Royal Families Vs. Historicals

She chuckled. “Marusha had plenty to tell me about tribal mating rituals of the Kikuyu. In fact, she kept me and Elena royally entertained most nights after lights went out. We’d stay up half the night talking. She had a crush on this security guard who was guarding a VIP at the Montreux Palace Hotel.

“You know how beautiful Marusha is. Well, we’d walk past him and she’d say things to him to capture his interest. He never spoke, but his eyes always watched her. He was tall, maybe six foot five, and he kept his arms folded. He was the most impressive figure I ever saw and I think he was the reason she could handle being in Montreux when she’d rather be home in Africa.”

Laughter continued to rumble out of Antonio.

“Your sister had other interests. There was a drummer in the band that played at this one disco we were ordered not to visit. He was crazy about her and kept making dates with her. She only kept one of them. It was through him she met other guys, the kind she finally ended up with who got thrown in jail for drugs.”

“Let’s be thankful she has grown up now, but don’t stop talking,” Antonio murmured. “I could listen to you all night. What masculine interest did you have?”

Christina didn’t dare tell him that there was no male to match Antonio. His image was the one she’d always carried in the back of her mind. “Oh… I always loved men in the old Italian movies. You know, Franco Nero, Marcello Mastroianni, Vittorio De Sica.”

“No Halencian actors?”

“No. I’ve liked a couple of British actors too. Rufus Sewell…ooh-la-la.” She grinned. “Now, there is a male to die for! So, which actress did it for you?”

“That would be difficult to answer.”

“You don’t play fair. You manage to get a lot of information out of me, but I ask you one question and suddenly you play possum.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you play dead like a possum when you don’t want to reveal yourself. The possum does it for protection. It’s a very funny American expression and it describes you right now. What are you hiding from? Is the truth too scary for you?”

“Have a heart, Christina. I’m not nearly so terrible a womanizer as some of the tabloids have made me out to be. They’re mostly lies.”

“That’s all right. You just keep telling yourself that. When I married you I forgave you for everything. But I’ve talked your ear off, so excuse me for a minute.”

She hurried into the other bedroom and grabbed the book from the table, and then she returned to Antonio. “Are you still in the mood to be read to, or are you ready to confess your sins?”

“Yes and no.”

He was hilarious.

“All right, then. Here’s the quote from it. ‘Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear.’” She read the rest.

A long silence ensued before Antonio murmured, “That’s very moving. Tell me something honestly. Are you going to miss Africa too much?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve spent ten years of your life there. So many memories and friends you’ve made.”

“Well, I’m hoping that from time to time I’ll be able to fly to Nairobi to keep watch over the foundation, which I plan to continue with your permission.”

“There’s no question about that.”

Good. “But our marriage is my first priority, and your needs come first and always will with me.”

“You’re wonderful, Christina, but that isn’t what I asked, exactly. Did you leave your heart there?”

“Certainly a part of it, but I could ask you the same thing. Do you feel a strong tug when you think of San Francisco and the years you spent there?”

“I’d be a liar if I didn’t say yes.”

“I didn’t expect you to say anything else. As for me, I’ve decided I have two homes. One there, where I’ve always been comfortable, and now the new one with you. I see them both being compatible. When you long for San Francisco and want to do business there, I’ll understand.”

“You’d love it there. I want to take you with me and show you around.”

He couldn’t have said anything to thrill her more. “And maybe you can fly to Africa with me for a little break from royal business.”

“We’ll make it happen.”

She studied him for a long time. “Is there a woman you had to leave who’s missing you right now? Maybe I should rephrase that. Is there someone you’re missing horribly?”

Antonio should have seen these questions coming, particularly since he hadn’t slept with her last night. “I haven’t been a monk. What about you?”

A quick smile appeared. Her appeal was growing on him like mad. “I’m no nun.”

For some odd reason he didn’t like hearing that.

You hypocrite, Antonio. Did you want a bride as pure as the driven snow? Did you really expect her to give up men while she waited four years for you to decide when to claim her for your wife?

