Page 91 of Royal Caleva: Luis

He closed the book and tossed it onto the coffee table before he stood, a wave of fatigue making him catch the back of the chair for balance. He needed to sleep because tomorrow would be a day of speech writing, and he had to be mentally sharp. He wished to use his own heartfelt words to introduce Grace to Caleva as their princess. Starting toward his bedroom, he slipped the dragonhead cuff links out of his shirtsleeves as he walked.

The familiar soft click of a latch and a draft of air made him turn to see Eve step out of the secret passage. As she closed the panel behind her, he took in the waves of her glorious hair, the curves of her body beneath the simple blue dress she wore, and the clean, beautiful lines of her profile.

In a few strides, he reached her and gathered her in his arms, seeking her soft lips in a kiss that sent fire licking through his veins. She leaned into him, her breasts pillowing against his chest, and wound her hands around his neck and into his hair. He slid his hands downward to cup her lush bottom and press her closer against him. She gave a little moan that opened her mouth so he could tease her tongue with his.

His cock hardened as he tasted the heat and silk of her. Elation flooded his body.

She had changed her mind and come to him.

As he shifted to ease his thigh between hers, she slid her hands down over his shoulders to flatten her palms against his chest. The friction and warmth were so delicious that it took him several moments to realize she was pushing him away.

He released her mouth and lifted his head. “What is it, querida?”

“I came to say goodbye, not to—” She took a step back, so he reluctantly let his arms drop from around her.

“Why can we not do both?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I just wanted to…to say thank you for…well, for being you, I suppose.” Her smile had an edge of sadness. “It was fun, but now we have to go back to our real-life roles. You’re the king, and I am the adoptive mother of your daughter. We need to keep it that way for Grace’s sake. I will find a house away from San Ignacio so I’m not in the public eye. However, I will need to be able to join the royal family for special occasions without any awkwardness. If we continue our…liaison, that might become a problem.”

She was making rational sense, but he did not feel rational about her. “You will be part of the royal family because Grace is.” He could not stop himself from taking her strong, capable hands in his. He had to touch her. “She will need you here as she navigates her new life. You are her anchor, her place of comfort and security.”

His place of comfort and security too. He wanted Eve here, where he could listen to the music of her laugh, relish her sharp observations, and persuade her into his bed.

She pulled her hands from his grip and banded her arms around her waist. “No!” She looked toward the windows. “I’m going back to Iowa, and you’re staying in Caleva. We will continue on with our lives, and this little interlude will fade into a pleasant memory.”

This little interlude. He did not like to hear what had happened between them being dismissed that way. Anger flared like a kerosene-soaked torch, and his stomach clenched again. But something nagged at him, so he forced himself to take a mental step back and think. It was her body language. Despite her words, she was not projecting rejection.

She was protecting herself.

He wanted to fold his arms around her, to melt the stiffness from her posture so she once again was warm and pliant against him. He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, the cuff links clinking against his signet ring.

“You will not fade in my memory,” he said, pushing so much intensity into his voice that it became a growl. “You will burn like a flame. You going back to Iowa will not quench that, especially when I will see you again in a few weeks and then again at Grace’s graduation.”

Even though there were several feet of air between them, she unwound her arms to make a pushing motion with her hands. “I’m just a novelty, a stranger, an American.”

The anger sparked again. “You think I am that easily enthralled?” he snapped.

“Enthralled?” she said. “No. I think you were intrigued. And possibly grateful to me for raising your daughter.”

“Madre de Dios!” He clenched his fists in his pockets. “You are a beautiful, sensual woman of great intelligence and honor. Your spirit glows with compassion and decency and kindness. Perhaps all those things make you a novelty, because you are so unique, but it is not the trivial novelty you speak of.”

Her eyes widened in a look of disbelief as he spoke.

God, he wanted to kiss her.

“You’re projecting onto me what you want Grace’s mother to be like,” she said. “You don’t really know me.”

Now he wanted to shake her. He took a deep breath. “Over many years and meetings with thousands of people, I have learned to take the measure of a person quickly. By now, I am rarely wrong. I know you. I know I want you in my life.”

She had her arms curled around her waist again, yet he saw her sway toward him, an unconscious movement that told him so much. She looked away. “I’m not queen material.”

His breath seemed to evaporate from his lungs. Queen material. He hadn’t considered the possibility that she could be his queen, a partner by his side for the rest of their lives.

As he examined the idea, she turned back to him with a dry look. “Yeah, that’s what I figured, but I can’t invest in this relationship and then walk away without a backward glance.”

He started to tell her that she was wrong about his moment of hesitation, but agony slashed through his gut like a rusty sword.

Luis began to speak, but before he could agree that she wasn’t cut out to be a queen, he doubled over with a groan that sounded like it was wrenched up from his toes. “Luis! What is it?” She dashed to his side as he sank to the floor, his arms clutched around his abdomen. “What do you need?”

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