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The corner of his mouth tingled with a sudden itch to smile. She was trying to be polite, but he’d pissed her off. Fascinating.
His eyes dropped to her lips of their own accord, and he cursed inwardly. Full, sweet, kissable lips. She wore minimal makeup—just a hint of lipgloss, some mascara, and perhaps some blush—but nonetheless, he itched to see her face completely natural, with no enhancements whatsoever. He suspected she might be someone who was even more beautiful just as she woke up in the morning. Hair messy, after a night spent?—
With an almost extra-human effort, he shut down that dangerous and delightful thought. “I walk fast.”
“I’m sure I can keep up.”
“Are you?”
“I have legs, don’t I?”
Damn it. What was that if not an invitation? His glance slid downwards, and not with any great speed. It was a slow and lazy inspection, as though he might never see her again and this was his one chance to commit her to memory. As though she were the first and last woman he’d ever seen. His eyes lingered on the swell of her breasts, and his palms warmed with an image, conjured against his will, of what it would be like to hold them. To feel their weight in his hands, to cup them and brush his fingertips over her nipples until she whispered his name into the breeze…
“It’s true I don’t have much hiking experience, but how hard can it be?” She asked, a little breathily, so he knew the effecthis inspection had on her, and relished the evidence of her own response.
Desire strummed through his body.
Perhaps to foreshadow the dangers of what he was suggesting, Ares took a small step closer, his eyes running over her delicate features, willing himself to be sensible. Rational. To hold onto his restraint a while longer. “I take one tent. Unless you feel like carrying your own,” he prompted, “we’ll be sharing a small space overnight.”
Her breath hitched noticeably but her features showed no other betraying reaction. “I’m sure I’ll have no problems falling straight to sleep after a whole day hiking through the wilderness.”
“You really want to do this?” He asked, and Ares knew he was talking about more than just the hike. There was something flaring between them that seemed almost inevitable. If she said no, and demurred, then they’d be safe. If she agreed to come—he couldn’t predict what would happen, but he suspected it would be as imprudent as it was satisfying.
“Yes.” The word was heavy with uncertainty though. He understood her dilemma perfectly—it was the same one that Ares was facing.
“Okay,” he arched a brow. “Then let’s go.”
The car had takenthem forty minutes from the palace, and the drive had been conducted in almost complete silence. Or, rather, there’d been a lack of conversation, except for a few pieces of information Ares had given her. Such as,the park is completely private—it’s part of the royal estate.
Only, despite the lack of speech, Sofia had been aware of other noises. Like the gushing of blood through her veins, and the hammering of her heart into her ribs, the brushing of herfingertips as she toyed with her hands in her lap. Every mile the car ate up made her want to pull out of this whole trip. She wasnota hiker, not by any stretch of the imagination. Then again, how hard could it be? She was fit, and she could put one foot in front of the other. The hiking wasn’t what was worrying her. It was the spark. The chemistry. The fact they seemed to ignite something when they were close. Did he feel it too?
So what if he did? They were both adults; they could ignore something as basic as that. She had to focus on the reason Salvatore had needed her to take his place. This was three days of unfettered access to King Ares, who held the future of the Santoro family’s tender in his hands. She had to relegate her personal doubts to the back of her mind and focus instead on this opportunity.
She would not squander it.
It was her chance to repay the Santoros for their kindness and generosity, and a way to thank them before she broke the news to them that she wouldn’t be taking up a role in their company long term. She had to stand on her own two feet, away from them, at some point. Even if just to prove to herself that she could.
The palace was on the edges of the capital city of Moricosia, an ancient medieval city reminiscent of the oldest parts of Athens, with light-coloured buildings, made of stone or rendered beige, arched windows, and small balconies with wrought iron balustrades and shocks of bright colour intermittently, courtesy of the potted plants that the people here saw almost as obligatory to display. Even as the weather was turning cool, for this climate, the flowers still beamed, their faces happily upturned towards the wintry sun.
Their car had headed east, away from the coastline, and into more suburban areas, which fascinated Sofia. It was remarkable how quickly the high-density houses gave way to urban sprawland then, a little further out, to areas of agriculture. She spotted vineyards, and fields dotted with sheep and cows, then some long, green grasses, which she guessed to be wheat.
“I didn’t know agriculture was such a big industry in Moricosia.”
“We have a policy of self-sufficiency. There was a bad famine, after the war. The government moved to legislate a future-proof solution. There is also a tax rebate for residents who use a minimum of fifteen per cent of their available land for personal food production.”
Silence fell once more, but Sofia couldn’t ignore the pride in his voice, nor the sense of ownership. As though he was deeply connected to the success of his country, and its people.
The farms grew further and further apart, and then there were just rolling hills, which eventually became spotted with the occasional tree, before becoming heavy with them, and the air around them darkened as the car slid beneath a canopy of green. Thick trunks surrounded them, and the temperature dropped noticeably. After about ten minutes, the car drew to a stop in a small, gravel clearing, and Ares turned to her.
“Well?” The short word was somehow imbued with myriad meanings. Skepticism, doubt, displeasure, irritation. “Shall we?”
He was hoping, even then, that she’d change her mind. Just like he clearly had wanted her to be back in the palace. And fair enough. She’d totally invited herself on his personal trip. Naturally, he was pissed. But, just as Salvatore had suggested, he was too well-mannered to do more than hint at it.
“Absolutely,” she forced an over-bright smile to her face. “I’m looking forward to it.”
A quick curl of his lips showed more than skepticism. Outright doubt was expressed on his face. If only he knew how that strengthened her resolve…
The driver opened the King’s door first and bowed a little, which Ares seemed not to notice. Sofia, on her side of the car, had opened her own door in time to catch the way Ares looked towards the forest behind them, all lush fir trees, pine trees, elms, and enormous oaks. It looked like a forest that might have been there for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. A bird made a whipping cry, like a bell, and she glanced up to try to spot it. A streak of silver passed through the sky, too fast for her to identify more than fast-moving wings.
