Chapter Seventeen

Elias knew his three-person team was unobtrusively providing protection for the princess. On top of that, Kelsey’s true identity was still on lockdown. And her strong resemblance to Princess Genevieve was obscured by a long red wig, enormous sunglasses, and an oversized floppy sun hat. That didn’t stop him from scanning the evening crowd as they walked along the river. Vigilance was second nature to him.

Until he scanned down to the river, where they were reflected in the glassy water. Then his instincts as a bodyguard took second place to his instincts as a boyfriend. “I don’t like the outfit Mallory picked for you to wear tonight.”

“Why not?” Kelsey shrugged, which sent the off-the-shoulder ruffled blue top sliding even farther south of her collarbone. “I don’t look at all like a princess, right?”

“No, you most certainly do not,” he growled. Micro-white shorts exposed miles of leg down to high-wedged sandals with little leather flowers. She looked sexy. Edible. Tempting.

When what she ought to radiate was a “don’t touch me” vibe. Unapproachable. Don’t even have a passing thought because my boyfriend who has been trained in sixteen ways to kill a man with just his hands will get jealous…

“That works, since I still don’t feel like a princess.” Kelsey stage-whispered the last word, cupping her hand around her mouth and not quite hiding a grin. Which just made her even more adorable.

But maybe he could turn this into a useful conversation. Part of tonight’s planned lesson. Casually, he asked, “What’s a princess supposed to feel like?”

She gripped the old-fashioned, wrought iron light pole with both hands. It was topped with a glass lantern and a black crown that matched—in miniature—the official state crown used in coronations. “Wise. Caring. Just. Patient. Kind. An extension of your people.”

“You’re describing a saint.” It was hilarious, how far from the truth it was. The public might put them up on a pedestal, but Elias knew all too well that the Villanis were merely people. Ones with problems and heartache and worries like everyone else in the kingdom. “I can’t speak for your sister, but I know your brother wishes he had far more of those traits. Especially when he loses to me at darts. The only one he thinks he’s nailed is caring.”

“Well, he’s not king yet,” she said.

“I doubt the king feels all those things, either. The royals try. They work at it. Their commitment to caring is the key. And you’re a natural at that.”

Planting one foot on the base of the pole, she spun around it in a wide circle. “I don’t know who I’m supposed to care for. Or about. I only know Americans. Their grit and independence. A streak of ‘we can do anything’ a mile wide.”

He caught her by the waist and lifted her high overhead, continuing to turn as she laughed in joy. Didn’t even worry about what the rest of the detail would think. Their convenient cover tonight was to “pretend” to be on a date.

Marko’s idea. For which Elias owed him a very nice bottle of vodka.

Elias set her down. Then he pulled the hat a little lower over her face. “That’s part of the reason behind tonight’s excursion. You’ve been sheltered in the palace. No wonder you haven’t connected to the citizens of this country.”

“I never thought I’d want out of a palace, but I’m thrilled to be in a noisy crowd, on the street, sucking down scooter fumes.” Kelsey tipped her head back, holding her floppy brim with her fingers, and inhaled deeply.

Okay, that was weird, but still adorable, which just showed how completely gone over her he was. And ignoring his feelings for the princess was like trying to ignore gravity. It was simply there, whether you acknowledged it or not. Still, he was pissed at his lack of self-control at falling for Kelsey in the first place.

So his response came out terse. “We call them motorbikes.”

“Potato, potahtoe. They’re painted in sherbet pastels. Pale green, pink, peach. No self-respecting motorcycle would put down its kickstand next to one of them.”

Amused again, he asked, “Would you prefer it black and painted with flames? Or skulls?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t be brave enough to ride it. But it would be bad-ass. Very fun to watch.”

“Well, I brought you here to watch something else.” Elias led her up the slope of the double-story stone bridge. The height at its apex gave a perfect view of the town square in front of the towering pink cathedral.

Kelsey did a double take as the wall of sound hit them from the enormous crowd. “Wow, there are a ton of people down there.”