“Who was he?” His parents’ affairs had jaded him.

“A doctor who’d come to Kenya to perform plastic surgery on some of the native children. Once I came back to Africa with the engagement ring on my finger, he left for England three days later.”

“I kept you waiting four years,” Antonio muttered in self-disgust.

A frown marred her features. “Antonio, none of that matters. I’m your wife! But you still haven’t answered my question. Is there a woman who became of vital importance to you before you had to fly home to get married?”

He got off the bed. “The only woman of importance was one I got involved with before our engagement, Christina.”

“Then you’ve known her a long time. If there’d been no engagement, would you have married her?”

“That’s hard to say. I might have if I’d decided to turn my back on my family and wanted to stay in California for the rest of my life. But when your call came telling me about Elena’s problems and I talked to her, I realized how binding those family ties really are right from the cradle.”

“I know that all too well,” she whispered. Christina had obviously been talking about the relationship with her parents.

“The accident of my being born to a king and queen set me on a particular path. To marry a foreigner and deviate from it might bring me short-term pleasure. But I feared I’d end up living a lifetime of regret.”

She shook her head. “How hard for both of you.”

Her sincerity rang so true he felt it reach his bones. “Though I continued to see her after the engagement party, nothing was the same because we knew there would have to be an end. We soon said goodbye to each other.

“In a way it was a relief because to go on seeing her would not only have made a travesty of our engagement, but the situation was totally unfair to her and you. My sources at the palace confirmed that the country was suffering and there were plans afoot to abolish the monarchy. I knew it was only a matter of time before—”

“Before you had to come home and marry me to save the throne,” she broke in. “I get it.”

“Christina—” He approached her and grasped her hands. “Do you think it’s possible for us to forget the past? You know what I mean. When I said my vows in the chapel, I meant what I said. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life. Can you still make that same commitment to me after knowing what I’ve told you?”

Her marvelous eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Antonio, I want you to know that when I made my vows at the altar, I was running on faith. Now that faith has been strengthened by what you’ve just admitted to me. If we have total honesty between us, then there’s nothing to prevent us from trying to make this marriage work. You’ve always been the most handsome man I’ve ever known, so my attraction to you isn’t a problem.”

He kissed her fingers. “Can you forgive me for staying away from you before the wedding?”

“We’ve already had this discussion.”

He slid his hands to her upper arms. “No woman but an angel like you would have sacrificed everything to enter into an engagement that didn’t consider your own personal feelings in any way, shape or form. Forgive me, Christina. I don’t like the man I was. I can only hope to become the man you’re happy to be married to.”

Her eyes roved over his features. “I liked the man you were. That man loved his sister enough to save her and their family from horrible embarrassment and scandal. She wasn’t just any sister. She was the princess of Halencia, my friend. I loved you for loving her enough to help her.

“You have no idea what she did for me. She was the only person in my world besides my great-aunt Sofia who was good to me. Elena was the person I cried to every time I was hurt by my parents, especially my father, who wished I’d been born a boy.” The tears trickled down her flushed cheeks.

Antonio sucked in his breath. “Grazie a Dio, you’re exactly who you are.” He started kissing the tears away. When he reached her mouth he couldn’t stop himself from covering it with his own. The taste of her excited him. Without her wedding dress on, he could draw her close and feel the contours of her beautiful body through the thin fabric of her shirt. Her fragrance worked like an aphrodisiac on his senses, which had come alive.

“Bellissima.”

CHAPTER FIVE

THE FIRST TIME Christina had heard Antonio use the word bellissima, he’d said it in a teasing jest outside the door of the bridal suite. Just now he’d said it because she could sense his physical desire for her. After last night, there was no mistaking their attraction to each other. But she needed to use her head and not get swept away by passion until they’d spent more time together.

He’d wanted to put off making love to her last night. She was glad of it now. They did need more time to explore each other’s minds first. Antonio might have walked away from the love of his life in San Francisco, but that didn’t mean the memories didn’t linger.

