The Royal Collection. Rebecca Winters

she kept saying she hoped we’d be happy. Throughout our wedding she was terrified and had to keep all that bottled up inside. The poor thing.”

      He kissed her lips. “I’ll make arrangements for the helicopter to be here at five a.m. Then you and I are going to have a long, serious talk.”

      His composure under these precarious circumstances was nothing short of miraculous. The affairs of the kingdom were falling apart, yet his mastery in dealing with it was a revelation. As far as she was concerned, this was Antonio’s finest hour.

      Whether she ever became queen or not, she would act like one right now because Antonio had never needed her help more to present a unified front. She knew deep down he wanted to be king in order to save his country from possible ruin. More than anything, Christina wanted that for him, whatever it took.

      She grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator and hurried through the hut to their bedroom. While she waited for him to come, she started the packing for both of them. Five o’clock would be here soon enough. They needed to be ready to leave.

      Christina lifted her head when he came into the bedroom with their dinner tray. “Did you get through to Manu?”

      He nodded. “Everything is set. Since you’ve packed the bags, we can eat.” He put it on the bed. “Come on.”

      She took a shaky breath. “I—I couldn’t.”

      “You have to. I don’t want my wife getting sick on me. We’re on our honeymoon and I intend to enjoy it for the next six hours.”

      Christina actually laughed despite her agony.

      Together they got on the bed and ate. When they’d finished eating, he got up to put the tray on the table. “Excuse me a moment. I’ll be right back.”

      She wondered what he was doing until she heard Tahitian music from the radio piped into their room. Once he reappeared, he turned off the lamps and crawled onto the bed beside her.

      “This music is enchanting, isn’t it?” she said.

      “I love it. Come here to me,” he whispered. “I need you.”

      The blood pounded in her ears before she moved into his arms. “What are we going to do, Antonio?”

      “We’re going to stay just like this.”

      “You know what I mean.”

      “Yes, but there’s nothing to do about anything until we reach Halenica, so you’re stuck with me.”

      “That’s no penance. You smell wonderful.”

      “So you’ve noticed.”

      She swallowed hard. “I notice everything.”

      “So do I. You’re a warrior under that fiery mane.”

      “What a compliment.”

      “It is, because you’re going to be queen and now I know you have the steel to help me. Any other woman would have gone into hysterics a little while ago. Not you.”

      She smiled in secret pleasure. “You wouldn’t let me. That’s the sign of a great king.”

      “The priest’s words never had as much meaning to me until now.”

      “Which words were those?”

      “The part where he said ‘From this day forward you shall be each other’s home, comfort and refuge.’ Whatever we have to face when we get back home, Christina, I’m not worried because you’ve become my refuge in a very short time.”

      Tears stung her eyelids. He kissed them. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

      “It’s the good kind. When I’m happy, I often cry.”

      “I saw tears when you looked at your parents in the chapel. What was going on in your mind?”

      “That I didn’t always want to be a disappointment to them. Now that there’s a national scandal, they’ll consider that I’ve hit rock bottom.”

      “If they can’t see beyond the end of their noses and recognize a hatchet job of major proportions, how sad for them. But I couldn’t be happier that you turned out just the way you are. My one regret is that we’re going to have to leave our paradise far too soon. I’ve had you all to myself since the wedding ceremony and I love the privacy so much I’m loath to give it up.”

      “I feel the same. We’ve been living most people’s fantasy.”

      He suddenly held her tighter and burrowed his face in her neck. “I want this fantasy to go on and on.” The longing in his voice echoed the desire of her heart. “I want you to know I’ll treasure this time together for the rest of my life.”

      “I’ve loved every second of it too. Isn’t this place wonderful?”

      “Yes, but it would be a waste without the right person along. We’ll come back again one day and spend time over at the coral garden. We’ll do a lot of things, but right now I just want to make love to you.”

      Once again the age-old ritual began. This time Christina took the initiative to show her husband how much she loved him. She loved him in every atom of her body and poured out her feelings, wanting to take away any pain he was feeling tonight. At one point he pulled her on top of him. It was heaven to cover his face with kisses and play with his hair. He was such a beautiful man, there were no words.

      “Christina? We only have a few hours before we have to return to Halencia and deal with the mess. If I’d known it was going to happen, I would have insisted we get married sooner and enjoy a month’s honeymoon at least. Now it’s too late for that.”

      But before their wedding, neither of them had a clue that they would come to care for each other in so short a time. Christina was positive that flare of desire she’d felt when he kissed her at the altar had been unexpected for him too.

      “Are you happy?” His voice sounded anxious. “Because I want you to be happy.”

      She heard the longing and drew in a breath. “I’m happier right now than I’ve ever been in my life.”

      “Grazie a Dio, because I am too. I hope our daughter has red hair like her mother.”

      “Would you mind if our son has red hair instead?”

      “Your hair is glorious. Why would I mind?”

      “Mother wanted to turn me into a brunette.”

      “It’s a good thing you didn’t listen to her. When the time came, I wanted you for my bride.”

      Yes. And he wound up with Christina to save his sister from disgrace. And now that the news had leaked, it was a national scandal, but he didn’t seem worried.

      Their trust was on solid ground. More than ever she understood the deeper words of the priest. Be able to forgive, do not hold grudges, and live each day that you may share it together. From this day forward you shall be each other’s home, comfort and refuge, your marriage strengthened by your love and respect.

      So far they’d shared each incredible day together. Their nights had been euphoric. This bedroom had become their home and refuge. She’d been able to comfort him in a way she wouldn’t have imagined. Living with Antonio was already changing her life and it frightened her that the happiness she was experiencing might be taken away from her after they returned home.

      The next morning they awakened for breakfast. It had arrived with a newspaper. He pored over it.

      Her heart thudded. “Anything to report about us?”

      “There’s a photo of me taken at the airport. No matter how hard my father tried, the word still got out. But so far Manu has managed to keep our exact location a secret. He’s worth every Eurodollar he’s being paid.”

      “Do you think your father will be