Page 73 of Royally Roma
He took hold of her hips and thrust deeper, deeper, until she couldn’t help but cry out. Then her body began to move of its own accord, riding him, rising and lowering to meet him. His expression turned strained, almost tortured. At first she thought he was merely holding back, but the way he watched her, never taking his eyes off her, made her wonder if he was simply trying to capture the moment in memory as she was.
She wanted to remember. She wanted to remember the thrill of his hands buried in her hair, the wonder in his gaze as he watched her move over him, the ecstasy of holding him inside. She wanted to remember everything.
He leaned forward to kiss her, and he tightened his grip on her hair, winding it around his fist until she had no choice but to tip her head back. And that was all it took to push her over the edge. She cried out and shattered around him in an explosion of stars. He stiffened beneath her and with one, final thrust, he fell along with her. His powerful arms wrapped round her tight, and their hearts crashed against one another. His and hers. Indistinguishable.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Julia heard the distant echo of Chiara’s words.
He’s a prince. He’s not like you and me.
It’s always open season on royalty, Julia. Always.
It didn’t matter. None of it. He could have been a prince or a street beggar for all she cared. She couldn’t hurt him, even if he’d lied and even if he never paid her the money he owed.
She was in love with him.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she blinked as he stroked her hair and held her close, both of them still trembling with the aftershocks of their mutual climax.
Do I love him? Do I really?
Of course she didn’t. The very idea was absurd. People didn’t fall in love over the course of a weekend. A weekend wasn’t even long enough to get to know a person. She couldn’t possibly be in love.
It was out of the question.
Wasn’t it?
He kissed her hair and said in a gravelly whisper, “Mi manchi, il tesoro.”
I miss you, my darling.
It was happening already. He hadn’t even left yet, and already the loss had begun to settle over them. He was already gone. She wanted to cry.
Oh no, it’s true.She swallowed around the lump in her throat.I do love him. I do.
She couldn’t tell him, of course. He would think she’d lost her mind. Maybe she had. He’d already made it more than clear that they would never see each other again. They would never kiss again or touch each other. After this morning, she would only ever see him from afar. An image on her television screen. A handsome face on the cover of magazines.
He would go back to his palace, and she would stay here. Alone. She would stay here and love him the only way she could—by keeping his secrets.
NICCOLO’S PULSE WAS STILLgalloping. His hands were still buried in Julia’s hair. Her lissome legs were still wrapped around him when he heard it. A knock on the door.
She went still as stone in his arms.
“Julia,” he whispered. “It’s time.”
She untangled herself from his embrace and gave him a hollow smile. “Yes, of course.”
What had he done? This had been a mistake of the highest order. An unprecedented lapse in judgment.
Knock, knock, knock.Again. Louder this time. Loud enough to rouse Valentina, who leaped from her dog bed and charged to the door in a fit of frenzied barking and flying fur. Piero was probably on the other side imagining a beast of epic proportions.
“I’ll be right there,” Julia called, rummaging through her drawers for clothes, slipping a simple black sweater over her head.
Niccolo would have liked to watch her dress slowly. To see the fabric fall in languid folds over her alabaster curves. A reverse striptease. But he couldn’t. Time had run out. His holiday had ended with the knock at the door.
He slipped back into his clothes as quickly as he could. His suit was a wrinkled mess. The smell of damp cashmere clung to him. He could only hope to somehow avoid being photographed when he returned to the hotel. Having his royal walk of shame captured on film would be wholly unacceptable.
“Ready?” he asked Julia as he straightened the knot in his tie.
She nodded, and the shell-shocked expression on her face nearly killed him.
