Ruby St. Clair's POV

I took a deep breath and sighed deeply while staring at the plane window. I still don't think this was a very good idea to come abroad with this man and play as his loving wife even just for a show. We both know that this charade would not last long only two months. Heck, two months or eight weeks—correction, only seven by now since one week had passed since our deal.

I permitted myself to peek at him from the corners of my eyes. Here I was trapped inside his private plane bound to Italy against my will. He slouched casually in his leather seat while reading the newspapers since we boarded I was not sure if he was interested in the news article he was reading or if he found that damnable newspaper as an escape route to ignore my dark glares.

I sighed again since he was busy ignoring the venomous glare I'd been sending him. I stared back at my plane window and gazed at the white clouds.

"Stop sighing for heaven's sake." He said beneath the newspaper in front of him. I turned back my gaze at him but his face was still hidden at the broadsheets. "That's probably your twentieth sign since we boarded the plane."

I stared at him in astonishment. I was never aware that he was aware of me I thought he was ignoring me the whole time. "I still don't think this is a good idea, Roman. Introducing me as your wife to your friends is madness. Hell, in seven weeks we're going to part ways as we've never met each other before."

He finally managed to remove his damn eyes from the newspaper. He stared at me for a moment. "How heartless it sounds coming out from your mouth, Red. Aren't you at least going to miss our bonding moments these past few weeks?"

"No."

He smiled mockingly; closing the broadsheets he'd been reading and tossing them to the table in front of us. I didn't know if that smile on his face was directed at me or him. "What a cruel thing to say to your husband, Red. At least pretend that you're going to miss me."

I shook my head, staring deep into his eyes. "Sorry, I don't."

"Ouch." He pretended to be hurt by my answer but I know otherwise. "If our time has ended I am going to miss you, you and your temperamental personality."

I frowned at him disapprovingly. "Are you insulting me with your words, sir?"

He held up his hands high, he smiled dazzlingly in my direction like a true charmer. I tried so hard not to be affected by his lethal charm but sadly it's disturbing me despite my resistance. "That's flattery not insult, my dearest wife. You need to learn to distinguish flattery from insult, my darling love."

I waved my hand brushing off his flirtatious manner. I would not let this devil affect me more than it should be considered safe from my wary heart. "Save your adulation to other women, Roman. I hate to tell you this but it does not affect me. I am immune to flatteries from men like you."

"I beg to disagree." He replied with the same devilish smile on his face. "No woman is immune to sweet talk, my dear. If a woman claims that she's unaffected by such words then it means that the guy should need to work hard for him to creep inside her heart."

I clicked my tongue, lowering my lashes so he could not see my eyes. "That's the problem. I don't want him to creep inside my heart."

He gave me a guarded smile. There was something about our conversation that turned into a serious and forbidden topic in my opinion. "Are we still talking about general things here or only one guy, in particular, Red?"

"General things, of course," I answered without a heartbeat. I don't think I want where our conversation was leading so I decided to change the topic. "So tell me. Does this friend of yours have the same flirtatious manner as yours? I want to prepare myself before I meet him."

His lips twitched with a grin. "Now you are kind of insulting us, are you?"

It was my turn to smile sweetly in his direction and throw his words back at him. "Didn't you tell me a while ago to learn to differentiate flattery from insult?"

"Touché." His gorgeous eyes twinkle with delight. He was enjoying this banter we had. "To tell you something about him, yes he was a good friend of mine many years ago and he's a prince I might add."

A frown formed on my forehead. "Is that supposed to make me awe about his title? A prince, you say? Well, I'd like to introduce him to my granddad since he considered himself as the king of America."

"I didn't tell mean to brag his title, Red." He informed me dryly, shaking his head. "What I mean to say is that I only inform you in advance so when I introduce you to him you will not be surprised when you are expected to curtsy in front of him."

I snorted looking away from his intense gaze. "A prince and princess in Italy?" I asked indecorously. "Do they still exist in modern-day Italy?"

He nodded seriously, crossing his legs. "Though they don't signify anything when it comes to politics and running a country those people retain the honorific title of their family given to them centuries before."

"Still," I grimace just thinking about the thought. "Do I need to curtsy? I mean, I know royalties just like Prince Khalil and he's not demanding to be recognized as such. I know he hated when people bowed at him."

A small smile played on his ruthless face. He's handsome when he's smiling like the very devil. No wonder many women fell under his spell too bad he's obnoxious. "I am not expecting you to abide, my love. I know you better than that but I am only just giving you a heads-up on what to expect once we arrive in Italy. I am sure prince Franco Calvetti won't mind."

