Page 55 of The Playboy Prince Of Scandal

Tapping a champagne bottle, Cesar grabbed everyone’s attention. As silence fell, he announced, ‘Sofia and I are getting married.’

‘Does Sofia know?’ demanded Nero Caracas, Cesar’s arch-rival and great friend, to a chorus of raucous cheers.

‘She does,’ Sofia shouted, coming to Cesar’s side to link her arm through his. ‘And you’re all invited to our wedding on the beach on the beautiful island of Isla Ardente.’

Isla Ardente. Paradise on earth. That was Sofia’s first impression of Cesar’s private island, and it only improved in her eyes as she walked barefoot down the firm sugar-sand beach to join her life with his.

Cesar had dressed simply in a loose-fitting white linen shirt that was striking against his tan. He had completed the ensemble with delightfully fine linen trousers in a dusky shade of taupe that would slip off as easily as he’d put them on. These things were important when you spent most of your life in tight-fitting breeches.

Sofia was wearing the wedding gown they’d chosen together. It was also flimsy and easy to remove. A dream of a dress, it was an unadorned slip of ankle-length ivory silk that moulded her body with loving attention to detail. She wore her hair down with a coronet of fresh flowers, picked that morning in the palace gardens, secured around her forehead with a floating rose-pink ribbon. Instead of a bouquet, she carried her wedding gift from Cesar. The puppy was his hound Bran’s prettiest daughter. So Cesar hadn’t quite kept to the rules when it came to this marriage, any more than she had.

Jess was waiting as she reached his side to take the puppy from her. Linking fingers with Sofia, Cesar brought her hand to his lips. Dipping his head, he murmured, ‘I love you... How beautiful you are.’ And then his lips brushed her neck, her mouth. ’I can’t wait to get you alone—’

The celebrant cleared his throat abruptly, which made the unruly guests laugh, but even the minister was smiling; everyone was in the same euphoric mood.

‘I do,’ Sofia confirmed as the surf rustled and lapped over her naked feet.

‘Time and tide wait for no man, not even a prince,’ Cesar explained with a dark smile for Sofia as a groom brought up his great black stallion.

Swinging into the saddle, he lifted Sofia into his arms, and to the cheers of their guests they galloped away for some vital private time before the wedding feast began.

EPILOGUE

‘WE’VE COME A long way, piccola amata.’

‘A very long way,’ Sofia agreed, smiling as she snuggled closer to Cesar. How she loved this intimacy between them. Most of all she loved the happy family they had created amidst the pomp and duty of royal life.

Currently they were staring down with the same astonished adoration they had experienced when their twins had been born three years ago. Their latest beloved newborn was a baby girl called Thea, after Sofia’s mother. Thea was sister to Nico and Tino, their three-year-old sons. The boys were currently nestled on the bed alongside them, admiring the new addition to their family.

‘I bought you something,’ Cesar remembered, delving into the pocket of his jeans.

‘Cesar, no,’ Sofia protested as he brought out a night-blue velvet jewel case. She gazed lovingly at their children. ‘You’ve given me everything I need already.’

She could never have predicted how happy they would be. The people of Ardente Sestieri celebrated their Prince’s tight family unit at an annual celebration in the castle gardens each year. This year Cesar and Sofia would share the joy of a new baby with their people, and not just with a series of photographs taken by Cesar but with new portraits of the children painted by Sofia, just as soon as she was back at her easel.

The polo matches continued to raise vast sums for charity, while Sofia’s retreat had developed into a worldwide charitable foundation with outreach services, and Cesar was popularly acclaimed as the most charitable and caring Prince in his country’s history.

‘Aren’t you going to open it?’ her loving husband prompted. ‘The boys are waiting. We love you so much, and Nico and Tino helped me choose the gift.’

‘I’ll love it whatever it is,’ Sofia assured them, but Tino and Nico were more interested in their baby sister curling her tiny fists around their fingers.

‘Another warrior woman,’ Cesar groaned.

Sofia gasped on opening the jewel box. He helped her to remove the most beautiful diamond necklace from its snug velvet nest.

She had become accustomed to wearing the priceless, heavy and opulent gems of state. Always conscious of their history, she felt humbled wearing them, but this was a different jewel, because this was a gift from Cesar’s heart.

The fine gold chain held three pure blue-white diamond hearts. ‘With room for more,’ Cesar pointed out.

‘Do you really think these three will give us the chance to add to our family?’

‘You can depend on it,’ he promised.

Staring into the darkly seductive eyes of a man she trusted and loved more than anything else on earth, she believed him.