Christina could make love with him and pretend all was well, but she knew that until she held a place in his heart, then making love wouldn’t have the same meaning for either of them. She wanted their first time to happen when it was right.

As soon as he lifted his mouth, she eased out of his arms. Avoiding his gaze she said, “I’m going to freshen up before dinner. Where do you want to eat?”

“How about the other bedroom? There’ll be other films to pick from. Your choice. I’ll tell the steward to bring it in ten minutes.”

“Good. After our fabulous lunch, I can’t believe I’m hungry again.”

When he didn’t respond, she left him to use the restroom. Some strands of her hair had come loose. It was smarter to just undo it and brush it out. Before he brought their dinner, she pulled out the pillows and propped them against the headboard. After taking off her sandals, she reached for the remote and got up on the bed. Before long Antonio walked in carrying a tray.

“Put it here between us.” She patted the center of the bed.

“The steward still won’t breathe a word of where we’re going.” He put the tray down. Sandwiches and salad.

“Loyal to the end.” She smiled at him. “In the meantime this looks good.”

“I think so too.” He joined her on the bed and they began to eat.

“Do you mind if we talk? We haven’t discussed how we’re going to live. In the fairy tales the prince takes his bride to his kingdom and they live happily ever after, but we never get to see how they live.”

He smiled. “I have my own home in one wing of the palace. Our bedroom and living room overlook the Mediterranean. It’s totally private and will be our home. My office is on the main floor adjoining my father’s. My parents have their own suite. You’ve already visited Elena in her suite, which is in the other wing. But we’re far enough apart to lead separate lives.”

She poured them both more coffee, then sat back to drink hers. “Is it going to feel terribly strange bringing a wife into your world?”

He finished off the rest of his sandwich. “I thought it would. In fact, I couldn’t comprehend it. But after being with you, I’ll feel strange if you’re not with me. I’ve discovered that I’ve slipped into the husband role faster than I would have thought and I’m enjoying every minute of it.”

Christina studied him for a moment. “Today I feel like we’re beginning to get to know each other and aren’t afraid to be ourselves. That was my greatest fear, that you’d be different from the man I knew as Elena’s brother. I’ve worried that in living with the man you’ve become, I’d feel invisible walls that kept us strangers. But I don’t feel that way at all when I’m around you.”

“That’s good to hear. I have no idea if I’m easy to live with, Christina, and beg your forgiveness ahead of time.”

A gentle laugh escaped her lips. “That goes for me too. So far I have no complaints. I hope you don’t mind if I ask you a few more questions.”

“Why would I mind? This is all new. You can ask me anything.”

She put down her empty coffee cup. “Is Guido going to be your chief of staff when you take over?”

“At first, yes. But he’s been loyal to my father for years and when he sees how I intend to rule the country, he may have trouble supporting me.”

As he was lying in bed, he’d worried about how everything would go while he was away on his honeymoon. If something went wrong before the coronation, he wouldn’t be there to smooth things over. His father’s note said no phone, no TV or internet while they were on vacation. He’d never been without those things and couldn’t comprehend it at the time.

“I’ll support you, Antonio. I believe in the changes you’re going to make.”

He heard the fervor in her voice and smiled at her. She was too good to be true. “If things get bad, how would you like to be my new chief of staff?”

Christina broke into laughter. “Now, there’s a thought. The media will claim that Princess Christina is running the show.”

“Better you than anyone else I can think of. But seriously, let’s not worry about the future of the monarchy today. Look—” He sat forward. “I know everything will be strange at first.”

“Elena said your mother has her own personal maid. I don’t want one, Antonio. I find it absurd to ask someone to fetch and carry when I’m perfectly capable of doing those things myself. And I’d like to cook for you, go shopping at the markets. I can balance homemaking with the time spent at the charity foundation office in town.”

The more she talked, the more he liked the sound of it. “We’re on the same wavelength. All the years I lived in the States I did most things myself and prefer it, so I get where you’re coming from. We’ll make this work.”

