Her raised eyebrows asked him a question that his body wanted to answer, even while his mind struggled for control. He’d wanted to talk to her about the fact that she was drawing more and more media attention. On the plus side, it was nearly all positive. The Stolvenian people loved her involvement. They were listening to her, but what if he couldn’t live up to all the promises she seemed to be making?
The words that came out of his mouth were: “I have a few more minutes before I need to be anywhere.”
Felicity came close, tilting her head up and brushing a hot kiss over his lips. “Mind spending them with me?”
No. No, he did not.
Inside of two minutes, they were in Felicity’s bedroom, fumbling with clothes until both of them were undressed just enough. With a growl, Felicity pressed him back on the bed and straddled him. She was already wet, already waiting, like a tigress…like it had been in the old days.
He put his hands on her hips and lifted his mouth to her nipples while she rode him, fast and furious. The way her hips rocked beneath his hands wiped everything from his mind, everything except Felicity, and the sweet, clean smell of her, and the way her fingernails dug into his chest…
Rafael forgot everything else in the world when she started rolling her hips the way she did when she wanted to come, and come hard. It didn’t take long and the sheer energy of it, the potent, sensual energy of it, pulled him along with her until they both panted on the bed, spent.
Felicity got up a few minutes later, still smiling. “I’ll have to take a quick shower before my next event, but that was—” She tugged her shirt over her head on the way to the bathroom. “That was worth it.”
“It was,” he agreed, but as the door closed and the shower started up, the worries seeped back into his mind.
The spontaneous sex, the way their schedules made him feel like they were two ships passing in the night—it was what they’d agreed to. It was more than he’d thought he’d be able to get, back when he’d proposed to her, never thinking she’d end up in his bed again. She’d agreed to marry him, to raise their daughter to be queen, and he hadn’t thought he had the right to ask for anything more. Rebuilding their intimate relationship had been an unexpected gift. But…it wasn’t enough. With every day that passed, Rafael felt Felicity slipping further into her future role as queen and away from the Felicity who could belong to him rather than to his people.
Not that he could argue with that—not entirely. It was only that he wanted, now more than ever, an emotional connection with her. And as physical as things had been, there was a cold fear gathering in the pit of his gut.
Maybe the business arrangement version of marriage wasn’t what he wanted, in the end.
He stood up from the bed and pulled on his clothes. His own shower would have to wait until his meeting ended.
Rafael only hoped that standing under the water for a few minutes, alone, would give him some idea of what to do.
13
The week rushed by, pulling Felicity along in its current, and waking up on Friday morning was like coming to the surface of the water after a long, deep dive.
It was a little nerve-racking in a way. Amy had pulled her straight into all the lead-up to the meetings. Most of it had been planned before Felicity had come back to Stolvenia, but there were plenty of final details to iron out. The roundtables and meetings had put Felicity right in the thick of it. Rafael had acted like nobody associated with the royal family thought of women’s issues at all, but that wasn’t quite true—it was only that Rafael himself wasn’t ready to take a public stance.
Felicity had hardly had time to think about that once she dove in. She’d been concentrating so hard on listening during the roundtables that her own frustration with Rafael had taken a backseat.
She peeked out into the living area. Hope was running in circles, a little toy airplane in her hand, and Sara sat nearby on the floor, narrating the plane’s flight. Everything was in hand.
Felicity shut the door to her room as softly as she could and stretched her arms over her head. She’d been relying on Rafael and Sara to handle Hope’s care since Monday.
It wasn’t that she was ungrateful, she thought as she headed toward the bathroom. Ah, there it was—that familiar stab of guilt. She should be the one waking up early with her daughter. But this was the first opportunity she’d had to do something beyond a photo shoot. It was a real introduction to the women of Stolvenia, and it was going to have a real impact.
She laughed as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Felicity had pinned her hair back in a demure bun the previous day. It was one of the hairstyles that Lydia had strongly recommended, and at every possible event, Felicity found herself referring back to that advice. The bun had been mostly destroyed while she slept, though, and her hair stuck out at odd angles. She should have taken it out, but she’d been exhausted.
Well, there it was. Felicity might feel guilty, but the scrambling mom life she was used to in the United States simply wasn’t going to be an option here in Stolvenia. Not when she finally had so much to do in her official role. Felicity pulled the hair elastic out of her hair and turned on the shower full blast.
This was the weekend, she thought as she shampooed and conditioned her hair, then scrubbed herself down. The next set of events for International Women’s Day—at this point, it should have been called International Women’s Week—didn’t start until Monday, so Felicity would relax. She and Hope could spend a little more time together. The thought of Hope had her on the alert for the sound of her daughter running into the bathroom, but of course that didn’t happen. Sara had things well in hand.
There were no meetings planned for Friday, so the weekend technically began…now. She went back into her room in a towel, wearing nothing else but a big smile on her face.
Felicity wasn’t expecting Rafael.
The sight of him perched on her bed surprised her, but the surprise quickly melted into something more complicated. “Hi,” she said, putting a hand to her towel to hold it on.
He gave her an impish grin. “Good morning. I see you’re feeling a bit shy.”