“Indeed. Do you see they brought picnics, children?”

“Is it a festival?”

“Ha. Of a sort. See those people on the steps of the cathedral? They’re here to talk about what happens if Moncriano joins the European Union.”

“A debate?”

Her American-ness was showing. Elias firmly believed they had a better system. “No. A debate turns into an argument, or worse, a shouting match.”

Kelsey shrugged. “That’s politics.”

“Where you used to live, definitely. Tonight?” He pointed. “There are five main speakers. Each gets equal time to speak their piece. Then anyone else can stand up and share their own views. No interruptions.”

Her jaw dropped. “Seriously? Hundreds of people are giving up a beautiful summer evening to listen to fervent monologues that either pro or con joining the European Union?”

“Not just here. It’s happening every night this week in the six biggest cities in Moncriano. The crowds will be just as big at every location.”

“If I saw it in a movie, I wouldn’t believe it.” Kelsey tapped her temples and then exploded out her fingers. “You’re blowing my mind a little right now.”

“Good. I thought it’d make an impression on you.” It was satisfying to hear the awe in her voice, see the spark in her eyes. For his people. For their people.

She laid a hand on his crisp white shirt. Worry knitted her brows together. “Will it stay peaceful?”

“If history is any measure, then yes. These people aren’t grumpy at doing their duty. They’re making a night of it, listening to all sides, all opinions offered, because they want to do what’s best for Moncriano.”

Was he coming on too strong? Elias didn’t have the luxury of taking baby steps. Kelsey’s two-week deadline was almost up.

Christian had asked him to show Kelsey why she should stay. This gathering wasn’t the waterfalls at Mount Llubejc, or a concert in the high meadows. Those things were merely pretty wrapping.

What she watched now was the beating heart of the kingdom.

Elias hoped it was enough.

“Everyone’s wearing blue and white. Everyone.” With a laugh, Kelsey plucked at her top. “Even me, accidentally.”

“They are the colors of our flag.”

Her hands flew to cover her mouth. “Oh. I didn’t know. That’s silly, isn’t it? It feels like a basic, like the Pledge of Allegiance…which I don’t even know if you have something similar here. I’m failing at Princess one-oh-one.”

Elias slapped the wide stone railing with his palm. No wonder she hadn’t realized. Everything in Alcarsa Palace was the purple of the royal standard. How could he make her understand a lifetime of devotion to the realm, when she didn’t know as much as a child entering primary school?

He picked her up and sat her on the railing. Now only the few pedestrians passing them on the bridge could see her face. Elias couldn’t resist the instinct to minimize the admittedly slim risk. “You aren’t failing. If anything, we’re all failing you. Jamming centuries-old history down your throat. Telling you how to address servants and soldiers. None of that matters until you know the people.”

“You mean the ones I’m not allowed to interact with at all?” she said drily. Because it had been a battle to even get Kelsey out of the palace tonight. The prime minister herself had tried to stop it once she caught wind of the plan.

Elias wasn’t sure if it was out of concern for the princess’s safety, or more because Skeggit’s self-importance insisted that she be on the dais when Kelsey was revealed to the world. He’d been forced to go to Christian to get permission to spring her.

If anything happened to the princess, it would be on him.

“I’m sorry. You’ve no idea how much negotiation it took to give you this glimpse.”

“I’m sorry for being snippy.” Kelsey craned around to look down at the river. “This is beautiful. The old buildings, with such bright shutters and trim in all the colors of the rainbow. The cobblestones underfoot. It’s like I stepped into the pages of a fairy tale. Something I never aspired to, trust me, but I love it.”

“Good.”

She twisted back to stare at the crowd, still growing even as the first speaker had begun. “They care so much,” she murmured.

“National pride is strong here. Love of country and love of the royal family go hand in hand; for to us, they’re one and the same. I wanted you to see it now, when you aren’t being treated as royalty. So that you’d know their passion has nothing to do with protocol.”

