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“So we left them alone. But the two of you are here because Gabriel over there owned up to being a bit of an ass when he first met you. He’s hotheaded, but he’s a good boy, and he thought better of his actions. On behalf of our extended family, we want to apologize for any ill manners on the part of the Montoros, and I assure you, you’ll find us receptive to your proposal when it is ready.”
Maria glanced around the room, not at all convinced. Gabriel and Bella wore identical mulish expressions. Rafael, the father, was sober. Rafael, the son, appeared uncomfortable. Only Juan Carlos, who was not a key player in all of this, seemed calm.
Alex, ever the politician, spoke carefully. “Maria and I are very appreciative of the invitation to be here with you today. But apologies are unnecessary. This is a difficult time for everyone involved. I’d expect there to be certain tensions along the way. Hopefully, in the end we’ll be able to work out solutions beneficial to Alma and to your family, as well.”
Rafael III nodded. He had allowed his aunt the courtesy of speaking due to her age and position, but now he took control. “Mr. Ramon, my elder son and I would like to sit down with you in my office and go over our business situation so you have a clear idea of our responsibilities. I’ve asked Bella and Gabriel to entertain Ms. Ferro.”
Juan Carlos, the tall young man with the reserved manner, spoke up. “My grandmother has a social engagement this afternoon, and I have promised to escort her. But we will rejoin you for dinner later this evening. Please excuse us.”
When those two left the room, Maria saw Alex glance at Gabriel with an inscrutable expression. Was he unhappy that Maria was to spend time with the Montoro bad boy...even with Bella as chaperone? If he was, it was too bad. Maria couldn’t refuse without insulting her hosts, and besides, she didn’t want to refuse. Gabriel was an interesting man whose company she enjoyed, and this would also be an opportune moment to get acquainted with the very young and very pretty Bella.
As Rafael escorted his son and Alex out a door on the opposite side of the salon, Bella clapped her hands softly. “Alone at last. I’m so tired of all this Alma talk. No offense, Miss Ferro.”
“None taken. But please call me Maria.”
Gabriel squeezed his sibling’s shoulders. “My baby sister thought you might enjoy the pool. She has enough bikinis to outfit every woman in a twenty-mile radius. But if you’re not a sun worshipper, Maria, we can go out on the boat instead.”
“The pool sounds delightful, actually. And I did bring a suit. As long as you have sunscreen, I’d love a swim.”
Bella wrinkled her nose. “I’ll let you two be energetic. I had a late night last night, so I may snooze behind my sunglasses.”
Gabriel chuckled. “Maria, it’s no secret that my Bella is a party girl. She knows every hot spot in Miami. But somehow she manages to stay out of trouble.”
“Which is more than you ever did at my age,” Bella shot back with a fond smile that told Maria these two were close, indeed.
Seeing Bella in a bikini made Maria very glad she had brought her own swimsuit. The younger woman’s style and body were flawless. Maria had a decent self-image, but she was more than happy to don the conservative navy maillot she’d brought along.
When she and Bella exited the changing cabana, Gabriel was already in the pool, his broad shoulders gleaming wet and golden in the blistering sun. The man was incredibly handsome, but oddly, he didn’t increase her heart rate one bit. Apparently she had a thing for focused, überconscientious oil barons with black hair and deep brown eyes.
Determined to forget about work and Alex and Alma for a while, she stepped up onto the diving board, walked to the end and executed a simple dive into the aquamarine water.
Five (#u6475eb09-1048-5d04-9160-b29e47bf3f82)
When she surfaced, she laughed out loud, exhilarated by the feel of the silky cool water against her overheated skin. “This is amazing,” she said. “It was raining when we left home...in fact, it had been raining for a week. I could get used to perpetual sunshine.”
Bella adjusted the back of her lounge chair and smoothed her beach towel before stretching out with an audible sigh. “Perfection gets boring after a while, Maria. Ask our older brother.”
Gabriel slicked a hand through his hair, sending droplets of water flying, his green eyes gleaming. “You’re not being fair to Rafe, Bella. You try being CEO of Montoro Enterprises and see how you like it.”
Bella donned dark glasses, shuddering. “No thank you. My job is to spend money, not make it.”
When his sister subsided in a somnolent pose, Gabriel swam to where Maria paddled lazily in the deep end. “She’s putting on a show for you,” he said in a low whisper. “Bella gets tagged as flighty and shallow, but my sister is a good actress. Few outside the family know about her charity work and her passion for preserving the environment.”
“Why the charade?”
“I think people made assumptions about her as a teenager, and at that vulnerable age, the criticism hurt. Now she goes out of her way to appear as a wealthy diva without a care in the world.”
“How does she feel about the possibility of becoming a royal and living in Alma?”
He shrugged. “I don’t really know. I’m the only one who has been clear from the beginning about my feelings. The rest of them are playing their cards close to the chest. Maybe Bella likes the idea of starting over somewhere new, who knows? But we’re still being premature...right?”