She suppressed the urge to stick her tongue out at him. “I wasn’t expecting company,” Felicity said primly, then went over and kissed his cheek. She bent forward enough that the front of the towel brushed against his arm. Just like that, she pulled herself back, going for the closet.
Rafael groaned. “All right. Enough teasing.”
“There will never be enough teasing,” Felicity called from the closet. She slipped on underwear, then a comfortable but well-made pair of pants, and a boatneck shirt. Lydia loved boatneck shirts, so she knew she couldn’t go wrong with one, even if today was going to be about spending time with Hope. She went back out into the bedroom. “What brings you here so early?”
Rafael laughed at the joke. He was always up early. “To get a head start on our plans.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Our plans?” As far as Felicity knew, there were no plans for the weekend. And she’d liked it that way. But Rafael looked so pleased with himself.
“Yes,” he said, standing and coming close. Rafael took her hand in his, then raised it to his lips to brush a kiss over her knuckles. “We’re going to get away.”
That was a different tune than he normally sang. “You mean with Hope?”
“No,” murmured Rafael. “Just the two of us. I want to take you away to the countryside.” He looked up at her, and his gaze heated her up from the inside out. “A little vacation, if you will.”
Felicity hesitated. She’d finally been getting into the swing of things, now that Amy had made it so easy. It would be just as easy to get back out of the habit. And what about Hope? She’d been looking forward to spending time with her daughter.
But this was one busy week out of the whole year, and Rafael…he looked so hopeful that it nearly broke her heart.
“Okay,” Felicity said, her soul lighting up at the sight of Rafael’s p
leased grin. “When do we leave?”
* * *
The royal estate in the countryside was absolutely beautiful. Felicity felt herself relax the moment they got out of the car. There were, after all, no rope lines and no crowds—only a charming estate house that looked like a smaller version of the palace. It was nestled in the midst of many green, rolling hills with a forest bordering the property.
“Do you ride?” Rafael asked her as they stepped out of the car. “I never thought to ask.”
“No.” Felicity took in the land around them. “I wish I did.”
“No obstacle,” Rafael said, and he meant it. Within the hour, they were riding out, Felicity’s arms around Rafael’s waist. He had been right after all. It was a delicious luxury to be out breathing the fresh air without a camera in sight. She chuckled to herself. It hadn’t taken long, had it, to go from living in Des Moines to riding through the Stolvenian countryside with a king. Her king.
And in this brief break from reality, they had time to take it slow.
In the massive king’s suite of the manor house that night, Rafael undressed her with a reverence that made Felicity feel like everything was right with the world. Yes, she’d been afraid to leave behind the life she made to start over in Stolvenia. Yes, it had been a rocky transition. But now, with Rafael sliding the straps of her bra gently off her shoulders and laying her back against the bedding on the antique king-sized bed, none of that seemed to matter.
He started by kissing her mouth, then moved down to her breasts, circling her nipples with his tongue, and then lower…until the king of Stolvenia knelt between her legs and licked and teased and sucked until she had the sweetest, hardest orgasm of her life.
Felicity curled onto her side, grinning into the comforter, and Rafael climbed up next to her.
“Oh no.” His voice sent another aftershock of pleasure down her spine. It settled between her legs. “I’m not finished with you yet.”
That was how they spent all day on Saturday. A private meal, followed by a ride out into the hills, and then…bed. By Saturday night, Felicity was tired in the most delicious way. She was lying on the sofa with her head in Rafael’s lap, a book balanced in her hands while he read the newspaper.
“This is a routine I could get used to,” she told him.
“Me too.” There was a hint of wistfulness in his voice. Of course, this couldn’t last forever. At least they had until the end of Sunday.
“What do you think about brunch?” Rafael asked her as they climbed into the shower the next morning. “Are you hungry?”
Her stomach growled in response. “Yes,” she said with a laugh. “But brunch?”
“It’s Sunday.” He shrugged, the movement full of charm and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. “On Sundays, people brunch. We’ll go into town. One of the restaurants there is famous for their Sunday brunch.”
Felicity believed it would be only a simple breakfast out until the moment they pulled up in front of the restaurant.
There they were. The photographers. The velvet rope. The media men and women milled about on the sidewalk, obviously waiting for someone to arrive.
Waiting for Rafael—and by extension, Felicity.
He took her hand, grinning at her even as he straightened his back and adjusted the collar of his shirt. “Ready?”
“Of course.” But she couldn’t force more than a flicker of a smile onto her face.
Rafael let go of her hand as the driver opened his door and climbed out. She knew what she was supposed to do—go out after him, take his hand, smile adoringly at him—but she couldn’t make herself do it. For one thing, even if she did take his hand, it would be against protocol. And for another, Felicity was struggling to swallow a thick disappointment.
Even during their weekend away, he’d still found an opportunity for a photo op. Had he hidden photographers out in the hills, too? How many private moments had really been for the benefit of the press? Felicity thought about telling the driver to take her back to the palace, but what then? The press would be there, too.
