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‘You should always wear more clothes so there are more to take off.’
She relaxed and smiled, and, sighing with contentment, she added, ‘Well, that’s your Christmas present sorted out.’
Then she fell silent. He realised it was only a matter of days before Christmas. There had been so much going on he hadn’t even realised. ‘Hey,’ he whispered, seeing Callie frown. ‘We’re definitely going to be together at Christmas.’
‘Are we?’ Her voice was matter of fact. Her stare was deep and long.
‘Yes,’ he confirmed, stroking her back to soothe her. ‘You’re not going to be spending Christmas in one room over a shop. I want you to see where I live.’
‘I know where you live.’
‘I mean Fabrizio.’
‘It’s still a palace.’ She sighed as if picturing a world filled with art treasures, flunkeys and hushed decorum, when the truth was a modern palace that was more of a workplace. He had homes across the world where he enjoyed complete privacy, but since his enthronement the palace had become his main residence. He had an apartment there. The palace in Fabrizio was the engine of the dynasty, but his wing was elegant and private. The boy from the gutters had come a long way. ‘Where I live overlooks a lake and gardens, and has every comfort a child could need,’ he reassured Callie.
Better than one room over a shop, he could see her thinking. ‘I’m sure it’s lovely,’ she agreed, tense now. Turning her back on him, she pulled up the covers and pretended to sleep. She did drift off eventually, while he lay at her side with his arms folded behind his head, checking his plan to make sure there’d be no hitches.
When she woke, she sat up and spotted the selection of outfits on a rail immediately. ‘Where did they come from?’
‘The cabin attendant wheeled them in.’
‘While I was asleep? In your arms?’
‘You were well covered up. I asked my private secretary to make sure there were some dresses and accessories on board for you, for when you disembark.’
‘I’ve got my suit.’
He glanced at the creased skirt and jacket, still lying on the floor where she’d dropped them. ‘Well, I have to say, this is another first.’
‘What is?’
‘A woman refusing to look at a rail of clothes.’
‘Chauvinist.’ Grabbing a sheet around her, she swung off the bed. ‘I didn’t say I wouldn’t look at them, but I must insist on paying for whatever I choose.’
‘I would expect nothing less of you,’ he assured her, straight-faced.
‘Are you mocking me?’ she demanded.
‘Maybe a little,’ he admitted wryly.
For a few seconds as they stared at each other, he was stunned by how Callie made him feel. He had always guarded his emotions, but with Callie that wasn’t possible. Even with the Prince, his late father, it had been very much a man-to-man relationship. He’d never had any softening influences in his life. Women had always been accessories in the past, a deal that worked well both ways, but Callie was different, special. Tousle-haired and flushed from sleep, she was drowsy-eyed with contentment, but still ready to take him on if she felt it necessary. His groin tightened at the thought. Unfortunately there wasn’t time. They’d be landing soon. ‘I’m looking forward to seeing which outfit you choose.’
She hummed and shot him a warning look.
That was all it took. He’d been inactive long enough. Crossing the cabin, he yanked her close to plant a hard, hot kiss on her tempting mouth. ‘Surprise me,’ he whispered.
‘Don’t I always?’
He kissed her again.
‘What was that for?’ she demanded.
‘A down-payment on later.’
‘I won’t be bribed,’ she warned.
He laughed as he left the cabin. They’d slept together, made love together, and been happy together. Now they had a deal to make that both they and Fabrizio could live with. He was sure of Callie in so many ways. She was full of light and love and passion, and was honest and direct to a fault. That didn’t mean he could predict how she would react to the idea of raising their child in Fabrizio, but for him that outcome was non-negotiable.
