Stefano turned to her. “Lanza? You remember my very best friend, Enzo Perino.”
“Of course.” They shook hands.
His eyes played over her features in male admiration. “I couldn’t be more honored, Your Highness. You were a vision today when you walked down the aisle in the cathedral with your father. Stefano is the luckiest of men.”
Hardly... But for some reason she liked his friend on sight.
“Thank you, Enzo. Please call me Lanza.”
He flashed Stefano a smile before opening the rear door for them. “You’re going to freeze to death if you don’t get in where it’s warm.”
How funny. Other than her coat, she hadn’t brought a stitch of winter clothing with her.
Stefano followed her inside and shut the door. It felt good to get out of the freezing wind. He helped her find the seat belt so she could fasten it. Every time he brushed against her, she smelled the scent of the soap he’d used in the shower and she was increasingly aware of his potent male aura. Her attraction to him was blinding her to the pragmatic reason why they’d married.
Enzo got behind the wheel. Before starting out, he said, “I’m very aware of my precious cargo and will drive as safely as I can.”
That was a very thoughtful thing for him to say considering Alberto had been killed on a winter road.
They headed out of the airport. Obviously, their flight had landed just in time. Snow had started falling and pelted the windshield. They’d barely made it here ahead of the storm.
She assumed they were headed for a hotel, but she couldn’t have been more wrong when she saw the turnoff he’d taken for the mountains.
“Where are we going?” she asked in a quiet aside.
“Home to my chalet. We’ll be there within forty-five minutes.”
“So you had a home here when you returned to Umbriano after your various trips?”
“For the last ten years, yes.”
“That’s one secret not leaked to the public. It means you were given your own hideaway at eighteen along with your freedom.” Every young prince dying to be released from the royal trappings should be so blessed.
“Actually, I purchased it with my own earnings.”
Lanza swallowed hard at her unintentional gaffe. “Did Alberto envy you?”
She had to wait for his answer. “Alberto loved it as much as I did. My wedding present to him was that he bring you to the chalet for your honeymoon after you were married. It was going to be a secret from everyone else.”
His response was so unexpected and touching, she could hardly breathe. Alberto had been planning to bring her to Stefano’s hideaway in the mountains?
Lanza wished she hadn’t brought up his brother’s name while he was still grieving.
Unsettled, she leaned forward. “Enzo? Did you spend time at the chalet with Stefano when you two were young?”
“All the time. We skied, mountain climbed, hunted, fished, camped out and had parties.”
“I’ll bet. Sounds like heaven.”
“But as we got older we haven’t had as much time to do that as we’ve been busy pursuing our careers.”
“What kind of work do you do?”
“I went to university and got my degree in finance. Since then I’ve worked in my father’s bank. Lately I’ve taken over more and more of his duties because his health is failing.”
“How wonderful for him to have a son like you.”