by Bella Grant
Contents
TITLE
VICTORIA
RAPHAEL
VICTORIA
RAPHAEL
VICTORIA
RAPHAEL
VICTORIA
RAPHAEL
ISABELLA
VICTORIA
ANTONIO
VICTORIA
RAPHAEL
VICTORIA
RAPHAEL
VICTORIA
RAPHAEL
VICTORIA
RAPHAEL
VICTORIA
RAPHAEL
VICTORIA
RAPHAEL
EPILOGUE
BONUS NOVEL #1
BONUS NOVEL: BAD BOY MONEY
BONUS NOVEL #2
BONUS NOVEL - HEAL ME
CONNECT
ROYAL WEDDING
(A Billionaire BAD BOY Romance)
By
Bella Grant
Copyright (c) 2016. All Rights Reserved
VICTORIA
It was happening again.
A bride, half-dressed, paced rapidly around the suite of the Victorian hotel in upper Manhattan. Her veil bounced behind her as she picked up speed. The only part of her wedding outfit not on yet was the dress itself. Victoria tried not to smile at the sight of the woman walking around in her underwear and heels.
“Sarah, what’s the matter?” The mother of the bride rushed into the suite and grabbed her daughter’s arms. Victoria had seen variations of this scene more times than she could count while building her event planning business over the past eight years.
“I’m not sure I can do this.” The panicked bride wrung her hands.
“Of course you can. Jonathan is downstairs, waiting. All the guests are waiting. Do you know how much money your father has poured into this wedding?” Victoria looked away, trying to ignore the glare the mother shot her. It wasn’t the first time her fee schedule had become the topic of discussion.
She charged a butt-load of money to plan these affairs. After spending months with bridezillas, overly obsessed mothers, and barely intelligent grooms, she earned every damn penny, and the elite families had the money. They had it all and didn’t like giving up some of it to those who worked for their salaries.
“Mother, I don’t think he loves me.”
Victoria knew for a fact the groom had only mild affection for his whiny bride. She’d overheard his conversations with his friends and his father. Sarah was an obligation. Jonathan did everything his father told him to do—Victoria had never seen such a lap dog before. Marrying Sarah would enable him to continue in the same social circles he was accustomed to while he learned to take over his father’s import business.
“Nonsense. He loves you as much as any groom loves his bride. Now where’s that dress?” The older version of Sarah whipped around, looking for the custom-designed gown made for the special day. Victoria walked over to the closet and pulled out the gown, draping it over her arm as she carried it back to the frantic bride.
“Sarah, Jonathan adores you,” she lied in a deliberately soft tone. The wedding would go on as planned. Sarah would be dragged to the altar by her parents if need be, but Victoria wanted her to at least remain calm as she was married off to the highest bidder. Victoria would never understand how easily people cast aside the idea of love and replaced it with money.
Not that her own love life wasn’t a complete disaster, but she couldn’t think about that at the moment. She needed to get the twenty-two-year-old into her damn dress and get her ass down that aisle. She would focus on all the ways her relationship with Jerald had gone wrong later.
“Do you think?” Sarah looked to Victoria with pleading eyes as she stepped carefully into her princess gown.
“I’ve been doing this for a very long time, Sarah. Trust me. You’re doing the right thing.” Her stomach twisted at telling so many lies, but it wouldn’t matter if she told the truth. If she confirmed Sarah’s suspicions, her mother would throw her down the aisle anyway—and possibly withhold the last payment due on the wedding.
Sarah searched Victoria’s face for a moment before she let out a loud sigh and gave a curt nod. “You’re right. I’m just nervous.” She ran her hand over the beaded bodice of her gown while Victoria walked around her and zipped her in. The sound of the zipper reminded her of a jail cell door locking in place.
The wedding went off beautifully. After Sarah finished dressing and made her descent to the ceremony, everything sailed straight through. Victoria’s assistants weren’t surprised at the delay—they’d all seen the way Jonathan watched other women with a longing for something more than the woman on his arm.
Once the music began playing and the guests started to file onto the dance floor, Victoria let out a long breath. She only needed to babysit the camera crew, and her job would be complete. Another big event in the books.
When she’d opened Victoria Events eight years ago, she had been fresh out of college. With a degree in business under her belt and a flair for planning large events, she took the plunge. She’d always believed in love, in the power it gave, until she started planning events like Sarah's and Jonathan’s. The power of money and greed outweighed the strength of love. Over the years, her belief in happily-ever-after dimmed. She still believed people could find happiness and even love with another person, but she resigned herself to the fact that Prince Charming just didn’t exist. No one rode off into the sunset anymore.
