The Prince's Safari Temptation, page 6
He should probably use cold water.
Plus he’d reached the point of tiredness where it would actually be difficult to fall asleep. All these crazy thoughts. His attraction to someone he considered an old friend had to be the result of his exhaustion. There was no other rational explanation.
Sure, he’d had a minor crush on Sierra when they were younger, kids really. But he was an adult now, heir to the throne. He’d been a married man once. Would have to marry again. Papa already regularly nagged him about meeting eligible ladies. Or, to use Papa’s term, suitable young women who may qualify. Just last week he’d tried to set Dante up with a member of the Swedish royal family. As if his next marriage were some kind of reality game show.
In a way, Dante supposed Papa was right. Weren’t there constant bets in the gaming halls of Nocera about when and who he might marry?
Dante’s lack of any kind of romantic entanglements only fed fuel to the gossip fire. As well as the people of Nocera, the newspapers also called him the Ever Grieving Prince. He couldn’t seem to get over losing his wife, they speculated. He couldn’t seem to move on and find another woman to wed. The truth was, Dante had no intention of moving on, knew he didn’t deserve any kind of happiness. When the time came, he would marry once again. But this time there’d be no false pretenses. He’d lay everything out on the table. His next wife would have no pretenses that he might actually grow to love her.
No, he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Dante headed immediately to the shower. But the water did little to smooth the rough edges of his rambling thoughts. Toweling off several minutes later, he accepted defeat. He wasn’t going to be able to fall asleep anytime soon.
Though more than full, he grabbed a banana out of the fruit bowl on the small wooden table by the entryway. Just give his hands something to do.
Tossing it in the air and catching it again, Dante stepped outside and walked toward the patio, which was still lit up with lanterns. A movement to his right startled him as he sat down. Then he was staring into a small face with a pair of beady eyes, and short whiskers.
A monkey. And he was eyeing Dante’s fruit.
“A bit clichéd, isn’t it?” Dante asked the animal, who simply blinked at him and moved a dark paw in his direction. Dante could have sworn the little guy was actually pointing at the banana. A chuckle rumbled in his chest. Wait till he told Sierra about this tomorrow.
And there it was. He couldn’t seem to get the woman out of his mind.
With a sigh, Dante leaned over and extended the fruit in the monkey’s direction. He snatched it with amazing speed. Was it actually grinning at him now?
“Tsamaya kwa!” a deep voice ordered from the steps, and Banti appeared, shooing the monkey away with dramatic hand gestures. It responded with a series of low-pitched grunts before bounding away off the railing and into the dark, biting into the banana along the way.
Dante had to chuckle at the scene. His first real native fauna sighting and he hadn’t even been on the game drive yet.
“I’m very sorry, Prince Dante. That vervet is a nuisance around here. This is much later than he’s usually out. All the noise and commotion must have roused him.”
Dante could relate. “I might have the same problem,” he told the other man. “Speaking of which, you must be tired too.”
Banti rubbed a palm over his face. “Yes, it has been a rather long day.”
Dante gestured to the cushioned wicker chair next to him. “Have a seat.”
Banti obliged with a weary sigh. “Thank you.”
“Do you live here at the lodge?” Dante asked.
The other man shook his head. “No, I live in a village about six kilometers from here. I am usually home much earlier. But today was a special day. I was needed here at the lodge.”
Dante felt a twinge of guilt. “Sorry to have been part of the reason that kept you from home. And from your family.”
A wide smile spread over Banti’s face at the last word. True affection flooded his features.
“Tell me about them,” Dante prodded.
His grin grew wider. “I married the girl I fancied since I was a child. The smartest, prettiest girl in the village. So talented too. She weaves blankets that are true works of art. I’m so lucky she chose me.”
Banti’s love as he spoke of his spouse was so clear, it was nearly palpable. He was a lucky man, indeed. “Any children?”
He nodded. “A girl almost seven. Bosses me around like she’s the parent.” Laughter laced his voice as he spoke. “And a little boy. Just turned three.” He reached in his back pocket. “Here, let me show you.”
Pulling out his phone, Banti tapped the screen and scrolled a few times before extending the device toward Dante to show him a photo of a smiling woman holding a colorful blanket with a look of clear accomplishment across her face.
Banti scrolled once more to call up another photo. This one showed Banti with a small boy cradled in his arms and the same woman next to him, her hand resting on the shoulder of a little girl who stood between them both. The children had Banti’s smile.
A picture-perfect family.
“You really are lucky as you said, my friend.” Dante said the thought aloud this time.
The other man’s grin suddenly faded. “I’m sorry. I should not go on like this. I know you lost your wife not long ago.”
Dante nodded. “About two years now.”
“I’m sorry,” Banti repeated.
“No need to apologize,” Dante reassured him, sorry that the conversation had turned to such a depressing one.
He never quite knew what to say when it came to his talking about his marriage, disastrous as it was. In more ways than one.
