She blew out a hard breath. “I don’t like putting them in that position. And it’s not as if this is a great situation for you. If I were Sergio or Zeno or any of your other advisors, knowing that your biggest goal over the next few weeks is to introduce important legislation that will face resistance from a number of powerful interests, I’d tell you that the last thing you should be doing is risking your public image. I’m a one-way ticket to a public image problem.”
“You’re an ambassador. You have a great reputation. I wasn’t lying when I said it to Zeno, and he wasn’t lying when he said it in this morning’s press briefing.”
“Did you tell him that we were on a date?”
“Not in so many words, but he understood. Even so, it’s not his business.”
“The citizens of this country will make it his business. The public feels that their royal families owe them access. If journalists, let alone the tabloids, think there’s a story, especially something they can sensationalize, they’ll run with whatever they can—”
He reached for her hand and held it. “Claire.”
“What? I’m right and you know it.”
“You’re attracted to me.”
She groaned in exasperation. “What does that matter?”
He reached for her other hand, then raised both of them to his chest. “It matters a great deal. I’m attracted to you. You’re attracted to me. Neither one of us has been in a relationship in quite a while and there are good reasons for that. Given how long it has taken us to find each other, don’t you think we owe it to ourselves to pursue it?”
“It’s not that simple.”
“I thought that at first, too. But if I weren’t a king and you weren’t an ambassador, and we were just Eduardo and Claire, we’d be all over each other.”
The way he said it made her face heat. “Except part of the attraction is that you’re a king and I’m an ambassador. Our jobs have shaped who we are. They’ve given us a sense of responsibility and the opportunity to see the best and worst in people.”
A smug grin lifted his lips. “So you admit it. You are attracted to me.”
“I thought I made that clear at the opera.”
“A man likes to be certain.”
“You’re not worried about what your staff will think? Or your family? You have four children.”
“Grown children, all of whom are in healthy relationships themselves. I imagine they’ll adjust. A few months ago, Isabella even asked if I’d consider dating again.”
“Asking doesn’t mean she’s comfortable with it.”
“Knowing Isabella, she’d be more than comfortable with it. She’d encourage it.”
Claire wanted to warn him of all the other issues they’d face, but he tightened his hold on her hands, distracting her. Gently, he asked, “Do you remember the first song the orchestra played at your credentials ceremony?”
“Yes.” Emotion welled within her, tightening her throat. “‘Let the Rest of the World Go By.’”
“It’s good advice.”
“You really need to see that movie.”
“We promised each other it would be our next date. In fact, you’re the one who made it a condition of the opera date. You seem like the kind of woman who keeps her promises.”
She eased her fingers from his, but instead of walking away, she framed his face between her hands. What she saw in his gaze uncoiled the tension she’d carried since the moment she’d seen John Oglethorpe that morning. Everything about the man standing before her spoke to a need in the depths of her soul. His sense of humor, his relentless drive, his heart.
It didn’t hurt that he was damned good looking.
She desperately wanted to hold on and let the rest of the world go by.
“That promise was idiocy, Eduardo.”
His hands went to her waist and he kissed her, long and slow and sweet. Then he pulled her into a tight hug, lifting her onto her toes as he dropped a kiss near her ear.
“Now you’re stuck with me,” he said into her hair. “No one gets to call me by my first name unless they’re stuck with me.”
“You told me to.”
“Yes, I did.”
He moved to kiss her again. Against his lips, she murmured, “Make it worth my while.”
Chapter 15
Eduardo couldn’t believe his good fortune.
He held Claire closer as she returned his kiss. He’d been about to lose her. When she’d walked in the door, he had no doubt she’d thought long and hard about the consequences of forging ahead with their relationship. Hearing her say the words we need to end this sent his stomach plummeting.
In that same instant, he knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. He’d only known her a few weeks, but he’d meant what he’d told her on the catwalk. He was old enough to know his own heart and mind. This—with her—was right.
He wouldn’t let her go, not if Claire felt half of what he did. Not if she was ending it out of fear, especially if that fear had nothing to do with what was happening between the two of them and everything to do with people whose opinions didn’t matter.
Arguing wouldn’t convince her. The woman negotiated for a living. So he fell to his next best weapon: a full out charm assault.
Grazie a Dio, it had worked.
Claire stretched onto her toes, one hand clenching his back while the other went to his hair. Every nerve in his body sizzled to life. It’d been far too long since he’d felt this, but he hadn’t wanted it with anyone else.
He wanted it with her.
He wanted to kiss her like this for the rest of the night. He wanted to explore every part of her with his hands and his mouth and his eyes. And he wanted her hands on him, driving him to the edge.
A sigh escaped her as he explored a spot below her jaw. Her fingers grazed his scalp and he heard her sharp intake of breath as her breasts rose against his chest.
The pressure sent shards of desire through him.
“You had a haircut.”
Against her collarbone, he said, “That noticeable?”
“The minute I walked in the door. I have a bad habit of noticing everything about you. You’re far too handsome for your own good.”
