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He reached out and took her hand in his. “It doesn’t mean you aren’t a Bartolini.”
“If only that were the truth,” she muttered under her breath.
Leo gave her hand one last reassuring squeeze. And then the car pulled to a stop.
She glanced around. “Where are we?”
“This is the best view of the palace and the surrounding area. I like to come up here just to get away from all the pressur
es. Though I don’t get time to do that very often these days.”
“I can see why you’d want to come up here. The view is stunning.” She stared out at the land as the sun’s early morning rays highlighted it. She reached for her phone and snapped a photo through the open window.
When she went to open her car door, he said, “Wait. I have an even better view for you.”
“Better than this? Impossible.”
“Trust me.” He started driving again.
They moved further along the tree-lined road. The car climbed a gradual rise and at the top, a rainbow of color came into sight. It hovered there in all its big, bright brilliance. As the car moved closer, more color was revealed, and soon Bianca realized what she was looking at—a hot air balloon.
“Oh, look.” She lightly clapped her hands together in excitement. “I just love hot air balloons. Do you think they’ll fly it while we’re here?”
Leo pulled the car to a stop. “We can ask.”
“Do you know these people?”
He offered only a smile in response. What did that mean? Was he going to use his status as prince to get what he wanted?
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt guilty. In all the time she’d known Leo, he’d never once abused his position as the crown prince. He was better than that.
Leo was a good man. No. He was a great man with a generous, caring heart. When it came time for him to take over the throne, the country of Patazonia would be very lucky.
Her door swung up, startling her from her thoughts. She glanced up to find Leo standing there.
“Are you coming?”
“Of course.” She alighted from the car and walked beside Leo.
She thought they would be moving toward the edge of the mountainside for a view of the area, but Leo was headed for the hot air balloon. Suddenly she started to worry that he was doing this for her.
“Leo, we shouldn’t interrupt them. They look busy.”
“It’ll be okay. I’m sure they won’t mind letting us take an up-close look.”
He took her hand in his. A rush of tingles started in her fingertips and worked their way up her arm. They settled in her chest and had her heart racing.
In that moment, her awareness of their bodies touching—of the smoothness of his palm brushing over hers—was all she could think about. Did he mean something by the touch? Did he need the connection of their laced fingers? Did he crave it like she did?
She felt like a girl once more with the biggest crush on the most popular guy in school. Only Leo was so much more than that—he was an intriguing puzzle of contradictions. And she wanted nothing more than to figure him out.
Leo released her hand to go and speak to the three-man crew filling the balloon. Two men, one on each side, held up the opening of the balloon, while the third man worked the controls. A blast of flames would shoot forth filling the balloon with hot air. It was marvelous to watch as the colorful material rippled and expanded. Up and up it went.
And then Leo was once more by her side, taking her hand in his. “Come on.”
She walked with him. “Leo, are we allowed to get this close?”
“We are.”
