The Heir

“Right. During lunch. He opened the conversation by saying he had a confession to make.” Then I proceeded to tell her about the royal family of De-Beauvouli about the fact that our baby will be the heir to the throne since Dante has relinquished his claim to the throne.”

“Wow!” Star breathes. “Why did he relinquish his claim?”

“He doesn’t believe in it, apparently.”

“Wow.”

“I know.”

“You sound so calm. Do you see how big this is? Your baby will be a King! Or a Queen.”

“I wasn’t this calm a few hours ago.”

“I bet you never screamed or cried.”

“That’s true. I didn’t do either of those things,” I admit. “But I was in the middle of a very posh restaurant.”

“So you’re getting married to Dante.”

“I agreed for the benefit of the baby,” I say primly.

She laughs. “Come on, this is me you’re talking to. You are already half in love if not head over heels with him. Admit it!”

“Well, I don’t know about love, but he has been very kind and thoughtful to me since I arrived.”

“Kind and thoughtful? Pull the other one. You can’t fool me, Rosa. I know you better than you know yourself. So what comes next?”

“We are flying to Avanti this weekend so his father and stepmother can meet me.”

“The King and Queen,” Star cries excitedly.

“Yeah,” I say, feeling nervous all over again.

“Rosa, I’m so happy for you,” Star coos.

“Star! I’m going to meet the King and Queen and visit a real palace! And I don’t know how to act. The closest I ever got to a palace is watching the changing of the guards.”

“Hey, it’s you, remember. There is nothing you can’t handle. Remember what that janitor told you in New York.”

“Life, no matter what happens, is a wonderful adventure,” I say softly.

“Exactly. Besides, I’m sure Dante will coach you on what to do and say.”

“I still feel like I’m in a dream and I’ll wake up at any moment.”

“Well, unless we are dreaming the same dream, it’s real.”

“Star, I could talk all night about what happened to me today, but I’m so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open.”

“It’s three in the afternoon. Why are you so tired?”

“I don’t know, but in the last two weeks I get really exhausted really fast.”

“Don’t worry. I think that is normal with some women. Okay, go to bed, but I want you to call me as soon as you wake up. I need more details and updates and eventually pictures! Lots of pictures of the palace.”

“Okay, Star.”

“Sleep tight, Rosa. I am so happy for you.”

I hang up, walk to the bed and fall into a deep sleep.

Chapter 24

Rosa

“Please, Dante, don’t drive so wildly this time,” I say as I climb into the Ferrari. “I’m a little bit out of sorts this morning.”

“Morning sickness?”

“No, nerves. It’s all happening too fast for me and I’m nervous about meeting your father.”

He grins wolfishly. “Don’t worry, unlike me, my father won’t bite.”

I slap his arm. “Very funny.”

“Relax, Rosa. You don’t need anybody’s approval, but if you wanted to work a bit harder to get my approval I wouldn’t object.”

“Stop it,” I wail.

He reaches across the console and squeezes my knee.“Oh, baby. You’re not marrying my father. You’re marrying me.”

“It’s fine for you to say that. Of course, I want your father to approve of me. Don’t you want my mum to approve of you?”

He shrugs. “Not really.”

“That’s because you know she’s going to approve of you,” I say, annoyed that he doesn’t understand. “Your father is a king. He probably has very high expectations for the woman who marries you and I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do when I meet him. Do I curtsy or what?”

“Rosa, do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Then relax. Everything will be fine. I don’t want you to behave in any other way than how you normally do, okay? And no, I don’t want you curtsying to him or anybody else. We are all equal. His blood is not purer than yours.”

“But—”

“No buts. We will never be called upon to undertake any royal duties so we will just behave like ordinary people. We are just there to have fun and for me to introduce you to my father and Linnea.”

“I don’t even know how to address them.”

“His Majesty.”

I swallow. “See, I didn’t even know that and you never even told me until I asked you. What else don’t I know?”

