Page 46 of Duty and Desire

Chapter Forty-One

Gio

“ H ow do I look?” I peered at my reflection.

Roger chuckled. “Will you quit acting so jittery? Anyone would think you’d never been married before.” He snickered. “Oh wait—you haven’t.” He stood behind me, gazing at me in the mirror. “When you called to ask me to be best man, I broke all records booking my flights.”

I laughed. “I think Nick’s ministers might have beaten you to it, when they put marriage equality into law. Nick says he’s never seen them move so fast.”

The elation that followed left us in no doubt the people were behind us.

Waiting ten days once we’d received permission from the civil registry office to marry had been torture, almost as much torture as waiting for my visa to come through.

But we’re here. It’s happening.

“I have to ask… Why aren’t you getting married in a cathedral? A ch urch at least. I’ve seen The Sound of Music . There should be fanfares, pomp and ceremony… But the palace gardens? That sounds really low-key.”

I smiled. “We wanted a private ceremony. No foreign heads of state, no dignitaries. And yes, we could have married in the palace chapel.” Except I’d known that would never happen, and I didn’t blame Nick for choosing a different location.

“We’re doing this in the gardens because they were designed by Nick’s mother.

” The moment Nick had suggested it, I knew it was the perfect spot.

The fountain had been the obvious choice.

Besides, there’d be enough pomp and ceremony the following week when Nick would be crowned.

My family had arrived two days ago, and it had been clear they were a little awed to find themselves staying at the palace. Once I’d made the introductions, however, they warmed to Nick in a heartbeat. He even made Nonna smile, and that was no mean feat.

Then he blew me away when he took her hand and spoke in Italian.

“Amo suo nipote con tutto il cuore e prometto che lo renderò felice per il resto dei nostri giorni.”

Nonna’s wrinkled face glowed, and she kissed him on the cheek.

Claudia had turned to stare at me inquiringly. “What did he just say?”

My throat tightened. “He said, I love your grandson with all my heart, and I promise I will make him happy for the rest of our days.”

I’d teased him about his accent, but I loved him for going to the trouble of learning it.

There was a knock at the door, and suddenly I was tugged into the present.

My wedding day.

“It’s time,” I declared.

Time to join myself to the man I loved.

Nick

My heart pounded. My mouth was so dry, I had a feeling my vows would come out as a croak.

Claudia handed me a glass. “It’s only water—I figured you wanted to keep a clear head, at least until after it’s all legal—but you might need a sip right now.”

I took it gratefully, drinking half its contents. I handed it back with a smile. “You’ve been the cause of a few raised eyebrows today.”

She chuckled. “Let me guess. The fact that the best man was actually a best woman?” She glanced at the guests standing around the fountain.

“It’s going to be a short service, isn’t it?

Seeing as there isn’t enough room for chairs.

” She smiled. “Apart from the one for Gio’s grandmother.

I think you have a fan there.” Claudia stared at the fountain.

“A pity this isn’t working. Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it run. ”

“Before your time,” I informed her. “But the sound was heavenly.” It was a round structure constructed from stone, with a stone open flower at the center.

Water had spouted into the air, pouring through the spaces between the petals, trickling into the base, creating ripples that used to catch the light.

As I looked at it, a rumble came from somewhere close, and a moment later, a jet of water rose into the air. I blinked. “How?” For a second, I had thoughts of a ghostly intervention—my mother’s.

Franz joined us. He looked at the fountain and beamed. “Great. It works.”

I gaped at him. “What do you know about this?”

He smiled. “I had someone come in and fix it—the day you went shopping for your wedding suit, actually. I wanted it to be a surprise.” Warm eyes met mine. “Think of it as my wedding present.”

I seized him in a tight hug. “Thank you.”

Franz made a noise that was a mixture of surprise and pleasure.” Well, that’s a first around here,” he muttered when I released him. The guests seemed to enjoy the spectacle, gazing at us with wide eyes and open mouths.

I stifled a snort. “What? Kings don’t hug? They’d better get used to it, because this king does.” I drew him to one side. “I have a gift for you too. And now I’ve seen this, I realize it was the perfect choice.”

