Page 17 (1/2)

Rafael caught hi the boy in the air

"I think Danny just figured out you’re sticking around"

"Of course I am," he told the boy "I’m your father"

"I want presents," Danny said

"That will put you in your place," Mia told Rafael before reive you presents"

"But I want ’eet lost on the post-toddler set"

"I want my daddy at my party"

"I will be there," Rafael said

"Proround While he appreciated Mia’s attempt to educate the child on ways to behave, he couldn’t help being pleased with Danny’s deated his way through all the potential pitfalls of growing up royal

"There will be presents," Rafael told his son "Many presents"

Danny grinned He grabbed the scepter and banged it on the bed "I’m the heir I’m the heir"

Mia took it frooing to have?"

Danny collapsed to the floor and began pushing the cars around

"You do ith hie of the bed

"Practice My mom and the Grands have really helped"

"I look forward toyour parents"

"They were really excited to hear all about you They wanted to come home, but I convinced thereet when they returned fro he would be back in Calandria Most likely Mia would have returned home by then and they could hear her co Daniel had the same color eyes as his mother The boy was also very close to her, perhaps a result of her being a single parent There would be a period of adjustht But in tis had to be that way

As for Mia… Rafael took in her easy saze to her full breasts She would not be so forgiving Her fury would stir the heavens, but there was nothing she could do to him

He briefly wished for another option, one that did not alter her world so completely and hurt her, but the choice was clear He would do as best for Calandria and for his son She laughed at so Daniel had said The sound filled hiain Unfortunately, that was not his only desire where she was concerned

"What are you thinking?" she asked "You have the strangest look on your face"

"Just that I have missed you," he said, the lie easy and s in the real world?"

"I a than I had realized"

"Sorry, but this isn’t nor to pay the bills and trying to save for retire your coet downsized This is a really cool vacation"

"Then I arinned "Because you would neverwhat? You’d never last, Rafael You’re too imperious"

"You like that I’m imperious"

"Soaze dropped to her mouth He wanted her in his bed Not only because he sensed that once they made love he will have won, but also because he ached for her

Their tio had shown hiued with hies, understood different cultures, liked to laugh, and treated hi, there was a passionate fire that never seeo out, and no matter how many times he had her, he alanted ry and restless She ht not be the most beautiful woman he’d ever known, but she was the one hoot to hihter? The way she gave herself to him so completely?

He had never discovered the answer, and now that he ith her again, he ached to clailanced at her watch "Okay, h your lines again"

Danny wrinkled his nose "I know my lines"

"All of them?"

He smiled "Miss Valdrake hisper them to me She does e practice"

"Uh-huh Wouldn’t it be totally, incredibly fabulous if you knew all your lines by yourself?"

Danny nodded as he laughed

"This is his play for school?" Rafael asked "He is the lead?"

"He’s a tree," Mia said "Get over it"

A tree? "But he is the heir to-- "

"Actually, everyone in this room is very clear on that"

"But the teacher is not My son will not be a tree in a play" It was not acceptable

"I want to be a tree," Danny said, his sood tree"

"Yes, you are," Mia said, and patted hi to be a tree The Grands have worked too hard on your costue now" She looked at Rafael "Did I mention the imperious bit, because this would be an example Besides, it’s a production for preschoolers in a suram There is no lead The play is about the forest, and the trees are the really cool parts"