“Look we have two hours on the plane. Use that time to ask me anything you want, okay?”

“Okay.”

Dante steps on the gas pedal, and the Ferrari comes forth and races like a cheetah after an impala across the savanna. Except it is Dante flying through the narrow streets, weaving in and out of traffic at spine-chilling speed.

“Are you sure Sergio will pick up my bags and bring them to the plane?” I ask, hanging on to the door.

“Yes, he’s very reliable,” Dante says glancing at me.

“No, no watch the road,” I shout.

The screeching of tires anounces the end of our ride. A single Lear Jet is parked on the tarmac.

“We aren’t going to the terminal?”

“No.”

I look at what appears like a coat of arms painted on the side of the plane. “That’s your family plane?”

“No, it’s mine and I will pilot it myself,” he tells me.

I turn to look at him in horror. “You’re not going to fly that thing, are you?”

“I promise you I am a very good pilot. Top of my class, actually. You will be perfectly safe.”

“No,” I say shaking my head. “If you are going to fly like you drive, I’m going commercial.”

Dante smiles. “How cute you are. I never know what’s going to come out of your pretty mouth.”

“Very loud screams if you plan to fly us,” I grumble.

“Trust me, it’ll be the smoothest flight you’ve ever had,” he assures me suavely. I stare out of the windscreen marvelling at how my life has changed while he climbs out of the car and comes around to open the door for me. “Come along, I’ll show you my little toy.”

“If you crash that thing and I die, I’ll … I’ll haunt you for eternity,” I warn as he takes my hand and pulls my reluctant body out of the deep seat.

“Deal,” he murmurs, pulling me close to his body.

His body is warm and his hands are sure and strong. I look into his face. In the sunlight he looks like a stunning Greek statue. Every line perfect. I want to suck his sensuous lips into my mouth, and consume him … drink him in.

I turn my face away so he will not see how smitten I am with him. I pretend to look back at the seat and frown. “Soon I’ll be so big, I won’t be able to get out of your car on my own.”

“When tha

t happens, we’ll use the Bentley and I’ll put one of those corny ‘Pregnant Woman Aboard’ stickers on the bumper,” he teases, his breath warm against my neck. I step away from him and we walk toward the plane’s boarding ramp, where to my relief a man in a pilot’s uniform and a stewardess are standing at attention. Maybe he was messing with me.

“Tell me that is a pilot I see?”

“That is a pilot you see.”

“So you’re not going to fly the plane?” I ask hopefully.

“Sorry, he’s my co-pilot.”

Suddenly I feel the backs of my eyes burn and I stop walking.

Dante stops too. “What’s the matter, bella?”

“I … I … uh … don’t know,” I say, tears flowing down my cheeks. “I’m never like this. I’m usually so strong and practical. It must be all the hormones going crazy in my system, but I think I actually preferred it when you were just another smooth-talking bastard.”

“Oh, baby,” he says gently, wiping my cheeks with his fingers. “I’m still the same cocky bastard. None of this is important.”

I look up into his eyes. In the sunlight they are molten-gold and hypnotic. I could look into them forever. “I’m not ready to meet your parents.”

“When you learned to swim, did you put one toe in first then another bit, and another bit, or did you jump in all at once?”

“All at once,” I reply.

“I thought so. You will not meet a single person in the palace that will be better than you. You won’t need the approval of anyone. Not even my father’s. Just be yourself and you’ll charm everybody. Besides, I’ll be next to you the whole time. Nothing bad will happen.”

I sniff.

“Do you trust me?”

I nod slowly. I never thought I’d say it and mean it, but I do trust him. Completely.

“That’s my girl,” he says, taking my hand and leading me forward.

Dante nods at the man wearing the captain’s uniform. “Morning, Captain. Is the flight plan turned in and everything set with customs?”

“Everything is ready, Your Highness. Once you are onboard, we’ll be on our way. Will you be piloting the plane on this trip?”

I hold my breath. Please don’t say yes.