thing you ever did was fuck her.”

  Hell. Fucking. No. They did not just fucking say that.

  Carlo piped in next. “Would she give us money if we fucked her?”

  They did. They fucking said it, and then they said something even fucking worse.

  Giulia turned her face to the side. “Really, Car, Car, Car-lowwww. Lang-goo-widge.”

  Christ, she was slurring her words already.

  Carlo made kissing noises at Sarah. “Come on, baby. Spread it wide for us.”

  Sarah’s anger was shimmering behind him, ripe and ready.

  His voice was low and tight. “Steady, bella.”

  Her words were a spate of hot furiousness on his neck. “Finish this conversation. Or I will.”

  Rio gave each member of his family a penetrating glare. “What exactly is your plan here? I came here, against my better judgment, I might add. And for what? So you could hurl useless, uninventive insults at my girlfriend?”

  Sarah gripped the back of his jacket at his last word.

  Rio held up his hand and counted off. “One, you threatened to remove donors from my foundation. If you really think you can do that, go ahead. We’ll recover.

  “Two, you threatened Sarah, and insulted her. No matter what fucked up shit is in your head, you insulted a visiting royal, an ambassador from another country. So, if you think that’s going to go over well with the powers that be, you’re even more delusional than I thought.

  “Three, all of those ‘friends’ you have in high places? If you think they’ll side with you when international politics are involved, you’re fucking crazy.

  “And, four, you’re all a disgrace. You’re a disgrace to our title, disgrace to our lineage, and a disgrace to Italy. If you want to come after me, do it. You won’t survive.”

  He pivoted, grabbed Sarah’s hand, and whirled from the room.

  “You’ll regret this!” Franco yelled. “Both of you will regret this!”

  The only thing Rio regretted was that he hadn’t said all of that sooner.

  Chapter Ten

  Sarah struggled to keep up with Rio as he strode quickly through, then out of the house. Their car was still waiting for them and they slid inside. As soon as they were on their way, Rio turned to her.

  “Are you all right, bella?”

  She slid next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. “I was going to ask you that.”

  He dropped a kiss on her lips, then settled her head against his shoulder. “I’ll be fine. You’d think, after all these years, I would have learned not to let them hurt me, not to give them any power over me.”

  “They’re your family, at least biologically. It makes sense you’d want that approval. Maybe you should start thinking of Angela as your family—as your only family—and maybe that will help.”

  “Perhaps.” He rubbed a hand over her shoulder and down her arm; it was comforting. Everything he’d just gone through with his family and he was comforting her.

  She squeezed his waist. “We made some vows to each other today.”

  His hand stilled. “Yes.”

  “They meant a lot to me.” Even now, her voice was getting thick just remembering them.

  “I’m glad, bella.”

  “You mean a lot to me.”

  He kissed her head. “I’m most glad for that, too, bell’angelo.”

  Her heart stuttered every time she heard that endearment from his sexy, gruff voice. “I didn’t think feelings like this could happen this fast.”

  “Nor did I.”

  Tamping down the emotion she was feeling, she cleared her throat. “Something else to think about: if we go the distance—”

  Another head kiss.

  “—then my family would become your family. You wouldn’t have to think about Franco or any of the
m ever again.”

  “That’s a very kind thing to say. However, you know that’s not true. Royals are always stuck with each other, whether they want it or not. Until my father passes away and I inherit, we will need to deal with him.”

  We. He was already thinking of them facing his problems together. Definite progress in her book. “Do you think his threats mean anything? Do you think he can really do anything?”

  He sighed. “I don’t think so, but I’m not sure. I do think my donors are long gone. It’s millions we’ll lose, but we’ll find a way to recover. Hopefully, we can recover a fair amount at the ball tonight. It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year, even bigger than the one a few nights ago.”

  “Do you usually have so many balls close together?”

