“You got your wish,” she declared.
“Indeed I did.” The reality standing in front of him was even better than he’d imagined this morning.
“If they know we’re out here, the paparazzi will follow us, you know.”
“Then they’ll get an eyeful and the pictures will leave no doubts that their seedy story made no impact on my opinion of you.”
He focused on steering the boat out of the sheltered bay and into open water as she laid a beach towel down on the polished wooden deck. She slipped out of the tiny shorts and went about rubbing sunblock all over her golden skin.
Thank goodness there weren’t many ships out on the water today. His eyes were so glued to her that he could’ve run aground or rammed another boat. He couldn’t wait to find a good place to stop so he could join her on the deck.
Serafia glanced up at him and smiled. She looked beautiful and carefree for once; she’d even left her tablet behind today. Not at all like someone scheming her way into his life, he thought, as the events from the morning intruded on his admiration of her. The whole thing was just absurd. Their families might have had animosity a hundred years ago, but that wasn’t the case now. The people involved in that were long dead. It didn’t have a thing to do with him or Serafia.
The idea that she had been “planted” in his inner circle to undermine him made his hands curl into fists at his side. Serafia hadn’t been planted anywhere. He had hired her. She hadn’t even suggested the idea; in fact, she’d been very reluctant to take the job. If she was here to lure him into bed, she’d certainly made it difficult. He’d worked harder on her seduction than he had in a long time.
As much as he wanted to just laugh off the story, he couldn’t. It made him too angry. He wouldn’t tolerate such ugly speculation, especially about Serafia or her family. He’d quietly tasked Hector with tracking down the author of the article and seeing if the source could be identified. If the Gomez family really was behind this story, they’d regret it. If they thought his snubbing Dita at the dance was a huge deal, they’d better be prepared to be shut out of his court entirely. Gabriel was able to carry grudges for a very long time. He wouldn’t quickly forget about the people who tried to undermine his faith in the one person he trusted.
Everyone had seen that article. Not long after Hector left, Gabriel’s father had called from Del Sol. Rafael was agitated about the whole thing, repeating what he’d said at the Rowling party about the Espinas. Since this time they weren’t in public where they could be overheard, Gabriel had pushed his father for more information. Arturo Espina was one of his father’s best friends. How could he turn around and be suspicious of the family?
Rafael insisted it wasn’t the truth that was the problem. It was seventy years of rumors that would taint his relationship with her. If he were to go as far as to make Serafia his queen, they would forever be dogged by those same ugly stories. Everyone had seen this article and it was just the beginning. Rafael insisted he was just trying to help Gabriel avoid all that. Being king was hard enough, he reasoned, without adding unnecessary complications.
If staying away from Serafia was the only way to save his reign from rumors, innuendo and scandal, too bad. He wasn’t going to let something like this drive a wedge between them.
“It’s so beautiful out here,” Serafia declared, pulling him from his dark thoughts.
It was beautiful. The water was an amazing mix of blues and greens; the sky was perfectly clear. Looking back to the shore, you could see the coastline dotted with marinas and tiny homes hanging on the side of the cliffs. He couldn’t imagine a more amazing place to rule over.
Before too long, he would be king of this beautiful country.
From the moment he found out, he had fought the news. He’d made a bold decision to take control of his own life after his abduction, and yet somehow fate had taken away his free will once again. Most people would probably jump at the chance to be in his shoes, but all Gabriel had been able to see were all the reasons why he was a bad choice.
But now that he was here with Serafia at his side, it seemed as though things might work out. The people were welcoming and friendly. The land was beautiful and full of natural resources that would help the country bounce back from oppression. Prime Minister Rivera was a smart man and a good leader, taking the reins on the important decisions for the management of the country. The press were the press, but once he chose a queen and married, hopefully they would settle down.
Gabriel was told that he would soon sit down with his council of advisers, a group of staffers that included Hector and others. He was certain they would have lots of opinions about whom he should choose for his queen. There were geopolitical implications that even he didn’t fully understand. Marrying a Spanish or Portuguese princess would be smart. Securing trade by marrying a Danish princess wouldn’t hurt, either. Then there were the local wealthy citizens whose support was so important to the success of the new monarchy.