"Even if he minds I don't particularly care," I announced with such arrogance in my voice. "It is not in my nature to bow to anyone you need to remember that."

"That's my wife there." He said with almost soaring pride. I raised an eyebrow in his direction he's probably poking fun at me. "I am aware of it, my darling. The moment we met in the tiny restaurant in Seville, remember?"

I couldn't help but remember that fateful day but now with a slight smile on my face. "How can I forget that day when I was sacked in my work because of you? And you kissed me squarely in front of the other diners just to send away your date."

He scowled, taking a trip down memory lane. "That woman she's bugging me since I picked her up in her apartment I already regretted my decision to ask her out as soon as she rode in my car. I couldn't wait to get rid of her but she's too dense to take my hint."

"You are incorrigible," I informed him, staring deep into his eyes. "Why did you bother to ask her out in the first place?"

"For the record, it was not my idea to ask her out." He answered with haughtiness in his voice. He rubbed his freshly shaved jaw. "It was my mother's idea to date that woman. Hell, I can't even remember her name."

"Why did you bother to go to the extent of kissing me in front of such a crowd just to make a point to her?" I asked after a moment. I was still wondering sometimes what madness had possessed him that day to do his actions. If given a chance would he still do the same? "Would you do the same if I am not the waitress taking your orders that day?"

"No." He said without a beat. My heart suddenly galloped inside my chest at his determined words. There was a fire lit inside me that won't extinguish however I tried. "I only did what I did that day because I saw you. I was attracted to you the moment I laid my eyes on you."

Even though, how many times I've reminded myself not to be affected by his words it seems that my mind was not listening. There was a glimmering hope inside me that I was desperately trying to crush this would lead to nothing. This whole ordeal was only temporary once the seven weeks are up we're going to divorce and part ways.

"The moment I saw you all I could think was: I want her. Believe me, I never wanted a woman before as much as I wanted you."

I shifted in my position. Here we go again our topic made a sudden detour to a personal subject. I cleared my throat. I pretend that his words did not affect me. "Are you always like this?"

"Like what?"

I shrugged, trying to look comfortable in the leather chair in front of him even though I felt otherwise. "Brutally honest, that is."

"Yes," He said with a knowing smile in the depth of his eyes. It seems that he finally detected my uneasiness with the subject. "I am always like this while you are the opposite, correct? You like to hide your emotions to yourself."

I raised my chin in his direction, challenging him. "Because that's how it's supposed to be. Don't let emotion get the best of you. When you let your feelings rule you'll get poor judgment just look what happened to you—stuck in a dire situation because of a bad decision and forced to marry a stranger."

There was a hidden emotion in his eyes that I could not fathom. Before I could even study it fully he blinked them away. "Do you think I was forced to marry you?"

"Yes..." I answered with a little uncertainty. He does, right? I asked myself silently.

He was about to reply when he closed his mouth again and shook his head with a private smile playing his mouth. I was a little bit annoyed by the sight of it. "Let's not talk about it now. This reminds me of a very important matter, Red. I forgot something."

With a frown on my face, I ask. "And what is that thing?"

The flirtatious smile was back on his face. I nearly jumped in my place when his feet glided sensually in my legs. I glared at him acidly but he didn't care. The seducing devil was back. "I forgot to collect my first kiss for today. Can I have it now, wife?"

Suddenly, I felt that this aircraft had become too small for us. I tried to look infuriated by him when I was nervous inside. I don't trust myself when in the company of this guy. So far he's been into places in my life no other men in the past had managed to do so and just the thought of it scared me. I don't want him to have such power over me.

I removed my legs from his touch. "Behave, Mister." I tried to look stern. "Don't you dare do something inappropriate or I will dismember you here?"

"Inappropriate?" He asked loutishly, raising an eyebrow in my direction. "What's inappropriate in kissing my wife inside the plane?" There was a fire in his eyes. My eyes widened when he suddenly stood from his chair bent forward and whispered something in my ears. "Now that you've given me an idea why don't we join the mile-high club? There's a bed at the back."

My cheeks heated at his words. I gave him an angry stare wrong move because now my face was only an inch apart from his. I could already smell his aftershave. "No, thank you."

"Shame." He said under his breath. "For now I have to settle for this."

Before I could ask he dipped his head and claimed my mouth in a heated kiss.