he’s filthy.’ The words were brusque, sharper than he’d intended as relief flared. His wife gave him a wide-eyed stare.
His wife! The world shifted beneath his feet and Raul couldn’t tell if it was from shock or reaction to the reproach in her eyes.
‘He’s just a harmless puppy.’ She cradled the mongrel, looking down and murmuring in a soft tone that made the beast wriggle in ecstasy.
If Luisa smiled at him that way, whispering and rubbing his belly, Raul would lap it up too. His groin tightened. Damn it! This was ridiculous. She only had to smile and he got as hard as a randy teenager. He didn’t understand it.
A commotion caught his eye. A small boy was trying to get past Raul’s staff. Raul nodded to them to let him pass.
The kid cast a fearful glance over his shoulder then hurried forward. Raul saw a scowling red-faced man in the crowd where the boy had been.
For an instant memory side-swiped Raul. Of his own father wearing that same expression on one of the few occasions he’d deigned to spend time with his young son. Raul couldn’t remember what he’d done to earn his father’s wrath. Scuffed his shoes perhaps or earned a less than perfect mark in his studies. It hadn’t taken much to disappoint the old man.
Bitterness welled on his tongue and his eyes narrowed.
The boy stopped before them, his head sinking low.
‘Is this your dog?’ Raul had to wait for a silent nod and felt Luisa’s hand on his arm.
What? Did she think he’d rip into the kid?
‘Yes, sir. He means no harm, sir. The cord broke and—’
‘Completely understandable,’ Raul said. ‘With all that noise it’s not surprising he got overexcited.’
The boy raised his head and stared, as if unable to believe his ears.
‘He must have sensed the Princess likes dogs.’ Raul found himself talking just to reassure. He’d had no idea Luisa liked dogs till he saw her cuddle this one. She smiled at the boy and crouched down to his level.
Good with children and dogs. Raul watched the boy’s nervousness disappear under the warmth of Luisa’s approval and realised she was a natural with both. She’d make a great mother—warm and affectionate. He watched her hand the pup over and pat the kid reassuringly.
Raul could imagine her with an unruly brood, unfazed by soccer in the gloomy royal portrait gallery on a wet winter’s day or kids who wanted to run outdoors instead of perfecting their Latin before they were allowed dinner.
Something scooped a hollow deep in Raul’s belly at the thought of Luisa with children. They’d be his children.
For the first time the idea of fatherhood appealed, even though he had no experience of real family life.
He tried to imagine Luisa carrying his child and found the notion strangely satisfying. Though not as pleasurable as having her to himself, naked and needy.
‘It’s time to go.’ He took her arm and helped her rise. Then he steered his wife and the boy towards the beet-faced man at the front of the crowd.
He wanted his wife to himself, had wanted her since he’d forced himself to leave her this morning. But first he had business to attend to.
Luisa raised a hand to wave at the crowd pressed close to the road. Safer to look at them than the man beside her who continually bewildered her.
Self-conscious, she crossed her legs over the ladder creeping up her stockings where the pup had scratched. Then she wiped at the muddy stains on her designer suit.
‘Don’t fidget with your clothes. No one else can see the dirt.’
Startled, she turned. She’d thought Raul focused on the crowd on the other side of the road. Even now he didn’t turn. She had a perfect view of his austere profile as he waved. Luisa found her gaze lingering on his full lower lip as she remembered the way he’d kissed her last night.
Heat spiralled inside and she swallowed hard. It didn’t do any good. She couldn’t quench the need he’d ignited.
Obviously Raul wasn’t similarly bothered. He was utterly composed. No doubt displeased by her behaviour in picking up a grubby little dog that was anything but pedigree. Her eyes shut as she imagined the press pictures. Raul looking regal and she with a ladder in her stockings.
Well, tough! She hadn’t asked to be princess. He’d stampeded her into it. Now he could put up with the fact that she didn’t fit the mould.
She’d read his stern demeanour through the ceremony today. As if waiting for her to embarrass herself. Not even her carefully rehearsed lines, learned with Lukas’ help, had softened Raul’s severe countenance.
Had she really sought his approval? The notion of such neediness disturbed her.
Only once in the whole proceedings had his face softened. With the boy.
‘Why did we go over to that man in the crowd?’ She hadn’t even been aware of the question forming in her head.
Raul turned and a sizzle shot through her as their gazes collided.
Luisa slumped back against her seat, heart pounding as fire roared through her veins. How did he do that? Was it the same for all the women he bedded?
The idea was pure torture.
‘I wanted to make sure there was no trouble.’
‘Trouble?’ Luisa scrabbled for coherent thought.
‘He was complaining loudly about his son being uncontrollable. And about what a nuisance the dog was.’
‘You’re kidding!’ Luisa straightened. ‘Peter was a darling, but so serious, not uncontrollable. If anything he seemed too old for his years.’ She hadn’t understood everything he’d said but his gravity had struck her.
Raul shrugged but the movement seemed cramped. ‘Living with a judgemental parent will do that.’
It was on the tip of Luisa’s tongue to question Raul’s assessment, till she read a bleakness in his eyes that made her back off.
‘What did you say to his father?’ Raul had looked every inch the monarch, full of gracious condescension.
Again that shrug. A little easier this time. ‘I congratulated him on his fine son.’
‘Good on you!’
Startled green eyes met hers and for a moment Luisa lost the thread of the conversation.
‘And I invited both boy and dog to visit the castle, to renew the acquaintance.’
Luisa tried but couldn’t read Raul’s expression. Yet instinct told her why he’d done it. ‘You wanted to make sure he didn’t get rid of the pup?’
For an instant longer Raul held her gaze before turning back to the window
