The Princess's Scandalous Affair (Royal House of Leone Book 4)

by Jennifer Lewis

  The house renovation gave her a wonderful excuse to be gone from the palace for extended periods of time, which allowed her to travel to Milan and meet with Signora Pazzi and work on bringing her designs to life.

  Lorenzo often met her there, and despite her constant tail of security, they began to spend regular steamy afternoons in his comfortable apartment.

  “I’ve never been so happy!” she exclaimed, breathless, after a magical round of lovemaking. “I spend my whole day dreaming and creating.”

  “And driving,” he teased. “I’m happy that you took a chance on yourself. Look at what you’re capable of.”

  “Right? I had no idea. Seriously, I would never have attempted either the fashion or the renovation by myself.”

  “You just needed some gentle prodding.”

  “Like my horse when I’m trying to teach him a new dressage movement. He doesn’t realize he has it in him until I convince him.”

  Lorenzo kissed her softly on the forehead. “I’m glad you trusted me. Sooner or later your family will trust me as well.”

  Beatriz sighed. “I don’t know. They’re stubborn as mules.”

  “And they haven’t been asking what you’re up to?”

  “I suppose I’ve been deflecting them effectively to avoid conflict and they’ve rather given up. Mama says I seem like I’m in a good mood all the time. I had to agree because she’s right.” She stroked Lorenzo’s tousled hair.

  “You’re finally using your creative talents, and I’m keeping you satisfied in bed. It’s a heady combination.” He nibbled on her earlobe, which they’d both discovered was a powerful erogenous zone for her. “When are you moving into the lake house?”

  Beatriz stomach tightened. “I don’t know. I’m nervous about it.”

  “Why? It’ll be perfect. I can come stay there every night with you.”

  She stared. They hadn’t talked about this before. She’d had visions of being all alone there—not including the ubiquitous security presence—and startling at shadows in the nighttime. “You would?”

  “Absolutely. Why do you think I encouraged you to carve out your own space away from the prying eyes of the palace? I love spending stolen afternoons with you, but I want more.”

  More. What exactly did that entail? She knew that at this point they were officially dating. A story about them, complete with pictures of them kissing over cappuccinos in an unguarded moment at an outdoor café, had been published in one of the paparazzo magazines and on royal gossip websites.

  Far from being horrified at the intrusion, Beatriz welcomed the newly public aspect of her relationship. If her family couldn’t accept that she was seeing Lorenzo, at least other people could. And there had been no mention of the stupid ancient feud between their families because likely no one outside the two families even remembered it.

  Although she normally shied away from press stories about the family, this one had made her proud that for once she wasn’t the lonely cloistered princess that no one loved.

  She was ready for more.

  If anyone in the family had read the article they hadn’t said a word. But since they had a family policy of avoiding paparazzi gossip, they might not have seen it at all. It was ridiculous that the general public knew more about her relationship with Lorenzo than her own family.

  “Let me talk to Mama about it. I don’t want her to be lonely. Maybe I could do something where I spend weekdays in one place and weekends at another?”

  “That sounds like a good start.” Lorenzo moved his face over her belly and fluttered kisses over it until she grew so aroused she could barely stand it. She could hardly imagine what it would feel like to fall asleep in his arms and wake up in them in the morning.

  And she was ready to find out.

  But it was ridiculously hard to break the news to her mom. For the third night in a row they sat alone at the large dinner table and her mom was rambling on about the burgeoning plans for Sandro and Serena’s wedding. “Signor Haas will make the cake of course, but he told me he can’t design it until he has some idea of the number of guests, and I’ve been asking them for weeks and they won’t give me a list.”

  “Don’t worry, it will come together. They’re busy.”

  “And Serena’s aunt wants to make her dress.” Lina raised her eyebrows. “Which is super sweet, but does she have any idea of the kind of scrutiny a royal wedding dress will be subjected to?”

  “Mom, Serena is a social media star. Trust me, she knows. I’m sure her aunt is very talented. Don’t worry about it.”

