Page 52 of Marrying a Prince

He nodded. His hand had slipped from her cheek to the back of her neck. He cradled her head in his hand as he lowered his lips. The moment his lips touched hers, fireworks exploded throughout her body. His lips were tender and patient, only lingering for a second before he pulled back.

Her lids felt heavy as she glanced up at him. His gaze searched hers, as if he were looking for permission to continue. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled herself to him, crushing her lips against his.

That seemed to be the response he needed. Dipping down, he pulled her up. She responded by wrapping her legs around his waist—bringing her body closer to his.

He turned and pressed her against the wall of the barn, as if he needed that extra support. Joy exploded through Marianna's body as he deepened the kiss. Every point of contact heated from his touch. They had both been holding back for so long, and they were finally allowed to express what had been bottled up.

When he pulled away, Marianna tried not to groan. All she wanted was for him to kiss her again. To never stop touching her.

His breath was heavy as he peered into her gaze. A smile played on his lips. He lowered her down onto her feet. With his now free hands, he cradled her face as he leaned down and rested his forehead against hers.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," he said.

Marianna's eyes widened. It felt so good to hear that he’d wanted her just as much as she had wanted him. "Really?" she asked.

He nodded and pressed his lips against hers. He lingered for a moment before pulling away. "And you?"

She chewed her lip and nodded.

A smile spread across his lips as he kissed each of her cheeks and her forehead. "Thanks for asking me." He pressed his hand on the barn behind her and leaned in. "Where did your confidence come from?"

Her stomach twisted. She wanted to tell him it was because she was tired of being pushed around. That the confidence that he tried so hard to hide had inspired her. That she wanted him to go back to the castle and take his rightful place as king—running from his problems wasn't in his nature.

But she didn't want to ruin this moment. She was pretty sure that mentioning his home or responsibilities would push him away. So she just ran her hand up his chest, reveling in the feeling of his muscles under her fingertips and smiled. "I was tired of waiting for you to kiss me first. Thought I'd take charge."

He leaned closer, pressing his lips against the tip of her nose and then back down to her lips. This time, he filled their kiss with more passion than she'd ever experienced. Her toes tingled as he pressed his body so close to hers that she wondered if she would ever be whole without him.

When he pulled back, he studied her. She glanced up at him. Her lids were heavy and her lips felt puffy. He winked at her.

"How's that for taking charge?" he said.

She nodded. "It was good."

Bernardo appeared from around the barn. When his gaze landed on them, he took a step back. "Scusate," he said, turning to leave.

Leo laughed, stepping away from Marianna. She almost grabbed onto him to pull him back, but then realized it would be crazy, so she pressed her hands behind her.

"What did you need, Bernardo?" Leo asked, glancing back at Marianna and winking.

Bernardo turned. "I needed help moving some more bales. But if you are busy, I understand."

Leo reached out and squeezed Marianna's arm. He leaned in and brushed his lips against her cheek. "I'll be back," he said as he pulled away and smiled at her.

She nodded and watched as he walked over to Bernardo and disappeared around the side of the barn.

Now alone, she wrapped her arms around her chest and blew out her breath. She turned her face up toward the sky as if the clouds held the answer to her questions.

What the heck was she going to do now? Breaking the dam that kept her feelings at bay hadn't been the smartest thing she'd ever done. And now that she'd jumped in with both feet, she was pretty sure she wasn't coming back from this in one piece.

On her way back to the house, her gaze found its way over to Leo and Bernardo. Leo caught her eye and winked. Her heart quickened, and she dropped her gaze to the ground in front of her. Once she was back in the kitchen, she shut the door behind her and collapsed on the chair in the corner.

She needed to get her head on straight. Sure, they'd just shared a mind-blowing kiss, and Leo had pretty much told her that he cared about her—and, if she were brave enough to admit it, he might actually love her. But she couldn't focus on that or how she just might feel the same in return.

No. She needed to get him back to the castle and then head back to America. She was crazy to think that they could ever be anything more than just a contractual relationship. Even if they wanted to be together, there was no way Mrs. DeLuca or Gisella would allow them to marry.

She was a common woman. A nurse. He was royalty and had an obligation to his country to do the right thing. And the right thing was to be their king no matter what the personal cost. He was a good man, and good men didn't come around that often. He truly cared about this country and the people in it.

He was the rightful king, and she couldn't mess that up for him. Her heart squeezed at the thought of telling him that they needed to go back. So she clenched her fists, gathering her strength about her. She could do this.

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