Luis (Royal Caleva #2)

CHAPTER 19

Luis woke up alone the next morning and didn’t like it. It had been much better during the night when he had surfaced into wakefulness with Eve’s warm, naked body curled against his side. Especially since she had been happy to be roused by his hands and mouth.

He stretched his body out fully, the sheets stroking his skin as he savored the relaxation of his muscles from a night of pleasure. The aches and pains brought on by the horseback ride had eased somewhat too.

It wasn’t just physical, though. Eve somehow lifted the weight of Caleva off his shoulders, allowing him to be a man, a father, a lover…all without being a king. When the weight resettled, it seemed lighter.

As usual, the chime of his cell phone impinged on his good mood. He ignored it until it chimed a second time.

Grabbing it off the nightstand, he swiped to the text message. It was from Mikel.

Su Majestad, my apologies for disturbing you. Bruno and I are on our way to you. There is an issue involving Eve that requires your immediate attention.

Luis scowled at the phone. Eve, not Grace. Mikel could not possibly know that he and Eve had slept together. Or maybe he could. The man had eyes everywhere.

The fact that both of his closest advisors were on their way meant the issue was serious enough that it couldn’t wait until he arrived at Castillo Draconago.

He got up to shower.

Half an hour later, Luis was downstairs in his office, dressed in a pale blue shirt and gray suit trousers. He would add the tie and suit jacket in the car while en route to the palace. As he waited for Mikel and Bruno, he scanned through his meetings for the day, growling in annoyance over yet another session with the group complaining about the U.S. military base lease. The problem with many of the noble consejeros was that they had too much time on their hands, so they wasted Luis’s.

He was surprised to notice that the newcomer, Felipe Camacho, was no longer listed as part of the delegation. Camacho seemed like a crusader, and that type didn’t usually give up once they had a perceived conduit to the king’s ear. At any rate, Luis would instruct Bruno to foist the group on someone else.

As though his thought had conjured him, Luis’s assistant entered the office with Mikel right behind him.

“Su Majestad.” Bruno bowed. “My deepest regrets for impinging on your private time, but this involves your family.”

Mikel slid in silently with his trademark half bow.

“What is this urgent problem?” Luis asked.

Bruno tapped at the tablet he held before placing it on the desk in front of Luis. “La Voix plans to run this photograph in their morning edition tomorrow.”

The photo was of Eve and Luis strolling on the beach, the champagne bottle in his hand. Eve’s red hair flew like a banner in the wind, and she was laughing. They looked so normal, two people enjoying each other’s company in a beautiful, wild setting. Luis met Bruno’s gaze. “I’ve been photographed with women before. What is the problem?”

“Read the caption, Se?or,” Bruno said.

“‘Does the king have a new girlfriend? Who is the mysterious redhead who has our sovereign drinking champagne while walking barefoot on the beach?’” Again, Luis looked up. “We just ignore it as always. Eve will not be bothered by it since they don’t name her.”

“I am concerned about Odette Fontaine’s possible reaction,” Mikel said.

“Joder!” Luis swore as the import of Mikel’s words hit him. “Do you think she will recognize Eve as Grace’s adoptive mother? After all, the photo was taken from a distance, and it has been more than twenty-five years since Odette met Eve. Hostia!” Luis cursed again as a memory surfaced. “Odette traveled to Iowa three years ago to find Grace. She might have seen Eve too.”

“That is my fear,” Mikel said. “Not to mention that some zealous reporter will ferret out Eve’s identity soon enough.”

Luis was long accustomed to the public constraints of being the head of his country. However, this was one of the times when he wished his private life could be private.

“Can you lock down Odette’s access to outside media?” Luis asked.

“Yes, but unless we put her back in solitary, other inmates may talk about it. It is almost impossible to be sure she will not find out about the photo,” Mikel said.

“Bruno, persuade La Voix to kill the photo for now,” Luis said. “We will promise them access to a much bigger story in the near future.”

“Grace’s story,” Bruno said with a nod of understanding. “Do you have a sense of Se?orita Howard’s feelings about claiming her place in Caleva?”