* * *
The lightheartedness of just a moment ago had vanished completely. Banti sat staring at him, his eyes warm with compassion. Mixed with a good portion of pity, no doubt. Dante was pitied the world over for having lost his spouse so soon after the marriage ceremony of the decade. A true debacle most of the world had watched. Rula had wrangled the publicity personally at great effort. Effort that had paid off. For a small island kingdom people barely thought about, their nuptials had been broadcast far and wide across the world. Exactly as Rula had wanted. He had indulged her, simply because he didn’t care enough not to. Let her have the attention and limelight she wanted so badly. Dante had no doubt worldwide interest would fade quickly enough. And it had. Until the announcement that Rula was gone, having died tragically in a car accident in the Italian Alps.
“I recall it was an automobile accident, right?” Banti asked before Dante could come up with a way to change the subject. Apparently, he wanted to know more. Or maybe he thought he was doing Dante a favor by giving him a chance to talk about his lost wife. Given the other man’s warm personality, Dante was guessing it was the latter. He did his best to find the words that seemed to satisfy the curiosity of those who asked.
“That’s right,” he answered. “She was on holiday to visit friends.” The lie came so easily now after two years of telling it. Hell, he almost believed it himself.
The truth was much more sinister. Rula hadn’t been in the Italian Alps to visit friends. She’d been there because she was leaving him.
He hadn’t been able to love his wife enough to have her stay with him. And it had cost her everything.
But neither Banti, nor the rest of the world, needed to know that. So he continued to tell the lie. “She was out for a drive when she lost control of her car. There’s speculation a falling boulder might have been the catalyst.”
Banti blew out a low whistle. “My sympathies, man.”
“Thank you,” he replied.
Like countless times before when the topic came up, Dante would leave it at that. Of course, he couldn’t divulge the whole story. The details that Sierra didn’t even know. Details like the fact that his wife wasn’t alone at the time of the accident. In fact, she’d been in the company of one of his most trusted advisers. The man had asked for an emergency leave the day before for “private reasons.”
No, Dante wasn’t going to share any of those details with Banti. It was a miracle that the press hadn’t found out. Dante guessed it was enough of a story that the fantasy marriage of a royal couple had so tragically come to an abrupt end.
He supposed one day the truth might come out, but he’d worry about that when and if it ever happened.
“It must be difficult to carry out your royal duties without a partner.”
“Thank you, Banti,” he answered. Somehow the man sitting next to him now seemed more like a friend even though they’d met merely hours ago. “But I’m not quite ready to move on romantically. Not for a while.”
“I understand. I’m sure your heart is still broken.”
Dante ignored that. “Let’s just say my wife would be a hard act to follow as the future queen of Nocera.”
* * *
She must not have closed the netting over her bed all the way. Left a gap somewhere despite the miles of fabric draped over the canopy. Because there was definitely something in there with her, buzzing around and feasting on her skin. Sierra uttered a mild curse and kicked off the thin sheet covering with her feet. So much for getting some much-needed sleep.
Crawling out of bed to go look for some type of lotion, she heard the low rumblings of male voices outside. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one still awake. Maybe there was someone out there who could help find some kind of balm for the itchy spots on her legs from the all the bug bites. Leaving her room, she made her way to the patio in the direction of the voices. Then nearly turned around when she noticed who it was out there and heard the last thing he’d said to his companion. Dante.
...my wife would be a hard act to follow...
Sierra started to pivot—she could deal with the itchiness until morning. Too late; he must have sensed her presence as he immediately stood. “Sierra? Is everything all right?” It took her a moment to answer, too distracted by the way his eyes roamed over her from head to toe. A silky tank and loose boy shorts that fell just below her thighs comprised her usual sleep attire. In this moment, she wished she was wearing something a tad less revealing. Why hadn’t she thought to grab a robe?
“Yes,” she finally answered. “I just seem to have a few bug bites. I was wondering if there might be some type of lotion available. To help with the itching.”
Dante’s gaze traveled over her once more. “Well, I can tell you your first problem.”
“What would that be?”
He gestured toward her middle. “The color you’re wearing. Tsetse flies are attracted to colorful clothing. That deep red is certainly colorful.”
“I don’t think what I’m wearing is much of the issue. Apparently, many beings find me fun to dine on.”
A wolfish smirk appeared on his lips before he tightened them closed. Heaven help her, she’d noticed before he’d done so.
Banti broke through the tension that seemed to have thickened the air around them. “I have something you can use. I’ll go get it. Though I have to warn you, it smells pretty bad.”
She gave him a grateful nod. “Small price to pay. I’ll come with you to get it.”
No way she was going to stand out here alone with Dante a minute longer, his words from before echoing through her head. The image of the hungry expression on his face seared into her mind.
CHAPTER FIVE
SIERRA AWOKE THE next morning and scrunched her nose to the offensive stench that permeated the room. Banti hadn’t been kidding about his remedy for the bites smelling bad. A complete understatement as far as she was concerned. Still, it had done the trick, allowing her to finally get some sleep. Restless as it was.
