Playing the Royal Game

Today, she would hear in detail just how very unsuitable she was, which was the plan, of course. It just hurt, more than she had expected it to—and she knew she had to hold on to her heart here. But for a moment, at least, it was nice to pretend that it was real, that Crown Prince Alessandro really did love her, that her family’s behavior didn’t matter to him a jot—that the man lying beside her, whose ring she wore on her finger, did not deem her such an unsuitable bride. It was a dangerous flight of fancy, and as his hand moved to her breast, as his palm caressed what he had been thinking about for hours, she really ought to push him away, except it was nice to suspend, nice to feel something, safe in the knowledge they were acting, that really it could go nowhere. For any minute now the doors would open, any minute now they would be sitting up, sipping coffee, reading papers, and then the maid would be back to dress her.

She tried to the think of the morning ahead, of the rows that would ensue, of the plane flight home and that soon she would be away from the palace, free from the lie, ready to resume her life, except his palm was on her breast, and his thumb was stroking her nipple and it was nicer to just live in the now. His cold feet moved a little, just a little higher and made her catch her breath again, for they really were cold, and he was idly stroking her naked breast with his hand. No doubt it was just sheer habit, no doubt he was already back to sleep, and just idly fondling whatever was available to him this morning,

But goodness, it felt nice.

‘Alex.’ She moved his hand away; it was relaxed and he did not answer her.

Asleep she decided, suddenly cross, because what was so effortless and natural and inconsequential to him was having the most dizzying effect on her; even the weight of his hand on her stomach, the weight of him so close, had her wishing she had not interrupted him.

And in sleep he must have felt the same, for his hand wandered back to her breast and his body awoke behind her, and he moved just a little more in.

He was not asleep, but more rested now than he had been all night.

He was loving this side to Allegra, the warmth of her body in the bed, the surprising softness of it, for yes, she was slender, but there was a ripe softness to her and a very unspoiled scent, just a natural fragrance he was unused to.

‘Alex.’ Again her hand went to move his, except instead it captured his. She did not want an accidental encounter; she had more pride than that at least. ‘Someone will be in soon.’

‘They’ll knock.’ She knew then that he was awake, but it was easy for him, so natural for him. Just for a moment she let herself glimpse it, that this was their bed, that the lips near her ear, that the hand on her breast, were just where they should be, that this moment was theirs.

‘Wouldn’t they expect us to be kissing?’ Alex asked, for her kisses had always surprised him, kisses that seemed to unbend her, and now, this morning, his body craved her mouth.

Though she lay so still, her mind wrestled, for she wanted him so, wanted his kiss, wanted a little of what she could never really have.

‘Perhaps!’

He turned her to face him. His mouth did not claim hers; instead for a moment they just stared and it was as if they were saying farewell. Allegra felt a sting behind her eyes.

‘I make a terrible fiancée.’

‘You’d be a wonderful fiancée,’ Alessandro said. ‘If I wasn’t a royal.’ He brushed her fringe out of her eyes and he kissed her forehead, easily the most tender thing he had done to date. But more than that, he kissed it again, and then he kissed her eyes, kissed the salty damp lashes and tried to explain, without rowing, just how impossible it was. ‘Having you here has been like a breath of air.’

‘I’ve hardly seen you,’ Allegra said.

‘Which is how it would be...’ He looked over to her on his pillow. ‘You’ve been wonderful.’ He settled for this instead and she knew that this really was goodbye. His mouth moved to where her lips were waiting, and he kissed them thoroughly, one ear on the door. But then the door was forgotten because of how lovely and warm and how deep was this kiss, how nice the feel of his leg wrapping around hers and hooking her in; he kissed her till her body was more awake than it ever had been, kissed her till their lips were so wet and her fingers knotted in the back of his head.