Temporarily His Princess (Married by Royal Decree 1)

Her head rolled over his shoulder, her lids and insides heavy with need. Every nerve alight with delight at his declarations, she caressed the wonder of his hard cheek. “As long as you understand it will probably take the rest of my life to get used to all those unbelievable facts.”

He pressed another urgent, devouring kiss on her lips as if compelled to do it. “I don’t think there is any such thing as ‘getting used’ to this—” he hugged her tighter “—what we share. Just to always marvel at it, be humbled by it and thankful for it.”

Then his smile suddenly dissolved, leaving his face a mask of gravity. Her heart quivered with a tremor of uncertainty.

Then, with all the solemnity of a pledge, he said, “Will you marry me again, Glory? This time with our love declared, because we are each other’s destiny?”

Joy exploded inside her, making her erupt in his arms and rain tears and kisses all over his beloved face and hands. “Yes, Vincenzo. Yes, yes, yes, to everything, forever.”

Smiling elatedly, as choked with emotion as she, his own eyes filling with tears, Vincenzo took her lips, drowning her in the miracle of his love.

Deep from the security of his love and embrace she heard Alonzo exclaiming, “Eccellente. I not only get my princess back, I get to arrange another wedding. But now with true love declared and the catastrophe of separation averted, this calls for a much more elaborate ceremony.”

Glory gaped up at Vincenzo. “There could be anything more elaborate?”

Vincenzo poured indulgence over her, pinching her buttock playfully. “Have you even met Alonzo?”

Carefree giggles burst out of her for the first time in… She didn’t even remember when she’d laughed so freely.

But she still had to make a stand. “While I loved the first ceremony, Alonzo, I really would rather we used all the expenses in something…uh…”

Alonzo smirked at her in the rearview mirror. “Is worthwhile the word you’re looking for?” At her apologetic nod, he sighed. “I can see it’s not going to be as much fun as I thought having a philanthropist for a princess.”

At her chuckling sigh, Vincenzo smoothed the hair he’d mussed off her face lovingly. “How about we have everything? The figure you name for your worthwhile endeavors, the all-out-expenses wedding—” He turned to meet Alonzo’s eyes in the mirror. “Preferably a double wedding this time.”

She looked between both men then exclaimed, “Gio proposed?”

A smile of pure happiness spread Alonzo’s lips, even as his green eyes misted. “Ah, si…and how he did.”

She waited until he stopped at a traffic light, then exploded from Vincenzo’s arms and jumped on Alonzo, hugging him and soundly kissing him on his widely smiling cheek.

After she milked him for details and whooped and exclaimed with excitement over being his matron of honor, he resumed driving.

She returned to the place she never wanted to leave, burrowed deep in Vincenzo’s embrace, letting the last of her tension escape in a long sigh.

Stroking her hair gently, Vincenzo echoed her sigh, the sound of contentment. “Take us home, Alonzo.”

*

Many, many hours later, a delightfully sore and thoroughly sated Glory turned luxuriantly in her lover, prince and husband’s arms, filling her eyes with his beauty. “Is it possible? Could everything be so perfect?”

He shifted to accommodate her closer, sweeping caresses down her back and buttocks, as if imprinting his love into her, coating her with satisfaction. “If you need some imperfections to settle your mind, I have plenty for you. Like having to start my negotiations from scratch and roping you in as my top consultant. Like trying to create a method so I can get hands-on, steady involvements in your missions.”

Her eyes widened with each word. “God, Vincenzo…you mean it?” At his smiling nod, she tackled him on his back and attacked him with kisses and tickles. He was guffawing by the time she pulled back, frowning. “But wait—that’s only more perfection.” She threw herself beside him on her back, covered her eyes and cried out, “Argh, I can’t stand it.”

He rose above her, letting her fill her soul with his unbridled love. Then he suddenly cupped her breast, lazily flicked her nipple, a look of mischief replacing the passion. “You can’t? Shall I leave you to rest then?”

She pulled him on top of her. “Don’t you dare.”

As she took him inside her again, as he joined them into one flesh, one future, she thanked the fates that nothing, not betrayal nor pain, not desperation nor separation, had dimmed this miracle they had between them.

And now she knew. Nothing ever would.