Page 41 of Royally Roma
Where she was his queen.
She doesn’t even know your real name.
He grew still. Pensive.
This was real life. As much as it felt like a dream, it wasn’t. If anything, he’d created a nightmare of her life. A dream that would never last, a dream that might destroy them both.
“You’re perfect,” he repeated, backing away a few steps before he changed his mind. He’d been awarded medals for actions that had required far less fortitude.
He forced a smile. “You’re perfect, but we can’t.”
WE CAN’T.
Julia couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Nico had kissed her into a state of delirium. If the kitchen counter hadn’t been at her back, she probably couldn’t have managed to stay upright.
What in the world just happened?
Her knees wobbled. Every bone in her body had somehow melted. She was languid and liquid, nothing but a puddle on the floor. She’d never been so thoroughly kissed in her life. She’d also never been so thoroughly mortified.
We can’t.
He was rejecting her. The man who’d been lying to her since the moment they’d met was rejecting her. She wanted to die. But first she wanted to strangle him.
“Of course we can’t.” She gave her eyes a good and thorough roll and crossed her arms so he wouldn’t see the way her hands were shaking. Or how breathless she’d become in just a matter of minutes. “I don’t even know who you are.”
“Exactly.” He smiled. It was probably the saddest smile she’d ever seen.
Much to her indignation, it took the edge off her anger. Suddenly she was on the verge of tears. Again. How many times would she let this man make her cry? “You could tell me, you know. Just tell me who you are. It’s as easy as that.”
“I wish it were.” He sighed. “But it’s not.”
She squeezed her eyes closed. She was exhausted all of a sudden. Exhausted and embarrassed beyond belief. What was she doing? She couldn’t allow herself to stand here in her kitchen and practically beg a complete stranger to take her to bed.
“Julia.” Nico removed her hands from her face, cupped her chin, and gazed searchingly into her eyes.
It felt like he was looking straight into her soul, and she hated it. Hated how exposed she felt, how vulnerable. How did people do this? How did they open themselves up without feeling like they’d just willingly walked off of a cliff? Maybe it was too late for her. She’d been through too much to give of herself. Perhaps at all. Perhaps ever.
It had taken everything she had to offer herself to him, and he didn’t even want her. “You must think I’m ridiculous.”
“On the contrary. I find you captivating.” He smiled down at her.
And something seemed to come apart inside her chest, different from the way she’d come undone at his kiss. This new something felt far more dangerous.
A lump sprang to her throat. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she just sit back and count the hours until she had her money and he was gone?
Because as much as I didn’t expect it to, this means something.
It couldn’t mean something. It couldn’t meananything. He would be gone come sunrise. And she still didn’t have a clue who he was.
She swallowed against the tightness in her throat. “You’re pretty captivating yourself.”
Whoever you are.
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Hours later—after they’d had wine and dinner and yet more wine, after Nico had emerged from her tiny bathroom looking unfathomably masculine in her favorite slouchy PJ bottoms—Julia woke in a panic.
