The Irresistible Royal Read online

  Respond truthfully. There’s no other option.

  ‘I’m a realist and I’m sure that if we were in each other’s lives, some situation would arise again and you still wouldn’t trust me because you’d judge me by Lidia’s standards.’

  ‘No. I learn from my mistakes.’ He ran his fingers through his hair as he paced around the spacious office. He looked out on to the tranquillity of the park across the road from her office. Chloe sensed he was trying to calm himself. He didn’t succeed. Agitation still pulsed from him in tangible waves. ‘I believed in you when I first met you. You’re the mother of my child, I still want you as my lover, and I want you to agree to be my wife.’

  He still wanted her as his lover.

  Chloe gulped as she instantly pictured herself completely naked in his arms. ‘I—’

  ‘When Lidia implied you were involved in her sordid scheme, I was blindsided. I didn’t want to leave myself vulnerable so I closed off to you and believed her insinuations.’

  Her heart contracted in painful spasms at the raw emotion in his voice. It was fine if he didn’t feel he needed to protect himself anymore, but she still had to erect some barriers against the physical desire she felt for him and be pragmatic about the situation, because she simply couldn’t marry a prince.

  ‘You speak about vulnerability, Marco. I’m in a position of vulnerability too, and it’s doubly important I make good decisions. My decisions affect my child as well.’

  ‘Our child,’ he corrected softly.

  Oh God. Her heart started a disco dance against her rib cage despite there not being any music, simply because his words reinforced the intimacy of their connection.

  ‘Our child,’ he emphasised, ‘who has a right to be born legitimately as a citizen of Ralvinia and be in line for the Ralvinian throne.’

  The weighty words pressed down on her. Even though she knew their baby would be loved right here in the Napa Valley, did she really have a right to deny her child his or her Ralvinian birthright?

  Chloe braced herself for his next attempt at persuading her, because her gut told her he wasn’t a man to give up easily on anything he wanted. Clearly, he wanted his child. Perhaps he’d use any angle to secure his goal.

  Slowly he turned back to her, with a gesture of appeal. ‘We need to move forward, Chloe.’

  The statement was so strong, so commanding, and some intrinsic part of her wanted to accept his offer. No matter that she was strong enough to do this alone, and was certain her dad, and their friends Maria and Pedro, would back her up in any way she needed. To have this man’s support was quite a temptation. But would Marco support her or try to command her?

  Everything about him screamed alpha male. ‘It wouldn’t work. You’re too intense for me. You’re used to being at the helm of your corporate power base and I’ll bet everyone around you follows your orders to the letter.’ Her focus needed to be on her child. There was nothing to be gained from having to channel her energy into a power struggle with him. ‘I don’t do very well at jumping on command.’

  ‘I don’t want to marry a trained seal, Chloe.’

  His words almost made her laugh, but this situation was far too serious. ‘We would be forever clashing.’ Like their eyes were now.

  He stepped towards her, and instead of stubborn determination and absolute strength of will, the light in his green eyes changed. All the clashing and challenge was replaced with amusement. ‘Ah.’ He reached out and trailed the tips of his fingers across her cheek. ‘Think of the bonuses of a few clashes, Chloe. Think about the incredible make-up sex.’

  ‘Stop it.’ She so did not want to think about make-up sex, or any other sort of sex with Marco, when it was so crucial she keep her wits.

  He sent her a kilowatt smile. ‘Don’t make assumptions about me. Give me a chance to show you the man I am. Marriage between us will work— even by itself the attraction we have is more than a lot of people start out with, and we can build on it. Let’s commit to building a solid relationship between us for our child’s wellbeing.’

  Inexplicably, her chest tightened as she spoke. ‘It’s far better for our child to be raised by two of us living separately but amicably than to have to face a divorce after having been used to us being together—or than being in an environment where there’s constant tension and arguments.’

  ‘I’m not your mother and I’m not going to walk out on you.’ His every word rang with sincerity. ‘I like you. I’m in awe of what you’ve managed to achieve in your career. I deeply respect your resolve—your grit and determination in taking on corporate giants to defend those who’ve been wronged.’

