Like Chanel and Versace, Quentin didn't need a second name. "We all love his clothes," she admitted. "I can't afford them, but I love them."
"I will be sure to let him know."
"Absolutely. And if he ever has any couture overstocks, he should feel free to send them my way."
Rafael laughed. "As you wish."
They turned back toward the house.
"You have made a good life for Danny here," he said.
"I can't take all the credit. My family has been great. My mom and the Grands helped with everything from midnight feedings to babysitting. Now he's in preschool, which he loves. In fact, he insisted I sign him up for the summer program so he wouldn't miss anything. Not that he lacked for company before. With so many cousins around his age, he's had plenty of kids to play with."
"Do you enjoy law school?"
"It's interesting. I'm looking at international corporate law. My ability with languages could really be a plus."
"That's right. You are the language expert. How many do you speak now?"
"I'm fluent in about eight and I can get by in another five or six. I don't have the time to study new languages the way I used to."
"When we met you were studying Russian. I was most impressed."
"The language was nothing. It was that damn alphabet that really did me in."
As they approached the house, Mia saw a red BMW 3 series pull up. Instantly Umberto and Oliver appeared, guns drawn and shouting at the driver to show his hands.
Mia rolled her eyes. "Those guys desperately need a hobby," she said as she hurried forward.
"Relax, guys," she yelled. "He's family."
A rush of longing filled her. Another familiar face. Why did she suddenly feel the need to surround herself with people she could trust?
Rafael instructed the men to step back. They moved away from the car but kept their guns in plain sight. The driver's door opened and David Stryker stepped out.
"It's never boring here," he said, glancing from the guns to Mia. "I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation."
"There is," she said as she flew into his arms and clung to him.
"Hey, you're happy to see me." He hugged her back, then stared into her face. "Everything okay?"
"Fine."
He looked from her to the bodyguards, then at Rafael. "Why don't I believe that?"
"Not a clue." Mia bent down and waved at the slender blonde sitting in the passenger seat. "Hi, Amber."
David's fiancée gave a halfhearted wave back.
"It's the guns," David murmured in Mia's ear.
"Sure. They'd put anyone off." She turned to Rafael. "Want to call off the goon squad?"
Rafael winced. "They do not like to be called that," he said in English, followed by instructions in Italian. Umberto and Oliver reluctantly complied.
Rafael waited while Mia helped the blond woman from the car, then nodded politely as they were introduced. There was something about the younger man… a familiarity he had with Mia that Rafael did not like.
"Complications," Mia said brightly.
"You said they were family." His gaze narrowed. "Family by blood?"
"Not exactly. David is my sister Katie's stepson. In fact, David and I are responsible for bringing Zach and Katie together."
Rafael had a feeling that David sensed his mild annoyance. The other man slipped an arm around Mia and grinned.
"We were engaged. My dad thought we were too young and vowed to break us up. Katie took the other side of the argument. It was love at first sight for the two of them."
Mia shook her head. "If love means a lot of arguing. Although the sex was hot. At least that's what she implied."
David took a big step back. "No details, Mia. We have a deal. Parental unit sex is an unacceptable topic for discussion."
"Sorry. I keep forgetting. Katie's just a sister, so I don't have the same ick factor." Mia smiled at Amber. "Are we scaring you again?"
The pretty blonde smiled. "Of course not. I love all of David's family."
Rafael would not have been willing to bet on that fact.
Mia turned to him. "Rafael, this is Amber. She and David are going to be married in a couple of months. The Grands are going crazy, wanting to plan everything. Actually, they get along great with Amber's mom, which helps a lot."
"The wedding is to be held here?" he asked.
"David thought it would be beautiful and, of course, I agree," Amber said.
Rafael wondered if her concerns ended with Mia or did Amber dislike all the Marcellis?
"The Grands made two different kinds of cake for you to sample," Mia said. "I hope you're hungry."
Before Amber could protest, Mia led her inside. David chose not to follow. Rafael turned to the younger man and held out his hand.
"I'm Crown Prince Rafael of Calandria."
David raised his eyebrows. "That's a mouthful. It also explains the guys with guns. Interesting. You know Mia?"
"I am Daniel's father."
"Since when?"
"Since the night he was conceived."
David didn't look surprised or intimidated, which annoyed Rafael.
"You've been away a long time," David said.
"I was not aware that Mia or the child lived."
"Interesting story. I'll get the details later." David's gaze was steady. "You and Mia getting back together?"
"That is the plan."
"Does she know?"
Rafael resented the implication that Mia was not delighted to be once again in his presence.
"Is it your concern?" Rafael asked.
"Only as a brother. Mia and I are still close."
"A fact that must delight your fiancée."
