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Marco gave a s Unlike his late father, a scholarly, quiet nised early in his life, had been bullied un, Marco had never allowed hirandfather, even as a child They shared a coant self-belief, and it had been this that had led to the conflict between them

Now, as a mature and powerful man, there was no way Marco intended to allow anyone to question his right to do things his oay That said, he knew that taking the throne would necessitate certain changes in his own lifestyle; there were certain royal rules he would have to obey, if only to pay lip-service to them

One of those rules forbade the King of Niroli to marry a divorcee Marco was in no hurry to wed, but when he did he kneould be expected to make a suitable dynastic unionwith some pre-approved royal princess of unio doith his subjects, or the paparazzi, if he were to be seen openly enjoying the co himself a suitable consort

He looked towards the bed where E, oblivious to what lay ahead and the fast-approaching end of their relationship Her long blonde hair—naturally blonde, as he had good reason to knoas spread against the pillow To Marco's surprise, he was suddenly teh its silken strands, knowing that his touch would wake her and knowing too that his body was hardening with his immediate need for the intimacy of her body

That he should still desire her so fiercely and so constantly after the length of tier than he'd spent with any woman before—astonished him But the needs and sexual desires of Marco Fierezza could not be co of Niroli, he acknowledged with his custoance

King of Niroli

E about his connection with Niroli, or his past, and consequently she knew nothing either about his future Why should she? What reason would there have been for him to tell her, when he had deliberately chosen to live anonyrandfather that he could stand on his own feet andhis royal position, and had quickly discovered that his new anonyes: as second in line to Niroli's throne he had grown used to a certain type of predatory wo to lure him

His grandfather had warned hier that he would have to be on his guard, and that he must accept he would never knohether the women who strived to share his bed wanted hi in London as Marco Fierezza, rather than Prince Marco of Niroli though he was cynically aware that his coood looks drew the opposite sex to hi frenzy he would have done if he'd been using his royal title Marco had no objection to rewarding his chosen lovers generously with expensive gifts and a luxurious lifestyle whilst he and they were together He started to frown It still irked him that Emily had always so steadfastly—and in his opinion foolishly—refused to accept the presents of jewellery he'd regularly tried to give her

He'd told her dismissively to think of it as a bonus when she had deiven her a diaether

Her face had gone pale and she'd looked down at the leather box containing the bracelet—a unique piece he'd bought from one of the royal jewellers—her voice as stiff as her body 'You don't need to bribe me, Marco I'm with you because I want you, not because I hat you can buy me'

Now Marco's frown deepened, his reaction to the memory of those words exactly as it had been when Emily had first uttered the of his e of astounded disbelief that the wo and his wealth could dare to suggest that he ht need to bribe her to share his bed!

He had soon put Eh, he rely silky soft, 'No, you've misunderstood After all, I already know exactly why you are in my bed and just how much you want me The bribe, if you wish to think of it as that, is not to keep you there, but to ensure that you leaveyou there'

She hadn't said anything in reply, but he had seen in her expression what she was feeling Although he'd never been able to get her to admit to it, he was reasonably sure that her subsequent very convenient business trip, which had taken her away fro she had conjured up in an attery for her? No woman had the power towith her mattered more than his own iron-clad determination never to allow his emotions to control him and so weaken him