Natalie Anderson - Mr Right All Along

‘It’s not pathetic. It’s normal,’ he countered. ‘All children crave the love and approval of their parents.’

‘Did you?’

‘Of course,’ he said simply. ‘My parents were very proper, and it was all just how it always was...but they were there. They loved us both.’

‘And then they died.’ She looked at him, guessing that was a deep-running wound—as it was for her. It was one she could barely think about.

He nodded.

‘You’re not close to Antonio?’

He paused, and she could almost feel him withdrawing. ‘He is very busy. I’m the lucky one. All the weight rests on his shoulders.’

‘Maybe you’re not as carefree as you make yourself out to be.’ She studied him. ‘You couldn’t continue with law...’

He waved his hand dismissively. ‘There are limitations on everyone—many others have worse. Some face huge struggles just to get the right to go to school.’

Yes, but that didn’t necessarily reduce his personal regret or resentment. ‘What else would you have liked to do that you couldn’t?’ she asked.

There was another hesitation. Then he suddenly straightened, looking her in the eye. ‘Your father wouldn’t let me serve in the army. Not on active duty.’

That surprised her. ‘You wanted to be a soldier?’ She knew just how that was—that blanket refusal.

‘Trained for two years. Then they said no to anything overseas.’

‘They?’

‘Your father. My big brother.’

So, no to his first choice of career, limitations in the second. Now he spent his time opening new tourist destinations.

‘Are you feeling sorry for me now? The spare heir, living a meaningless, untameable life? Poor Prince Eduardo!’ He mimicked the headlines that were frequently splashed over glossy magazines.

‘Sarcasm doesn’t suit you either,’ she said. ‘And there’s truth in what you say.’

‘So I am meaningless and untameable?’ He laughed at her expression. ‘I’m luckier than so many. And I accept the things I cannot change.’

‘Have you ever tried to change them?’ she asked. ‘Ever tried to do what everyone says you can’t? Thought, To hell with it... I’ll show you?’

He placed both hands on the arms of her chair and leaned down to gaze into her eyes. A funny smile quirked his lips. ‘Perhaps I am not as brave as you.’

‘Perhaps you’ve not found anything you’re that passionate about yet.’ If he’d really wanted to do it, wouldn’t he have fought harder?

‘You see?’ He released her chair and straightened, reverted back to Prince Charming mode. ‘We’re getting to know each other already.’

Not enough. She’d always known he felt some constraint in his role—now she wanted to understand more.

‘Why did we have Matteo and Giulia as our witnesses?’ she asked.

‘Because they’re the two people I trust most in the world.’ He glanced back at her. ‘And I don’t think the newspapers are going to ask us that question.’

‘Why not your brother?’ She ignored his attempt at deflection. She wanted to know more about their relationship, because while Eduardo had hinted at disharmony he was unquestionably loyal.

For a moment he said nothing. ‘Not for this, no.’ He turned and shot her a distracting smile, held his hand up as if he were holding a microphone. ‘What was it that first drew you to Prince Eduardo?’

Yes, he was very loyal. The fact that he wouldn’t discuss Antonio with her drew respect. So she let herself be distracted and smiled back archly. ‘You’re just fishing for compliments.’

‘You’re going to be asked that question a lot.’

‘No.’ She laughed ruefully. ‘I’m not. It’ll be you being asked what you saw in me.’

‘Your ego is as hungry as mine!’ He held his hand out to her and winked. ‘Come sit with me and I’ll tell you everything.’

But when she stood he stood too, then picked her up and carried her to his bedroom.

* * *

At five the next morning Stella didn’t want to drag herself out of bed, but if she didn’t she’d lose more than her inhibitions in Eduardo’s arms. She’d never felt so wanted, so desired. But aside from sex there was nothing between them. Even the desire couldn’t be as strong for him, because if she hadn’t got pregnant she’d never have seen him again.

This wasn’t real and it wasn’t going to last. Just because he was showing her one kind of affection it didn’t mean it would become more.

Carefully she slipped out from under his heavy arm and dashed to her bag.

She wasn’t afraid of many things—not of travelling to foreign places nor suffering intense physical strain. But what Eduardo made her feel... Sure, it might be easy—but it was still too good. She didn’t want to want it too much, because it wasn’t lasting.

‘What are you doing?’ His voice was arctic.

‘What does it look like?’ She fastened her bra and reached for her trainers.

‘You have a problem—you know that?’ He groaned and rolled onto his side.

‘I like a routine. You’ll get used to it.’

She averted her eyes from his tousled gorgeousness. The urge to slide back into bed was almost irresistible. But she could resist it—that was the point of this run. To prove to herself that she could control her own desire. She could have him. Or she could choose not to.

To her slight surprise—and disappointment—he didn’t try to stop her. Instead he reached for his phone.

She headed for the track.

Yes, soon enough Eduardo would be busy being Prince Eduardo, and when he was sick of the sex she’d have to settle in to her new life as his ex-wife and mother of his child.

She ran the circuit of the small island three times.

He was waiting for her on the step when she returned. He ordered her into the shower. Followed her there. His playfulness made her forget the future and unleashed her own friskiness again. She leaned into his touch.

She’d proved herself, right? She could turn her back and take time out from him whenever she wanted. She could say no to him.

She just didn’t want to right now.

CHAPTER TEN

EDUARDO WALKED TOWARDS where Stella was reading on the sofa in the library. The level of scrutiny she would soon face would be unprecedented. He wished he could keep her here, but already there had been calls and questions from San Felipe palace officials. Eduardo couldn’t hold them off much longer.

He’d thought she would open up more, but it turned out that his wife was reticent as he. She talked about books, movies, food and places she’d travelled to; she had wild, gorgeous sex with him, but she offered little detail on anything too personal.

And now he didn’t just need to know more—he wanted to.

‘What do you do for fun?’ He wrapped his arm around her ankles and lifted her legs so he could steal in beside her on the sofa. ‘Or what did you do before I introduced you to the delights of rampant lust?’

‘Very funny.’

‘Well? What?’ Chuckling, he massaged her sleek calves. ‘What did you do when you were on leave? Don’t tell me you just went for runs all the time?’

Beneath his hands her muscles stiffened. ‘I like running.’

Clearly. She’d left him in bed at some awful hour this morning and gone for her laps around the island. Her discipline and determination irritated him. And turned him on.

‘What else do you like?’

‘Working. I like my job.’

‘Okay, let’s do this another way.’ He stopped touching her—it was the only way he could keep thinking. ‘What if for the next twenty-four hours we could go anywhere and do anything? Tell me—where do we go and what do we do?’

She just looked at him.

‘Broadway, New York...?’ he suggested with a waggle of his eyebrows. ‘A shopping spree in Paris and all the rides at Disneyland...? Give me a destination and I can make it happen.’