“Thank you for bringing me.” Kelsey flattened her palm over her heart. “I feel it. Truly. For the first time.”

Good, because it wasn’t safe to linger out here with her. Now they could move on to the part of the evening that wasn’t about Moncrinao and monarchs. It was solely for the two of them.

Elias lifted her down. “I think you’ll like the next view even more. Someplace where you can watch people like you wanted to in New York.”

“People watch,” she corrected with a shake of her finger. “You got it backward.”

Please. He didn’t feel at all bad about one tiny stumble in all the time they’d spent together. “Once you start talking to me in my language, then you can pick at my idioms.”

“That could take forever. I’ve never learned a language before.” Kelsey pulled her sunglasses down her nose to look up at him sideways from beneath fluttery lashes. “Maybe twenty-five is too old to start?”

“Nice try. But we both know you’re smarter than that.” Off the bridge, he led her down the hill that led to the sea.

She spun in a circle, arms raised. “How about it’s difficult because of all the other new information I’m simultaneously trying to learn?”

“More believable. Enough that I won’t hassle you about it tonight, anyway.”

“Wherever you’re taking me, thank you in advance for the people watching.” Kelsey lifted the brim of her hat with both hands. “You really listen to me, don’t you?”

Those violet eyes bored straight into his heart and soul. Kelsey saw through to the real Elias. Not the son reclaiming his father’s honor. Not the cloak of duty he wore like armor. Of course he listened to her. Soaked her up like a sponge, was more like it.

“It is my sincere pleasure to do so, Your Highness.”

…

Energy pulsed through Kelsey’s body.

All her senses were heightened. The sea breeze coming into the cave grotto whispered over her skin like a caress. Laughter and chatter and clinking china created a busy music for her ears. Garlic, tomatoes, and meat mingled in a rich scent that set her stomach rumbling.

It could be the eye-poppingly romantic location of a restaurant in a cave halfway down a cliff over the ocean. It could be the freedom of finally being outside palace walls for the first time since leaving the airport. It could be the residual adrenaline of feeling the passion of her people.

But Kelsey knew those were all merely adjacent to the real reason.

Elias.

His thoughtfulness. His strength. His tenderness. The dry humor that was all the more enjoyable because it was so unexpected, with the serious mask he so often wore. His unwavering commitment to his king, country, and to her.

That was just about the sexiest thing ever.

It was impossible to decide about assuming her role in the royal family, staying in Moncriano, without now factoring in Elias. Because the thought of not seeing him again after next week…well, she couldn’t picture it. Which was crazy. But with him on bodyguard duty, they’d spent practically all day, every day together, and now several nights. They’d probably spent more time together than most couples who’d been dating for a month.

She wanted him. It was that basic. Like breathing.

And she simply couldn’t wait.

Kelsey pulled down the wine menu he’d been studying. “You said they store all their wine in another cave?”

“Yes. It keeps it naturally chilled.”

“I’ve never seen a wine cave. Do you think we could look at it—select our wine amongst the bottles?”

His dark eyebrows shot up his forehead. “Are you finally calling in a princess perk? Asking for special treatment?”

“Perhaps.” This was risky, stupid. But damn it, she might not have many moments left with Elias. So she was seizing this one. Kelsey leaned across the table, voice low. “Or perhaps it’s just that I’d like to give you some special treatment.”

A vein popped along his neck as his jaw tightened. “You can’t mean what I think you do.”

Kelsey removed her hat. Then she fluffed out her fun red hair, toying with the end of one very long strand that brushed the top of her breast. “Hmmm. Maybe it’s a language barrier thing. The only way to know for sure is to take me to the wine cave.”

Elias spoke into the microphone on his watch, presumably giving a heads-up to the team. The whole time his eyes stayed locked on hers. “Stay here,” he ordered. Then he almost jumped out of his seat and stalked over to the maître d’s podium.