Her silvery eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Thank you for being so understanding.” When she spoke, her heart was in her eyes and it touched a part of his soul.

“Thank you for marrying me.” He meant it with all his heart.

A shadow crossed over her face. “Antonio—if I’d told you I didn’t want to get married when you called, what do you think you would have done?”

“I don’t know. What saddens me is that you weren’t sure I’d follow through and marry you. Christina, I swear not to do anything consciously to hurt you or bring you grief. Do you believe that?”

“Of course I do,” she answered in a trembling voice. “Now I’ll stop pestering you and hand you the remote. Here are half a dozen movies. Choose whichever one you want. I’m loving this.

“When we get back to Halencia, I’m afraid everything will change. Elena told me your father’s daily schedule is horrendous, so I consider this time precious to have you all to myself. Tomorrow we’ll reach our destination, so I’m taking advantage of the time to talk to you.”

“You’ve always been so easy to be with, Christina. You still are.” More than ever… He clicked the remote and flipped slowly through the titles so she could have time to choose.

“Stop!” she cried out. “The African Queen in Italian? Half of that film was filmed in the Congo!”

Antonio grinned. “I never saw it.”

“I bet we have Elena to thank for this one.” She smiled. “Trust her to find me a film I’d enjoy. Do you mind if we watch it?”

“Not at all. It will give me a feel for where you’ve lived and worked all these years.”

“I never worked in the Congo. The Kikuyu tribe lives on the central highlands, but it doesn’t matter. The part in the Congo is authentic. Just don’t forget it’s an old, old movie, Antonio.”

He flashed her a smile that turned her heart over. “I like old if it’s good.”

“This is good. I promise.”

Christina settled back to watch the film while she finished her sandwich. She could tell Antonio liked it. He kept asking questions as if he was truly interested. Maybe he was. But if she continued to wonder when his reactions were natural or made up to please her every time he spoke, their marriage didn’t have a hope of succeeding.

“The actress is a redhead like you.”

“The poor thing. She probably suffered a lot as a child.”

“She became a movie star, Christina. It obviously didn’t hurt her.”

He lay back on the bed and slid his hand into her hair splayed on the pillow. He lifted some strands in his fingers. “I love your hair. It gleams like red gold and smells like citrus.”

“My shampoo is called Lemon Orange Peel. When I’m in Africa I have to use a shampoo with no scent so the tsetse flies and mosquitoes won’t zero in on me.”

“You’d be a target all right. Do you love it there so much?”

“Yes.”

“You’re wonderful, you know that?”

Her eyes filled with telltale moisture.

His hand moved to her face. He traced the outline of her jaw with his fingers. “You have flawless skin and a mouth I need to kiss again.” Without asking her permission his lips brushed hers over and over until he coaxed them apart and began drinking deeply.

A moan escaped her throat as she felt herself falling under his spell. He rolled her into his rock-hard body. A myriad of sensations attacked her as she felt him rub her back, urging her closer. With every stroke, her body continued to melt as the heat started building inside her, making her feverish. Antonio was taking her to a place she’d never been before.

She wasn’t cognizant of the fasten-seat-belt sign flashing until the captain’s voice came over the intercom. “We’ve started to experience turbulence. For your safety, you need to come forward and sit until we get through this.”

On a groan Antonio released her, much more in control than she was. “Come on. Let’s go.” He got off the bed and helped her to her feet.

She couldn’t believe how bumpy it had become and clung to him while they made their way out of the bedroom and down the hallway to the couches. Christina had so much trouble fastening her seat belt that Antonio did it for her and then fastened his own.

“It’s going to be all right.” He reached for her hand.

The incident didn’t last long. When the sign went off, she undid her seat belt and got up before Antonio did. “It’s late. If you don’t mind, I’m going to get ready for bed. Last night I hardly slept and now I’m exhausted.”

After he undid his seat belt, he stood up. “You go ahead. I’m going to have a chat with the captain and will see you in the morning.” He put a hand behind her head and pressed a firm kiss to her mouth before releasing her. “Get a good sleep.”

