Page 20 of Married to the SEAL
“What?”
Matteo held up his hand. “But I meant what I said earlier, Grace. I told him I won’t be his spy. He can’t ask me to be your husband and ask me to betray you in the same breath.”
The maid reappeared at the door, hovering and wringing her hands.
“What is it, Trudy?” asked Grace.
“I don’t want to ruin your evening, but there was an explosion just now at the baseball field. The stadium your father had built. They’re saying it was a bomb.”
Grace’s mouth hung open. “Was anyone hurt? Was there a game going on?”
“I don’t know. My boyfriend just texted me the news. Isn’t it awful? First the pedestrian bridge, now this.”
Too many tragedies for one small nation. Whereas one could be an accident, a bomb most certainly was not. She turned to Matteo. “We should cancel the reception.”
“The guests are already here.” He handed the baby to Trudy. “I’m sure your father will say a few words. We should get downstairs.”
12
They walkeddown the long hallway she had walked down a thousand times before. “When I was a kid, I used to imagine I was a queen walking down this hallway and that monstrous staircase at the end. Today I fully expect to topple down every last step.”
“We’re going to do just fine.”
“We’re about to pretend to be husband and wife in front of thousands of people.”
“No, we are husband and wife. We only have to pretend to be in love.”
He was right, of course, but she wasn’t sure she knew how to do that, wasn’t sure she trusted this man enough to act out the scene that was required of them.
They paused on the top step, taking in the throngs of people below, and she clutched his arm more tightly. One by one, heads turned to see the newly married couple, and Grace’s stomach danced with anxiety.
Her eyes met her father’s and he raised his glass. After all the years she had fought against him, all the distance she had put between them, she was right back here living in his house, completely under his thumb.
Matteo turned her toward him and cupped her jaw. “If we were really in love, I’d want to kiss you in front of all these people. Is that okay?”
Excitement trailed along her spine. He was an attractive man, no matter this was all a charade, and her heart beat faster when he looked at her like that. She nodded. His arms came around her waist and her hands rested on his chest as he tipped her chin up and lowered his head.
13
The crowd cheered.
Somewhere in this sea of people was the enemy—a man or woman responsible for killing tens of innocent people before clapping politely at the new bride and groom.
Matteo was focused on the threat but cognizant of the need to continue with their charade. Even as her lips parted softly beneath his own, he knew Talia’s men had secured the exits and were preparing to question the guests before letting anyone leave the mansion tonight.
He also knew they weren’t going to find anything, which was why he had a nine millimeter pistol concealed in his jacket, a combat knife in a holster at his ankle, and he wasn’t going to let Grace out of his sight.
He lifted his head and stared longingly into her eyes as he imagined a newlywed might do.
The kiss was a calculated move on his part, a visual for the people watching that would set the tone for the evening. Everyone would want to see how the new couple got on, so he was making a point to show them before they could draw their own conclusions.
He also needed to make Grace more comfortable. The anxiety coming off her was intense, and she didn’t even know about the phone caller.
They walked down the stairs to the continued applause of the crowd, a smile firmly fixed on Matteo’s face.
A voice from the crowd caught his attention. “Such a beautiful couple.”
This was a job. An assignment, nothing more. But it was a mind fuck of an assignment and he’d only just gotten here.
