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“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means while you were taking your final stroll down the catwalk, I was on the phone.”
“And? You were finding out the location of the next hot party?” She had no doubt there were parties with so many notable people in town this week for the line reveal, but that just wasn’t her scene.
“There’s only one party on my mind.” He looked at her rather intently.
Her heart raced. “Luca, when did you become so mysterious?”
“Mysterious?” There was a glint of mischievousness reflected in his eyes. “I’ve been accused of a lot of things, but never that.”
“Well, then out with it. What plans did you make?”
“Trust me. You’ll find out soon enough.”
She moved to retrieve her purse and turned back to say something when his lips landed on hers. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Her heart jumped into her throat. So why wasn’t Luca pulling away? Why wasn’t she?
Maybe if she had held still just a moment longer, his kiss would have landed on her cheek. Yeah, that was probably it. But now that they were in this awkward situation, neither moved. Could he hear the pounding of her heart?
Over the years, she’d wondered what it’d be like to feel Luca’s mouth pressed to hers. But she’d never, ever thought that it would actually happen.
And then his lips moved over hers, tentatively and slowly, as though figuring out where they went from here. Her pulse raced, and any rational thoughts slipped out of reach. At last, her dream was coming true.
Her purse slipped from her hand as she reached out to him. Her fingers slid beneath his gray sports jacket to the black T-shirt beneath. As her palms slid over the defined contours of his chest, a moan swelled in the back of her throat.
Oh, yeah... This kiss—this moment—was so much better than she’d ever imagined. She definitely approved of this change in Luca.
His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. Need, wonderment and eagerness consumed her. The rush of emotions was more intoxicating than the bubbly they’d just shared.
As their kiss intensified, his tongue slipped past her compliant lips. She leaned in closer, pressing the length of her body against his. If this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up.
A whistle followed by applause from the stage crew had her reluctantly pulling away. She wasn’t sure what she expected to find when she gazed into Luca’s face. Perhaps disappointment or regret, but instead he was smiling at her. It was one of those smiles that made his eyes twinkle.
“Are you ready to go?” Luca whispered into her ear, sending goose bumps racing down over her body.
“Um...yes.”
“Good. I want to make this a very special evening for you.”
It was already special. That kiss had been so unexpected and so much better than she’d ever imagined. This was a different side of Luca, and she liked it—she liked him—a lot.
After retrieving her purse from the floor, she slipped her hand into his and they rushed out the door. She refused to second-guess this decision. It was her one chance to be something so much more than Luca’s friend.
At last, he’d seen her as a desirable woman.
CHAPTER ONE
Nine weeks later, Mirraccino Island,
the Mediterranean
SHE’D HEARD IT said that you can never go home again. Maybe she should have heeded that warning.
Elena stared at herself in the full-length mirror in her bedroom at her parents’ modest home on the royal estate of Mirraccino. This trip had not been her idea. It had come about rather suddenly when her mother broke her leg.
Her mother had called to say that she couldn’t get around on her own, and since Elena’s father was needed at the palace, her mother was home alone all day. As their only child, it was up to Elena to return home. And though the timing wasn’t ideal with the start of the new campaign for the Renard line, Elena had worked feverishly to reschedule all of her appointments. She was more than willing to help her mother, who’d always been there for her.
But unbeknownst to Elena, her mother had exaggerated her condition. The fact that her mother had played on Elena’s emotions was unusual, so she let it pass without comment. The truth was she didn’t make it home often enough.