David stiffened. "Met Joe yet? He's a pretty tough guy." He glanced at Umberto and Oliver. "If it came down to a fight, I'd bet on Joe."
With that, David turned and walked into the house. Rafael stared after him, then reached in his pocket for his cell phone. He dialed a number by heart, then walked away from the house as the call was answered.
"My father, please."
Seconds later, the king came on the line. "Do you have the boy?"
"Not yet," he said. "The situation is more complicated than we had realized."
"But you are there."
"Yes. I've seen the child. He is mine."
"An heir. You must bring him home at once."
"I will, Father. However, buying off the family is out of the question. They are wealthy in their own right, and they are not the kind to let the boy go easily."
"That is unacceptable. The heir to Calandria must be raised here. He must understand his duties."
Rafael knew all about those duties. He'd been raised with them as ever-present ghosts.
"They are a powerful family with close ties to the president. But do not concern yourself. I have a plan."
"Which is?"
"I will marry Mia."
4
Brenna Marcelli Giovanni checked the coffee table. "Cookies, chocolate, wine, glasses. I think that's everything."
Mia had been patient while her sisters met Rafael. Then the four of them drove over to Brenna's house for an afternoon of girl talk and wine.
"Well?" she demanded. "What do you think?"
"We need more wine," Brenna said. "Definitely another bottle."
Mia threw herself on the sofa and covered her face with a pillow. "Somebody kill me now."
"Don't say that," Katie told her as she settled next to her and put an arm around her. "Why would you want to be dead just when things are getting interesting?"
"She has a point," Francesca said. "Besides, death really isn't your style. Maybe you should start streaking your hair again. That would be a statement."
"A tacky one," Brenna said, returning with another bottle of Four Sisters pinot noir. "Everyone have what they need?"
There were murmurs of assent. Brenna sank into a club chair and motioned for Francesca to open the first bottle.
Francesca did the honors, poured them each a glass and passed them around. When everyone had appreciated the aroma, the color, and the subtle blend to Brenna's satisfaction, Francesca took her seat, then turned to Mia.
"So, you slept with a prince. That's new."
Mia threw the pillow at her. "Not helpful. Aren't you the one with the degree in psychology? Shouldn't you be making the situation better?"
"That seems like a natural assumption, but in this case, not so much."
Brenna and her twin grinned at each other. Katie tugged on Mia's hair. "Don't let them get to you. They're just having a little fun. You have to admit, this isn't normal, even for you. You haven't been on a date since you found out you were pregnant with Danny. You'd told us his father had died. Suddenly he's back and he's a prince. I think a little humor is in order."
"I know, it's just that I don't know what I'm thinking or supposed to think. Or feel, or any of that. He was dead. I saw him die. Only none of it was real and now he's here and I don't know what I'm supposed to do." Mia looked at Katie. "What did you think of him?"
"He was pleasant. Not pretentious."
"Good-looking," Brenna added, "which is always a plus. I mean if you have to look at them every day, why not get one who's pretty?"
"That is shallow, even for you," Francesca told her. "He said all the right things, Mia. What we have to figure out is if he means them."
Katie looked at Mia. "How are you handling this, aside from the death wish?"
"I don't know. It's been two days and I'm in confusion mode. The whole situation doesn't seem possible, but he's here and it's happening. He's Danny's father. Whatever else happens, I have to deal with that."
"Yes, there is the whole 'sperm meets egg' that changes things forever," Brenna said. "Why don't you start at the beginning and tell us how you met him. You were pretty vague when you got back from that assignment."
Mia knew her sister was being kind. She hadn't been vague, she'd been completely devastated. Because she'd been in the field as a covert operative— a reality she still had trouble grasping— she hadn't been able to tell her family anything. In theory, that truth hadn't changed. Except according to Rafael, nothing had been as it seemed.
"My first assignment was in Calandria," Mia said, figuring that was as good a place as any to start.
"Was it a dark and stormy night?" Brenna asked.
Mia grinned. "It was raining."
"You should always pay attention to atmosphere," her sister told her.
"I will now," Mia said, then wondered what it meant that it had been sunny the morning Rafael had shown up. Of course this was California. Where she lived, sunny was the norm.
"My job was to infiltrate a group of thieves who were taking newly discovered artifacts out of the country. I was supposed to play a bored, rich, ditzy American looking for trouble."
"Were you scared?" Katie asked.
"I don't think I knew enough to be scared," she admitted. "I thought it was a pretty easy assignment. I wasn't supposed to stop anyone, just get on the inside and then report back with what I knew. I flew into Calandria with the name of a contact. He was going to introduce me to a few key people in Diego's ring and then I was to take it from there."
"Diego's the bad guy, right?" Francesca asked. "Or the bad guy in disguise?"