She looked down at the rest of the restaurant. The sound of the surf made background music unnecessary. Small lanterns hung over each table. Their flickering glow illuminated jewelry on almost every female patron that shocked Kelsey with its sparkle. It made her realize that these people were very wealthy. This restaurant, undoubtedly, very exclusive.

Kelsey didn’t belong here. And yet, this was the world they expected her to inhabit, that she was told was her birthright.

Yes, the people watching was tremendous, but she’d expected to do it while eating a dollar slice of pizza, with the faint skittering of mice in the walls rather than crashing waves against the rocks. How was she supposed to fit in? Feel like anything more than an observer? An outsider?

There was every chance her jewelry drawer in the palace had diamond earrings and emerald necklaces as nice or finer than the ones she saw below. But if she’d been wearing one right now, it wouldn’t make a difference. She still wouldn’t deserve to be here. Deserve to mingle with the glitterati of freaking Europe.

Her mind wouldn’t stop circling back to the absurdity of the situation being reversed—of people, once they knew she was royal, coming here to watch her.

The people in the square, having picnics while they listened to politicians. Those people she could imagine fitting in with. Ordinary people. Kelsey was just a girl from Michigan whose only claim to fame was admittedly mad graphic-design skills. That was the only way she’d ever pigeonholed herself.

Now that label had been ripped away from her.

So who was she? Really?

The more time she spent in the palace only made her feel more like an imposter. Yes, she was starting to feel ties to her family. As a daughter, sister, niece, yes. A princess, though? One whom an entire realm looked up to?

Not at all.

What would her family say if she let down the country? If, once the citizens got to know her, or even found out she was American, they called her out for not being good enough? Not royal enough?

Damn it, her one-track brain was spoiling this special night. Kelsey refused to spiral out about this any further. Two a.m. was a much better time to freak-out. She reached for the mineral water they’d ordered. But before she took a sip, Elias reappeared.

“Follow me. You can leave your things on the table.” He led her down the steps to the main terrace, then down a hallway to an elevator. Once inside, Elias inserted a keycard to access the lowest level. And took her hand as soon as the doors shut.

His touch smoothed away the last of her ill-timed introspection. “How’d you arrange this? Did you tell them I’m the princess?”

“No.” He snorted at the mere suggestion. “Definitely not. I’ve been here many times with Prince Christian. The maître d knows me and agreed to a private tour.”

“Impressively smooth.” The doors opened, and she goggled at the cragginess of the natural cave walls. Elias had to prompt her to step out.

A small wooden door with a glass window required another pass of the keycard to enter. Then it was floor-to-ceiling racks and racks of bottles, set into the stone. Sensor lights turned on as they walked. And wow, it was significantly cooler down here. Kelsey rubbed her arms as goose bumps broke out.

“This happens to be the most extensive—and best—collection of wines in the kingdom. The royal family has a rack specially curated, just for their use. But you can’t select from it tonight.”

The last thing Kelsey wanted was to give up her secret identity too soon. “No problem. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bottle of wine that cost more than twenty dollars. The royal-worthy stuff would be wasted on me. You choose.”

“As you wish, but I insist that you sample it. There’s a tasting room a little farther in. Heated. You’ll be more comfortable waiting in there while I select.”

“Perfect.” The farther they walked, the lights behind them turned off.

Elias turned left down another branch of the cave. He opened another door, but this room didn’t look like the rest of the cave. The walls were covered in brown leather, like she’d picture a Victorian smoking room. A long, high table had a few stools around it. Once she spotted it, Kelsey stopped looking.

And unzipped her shorts.

Elias shot out a hand to grip her wrist. “What are you doing?”

“Getting more comfortable, as you suggested.” This would be so much fun. A treat she could give him for all the wonderful times he’d given her. Kelsey’s confidence surged. She might not know how to be a princess. But she’d become very adept at being Elias’s lover. “Don’t look so surprised. You knew when you left the table that I didn’t want a tour.”

“I assumed I was calling your bluff. That you were teasing me.”