She took a deep breath. Move. Felicity swung her legs out of the car and stood up, out into the sunshine. Rafael was already out on the sidewalk, waving, and as she straightened she saw him look back for her, a flash of worry in his eyes.
Good. She wanted him to be worried. Felicity didn’t relish that feeling, either—she was used to wanting happiness for everyone in her family—but she hadn’t come to the country with Rafael to put on her royal face, remember protocol, and greet the press in a way that would satisfy all of Stolvenia and especially the king.
Felicity hesitated, blinking in the sun. The car behind her beckoned, but then the driver leaned in and shut the door and it was too late to do anything but walk forward and stand next to Rafael.
He smiled down at her, his expression attentive and utterly unconcerned. “Everything okay?” He pitched his voice low, so the reporters wouldn’t hear, and the two of them walked toward the entrance. It was Rafael who took her hand, after all.
“I hope it will be.” It was all she could bring herself to say.
14
Felicity sat in the chair, the makeup artist hovering close to apply blush, and tried to remember that tonight was an important night, and she was allowed to enjoy it.
If only she didn’t feel so horribly unsettled.
Hope played quietly with Mr. Bear at her feet, talking softly to the bear and making him walk around. Her two-year-old stories were the sweetest thing Felicity had ever heard.
“Can you tilt your chin up for me?” She realized she’d been looking down at Hope, a thin sheen of tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. And now, though Felicity lifted her chin, she couldn’t remember the name of the makeup artist, either. She was dark-haired and beautiful, and like all good makeup artists, Felicity felt comfortable being eye to eye at such close proximity.
Back in Des Moines, she would have been giddy at the chance to have someone do her makeup and hair for an event like this. And part of her was still giddy—but mostly, she was torn.
“I don’t mean to pry,” said the makeup artist. “But are you feeling okay?”
She had been frowning. Felicity knew it the moment the makeup artist spoke, and she quickly arranged her face into a smile. “Yes, of course. You’re doing a great job.” She gave the woman a sheepish smile. “I’m a little embarrassed because I can’t remember your name. My head is all over the place today.”
“It’s Zia.” Zia didn’t look completely convinced that that was the only thing bothering Felicity. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can get you? We can take a break if you’d like. There’s plenty of time before the event begins.”
“Oh, no. I’m fine.”
“Fine,” called Hope from the floor.
“Hope? Do you want to have a snack?” Sara had been nearby all along, making sure Hope didn’t get in anyone’s way. Zia had been completely gracious about letting the little girl sit close to Felicity, but now Hope hopped up.
“Crackers!” she shouted, running for Sara. She jumped up at the last moment and Sara caught the little girl in her arms, sweeping her through the doors to the playroom with a laugh.
“She’s very cute,” said Zia, her smile wrinkling her nose. “How about some mascara?”
“Thank you,” Felicity said. “To both things. I’ve got to look my best for this.”
It was the truth—she did need to look her best. Amy had invited her to be part of the meetings in a moment of kindness, she was certain. That didn’t mean her appearance at tonight’s gala held any less weight. Felicity was the future queen of Stolvenia, and no matter how things went with Rafael, that’s how the people would relate to her. She didn’t want to let them down.
But that meant smiling for the cameras, wearing a neutrally happy expression, and reading from a prewritten script so that her remarks would be press-worthy but not controversial. Since Joy’s interview, the PR team had been only too
happy to write remarks for Felicity—and after she told Rafael she intended to be involved with this week’s events, they’d sent page after page with update after update.
Zia swiped on mascara, and when she was done Felicity looked past her to the brightly lit mirror.
There she was—a woman who looked beautifully made up, ready to have her hair done. A woman who was very nearly camera-ready.
And that would be her life from now on, wouldn’t it? Felicity was staring down the barrel of an endless stream of days punctuated by press events. Even the International Women’s Day gala was a press event, though it was still very meaningful to Felicity. She was honored to be able to attend and speak, even though the words weren’t entirely her own.
After this, what meaning would her appearances have?
Her stomach turned over. For one hot second, she’d been feeling a new kind of freedom in her role as future queen. Now the impending wedding and the official title seemed like a trap. Not only that, they seemed like a trap she couldn’t walk back out of.
Hope burst back into the room, Sara close on her heels. She had a half-eaten cracker in one hand and hoisted it high in the air. “Mama, crackers!” she cried, delighted.
Felicity swallowed back a lump in her throat. This wasn’t only about her. “Is it good?” she forced out.
Hope came running to the side of her chair and hooked her little hands over the edge, stopping just in time to put the rest of the cracker in her mouth. “So good!”
Felicity had brought Hope here to Stolvenia because she’d thought it would be safe. She’d thought this kind of life would have infinite benefits over the one she could offer her daughter back in Iowa. Felicity had always known it would be different, being royal—but she was a regular American girl, and that had always been in the abstract.
Now that it was real, she just wasn’t sure it was…right. Or that it was going to be enough. Without realizing it, she’d been counting on Rafael to give her something real, something grounding, something that was just theirs. But she wasn’t sure anymore if he was even capable of that.
European Billionaire Beaus: The Complete Series Page 29