Luca caught the interested gleam in Natalie’s eyes and promised to escort her to the city the next day. True to his word, he showed up at her chamber door promptly the next morning, ready for their excursion.
Natalie went with him willingly since there was no rush to deposit the satchel. In fact, it had been impatience that had driven her there so early in the first place, so any distraction was a good thing.
She told herself the same thing the next day and the next. Given her official role, she still had to attend most court functions, but in between events, Luca helped her explore the capital.
She knew he was monitoring her. Every now and then she caught his eyes on her with the same questioning look she had seen before. But if he was using the chance to try to discover her secrets, she was using it to distract them both—him from her secret plans and herself from placing the satchel too early.
And she couldn’t deny her relief at having something to do beyond the dry royal functions. Luca was as clearly bored by them as she was, and something had changed between them since the orange picking. He still laughed and teased, but she no longer felt like he was laughing at her, or that she was playing the losing hand in a game she didn’t understand.
But the days—now full of interesting new experiences—slipped by far too easily. Natalie forgot she was merely counting down time, and it was with a jolt that she realized she had reached the final day of the blackmailer’s deadline.
Returning from the city in a rush to change for the evening meal, she had tumbled into her room and happened to notice the satchel, half tucked behind her dressing table. Her eyes flew to the window where dusk was already falling.
“Never mind the dress!” she cried to Donna, who was holding an evening gown toward her. “I have to go!”
She seized the satchel and fled back into the corridor. As she rushed toward the gardens, she berated herself silently. What had she been thinking? How had she let herself lose sight of what mattered?
“It’s all Luca’s fault!” she muttered as she stepped outside. But even as she said the words, she knew her true anger was directed at herself.
Had she been too clever when she had instructed the princes to call her by her own pet name? It was like she had forgotten she wasn’t really Princess Rose, and it wasn’t really her life she was living. She had kept the role in order to fool the blackmailer—only to then forget all about depositing the satchel!
Berating herself, she hurried through the gardens. But once again she only made it partway before a familiar voice called her name.
She spun, anger still pulsing through her, to see Luca smiling in friendly greeting. They had parted less than twenty minutes earlier, but he was already dressed in finery for the planned formal dinner.
His smile fell away as he took in her expression, concern taking its place. He stepped hurriedly toward her.
“Lila, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
The sight of him unleashed such a mass of conflicting feelings that she exploded.
“What are you doing here? Are you following me?”
“Following you?” He looked confused. “No, of course not.”
“Do you really expect me to believe that? Every time I turn around, you’re there! I can’t move without tripping over you.”
Something that might have been pain flashed in his eyes, and her insides twisted in response. But she could hear a clock ticking down in her head, reminding her that she couldn’t afford to let Luca distract her yet again.
He stepped even closer—so close his jacket brushed against her arm.
“Something’s going on. I know it is. I just wish you would trust me. I can help you.”
But the time for talking was long past. She needed to get rid of him. Frustration and fear coiled within her as the clock continued to tick. She lashed out.
“Trust you? Do you think I don’t know you were instructed to occupy me—to distract me and keep me out of your precious cousin’s way?”
He froze, his expression turning wary, and she knew her suspicions were right. Distantly she wondered why Leo had wanted to avoid the Arcadian princess, but that didn’t matter now either.
Luca was still standing far too close. Her thoughts swirled chaotically, and the clock continued to relentlessly tick.
She waited for him to step back, to admit the truth of her words and apologize. To give her space to breathe now that she had exposed his game.
But instead, he stepped even closer, grasping her upper arms in a firm grip and gazing down into her face.
“Did it work?” His voice was deep and rough. “Are you distracted?”
They were both breathing hard, locked together, far too close. She couldn’t break her gaze free of the fire in his, any more than she could step back and break the contact between them. She was trapped in the moment, unable to do anything but answer honestly.
