Page 38 of Ruthless Royalty

I raise an eyebrow, glancing over at him. “Really? I find that hard to believe.”

“It’s true,” he says, his expression sincere. “I’ve never done this before. But with you … I don’t know, it just felt right.”

There’s something in his tone that makes my heart skip a beat, something honest and real. I take another sip of my wine, trying to ignore the way my chest tightens at his words. But not with nerves, but … guilt.

Why am I feeling guilty?

“You’re full of shit, you know that?” I say, but there’s no bite to my words.

He grins, taking a sip of his own wine. “Maybe. But I’m good at it, aren’t I?”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah, you are.”

We fall into a comfortable silence, the sounds of the forest around us filling the air. It’s peaceful, almost serene, and I can’t remember the last time I felt this relaxed.

After a while, Leo starts unpacking the food, offering me some of the cheese and crackers. I take a piece, nibbling on it as I watch him. There’s something calming about being with him, something that makes me forget about everything else for a while.

“So,” I say, breaking the silence. “What made you decide to do this? I mean, you could’ve just asked me to hang out like we always do.”

He looks at me, his eyes thoughtful. “I don’t know. I guess I just wanted to do something different, something special.”

“Special?” I repeat, my voice soft.

He nods, his gaze steady on mine. “Yeah. You’re different, Chiara. I like spending time with you, and I wanted to show you that.”

I feel a warmth spread through my chest at his words, and I’m not sure what to say. I’m not used to this kind of honesty, this kind of openness. But it’s nice. It’s more than nice, actually.

“Well,” I say after a moment, trying to keep my voice steady. “You succeeded. This is … it’s really nice, Leo. Thank you.”

He smiles, and there’s something almost shy about it, something that makes him look softer, more vulnerable. “I’m glad you like it.”

We spend the next hour talking and eating, the conversation easy and light. He makes me laugh more times than I can count, and I find myself relaxing more with each passing minute. It’s easy to forget about everything else when I’m with him, easy to just be in the moment.

At some point, I lie back on the blanket, staring up at the sky. The stars are starting to come out, tiny pinpricks of light against the darkening sky. It’s beautiful, in a way that makes me feel small and insignificant, but in a good way.

Leo lies down beside me, his shoulder brushing against mine. We don’t say anything, just lie there in companionable silence, watching the stars. There’s a part of me that wishes this moment could last forever, away from the rest of the world, away from all the bullshit that comes with it.

Away from Giovanni and what I don’t want to feel for him.

But I know that’s not how it works. This is just a moment, a brief escape from reality, and soon enough, we’ll have to go back to the way things were. For now, I’m content to just enjoy it, to let myself be here, in this moment, with him.

I turn to face him, our faces just inches apart. There’s something in his eyes, something that makes my breath catch in my throat, and I find myself wondering what would happen if I just closed the distance between us, if I just?—

But before I can finish the thought, he reaches out, his hand brushing against my cheek. It’s a light touch, barely there, but it sends a shiver down my spine.

“Chiara,” he says, his voice soft and earnest. “Can I kiss you?”

My heart leaps into my throat … I’m not used to guys asking mefor anything; just taking. So when I find myself nodding and see the smile on his face, I wonder what I’ve done to deserve something so sweet.

Leo leans in and kisses me slowly at first. I can still taste the wine and strawberries on his lips, and when he deepens the kiss, I can’t help but moan into his mouth. His hand slips into the back of my hair as he pulls me close, but his other hand doesn’t wander.

It’s sweet, it’s nice and gentle … So why do I feel like I’m missing something?

CHIARA

Leo brought me home late last night again, but nothing happened between us; just more kissing. I didn’t get much sleep after that. Something was bothering me but I can’t put my finger on what. I am now yawning as I take in the scene in front of me.

Mihai sent a text this morning asking to meet him in the courtyard. Giovanni, Nikolai and Connor are sitting down on the stone steps, looking over each of us and wearing those stupid masks.

---