  “I can’t help myself. I’m worrying about everything these days. I have too much time on my hands.”

  Beatriz inhaled silently. Once again this was hardly the ideal moment to bring up moving out of the palace. But there was never going to be a good time.

  “The renovations on the lake house are almost done. I’m going to move some things over there and spend a little time there. Just a few days.” She said it as fast as she could, with emphasis that it wasn’t going to be a permanent move.

  Not yet, at least.

  Her mom stared at her. “All by yourself? But, sweetheart, why?”

  Beatriz swallowed. She hated lying to her mom, or at least not telling the whole truth, and sooner or later her mom would hear about it from Liesel, who checked the gossip websites and would find the article about them. “I’ll have a security guard there, of course.” She inhaled and screwed up her courage. “And Lorenzo will spend some time there with me.”

  Her mom looked poleaxed. “Lorenzo…Aldobrando? Have you been…has he.… What’s going on?”

  “We’re dating.” She tried for a pleasantly cheerful facial expression. Like a normal person telling her mom she was dating a man.

  “But Darias warned you about him.” Her mom seemed to have forgotten all about her meal. “He’s up to something. He’s always wanted that lake house, and now…”

  “Mom, he’s not trying to get his hands on the house.” Exasperation rose inside her. “Why do you all think it’s so impossible that he could be interested in me? Why is that so hard to believe?”

  Her mom frowned and waved her hands in the air. “Oh, no, sweetheart, that’s not what I meant at all. But a girl in your position does have to be careful and question a man’s motives.”

  “He likes me, Mom. We’ve been spending a lot of time together.” She wished she could fess up about the fashion designs, but she was too afraid that her mom would take it as disrespectful defiance of her dad’s opinion or—worse yet—that she would think it an awful idea and try to dissuade Beatriz from going through with it.

  It was hard enough to keep forging ahead when her own ego was her worst enemy; she wasn’t sure she could push through a wall of negativity from her best friend and staunchest supporter.

  Her mom still hadn’t spoken. She’d picked up her spoon and started playing with her carrot and beet soup.

  “He’s lovely, Mom. Seriously, he’s not at all the way everyone thinks he is. He’s creative and thoughtful…and a great kisser.”

  Her mom looked up, startled. “You kissed him?”

  “Mom, you’re acting like I’m sixteen. I’m a grown woman. I’ve done more than kiss him.” She took a swig of wine. “I wish you’d all stop treating me like a baby. I’m the same age as Darias, and he’s apparently trusted with ruling this country. No one even trusts me to go on a date by myself.”

  “We just care about you, my love.”

  “Really? I feel like everyone just wants me to stay quietly out of the way and avoid embarrassing the family. Just because I’m not a genius scientist or a hotshot lawyer doesn’t mean I don’t still have hopes and dreams just like my brothers and sisters.”

  “Of course you do.” Her mom’s spoon drifted down to her dish again without actually reaching her mouth. “And I realize that I’ve been taking you too much for granted. You must invite Lorenzo here for dinner with us. Darias and Emma can come over, and we can all get to know hi
m better.”

  Apprehension spiked inside Beatriz, but she shoved it aside. “That would be a great idea. I’m sure he’d like that.”

  “Wonderful. Let’s plan it for next week. You tell me what day is good for him, and we’ll set it all up.” Her mom’s smile looked forced. As a professional princess, her mom was very skilled at hiding her emotions and looking pleased all the time, but Beatriz could see right through it. Her mom still hated the idea of her being with Lorenzo.

  “At least give him the benefit of the doubt, okay?” She didn’t want her family ganging up on him.

  “I promise. We’ll welcome him with open arms.” Another fake smile. “So, uh, when were you thinking of staying over at the lake house?”

  “Tomorrow night.” She wanted to make her move before she chickened out. That strategy seemed to be working for her lately. “I’ll just pack a few things and give it a try. I already spoke to Gibran, and Nina will stay there with me.”

