In spite of her turbulent past, Samia had surprised him by being a generous and inventive lover. If he hadn’t been such a cynic, he might have said they were made for each other, but these were early days and he knew better than to rush things. Having discovered her fears were unfounded, she had unleashed a passion that was careless of risk. Impatient to try everything, she’d forgotten that for every action there was a consequence, and, though this marriage suited them both for a variety of reasons, there was no guarantee the arrangement would last.
‘Luca,’ she whispered as she mounted him, ‘touch me... Take me deep.’
Now he had protected them both, he was more than happy to do whatever she wished.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
ASSHEPREPAREDto disembark theBlack Diamondthe following day, Samia felt as if she were still suspended on a gossamer cloud of amazement. It was hard to believe that, not only was she over all her fears about sex, but that with Luca they had been completely unfounded. She’d had no idea anything could feel so good, or that the giving and receiving of pleasure could bring her so close to someone.
She only wished that Luca felt the same, but he’d given no sign of increased affection, or that particular look one lover gave to another. Did last night mean nothing to him? It meant so much to her. She’d lived with fear for so long. And it was a pledge and a promise on her part that cut deep. She could no more look at another man than she could return to her old life...but did Luca feel anything? She couldn’t read his face.
Oh, snap out of it!she told herself impatiently. Whatever happened next, she would throw herself into it with the utmost effort. Her feelings were a gift no one could steal, and not to be taken lightly.
‘You’re about to set foot in your new country. How do you feel about that?’ Luca asked.
She forced something appropriate out of her mouth, and was relieved when someone else distracted him to brief him about some last-minute changes to their arrival plans. Naturally, the old doubts took the opportunity to resurface. Was she good enough? Could she do this? Now she was on the threshold of her new life, she realised that it came with no guarantees. But Luca had shown her that it was possible to feel safe and wanted, cared for and cherished by a man, and she could never thank him enough for that. He’d taken her on a voyage of discovery proving there were no boundaries where pleasure was concerned, and no restrictions when it came to trust.
She was falling in love, Samia realised as she watched Luca talking to his aide. Her husband was the only man she could ever want, or admire, or enjoy, and not because he was a prince or a billionaire, but because he’d made her whole again, and because they had fun together. She’d learned to laugh and to trust again last night, but now the business of being a prince and a ruler must take precedence. As it should, she accepted, but that couldn’t stop her feeling lonely as Luca prepared to walk ahead of her to greet the crowds come to welcome him home.
The moment Luca appeared the cheers became deafening. Samia hung back, feeling out of her depth and sinking fast. It was one thing being strong when she was dealing with the familiar, but everything was new here—new country, new marriage, and with a man who might never love her back. Was she strong enough to deal with that? Only time would tell, but did she want to spend the foreseeable future aching for something she could never have?
‘Samia?’ Luca called, turning back to look at her with an assessing glance, as if measuring her ability to go through with it.
‘Ready,’ she confirmed. People had crowded the quay to see Prince Luca arrive with his bride, and, however inadequate she might be feeling, she owed it to him and to them to get over her anxiety.
‘You look beautiful...and, as always, you’ve judged your appearance perfectly,’ he murmured, clasping her hand.
Was that reassuring squeeze of her hand make-believe? Or the warmth in his eyes all for show? Lifting her chin, she smiled back. She had chosen her outfit with care to show respect for the country’s recent grief. The plain grey suit, with its pale blue blouse to soften the tailoring, felt comfortable and relaxed, and she wore her hair tied back loosely—not too severe or, worse, unapproachable. Her only embellishment was her simple wedding ring and the love shining out of her eyes.
‘Beautiful,’ Luca confirmed with a look that heated her blood. But was there more than hunger in his look?
Don’t be so ungrateful!Be satisfied with what you’ve got.
She could never thank him enough for introducing her to the precious joy of feeling safe, and for however long that lasted, she would cherish every moment. ‘Are you sure I look all right?’
‘How can you ask a question like that?’ he demanded the moment they were enclosed in the royal limousine. ‘I thought your days of doubt were behind you. It seems I still have a lot more work to do.’
‘We both have a lot more work to do,’ she admitted as he embraced her.
Their welcome in Madlena was even warmer than she had expected. The streets were lined with cheering crowds, and the cheers grew even louder when the people caught sight of their new Princess. This was her country now, with the weight of responsibility that entailed, and it made her all the more determined to do everything she could for Luca, who had lost a brother and believed he was to blame. He needed her every bit as much as she needed him.
‘They’re calling for their Princess,’ Luca observed with pleasure.
Samia was thrilled and touched by all the smiling faces, and when she waved back, it was not a regal wave, but an enthusiastic, happy wave. It was still hard to come to terms with the fact that an accident of fate had changed her life to this degree. But it had not changed who she was, and it never would, she vowed silently. She was no better and no worse than she had been before they married.
Luca helped her out of the limousine when they arrived at the palace. Taking her hand, he led her forward to where a podium had been set out beneath a royal canopy. The reception from his people was wild as he turned to face them. It was as if the citizens of Madlena wanted to reassure him that they had grieved with him for the loss of his brother, but now they were ready to move forward, and with a magnificent prince at their head. Dressed in sombre black, as befitted his first day home in the country where his brother had died so tragically, with black diamonds flashing at the cuffs of his crisp white shirt, Luca exuded confidence and reassurance as the crowd chanted his name. And when he opened his arms as if to embrace his people, they cheered him as if they would never stop.
‘Allow me to introduce you to my bride,’ he said, speaking into the microphone on the podium. Turning to Samia, he brought her to his side. ‘Princess Samia will serve our country as I will—’
She hadn’t thought it possible for the cheers to grow even louder, but as Luca’s strong, warm hand closed around hers, they did.
‘This is a new beginning after the saddest of endings,’ Luca promised the crowd. People fell silent at his words, remembering his brother. ‘But together,’ he added, his glance spanning the crowd before turning to include Samia in its warmth, ‘we will take Madlena from strength to strength.’
Samia’s ears were ringing with the sound of so many voices raised in support of their new Prince, but her heart ached at the thought that she was only window dressing, and could never be the love of Luca’s life. She was the bride brought home to reassure his people, and to warm his bed for as long as it suited them both, but when it came to the sort of lasting love she yearned for, Luca remained unaware, and possibly uncaring, that she longed for more than a convenient deal.
‘My people already love you,’ Luca enthused as they left the temporary stage.
Yet they were deceiving them with this mock show of a happy marriage, she thought, cringing inside at their dishonesty as she raised a smile in response to Luca’s words, but this was his day, not hers, and she had to get over it.
