Honeymoon With a Prince (Royal Scandals) (48 page)

He paused.
 
Retraced his steps.
 
Entered the bedroom.
 
Slowly, he pushed the sliding door open and reached for the switch.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

In his twenty-eight years, Massimo had the great fortune to see hundreds of custom-designed rooms.
 
Some he’d hated, particularly when he was still in grade school and his parents dragged him to fancy events at the homes of other European aristocrats, where he’d been expected to smile and act as if he were entranced by their new dining rooms or libraries.
 
Others he’d loved.
 
When he’d spent time in Paris, in particular, and found himself fascinated by the Musée de l’Orangerie, which boasted large oval rooms designed specifically to house Monet’s famous water lilies.
 

In all that time, no room affected him quite like his new closet.
 
In just under two weeks, Kelly had created a work of art uniquely suited to his needs and personality.

Beneath his feet, a stunning natural wool rug in shades of beiges, browns, and ivory invited one to walk barefoot while overhead, a chandelier with modern lines and a hint of crystal cast the room in clear white light.
 
The high window was left unadorned to let in the maximum amount of natural light during the day.
 
Below it, twin lamps topped the antique bureau.
 
The walls, too, were painted a glossy white in order to maximize the amount of light and create a sense of spaciousness.
 
A full-length mirror filled a three-foot wide space on one wall, its position selected, he was sure, to make the room seem larger while providing him with an easy place to make a last minute check of his clothing before heading out to his engagements.
 
In the center of the closet, two modestly-sized square ottomans in a masculine brown leather offered a place to sit so he could put on his shoes and socks without having to bend.
 
He ran a hand over the top of one, testing it.
 
Firm to the touch, it was sturdy enough to hold his weight, yet soft enough to be comfortable.

Despite the addition of the ottomans, the room felt double the size it had previously.
 
It also contained far more storage than before.
 
Clean-lined wood shelves, stained to a deep shade of coffee, covered the walls on either side of the mirror.
 
Cut to the perfect depth to store his sweaters at eye level and his shoes below, they were backed in the same glossy white as the walls in order to make it easier to see the items he sought and add to the airiness of the room.
 
On the opposite wall, sleek rods in polished nickel offered a variety of options for hanging suits, shirts, and slacks.
 
In each section, clothing was organized by color from light to dark, making selections simple.
 
As Kelly had proposed in their first discussion about the design, every rod was adjustable, giving him a variety of options for storage as his wardrobe changed.

Below each hang rod, space had been left to store luggage for quick accessibility, while above each hang rod, a shelf had been installed to hold photographs.
 
A large, goofy, framed photo of Gaspare splashing in the garden fountain occupied the center section.
 
On the shelves to the side were photos of his parents, siblings, and both sets of grandparents.
 
He took each down, admired them, then replaced them.
 
The photos of his family were some of his all-time favorites, casual shots that had never made their way into newspapers or magazines, that’d been stashed in the old dresser drawer.
 
The shot of Gaspare, on the other hand, was one he’d never seen.
 
Kelly must’ve taken the dog outside and allowed him to jump in the water, then snapped a picture.
 
The sheer joy on the dog’s face was beyond compare, an expression Massimo suspected only play time in the water—and perhaps a recent butt scratch—could accomplish.

 
The attention to detail left him flabbergasted.
 
He moved to the bureau, noting the discreet music player set between the lamps.
 
The rest of the bureau top was left empty, and when he opened the top drawer, he realized why.
 
Organized on velvet-lined trays were his watches, cufflinks, and collar stays.
 
A battered pocket watch he’d inherited from his great-grandfather lay in the center in a place of honor.

He’d marked it as an item to keep, but how had she known its sentimental value?

Carefully, he slid the drawer closed and examined the other drawers.
 
Socks, undershirts, athletic wear, T-shirts, and shorts were perfectly folded and sorted by color.

He kicked off his shoes and instantly felt the softness of the wool rug beneath his feet.
 
The thing was positively plush.
 
He turned slowly, noting the shining hardwood exposed at the area rug’s edges, then taking in the view of the closet looking toward the door.
 
It was then that he noticed something he hadn’t seen upon entering.
 
His breath stilled as he studied the elegant display boxes discreetly mounted on either side of the sliding door.
 
Meant to be seen only by the closet’s owner, they contained his military medals, which he’d tossed into the bottom of one of the closet boxes after he’d returned home.

He hadn’t mentioned them on the inventory list.
 
But she’d understood their value to him.
 

Massimo allowed his eyes to drift closed.
 
After only a short time with him, Kelly knew him better than he knew himself.
 
She’d asked the right questions to determine what mattered most to him and incorporated it all into the final design.
 
The room was light, bright, modern, and masculine.
 
It contained everything dear to his heart, yet was so functional he could locate any item he wanted in seconds.

She’d put her heart and soul into it.
 
It wasn’t about payment for a job.
 
It wasn’t about building her portfolio.
 
It was about
him
.

Since he’d told her about his injury, he’d worried about trusting her.
 
Turned out, she was the one who should’ve been worried about trusting him.

