“I’m sure that will be enjoyable, but aren’t you going to come with us?”
“I can’t. While you’ve been gone, I’ve had a full schedule of duties. Tomorrow I have to leave early enough to visit a school of students at risk by eight in the morning. I’m making an assessment of their needs in order to gather donations of books and other supplies they lack.”
He admired her work ethic more than she would ever know, but he missed the intimacy of the chalet. It seemed that nothing was the same here at the palace.
“I understand, but now that I’m back, I’d like to spend more time with you. We need to coordinate our activities.”
To his disappointment, Lanza simply smiled and said, “I agree, but could we leave it for now? I’m dead tired after a full day and need to get to bed.”
“Don’t go yet—We have to talk.”
“Can’t we do that tomorrow after I return?”
She seemed so distant. He longed for the closeness they’d had in the chalet.
“No. This can’t wait.”
Her brows furrowed. “What’s wrong?”
He rubbed the back of his neck absently. “I don’t like what’s happening to us.”
“Because I wasn’t here when you flew home from Argentina?”
“That and other things.”
“Oh.” Lanza looked perplexed. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do you care? We both agreed to do our own thing, no questions asked. I can’t help it that you came home from your trip early. Now you’re breaking your own rules. Which is it, Stefano? You can’t have it both ways.”
Frustrated beyond reason, he reached for her, pulling her against him. “I cut my trip short by three weeks because I missed you and couldn’t get home fast enough. I want us to have a real marriage.”
Lanza pulled away and looked at him, confused.
“No, you don’t,” she argued back. “You made it clear to me from the start that this was going to be a business arrangement.”
“I know,” said Stefano, sighing. “But I do now, and I think you want it, too. When you kissed me back at the chalet, I knew you wanted me even though you wouldn’t admit it. It’s not something you can hide.”
Lanza moved out of his arms, cutting him to the quick. Her eyes stared at him as if she didn’t know him.
“What’s happened to you? I can’t believe you could change this fast without a reason. Does this have anything to do with my father? Don’t tell me he demanded that we produce an heir before the year is out? Is that what this is all about?”
“Lanza—”
How could she think that? But then again, he had never spelled out to her that his feelings for her had changed. No wonder she wouldn’t listen to him. She carried on in full flow.
“Is that why you came home early? Did you feel guilty? Or did my father insist you hurry home to get me pregnant ASAP?”
As it happened it was Stefano’s father who had brought it up during a phone conversation he’d had with him while he’d been in Argentina. He’d been upset that Stefano had barely come home from Mexico before flying off to South America so soon. “How can you and Lanza have a family under these circumstances?” he’d complained, and Stefano had had to admit he was right.
Her cheeks were flushed, and he could see she was agitated and upset. “When I agreed to marry you, I was planning on normalcy until you warned me of your rules of engagement and told me ours would be a marriage of convenience. It killed something inside me.”
He groaned. Why had he sent her that note? “I know that now. I was so wrong and I’m sorry I’ve hurt you. I would love to start again. Please, can you forgive my foolish mistake?”
“It’s not a case of forgiveness, Stefano. I guess I’m not like other women. My sisters tease me for being naive and gullible. They reminded me that this is a business arrangement, even if I let myself believe for a time in the chalet it could be more than that. But you managed to take off my blinders. If you want to try for a baby tonight, let’s do it!” Stefano looked at her in shock. Had he really made her feel like this? He felt ashamed that he had hurt her so badly.
“You deceived me with this marriage and were my second choice. Not that I actually had one.”
Stefano tried to protest, but she had started for her bedroom. When she reached the door, she turned around. “Well? Are you coming to fulfill your next duty to produce an heir? Let’s get it over with.”
* * *