She’d been hounded by vivid dreams all night. Not quite nightmares but unsettling just the same. Images of her dancing around a large fire that grew and grew until the flames licked her legs. Her darting away from the heat only to fall into Dante’s arms. He set her down immediately then reached for a golden crown that had materialized on her head before walking away, leaving her to evade the flames on her own.
Wow. A heck of a dream, one she didn’t need a psychology degree to infer the symbolism behind.
Sierra shook her head briskly to push away the images. Her imagination was in full active mode, which made sense; she was a creative professional after all. But at times like this it could be quite disruptive to her peace of mind.
Right. As if any part of this trip had been at all peaceful in any way. Today would probably be no different. Given that she and Dante would be attending their first game drive together. Of course, they would be in the company of the others, with Banti as their tour guide. Still. Why did everyone around them seem to be narrowing to a distance whenever she was in his company?
...my wife would be a hard act follow...
The sentiment wasn’t surprising. The truth was, Rula was in a class all by herself. She always had been. Classically beautiful, and she’d always made sure to stay fit and trim. With a charming wit to boot. Of course, Dante wasn’t going to get over her anytime soon. Sierra had never bothered to compare herself to the bright star that had been her dear friend. There wouldn’t have been any point.
Sierra sighed and turned on the shower. There was no point in dwelling on any of this either. Once this trip was over, she could go back to her life in New York, try to make a real name for herself on the fashion scene. Everything would go back to normal. The fact that she’d already come up with new designs as a result of being here was icing on the cake.
She’d just shut off the shower and thrown on her clothes when a knock sounded on the door. Sierra glanced at the digital clock on the wall. Unless something about the plans had changed, she wasn’t running late.
The person on the other side came as a surprise. The reporter. What was her name again? Cathryn? Caitlin? Katy? Something along those lines. “Yes? Can I help you?” Sierra asked, genuinely curious as to what this unexpected visit might be about.
Cathryn/Caitlin/Katy ducked her head before answering. “Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to catch you before breakfast. Do you have a minute to chat?”
Sierra immediately began to protest. “Any official statement—”
The other woman cut her off. “This is strictly off the record.”
Sierra hesitated before opening the door wider to let the other woman in, out of curiosity more than anything else. She motioned for her to sit down at the settee in the center of the room, then took a seat on the wooden chair across from her.
“I don’t mean to intrude, Ms. Compari.” She actually looked nervous, further piquing Sierra’s curiosity.
“Call me Sierra, please.”
She smiled before saying, “Thanks. Please call me Cathryn.”
That was one mystery solved. Now, to discover the reason for this visit.
“What is it that I can do for you, Cathryn?”
“Well, I’m a little embarrassed to even bring this up, but girl code.”
Okay. That did nothing to clear up the reason she was here. “I’m sorry, girl code?”
The color rose in her cheeks, accented by her fair skin and reddish blond hair. Sierra was right, whatever Cathryn was here for, she was more than a little embarrassed by it.
“You know, I just want to be sure that I’m not stepping on another woman’s toes. Or intruding on her territory.”
What in the world was this woman talking about? Toes? Territory?
Then it snapped into place in her mind. Sierra felt her jaw drop as realization dawned. Dante. This visit was about Dante. Her suspicion was confirmed a moment later by the other woman’s next question. “Is there anything—” she hesitated just a moment before pressing on “—anything romantic between you and the crown prince? Again, strictly off the record.”
Sierra’s mouth went dry as she tried to figure out a way to answer.
“I’m asking for personal reasons.” Cathryn stated the obvious.
“I see,” was the best Sierra could come up with in response.
Cathryn held her hands up. “I mean, I know it can’t be anything serious. He is a royal, after all. But I wanted to make sure that you wouldn’t be—”
Sierra didn’t need further explanation. “A fling then?”
The other woman nodded slowly. “Can you imagine? An ordinary gal like me with an actual prince? That would make for a memory of a lifetime.”
“I have no doubt.”
“And before you say this isn’t very professional of me, I just want to clarify that once I file this piece, I’ll still have a few days here. On my personal time.”
A storm of conflicting emotions rushed through Sierra. The most prominent one, she didn’t even want to acknowledge—a stinging bite of jealousy. Pure and strong. Which made no sense. She had no claim to Dante. No right to feel even the slightest bit possessive. He was perfectly entitled to a fling with a journalist if he so desired. Consenting adults and all. So why was she finding it so impossible to just answer the simple question? Of course, she and Dante had nothing between them. Why in the world had this woman even speculated that she had to ask?
“But I wanted to make sure to ask you about it first.”
Say something! Other than what she wanted to say most, that Dante held a special place in her heart that no one else had ever been able to fill. That she’d left her home kingdom and moved a world away rather than watch him make a life with the friend she considered a sister.
No, she couldn’t say any of those things. She could barely admit it all to herself.
“No. There is nothing between the prince and myself. Feel free to make your move, Cathryn.”
* * *
