look like I was trying to hide from the photographers. Birgitte would go wherever she wanted to go then and I’d lead the photo hounds on a merry chase. It was fun for a while.” She shrugged. “I got to go places and do things I wouldn’t normally get to do.”
Vittorio’s face was carefully blank. “So this was always your cousin’s idea?”
“Of course. I would never suggest it!” If Mia ever told Birgitte she wanted to play the part of a princess, her cousin would have laughed at her. “Regardless of what you might think, I never took her place because of what I thought I would get out of it. I never…I never did more than go shopping or … I never met a man before…never pretended…” Mia blinked back tears she didn’t expect. Cleared her throat. “And anyway, she enjoys her jet setting life and I like my simple one. I hardly see her anymore.”
“Until last weekend.”
“I never saw her last weekend. She called me, then dropped off the clothes and jewelry, and the invitation of course, at my house while I was at work.” Mia sighed. She was getting tired of explaining. “Her parents wanted her to go. They’d accepted the invitation for her even though she’d already made other plans. So she called me.”
“And the ever-loyal cousin agreed.” There was that lifted brow again.
“Yes. I did.” The familiar bitterness burned in her chest. “The princess speaks and I jump. It has always been that way.”
“Always?”
Mia shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “She’s a princess. I’m nobody.”
Vittorio swept his thumb lightly over her bottom lip. Had she been pouting like a child?
“Don’t ever say that,” he said softly, intensely. “You are as worthy to live your own life as she is.”
Mia lifted her brow. She could do that too, even if she didn’t have a royal bone in her body. “Says a prince who has been entitled his whole life. Who insists a kidnap victim dress appropriately for dinner with him.”
His hand was still on her face. He cupped her jaw, his thumb brushed sensuously along her throat. “I wish you would stop saying that. I did not kidnap you.”
“Then I am free to go?” She knew she should pull away from him, take advantage of his sudden softness, but instead she leaned into his gentle strokes. He was so close now she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face.
His lips brushed against hers as he asked, “Do you want to go?”
That was the question, wasn’t it? Since she didn’t know the answer, she closed the fraction of an inch between them and pressed her lips to his. She savored his taste for only an instant before she realized what she was doing.
Mia jumped back, slid across the sofa cushions until she was out of reach. Vittorio lounged back as if he was not at all surprised by her flight.
“Feeling guilty, Mia?” There was that snide tone of voice again. She preferred the hot-blooded temper to this icy frost. Of course he hadn’t been actually softening up to her. He’d been trying to seduce her. He was still trying to persuade her to agree to be his mistress.
“I’m sorry I lied to you,” she said yet again. How many apologies would he require from her? “But once I was here it was a little difficult to admit otherwise. Once we met and danced and …” She hardened her heart against the memories. “I’m sorry our little ruse messed up your plans. Of course, Birgitte and I had no idea what you had in mind.”
“And that makes it all right?” He still lounged in apparent laziness, while she felt the urge to jump up and pace the floor. Instead she lifted her glass and took a leisurely sip before she replied.
“No, of course it doesn’t. I’m just saying that we didn’t intend to hurt anyone. Birgitte couldn’t be two places at the same time, so I agreed to help her. That’s all.”
He leaned forward then, rested his arms on his knees and brought his face close to hers.
Anger smoldered in his eyes. “I repeat. Does that
Vittorio’s face was carefully blank. “So this was always your cousin’s idea?”
“Of course. I would never suggest it!” If Mia ever told Birgitte she wanted to play the part of a princess, her cousin would have laughed at her. “Regardless of what you might think, I never took her place because of what I thought I would get out of it. I never…I never did more than go shopping or … I never met a man before…never pretended…” Mia blinked back tears she didn’t expect. Cleared her throat. “And anyway, she enjoys her jet setting life and I like my simple one. I hardly see her anymore.”
“Until last weekend.”
“I never saw her last weekend. She called me, then dropped off the clothes and jewelry, and the invitation of course, at my house while I was at work.” Mia sighed. She was getting tired of explaining. “Her parents wanted her to go. They’d accepted the invitation for her even though she’d already made other plans. So she called me.”
“And the ever-loyal cousin agreed.” There was that lifted brow again.
“Yes. I did.” The familiar bitterness burned in her chest. “The princess speaks and I jump. It has always been that way.”
“Always?”
Mia shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “She’s a princess. I’m nobody.”
Vittorio swept his thumb lightly over her bottom lip. Had she been pouting like a child?
“Don’t ever say that,” he said softly, intensely. “You are as worthy to live your own life as she is.”
Mia lifted her brow. She could do that too, even if she didn’t have a royal bone in her body. “Says a prince who has been entitled his whole life. Who insists a kidnap victim dress appropriately for dinner with him.”
His hand was still on her face. He cupped her jaw, his thumb brushed sensuously along her throat. “I wish you would stop saying that. I did not kidnap you.”
“Then I am free to go?” She knew she should pull away from him, take advantage of his sudden softness, but instead she leaned into his gentle strokes. He was so close now she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face.
His lips brushed against hers as he asked, “Do you want to go?”
That was the question, wasn’t it? Since she didn’t know the answer, she closed the fraction of an inch between them and pressed her lips to his. She savored his taste for only an instant before she realized what she was doing.
Mia jumped back, slid across the sofa cushions until she was out of reach. Vittorio lounged back as if he was not at all surprised by her flight.
“Feeling guilty, Mia?” There was that snide tone of voice again. She preferred the hot-blooded temper to this icy frost. Of course he hadn’t been actually softening up to her. He’d been trying to seduce her. He was still trying to persuade her to agree to be his mistress.
“I’m sorry I lied to you,” she said yet again. How many apologies would he require from her? “But once I was here it was a little difficult to admit otherwise. Once we met and danced and …” She hardened her heart against the memories. “I’m sorry our little ruse messed up your plans. Of course, Birgitte and I had no idea what you had in mind.”
“And that makes it all right?” He still lounged in apparent laziness, while she felt the urge to jump up and pace the floor. Instead she lifted her glass and took a leisurely sip before she replied.
“No, of course it doesn’t. I’m just saying that we didn’t intend to hurt anyone. Birgitte couldn’t be two places at the same time, so I agreed to help her. That’s all.”
He leaned forward then, rested his arms on his knees and brought his face close to hers.
Anger smoldered in his eyes. “I repeat. Does that
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