  “Yes. This is the last in a trio of events. Each has a targeted guest list and location. Tonight’s ball is always in Rome, where we can encourage Roman high society to donate as much as they can. I hope, with you in attendance, that they may give even more.”

  She smiled, not the least offended. “Planning to use me, are you?”

  His arm tightened and he shifted her up his body until they were face-to-face. “Not until after the ball, bella. When I win the bet, then I plan to use you, but good.”

  Need sparked inside her. “I’m going to win.”

  He gave her one of his panty-melting, cocky grins. “You haven’t seen your dress yet. I assure you, I’m going to win.”

  It was just a dress. There was no way she’d feel sexier in a dress than he’d feel watching her wearing it. It just wasn’t possible.

  * * *

  Three hours later, Sarah has discovered the impossible.

  Her masquerade dress was seriously turning her on.

  Seriously.

  They were back in her house in Rome, which had finally been cleared. Rio’s apartment had been cleared as well, so they’d stopped to pick up his tux and supplies for the evening before heading here.

  Rio—damn him—was currently half-dressed. His tuxedo pants were on, but not fully zipped. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the chest hair she wanted to run her nails through. His hair was haphazard after a quick shower and air dry.

  But it was his face that got her the most. The corner of his mouth was tilted up, a winner’s grin because he knew he was going to win the bet. His angled face was freshly shaven, but the shadow of stubble was still there.

  She was standing beside her bed, freshly showered and in a robe. Her dress—if it could be called that—was laying across the bed.

  It was gorgeous, elegant, and dazzling.

  It was also sheer.

  Very sheer.

  She wanted to start fanning herself again.

  It was haute couture at its finest, a modern version he’d have easily found in Rome. It was a fitted fishtail gown, and featured a sheer overlay covered in likely thousands of sequins and tiny diamonds, creating a delicate array of flowers around the plunging—and she meant plunging—neckline, bodice, long sleeves, back, and over the skirt of the dress, essentially covering it. People would be able to see her across the room if the light caught her dress.

  Underneath the sheer was a pale-nude silk slip. Though it was full length, it was also slightly sheer.

  Two sheers didn’t make a right.

  Yet, if the ballroom was dim enough, perhaps she could get away with it.

  One thing was still concerning her. “There’s no underwear.”

  His cocky grin got cockier and he strode over, slow and deliberate, to where she stood. “You’ll not wear anything under that dress, bella.”

  Her eyes went wide. Rule number one of attending events as a princess was always wear panties.

  Always.

  “I know a bra would be difficult, but I can wear the silicone ones and some panties, Rio.”

  His fingers idly toyed with the lapel of her long, silk robe. “No.”

  All right. Two can play at this game. “If I can’t wear underwear, neither can you.”

  Now, he smiled wide, his white teeth flashing. “I’m not.” He leaned forward. “I’m completely bare under here, bella, as you will be.”

  Oh, God. She was going to have a spontaneous orgasm, she was sure of it.

  “I see you like that. You’ll like what I have planned later even better.”

  Two. She was definitely going to have two spontaneous orgasms.

  Or one really, really long one.

  “Your shoes are in that box,” he pointed to a box she hadn’t noticed on a chair. “And I’ve left some jewelry for you on the dresser. It’s on loan, so be careful with it. I wouldn’t want you to lose it during any…activity tonight.”

  He was planning something, and she had an idea of just what dirty activity was on his mind. She couldn’t…they couldn’t…not in public!

  “Rio, this is technically our first event together in public. We need to be presentable.”

  His fingers had drifted down to the sash of her robe. “That’s true. The mayor will be there. The prime minister may even be there.”

  Oh, God. The trade deal! She’d been so consumed with Rio that she’d nearly forgotten.

  In one breath, all she could lose came rushing back.

  Yet, with one look in Rio’s eyes, she thought of all she might gain, too.

  “We need to take this event seriously.”

  He dropped a chaste kiss on her lips.

  Okay, that was fine. Perfectly fine.