“I am such an ass,” he said aloud.
 
How had he even thought to question her?
 

“No kidding.”
 
The voice coming from the door startled him, but Kelly barreled on, “I thought you were going to wait for me to wow you with a grand presentation.
 
Now you’ve ruined everything.”

* * *

It was a fine bit of bravado.
 
She hoped he couldn’t see through it.

“I didn’t mean to surprise you, but I wanted to snap a few photos before anything got moved.
 
I also wanted to leave you this” —she held up the notebook that was in her left hand— “which contains all the budget details.
 
I told you the budget you gave me was more than enough, and I was right.
 
There’s a great deal of money left over.”

He blinked.
 
“You kept a budget?”

“Of course.
 
I do for every job.”
 
Did his other employees not keep track of expenditures?
 
Or was he surprised she felt the need, given the sum?
 
“There’s also a copy of the materials list, should you ever need to repair or replace the knobs, hang rods, belt rack, you name it.”

“I should’ve known.”
 
He met her gaze, then frowned in curiosity.
 
“Wait, did you say belt rack?”

She strode to the end of the closet, to the set of shelves beyond the mirror, and pulled out the sliding belt rack on the side hidden from the door.
 
“They’re sorted by color.”

“I see that.”

She crossed to the opposite side of the closet and showed him the second set of hidden racks.
 
“And this is where you’ll find your ties.
 
Since you have so many, it’s automated.
 
The button up here spins the rack.
 
They should be easier to locate now, since they’re—”

“Sorted by color.”

“Yes.”

“Kelly, I’ve been an ass.”

She forced a smile to her face and waved him off.
 
She needed to get this over with, then get out.
 
“When I said you ruined everything, I was kidding.
 
You could’ve explored all this on your own.
 
You didn’t really need me for a tour.”

“That’s not what I meant.”
 
He closed the space between them and reached for her.
 
Protective hands ran over her upper arms, then he raised her chin, compelling her to see the seriousness in his gaze.
 
“I shouldn’t have questioned you about what happened with Robards.
 
It was wrong of me, and I apologize.”

“It’s not a big deal,” she protested.
 
Did he really need to hold her like this?
 

“I consider it a very big deal.
 
For a brief time tonight, I wasn’t sure I could trust you.
 
I let Robards get into my head.
 
And for that, I apologize.
 
I never should’ve doubted you, even for a second.”

No, you shouldn’t have.
 
Gently, she pulled back from his touch.
 
“I appreciate that.”

“He spun a rather compelling tale—one I know is not true—and I made that my excuse.”

She considered showing him the luggage so she could finish the tour and leave, but that last word stopped her.
 
“I don’t understand.
 
Excuse for what?”

Massimo huffed out a breath before taking a seat on one of the leather ottomans in the center of the closet.
 

“It was an excuse not to face my biggest fear…which has nothing to do with crowds or fire.”
 
He stretched to grab her free hand, wrapping his fingers around hers and squeezing.
 
“Kelly, I realized tonight that my biggest fear is the possibility I could lose you.
 
I’ve never seen you look as disappointed as you did when I walked out of that stairway with Robards behind me.
 
The expression on your face terrified me.
 
So I questioned whether you’re the person he claimed you to be.
 
But deep down, in here” —he tapped his chest— “I already knew.
 
I’ve known who you are from the moment we shared that dessert at Giulia’s and you waxed poetic about the sunset.
 
I probably knew from the moment I saw Gaspare sharing your chair on the beach.
 
You’re honest.
 
You’re pure of spirit.
 
And even if you didn’t tell me you were on your honeymoon, you never lied about who you are.
 
I never, even for a second, should have questioned that.”

The enormity of his words brought her close to tears.
 
“So why’d you do it?”
 

“I realized at that moment that I could lose you forever.”
 
His words were slow, filled with raw emotion.
 
“I think I did it because if I could convince myself
not
to trust you, it’d make it easier to watch you go home without having my heart broken.”

His heart
broken
?
 
Emotion clogged her throat at the idea.
 
“So, um, you’re saying that tonight really was a date?”

“Hell, yes, it was a date!”

“Even though I’m working for you?”

“
Were
working for me.”
 
He swung his arm wide, the gesture encompassing the closet.
 
“It was a fabulous way to keep you around, wasn’t it?
 
And it made my mother happy at the same time.
 
But I don’t want you working for me anymore.
 
And I don’t want you to go back to Dallas.
 
Or at least, if you go back, I want it to be temporary.
 
I want you here all the time.
 
By my side.
 
As my friend, as my partner, as my lover.”

Hearing this large, powerful, sexy man—this man who’d been through so much—say those words left her stunned.

“Wow.”
 
It was the only response she could manage.
 

“I’m the one who’s wowed.”
 
He squeezed her hand again as he looked up at her, his olive green eyes searching hers.
 
“I’m sorry I let Robards throw me.
 
If you could find it in your heart to forgive me, I’d like to take you back to the ball for a proper dance.
 
You deserve to be wined and dined.
 
In front of all those people.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”
 
Laughter broke through the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.
 
“Haven’t you noticed what I’m wearing?”