Review: His Royal Love-Child

His Royal Love-Child by Lucy Monroe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 ⭐⭐⭐ - OK decent reads.
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==>Reread July, 2019 (- 1 ⭐)
==> Re-read march 15, 2016
==> Read september 06, 2012 (paperback)

The picture was exactly what she thought it was. It showed the drop-dead gorgeous president of the Italian arm of Scorsolini Shipping dancing with an equally attractive woman at his father’s birthday bash on Scorsolini Island. They were practically molded to one another’s bodies. Prince Marcello was smiling and the woman looked like a beautiful, sleek cat who had just copped a whole bowl of the richest cream.

She’d given him her virginity and asked for nothing in return but his overwhelming passion. He’d offered her his fidelity, but that picture made her doubt the sincerity of the gift.

That picture made her wonder if she hadn’t fooled herself about Marcello just as badly as she had with Ray.

“You know I will not tolerate a possessive scene, Danette.”

“How many women have you truly wanted to be with since Bianca?” she demanded, feeling waspish and hurt and unable to hold back the ugly question. “That is none of your business.” “Apparently most of your life is none of my business.”

“I don’t like being your dirty little secret.” “What we share is not dirty, and you are a secret because our relationship is so special to me that I do not want to lose it,” he gritted out between clenched teeth.

What difference did an apology make when it wasn’t accompanied by the assurance the offense would not happen again?

“I haven’t, because I considered myself taken, but I realize now that I shouldn’t have.”

He’d been so clear at the beginning of their affair that it could only ever be just that. An affair with a beginning and an end and no happily ever after.

He’d asked her to maintain their status quo at work and to keep their time together strictly confidential.

“I am not looking for marriage here. I do not want a long-term relationship.” “I’m not looking for marriage, either.”

“Our relationship remains strictly private. I will not allow the media into my personal life, which means others cannot know about us, either.” “I don’t have a problem with that.”

His wife’s death had devastated him. She’d quickly realized that he didn’t want to risk that kind of pain again, but she could have told him that love did not respect the fear of being hurt.

He’d been very clear. No commitments. No permanent ties. Absolute secrecy.

“I have plans this evening.” “Business plans?” she asked. “Does it matter?”

“I do not make it a habit to date employees,” he said with a perfectly straight face.

“I do not want you to love me.” “What?” “I told you in the beginning that our affair is temporary, that I was not looking for love and had none to give.”

“I cannot give you love and marriage.” “You can’t, or you won’t?” “I loved my wife, Danette. I will never love another woman. It is the destiny of the men in my family to love only once in such a way.” She heard the words, but she could not believe them.

“I do not wish to hurt you, but it is only fair for me to be honest. I am not looking at marriage with you.”

“I’ve been such a fool. I thought you were beginning to care for me but in reality the very actions I took as proof show how very little you really do feel for me.”

I really am nothing more than a body in your bed…an expendable secret mistress.”

“I mean it, Marcello. Get out of my home. I don’t ever want you to come here again.”

He didn’t love her. He never would. He didn’t even want her enough to think he would remain faithful if they were to marry.

“You’re the one that told me you weren’t planning to remarry because you didn’t trust yourself to be faithful.”

Other than their inability to have children, his life with Bianca had been near perfect. They’d been friends since childhood and hardly ever fought.

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