  Then, he grabbed her, ripped her sash open, and her nude body was plastered against his clothed one.

  Wowza.

  “Rio. You can’t. We need to get ready.”

  “Oh, I’ll get you ready.” His hand slid down her chest, avoiding her nipples, which were begging to be touched. His fingers slid into her lower curls, between her lower lips, and inside her.

  Her head rolled forward onto his shoulder. “God.”

  His thumb circled her clit and her thighs clenched.

  She grabbed his jacket for support as the need built sharp and fast. So fast. God, with him, it was always so fast.

  She was coming. Oh, God, she was coming.

  His fingers slid out of her body and…and…stopped.

  Stopped.

  Damn him!

  “Rio.” She hated how breathy and annoyed she sounded.

  “Shall I make you come?”

  Yes!

  “Make you scream with desire? Have your body flush with release? In that dress, everyone will know what I did to you, how I controlled your body. They’ll scent your arousal, your release, on both of us.”

  “Rio, please.”

  “Yet, if I leave you like this, wanting and aching for me, will you touch yourself when I leave the room? Drop your robe and use those long, slim fingers to slip inside you? Will you fuck yourself on the floor? On your back? On your hands and knees? Will you watch yourself in the mirror?”

  Oh, God, it was building again.

  “Or will you lie back on the bed, your legs wide open, your dress at your side, while you scream and take yourself to new heights?”

  He bent to her ear. “Shall I stay and watch you instead?”

  Her knees buckled, but he held her up.

  “Shall I pull my cock out and join you? Pleasure myself while watching you pleasure yourself? Should I release my cum on your chest? Coat your nipples and suck it off?”

  Damn him, damn him, damn him.

  “Or should I leave that cum there, so everyone will see that I’ve branded you, claiming you as mine?”

  She moaned and dropped her head back. Oh, God, she was going to…she was going to—

  “Steady, bella.”

  “You stay steady, damn it!”

  He chuckled.

  Still gripping his jacket, she pulled him slightly forward then pushed him back. “Why did you do that?”

  “To win the bet, of course.” He kissed her cheek and stepped back to give her a long, heady look. “You are a tempting morsel, ar
en’t you?”

  She whipped the robe back around her body, shielding her from his view.

  “Shame. You have thirty minutes, bella. Don’t be late.”

  He left the room and she stared at the door once he did.

  He had so much power over her, so much control over her body.

  She loved it, every bit of it, even if it did drive her mad.

  She was beginning to think she loved him, too.

  Chapter Eleven

  Rio took one last look around the ballroom. His event planner had done an exquisite job. The ballroom was in a converted estate on the outskirts of Rome. Once home to a famed Italian actress, it had been converted into an event space.

  Of course, few knew that he’d been the one to buy it and convert it. Few also knew how much he made from the space; event spaces like these were sadly lacking in Rome. He’d had to complete several upgrades and some renovations to it, but he’d made his money back in spades.

  Now, the ballroom, already elegant with cream walls and gilding, and boasted draped fabrics of rich red—not the garish red he’d seen at his family’s home, but a bold red indicating power.

  Inviting powerful people meant conveying power as well.

  All the staff at the event were dressed up as well. Waitresses and waiters wore tuxedos and bow ties. He’d hired a number of entertainers—jugglers and magicians—to entertain the attendees until dinner was underway, and they were dressed as elegant court jesters or in other period wear.

  He would succeed tonight.

  There was no other option.

  “It looks beautiful.”

  He hadn’t heard her approach, surprising considering the fuck-me heels he’d left for her. He turned his head and went still.

  His light.

  His bell’angelo.

  The dress was sheer, but not uncomfortably so, more teasingly so. She looked luminous with her hair styled like a movie star of another age, the diamonds he’d left her winking at him in the light.

  The necklace was a choker, but had one very, very long strand of diamonds falling from the center. It fell perfectly between her breasts and ended near the end of her plunging neckline, just above her belly button.