Luis thumped his fist on the desk in frustration. “I wanted to let her make the choice at her own pace. She should be allowed time to sort through the implications so she never regrets her decision.” He had also caused an upheaval in Eve’s life, one that could change her future almost as much as her daughter’s.

But Luis knew this was a ticking bomb, and they were running out of time to avoid an explosion they couldn’t control.

“I need to speak with Eve,” Luis said.

“Por supuesto. Of course,” Mikel said, but he and Bruno did not move.

“I will see if she is awake,” Luis said with a sigh of resignation as he picked up his phone to text Eve.

She responded almost immediately that she would be there in fifteen minutes. Luis put down his phone and looked at the tablet again.

“Send me a copy of the photo, por favor,” he said, returning the tablet to Bruno.

His assistant sat and swiped at the tablet. “It should be on your secure phone now.”

“Su Majestad, I offer my apologies for this invasion of your privacy at Casa en las Nubes,” Mikel said. “I believe the photograph was taken from a boat that never should have gotten that close. I have added an additional patrol to prevent this from happening again.”

Luis waved away the apology. “It’s only a photograph and not even a scandalous one. It happens to be a problem only because we are trying to keep a secret.”

They had not even kissed when the photo was taken, but Luis had wondered how her lips would taste many times before that. It showed in his body language. Mostly, though, he had felt a quiet joy in sauntering barefoot on the sand beside a woman he found intriguing…and sexy.

Then Eve walked into the office, dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved green T-shirt. Her glorious red hair—that he had tangled his hands in last night—was still wet from a shower and tamed into a thick braid.

“Buenos dias, Luis!” Her smile was brilliant with happiness, and an answering joy bloomed in his chest as he stood. Then her glance fell on Bruno and Mikel standing by the desk. The smile shifted into wariness. She was a smart woman.

Eve’s stomach lurched as she took in the three imposing men who faced her. Luis was smiling, but Bruno and Mikel had solemn expressions.

“Buenos días, Eve,” Luis said. “You look lovely this morning.”

A lie. She had just gotten out of the shower when his text arrived. Hoping that he was inviting her for a quickie in his office, she had twisted her wet hair into a braid and thrown on the first clothes she dragged out of the closet. But Luis’s gaze was as warm as his smile, so maybe he was blinded by lust.

“Good morning, se?ora,” Bruno said, while Mikel gave her a respectful nod.

“This looks ominous,” Eve said.

“More of a nuisance.” Luis came around the desk to put his hand on the small of her back and guide her to the seating area. “Please, let us sit.”

Luis took the chair next to hers and held out his hand for Bruno’s tablet. “One of our media outlets plans to run this tomorrow.”

He tapped the screen before he passed it to Eve. Her heart sank as she looked at the photo and read the caption, but then she remembered that they hadn’t even kissed each other at the point the photo had been taken. “It’s just two people enjoying the beach. We’re not doing anything shocking.”

Well, there was the flirtatious tilt of her head and the intent focus of Luis’s gaze. Their bodies seemed angled toward each other, too, but it was all subtle.

“It doesn’t matter what we were doing,” Luis said. “You and I were together. If it is published, Odette could see it and recognize you.”

“But I haven’t seen her for more than twenty-five years,” Eve protested.

“Yes, but she may have seen you,” Luis said. “About three years ago, Odette traveled to Iowa to see Grace.”

“That makes no sense. Grace didn’t know who her birth mother was until you told her!” Eve said, trying to absorb the information.

“Odette did not reveal her presence to Grace. She simply observed her. Which means she might have observed you too,” Luis said.

“Oh, crap!” Eve looked at the photo again. Although the picture had obviously been taken with a telephoto lens, her red hair stood out, and her face was probably clear enough to be recognizable. If Odette had seen Eve three years ago, she might be able to identify her.

“Bruno will be able to get La Voix to postpone publication of the photo, but now that we’ve been seen together like this, this paparazzo, or someone from the paper, will be trailing you for another opportunity. And they will track down your name.” Luis took the tablet from her and set it aside before he grasped her hands, his grip warm and strong, an anchor she craved. “We need to get ahead of this so that Odette is not provoked into releasing her version of the story before we can introduce Grace to Caleva on our terms.”