  Oh, gosh. Her knees needed to lock so she could remain standing and not melt at his feet.

  ‘I couldn’t want for a better role model for my child.’

  His earnest admiration was like a potent healing balm applied to her fraught nerves and she had to pull herself up from basking in his compliments and remind herself of reality. ‘You don’t know me, Marco. All we’ve shared is one brief sexual interlude.’

  ‘It’s true I was bewitched by your beauty and the strong physical pull of chemistry we share, but right from the start I also enjoyed your ability to make me laugh. I was deeply attracted to the woman I was getting to know at the party. I still am.’

  When she spoke, her voice was consciously louder to block out the deep thudding of her heart. ‘Right, Marco, maybe for the next five minutes you’ll want me physically, but that’d pass.’ They both had to be rational. ‘Don’t delude yourself or me. It would be unhealthy for us to be together solely for the sake of our child. Our needs are equally as important as the needs of a child, and ignoring those needs won’t help any of us. What was between us would never have progressed beyond a weekend affair.’ Even though she was pleased she’d found the strength to voice her thoughts, it was amazing how much the brutal honesty hurt.

  ‘How can you be so sure?’ Notes of frustration and impatience entered his voice.

  ‘Honestly? Why are you even suggesting that may have been the case?’

  ‘Do I need to take you into my arms again and remind you that something so strong doesn’t die out because of circumstance and misunderstanding? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten our passion, because there isn’t a day or night that’s passed when I haven’t remembered every detail.’

  Honestly?

  It was an effort not to throw herself into his arms. There was raw hunger in his face. It was both thrilling and frightening because she wanted him again so badly as her lover, but she had to stay strong. She couldn’t give in to this wild passion between them and be a train wreck at the end. She couldn’t do it to herself or to her child. ‘Passion burns out.’ Her voice emerged as a hoarse whisper.

  ‘Did you or did you not tell me the reason you were with me the night we met had nothing to do with my money and everything to do with the fact you found me “too damned sexy to resist”?’

  She pressed her lips together tightly as he threw her words back at her. ‘I had a feeling my confession would come back to haunt me.’

  ‘Is it still true, Chloe? Do you still find me too damned sexy to resist?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘I think you’re lying.’

  The office space seemed to shrink. Every step he took towards her, Chloe countered with a step back as she tried to keep some distance between them. ‘I didn’t know you then. I still hardly know you, but I do know you’re fundamentally cynical, overbearing and mistrustful. There’s nothing remotely sexy about those qualities.’

  ‘I’ve had reason to be, but I’m now apologetic and genuinely remorseful. I fully acknowledge what an ass I’ve been. I’m here trying to make things right between us.’

  ‘I couldn’t possibly be attracted to a man who—’

  There was no opportunity to finish her sentence, for he moved so quickly she found herself in his arms and hard up against his chest.

  His mouth covered hers and every kiss, every slide of his
tongue against hers, consumed all thought. Each sensible argument she’d been about to use against him was sucked into some black hole as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with a fervent enthusiasm that made a mockery of her assertion she was no longer attracted to him.

  How could she fail to be attracted to Marco?

  She ran her fingers through his hair, over the stubble along his jaw, down his neck and along the breadth of his shoulders. Adoring the opportunity to become reacquainted with his body, she met his raw, masculine passion with a feverish urgency of her own.

  There was a little part of her that acknowledged she’d invited this kiss. She’d sent out a challenge to him by declaring she wasn’t attracted to him. Both of them knew it’d been a lie, just as they both knew that despite everything, she was now where she wanted to be.

  His hand was at the waistband of her skirt, pulling her blouse free. Then he slipped his hand underneath the blouse and she delighted in the warmth of his touch against the bare skin of her midriff. It trailed up, over her ribs, while his other hand swept up her spine and released the catch on her bra. The sudden freedom of her unfettered breasts was a relief, because they felt swollen with need for his touch.

