“Is that what you plan on doing? ‘Get along with her’?”
“Yes.” He buttoned up his jacket and shot back the wrist to look at his watch. “I have to leave.” He came over and kissed her on the cheek. “A year isn't very long.”
“It seems like it, and I get the feeling that she'll try to get you to like her.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Like?”
“Or something more.” Talia smoothed her hands over his chest, her face softening. “She's going to fall in love with you and won't want to let you go.”
Thomas laughed softly, bending to kiss her on the cheek. “You're biased. I'll see you in a week.”
Talia watched him leave, striding across the carpeted floor of the passageway, nodding to a few guests as he made his way to the elevator. Her mouth tightened as she thought about the woman who had now become Mrs. Thomas Hoffman. She was going to do everything in her power to make sure that she knew her place.
*****
“I have work to do,” he told her curtly as she came and sat across from him and tried to engage him in conversation.
“We're on our honeymoon, surely you can take the time off?”
He gave her a sardonic smile. “You're deluding yourself into thinking that we're on an actual honeymoon?”
“It’s myself and my thinking.” She kicked off her ankle length boots and curled her feet beneath her. The stewardess had come by with refreshments and champagne and she'd taken a flute. The plane was the height of luxury, outfitted with a bedroom that was larger than the one at the house she'd grown up in. “I'm sure that whatever you're working on can wait.”
“What do you think we should do? Go into the bedroom and make this honeymoon real?” he asked her icily.
“That’s an excellent idea. How long is this flight? Eleven hours or a bit over that? We could pass the time doing just that,” she told him with an impish smile.
He stared at the flash of dimples and the whiteness of her teeth against the orange-colored lipstick she was wearing and found himself distracted. “That’s not going to happen.”
She shrugged and leaned back against the cushions. “It was just a thought. I usually bring a book when I'm on a long flight, but I forgot the paperback I was reading and my kindle. Now I'm afraid that you're going to be stuck with me annoying the heck out of you.”
“Why don’t you go into the bedroom and try and get some sleep?” he suggested. He shot back the cuff of his shirt and looked at his heavy gold watch. “It’s almost seven p.m.”
“And too early to sleep.” Her dark brown eyes twinkled in amusement. “Trying to get rid of me?”
“And obviously not doing a very good job of it.” He looked at her for a moment, feeling himself warming to her. She was irritating and irreverent and said anything that came to her mouth, but he had a grudging respect for how brave she was.
“What would you like to talk about?”
She brightened and picked up one of the delicately crusted sandwiches and bit into it. “Tell me about Ricci Island.”
He shut down his laptop and gave her his full attention. “It’s a few miles out of Italy and has been in the Ricci family for centuries. Over the years, Francesco and the King have made it less medieval and added a touch of contemporary to the place. It is quite large and produces some of the best wines I've ever tasted.”
“And Hoffman Industries is the main investor in the vineyards there,” Donna told him impatiently. “Thomas, you're telling me what I already know. I've seen pics of the prince. Is he as scrumptious as his pictures indicate?”
Thomas stiffened and for a moment he felt unfamiliar emotions churning inside him. “He's happily married,” he said stiffly.
“I know,” Donna said with a grin. “I read about the fairytale wedding with the former supermodel. But that doesn't mean I can't lust a little bit. I hope I don’t swoon as soon as I see him, that would be so embarrassing and awkward.”
“Please try your best to control yourself.”
She stared at him for a moment and smiled knowingly. “You don’t have to be jealous. I happen to think that you're pretty hot yourself. You have that smoldering thing going on and give people the impression that you're pretty rough.”
“Is that so?” He had to do his best to hide the smile.
Donna nodded as she reached for another flute of champagne. “I think it's kind of sexy myself. So, tell me more about the place.”
He resumed talking and after an hour he realized that he didn't hear anything from her. He'd taken out his phone to answer to a call and hung up, ready to resume the conversation when he noticed that she'd slid down, with her head on the cushions, and was fast asleep. He sat there staring at her for a moment, noticing the shadows of her lashes on her cheeks and the way her lips were slightly parted. The dress had hiked up a little bit, showing her caramel skin. He tore his gaze away and beckoned to the stewardess to come over. “Get a blanket from the bedroom for her.”
He sat there staring at her for a moment before he opened his laptop and went back to work. It took a few failed attempts for him to realize that her lying across from him was as distracting as hell.
*****
“Your majesties,” Donna made an attempt at curtsying as soon as they were shown into the throne room where the members of the royal family were gathered and waiting for them. They'd been whisked from the airport in a car emblazoned with the royal crest and Donna had spent the time staring out the window at the quaintness of the place, even though they'd arrived at midnight.
“No need to stand on ceremony, my dear,” King Eduardo told her with a charming smile as he stretched his hands out to greet her. Francesco was next and Donna felt her heart slam into her chest as she stared at the beautiful man standing in front of her and giving her a formal bow. “It's a pleasure to meet Thomas’ bride.” His deep voice was faintly accented and was like a caress. She nodded, for the first time in her life tongue-tied as turned to meet the twins and then Princess Tiana.
The extremely beautiful woman gave her a quick hug and linked hands with her. “Let me go show you to your suite while the men catch up.”
Several maids were still up and about as they made their way upstairs. “How do you get accustomed to all this?” Donna asked in wonder as she caught glimpses of silk tapestries and expensive art. “I know that Thomas’ home is palatial, but this is incredible.”
A maid rushed to swing open the double doors of a suite and stepped back with a curtsy. “I'm still not used to it,” Tiana said with a gracious smile. “What do you think?”
“I think it's lovely.” She hesitated as she looked at the woman. “Thomas and I won't be sharing a suite.”
The royal took Donna’s hand and led her to a door that separated her bedroom from another room. “This is Thomas’ suite.”
“I see.” Donna stared at the woman for a moment. “You're aware of the strangeness of our union?”
Tiana pulled the door shut and indicated that Donna join her on the silk sofa. A tea service was there on one of the tables and she poured tea into two cups, handing one to Donna. “The men will talk business for a little bit, so we have time.” She sipped the tea and eyed Donna. “I met Thomas at our wedding and several times after that when he came over to do business with my husband. When Francesco told me that he was getting married and I saw your picture, I was happy that it was you. I didn't like the women he used to see. He brought one of them here and she all but told me how lucky I must feel every day and how overwhelmed I must be.”