“You too,” she whispered before walking back to the bedroom she’d just left. Her legs felt like mush, but this had nothing to do with the bumpy flight. The kiss he’d just given her was able to reduce her to a trembling bride. A little while ago she’d experienced the kind of passion that would have rendered her witless and breathless given another minute in his arms.

Frightened because she’d almost lost control, she showered and got ready for bed. Once under the covers she had a talk with herself. It was too soon in their marriage for the physical side to take over. She didn’t doubt Antonio’s intentions. He was doing his best to be a considerate husband. There was nothing wrong with that, not at all. But she wanted to know his possession and realized this was what she got for entering into a marriage of convenience.

I don’t want to be his convenient bride.

Christina wanted him to make love to her because he was in love with her and couldn’t live without her. She wanted Antonio in every way a woman wanted her husband. From the age of fifteen she’d been attracted to him. All it had taken was that kiss at the altar to turn her inside out.

What have you done to me, Antonio?

She closed her eyes, reeling from that torturous question until she fell into oblivion. The next time she was aware of her surroundings, her watch indicated she’d slept ten hours. All in all, they’d been flying twenty hours with refueling stops she hadn’t been aware of. That meant they were close to their unknown destination.

If Antonio had come to her in the night, she didn’t know about it. Chances were he’d been exhausted too and needed sleep as much as she did. She threw off the covers and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and arrange her hair back in a French twist.

The more she thought about it, the more she believed they were flying to a beach vacation. After some deliberation, she chose to put on a pair of white pants and toned it with a filmy white top of aqua swirls that looked like sea spray. The short sleeves and round neck made it summery. Once she’d put on lipstick, she packed her bag so it would be ready to carry off the jet.

Antonio must have had the same thoughts, because when she walked through the plane to the dining area, she discovered him dressed in white pants and a white crew-neck shirt with navy blue trim. His virility took her breath.

As she approached, he broke off talking to the steward. “I was just about to come and wake you for breakfast. We’ll be landing pretty soon. I’ve been told we don’t want to miss the view before we touch down.”

“That sounds exciting. How did you sleep?” She sat down at one of the tables.

He took his place opposite her. “I don’t think as well as you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m a restless sleeper when I travel. When we touched down to refuel, I got out of the jet to stretch my legs. I peeked in on you to see if you wanted some exercise too, but you were out like a light.”

She felt Antonio’s admiring gaze before the steward served them another delicious meal that started off with several types of chilled melon balls in a mint juice. “Mmm. This is awesome.”

“I agree,” he said, still eyeing her face and hair over his cup of cappuccino until she felt a fluttery sensation in her chest.

They ate healthy servings of eggs, bread and jam. If she ate like this for every meal, she’d quickly put on the weight she’d slowly lost over the past year.

The steward came to their table. “The pilot will be addressing you in a minute. When you’re through eating, please take your seats in the front section. He’ll start the descent, allowing you a bird’s-eye view.”

“Thank you,” Antonio said, exchanging a silent glance with her. By tacit agreement, they got up from the table and walked forward to one of the couches, where they sat together and buckled up.

In a minute the fasten-seat-belt sign flashed and they heard the captain over the intercom. “Your Highness? Princess Christina? It’s eleven a.m. Tahitian time.”

“Tahiti—” she blurted in delight, provoking a smile from Antonio who reached for her hand.

“We’ll be landing at the airport built on the island next to Bora Bora. From there you’ll be taken by helicopter to a nearby island that is yours exclusively for the next four days. The sight you’re about to see is one of the most glorious in the world. Start watching out the windows.”

Christina felt the plane begin to descend. Pretty soon she saw a sight that was out of this world. The captain said, “Bora Bora has been described as an emerald set in a sea of turquoise blue with a surrounding necklace of translucent white water.”

“Incredible!” she and Antonio cried at the same time.

“There are dark green islands farther out in the lagoon that face the mountain. This lagoon is three times the size of the land mass.”