To Kiss a King - NIcole Burnham Page 0,47
I did not inform them that this is a date.” He cast a glance at the closed curtain. “However, Margaret Halaby, my Director of Charities and Patronages, is seated in the second row. I saw her look at the box more than once during the performance. She’ll have questions at this Monday’s meeting. She’ll pose them more delicately than Sergio or my press secretary will, though.”
“I’ve seen your press secretary. I don’t think delicate is in Zeno Amendola’s nature.”
“No. I don’t think anyone with shoulders as mountainous as his is capable of delicate.”
There was affection in his voice as he mentioned his staff. She gave him a questioning look. “Do they ask because they’re curious or because they worry it will affect your public role?”
“Probably a little of both. It’s human nature. However, it’s also their job and they’re exceptional at what they do.” His thumb moved over the back of her hand. His eyes followed the movement for a moment, then he tilted his head to study her. “What about you? Did you tell your staff?”
Claire shrugged. “On Thursday I told my assistant that I was invited to the royal box for the opera and asked her to make arrangements for a driver. When she questioned why she hadn’t heard about it, I told her the invitation came to the residence.”
“You dodged.”
“Poorly, I’m afraid. Karen knows it’s a date, but is pretending like she doesn’t.”
That drew a laugh from the king. “You wanted to see how tonight went before saying anything. You were a chicken.”
“I could accuse you of the same thing.”
“And it would be true.” He angled his body so they were facing one another, but didn’t release her hand. “I don’t tell my senior staff everything. For instance, they didn’t know that I’m going to be a grandfather again until about an hour before Marco and Amanda made their announcement on Wednesday.”
“I saw that. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I’m excited for them.” His eyes crinkled at the edges. “I’m excited for myself. I love Arturo, Paolo, and Gianluca. Being a grandparent makes me happier than I ever would have believed. The point is, my life is public. I fully understand why the people of San Rimini feel they have a right to know what I do. I even understood the demand for details when I had heart surgery. But the few parts of my life that are justifiably private I work hard to keep that way. I couldn’t maintain my sanity otherwise. I need time to be myself. To laugh with my children and grandchildren and not have the world bear witness to it.”
“When you invited me on this date, I seem to recall your insistence that you’re human.”
“Do you believe me?”
“I’m getting there,” she teased. “You do have that whole larger-than-life quality.”
“Says the ambassador.”
“Not the same as a king.”
They were quiet for a long moment. “I’m old enough to know my heart and my mind. And I’m old enough not to play games. So I’ll be direct. I want to see more of you, Claire. I want to spend time—real time—talking to you. Like this, where we can be candid. Where you can call me Eduardo instead of Your Highness. I’d like to take you to other events. To share dinners that aren’t about political or economic matters if we don’t want them to be. Where we can talk about our families and movies and books or discuss the qualities of whiskey from New Mexico versus Tennessee versus Scotland.”
“You don’t have friends for that?”
“I do. I imagine you do, too. But it’s not the same.”
“No, it’s not,” she admitted. The lights flashed and a rush of sound came from the other side of the curtain. The stage below them stood empty. In less than a minute, the performers would take their places for the beginning of the second act. From somewhere backstage came the sound of a soprano warming up. It made both of them smile.
Eduardo pulled her close and they listened. Claire closed her eyes, breathing in all that surrounded her: the warm, spicy scent of Eduardo’s skin. Dust from the heavy stage curtains. Wax from the floorboards far below. She allowed her head to drop against his shoulder and her hands to skim the back of his jacket.
She’d thought the performance had encased them in a magical bubble. This surpassed it.
“Seeing me on a personal level could be a risk for your career,” he said quietly. “But I believe that the more we get to know