Rebecca Winters - Royal Affairs

Around six in the morning he felt the bed move. She’d gotten up to use the bathroom.

He eyed her through sleep-filled eyes. When she returned he said, “How’s the pain?”

“There’s hardly any at all. I can walk fine as long as I’m careful.”

“That’s wonderful news. Come back to bed and rest that foot some more. It’s still early.”

CHAPTER SIX

CHRISTINA EYED HER HUSBAND, who’d kept a vigil over her all night. She got back in bed, lying on her side so she could watch him sleep. He was such a gorgeous man. Dawn was sneaking into the bedroom with the morning breeze. Through the open windows she could see the unique shape of the mountains on Bora Bora. If she could be anywhere in the world, she wanted to be right here with the man she’d married.

When next she came awake, she found herself the object of Antonio’s blue gaze. She propped her head up with her hand. “How long have you been awake?”

“Long enough to watch my lovely wife. You’ve been sleeping so peacefully.”

Without hesitation he leaned over to kiss her. “Good morning, esposa mia. I dreamed about kissing you all night long.”

“I had the same dream.”

Before she could blink he put his arm around her and kissed her deeply, not letting her go until she had to breathe.

He sighed. “I needed that.”

“I’m pretty sure you need something else after taking care of me all night. I’ll ring Manu to bring our breakfast tray.” She reached for the phone and put in their order. After hanging up, she turned to her husband.

“How did you know?”

“That you’re starving?” she quipped. “I’m hungry too.”

He raised himself up and leaned over her. “You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you? I could eat you up.”

But at that moment Manu appeared at the door. “Shall I put your breakfast on the table?”

“No, Manu,” Antonio said. “I think we’ll have it right here in bed.”

The other man smiled and set it on the end of the bed before making a discreet departure.

She smiled at her husband. “We’re spoiled rotten. You know that.”

He moved to put the tray between them. Christina propped her head with a couple of pillows and bit into a croissant. “If the famous French impressionist Gauguin were here to paint us, he’d entitle it Petit Déjeuner au Lit Tahitien.”

His lips twitched. “Breakfast in a Tahitian bed is far too mundane. I think a more appropriate title would be Le Mari Amoureux.”

The Amorous Husband? Christina laughed to cover the quiver that ran through her. She’d forgotten he’d attended a French/Swiss boarding school too and was fluent in French besides Halencian, Italian, English and Spanish.

“What do you want to do today?”

“I’m up for anything.”

“Honestly?”

“My foot doesn’t hurt and I don’t want us to miss out on anything while we’re here. We don’t have that much time before we have to go back.”

“I don’t want to go back.”

Her pulse raced. “Neither do I.”

“What do you say we take out the kayak and just paddle around for fun?”

“That sounds perfect. I’ll get my suit on and wear a T-shirt so I don’t pick up any more sun on my shoulders.” With a kiss to his jaw, she slid out of bed. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

He’d been worried about that. The need to touch her was growing. A bad case of sunburn could make her feel miserable for several days. Relieved that her foot was healing well, he got excited to think about spending another glorious day with her. It was pure selfishness on his part to want her able to do everything with him waking or sleeping.

There was only one bed, but a number of couches. He had no intention of sleeping on a couch or a sun lounger tonight. He wanted his wife in that oversize bed clinging to him while the scented breeze from Bora Bora wafted through their bedroom.

“Antonio? I’m ready when you are.”

He looked up to see her standing there with a white T-shirt pulled over her suit. “I’m glad you’re wearing your tennis shoes.”

There was no doubt his bride had one of the most beautiful faces and bodies he’d ever seen, starting with her glorious hair. She’d fastened it on top with a clip. He wanted to reach up and pull her down to him, but right now it was important they keep having fun while breaking down walls.

Levering himself out of bed, he hurried to the bathroom to put on his trunks. Then he joined her at the edge of the platform. The Sevylor inflatable plastic kayak had been secured to the post with cords. Once they were undone he reached down to hand her a belt life preserver. While she put hers on, he fastened his.

“I’ll go first.” After getting in the front seat, he held out his hands to her and eased her into the backseat.

“Ooh—” She laughed. “It’s tippy. I’m used to a canoe.”

“You’ll soon get the hang of it.”

They unloosened their oars and started paddling. He led them around in circles to get her used to the motion. Over his shoulder he said, “According to the brochure, there’s no surf here because of the reef across the lagoon. When you’re ready, we’ll head out to that other island in the distance.”

“I can see you’re an old pro at this.”

“During my boarding school days in Lausanne, some friends that my parents didn’t approve of flew home with me on breaks. We’d go kayaking around Halencia on weekends. But as you know, the Mediterranean can be choppy when the wind comes up. This lagoon is like glass in comparison.”

They started paddling together and headed out. “I wonder if I ever saw you out there during the few times I came home from boarding school.”

“I’ve been wondering the same thing myself. Do you believe in destiny, Christina?”

“To be honest, until I received the phone call from you that we were really getting married, I believed that I was meant to—” She broke off abruptly. “Oh, it doesn’t matter what I believed.”

He stopped paddling and turned to look at her. “Tell me. I want to know.”

She shook her head. “If I told you, you’d see me as a pitiful creature who feels sorry for herself.”

“You’re anything but pitiful. I want to know what you were going to say.”

Christina rested her oar. She cast her gaze toward Bora Bora. “My parents didn’t want me, Antonio. They really didn’t. The only genuine love I felt came from my great-aunt Sofia, but I wasn’t her daughter and didn’t see her very often.

“I believed it was my lot always to live on the outside of their lives. This became evident when they didn’t put up a fuss about my working in Africa. I was crushed when they sounded happy about my doing charity work there. They didn’t miss me, not at all. Marusha’s parents have been more like parents to me than anyone.”

Her suffering had to be infinite. “That’s tragic about your parents.”

“I was afraid you’d say that, but I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. They were warmer to me at the wedding, especially Mother. You asked for the truth and I’ve told you. As for believing in destiny, despite my pain, I was happy with my life in Africa and decided I’d probably live there forever. The ability to help other people brought me a lot of peace I hadn’t known before.”

“Until I turned your world upside down,” he bit out in self-deprecation.

“It wasn’t just you, Antonio. Elena had already become family to me. When she got into real trouble, I felt her pain. Like you, she led a life of isolation being royal. I can understand why she took up with guys from my world. In your own way, you and Elena have led a life of loneliness. It’s a strange world you two inhabit and always will be. But I was lucky enough to be the friend Elena let in. If I could have had a sister, I would have wanted her.”