Page 45 of Winter Wedding for the Prince

“So am I,” she replied. If these were to be the only moments Armando held her, she didn’t want to waste them fighting. It was because the position reminded her too much of last night, and the memories were too raw to handle politely. She ached for him to close the distance between their bodies. A few inches, that was all. Enough for her to rest her head on his shoulder and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist.

Instead, the song ended. She started to step away, but Armando tightened his grip on her waist. “One more dance,” he said. “There’s something I need to say.”

“Armando...” He was going to talk about Mona and obligations and all the other topics she wanted to forget.

“Please, Rosa.”

Whatever made her think she had a chance? Letting out a breath, she relaxed into his touch. “You know I can never say no to you.”

“I know,” he replied.

While he spoke, his gaze traced a line along her cheek, performing the caress he couldn’t do by hand. Rosa’s insides cried for the touch.

They danced in silence for what felt like forever. Finally, just when she was ready to say something, Armando spoke. “Do you know what I did last night?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I counted the lights I could see from my bedroom window. Seven hundred fourteen. In that one patch of space. Do you know how many there are in the entire country? One point two million.”

“Oh, ’Mando.” She knew where this was going.

“Never have I resented so many lights,” he said, gazing past her.

“That’s not true. You don’t resent them,” she replied. “You love them.”

Still looking past her shoulder, Armando sighed. “You’re right. I wish I did hate them, though. I wish I didn’t care what happened to any of them.”

He pulled his gaze back to her, and she saw that the perpetual melancholy that clouded his eyes was twice as thick. “I do, though. Dammit, I do.”

“I’m glad.” Yes, a selfish part of her wanted him not to care, but it was Armando’s love for his people that made him who he was.

“She wants to improve medical care. Mona. That’s what she wants to do when we’re married. Improve medical care in both countries. There will be thousands more candles to look after.”

She could feel the responsibility pushing down upon him. Suddenly Rosa understood. He was backed into a corner. Choose duty and save lives. Choose for himself and fail two countries. Whatever anger she might still have began to fade. “You’re doing the right thing,” she told him. Like he always did. The responsible young boy who looked out for his sister on a bigger scale. “Corinthia—and Yelgiers—are lucky to have a leader who cares so much.”

“Perhaps.” He didn’t look convinced. He looked...sad. “I had no right to kiss you, Rosa. It was wrong.”

“Don’t say that.”

“But it’s true. I knew I had obligations, and yet, like a selfish bastard, I went after what I wanted anyway. Who knows what would have happened if Vittorio hadn’t interrupted us?”

They both knew what would have happened.

“How does that make me any different than Fredo?” he asked.

His self-loathing had gone too far. Halting her steps, she touched her fingers to his lips to silence him. “You are nothing like Fredo.”

He smiled and kissed her fingertips. “Aren’t I, though? You deserve better.”

Except there wasn’t anyone better. If the feelings in her heart were to be believed, there never would be. “In case you didn’t notice, there were two people kissing,” she told him. “We both ignored our common sense.”

Armando shook his head. “Dear, sweet Rosa. You still won’t admit you are a victim.”

“Because I’m not a victim.” Not this time. “Last night, you made me feel more special in five minutes than I had ever felt in my entire life. I would trade all the common sense in the world for that.”

“If I could, I would make you feel special every day. You deserve nothing less.”

“Neither do you.”

He smiled sadly. “But apparently I do.”

The song ended, but they had stopped dancing long ago in favor of standing in each other’s arms. Rosa’s first assessment was right—it was much too similar to last night’s embrace. When Armando’s eyes dropped to her mouth, common sense was again poised to disappear.

“I love you, Rosa. I’m sorry I didn’t come to my senses sooner.”

He pulled away, leaving her to shudder from the withdrawal. She was still in a daze. Did he say he loved her? Loved?

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