  Marco didn’t disappoint.

  Chloe couldn’t help but jerk against him and moan into his mouth as one of his hands cupped her breast—shaped it against his palm and used his thumb and forefinger to tease the extended nipple. Waves of undiluted sexual pleasure and need cascaded through her lower body as she pressed against the undeniable arousal of his body.

  ‘Chloe,’ he groaned against the corner of her mouth, before his lips left a trail of blisteringly hot kisses along her jawline then dipped to the sensitive cord of muscle of her neck below her ear.

  She moved her head backwards to give him greater access to the sensitive erogenous zone. At the same time she pressed the rest of her body closer against his.

  He had way too many clothes on. Chloe’s hands slid to the waistband of his trousers and pulled out his shirt. Her hands slid under the fabric and her fingertips tingled as they smoothed over the hard, heated, muscular contours of his abdomen and delighted in the contrast when she felt the light dusting of hair covering his chest.

  It was so wonderful, although not nearly enough.

  Knowing Marco as her lover had been intoxicating, and she was fast recognising his lovemaking was addictive. She wanted another fix. Now.

  Awareness of time and place dissolved in the torrent of mindless sensation that spiralled through her with his every touch, and she was caught up in a haze of desire so strong it made her dizzy.

  ‘You were saying you couldn’t possibly be attracted to me?’

  His words jarred her into realisation of what they were doing and where they were doing it. Shit. This was her professional workspace, for God’s sake. The blinds were closed so nobody from the outer office could see in, but would she have even realised if they’d been open?

  Heat burned her cheeks as she looked at Marco. He appeared to be totally in control, but she took solace in hearing the very faint drag of his breath. It sounded as though he’d been for run. She knew exactly how he felt, although in her case it felt more like she’d completed a marathon.

  Marco pulled away from her, creating enough space between them so he could rest the palm of one hand over the curve of her abdomen. It was a stark reminder of the life they’d created together.

  ‘Damn you, Marco.’ Her breath was also choppy as she did her best to slide her bra straps down her arms and pull them out through the cuffs of her blouse, removing the item of clothing rather than having to try to get the damned thing hooked again at her back. ‘Okay, you’re still hard to resist.’

  Hard to resist was an understatement. Marco was irresistible.

  ‘It’s mutual, Chloe. I’m as turned on as you are.’

  She lifted a hand up in protest and backed away a few steps from him, instantly missing the heat that’d radiated from his hand and deep into her womb. ‘This is an indication we should’ve had a raunchy affair, which would’ve run its course over the weekend we met.’ She opened the top drawer of her desk and stuffed the bra inside.

  ‘You’re wrong. A raunchy weekend affair would never have been enough for us. The sex between us is explosive.’

  Chloe marvelled at his statement. ‘It was a one-off.’

  ‘Really?’ He had the temerity to send her a smile. ‘Let’s do it again and find out.’

  ‘Ha.’ She raised her hand palm up toward him as she rejected the idea. ‘No way.’

  ‘You know you want to, tesoro. I know I want to.’ Every low, suggestive note of his voice was pure seduction as he took a step toward her.

  She sent him what she hoped was a look of contemptuous disregard. ‘Sex isn’t enough to form the basis for a marriage.’

  ‘You’re right. But attraction isn’t all I feel for you. I like you. I admire you.’

  But he didn’t love her and she didn’t love him.

  ‘Sexual attraction wouldn’t be the basis for our relationship. Our child would be the basis. The mind-blowing passion would be a bonus.’

  Passion.

  Their eyes met and held.

  Chloe sensed he remembered the way their bodies had joined just as vividly as she did.

  ‘I’ve lain awake at night, unable to sleep, burning with desire for you,’ he confessed huskily, ‘and calling myself all sorts of idiot because I couldn’t turn off my attraction to you even when I thought you’d wronged me.’

  They had that in common. How many sleepless nights had she had as she’d burned with desire for him? How often had she wished he believed in her?

