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Desire reflected in his eyes. “I’ve wanted to do this since the first moment I spotted you this evening.” He lowered his head and caught her lips with his own.
The breath stilled in her lungs. There were a million reasons why this shouldn’t be happening. And in that moment, those reasons dissipated into the starry night.
With the cascade of white-and-blue fireworks overhead, Leo’s mouth pressed to hers. Her heart leaped into her throat. This was really happening. Leo was kissing her again.
In that moment, it didn’t matter that he was a prince. To her, he was just Leo—the man who made her heart race with just a look. There was so much more to him than a fancy title. And she was anxious to continue peeling back the layers that made Leo such an exceptional man.
As his lips moved over hers, she let herself get wrapped up in the moment. The boom and crackle of the fireworks faded into the background. Right now, Leo was shooting off fireworks in her mind...and her heart.
Her arms, almost of their own volition, moved up his chest, over his broad shoulders and wrapped around his neck, drawing him closer. She wanted more. She needed more.
And yet, he took an agonizingly long time savoring her lips—refusing to rush the moment like she was apt to do.
She couldn’t tell if it was the boom of the fireworks or the pounding of her heart that filled her ears. Not that it mattered. The only thing she cared about at the moment was that this kiss never ended. Because she knew deep in her heart that this moment was very precious. They were making a memory that she would cherish for the rest of her life.
When Leo pulled back all Bianca wanted to do was to draw him near once more—to feel his warm lips pressed to hers. She struggled to calm her rushed breaths.
“Bianca, if you want me to stop,” his voice was raspy as he drew in one quick breath after the other, “tell me now.”
Was he serious? “Don’t stop.”
“You’re sure? Because I don’t just want you for this moment—I want you to stay the night with me beneath the stars.”
She glanced around. “Won’t someone find us here?”
A deep laugh bubbled up from deep in his chest. “Trust me, they know better. When I’m up here, I want to be alone.”
“And how many other women have you brought here?” She didn’t know why she’d asked, but she knew the answer was important to her. The breath hitched in her throat as she waited.
“You, ma chère, are the first.”
Knowing this was as special to him as it was to her warmed a spot in her chest. She took him by the hand and led him to the daybed. She sank down on the soft cushion as Leo joined her.
When she turned he
r head to him, he claimed her eager lips once more. Oh, yes, this was most definitely what she needed. He was what she needed...as much as her lungs needed oxygen.
That evening, she let go of all her worries about the DNA tests, the plans for the royal wedding and the future of her business. Lying there wrapped in Leo’s very strong, capable arms, all she could think about was him, her, them.
All the problems could wait. Right now, there was a driving need to see where their star-studded night would take them.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
LAST NIGHT HAD been amazing, spontaneous and unforgettable.
But in the light of day, she knew it had been a mistake.
Bianca groaned in frustration. Her heart said one thing while her mind said the opposite. All her insecurities floated to the surface.
She paced back and forth on the balcony of her room. What had she been thinking to let down her guard and make love to the prince? For a moment, the memory of the night before came rushing to her mind. Leo had been so gentle with her, so loving and thoughtful.
But it hadn’t been all sweet and tender. There had been some heady passion that left her utterly breathless and begging for more. It was a night that she would never forget. But it couldn’t happen again—no matter how much she wanted to relive it.
It had been a mistake.
She’d put everything she held dear in jeopardy for a man that was out of her reach. She wasn’t royal. She didn’t have an aristocrat cell in her body. And worst of all, she had the DNA test weighing over her. When it came back and proved she wasn’t a Bartolini, who would she be?
She certainly wasn’t going to ask Leo to go through this nightmare with her. It wasn’t fair to him. This was her burden to carry on her own.
