Page 19 of Crowning His Innocent Assistant

CHAPTER FIVE

LIVIAWASAVISION. On some level, he had always known she could be. Her hair was not demonstrably different than normal, tucked back in a low roll, with little wisps framing her face. But her glasses were gone, and he could see the stunning violet of her eyes with greater clarity. And that mouth...

Her mouth was a problem. Had been for years.

He had never seen it painted red.

It brought to mind a host of thoughts, none of which Livia would find appropriate. All the places on his body she might leave smudges of that lipstick behind. The way that her mouth might look if it was wrapped around his...

He shuttered those thoughts and put his hand low on her back. “Come,” he said, “our car awaits.”

Seduction was one thing, but he did not wish to overwhelm Livia with the depth of his depravity. He did not wish to overwhelm anyone with it. For he knew that a man such as himself had to remain in control at all times. A woman like Livia would demand it. She had lived through hell enough as it was.

One of the many reasons the attraction he felt for her was anathema to him for the last several years. She was vulnerable, and she was in his protection.

There had never been a moment where he might have found it fine to use her and discard her. Not after everything.

Proposing to make her his Queen was a different proposition.

She came with him willingly, but he could sense the reticence in every line of her frame. She was quite an elegant creature, really. He had appreciated a great many things about her, but he wasn’t certain if he had ever appreciated that elegance. For she was small, and he tended to prefer tall women as he was quite a tall man himself. But every bit of delicacy that Livia possessed came together to create smooth, proud lines that shifted with grace as they made their way down to the lobby of the hotel.

The sports car he brought with him on his private jet from Monte Blanco was there, waiting in the front of the building for him. Livia looked at it, then looked at him. “Not our typical mode of transportation.”

It was true. Typically, if he and Livia traveled together, he had a driver, and the two of them sat in the back of a limousine. This car was reserved for personal outings, and he and Livia were never on personal outings.

“No indeed. But I thought you might enjoy it.”

“Some,” she said, the sound an amusing one.

“What does that mean?”

“I only wonder why you think I would enjoy it.”

“Why don’t you get in.” He led her to the passenger side, and opened the door for her. Then he got in on his own side and turned the engine over, the purring sound that filled the car one that never failed to send a thrill through his veins. He was a king, a ruler who had to keep his mind present at all times, and guard against the invading darkness left behind by his father. But when he drove, he was merely a man.

“I thought you might like it, Livia, because I believe that you secretly wish to go fast.”

“Do you?”

“Have you ever ridden in a car such as this?”

She arched her brow. “I think you know I have not.”

“Then trust me.”

When he accelerated, he noticed her shift beside him, and he nearly smiled. The vibration of the car was sexual, it was undeniable. The way that the tires clung to the road as he maneuvered over the winding streets that led out of the city.

“And where are we going?”

“I see that you thought we might take advantage of one of the fine eateries in Paris, and while there are many to choose from, there is a private restaurant out here in the hills that I prefer. One that will allow us to indulge ourselves with a bit more privacy.”

“Thus excluding you from the prying lenses of the paparazzi?”

“Not at all. They always know where to look for interesting photographs, don’t you agree?”

“I suppose.”

They continued the drive, the pastoral scenery blending into a green blur, and he focused on nothing more than the way Livia moved beside him, and the sound she made as he accelerated.

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