Maria sighed. “What’s so terrible about reclaiming a throne and a legacy that are your birthright? The history of the Montoro family is inextricably interwoven with Alma’s past.”
“You’re talking about tearing my family apart. If Rafe agrees to this madness, he’ll move across the ocean.”
“You’ve heard of jets, haven’t you?”
Gabriel flicked water at her. “It’s not the same. My family is exceedingly close. If we agree to accept this offer from Alma, someone will have to stay here to run the business. Decades of work have gone into making our company a player on two continents.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Gabriel. This proposal from Alma to your family has taken on a life of its own. I sympathize with your position, but I have to move ahead with my responsibilities until someone tells me differently.”
“You think our family is going to accept, don’t you?”
She weighed her answer. “I hope so. Alma has suffered through years of deprivation and corruption and abuse. Now, finally, good things are beginning to happen. Having a Montoro on the throne again would be a huge boost to morale and for the identity of the people. Can you blame me for wanting to see that come to pass?”
For once, there wasn’t a hint of humor or teasing on his face. “No. I suppose not.”
“Let’s wait and see what happens. A lot of the outcome hinges on your brother. It’s a shame your father isn’t eligible to ascend the throne, though. He’s a very young fifty, and so exuberant and gregarious. I think he would have made an impressive king.”
“My brother will, as well...if it comes to that.”
“You’re very protective of your family, aren’t you? And very proud.”
“Any one of them is worth three dozen of me. I’m a cynic, Maria...and I don’t trust easily. This whole monarchy thing stinks of self-serving on the part of your chosen country. It’s insulting for my family to be trotted out as puppet royalty so the merchants of Alma can sell postcards and T-shirts.”
She studied his Greek god features, seeing the restless agitation and his genuine dismay. “Give us a chance,” she said quietly. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you see the actual proposal. No one wants to diminish the stature of the Montoros. In fact, quite the opposite. You have royal blood. That means something.”
His expression lightened, but she sensed he wasn’t convinced. They both clung to opposite sides of the ladder, their legs moving lazily in deep water. For a brief moment, she considered the odd situation. Perhaps this was the equivalent of doing business on the golf course.
Although Gabriel was a big flirt, he had neither said nor done anything to make her feel uncomfortable at being so close to him and wearing such skimpy clothing. They had spoken of deep, important matters. If anything, being in the water had kept their conversation from overheating.
It was difficult to fly off the handle when in the midst of such sybaritic surroundings. Truthfully, she felt sorry for Gabriel. It must be difficult to see the people he loved struggling with such gargantuan changes.
“You’ll be royalty, too,” she said quietly. “If this plays out like I think it will.”
“No way,” he said firmly. “If my brother decides he has to fall on the sword, I’ll support him in every way I know how. But I’m not going to be a damned royal. Bella tried to make me play Prince Eric to her Ariel doll when we were little kids. I didn’t like it then, and I haven’t changed in that regard. I know who I am and who I’m not.”
She didn’t waste her breath explaining the role he would play in his brother’s coronation...or in describing the richly ornamental robes and jewels of state that had been hidden away for decades. Time enough for him to get used to all that later. Right now, she had two jobs. One—impress upon him the importance of the Montoros to Alma’s rebirth. And two—determine what, if any, of his bad-boy past might pop up and cause damage to the royal family’s reputation.
“You can fight it all you want,” she said earnestly, “but blood will tell, as they say.”
“You’re wrong,” he said firmly. “If I were to cut your arm or you mine, our blood would look the same. I’m an American. We built this country on principles of equality.”
“That may be so, but you can’t rewrite history.”
Bella lifted her head, sliding her sunglasses to the top of her head to glare at them. “Oh, for God’s sake. Give it a rest. Can’t we talk about books or movies or baseball? The two of you are giving me a headache.”
Gabriel touched Maria’s shoulder briefly. “Though I hate to admit it, my sister is right. This is a day for relaxing.”
* * *
Alex stepped outside just in time to see Gabriel caress Maria’s bare arm. The surge of primitive fury that racked him found no outlet. He was forced to clench his jaw and walk forward as if nothing was wrong.
Maria’s face lit up when she saw him, appeasing his displeasure somewhat. “Alex...did you bring something to change into?”
Gabriel shaded his eyes. “Plenty of swim trunks in the cabana.”
Alex debated his options. What he would like to do was spirit Maria back to their villa and make love to her until the sun came up. But since that wasn’t an option, he might as well make the best of things.
By the time he had stripped down, changed and made it back to the pool, his feet were uncomfortably warm from the hot concrete. Even Bella had given up on sunbathing and was now frolicking in the water. Someone had set up a net midway across the pool, and brother and sister had apparently formed a team.
Maria beckoned him. “Hurry. They think they’re champions, but I told them you were a big athlete at university.”
“Not in volleyball,” he said mildly, sliding into the cool water with an inward sigh of bliss.
“Doesn’t matter,” Maria declared. “I think we can take them.”