  “And Lorenzo will be there?” Her mom asked cheerfully, as if she didn’t care one way or the other. Again, Beatriz saw right through her act.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t asked him. I’ll be fine there by myself, don’t worry.”

  She could tell her mom was thinking about the murders and the shooting incident with Sandro. “It’s totally renovated now. It looks fresh and new everywhere. And a firm from Zurich installed a new state-of-the-art security system that monitors heat and movement. It would be impossible for anyone to break in undetected. I’ll be fine. And so will you.”

  Her mom smiled. “I will. I don’t want to be a drag on you. I’m sorry I’ve been so clingy lately; it’s just that I’m so used to having your father to talk to.”

  “I understand, Mom. I really do. And I’m going to join the chorus saying that when you’re ready you really should think about dating again.”

  Her mom laughed, but this time it was a hollow laugh that really wasn’t intended to sound charming. “Who would I date at my age? I doubt I could even accept an invitation without wondering what he was up to. I suppose that’s why I worry about you.”

  “You didn’t date dad for his title or money.”

  “I didn’t care about those things, but my family did. They all but arranged our marriage for me. I barely had a say in the matter.”

  “Really?” Beatriz had never heard this before. The family legend was of heated glances across a crowded ballroom. “I thought you met by chance.”

  Her mom smiled. “Nope. My formidable Aunt Friedl, who was five feet tall and married to a duke, orchestrated the whole thing. She convinced Emil’s father that I was a perfect, virginal royal bride with just enough blue blood to be suitable but not so much as to be too demanding. It was all signed, sealed and delivered within two months.”

  Beatriz stared. Her mom picked up her soup spoon, and this time she ate. “Did you fall in love with Dad?” She couldn’t help asking. Her whole vision of their family had been turned on its head.

  “Oh, yes. We grew fond of each other very quickly. He was a warm man and always caring and attentive. I had no complaints.”

  That did not sound like the kind of passion a girl hoped for—or the kind that Beatriz enjoyed with Lorenzo. Just thinking about him made her blood heat and her palms tingle.

  “Did you ever love anyone else? Before him, I mean?”

  Her mom looked up for a moment, and a distant look made her eyes glitter. “There was someone once. A long time ago. It would never have worked out, though. I was lucky to have met your father. He was a wonderful husband.”

  “I miss Dad so much.” Beatriz sighed. “I miss riding with him and hearing him ramble on about his day of shooting or his new litter of hounds.”

  “Me too, sweetheart. It’s hard to go on without him, but we have to.”

  Beatriz wondered if her mom ever suspected her dad of cheating. She’d rather die than bring it up. What good would that do? “I wonder why Dad never pressured me to date or marry anyone. If anything he just found fault with any man who even looked at me.”

  “I suspect he didn’t like the idea of anyone stealing his little princess. You were always your father’s favorite, though don’t tell your siblings.”

  Beatriz sighed. She knew it too. She and her dad had so much in common—they both preferred to be out on horseback or in front of the library fire to making waves in the world of science or law. They were both old-school royals in a way her other siblings weren’t. “He’d have been very suspicious of Lorenzo, wouldn’t he?”

  Her mom smiled. “Very. In fact, he might even have challenged him to pistols at dawn if he suspected him of kissing you without an official engagement in place.” They both laughed.

  Beatriz reflected that Lorenzo might never have been daring enough to approach her if her father was still alive. And he’d never have had the opportunity to court her so boldly at Darias’s coronation. “But you’ll give him a chance, though, right?”

  “Absolutely. I look forward to getting to know him.” Her mom smiled warmly. “And I’ll encourage Darias to keep his sword sheathed as well.”

  “I appreciate it.” Beatriz felt a flutter of nerves when she thought about Lorenzo sitting down with her family. She wasn’t ready to reveal her secret fashion project, and she didn’t want them to know she’d already made love with him. The entire dinner would involve tiptoeing around the truth in a way that made her thoroughly uncomfortable.

