Lynn Raye Harris - Men In Uniform - Captivated By The Prince

He had taken the same mental journey she had, Emily realised with surprise. And each nuance in his voice betrayed the fact that he was every bit as disturbed by his thoughts as she was by her own.

‘It’s our wedding night—’

‘So?’ he demanded harshly.

‘My no-sex clause—’ She felt so foolish, so exposed. ‘We could—’

‘Forget it?’ he suggested.

His gently mocking tone nudged her senses until she was unbearably aroused; the wet triangle of lace between her legs stretched taut in the struggle to contain her excitement.

‘I don’t think so, Emily,’ he said harshly.

Every last remaining strand of common sense told her he was right, while her instinct, her desire, every hectic beat of her heart said she would stop at nothing to change his mind…But once the terms of their contract were satisfied he would need to move on, Emily reminded herself. Marry a woman of his own choosing—someone, as he had already intimated, who could shoulder the responsibilities of Ferara as an equal partner. There would be no place for her in Ferara then, so she would just have to find some way to rein in her hunger for that country’s prince sooner rather than later.

Switching on the smile that had served her so well throughout the day, she agreed tonelessly that she did have everything she needed. But, just when she was complimenting herself on the cool way in which she’d handled the situation, Alessandro threw everything into confusion again.

‘I suppose we could do as you suggest—keep the terms of our contract and yet have an affair,’ he suggested bitterly.

There were a few moments of stunned silence, then Emily laughed nervously—as if to show she knew he couldn’t possibly be serious.

‘What do you think, Emily?’

‘What do I think?’

What did she think? She wasn’t incapable of any thought, Emily realised as she watched him caress the door handle. Her belly ached with need for him. She was utterly beguiled by his strength, by the subtlety in his hands and by the strong, flexing power in his fingers…She wanted to know how all that would feel, transferred from hard steel to soft flesh—

‘Well?’ he said harshly.

Could he be serious? Her body seemed to think so.

Even as he watched her eyes darkening, and saw the tip of her tongue dart out to moisten her lips, Alessandro knew it wasn’t enough. Even if Emily agreed, a sexual relationship with his beautiful new wife would only leave him more frustrated than ever. And he wanted more. He wanted much more. He wanted her love. He knew he had to do something…say something…or he might tip them both headlong into a situation from which neither of them would ever recover. He lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender.

‘Forgive me, Emily. I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m very tired—’

Yes, he was tired, Alessandro acknowledged. He was tired of all the play-acting, tired of pretending he didn’t feel the most urgent need to consummate their marriage and ease the physical torment he was certain now that she felt every bit as much as he did. He longed to make Emily his wife, and in more than name only. He wanted them to be bound together, body and soul, for the rest of their lives.

But the weariness dragging at his mind had another cause, he accepted restlessly as he started to pace the room. What exhausted him the most was the secret he was forced to keep. The secret he bound so close because it was the one thing in the world that could take her away from him. And, in spite of the physical desire that raged through his body, he couldn’t—he wouldn’t—run the risk of losing her.

‘We’re both tired—and no wonder,’ Emily observed gently, trying to hold her husband still from his angry pacing when she knew she had little more to soothe him with than her voice.

‘I know,’ Alessandro said, shaking his head as he stopped dead to look at her, as if for the first time. It was as if she understood everything…and nothing, he realised, passing a single finger down the side of her face. But it wasn’t her fault…none of it was her fault.

Emily longed to grab hold of his hand then, and kiss it, and hold it against her cheek to warm him with her strength…her love…But the moment had passed, and now he was tense again. She could feel it in the air without looking at him.

‘My behaviour just now was unforgivable,’ Alessandro said, moving away from her. ‘I’m sorry if I frightened you. The last thing I want is to make this any harder for you than it already is.’ Reaching the door, he turned to face her again.

‘Is there anything…anything at all, Emily…that I could provide for you here in Ferara to make you happy?’

‘I am happy,’ she protested quickly.

‘Don’t give me a glib answer because that’s what you think I want to hear,’ he warned. Leaning back against the door, he said softly, ‘I mean it, Emily. Whatever you want—whatever it takes to make you happy—just name it.’

You, she thought, meeting his gaze steadily. That’s all I want…you. First, last and always.

‘You mentioned an idea for upgrading the palace apartments for staff—we could set up weekly meetings—’

‘Yes,’ she said quickly. Even a regular business meeting with him would be better than nothing at all. ‘I think that’s a wonderful idea.’

‘I’m pleased you think so.’

Emily returned his smile. The first real smile she had seen on his face all day. But if he’d wanted her half as much as she wanted him they would have been setting up a very different sort of assignation, she reminded herself sadly.

One thing was sure: he wouldn’t have been leaving her to spend their wedding night alone.

ALESSANDRO’S father sat up in bed to stare at his son in tolerant mystification.

‘You come to my rooms at dawn to ask an old man like me what to do about the state of your marriage? Is this really my son Alessandro talking? I would hardly have believed it possible—before Emily came into your life,’ he added, shaking his head. ‘And had it not been for the nonsense you have told me about this—contract—’ he spat out the word ‘—had it not been for that misplaced kindness to me, you would never have found yourself in this mess in the first place. How could you do such a thing, Alessandro? And how could you imagine such a travesty would work?’

I did it for you, Father…only for you, Alessandro thought, taking the rebuke in silence. And in spite of everything he couldn’t find it in his heart to regret a thing…except that by trying to help his father it seemed that he had only succeeded in causing him more pain.

‘Emily is like a tender bud—’

‘I know, Father! I know!’ Alessandro exclaimed impatiently, swiping the back of his neck with his hand as he sprang to his feet to pace the room like a tiger with a thorn in its pad. ‘She is like no other woman I have ever met,’ he went on, shaking his head in utter incomprehension. ‘She shows no real interest in the priceless jewels she is entitled to wear, or the designer clothes I arranged to please her. She chooses instead to devote herself to the needs of our country, and to the small improvements she can make here at the palace. These…these are her passions.’

‘Are you complaining, Alessandro?’

‘No, Father! No. It’s just that I am having to learn a whole new way of dealing with a woman. I feel like a youth embarking on his first love affair—’

‘Perhaps this is your first love affair,’ the old Prince murmured sagely.

‘So, help me, Father. Tell me what to do.’ Alessandro stopped, and levelled a blazing stare on his father’s face. ‘You must help me. Before I lose her.’

‘You know what to do,’ his father told him calmly. ‘You know in your heart what is right, Alessandro. And if you want to make me happy, you will forget all about this foolish contract. Make this marriage work, Alessandro, or spend the rest of your life wishing that you had. It’s up to you.’