He frowned. “Why would you get me a gift?”

I placed my hand on his shoulder. “In gratitude for keeping my secret, for not telling anyone about Gio. And for everything you’ve done since then. You may have started out as my bodyguard, but you’re more than that.” I smiled. “You’ve become a friend.”

Franz’s cheeks were flushed. “Nick…”

I reached into my pocket and brought out a small velvet box. “This was my mother’s.” I opened it to reveal the gold ring into which was set a single diamond. “I thought you might find some use for it.”

His lips parted as he stared at the ring. “I don’t believe this.” He jerked his head up. “I’d planned to propose to her, after the coronation next week.”

I grinned. “I don’t see why you have to wait that long.

Unfortunately there isn’t time to exchange your invitation to the coronation for one that reads Mr. & Mrs. Gantner.

” I bit my lip. “The legal wheels grind slowly around here. And assuming Claudia would take your name. She’s an emancipated woman, you know. ”

Franz smiled. “Yeah, I know, and I wouldn’t have her any other way.” He lowered his gaze to the ring box. “I can’t accept this, not if it was your mother’s.”

I placed the box in his hand and closed his fingers around it. “Yes, you can. Because she would want you to have this too.”

Franz wiped his eyes. “Okay, I’ll shut up now. Thank you, Nick. It’s beautiful.” He glanced over my shoulder. “Don’t look now, but the groom—the other groom—has arrived.”

I straightened.

Time for a whole new chapter in my life.

The warm, golden light of the afternoon sun spilled through the trees as Gio took his place at my side, Roger next to him.

Claudia stood to my left, an arrangement of roses in her hands, a small velvet bag hanging from her wrist, containing the rings.

She’d joked that if I wasn’t going to have a bouquet, she most definitely would.

The air was heavy with the scent of blooming roses and lavender, and the tinkling water provided the perfect soundtrack.

The celebrant stood in front of us, a tall man in a dark suit, a rainbow pin adorning the lapel. I repeated the words that would join us, my gaze focused on Gio. We weren’t king and consort—we were two men declaring our love for each other, surrounded by people who loved and supported us.

Then it was time for the vows.

Gio drew in a deep breath.

“I thought love had passed me by, but suddenly there you were, showing me the kind of love that made the world feel different, that made the ordinary seem extraordinary.” His thumb grazed my cheek, and a chorus of aw s rippled through the assembled guests.

“I never saw you coming, but now you’re here, I can’t imagine my life without you in it.

I promise to stand by you, to be the person you can turn to, no matter what life brings.

I’ll write our story, every day, and I’ll write every word with love. ”

Murmurs of approval came from all around.

I brought his fingers to my lips and kissed them. Then I cleared my throat.

“I’ve spent my whole life hiding what I felt, who I was.

But the moment I met you? All of that changed.

You didn’t ask me to be someone else. You simply let me be me.

” Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. “You showed me I could overcome my fears. You’re my inspiration, my partner, my everything.

I will love you with all of me, for all of my days.

I will always be here—for you, with you, and beside you. ”

A tear slipped down Gio’s cheek, and he wiped it away. “I love you,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his, shutting out everyone until it was just we two standing in the sunlight. “I love you too.”

The celebrant coughed, and we broke apart, smiling.

“The rings?”

Laughter broke out when Claudia thrust her bouquet into Franz’s hands. “Hold this, will you?” Franz flushed, and I grinned at him. Claudia pulled open the drawstring on the velvet bag, and handed me the rings. The celebrant said some words over them that I didn’t catch.

I was too busy looking at Gio.

I held my breath as Gio slid the heavy ring onto my finger, and then I smiled when he did the same thing, staring at the gold band I placed on his left hand.

I was more than ready for the words I’d been longing to hear for the past four weeks.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you partners for life. You may kiss each other.”

The world seemed to hold its breath for us as our lips met.

Time stretched out until all I knew was the profound connection between us.

It wasn’t a deep kiss—some part of me was conscious we had an audience—but it was filled with all the intensity of everything we’d been through to reach this point.