The words take that, Giovanni ricocheted through his mind, then disappeared as Claire’s mouth met his once more. He slid his hand under the back of her blouse, then spread his fingers across the warm skin of her lower back. As their kisses deepened and their hands continued to explore, he eased her toward his bedroom. He paused a few steps from the doorway, savoring the opportunity to look at her where there was light.
She looked different, too. Then he realized what it was and grinned. There were tiny freckles across her nose and cheekbones. “You’re not wearing any makeup. I haven’t seen you without it.”
“I have on mascara.”
“Oh.”
They looked at each other for a long moment, each keenly aware of the other’s breathing, of their bodies pressed to one another, of the heat they shared.
Finally, she said, “I thought it would be easier to end things if I looked bad.”
“You don’t look bad. You look beautiful.” He meant it. She was absolutely stunning.
“That was a failure, then.”
He kept his gaze on hers, then slowly freed the top button on her blouse. “You should fail more often. It builds character.”
Her lips parted as he worked his way down, slipping each pearly white button through its hole. When the entirety was undone, he slid his hands inside and pressed a long kiss to the top of one breast.
“You lied to me,” she whispered. “You said I wouldn’t catch fire if I touched you.”
He lifted his head but didn’t release his grip. His brain clouded with the intensity of the moment. As if intoxicated, he uttered the only word that came to mind. “Stay.”
Claire wanted nothing more than to melt into Eduardo diTalora. The brush of his stubble against her skin as he kissed her throat, the masculi
ne, spicy scent of him, the firm pressure of his hands…all of it made her want to stay with him forever, wrapped in his arms, making love until they couldn’t move, then doing it all again. She craved him like she’d never craved another human being in her whole life.
What he was doing with his hand made her so dizzy she could hardly think.
She blew the air from her lungs. “I can’t.” When he tensed, she clarified, “Not overnight. I have to be at work early and you do, too.”
“I’ve never wanted the option to call in sick. But right now, I wish I could.” He pushed her blouse down her shoulders, then his tongue and mouth worked magic on her collarbone.
“A few hours?” she asked.
He answered with a deep, passionate kiss full of promise. She’d told him to make it worth her while. He was. His hands went to her rear and he lifted her, urging her to wrap her legs around him.
“You’re okay with—”
“Yes.” To emphasize the point, he squeezed her tighter and lifted her, then moved backward until they tumbled as one onto his bed. In the back of her mind, common sense told her to slow down, but she couldn’t. She wanted her mouth on his, his body pressing into hers. She pulled at his shirt, attempting to free it from his slacks. He moved her hand aside and jerked the fabric, then unfastened the buttons and tossed the shirt away without removing his mouth from hers. They both went for the hem of his undershirt at the same time. A moment later, it joined his shirt on the floor.
He had far more muscle than she would have guessed, even knowing how often he ran or saw a trainer. She reveled in exploring it all. His hands forked into her hair as she dragged her mouth along his chest. He toed off his shoes and she heard two quick thumps as they hit the floor.
She spread her hands across the planes of his abdomen, wondering at the dedication it took to stay so fit.
Then her lips found the scar. In the dark of his room, she couldn’t see it, but she moved her fingers to where her mouth had been and traced its raised edge.
“I’m perfectly fine,” he whispered.
“This was serious surgery.”
“Was.” His hand covered hers. “They repaired the defect and I’m better now than I was before. Every millimeter of my heart has been mapped and studied. I have a lot of life left in me. I want to live it.”
She dropped a kiss to the scar and lingered there, imagining how vulnerable Eduardo must have felt in the days and weeks before undergoing the operation. Given how many people admired him and relied on him, he couldn’t have shown his apprehension, even as he faced the enormous risk of putting his life in someone else’s hands.
His hands went to her hips and he eased her along his body so they were chest to chest, forehead to forehead. He gave her a soft, romantic kiss, then smoothed her hair from her face. “Bella donna, make love to me.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve done this.”
“Good.”
“Good? That’s your response?”
“It means I might stand a chance of fooling you if you have certain expectations of my skills based on my title.”
“I could say the same. You know…making love to an ambassador.”
His hands went to her backside. “One who still has her pants and shoes on.”
“Then do something about it.”
The words were hardly out before he rolled her to her back and did exactly as she asked. He took more time with her bra and panties, his tongue and fingers making a slow discovery of each curve until she had her legs anchored around his hips. Then, on an agonizing breath, he was inside her. He held her hands, fingers interlaced, as they moved together. At first, they each went slowly, adjusting to each other, taking stock of the moment. As tension built between them and their skin grew more heated, they found their flow. Claire’s breath started to come in gasps and her eyes drifted closed as she whispered Eduardo’s name.
Whatever her expectations might have been, this went beyond any of them. Beyond her imagination.
He murmured something indistinguishable in Italian near her ear, then shifted and changed the rhythm. As her body yearned for more and more, he caught her earlobe between his teeth. She arched into him even as her mind spiraled in ecstasy. His pace quickened as he drove into her. Moments later, his fingers clenched around hers and he groaned against her temple.
