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The bitter thought tore through his mind and he felt compelled to defend his decision. He was not doing the same thing his parents had done. Well, not exactly. His parents’ marriage had been a power deal and his mother hadn’t been pregnant at the time of the ceremony. Although it certainly hadn’t been long before she was.
The thought boggled the mind. He couldn’t imagine two people less likely to indulge in hot, sweaty, draining but delightful bouts of sex than his parents. Victor and Sara were the least passionate people he’d ever met.
Unless you were talking prestige or finances, he thought with a bitterness that hadn’t subsided over the years. His father lived to ingratiate himself with the royalty of every European nation that hadn’t gotten rid of the archaic idea of a ruling class. Anyone who dared to thwart Victor in one of his never-ending attempts to link himself with yet another royal name found out just how passionate he could get.
As a child, Rafe had learned quickly that protocol and etiquette were the keys to success in his home. One didn’t run to one’s mother for a kiss upon her return from a trip, or cry over a skinned knee. His father’s favorite phrase, without doubt, was “stiff upper lip.”
And Rafe was damned if his child was ever going to hear it.
He pulled on the black evening trousers and slipped into the shirt, fastening the studs and adding the formal bow tie before working on the cuff links he’d had sent up with the other accessories. Then he crossed to the little writing desk in the living area and quickly penned a note for Elizabeth before slipping into new Italian leather shoes and the rest of his tux and letting himself out of the suite.
He had a lot of things to do if he was going to get married tonight.
She knew he was gone when she woke.
Rafe was an overwhelming presence; if he were still in the suite, she would know. She stretched and immediately a thousand small sensations reminded her of his lovemaking. Though there was no one there to see, she smiled a slow, happy smile of contentment. At least physically she was sure that he wanted her.
Slowly she sat up, then rose from the bed and padded into the bathroom. Donning one of the luxurious robes that were compliments of the casino, she used the facilities and washed her face, then went to the mini-bar and got a large bottle of spring water.
On the bar lay a note. The first time she had seen Rafe’s handwriting, she’d been privately amused. She could have predicted the bold, aggressive strokes like these in which he explained that he’d had clothing and accessories sent up, that she should go ahead and dress and he’d be back by…oh, heavens!
The clock on the wall told her she had little more than twenty minutes before his return. If she wanted to be beautiful, she’d better get moving. She snatched up the toiletries and cosmetics and headed for the bathroom.
She took the quickest shower on record. As she was slipping into the strappy little sandals that were in one of the boxes, she heard the door of the suite open. Hastily she crossed to the vanity area and picked up her bag, applying a quick dash of lipstick. Then with a nervousness she didn’t entirely understand, she started for the door leading to the living room.
Before she could get there, the door opened.
Rafe seemed to fill the doorway, and she was struck by his size, as she always was when she saw him after an absence. His shoulders were so broad, they blocked the light behind him.
“Sleep well?” His voice was warm as he started across the room.
“Yes, I—Rafe!”
He’d seized her by the waist and pulled her up against him. Her protest was purely a formality because already she was winding her arms about his neck and relaxing into his embrace. He put a finger beneath her chin and lifted her face up to his, then cupped her jaw as he set his mouth on hers and parted her lips with his, invading the tender depths with his tongue until she curled against him in restless surrender.
When he lifted his head, he was smiling complacently, a purely male expression of satisfaction. “I’d like to keep you naked in bed for the rest of the evening, but I’d better feed you, for the baby’s sake.”
She stepped back, smoothing her dress as a warm feeling of hope spread through her. He sounded so tender and concerned…maybe there was a chance he could come to care for her the way she wanted—no, needed—him to.
He linked his fingers through hers and held her hands wide. “You look beautiful.” Then he grinned. “I’ve seen pictures of your mother at your age and you’re a dead ringer.”
She shrugged, smiling. “Strong genes, I guess.”
“No wonder your father says he never had a chance.” Then his face sobered and his gaze slid down to the gentle curve of her abdomen barely noticeable in the unbelted pale pink dress. “If this baby’s a girl, I’m going to have to lock her up to keep the boys away.”
Her smile faded as he escorted her out the door and they turned down the hallway to the elevators. “I don’t want my child to be as shielded from the world as I was. Until I was ten or so, I thought everyone’s parents employed bodyguards around the clock.”
Rafe nodded. “I can see why your father is so overprotective, though.”
“Yes.” It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him about Sam Flynn, the man she was going to look up when she got back to Phoenix—the man who might be her brother. She’d been neglecting her duty—it was time to call and see if he had returned to work. She made a private vow to do exactly that first thing in the morning. But instead she said, “Mother and Father were devastated when James was kidnapped.” She shuddered and put a hand protectively over her stomach. “I can’t even imagine what it must have been like.”
“No.” Rafe’s face was grim. “I’m sure losing his only male heir was devastating to your father, especially since he never had another son.”
She glanced up at him, frowning. “Losing his child was devastating to my father.”
“It was a terrible thing,” he agreed. The elevator bell rang and the doors slid open. “Shall we go, my pretty princess?”
First they walked out to the front of the hotel, where he secured her a place at the rail in front of the volcano. Despite the warmth, it still got dark relatively early and already the sun was gone. After a short wait, the volcano erupted.
