LITMIR.BIZ

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line. Talk to you later.”

      Dial 2 for Lucca …

      Regina shut the doors behind her, leaving Alex, who was charmed by her new world. A fabulous blue-and-white Persian rug covered the gleaming white, marble floors of the sitting room. She walked across it to the bedroom. Alex saw that her suitcase had already been placed at the end of the king-size bed. At the opposite end of the room was a fireplace framed by hand-painted blue-and-white tiles. Exquisite.

      Tall French doors had been opened to reveal Capriccio’s curved bay with its myriad of yachts. Drawn to the balcony, she looked down on the terraced grounds where she saw a long, blue rectangular pool graced by ornamental flowering trees and statuary. Exotic plants delineated the borders of each terrace. Steps led down to the private beach. Between the view and the warm, sweetly scented air, the whole ambience was out of a dream and left her speechless.

      “After your fright on the helicopter, I didn’t think you’d make it any further than the bed.”

      Lucca’s deep male voice jarred her out of her trance. She turned around but couldn’t see him.

      “Look up.”

      Surprised, she lifted her head and discovered him staring down at her from a balcony on the third floor, one suite over.

      “I put you in there so I could keep an eye on you without an audience.”

      She assumed he meant the bodyguards. Minus his suit jacket, he was leaning on his forearms, giving her the impression he’d been out there for several minutes and was happy to be home after being away so long. Knowing there were no secrets between the two of them had to make this the supreme moment of his life.

      Alex wished she could feel happier about it. “I thought you’d be with your parents.”

      “I spoke to them from the plane. They’re expecting me at five this evening after Papa’s nap.”

      “So they still don’t know about me?”

      “No. I’ll come for you at ten to five. We’ll make our entrance together. In the meantime I have business I must attend to. Enjoy your meal. It happens to be one of my favorites.”

      Alex couldn’t fault him for anything.

      As he turned away, she glimpsed the play of muscle in those masculine shoulders covered by his silk shirt. His well-honed physique was proof he kept fit. Not wanting to think where his personal business might take him this afternoon, she went back inside the apartment to eat. One of the maids had set the tray on the oval table in the sitting room.

      Though the scallops and pasta were delicious, she ate with little enthusiasm, leaving most of it to start making phone calls home. Michelle was her first priority. Alex glanced at her watch. Her boss would be up and getting ready for work by now. Once she arrived on the lot, pure chaos reigned. Now would be the best time to catch her.

      Alex hadn’t been looking forward to telling her she wouldn’t be coming back to work. For the moment all she would say was that while she was in New York, she realized she needed a complete break from her life in California. For the time being she was looking into attending medical school and would get in touch with her when her plans solidified.

      As for her apartment, she would phone her landlord and arrange through him to get her belongings packed and shipped to Castelmare. Her used car could be dealt with through the car dealership where she’d purchased it.

      Her last call would be to Mr. Watkins who’d be shocked about the faux diamonds. For the moment, all he needed to know was that she wouldn’t be returning to California for a while.

      Later on she would tell him the truth. He alone would understand why she was ready to do anything to pay off her mother’s debt, even to being a stand-in consort for an equally desperate prince. But kind as Mr. Watkins was, he wouldn’t fail to remind her that two wrongs still made a wrong.

      Deep in her psyche Alex knew what she was doing was wrong, but it was far too late to back out now. She was more her mother’s daughter than she wanted to admit.

      CHAPTER FIVE

      AT QUARTER to five Alex stood in front of the bathroom mirror wearing the newly cleaned and pressed outfit she’d worn to the jewelry store yesterday. The maid who’d taken her lunch tray away had seen to it. Naturally it had to have been on Lucca’s suggestion since he knew Alex only had two outfits with her.

      She brushed her freshly washed hair into some semblance of order. It would cooperate for all of five minutes, then the natural curl would take on a life of its own and become unruly once more. In deference to meeting his parents, she applied a soft pink lipstick.

      Since talking with her boss and Mr. Watkins, both of whom had been surprisingly understanding and supportive of her plans, she’d tried to sleep, but it never came. No matter how much she rationalized it, her conscience wouldn’t allow her to forget she and Lucca were about to perpetrate a great fraud on his family.

      When she heard a knock on the door of the suite, she jumped. Her nerves were frayed to the point she wanted to hide.

      “Alexandra? I’m coming in.” The next thing she knew Lucca was striding over the threshold, his hard-muscled legs covered in casual stone-colored trousers.

      Her stunned gaze lifted to the navy cotton crew-neck pullover stretched across his powerful frame with the sleeves pushed up to the elbows. With his black wavy hair and striking aquiline features, his looks transcended every known superlative in her vocabulary.

      He’d purposely worn an outfit that would make her comfortable in hers. Everything he did was for her welfare, causing her to care a little more for him when she didn’t want to.

      They met halfway across the sitting room. To her dismay she was out of breath. His dark eyes searched hers with an intensity that made it impossible to look away. “Only one thing is missing. Stand still while I pin this on you.”

      He reached in his trouser pocket and pulled something out. She assumed it was a family heirloom of some kind, but almost fainted when she glimpsed the unmistakable Ligurian diamond suspended beneath a small gold crown. In one deft move he’d attached it to the draped part of her blouse covering her right shoulder.

      How could he have had the jewel fashioned into a pin this fast?

      She pressed her hand against it, as shaken by the brush of his fingers against her skin through the thin material as anything else. “What have you done?” she cried in panic. “I can’t wear this!”

      “Why not?” came his mellow query. “It’s mine to give and was meant to be worn by a woman of your height and looks. No one else could carry it off.”

      Heat scorched her cheeks. “I’m not my mother!”

      “That’s true. You’re your own self with a little of her thrown in.”

      “You know what I meant. This is a mockery.”

      “Only in your mind.”

      She tried to remove it, but Lucca prevented it, shaking his dark head with a determination that sent shivers down her spine. “This is my signature. The sight of it will convince my father I’m happy with my choice of bride and am ready at last to relieve him of his burdens.”

      He had an answer for everything. It stopped her every time. “You should have given this to the woman you love.” Her voice trembled. “She alone has the right.”

      Lucca gave an unconscious shrug of his broad shoulders. “You’re going to be my wife. It’s expected that you wear a family jewel. Nothing in the museum would suit you better than this. Are you ready?”

      No, she wanted to scream, but she didn’t dare. On the ride to the airport a century ago she’d agreed to marry him and she had no right to question what he felt was necessary to make his parents happy.

      After reaching for her purse, she followed him to the door of her suite.

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