Her realistic thinking on the subject probably played a big part in the downfall of her current relationship. Jerald wanted more from her than she could give. He wanted the happily-ever-after, and as much as she tried to believe it was still a possibility, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. The result was Jerald moving into his own apartment. He said she needed space to think about what she really wanted in their relationship. It was a step backward for them, and she wondered if she cared enough about it to do the soul searching he wanted her to do.
“The bride is stunning, no?” a deep voice asked from behind her. Victoria turned to find a devastatingly handsome man standing there. His suit was black, well-fitted, and sharp-looking. Exactly the type of outfit a man that walked in the same circles as Sarah and Jonathan would wear to such a function.
“Yes, she is.” Victoria put on her professional smile. “Are you on the bride’s side then?” she asked when his stark blue eyes remained on her. His sturdy jaw and chiseled features gave him a serious look, one that spoke of the power he surely held. The soft stubble forming on his chin darkened his already tanned complexion.
“No. The groom. My father works closely with his father’s company.” She couldn’t place his accent exactly, but didn’t question him. “You aren’t dancing.” He nodded to the array of people now waltzing across the dance floor.
She laughed. She hadn’t danced in years. “No. I’m working.” She pointed to the Bluetooth earpiece in her right ear. “The wedding planner.”
“Ah.” He nodded. Usually, once the guest realized they were talking to one of the hired help, they politely—or not so politely—made their exit. Not this man. This man continued to look down at her with a predatory gaze. “You arranged all of this?” His hand swept the room.
“Yes… Well, I had help.” Victoria pointed at her two assistants huddled near the bar having a chat with a drunken groomsman.
He didn’t look where she pointed; instead, he moved to close the space between them. It may have only been an inch or two, but to her, it felt as though he touched her, his presence held such force. “That explains why you aren’t dancing, then.”
She stepped back just enough for her calves to brush the potte
d plant behind her, reminding her that he had her trapped. Though, if she were to be trapped with anyone, this man would do perfectly fine. “Yes.” She took a deep breath, inhaling the clean scent of his cologne.
“These things can be so boring… Stuffy.” He turned to face the room, his shoulder brushing hers as he moved beside her. She could feel him towering over her, as even in her heels, she only reached his shoulder. “But this… This is nice.” She felt him turn his head to look at her but managed to keep her eyes on the room.
“Thanks.”
“The music could be a bit more upbeat, though.”
She laughed. She’d had that exact thought when the couple had turned in their music choices. “I think the parents had more to do with the choice in music than the couple,” she commented and quickly wished she could take back the words. Talking about a client with one of the guests with anything but the utmost respect and polish wouldn’t be appropriate. But she felt at ease with him, even with his larger-than-life vibe.
“That’s probably true. I don’t know Jonathan very well, but I don’t think he would have chosen so many waltzes. Nothing modern.”
She wanted to point out that upper class weddings rarely danced the Macarena, but she managed to clamp down her loose tongue before she did. “Do you not know how to dance the waltz?” She eyed him with a side glance, hoping he didn’t find offense with her teasing him.
He laughed, a booming sound that turned a few heads from a nearby table of guests. “Yes. I know very well how to dance.” He nodded.
“No partner, then?” She hoped his answer would confirm his eligibility, although she wasn’t exactly sure of her own relationship status at that moment.
“Oh. I have a partner, but she unfortunately has not been taught the waltz.” He bowed his head, then looked away. Well, damn.
“Ah. Well, I’m sure you could teach her.” She tried to continue sounding light, but she realized he was flirting with her in the corner of the ballroom while his “partner” was somewhere in the same room.
“I don’t doubt it, but my little sister is very stubborn and won’t listen to a word I say.”
Mixed emotions plagued Victoria with his statement. She and Jerald weren’t completely over. Although her extreme attraction to the man standing beside her seemed to point out very clearly that if her relationship wasn’t over with Jerald, she wouldn’t be wanting this man’s touch so badly.
“My name is Raphael Saurs, by the way.” He held out his hand.
Grasping his hand, she felt the warmth of his touch, the security in his grip as he warped his fingers around her. “Victoria Thompson,” she managed to say just before their eyes met. A current of tingles shot through her from her hand to her spine.
“Very nice to meet you.” He inclined his head with a gracious smile. “Now, tell me more about this wedding planning. Is it as horrible as it sounds?” He released her hand, though the feeling of his touch lingered.