“This has been a really good night so far. Let’s make it even more memorable.” Kelsey wriggled out of her shorts. Left the shoes on, because this still carried an element of risk. The less clothing to be replaced quickly, the better.

“Are you sure?”

“Will anyone interrupt us?”

“No. The sommelier has been instructed not to do anything until we return.”

Kelsey knelt. “Then we’d better be quick. Don’t want to ruin dinner for the other guests.” It only took a few quick flicks of her fingers before his big cock was out, the veins already distended and the tip pointing straight at her.

She wrapped her lips around him and sucked hard, as if trying to get the chocolate shell off an ice cream bar. Once, twice, and then the third time she swirled her tongue. Elias drove his fingers into her hair with a groan. Impossibly, he swelled even more inside her mouth.

Lightly, and with great care, Kelsey raked her teeth along his length. When only the very tip was still inside her lips, she licked in a frenzy of tiny flicks. His knees shook against her ribs. And then she scraped her nails in a twisting circle around his balls.

Elias swore. “You’re killing me, Princess.” He pulled out and dug around in his pants to get his wallet and a condom.

She hoisted herself up onto the table, legs dangling. “What are you going to do about it?” Then she widened her legs, showing off the white satin panties embroidered with butterflies that had appeared in her drawer. It was weird to have a stranger pick out lingerie for her. But it was fantastic to have something sexy to make Elias’s eyes smolder like that.

He lunged for the dark wood buffet in the corner. Opened a drawer and pulled out a cloth napkin. Ha. No matter how hard she tried, he always stayed one step ahead of her. Elias tipped her forward over his shoulder, then put the napkin down under her butt.

“This is what I’m doing about it.” He buried his face between her thighs. Technically, it was unnecessary, as Kelsey was already wet from sucking him off. From hearing his throaty growls. But…she certainly wouldn’t stop him. Not when he already had two long fingers buried inside her, pumping in time to the slow rhythm he’d set with his tongue.

Her legs fell open, and then quickly scissored together around his head. Kelsey rocked against him, shuddering as pleasure built in waves. This was when everything else—the confusion, the ticking clock, the guilt, the worry—all fell away. With Elias she was simply Kelsey. No expectations, no demands. She was most herself in his arms.

Elias pulled her to the very edge of the table, then he thrust into her, hard and fast. His teeth sank into the sensitive skin right where her neck met her shoulder. Kelsey let her head fall back. He let loose a string of words in his native language.

“Translation?” she panted.

“You drive me wild. You are…extraordinary.” He anchored his hands on her hips and jackhammered even faster. “Are you close, my treasure?”

“Always, with you.” And then he shifted to rub his thumb across her center, and she was gone. Splintered into a thousand shards of pulsing satisfaction. Kelsey started to scream his name, but he swallowed it with a kiss as he snapped his hips one last time before clenching his fingers into her flesh.

It was quiet, then, with only their rasping breaths and the low hum of the heater. Elias kept kissing her. Deep, long kisses that made it seem as though they had all the time in the world. Kisses that made the room spin every bit as much as her orgasm had. Kisses that almost made her admit just how deep her feelings ran.

But Kelsey had watched enough episodes of The Bachelor to know you didn’t share that with a man until you were positive you weren’t on the verge of breaking up with him. The four days she had left with Elias in no way promised any future together.

So she squeezed her eyes shut, imprinting a mental picture of everything about this moment: the softness of the near-stubble on his head, the sharp slant of his cheekbones as she caressed his jaw, the near-bruising pressure of his hipbones against her inner thighs.

Elias finished with a soft kiss on her eyelids. When she reluctantly dragged them open, it was to see him licking the fingers that had been inside her. “I want this flavor in my mouth when I choose our wine.”

“You’re wicked,” she gasped.

“Merely savoring the moment.” With a final lick, he winked. “I think we’ll need champagne. Nothing else could be as sweet and effervescent as you.”

Okay…one more thing to remember about tonight.

That he’d been dirty-talking their wine selection when Kelsey stopped fighting it and admitted she was falling in love with Elias.