Second Chance with His Princess, page 15
“Did it really surprise you when I phoned you the day after Vincenzo’s wedding?”
“Yes. I wanted you to. I prayed for it, but after ten years... Since then I’ve learned a lot more about you. When you proposed to me in the tent and told me you’d given up your title, I began to hope that your love was here to stay forever.”
“It is, and I want you to love me all over again, day and night. Do we have to go anywhere else on our honeymoon?”
“Not if you’d rather stay here.”
“You know I do. But how do you feel? Tell me honestly, Luca.”
“I’ve been waiting for you to beg me to stay right here until we have to go home.” He moved the tray to the table and got back in bed, half covering her with his body. “I’m addicted to you, my wife—every part of you. Ti amo!” he cried.
Luca devoured her with his mouth and rolled her on top of him. He needed to feel her arms and legs around him again, enclosing him as they once again began the age-old ritual that sent them soaring as one.
The hours passed. “You’re so beautiful, no words can describe you. Love me, Bella. Always love me. I’m nothing without you.” He covered her face and throat with kisses. “These past weeks of waiting came close to driving me mad. I’ve always had to love you from afar. But now we’re married for eternity, and I can worship you with my body until the end of time.”
“I love your body, Luca Torriani. I love your heart, your mind. Out of all the women in the world, I’m the most blessed one of all to be your wife.”
He kissed her hungrily. “You’re my very soul, Bella.”
* * *
If you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Rebecca Winters
The Greek’s Secret Heir
Unmasking the Secret Prince
Reclaiming the Prince’s Heart
Falling for the Baldasseri Prince
All available now!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Whisked into the Billionaire’s World by Nina Singh
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Whisked into the Billionaire’s World
by Nina Singh
CHAPTER ONE
SHE JUST COULDN’T do it. She couldn’t allow this couple to tie the knot.
Clairey Robi knew she would lose her job for what she was about to do. But the two people in question had no business getting married. The results would be too toxic.
And there was a child involved.
She’d been on the fence until she thought about the child. Given what Clairey had herself dealt with growing up, how could she risk what might happen to the little girl? Still, what she was about to do was rather daunting. And she was just starting to like this job. Plus, she needed it badly. Really badly. Clairey was at the level of broke where she was actually being charged for it. The bank kept imposing fees on her measly account for insufficient funds. What a racket that was.
Determined, she brushed all those annoying thoughts aside and continued across the resort lobby, aware that the havoc that she was about to cause was sure to wreak havoc in her own life for years to come.
The sound of sharp, pointed heels sounded behind her. Tessa Gilman was striding next to her a moment later.
“You still determined to go through with this?” the other woman asked. They’d discussed Clairey’s quandary at breakfast in the resort’s outdoor café by the pool area.
“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t.” That was the absolute truth. How different might her own life have been if someone had ever bothered to step up for her? If there’d been someone who’d cared enough?
But there hadn’t been.
She couldn’t just stand by and watch another child potentially go through what she herself had.
Tess frowned but Clairey didn’t slow her steps. If she hesitated now, she might not go through with it at all. “I hope you know what you’re doing.” Tessa elongated the final word into three syllables.
“Of course I don’t. I tossed and turned all night with the decision. Agonized over it.” That was no exaggeration. Clairey’s eyes stung, red from her restless night.
“Okay,” Tessa answered. “As long as you’re prepared for Louis’s reaction. He’s going to be livid.”
Clairey cringed at the mention of her boss’s name. The man was a grump in a sales-rack suit on the best of days.
“I know,” Clairey answered, but she kept walking at her steady rate toward the secondary conference room.
Tessa for some reason felt the need to drive home her very obvious point and kept talking. “He is absolutely going to fire you. And it’s not like he’ll give you any kind of recommendation to help you get another job.”
Clairey sighed. Why was Tessa repeating all this? They’d gotten into all of the unpleasant outcomes this morning at breakfast. The fact that she’d be out of a job with no real prospects of finding another one anytime soon was one of the major reasons for her hours-long insomnia last night.
“Why do you feel so strongly about this?” she asked.
The question gave Clairey pause. Tessa knew why. Maybe not the full story but enough of the overall gist.
Clairey had no interest in dredging up the devastating memories. Especially not now with what she was about to do.
To make matters worse, the timing was just so off: just when she thought she might be able to save enough money to be able to stop crashing on Tessa’s couch and find a place of her own. That clearly wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. Not with all the student loans she had to pay off.
Best to just get this over with. She made it to the double doors of the meeting room by the concierge desk and pulled them wide open, then stepped inside with a deep, fortifying breath. Seven pairs of curious eyes immediately whipped in her direction.
Okay. Maybe the entrance had been a bit dramatic. But even a moment’s hesitation might have caused her to delay or perhaps even change her mind altogether.
