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Those plans are why I moved my business trip to New York forward by five weeks.
Whatever duty might dictate and regardless of the repercussions of discovery, I cannot let Tanzi go. Not even if a whole horde of reporters shows up.
She is necessary in a way no woman ever has been.
"How long are you here for?" she demands after the first fervid kisses.
"I have business in New York for the next week."
"A whole week?" Her beautiful gray eyes glisten with an emotion that wraps itself around my heart.
"Sì, amate. A full week."
Tanzi melts against me, hugging me tight. "I love you too."
"What?" I've never said I love her.
I do.Dio mio.I do.
"Even if I wasn't fluent in Italian, beloved is almost identical in Spanish,amado. Unless you didn't mean it?" She tries to step away from me.
Not happening. I tighten my arms around her."T'amu."Leaning down, I kiss her tenderly. Our firstalmostchaste kiss."T'amu,"I say again.
It's Sicilian, but close enough to both the Italian and Spanish words, there's no mistaking my meaning.
She sighs, contentment pouring off of her. "We're going to make this work."
"Somehow." No matter what my father's plans are for my future.
I am not giving this woman up.
She nods against my chest. "But right now, we're just going to enjoy each other, right?"
"Right." She does not graduate for another month.
That is time enough to start looking for solutions, for me to tell her about the part of me that is Principe Vittorio. Time enough to meet each other's families.
Perhaps it is selfish, I am not yet ready to share Tanzi with my family. And I cannot be entirely sure they will meet her with open arms, considering what my king wants from me.
Despite two of my aunts being American when they married my uncles, my father has made it clear he expects his children to marry from within our extensive circle. Preferably a woman of Sicilian or Italian heritage. A woman from our own country of Isole dei Re would be even better.
Like the woman he wants me to return to the palace to spend timegetting to know. In other words, negotiating marriage contracts.
Not happening.
My arms tighten reflexively again. I will not let this woman go. She is the other half of my soul.
However, now is not the time to dwell on the problems of the future. I have one week to spend with the woman I love and I'm going to make the most of it.
CHAPTER 7: Rio
Playing Tourist in NY
"I can't believe you come to NY at least four times a year for business and you've never been to Central Park." Tanzi's gray eyes judge me.
"Thefor businessis the big clue there,dolce bella."
"You can't be in meetings all the time." She grins up at me. "We've gotten together every day this week."