  But if it went well she and Lorenzo would be officially dating, and perhaps even on the way to something more permanent.…

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Beatriz paced around her big house, admiring the fine original finishes—inlaid marble floors, carved wood and the tall windows—but still feeling out of place. Nina was settled into the comfortable staff suite on the first floor, with a view of monitors in several locations. So she wasn’t really alone, and she certainly wasn’t in danger.

  But she couldn’t help a vague feeling of unease. She’d never seen the murder scenes involving her father and grandmother, or even glimpsed pictures of them, but that didn’t stop her imagination from running away with her.

  Where’s Lorenzo? He’d said he’d come tonight, but it was already seven and had been dark for some time. He hadn’t called or texted, and she didn’t want to be pushy or seem insecure by contacting him.

  Her phone pinged, and she sighed with relief. Maybe he got stuck in a meeting and was running late. How does it feel to be in the place where your father died? You’re next. She shrieked and dropped the phone. Then grabbed it and called Nina. Her hands were shaking so hard it took several tries.

  Nina came running up the stairs and was in the library in less than two minutes. “Let me see.”

  Beatriz handed her the phone. She peered at the text and contacted Gibran with the number. “He’ll run it right now.”

  “It’s a different number than the person who texted me before.”

  “It could still be the same person.”

  “Who knows I’m here?”

  “The staff.” She lifted a brow. “We’ve been unable to root out any accomplices to Wilhelm, and he swears there aren’t any, but everyone is under suspicion.”

  “Why would they want to kill me?” She hated how scared she sounded.

  “I can’t imagine. They’re probably just trying to scare you. There’s no one on the premises, that I’m sure of. We’d know if a mouse snuck in—our body-heat detectors are that sensitive.”

  “I feel like I should respond.” Beatriz didn’t want to give this jerk the last word.

  “And say what?” Nina looked wary.

  “That he’s a coward. Hiding behind a phone.” Anger surged in her, fury that someone got entertainment out of trying to scare her.

  “Better not to,” said Nina softly. “I understand the urge, but you don’t want to provoke them.”

  “Don’t I? Maybe it will draw him out into the open, where we can deal with him.”

  The both stopped at
the sound of a car. Her heart quickened. Lorenzo? Or someone else, possibly the anonymous texter.

  Nina put Beatriz’s phone down and pulled a gun from a holster on her ankle, which surprised Beatriz as she had no idea Nina carried one. “Stay here. I’ll see who it is.”

  “It might be Lorenzo.” She didn’t want him to get shot. Disobeying Nina’s order, she followed her to the front hallway downstairs and peered through the window next to the door.

  Sure enough, Lorenzo’s blue Audi sat in the drive. “It’s just Lorenzo” she called to Nina. Nina stared out the window, watching with her gun in her hand as if Lorenzo might suddenly open fire. “You can put the gun away.”

  Nina hesitated for a moment, then tucked it back into her ankle. “You know how to reach me if you need me..”

  “Yes, thank you.” Did Nina suspect Lorenzo? Never mind, she didn’t want to think about that now.

  Lorenzo bounded up the front steps with a grin on his face. “The place looks amazing with lights blazing in the windows! Have you settled in?”

  “Kind of.” She kissed him, but she was still tense after the unpleasant surprise. “I don’t feel at home yet.”

  “That will take time. Are you okay? You look pale.”

  “I’m fine.” She didn’t really want to tell him about the new text. What if he freaked out and wanted to investigate immediately? Still, it was a relief that he was here. She felt safe in Lorenzo’s confident, muscular presence.

  He’d made her feel safe the last time too, in the woods outside the town. It suddenly struck her that she’d been about to meet Lorenzo both times the texter contacted her. How odd.

  “Beatriz, what’s going on?” He must have read something in her expression. “Is it bothering you that your relatives died here?”

  “No,” she said firmly. “If anything that makes me more determined to reclaim the place and live in it. To defy the people who tried to destroy our family.” She drew in a shaky breath. “But I got another stupid text. Someone trying to make me feel uneasy.”