  ‘Physical chemistry aside, you’re a strong, intelligent and capable woman. Lidia’s poison clouded my judgement, but I know enough about you now to respect you. You’re nothing like your mother made out. Why couldn’t we be happy together?’

  Chloe covered her face with her hands. This clash—a titanic battle of wills as they both argued their points relentlessly—was exhausting. ‘If I wasn’t pregnant you wouldn’t be proposing to me.’

  He took a few restless paces before turning back to her. ‘But you are pregnant.’ He shook his head slowly. ‘Promise me you’ll think seriously about marriage.’

  She looked away from him and her focus fell on the digital clock on her desk. Her attention was captured by the time.

  ‘Oh blast. All this arguing has got us nowhere and now we’re too late for the laboratory. It’ll have closed by the time we can make it there.’

  ‘We can do it another time if you really want to.’

  Of course she wanted to. She’d be damned if Marco ever denied the child was his now he was here claiming it. ‘First thing tomorrow morning then,’ she conceded. ‘Nine o’clock.’

  ‘I’ll be gone tomorrow morning.’

  The words struck right at her solar plexus and she looked at him in confusion as loss pounded through her. He was leaving her so soon?

  ‘I’ll be back Monday,’ he explained, ‘but I’d like you to come out for dinner with me tonight so we can start to get to know each other better.’

  Why had she felt so bereft at the thought of him leaving and why had she damned well started to breathe again when he’d mentioned he’d return on Monday? His presence here in Napa wasn’t something she should welcome.

  Her conscience pricked. Didn’t she owe it to her child to at least form a cordial relationship with Marco?

  But you wouldn’t be accepting the invitation solely for the baby’s benefit, would you? her inner voice accused. Face it, girl, despite everything, you want to have dinner with him.

  God help her, because that was the truth of the situation.

  Chapter Twelve

  The Italian restaurant Chloe had chosen was a quiet one. Marco guessed it’d been a deliberate decision so they didn’t attract attention. She’d also insisted on meeting him here. No doubt it was another way of keeping him at a distance—of st
opping him from meeting her father and the couple who acted as housekeeper and assistant winemaker, but were more like extended family and shared the Salvatore’s home.

  ‘Did you enjoy playing tourist in England?’ Marco asked over the delicious entrée-sized beef braciole.

  She stilled in the act of skewering the beef with her fork. ‘I had some enjoyable day trips. Bath and Windsor were definitely my favourite places of the few I visited. You may as well know that I found out Lidia had ordered copies of the video footage made and I stayed to ensure all those were destroyed.’

  ‘Dio. She would’ve dared use those copies?’

  ‘She wasn’t afraid of you because you wouldn’t have been affected. She held them over my head, threatening to blacken out your features and only leave me identifiable.’

  ‘Why would she threaten to expose you in that way?’

  Guilt was like an internally corroding acid as Chloe outlined Lidia’s motives and what she’d done to thwart Lidia’s plans. Marco should’ve believed in this strong woman sitting opposite him. He should never have left her to face Lidia by herself, and yet Chloe was such an assertive, independent woman, she’d dealt with the situation.

  ‘Couldn’t you have used your legal skills to prevent her from carrying out her threat?’

  She tilted her head and looked at him as though he were a simpleton. ‘I could’ve called the police in and pressed charges, but then it would’ve been on public record that my mother had embroiled me in a sexual scandal, and you can bet you would’ve been named as well.’ She made an upward gesture of helplessness with her hands. ‘It wasn’t an option. If I’d waited to file charges after the thing had gone viral, it would’ve been too late. It would’ve been catastrophic for me personally and professionally, and it would’ve devastated my father.’ There was a break in her voice and for seconds it seemed she battled to hold tears at bay.

  He reached across the table and covered her hands with his. ‘I’m sorry you had to deal with Lidia by yourself. I should’ve made sure there was no threat.’ From now on he vowed that Chloe would never have to face any difficulties by herself. ‘Have you heard from Lidia since you left London?’