It was a kiss of freedom, of hope.

A kiss that promised a future built on love.

Applause erupted from our friends and loved ones, and we turned to greet them. I couldn’t stop smiling.

Gio laughed, a joyous sound I’d never tire of hearing. “Every Fourth of July after this is going to be so tame by comparison.”

“Are you ready for the final event?”

He stilled. “The coronation? I don’t play a part in that, do I?”

I grinned. “You’re Prince Consort now. What do you think?”

I was only sorry he didn’t get to wear a crown too. I think his nonna would burst with pride.

Then I pushed aside all thoughts of the coronation. This was my wedding day, and I was going to drink champagne, dance my feet off?—

And fall asleep in my husband’s arms.

Gio gazed at his surroundings. “It looks amazing.”

I beamed. “Surprise.”

I’d given my father’s bedroom a makeover in readiness for our first night of married life, and the transformation was awesome.

The bed was still huge, but it was nothing like the heavily varnished ornate one that had stood in its place.

The wood glowed with a warmth all of its own, and the rest of the furniture matched.

Blinds had replaced curtains, and instead of a chandelier as the main light source, there were lamps spilling their warm light into every corner.

The door that had once led into my father’s study, now provided access to Gio’s writing room, with a printer, more bookshelves, and a monitor. He’d taken one look at the room before seizing me in a tight hug.

The palace was quiet. We’d taken a walk out in the gardens to peer up at the stars, as if both of us were delaying the moment we knew was coming.

To make it all the sweeter.

The door was locked, the lamps glowed, and I had to smile at the sight of the bottle on the bedside table.

“Tell me you put the lube there, and not someone from housekeeping. Or Claudia, for that matter.” She was my best friend, but there were limits.

Gio laughed. “Relax. It was me.” He placed his hands on my shoulders and drew me to him. “Hey there… husband.”

I pressed closer, breathing in his familiar scent. I could smell the soft spice of wine from dinner that lingered on his lips.

Finally.

I molded my body to his, and we moved together as if answering a call neither of us had ever spoken aloud, but had felt. I let my hands map the curve of his shoulders, the length of his spine, relearning what had never been forgotten.

Gio sighed against my lips, and I drank the sound in as if it were the only thing that had ever mattered.

We were in no rush.

We kissed until breath became meaningless, until the world beyond the outer walls ceased to exist. Until there was nothing left but the slow, steady unraveling of two souls drawn together by something neither of us could fight or name.

I brought my fingers to the buttons of Gio’s shirt, then gazed at him, a silent question. He answered by guiding my hand, until I could feel the heat and hardness of him, our foreheads pressed together, my name a whisper on his lips.

At last there was nothing left but bare flesh glowing in the lamplight.

We sank into the waiting sheets, hands and mouths discovering, rediscovering.

There were no words anymore, just the language of touch, of slow sighs and ghosted breaths.

I pressed a kiss to the hollow of Gio’s throat, to the curve of his shoulder, each touch a promise, each moment a vow as real as the ones I’d made earlier.

Gio clung to me. “I’m scared,” he whispered.

I stilled. “Of what?

“That any second now, I’m going to open my eyes and find this is all a dream.”

I smiled. “Welcome to reality.”

We rolled beneath soft sheets, leisurely at first, but we soon gave full rein to our passion, our bodies entwined, our breaths mingling. I couldn’t keep my low cries of pleasure fettered, and Gio matched me, moan for moan, until I was sure my heart would burst with joy.

When we fell into stillness, tangled in the sheets, in each other, I felt something shift deep within me.

A door unbarred.

A cage unlocked.

I was free .

Gio traced a lazy pattern across my damp chest, his eyes half-lidded with exhaustion and something softer, deeper.

“You’re mine,” he murmured. It wasn’t a demand or a question.

It was the truth.

I tightened my hold around him, pressing a lingering kiss to his temple.

“And you’re mine.”

I closed my eyes, letting myself drift to sleep wrapped in his arms, with nothing between us but the quiet certainty of love finally unbound.