CHAPTER 25
By Sunday evening, Luis had recovered enough to be thoroughly bored.
He had awakened in the morning without Eve in his arms, which he had expected but not approved of. Falling asleep with her soft, curving body pressed against his had been the only pleasure he had known since he had collapsed. He closed his eyes to remember the silk of her hair against his palm and his lips.
And then he snapped his eyelids open again so Raul wouldn’t think he had gone back to sleep. All day long, Grace and Raul had taken turns sitting in the recliners to make sure he did nothing but sleep, eat, and be examined by the doctors. Grace had even chased Mikel out after he had made the bald announcement that Felipe Camacho had been captured and brought back to Caleva. Of course, Mikel followed Grace’s command only because he also believed Luis should rest.
Luis had dubbed his children the royal tyrants, and his heart swelled at the delight of them caring for him.
In truth, sleeping most of the day had probably been the wisest course, but he would never admit that out loud.
Now he wanted Eve. He had not seen her since the delight of having her curled against him last night.
“Raul, I’m tired of sleeping. I want some conversation,” he said. “Can you ask Grace and Eve to come in? And Mikel, if he’s here.”
That would camouflage his real target.
Raul glanced at his watch. “Only for half an hour or so.”
“Who is the king here?” Luis said.
“You are the invalid king. As the healthy prince, I take precedence.” Raul grinned. “Let me get you some entertainment, Pater.”
Luis mock-huffed at his son’s presumption. As soon as Raul closed the door, Luis raised the top of the bed so he was in a sitting position, then straightened the sheets to appear less rumpled. He glanced down at the V-necked teal T-shirt that he wore and decided it looked respectable, even though he had been wearing it since that morning. Not that he could change it anyway. Although he was attached to fewer monitors now, he still needed assistance to unleash himself.
He chuckled inwardly. If he was worried about how he looked for Eve, he was nearly recovered.
As the door opened, he squared his shoulders and lifted his chin to project his return to health. “Good evening,” he said, his eyes on Eve as she followed her daughter into his room.
She had changed her clothes and was now wearing navy trousers and an emerald green blouse with white flowers scattered over it. His fingers itched to unbutton it to reveal the curves of her breasts.
Yes, he was definitely feeling better.
A delicious blush climbed Eve’s cheeks as she said, “You look much better.” And he knew she was remembering last night. Good.
“I feel my strength has returned, thanks to the excellent care I have received here.” He let his gaze rest on the three of them.
The door opened again, and Mikel slipped in.
“Se?or.” Mikel bowed after he had spent several seconds examining Luis’s face. “I am glad to see you improved.”
“Much improved, Mikel,” Luis said. “I will be leaving the hospital tomorrow.”
A chorus of protest arose. He silenced it with a wave of his hand. Or thought he had.
“Pater,” Raul said, undeterred. “Bruno has already canceled all but the most pressing meetings tomorrow, and I will be handling those.”
“Excellent. That will free me up to focus on the press conference announcing Grace as my daughter. I wish to hold it on Tuesday,” Luis said.
“Dad, there’s no rush,” Grace said. “I don’t want you to have a relapse because you’ve overtaxed yourself.”
But the clock was ticking for many reasons. If Luis went back to the palace tomorrow, no one but Luis’s closest circle needed to know about the poisoning. Mikel had kept even Lorenzo and Gabriel away from the hospital, despite their vociferous protests. His security chief had made the strong argument that the more members of the royal family who visited, the more likely someone would be spotted, bringing the media down on them. Luis had spoken with his family members by phone to assure them that he was not about to depart this mortal coil yet.
In addition, the editor at La Voix might become impatient at being put off and decide to run the photograph of Eve and him on the beach. The photo he now cherished. Odette’s reaction was not such a concern now—although who could predict a madwoman’s response?—but he wished to protect Eve from any distasteful speculation.
“I will do all my work sitting down,” Luis said in a tone that brooked no argument. “Mikel, I expect a full briefing on Camacho tomorrow.”
