Page 22 of The King's Secret Baby

“Of course not.” He smiles, but there’s no warmth behind it. “I’m looking forward to working closely with you, Ms. Warren.”

His words hang in the air, throwing my mind back to the last time we were this close. To stolen kisses and whispered confessions hidden under soft sheets.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I manage to reply, tearing my gaze away from his hypnotic eyes to look towards the crowd of officials.

Luca clears his throat. “Might I… speak to you in private for a minute?”

I blink.What for? Haven’t we already said all there is to say? Unless…

“Of course.” My heart rate picks up.

“There is a drawing room right this way.” He smiles.

My hands clench at my sides as he leads me away from the crowd, his shoulder blades pulled back tightly, revealing his stress. How is he doing after his father’s passing? Is it that that has him undone, or does he not want me here?

We walk across the hallway filled with portraits and sculptures. He opens a door and ushers me inside, the scent of old books and polished wood enveloping us. The drawing room is intimate, cozy even, with plush armchairs and shelves lined with leather-bound tomes.

Luca closes the door with a soft click, and suddenly we’re alone. Really, truly alone for the first time since that magical day, night, and brief morning. My heart hammers against my ribs, a hummingbird desperate to break free.

“Hailey, I…” he begins, then stops, running a hand through his golden hair. “I’m sorry for not meeting you at the fountain. I had every intention of being there, but then my father…”

His voice cracks, and instinctively, I reach out to lay a hand on his arm. “Luca, you don’t have to apologize. I understand. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

He covers my hand with his, his touch tantalizing and forbidden. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

He clears his throat, stepping back, as if he just realized he crossed a line, and my heart drops.He doesn’t even want to touch me.

Which means…

“I did send a messenger to let you know I had to leave suddenly,” he says. “I hope you received the message?”

“I… no.” I stare at him. “I didn’t.”

He frowns. “What? I’msosorry.”

I shake my head. “It’s okay. When I found out your father had died, I didn’t expect you to send me any message.”

Of course, before I found out, I considered him to be the biggest asshole in the world. That part doesn’t need to be brought up, though…

Luca’s shoulders relax a fraction, and he offers me a small smile. “I didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten about you.”

As if he ever could. As ifIcould ever forgethim, this man who’s haunted my dreams and waking thoughts since the moment we met.

The care that he’s showing me now, the regret for not meeting me… it gives me hope. I was wrong to write him off. Hedoeswant me here.

In fact, it seems that the stiffness in the other room was merely a façade. Now that we are alone, he can let his mask down. We can go back to as we were before.

But I can’t say that, not now, not when he’s grieving and the responsibility for a kingdom rests on his shoulders. So, instead, I return his smile and say, “I knew you wouldn’t. And I’m here now, ready to do whatever I can to help tell your story.”

His gaze locks with mine, a wealth of unspoken emotions swirling in those blue depths. “I’m grateful for that, Hailey. More than you know.”

We stand there, lost in the moment, in the sheer magnetic pull that always seems to draw us together. But reality intrudes, the sound of footsteps and voices in the hallway reminding us that we’re not alone, that duty and propriety await.

Luca clears his throat, putting a respectable distance between us. The electric charge in the air dissipates, replaced by a stiff formality that feels alien after the intimacy we shared.

“While you’re here, I’ll have the staff prepare a room for you in the palace,” he says, his tone businesslike. “It will make shadowing me and conducting your interviews more convenient.”

My heart leaps at the prospect of staying in such close proximity to him, even as my journalist’s instinct warns me of the potential complications. “That’s very generous of you. I don’t want to impose…”

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