Royally Claimed - By Marie Donovan Page 0,56

sober, unlike most of the guys here. Besides, you’re not the only one with a taste for danger.”

She pursed her lips like a fussy old lady.

“Oh, the look on your face.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her tight mouth. She relaxed grudgingly and he gave her one last kiss before letting her go.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt, Franco,” she told him, using her pet name for him.

“If you think I want to get gored or stepped on, think again. Hard to make love to you with broken ribs,” he murmured seductively.

“You do know how to charm an emergency room nurse,” she said wryly. “Maybe they’re finished for the day?”

“No, they usually bring three or four bulls and rotate them.”

“Great.”

He laughed and hurried her down the street. “Come on, you’ll like it.”

The street was barricaded to traffic a couple blocks later, leftover cardboard tied to protect decorative railings. Julia realized that was so the bull couldn’t stick his horns through and possibly gore someone.

Spectators perched on high walls and grassy areas. “This is where they bring the bull? This tiny space where you can’t even fit two cars across?”

“This is it.” His eyes were sparkling and he spotted an empty space behind a fence. He boosted her over despite her increasingly loud protests. “Stay here unless the bull’s coming at you.”

She called his name but he waved and trotted toward the large wooden pen at the end of the street. Someone set off a firework rocket and the bull exploded out of the pen to the cheer of the crowd.

The bull was glossy and black with blunted horns, a rope knotted around its neck. Julia’s gaze followed the rope to see four or five men in traditional flat-brimmed hats and white long-sleeved shirts holding the other end. She hoped they knew what they were doing. And that the rope held.

Frank let the other men on the street dart close to the bull and then sprint away as the animal wheeled to chase them. He was probably gauging the bull’s reactions and temperament. After a minute or so, he was in the thick of it. Julia bit back scream after scream as he ran toward the bull and circled away at the last second. Once he even affectionately touched the angry animal’s snout, almost as if it were his pet.

“You maniac,” she muttered, her nails digging into her palms. He probably did this at home at his fazenda for fun, minus the rope.

A younger man, probably still a teenager, slipped and went down right in front of the bull. Frank was there in a flash to distract the animal, grabbing both of his horns and yanking him away so he was forced to step sideways. The bull snorted in anger and tossed his head, lifting Frank off his feet and bouncing him back down on the ground. That time she did scream, a short cry she muffled with her hands. She wouldn’t forgive herself if she distracted him and he was hurt. Or even killed.

For a second Julia thought he would slip under the bull’s hooves, but the men holding the rope pulled the bull back just enough for Frank to vault past the bull like some kind of circus acrobat.

The crowd roared its appreciation for Frank’s bravery and fine bull-handling skills. He gave a cheerful wave without glancing around, still focused on that damn bull.

If he hurt Frank, Julia would make him into hamburger.

Now that the bull was wearing out, some of the older men took their turn and Frank gracefully stepped back.

He came toward Julia and easily leaped up to where she gripped the fence. “What did you think, meu bem?”

“Franco Duarte, you just took ten years off my life with that stunt. If you think I’m going to—mmmph!” She broke off as he grabbed her and kissed her.

A cheer went up around them as he claimed her mouth, claimed her, with his blatant, masculine power. Julia yelped and he took advantage of her open mouth to deepen their kiss, his tongue teasing hers briefly.

Her fingers crept into his dark, silky hair and she pressed against his hard chest. Now that he was out of danger she could admit that watching him challenge the dangerous animal had excited her.

She ran her hands down the strong shoulders and arms that had lifted him safely around the bull.

He lifted his head with a jerk, realizing they had an audience. Julia caught someone murmur “Duke of Santas