“Get ahead of it how?” Eve was still reeling from the idea that Odette had been near her daughter three years before.

“We need Grace’s decision,” Luis said. “I wished to give her more time, but events have overtaken us.”

No, not events, but her stupid attraction to him had triggered this mess. Her self-indulgence was going to rush Grace into making a decision before she was ready. Guilt wrung her chest, and Eve pulled her hands out of Luis’s grasp.

“We’ll go back to Iowa,” Eve said. “Then no one will take pictures of me or Grace here, and Odette will never know.”

“That would be a mistake,” Mikel said. “Here, we have some influence with the media, but in the U.S., we have almost none. It will be much more difficult to protect Grace there.”

“‘Protect Grace.’” Dread ripped through Eve. Cocooned in the protective net woven around Luis, she had almost forgotten to worry about Grace’s safety. Mikel’s words burst that bubble of innocence with a single pinprick.

Some of her panic must have shown on her face, because Luis leaned in to say in a soothing tone, “Eve, Grace will be fine, no matter where she is.” He swept his gaze between Mikel and Bruno. “If you would give us some privacy,” he said.

They turned and left the office, closing the door behind them.

“I am so sorry, Eve.” Luis wanted to touch her, but she looked ready to explode. “I didn’t wish to pressure Grace, but we cannot wait much longer to make an announcement.”

He wasn’t surprised that the timetable had been taken out of their hands. It was partially his fault. He had been so focused on getting to know his daughter and her getting to know him that he had pushed the limits of secrecy.

Eve stood abruptly. “I knew I shouldn’t get involved with you. It was irresponsible and selfish. Now I’ve put Grace in a terrible position.”

Her words slashed at him like daggers. If she felt irresponsible and selfish, how could he feel less so? Even worse, he could see the direction of her thinking, and it led directly away from him. Worry twisted in his gut as he stood too.

“Eve, it was not your fault. It was mine. I know too well how voracious the paparazzi are. I should have been more careful about exposing you.”

He took a step toward her, but she held up her hand to stop him.

“No, we’re done now,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest as her tone grew hard. “Before you force Grace to make a decision about what her role will be in Caleva, you have to sit down with her and tell her every bad thing there is about being a member of the royal family. No more of this fantasy stuff with castles and dragons and…and founding veterinary colleges. You give her the gritty, ugly reality.” She gulped in a breath that was almost a sob. “Like your nephew getting kidnapped and having his ear cut off.”

That slammed into Luis like a runaway train. “You want me to remind Grace that her mother is a psychopath?”

Eve’s shoulders sagged. “No. No, you shouldn’t bring that up again. She knows it all too well.” She shot an enraged look at him. “Did you ever think that it might have been better for you to stay away from Grace? Then she wouldn’t be burdened by that terrible heritage.”

That was a bullet tearing through his flesh. “Yes, but she also has a glorious heritage as a princess of Caleva. Should I have deprived her of that?”

Eve looked stricken, and he couldn’t help himself. He wound his arms around her, feeling the shudder of her body as she gave way to tears. “Eve, querida mía, our daughter is a strong, smart woman. You raised her to be that way. She will make the right decision.”

“I’m afraid for her,” Eve said into his shoulder. “Can you promise she will be safe?”

“I can promise that I employ some of the best, most loyal people in the world who will do everything they can to keep her safe. None of us can do more than that. Not even you. Not even in Iowa before anyone knew she was my daughter.” He rubbed gentle circles on her back.

For a long moment, she remained rigid in his arms, and then her body softened, and she leaned into him.

“I’m not ready for this,” she said. “I expected to have more time too.”

“More time for what?” But he understood. His appearance in Grace’s life would change Eve’s future as well. He was arrogant enough to feel it would be for the better, but Eve might not agree—yet.

“More time to be Grace’s mom.” A sob wrenched from her throat.