“Of course, Se?or.” Mikel’s face offered no clue as to how the investigation was progressing.
“Sit, everyone,” Luis said, cutting off any further objections. “Talk to me. As Raul said, I need entertainment.”
Eve snorted. “Are you calling us court jesters?”
He let his gaze run down her body as he thought about how he would prefer to entertain himself with her. She frowned at him with a warning glance at the others, who were finding places to sit. He gave her a lascivious smile that turned her frown into a scowl. She turned away as Mikel brought up a chair for her.
“Does anyone know a good joke?” Grace asked. “Jesters are supposed to make the king laugh, right?”
“When is a king like a piece of wood?” Eve asked with a slight edge in her voice as she threw him a challenging look.
“That’s a riddle, not a joke,” Grace said.
“I believe your mother may be referring to my stubbornness on the subject of my health,” Luis said. “The correct answer is when he’s a ruler.”
His audience gave him a mocking cheer, while Eve rolled her eyes at him.
“What is the most frustrating thing for a dragon at its birthday party?” Raul chimed in.
They all looked at Luis. He thought for a moment before he shrugged.
“Wait, I know!” Grace held up her hand like a student in class. “Blowing out the candles.”
Mikel surprised him by speaking. “What person is strong enough to move a king’s castle?”
“You know riddles?” Eve asked, looking startled.
“I have a teenage daughter,” Mikel said.
“I think I know the answer,” Raul said. “Pater?”
“By all means,” Luis said.
“A chess player.” Raul looked triumphant.
“Nice!” Grace said. “Who designed King Arthur’s round table?”
Eve gave a little choke of laughter. When no one else spoke, she blurted, “Sir Cumference.”
Luis groaned along with the rest of them, but his heart was dancing. Eve and Grace had brought this lightness to his family and his life.
There was a long silence as everyone waited for him to contribute his own offering. He racked his brain, but all he could think of was the riddle of the Sphinx, and they would all know the answer to that. How could he not know a single other riddle? “Why are you looking at me? I’m the patient.”
“We were hoping you could come up with something better than Grace’s horrible pun,” Raul said.
“Oh, I can do worse,” Grace said. “What do you call the king’s tax collector?”
“I don’t want to know,” Raul said.
“Sir Charge!” Grace crowed.
“No, no more!” Raul groaned, burying his face in his hands.
Luis chuckled and looked at Eve. Her face was alight with laughter as she watched Grace and Raul behaving like the siblings they were, finding the same joy in their banter that he did. Their gazes met. A shadow of regret dimmed her soft brown eyes, and he wanted to pull her into his arms to tell her there was no need for that.
Instead, he balled up a handful of hospital blanket in one fist and squeezed in frustration.
A chime sounded from Raul’s phone. “Time’s up,” his son said, standing. “Pater needs to rest.”
“Ay, hijo mío, do not consign me to boredom again,” Luis objected. What he meant was that he wanted to cling to the happiness brightening his room. Even Mikel was sprawled casually in his chair.
But everyone else stood as well.
“What is happening here? It is treason to disobey your king’s commands,” Luis said in mock outrage.
“Not when the king refuses to listen to his doctors,” Eve said. “Treason becomes good sense.”
“That’s what all traitors say,” Luis grumbled.
He was somewhat mollified when Grace kissed him on the cheek and said, “I’m so glad you’re feeling better, Dad.”
The sound of Dad spoken in her delightful Midwestern accent sent a wave of warmth through him.
Mikel bowed, and Raul squeezed Luis’s shoulder as he said good night, his love and worry written on his face.
Luis waited to see what Eve would do. She nodded to him. “Get a good night’s sleep.”
He opened his hand, palm up, on the blanket, but she flushed and gave a tiny shake of her head. He did not mean to ask her to stay. That could not happen again. But he craved her touch.
She backed away from his bed, and he closed his fingers around empty air.
Patience was a virtue he had learned to cultivate.