She couldn’t get enough of him.
After a long, deep kiss, he guided her to her side so he could drop his head beside hers on the pillow. They held each other for a long time, their breath mingling, their skin slowly cooling, as he caressed her hip in languid strokes.
Eventually, he pulled the covers over them for warmth. She shifted so she lay on top of him, her hands folded on his chest and her cheek resting against the back of her hands.
“I think this is the most comfortable bed I’ve ever been in.”
His low laugh rumbled through her palms as he stroked her back, gently at first, then with more pressure.
Then his hands moved lower and she felt him slowly coming to life.
“What were you saying about expectations?” she asked.
“I have no idea. Whatever they may have been…well.” He exhaled, then pulled her higher to kiss her on the mouth. “I think we’re just fine.”
Claire was nearly asleep and fighting it. She needed to leave, but wanted a few more minutes of indulgence.
They’d made love a second time, after which Eduardo had tucked her head against his shoulder and said, “Can we agree to keep seeing each other after this? If we have that baseline understanding—that we’re together in this—we can negotiate how to handle outside variables.”
She’d smiled into the crook of his neck, then traced a path down his arm with her fingertips. “I can agree to that.”
Saying the words gave her a sense of calm she hadn’t felt in a long time. Whatever the coming days brought, she and Eduardo would face it as one.
She sighed against his chest, then let her fingers drift along his side. She loved the feel of his skin, the dips and curves of muscle, the way he reacted to her touch. But she knew further exploration would have to wait.
A phone rang near their heads, shocking them both. Eduardo uttered a curse, then rolled to reach in the direction of his nightstand. “Only the palace switchboard connects to this line.”
“It’s all right.”
She planted a kiss on the back of his neck while he grabbed the receiver and put it to his ear. She slipped from the bed and padded across the floor, searching for her clothes in the darkened room. Eduardo said a few quick words in Italian, but mostly listened. She was partially dressed when he hung up.
“You must have heard the other end of that.”
She paused while zipping her pants. “No. Why?”
She could just make him out in the faint light cast from the great room. He swept a hand to encompass her. “You’re getting dressed.”
She sat near his feet and shook out her blouse, trying to determine which way was right side out. “I was debating how long I could stay without falling asleep when the phone rang. Mine is somewhere in the other room…what happened? Is there a crisis of some sort?”
“No. Not that kind of crisis.” She finished buttoning her blouse and he kicked his feet over the side of the bed so he sat beside her. He smoothed her hair away from her face. “There are reporters camped out at the front and back entrances. Sergio and Zeno are on their way. Apparently someone saw you and Miroslav enter the building and tipped off the press.”
Claire felt herself blanch.
“It’s all right,” he assured her. “I told them to give us ten minutes. I’ll get dressed and we’ll take you back to your residence. We have corridors that very few staff members know of, though I’m confident it wasn’t the staff who leaked the information. Nick and Isabella hosted a reception in the garden earlier. Any of the guests walking along the paths could have seen you in the car with Miroslav when you entered the rear gate.”
“Th
at’s possible,” she admitted. She’d also noted a long line of dark cars parked along the Strada il Reggiménto, which ran adjacent to the palace. Drivers lingered between the vehicles, chatting and smoking cigarettes. One of them could have recognized her as they awaited their clients’ departure from the palace. Either way, she’d been foolish to lean forward in her seat for a look at the palace as she and Miroslav had approached.
“Miroslav or one of the other security team members will get you home safely,” Eduardo promised. “Sergio and Zeno will troubleshoot if there’s a problem.”
Eduardo dressed as she wiggled into her shoes. They were both in the great room, seated on one of its large sofas, when a knock came at the door, then Miroslav entered with Sergio, Zeno, and Luisa at his heels.
Eduardo looked at his assistant in surprise. “Luisa, you didn’t need to come in.”
“I saw the reporters’ vans go by my flat and called the security office to see what was happening. I thought you could use my assistance.”
“She drove her Renault,” Miroslav told Eduardo. “It will draw less attention than taking one of the palace cars. The banquet crew is about to leave, so Luisa can take the ambassador at the same time.”
“Thank you, Luisa, that’s very generous.” Claire said.
“I’m happy to do it, Madam Ambassador.”
Claire looked to Miroslav. “Will I need to duck down in the back?”
Eduardo put a hand on her knee, drawing her attention. “You don’t have to hide if you don’t want to. It’s up to you. Whether you’re seen tonight or not, you’ll be seen with me in the future. The palace won’t comment other than to say ‘we have never commented on the king’s private life.’”
Zeno shifted his weight uncomfortably. “I doubt that will work, Your Highness.”
“Make it work. Aside from stating that we have deep respect for the ambassador, we have no comment.”
He turned to Claire. “I have to go to Denmark on Wednesday. I’ll be back late Thursday. Are you free that night?”
To Kiss a King (Royal Scandals: San Rimini Book 6) Page 15