“Cari?o, what are you talking about? You will always be Grace’s mother. That will never change.” Her misery clawed at him. How could she believe he would take Grace away from her?

She moved restlessly in his arms. “Forget it. I’m being selfish again.” She pushed at his chest, and he reluctantly let her go. Pulling a clean handkerchief from his pocket, he held it out.

She gave an odd little huff of a laugh before taking the square of cotton and blotting her tear-streaked face. So she had thought of last night’s handkerchief.

“Grace needs to finish vet school before she starts princessing,” Eve said, spearing him with a direct gaze. “That’s nonnegotiable.”

“Of course.” Not that he was happy about waiting that long. “And I will speak with her today about the negatives of being a royal. Te prometo. I promise you.”

“And you will protect her while she’s at school in Iowa.” Eve continued to glare at him. “Mikel said that would be hard.”

“Mikel holds himself to almost impossible standards. Believe me, Grace—and you—will be secure, even in the U.S.”

She waved a hand in dismissal of her own safety. He grasped her shoulders. “Eve, you must be protected as well. You are Grace’s mother and important to her.”

“Like your nephew, right? You love Gabriel, so he became a target.” She drew in a ragged breath. “I hate this paranoia.”

He did not remind her that Raul had been the real target. That would strike too close to home.

“Eve, do I seem paranoid to you?” He waited for her to shake her head. “I am careful. I listen to Mikel’s advice…most of the time. But I do not live in fear. Nor do Raul or Gabriel, despite his terrible ordeal. The truth is that any of us could die tomorrow for reasons that have nothing to do with being members of the royal family. We embrace our lives wholeheartedly. Otherwise, we are not really alive.”

“But you’re used to this craziness. Grace isn’t.”

“Do you not think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” he asked.

“Probably. Maybe. I don’t know.” She shrugged his grasp off her shoulders and stepped back, wrapping her arms around her waist. “This thing, whatever it is, between us—it’s over now.”

A dark void opened at his feet, and he balanced on the edge. “Eve, no! The damage is done.” No, that is the wrong thing to say. “We won’t need to keep our secret much longer. We can be together in public without any concern.”

“No. I need to be Grace’s mother now.” Her voice was like stone. “You need to be Grace’s father. The only contact we will have is in looking out for her best interests.”

Her expression said she wasn’t convinced he could be trusted with the latter.

“We cannot pretend that there is nothing between us.” He reached for her, but she flinched a step backward. He dropped his hands, clenching them into fists against his thighs.

“It was only a…a liaison. Isn’t that what you call your relationships?” she said. “It wasn’t meant to be long term anyway.”

But he wasn’t ready for it to end. He had just discovered the delight of her. “It was not meant to be only two nights,” he said.

“It shouldn’t have been even one,” she said. “Look at what a mess we made.”

“No, not a mess. Remember what pleasure we gave each other, what joy we found together, what we can look forward to as we grow closer.” His words held a desperation he couldn’t suppress. “Eve, don’t punish yourself for finding happiness or for giving it to me.”

“It’s not punishment. It’s reality,” she said, taking another step away from him, her posture rigid.

He had not felt this helpless since had gotten the news that Gabriel had been kidnapped. What words could he use to bring Eve back to him?

A quiet knock sounded on the office door. He wanted to curse and tell whoever it was to go away, but Eve went over to open it.

“Lo siento, Su Majestad, but you have a meeting at the palace in one hour,” Bruno said.

“Cancel it,” Luis said.

“It is with the U.S. ambassador,” Bruno insisted.

“Joder!” They had a sensitive matter to discuss that couldn’t wait. He turned to Eve. “You and Grace will come to the palace at…?” He looked at Bruno.

His assistant checked his tablet. “The two o’clock meeting can be canceled.”

“Before two, then,” Luis said. “We will talk. About everything.”

She nodded, her braid moving against her shoulder. God, he wanted to sink his fingers into the thickness of it and use it to tilt back her head so he could feast on her mouth.

“I’ll tell Grace what’s happened,” she said, her eyes unhappy.

He held her gaze. “Eve, she will be fine.”

But would he?