The Royal House of Niroli: Secret Heirs: Bride by Royal Appointment / A Royal Bride at the Sheikh's Command
to New York and then paying for housing while she’s there. And being able to do it on her own. All that is quite an undertaking for a woman who’s been raised in such a small, protective environment. Not to mention a woman who is blind.”
“She can do it.” He made the claim without the slightest sense of irony. The conviction that she could do just about anything she put her mind to seemed to have implanted itself deep inside him and he had no doubts.
“We all know that,” Natalia responded. “But it will be quite difficult. And possibly very painful.”
The others caught up with them and the conversation moved in other directions, but Adam couldn’t get Natalie’s last words out of his head, and he kept looking at Elena, wishing he knew how to make things easier for her in some way. “Difficult … painful.” Those shouldn’t be factors looming large in the future of a woman like this. And yet, instinctively he knew that trying to protect her from them would be a form of abuse in itself. There were going to be hazards she would have to face on her own. Luckily, she seemed a lot more ready for them than he was to let her experience them. He was going to have to force himself to back off and leave her alone.
But what was he thinking? He wasn’t going to be around long enough to be involved in any of that, was he? Even if he became King, Elena wasn’t likely to fall into his circle at the palace. Because, if the truth be known, despite all the rules they were throwing at him about how much time he had to spend here, he wasn’t planning to make Niroli his permanent home.
“Take the money and run,” was pretty much his game plan. All that was left was to see if he could get his plan to execute.
Still, he had a hard time ignoring how appealing Elena was tonight. Her body was enticing and her face was as beautiful as any woman he’d ever seen. And now he had time to study those eyes that she was finally revealing, and he was amazed at how gorgeous they were. They didn’t look like most eyes. It was quite evident that no sight was taking place—at least not in the obvious sense. But there was a warmth there, a sort of incandescent perception that was beyond normal vision.
She can’t see my face, he thought to himself, but she can see inside my soul.
That was, of course, much too fanciful for a man like him to tolerate so he immediately made fun of himself for even thinking it. Still, the concept lingered in his mind and wouldn’t let him go. This woman whom he’d only known for hours was looming so large in his view of life, it almost seemed like magic.
Or as if someone had cast a spell on him.
The last holdouts at the party were beginning to contemplate taking their leave. Adam was looking forward to having Elena to himself soon. And he especially anticipated losing Gino’s unwelcome company.
The man had dogged him for the entire evening. It was only later that he found out that Elena had told him in no uncertain terms that he was not to sleep on her couch, no doubt adding fuel to his resentment.
Adam had amused himself a few times making slightly disparaging remarks about Niroli just to see Gino rise to the bait like an angry shark. Elena had stepped between them twice before the evening was over, and Gino was obviously boiling.
“I’ll be back first thing in the morning and I expect a full report,” he said fiercely as he prepared to leave.
“A report of what?” Natalia whispered at Elena’s ear.
“Never mind,” Elena whispered back.
Natalia laughed. “Poor Gino. He’s afraid of losing his little protégé.”
But he did leave, and so did the others, calling out their last good wishes as they went. Adam turned to Elena. Her cheeks were pink and her lips were rosy and he wanted to kiss her right there with her friends still in sight. But he didn’t.
“I liked your party,” he said instead. “It was very urbane, very sophisticated. Very continental.”
She smiled, obviously aware he was half teasing, so he went on.
“For living in such a small town, you all seem so … big-city European.”
“European?” She laughed. “How would you know what ‘European’ was like?”
“I’ve traveled in Europe. Many times.”
“Really?” She laughed again. Everything he said was amusing her. “And how did our little gathering compare to your Hollywood parties?”
He turned away in disgust. “Oh, please. Hollywood is full of phonies. I hate Hollywood parties.”
He picked up a couple of stray dishes and began to carry them into the kitchen. “There are real people living in Los Angeles, you know. If you’ve got to go to parties, go to real people parties. Like this one.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, following him with a pair of wineglasses she’d found.
He turned and looked at her, leaning against the kitchen counter, while she rinsed out the last few things. “Gino seemed to resent the air space I take up just by breathing,” he noted. “I thought you implied he was gay.”
“He is.”
“Then why does he always look like he wants to fight me to the death over your naked body?”
She turned toward him, her mouth open in mock outrage. “Explain to me why my body would be naked in this fantasy scenario of yours.”
He shrugged. Wasn’t it self-evident? “You’d be the trophy, of course. The prize.” He grinned, contemplating the scene and liking it. “Prizes are always better naked.”
She pouted. “Couldn’t I have just a little scrap of clothing?”
He shook his head sternly. “No. Not allowed. This is my fantasy. I make the rules.”
“I see.” She turned back to the washing up with a slight smile. “Remind me to keep my distance from your fantasies in the future.”
“Too late.” Reaching out, he touched her hair and she went very still. As he continued his voice became very low and husky. “You’re becoming the star attraction in my dreams, you know.”
Her breath caught jaggedly in her throat and she pulled away from his touch. “To get back to Gino,” she said quickly, drying her hands on a towel and starting out of the room, “he and I are very close. We have been for years. So be nice to him, please.”
“Be nice to Gino?” he muttered skeptically, but not loud enough for her to hear. He followed her out into the living room. Speaking of people it’s not easy to be nice to, he added to himself, and aloud he said, “Thanks for taking care of Jeremy while I was gone. How did your evening with him go? Was he civilized?”
“Civilized?” She turned to face him, standing at the piano. “He was a perfect angel. He helped me get ready for the party and then.” She smiled, remembering. “Then he negotiated his way into getting me to give him another piano lesson.”
“Really? He’s sitting still for lessons?” That surprised him.
She nodded. “He loves them. He asked me to teach him.” She let her fingers trail over the piano keys. “He’s learning very quickly. A natural.” Her smile was impish. “He has something he wants to show you tomorrow. Don’t let me forget.”
Adam frowned. This did not sound like any son he knew. “Was that his idea or yours?” he asked cynically.
Her head came up and she looked disapproving. “Why do you ask that?”
The impulse to defend himself overcame his good sense. “Because I’ve never seen any sign that my son gives a damn about me, that’s why.” It was the first time that he’d ever put the feeling into words. The pain and resentment hung in the air as the sound of his statement evaporated. Her face was registering the shock of it and he wished he’d kept his feelings to himself.
“You’re