Free Becoming the Prince's Wife (Princes of Europe) by Rebecca Winters Page A

up soon. How would it be if you cleared your slate for this afternoon and came to the palace? Say two o’clock?”
    By now Carolena was trembling.
    “We’ll talk and eat out by the pool. If you leave the palace by six-thirty, you’ll be in time for your date.”
    Carolena panicked. “I’d have to juggle some appointments.” That was another lie. “I don’t know if Signor Faustino will let me. I’m working on a big case.”
    “Bigger than the one for the princes of two countries?” Abby teased.
    Her friend had put her on the royal spot. The writing was on the wall. “I—I’ll arrange it.” Her voice faltered.
    “Perfect. The limo will pick you up at the office at one forty-five. Come right out to the terrace by the pool after you arrive.”
    “All right,” she whispered before hanging up.
    In an hour and a half Carolena would be seeing Valentino again. Already she had this suffocating feeling in her chest. It was a good thing she had another client to take up her time before the limo came for her. When she left the office she’d tell Tomaso she was going out for a business lunch with a client, which was only the truth.
    Luckily she’d worn her sleeveless black designer shift dress with the crew neck and black belt to work. She’d matched the outfit with black heels. There was no need to do anything about her hair. All she had to do was touch up her makeup. When she showed up at the palace, it would carry out the lie that she’d be going to the symphony later.
    * * *
    Valentino had just finished some laps in the pool when he saw Carolena walk past the garden toward them in a stunning, formfitting black dress. Only a woman with her figure could wear it. Abby had told him she was going to the symphony later with a man.
    She’d parted her hair in the middle above her forehead and had swept a small braid from each side around to the back, leaving her dark hair long. Two-tiered silvery earrings dangled between the strands. He did a somersault off the wall of the pool to smother his gasp.
    If he’d hoped that she wouldn’t look as good to him after four days, he could forget that! The trick would be to keep his eyes off her while they tried to do business. While Abby laid out their lunch beneath the overhang, Vincenzo sat at one of the tables working on his laptop. Both of them wore beach robes over their swimsuits. Max was down for a nap in the nursery.
    She headed for Abby. A low whistle came out of Vincenzo and he got up to greet her. “I’ve never seen you looking lovelier, Carolena.”
    “Thank you,” she said as the two women hugged.
    Valentino climbed out of the shallow end of the pool and threw on a beach cover-up. “We’re grateful you could come this afternoon.”
    Carolena shot him a brief glance. “It’s very nice to see you again, Val. Signor Faustino was thrilled when he found out where I was going. Needless to say, he considers it the coup of the century that I’ve been summoned to help the princes of Gemelli and Arancia with a legal problem.”
    Abby was all smiles. “Knowing him, he’ll probably make you senior partner at their next meeting.”
    “Don’t wish that on me!” That sounded final.
    Valentino moved closer. “You mean, it isn’t your dream?”
    “Definitely not.” She seemed so composed, but it was deceiving, because he saw a nerve throbbing frantically at the base of her throat where he longed to kiss her.
    He smiled. “Our conversation on the deck of the yacht was cut short and didn’t give us time to cover your dreams before I had to leave.”
    Being out of the sun, she couldn’t blame it for the rose blush that crept into her face. “As I recall, we were discussing your dreams for Gemelli, Val.”
    Touché. But his unrealized personal dream that had lain dormant deep in his soul since his cognizance of life was another matter altogether.
    “In truth, I hope to make enough money from the law practice that one day in the future I can buy back my