Seraphina stepped off the plane to four dings on her phone. Her heart skipped. Trane was waiting for her. He had called her every day for the last week, sometimes for just two minutes, sometimes longer. His determination to fit her in whenever he had a minute had not diminished. She swallowed her nervous flutterings. The wall around her heart was still up, but the barbed wire on top was slipping off. And through the mortar was the tiniest of cracks. If she and Trane could keep making an effort, they had a chance, or rather if he kept putting her on his list of priorities, they could maybe make something together.

As she exited security, the private bunker in a separate part of the airport, she saw him through the floor to ceiling windows. The full length of him resting against his Audi. Sun glasses tucked in his shirt, he tried to look cool, casual, but his grin would have rivalled the children on Christmas morning, and she giggled in spite of herself. She loved how easy he was to read.

As soon as she exited, he jumped forward, taking her bags and placed them in the trunk, then opened her door.

“No driver?”

“No way. I want you all to myself.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, his cologne tickling her senses, making her never want to let go of his hand while it squeezed hers.

She sat inside his lovely leather interior and waited for him to come around the car and join her. Her invitation to stay at the palace was not unusual. Royals often stayed with each other. The security was better and trained. It gave them some privacy and it was far more comfortable than a hotel. But she suspected the invitation was far more personal than the usual extended to any royal. A pang of guilt reminded her of the assignment from the paper. She could possibly be going to expose Trane and his family. But she pushed it aside. With any luck, she wouldn’t find anything wrong with the Torren handling of the Mediterranean conservation efforts and she would write a different spin on it. Keep her boss happy, keep her heart happy.

Trane still hadn’t entered the car. She turned around and her heart sank a little. He was on the phone, pacing behind their car. Perhaps she should offer to drive.

She got out of the car to switch seats.

“It’s not like she’s going to rat us out Lucan.”

Her steps faltered. His back was to her. Before she closed her car door and alerted him to her listening ears, she heard, “I need this. Whatever you have to cover up, do it, because she’s coming.”

A pit fell in her stomach. Perhaps staying at the palace was a bad idea. If there were things to hide, she didn’t want to know them. She thought about her ethics as a journalist. Or did she want to know them really? If the Torrens were abusing their rights with the Mediterranean, shouldn’t everyone know? She closed her door, and Trane whirled around.

She kept her face blank, an open smile, and motioned that he could enter and she drive?

But he shook his head and held up his finger, mouthing. “Sorry.”

She shrugged and nodded and got back in the car.

Shortly after, he climbed in and reached for her hand. “That took longer than I thought.” He raised her hand to his mouth. “I cannot tell you have happy I am you have come. What a lucky happenstance you are here on assignment.” His lips moved over her hand and chills went up her arm. These Valdez brothers and their old fashioned gestures.

“Thank you for your invitation. It will make things much easier while I’m here, and to get first-hand knowledge.” She watched him, but his face remained impassive.

“Of course, I am thrilled to brag a little bit about our pristine record and the history of our care of the Mediterranean.” He turned the car on and looked behind them for traffic. “But we both know my goal in inviting you is strictly personal.” His eyes turned to her and she saw truth in them. Her breath caught. “Trane.”

“I’m serious, Phina. I am trying to make this work. It’s new to me. But you are worth it.” His gaze sent shivers again straight to her insides. She swallowed. “I hope so.” She looked away. He was too intense. She had to keep some distance or she would never stop waiting in the hallway for him to possibly walk by. It was too soon to tell if he was all in.

They pulled into the palace and she breathed deeply in satisfaction. “I love your home.”

“Thank you. You look good here.”

She grinned. “I have a free afternoon until tomorrow when I dig in.”

His eyes clouded and she immediately regretted her open enthusiasm. Here came that guilty spark.

“I have meetings…”

She held up a hand. “Say no more. I will unpack and reacquaint myself with the staff.” She tried not to want even more of his time, but living here might make that more difficult than ever. If she knew he was within these same walls, how could she be happy with what had been so exciting just days ago, a brief phone call?

Her rooms were lovely. The view, exquisite. Thirty minutes after settling in, Trane knocked on her opened door.

She drank in his tall frame in the doorway.

“I have five minutes.” He was slightly out of breath.

“Ha. Did you run here?”

His mouth quirked up. “I did.” Then he stepped into the room, reaching for her hand. “Let’s go out here.”

He opened her sliding glass door from the sitting room where she had been reading. The distant sounds of waves crashing reached them, even up on the plateau where the palace stood. The blue of water stretched all around them in every direction. He led her to the railing. “I love that water.”

She breathed in the air. “I can’t wait to get out on it.”

He turned around, leaning his hips against the railing, to talk to her. “I can’t wait to get you out on it. I was thinking the lake first?”

“Perfect. I can take pictures and make some notes, perhaps do a test of the water…”

He shook his head. “No. This is just for us.”

Was he trying to hide something? She at once hated her assignment to be there as a reporter. But as she searched his face, she saw only an earnest effort and a hint of insecurity.

So she shrugged, a small blush to her face. “Ok. That sounds nice.”

“Nice.” He shook his head. “Nice. She says. Phina. It’s going to be amazing. Me. You. The boat. The lake.”

She moved to stand in front of him. “You’re right of course. I’m just trying to get used to this new you.” She tilted her head. “Or the old you come back. I don’t know what this is.” She stepped closer, looking up into his face, heart pounding at her daring. “But I like it, whatever it is.”

“I do too.” He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her up against him.

It felt so nice to be wrapped in his arms, and his heart beat underneath her cheek.

Then his phone dinged. And again. Before he could scramble to find it, she stepped away. Disappointment filled her. She tried to hide it, but he noticed of course. “Five minutes is up.” He tapped her nose. “This is killing me, but I’ll take it over a quick phone call any day. See you for dinner?” His face filled with hope.

“You’re on.”

“Thank you.” Then he turned and ran out her door. Literally ran.

She shook her head. She didn’t know what she did to deserve this new attention but she wasn’t complaining, more like praying it would never end.