She turned to Tessa for some support and courage but only saw her friend’s back as the other woman made a hasty retreat down the wide corridor back toward the main lobby.
So much for friendly support. With another deep breath, Clairey stepped into the room and pulled the doors shut behind her.
The seven in attendance sat around a conference table, various binders and loose papers strewn about its surface. Seven? Why was there someone else among the group? The bride, her mother, the groom, the photographer, the florist and their wedding planner. As for the other gentleman, Clairey couldn’t guess who he was. She’d never seen him before.
Clairey’s gaze fell to the one unexpected attendee. And she had trouble regaining her focus.
The man was almost unnaturally handsome. Jet-black wavy hair that framed a face of tanned olive skin, his eyes the color of warm amber. His suit jacket hung over the back of his chair.
And he was staring right at her with intense scrutiny.
Who in the world was he? She’d thought she’d met every member of the wedding party. And she absolutely would have remembered meeting this man.
“Clairey?” Emma, the bride’s mother finally addressed her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize we were expecting you for this meeting.”
Clairey managed to somehow tear her face away from Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome. Not that it was easy.
“I’m not here for the meeting,” she finally answered once she’d found her voice.
“Then, why are you here?” Danielle, the bride, asked.
Here it was. The moment of no return. “To tell you that I strongly believe tomorrow shouldn’t happen.”
* * *
The woman certainly knew how to make an entrance. Drexel Osoman stilled in the act of signing his name to yet another check, made out to the florist this time, and studied the meeting-crasher.
She looked more than ready for a fight.
And what she’d just said certainly qualified as fighting words. Had she really just declared that tomorrow’s wedding should not go forward? His soon-to-be sister-in-law scowled across the table. “I’m sorry. Is this some kind of joke?”
Drex realized just how anxious the young woman was. Clairey the bride’s mother had called her. She was shaking visibly, her fists clenched tight at her sides. Her eyes were wide with apprehension.
Yet, she was clearly still determined to go through with what she’d come in here to do.
Drex couldn’t help but be impressed.
She shook her head now with a brisk movement that sent her wavy chestnut curls bouncing. “No. It’s no joke. I’ve come here to say I strongly object to the two of you getting married.”
An audible and collective gasp echoed throughout the room. Her eyes seemed to have landed on him as she finished her sentence. As if looking for some confirmation or support from his direction. As much as Drex agreed with her, it wasn’t as if he could actually say so.
She continued. “I think doing so would be a terrible mistake that would only lead to unnecessary suffering.”
Wow. That was rather direct. Another round of gasps followed her words.
Drex took a moment to study her. She was...striking. It was the first word that came to mind. Her long dark hair cascaded down her elegant shoulders. Grayish-blue eyes outlined in dark charcoal. Smooth, tanned skin. She looked like she could be an extra in one of those old Hollywood films about Cleopatra.
No. Strike that. This woman was no extra. She would definitely be the lead. He gave a shake of his head. What was wrong with him? He had more pressing matters at the moment than this woman’s notable looks.
Drex leaned back in his chair and scanned the others in the room. One by one, they all seemed to turn in his direction with clear expectation.
How and why had he become the decider on exactly what to do about the current scenario? He’d only arrived at the crack of dawn this morning, for heaven’s sake.
The meeting with his overseas partner-to-be had not gone well. The man was culturally traditional and didn’t want to budge on any of the more modern ideas for the project. It had taken all of Drex’s wits and willpower to maintain a steady resolve with the negotiations. All he wanted now was a long shower and a chance to catch up on some of his other demands. He really was in no mood for any of this.
But seeing as he’d found himself in the middle of some kind of strange standoff with no real resolution in sight, it was clear he was going to have to take the lead here. Putting his pen down with a resigned sigh, Drex cleared his throat.
“I’ve just arrived, Miss...?”
“Robi. My name is Clairey Robi,” she supplied.
“Ms. Robi. I’m Drexel Osoman. The groom’s older brother.”
She made some sort of small movement with her shoulders, not quite a shrug.
Drex continued. “I was due here earlier but have been busy with a rather complex business deal and couldn’t get here until near dawn this morning.” If the irritation he felt was evident in his voice, there was nothing for it. He didn’t need all this drama on top of everything else happening in his life at the moment. “May I ask, what exactly is the issue here?”
She sucked in a breath. “It’s like I said earlier, Mr. Osoman.”
“Call me Drexel, please. Or Drex.”
She visibly swallowed. “It’s like I said earlier,” she repeated. “I strongly object to the marriage moving forward. I know I’m merely a stranger here—”
Drexel cut her off once more. “Indeed, you are.”
She flinched ever so slightly. “I’m aware. But I needed to let my feelings be known.”
Drexel steepled his fingers in front of him on the table. Clearly, the woman had some sort of delusions about her opinion mattering to anyone in the room. Nevertheless, Drex was slowly starting to put the puzzle pieces together to form a comprehensive picture. Starting with that easy corner piece. That piece being how well he knew his brother.
