The fact that she wasn’t being coy like so many females he’d met in his life aroused his interest. “You’re their friend, so it goes without saying you’re invited.” His lips broke into a smile. “And even if you weren’t with them, I like an intrusion as pleasant as this one. I insist you join us.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly, but he had an idea she was debating whether or not to accept his invitation, mystifying him further. “Before you go, may I say how sorry I am about the loss of Princess Michelina. I can see the resemblance to your sister in you and the baby. I know it’s been devastating for your family, especially the queen. But if anyone can instill some joy into all of you, it’s your adorable nephew, Max.”
The surprises just kept coming. Valentino was taken aback. The fact that she’d been in Abby’s confidence for a number of years had lent a sincere ring to this woman’s remarks, already putting them on a more intimate footing. “I’ve been eager to see him again. He’s probably grown a foot since last time.”
An engaging smile appeared. “Maybe not quite another foot yet, but considering he’s Prince Vincenzo’s son, I would imagine he’ll be tall one day.”
“That wouldn’t surprise me. A presto, Signorina Baretti.”
* * *
Carolena watched his tall physique stride to the patio and disappear inside a set of glass doors. Long after he’d left, she was still trying to catch her breath. When she’d broken the surface of the water at the other end of the rectangular pool, she’d recognized the striking thirty-two-year-old crown prince right away.
Her knowledge of him came from newspapers and television that covered the funeral of his sister, Princess Michelina. He’d ridden in the black-and-gold carriage with his brother and their mother, Queen Bianca, the three of them grave and in deep grief.
In a recent poll he’d been touted the world’s most sought-after royal bachelor. Most of the tabloids revealed he went through women like water. She could believe it. Just now his eyes had mirrored his masculine admiration of her. Everywhere they roved, she’d felt heat trail over her skin. By that invisible process called osmosis, his charm and sophistication had managed to seep into her body.
But even up close no camera could catch the startling midnight blue of his dark-lashed eyes. The dying rays of the evening sun gilded the tips of his medium cut dark blond hair and brought out his hard-boned facial features, reminiscent of his Sicilian ancestry. He was a fabulous-looking man.
Right then he’d been wearing jeans that molded his powerful thighs, and a white shirt with the sleeves shoved up to the elbows to reveal hard-muscled forearms. No sign of a uniform this evening.
Whatever kind of work he did, he’d gotten dirty. She wondered where he’d been. There were black marks on his clothes and arms, even on his face, bronzed from being outdoors. If anything, the signs of the working man intensified his potent male charisma. He wasn’t just a handsome prince without substance.
Carolena was stunned by her reaction to him. There’d been many different types of men who’d come into her life because of her work as an attorney; businessmen, manufacturers, technology wizards, mining engineers, entrepreneurs. But she had to admit she’d never had this kind of visceral response to a man on a first meeting, not even with Berto, who’d been her childhood friend before they’d fallen in love.
The prince had said half an hour. Carolena hadn’t intended to join the three of them this evening, but since he’d used the word insist, she decided she’d better go so as not to offend him. Unfortunately it was growing late. She needed to hurry inside and get ready, but she wouldn’t have time to wash her hair.
She climbed out of the pool and retraced her steps to the other wing of the palace. After a quick shower, she unbraided her hair and swept it back with an amber comb. Once she’d applied her makeup, she donned a small leopard-print wrap dress with ruched elbow-length sleeves. The tiny amber stones of her chandelier earrings matched the ones in her small gold chain necklace. On her feet she wore designer wedges in brown and amber.
The law firm in Arancia where she worked demanded their attorneys wear designer clothes since they dealt with an upper-class clientele. Abby had worked there with her until her fifth month of pregnancy when she’d been forced to quit. After being employed there twenty months and paid a generous salary, Carolena had accumulated a wonderful wardrobe and didn’t need to worry she wouldn’t have something appropriate to wear to this evening’s dinner.
A knock at the door meant a maid was ready to take her to the dining room. But when she opened it, she received another shock to discover the prince at the threshold wearing a silky charcoal-brown sport shirt and beige trousers.
He must not have trusted her to come on her own. She didn’t know whether to be flattered or worried she’d made some kind of faux pas when she’d declined his invitation at first. Their eyes traveled over each other. A shower had gotten rid of the black marks. He smelled wonderful, no doubt from the soap he used. Her heart did a tiny thump before she got hold of herself.
“Your Highness— This is the second time you’ve surprised me this evening.”
He flashed her a white smile. “Unexpected surprises make life more interesting, don’t you think?”
“I do actually, depending on the kind.”
“This was the kind I couldn’t resist.”
Obviously she had irritated him. Still, she couldn’t believe he’d come to fetch her. “I’m honored to be personally escorted by none other than the prince himself.”
“That wasn’t so hard to say, was it?” His question brought a smile to her lips. “Since I’m hungry, I thought I’d accompany you to the dining room myself to hurry things up, and I must admit I’m glad you’re ready.”
“Then let’s not waste any more time.”
“Vincenzo and Abby are already there, but they didn’t even notice me when I passed by the doors. I’ve heard of a honeymoon lasting a week or two, even longer. But eight months?”
Carolena chuckled. “I know what you mean. While we were flying out, they were so caught up in each other, I don’t think they said more than two words to me.”
“Love should be like that, but it’s rare.”
“I know,” she murmured. Vincenzo and Michelina hadn’t enjoyed a marriage like that. It was no news to Carolena or Valentino, so they left the subject alone.
She followed him down several corridors lined with tapestries and paintings to a set of doors guarded by a staff member. They opened onto the grounds. “We’ll cut across here past the gardens to the other wing of the palace. It’s faster.”
There was nothing stiff or arrogant about Prince Valentino. He had the rare gift of being able to put her at ease and make her feel comfortable.
She looked around her. “The gardens are glorious. You have grown a fabulous collection of palms and exotic plants. Everything thrives here. And I’ve never seen baroque architecture this flamboyant.”
He nodded. “My brother, Vito, and I have always called it the Putti Palace because of all the winged boy cherubs supporting the dozens of balconies. To my mother’s chagrin, we used to draw mustaches on them. For our penance, we had to wash them off.”
Laughter