Maria’s scantily clad body was a definite handicap to his concentration. But when Gabriel scored two points right off the bat, Alex dragged his attention from her rounded breasts and sexy wet hair to the competition at hand. With Maria gazing at him in supplication, he brought his A game. The adrenaline rush of competition was a great stress reliever. And it was damn fun.
Maria and Bella were both nimble and coordinated. They set up shots and the two men took turns smashing points over the net. Time and again Maria dove for saves, her face dripping water and her eyes lit up with laughter.
He was, at some level, struck dumb by her beauty. She was so alive, so eager, so joyful. He felt the pull in his gut and wanted badly to kiss her. Because of Alex’s addled state, Gabriel was able to spike the ball for yet another point. The smug smile on the other man’s face told Alex that his opponent might have put Maria on Alex’s team on purpose.
Of course, watching her across the net with Gabriel would have been just as bad.
After each team won two games apiece, it was mutually decided to play best three out of five. All four competitors were out of breath from battling the water to reach the ball.
Alex shot Maria a glance, trying not to notice the way her nipples beaded against the thin fabric of her suit. “You okay?”
“Of course.” She moved closer and lowered her voice. “And I want to win.”
He grinned, for the moment forgetting his responsibilities and his governmental role. “Then let’s do it.”
The game was fierce and quick, each side battling for supremacy. The Montoro team edged ahead by two or three only to be matched by Alex and Maria in the next few minutes.
Bella was short, but she was a master at setting up the ball. It was clear that she and her brother had teamed up before. Maria was taller and could occasionally punch a shot over the net, but mostly she fed the ball to Alex.
They had made it to game point a half-dozen times when the older Rafael appeared poolside and signaled their attention with a broad smile. “Dinner in half an hour. Don’t make me come after you.”
Alex grinned at his partner. Her cheeks were pink from the sun or from exertion or both. Her eyes sparkled amid spiky lashes. “We’ve come too far to lose,” he said.
“My feelings exactly.”
In that moment, he knew that they could have as easily been talking about their mission as the game.
Alex turned back to the net. “We’re ready.”
Bella pumped a perfect serve deep into her opponent’s watery court. Maria fielded it, set it up for Alex, and he shot it over the net. Back and forth, back and forth.
Finally, Maria began to tire. But she still made her play and got the ball to Alex. He jumped, ready to spike a point, when he lost his balance and fell into the net. Gabriel seized the moment and hammered the ball into enemy territory.
Unfortunately, the driving slam struck Maria in the face, and down she went.
“Good God.” Alex’s heart stopped. Vaguely he was aware of shouts from Bella and Gabriel, but he got to Maria first and dragged her up out of the water. Her eyes were closed, her face contorted in pain. Already a large knot had formed over her left eye.
Gabriel shoved his way close. “Let me see her.”
Alex glared at him. “You could have knocked her out.”
Gabriel touched her hair. “Damn, I’m sorry. Stupid competitive urges. I should be shot.”
Maria tried to stand up. “I’m fine. No permanent damage.”
Alex tightened his arms around her. “Don’t move. I’ve got you.” He strode toward the ladder, Gabriel at his elbow. Gabriel nudged him. “Give her to me and hop out. I’ll hand her up to you.”
Alex bristled. “No. I can handle this.” Awkwardly, he tried to reach the first step.
Bella got between him and the ladder, her expression combative. “You two boneheads are acting like Neanderthals. Back off. Maria can get up the ladder on her own.” She bit her lip. “Can’t you, honey?”
Maria nodded. “Of course.”
Reluctantly, Alex allowed Maria to wriggle out of his embrace. He steadied her when she was on her feet. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Her face was pale, but she managed the three steps and made it up onto the side of the pool.
Alex sprinted behind her and picked her up again.
Gabriel and Bella followed him. “There’s a sofa in the cabana,” Bella said.
As Alex deposited his precious cargo on the comfy couch, Gabriel frowned. “I’ll call 9-1-1.”
“No, no, no.” Maria sat up despite their protests. “It’s a bump on the head. That’s all. Give me some aspirin and I’ll be fine.”
* * *
Maria was embarrassed and mortified. Her three companions hovered like broody hens. And despite her wishes, the Montoros’ private physician was summoned. The speed at which he arrived startled her.
Everyone was sent out of the cabana while the doctor did his exam. He was kind and gentle and thorough. At last he gave her the all clear. No concussion, but plenty of headaches on the way.
When the other three were allowed to return, Maria struggled to sit up. “We have to change. Dinner is already late because of me.”
Gabriel crouched beside her. “Let Alex take you back to the villa. You’re in no shape to suffer through a formal meal. My family will understand, of course. If you feel better in the morning, you’re welcome to join us for breakfast.”
Bella nodded. “My bull-in-the-china-shop brother is right. I’ll have dinner sent down to you. Take the evening to recover.” She gathered up Maria’s things, as well as Alex’s, and tucked them in a large canvas tote.
Gabriel handed Alex a set of keys. “Take the golf cart that’s outside. Call the main house if you need anything or if she gets worse.”
“I’m sitting right here,” Maria said, exasperated. What was it about powerful men that made them feel as if they had to control the world?