She really was quite attractive. It didn’t take a genius to surmise that his brother must have indulged in one last dalliance before his impending nuptials. And now the codallier was too enthralled and smitten to see Chase tie himself to another woman.
Chase never did make anything easy on himself. Or on Drexel for that matter.
“Objections are usually reserved for the ceremony, are they not?” he asked. “When the officiant asks whether there are any. You know, Speak now or forever...well, you know.” Not that doing it that way would have been less disruptive. But Drex was trying to get a feel for what exactly her thinking was.
Another brisk shake of her head. “Of course I know. But I’m not invited to the wedding. I have to do it now.”
Drexel couldn’t help the curious spark of admiration he felt at her answer. She was determined to go through with this calamity, despite how nervous she clearly was. “I see.”
She forged ahead. “Obviously, no one has to listen. And obviously, people have the right to do what they want.” She motioned to his brother and his bride. “But I have to say my piece. And hope someone listens.”
“And that is what, exactly?”
Maybe he was being too indulgent: he really should politely but firmly take her by the elbow and escort her out at this point. But heaven help him, he wanted to hear what she had to say.
* * *
Clairey tried to clamp down on her nervousness. She hadn’t expected another person to be in the room, but he was clearly in charge. The others seated around the table seemed to think so, anyway. They were all staring at him, waiting for his direction. Even the bride and groom themselves.
“Ms. Robi,” he prompted her now.
Oh, yes, he’d asked her a question, hadn’t he? What was it again? Seeming to sense her struggle, he repeated it. “Perhaps you’d like to tell us exactly what your concerns are with regard to this union.” He motioned to the couple seated across him.
Clairey noticed for the first time the wide-eyed panic in the bride’s eyes. She’d gone a marble shade of pale. The look she directed at Clairey was clear: Please don’t do this.
Once again, Clairey felt the inklings of doubt and hesitated. She didn’t want to ruin anyone’s reputation, but the things the bride had told her last night in her drunken state could not be ignored in good conscience. Still, she wasn’t going to divulge the other woman’s ramblings outright. She had to tread carefully here.
She licked her lips, which had suddenly gone desert-dry. She scrambled to find the right combination of words. The things the bride had told her last night had been divulged in confidence, as awful as they were. Clairey hated to think she was betraying that confidence, but what choice did she have?
As common a cliché as the horrible stepmother was in various fairy tales and folklore, life was more complicated than that. Danielle really seemed to be in over her head as far as the prospect of parenting a young child.
Unlike Clairey’s own stepparent, the woman didn’t seem to harbor real ill will. Rather, Clairey sensed she was nervous and apprehensive about the vast responsibility about to be foisted on her.
“Um... I don’t think the couple have thought through exactly what a life change marriage might be for everyone involved. Everyone.”
Dear God, she knew she sounded downright ditzy.
A peal of laughter erupted from the bride’s mother. The photographer coughed into his hand. As loud as it all was, Clairey could hear the nervous breathing from Danielle.
Clairey swallowed and forced herself to continue. “It takes more than a wedding ceremony to make someone a stepparent. I’m not sure the couple has thought that through.” It was as close to specific as she was willing to get at the moment in front of everyone.
“This is ridiculous,” the bride’s mother declared. “Drexel, surely you don’t intend to indulge this...this...twit any longer.”
Ouch. That one hit home. Being called names was nothing new for her. She’d been called that and many other similar slurs throughout the years. Only, right now, she did feel rather like a twit. Albeit a twit with good intentions.
“Look,” she began, “I just think these two would be better off maybe rethinking the wedding. I would just hate to see anyone hurt.” Particularly one five-year-old girl with strawberry-red corkscrew curls and a wide smile with two missing teeth.
The man who called himself Drexel rose slightly in his chair at her last word. “What do you mean by hurt?”
She should have used a different word. She clearly had his attention. Before, he’d been eyeing her with a mild curiosity. But there was nothing mild about the expression he had right now.
At her silence, he added, “That’s quite a thing to say, Miss Robi. Surely, you don’t mean hurt in the physical sense?”
“No!” she answered right away. Though there really wasn’t any way to be certain, now, was there?
Besides, physical hurt wasn’t the only way a child could be severely damaged. As she knew firsthand.
Someone in the room swore; another released an exasperated sigh. Neither one being the groom. Surprisingly, he wasn’t saying much at all, just glancing over at his brother as if seeking guidance. For heaven’s sake, the man couldn’t even come up with anything to say. He really had no business getting married without considering all the ramifications.
Clairey summoned all the courage she could muster. She had to get through this. “I’ve simply ascertained, over the course of my dealings with both the bride and groom throughout the week, that perhaps they are rushing into this marriage. I’m not sure either one has really thought it through. And there is a child to consider in all this.”
