Read Online Her Royal Masquerade (Her Royal Romance) by Natasha Moore - Free Book Online
Authors: Natasha Moore
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watching them. There were too many people watching them. “My name is Mia Holmberg.”
“More lies,” Vittorio growled. “Why are you pretending to be someone else, Birgitte?”
“I’m not Princess Birgitte, Your Highness. I am her cousin. We resemble each other.” But she knew, bundled up in wools, she looked nothing like a princess. She didn’t know how Vittorio could even recognize her the way she looked right now, so plain and unattractive. She foolishly wished she looked prettier for the last time he would see her. She wished his last memories of her would be in an elegant ball gown or stretched out on his soft mattress. Not wearing a bulky coat with a knit cap pulled over her head.
“I don’t care how much you look alike,” he snapped. “I know you are the woman I held in my arms.” She hushed him and then he seemed to notice the people around them. He lowered his voice, but went on. “I know you are the woman who was in my bed.”
“Yes. I was,” she whispered. “I will never forget it, Vittorio.” She took a deep breath.
“But I am not the princess. I am Mia.”
Storm clouds passed across his face, rivaling the ones in the sky threatening to dump more frigid snow on Stagatland. “ You came to Mezzano last weekend?”
She met his gaze, held it. “Yes.”
Understanding straightened his shoulders, making him an even more imposing figure. “But you are not Princess Birgitte?”
“No.” She reached for him, but he pulled his hand away before she could touch him. “Please understand,” she begged in a loud whisper. “The princess could not attend. She asked me to take her place.”
“Take her place?” Vittorio grabbed her arm, pulled her close. Her body bumped up against his and even with all his anger, she yearned to press fully along his hard, hot body. “You mean lie. To me. To my family. To the king.”
She blinked away the tears that threatened to fall from the venom in his voice. “Yes.”
He pushed her away. “You made me a fool.”
She stumbled back into the brick wall of the apartment building. “No. Your Highness, please.” She hated the way her voice cracked. Hated the way she wanted nothing more than to be back in his arms. “Vittorio…I’m sorry.”
He waved away her apology as if it meant nothing. “Do you often stand in for your cousin?” he sneered.
Her stomach twisted. She opened her mouth to deny it, but couldn’t. It had always been a game they played. It had been a game this time too. At first. But it had ceased to be a game the moment she saw him cross the dance floor to take her hand in his. He would never understand how much that night had meant to her. How much he meant to her.
His leather-covered fingers curled into fists at his side. “Do you often take your cousin’s place in a man’s bed?”
She gasped. “No.” She supposed she deserved that, but it didn’t make the hurt at his words any less sharp. “No, you don’t understand.”
“Perhaps you often find your pleasure by pretending to be a princess.” His snide tone of voice was so at odds with the charm she remembered. “A simple teacher would certainly not find her way into a prince’s bed any other way.”
“Don’t be cruel!” she exclaimed. Then she dropped her voice to a loud whisper. “I was doing a favor, that’s all. I didn’t expect to meet you. I didn’t expect to…”
Vittorio’s face went blank. “Enough. I will not hear any more of your lies.” For a hot-blooded Mezzanoan, his voice was ice cold. “When I talk to your cousin, I will let her know that you played your part perfectly.”
Mia watched Vittorio stalk away from her. Tears she could no longer hold back trickled down her cheeks, leaving icy tracks on her skin. She should have never taken the children out of school today. Now, instead of the lovely memories of her night with Vittorio, she would forever be haunted by the contempt on his face before he turned and walked away without a backward
“More lies,” Vittorio growled. “Why are you pretending to be someone else, Birgitte?”
“I’m not Princess Birgitte, Your Highness. I am her cousin. We resemble each other.” But she knew, bundled up in wools, she looked nothing like a princess. She didn’t know how Vittorio could even recognize her the way she looked right now, so plain and unattractive. She foolishly wished she looked prettier for the last time he would see her. She wished his last memories of her would be in an elegant ball gown or stretched out on his soft mattress. Not wearing a bulky coat with a knit cap pulled over her head.
“I don’t care how much you look alike,” he snapped. “I know you are the woman I held in my arms.” She hushed him and then he seemed to notice the people around them. He lowered his voice, but went on. “I know you are the woman who was in my bed.”
“Yes. I was,” she whispered. “I will never forget it, Vittorio.” She took a deep breath.
“But I am not the princess. I am Mia.”
Storm clouds passed across his face, rivaling the ones in the sky threatening to dump more frigid snow on Stagatland. “ You came to Mezzano last weekend?”
She met his gaze, held it. “Yes.”
Understanding straightened his shoulders, making him an even more imposing figure. “But you are not Princess Birgitte?”
“No.” She reached for him, but he pulled his hand away before she could touch him. “Please understand,” she begged in a loud whisper. “The princess could not attend. She asked me to take her place.”
“Take her place?” Vittorio grabbed her arm, pulled her close. Her body bumped up against his and even with all his anger, she yearned to press fully along his hard, hot body. “You mean lie. To me. To my family. To the king.”
She blinked away the tears that threatened to fall from the venom in his voice. “Yes.”
He pushed her away. “You made me a fool.”
She stumbled back into the brick wall of the apartment building. “No. Your Highness, please.” She hated the way her voice cracked. Hated the way she wanted nothing more than to be back in his arms. “Vittorio…I’m sorry.”
He waved away her apology as if it meant nothing. “Do you often stand in for your cousin?” he sneered.
Her stomach twisted. She opened her mouth to deny it, but couldn’t. It had always been a game they played. It had been a game this time too. At first. But it had ceased to be a game the moment she saw him cross the dance floor to take her hand in his. He would never understand how much that night had meant to her. How much he meant to her.
His leather-covered fingers curled into fists at his side. “Do you often take your cousin’s place in a man’s bed?”
She gasped. “No.” She supposed she deserved that, but it didn’t make the hurt at his words any less sharp. “No, you don’t understand.”
“Perhaps you often find your pleasure by pretending to be a princess.” His snide tone of voice was so at odds with the charm she remembered. “A simple teacher would certainly not find her way into a prince’s bed any other way.”
“Don’t be cruel!” she exclaimed. Then she dropped her voice to a loud whisper. “I was doing a favor, that’s all. I didn’t expect to meet you. I didn’t expect to…”
Vittorio’s face went blank. “Enough. I will not hear any more of your lies.” For a hot-blooded Mezzanoan, his voice was ice cold. “When I talk to your cousin, I will let her know that you played your part perfectly.”
Mia watched Vittorio stalk away from her. Tears she could no longer hold back trickled down her cheeks, leaving icy tracks on her skin. She should have never taken the children out of school today. Now, instead of the lovely memories of her night with Vittorio, she would forever be haunted by the contempt on his face before he turned and walked away without a backward
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