To Kiss a King - NIcole Burnham Page 0,55
staff in adjacent rooms, he answered with a low, “Hello, Claire?”
“Bad time?”
“I’m walking to a meeting and have exactly three minutes.”
“Same, but I’m in the car.” He heard the strain in her voice, though she tried to mask it. “I assume you’ve heard of a tabloid called Today’s Royals?”
She quickly told him about an article the embassy’s Public Affairs Officer had spotted and gave an overview of the morning news reports, which avoided the innuendo of the tabloid. “He’s about to watch the daily press briefing from the palace to see what your press secretary says.”
“He’s going to tell the truth,” Eduardo said, then repeated exactly what he’d told Zeno.
“A reputation for effectiveness? I appreciate that.”
Eduardo slowed his pace and lowered his voice as he entered the hallway where the library was located. “I’m used to dealing with the media, even with Today’s Royals, but this is uncharted territory for me.”
“Just a moment,” she said. He heard her tell her driver to turn onto Via San Vito and stop near the guard station.
“You’re going to parliament?” he asked when she came back on the line.
“I have a meeting with Monica Barrata that was moved up from this afternoon. As you were saying?”
“Uncharted territory.” He stopped walking. To his right, a row of windows overlooked the palace gardens. Out there, all seemed tranquil. “Claire, I want to keep seeing you.”
“I’m beginning to wonder if that’s wise.”
“You like me.”
She laughed at his blunt statement. “That has nothing to do with wisdom.”
“Come to La Rocca tonight and we can talk. Miroslav is on duty. I’ll send him to your residence to get you. He will be discreet.”
Several seconds passed in silence. Eduardo’s throat tightened as he waited.
“Claire? Are you there?”
“Yes. Is ten too late? My street is quiet after nine.”
Relief washed through him. “Done.”
John’s words marinated in the back of Claire’s brain all day. During their lunch meeting, they’d brainstormed possible media questions about her night at the opera and drafted a slew of answers. In the end, they’d ditched them all in favor of having John sidestep when he could reasonably do so. Otherwise, he’d answer queries with language similar to what Zeno Amendola had used during the morning press briefing at the palace.
By the time Claire followed Miroslav through the palace corridors and up the staircase that led to King Eduardo’s private apartment, past gilt-framed mirrors and portraits of past monarchs, she knew what she had to do.
It tore at her heart, but John had been right when he’d confronted her in the break room. With Eduardo, a relationship needed to be all or nothing, and what were the odds a relationship with Eduardo would be forever? She didn’t have a good track record on that front. Her bare ring finger was evidence of that. Besides, there were major obstacles to leap before they could even get to serious, let alone permanent.
And that was if they had enough time to date like normal human beings. She was a true believer in the notion that good relationships were built over time, during moments of laughter and late-night debates. During lazy vacations and shared tasks, during days of sorrow and joy, stress and exhilaration.
Deep down, she knew she and Eduardo had the potential to build that kind of relationship. But she also knew the price they could each pay for a chance at it.
Miroslav knocked on the king’s door, then punched a code into the entry pad without waiting for a response. Over his shoulder, he said. “His Highness asked that I let you in when you arrive.”
She thanked him, then strode past Miroslav into the vestibule. The king was crossing the great room as she entered. He wore dress slacks, a white shirt, and polished shoes, but his tie was gone and he’d rolled back his sleeves to expose his forearms. The only light came from a lamp beside the sofa. A pair of reading glasses lay there on top of a notebook she guessed contained his daily briefing materials.
One look at him and she wanted to be in his arms.
Before temptation made her do something stupid, she said, “We need to end this. I didn’t want to do it on the phone.”
Eduardo’s eyes widened fractionally and his gaze swept past her. “Thank you, Miroslav, I’m set for the night.”
“I’ll be available should you need me.”
Claire’s face heated. She’d thought Miroslav had stayed in the hall. When the door closed, she said, “I’m sorry about that, Your Highness.”
It was becoming quite the