The Royal Collection. Rebecca Winters

table. “Come out on the deck with me. I crave a walk along the beach with you before it rains.”

      Her husband reached for her hand as they stepped down to the edge of the water and started walking. “With Bora Bora appearing and disappearing mystically through the clouds this morning, it looks surreal, Antonio. I feel like we’re in some primordial world. The air is so balmy it’s unreal.”

      After they’d gone a ways, he stopped and grasped her arms so she faced him. “You’re so lovely you seem unreal. I need to know if I’m with a phantom wife.” In the next breath he lowered his mouth to hers and gave her the husband’s kiss she’d been dying for. Fire licked through her veins as she was caught up in his embrace. She knew he had to be in pain, but the way he was kissing her had her senses reeling.

      Their bodies clung. She could feel the powerful muscles in his legs and melted against him. He released her mouth long enough to kiss her face and neck. His hands plunged into her hair before he kissed her throat, in fact, all the area of skin exposed by the sundress she was wearing home.

      “Touch me,” he whispered in a ragged voice.

      Succumbing to his entreaty, she wrapped her arms around his waist and heard his moan of pleasure as his mouth began devouring hers. The rain had started and was so ethereal in nature it felt more like a mist, adding to the rapture building inside her. Antonio was doing the most amazing things to her with his hands and mouth.

      Too soon Manu arrived to tell them the helicopter had arrived. It was time to go.

       CHAPTER EIGHT

      THIRTY HOURS LATER the royal jet landed at Voti International Airport, where a helicopter was waiting to fly them to the palace. To their relief, no press was allowed on the tarmac.

      During the times throughout the flight while Christina napped, Antonio had talked with his sister at length to get her to stop blaming herself. During the night his wife had been restless and couldn’t sleep. They were flying home to a hornet’s nest. She was holding her own, but he knew the emotions of his brave, beautiful wife were in turmoil.

      At one o’clock that afternoon the helicopter landed on the back lawn of the palace closed to the public. He helped her down and they hurried toward the south entrance with several staff members bringing their luggage.

      They rushed up the grand staircase to the second floor of the east wing. When he reached the doors of his apartment, he picked her up again like a bride.

      “Antonio—” She hid her head against his shoulder. “We’ve already done this once.”

      “I don’t care. I might feel like doing it every time we come in.” Before she could say another word, he silenced her with a kiss because he couldn’t help himself. She’d become the drug in his system. Her response electrified him. At this point he needed to be with her inside their home away from the world and make love to his wife.

      After managing to open one of the two tall, palatial doors, he swept her through the apartment to the bedroom and followed her down on the bed. The staff knew better than to do anything but place the suitcases inside the main doors and leave them alone.

      “Welcome to my world, Christina de L’Accardi. Besides family, you’re the first and only woman I’ve ever brought here. It’s always been a lonely place for me. Now it’s going to be our home.” It was liberating to crush her against him. One kiss turned into another. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

      Like clockwork both his cell phone and room phone started ringing. He moaned aloud before continuing to kiss her, but the ringing persisted until she tore her lips from his. “Of course everyone knows we’re back, Antonio,” she said out of breath. “You at least have to say hello.”

      “That’s all I’ll say.” He sat up and reached for the bedside phone first, impatient because of the interruption of civilization. Being away from technology for a few days had been the best thing that could have happened to them. “Pronto—”

      “Come sta, figlio mio?”

      He looked at his wife, whose silvery eyes fastened on him still had the glaze of desire burning in their depths. His fingers ran over her lips. “Christina and I have been to heaven thanks to your generosity, Papa. But we were called back to earth too soon.”

      “I’m thrilled you’ve had a wonderful time, but now we must talk.”

      “Not now, Papa. My wife and I need the rest of this day together.”

      “But there’s a crisis.”

      His muscles clenched. “So I’ve been informed, but nothing’s more important than my time with her. I promise I’ll take care of things starting tomorrow. Give my love to Mama. Ciao.”

      Christina chuckled. “You’ll have to answer your cell phone or it will never stop.” Letting out another sound of frustration, he reached in his pants pocket and pulled it out. When he saw the caller ID, he didn’t mind answering.

      “Zach!”

      “I’m glad you answered. Where are you?” His friend sounded more than anxious.

      He smiled down at Christina. “We’ve just entered our humble home after being flown to paradise and back.” She kissed his fingers.

      “I’ve never thought of Paris as paradise.”

      “No. Bora Bora. A surprise wedding gift from my parents. You should take Lindsay there. You’d never want to come back.”

      “Antonio? Is this really you? You sound strange, like you’re on something.”

      He grinned. “I’ve been drugged all right.” A laugh came out of his wife. “Listen, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

      “But you’ve got problems, buddy. Big problems.”

      “My other half is going to help me solve them.”

      “But she’s part of the problem, if you get my meaning,” Zach said, lowering his voice.

      “You’ve got that wrong. She’s the solution, but I appreciate your concern. You’re the best friend a man ever had next to his wife. Ciao.”

      No sooner had he hung up to indulge himself with his beautiful bride than Christina’s cell phone rang. She had to get off the bed for the purse she’d accidentally dropped on the inlaid wooden flooring while her husband was carrying her.

      She didn’t need to look at the caller ID to know who it was. Might as well get this over now. “Pronto?”

      “Christina?” Her mother sounded mournful rather than angry. “Is it true that you had an affair while you were engaged to Antonio?”

      She held her breath. “If I tell you that was a lie, would you believe me?”

      “Yes.”

      “Would Father?”

      “I—I can’t speak for him. What are you going to do?”

      Her mother sounded as though she really cared. “It’s up to Antonio.”

      “Just remember I’m here for you if you need me.”

      For her mother to say that was astounding to Christina. “Thank you, Mama. We’ll talk later.”

      Antonio’s arms were locked around her from behind. But for once she didn’t feel like crawling into a dark hole never to come out again. She turned to Antonio. “Mother just gave me her support.”

      “It’s about time, but don’t forget you’ve got me now.”

      “I know.” She lifted her mouth to kiss him, but there was a knocking on the outer doors, loud enough to reach their ears in the bedroom. “Tonio? It’s me,” Elena cried. “Can I come in? It’s an emergency!”