LITMIR.BIZ

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      Since she knew it wouldn’t happen, she said, “Of course. Having been an only child I’d love three or four.”

      The king’s face lit up. “That settles it. We’ll have a wedding here in three weeks.” His wife nodded in obvious delight.

      “Grazie, Papa.” Lucca stated as his hand slid up Alex’s back and around her shoulders. “Because we can’t wait any longer.”

      “He always was in a hurry,” his father confided to Alex. “If I’m going to hold one of them on my lap before the end, that’s probably a good thing.”

      “You’ll hold more than one, Papa!” his son vowed, forgetting that theirs was a marriage in name only, but Alex understood that he’d blurted the declaration out of fear over his father’s fragile state of health.

      “Yuri gave Alexandra an envelope with Grigory family memorabilia. I’ve been working with my secretary on it since we arrived. He’s already delivered a list to yours so the invitations can be finished and sent out immediately.”

      If that was true, then Lucca hadn’t had an opportunity to see his lover yet.

      To Alex’s surprise he rose to his feet and drew her with him. As they started to leave, his father called out, “Wait … we’ve barely visited yet. Where are you going?” The longing in his voice was a beautiful thing to witness. Lucca had a father’s love. Alex envied him that.

      “Out,” Lucca said in that commanding voice. “After this news you need to rest while Mama and Regina get the ball rolling.”

      “He’s right, Rudy,” his mother said, patting her husband’s arm.

      “There are things I want to show my bride-to-be, but we’ll be back,” Lucca said from the double doors. “I’m home to stay, Papa. Every day until the wedding you and I will spend a little time going over your affairs. I’ll never be able to fill your shoes, but when the time comes, I promise to be ready to take on your cares.”

      Alex felt his avowal to the depths of her soul. Before he shut the doors behind them, she saw his father weep against his wife’s shoulder.

      Outside in the hall Lucca turned to her, grasping both her hands. His dark eyes traveled over her features with such intensity she was witless. “How do I thank you for what you did in there? They love you already.” He kissed her fingertips.

      She’d said too much, but she’d had no choice. “I was never given the opportunity to do anything for my parents, but I felt your parents’ happiness, Lucca. This is the next best thing.” Alex cleared her throat. “Besides, I haven’t forgotten the pact we made. With your help I’m going after a career that will pay off all my debts including the one to you. So you don’t need to thank me for anything.”

      His chest rose and fell with visible emotion. Not wanting to prolong the moment, for fear he could see into the deepest corners of her psyche, she said, “And now if you don’t mind, I’d like to take a walk around Capriccio before dark by myself. I’m in the mood to explore. Is that permitted?”

      Though his facial expression didn’t change, she felt a stillness steal through him. Slowly he released her hands. “Of course. You’ve been assigned bodyguards, but they’ll be unobtrusive. Always come and go through the north doors of the palace. Follow the road out to the west gate.”

      “I’ll remember.”

      After another sweep of his eyes he said, “Do you have enough money in case you need to buy something?”

      “Yes.”

      The fact that he didn’t put up an argument or insist that they be together on their first night in Castelmare underlined the depth of his eagerness to be somewhere else, with someone else. She wasn’t about to deny him that joy. The sooner she and Lucca began leading their separate lives the way it had been decided on the plane, the better. To accept the status quo with grace would be her motto starting now.

      He stayed with her until they reached the grand staircase. “Have a pleasant evening, Alexandra.”

      Suddenly there was an aloofness emanating from him. It was a feeling foreign to her. “Thank you, Your Highness. I’d better get used to saying it.”

      Lines marred his arresting features. “You’ve never called me that before. Please never do it again.”

      She blinked. “I’m sorry. I meant n—”

      “My name is Lucca,” he broke in on a terse note. “Except for our wedding day where you’ll have to address me as Your Majesty when you pledge your loyalty to your sovereign king and husband, I never want to hear anything else. Capisci?”

      Her heart slammed against her ribs. She understood that word well enough. Alex had angered him. “Capisci.”

      “Lucca,” he corrected her.

      Alex repeated the words aloud, then continued on to her bedroom. With every step she felt his piercing gaze on her retreating back. He really disliked being reminded he was royalty. In retrospect she realized it came from years of knowing he would have to put his personal happiness aside to follow in his father’s footsteps.

      But now that had all changed for him. By getting engaged to Alex, he’d become a free man. Ironically it now appeared she was the one in bondage. Her hand moved instinctively to the diamond pin. Before she went anywhere else, she needed to take it off.

      The loss of her mother’s real diamonds hadn’t been Alex’s fault, but heaven help her if something happened to Lucca’s prized possession. On the plane she’d sensed it had a significance for him beyond its monetary value.

      Once she’d removed it she felt better. After putting it away she reached for her purse and left the suite. She was glad she didn’t bump into Regina. His sister would ask questions. Alex dreaded having to explain why she and Lucca weren’t together on his first night home.

      At the outer gate where the palace grounds met the coastal road she could tell her bodyguards had formed a network around her. You wouldn’t know them for the Castelmarians walking up and down the street. Until she and Lucca divorced and went their separate ways, they would always be with her. It was another thing she had to get used to.

      She soon discovered that the palace and grounds bordering the Mediterranean were positioned like the center jewel in Capriccio’s crown. The capitol city itself was sprawled on either side and above. The steep roads zigzagged to dizzying heights where she saw the crowns of several small villages that went to make up the rest of the principality.

      With every twist and turn of the road the charming clusters of flower-covered Italian villas and greenery enchanted Alex, who wasn’t used to this kind of exercise to get about. What she’d gleaned from Lucca told her the country derived most of its income from tourism. She could see why. Between its beauty and the perfumed air, this had to be the most glorious place on earth.

      Alex paused for a moment to take in the spectacular scenery. No wonder her mother had spent part of her honeymoon here. Who would ever have imagined Alex ending up being engaged to the prince of its ruling family?

      It’s all because of you, Mother.

      And her father. She couldn’t forget him.

      The name “Grigory” had transformed Alex from a commoner to someone Lucca could present to his parents. In her case “a rose by any other name” would not smell as sweet. An accident of birth had made all the difference. Without it Lucca would never have decided to break in on her meeting with Mr. Defore.

      Without her mother’s diamonds being facsimiles of the real thing, Alex wouldn’t have created the disturbance that had caught Lucca’s attention in the first place.

      Two desperate people from two unrelated worlds colliding in the cosmos at the critical moment in time, for both of them. One minute earlier or later and there wouldn’t have been impact. They would have hurtled

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