“No, not at all. It’s my job to make sure the bride and groom don’t have a horrible time of it. I present options, they make decisions, and I get it done. Easy-peasy.” She wanted to groan over her choice of words. She used that particular phrase quite regularly with her staff and friends, but never with a client or a guest. The man was quickly making her forget all her etiquette.
“Hmm.” He looked away and sighed. She followed his gaze to a young woman who looked similar to him, although much more feminine, walking toward them. Her expression suggested she wasn’t at all thrilled.
“Rafe, I want to go. Can we go back to the hotel now?” The woman reminded her of Sarah after she had been dealing with wedding decisions for a few hours. Like an overtired toddler who needed her nap.
“Isabella, we will go back to the hotel soon enough. Try to mingle, make friends. Many of these people will be at our home next spring.” He waved a hand again to the room. Dark eyes rolled, and Victoria half expected her heeled foot to stomp on the ground.
“Blech. No thank you. I’m going to get a glass of wine.” She turned and stalked away. Raphael turned to Victoria with an amused expression.
“Twenty-four years old. Too old for a spanking, my father tells me, but I disagree wholeheartedly.”
His eyes narrowed when he made his statement, and she watched the young woman walk away. Would he really spank his sister? She was a grown woman… He had to be joking. “I think your father is right. Grown women aren’t subjected to such treatment anymore,” she replied before returning her gaze to him. An image flashed in her mind of laying over his lap, his hands pulling up her skirt and administering a light spanking to her upturned bottom. The wetness she felt beginning to moisten her panties contradicted her verbal objection.
“Hmmm.” His response surprised her, but not as much as the fact that his eyes wandered down the length of her as though he were sizing her up. “I think your body betrays your mind.” If he could feel her panties at that moment, he would know how very true his statement was. She tried to relax her muscles, to take a more casual stance, earning a chuckle from him. “I’m teasing you, Victoria.” His smile widened, producing dimples on both sides of his cheeks. How could someone who oozed such power have such an endearing physical trait as dimples?
“Looks like your sister has found some entertainment.” Victoria pointed to the young lady walking toward the garden entrance with an older man. His arm was draped around her waist and slowly creeping lower.
Raphael let out an exasperated sigh. “The job of the big brother never ends. If you’ll excuse me a moment.” He inclined his head.
“By all means.” She grinned. “I need to get back to work. It was pleasant meeting you, Mr. Saurs.”
“Raphael, Victoria. You must always call me Raphael.” His raised eyebrow suggested there would be more opportunity for her to use his given name, but she reminded herself that he was of a much higher station than herself, and she did still have Jerald waiting in the wings.
“Your sister is getting away quickly.” She laughed as he gave a curt nod and marched off toward the gardens. She watched him until she could no longer see him through the glass doors, then put her mind back to her job.
“Who was Mr. Tall and Handsome?” One of her assistants, Lilly, popped up with a glass of water in her hand and shoved it toward Victoria.
“Just one of the groom’s guests.” Victoria dragged her eyes back from the garden doors and looked around the room, sipping the cool water. “It’s nearly done, Lilly. Did you get the check from the bride’s father?”
“Yep. Already packed away. I hope it’s okay… I told Jessie to head home. While getting that drunk guy out, he puked all over her shoes. Poor girl, for a minute I thought she was going to be next.”
“Shit, that’s definitely above and beyond. Make sure we replace the shoes for her. She’s only been with us for a little while, and it’s time I gave her a bonus anyway.”
“Looks like Sarah is looking for her groom… And he’s over at the bar. Again.” Lilly shook her head. She’d been shooing him back into the main room to be with his bride all night.
“I’ll get this one. Take a breather.”
“What if your dream guy comes back?”
“He’s just that… a dream, Lilly.” Victoria maneuvered through the crowd toward the bar to round up the wayward groom and get him on the dance floor with his new wife for the last dance of the evening. Her feet hurt, her back was tense, and she wanted nothing more than a hot bath and glass of Merlot.
RAPHAEL
“Your Highness, I’m sorry to interrupt, but Princess Carmen and her family have arrived.” The head of Raphael’s security team stood in the entrance to his private gym, hands tucked behind his back and his head bowed as though they had not known each other nearly their entire lives.
Raphael placed the free weight back in the rack and shook his head. “James, I’ve told you a thousand times, you don’t need to bow to me when you are in my presence. I know my father requires all of that medieva
l behavior, but we’ve known each other since we were in diapers.”
James looked down the hall and back to the prince. “If your father were to hear me, he would gladly toss me out of my job.” The guard wasn’t wrong. The king could be a complete ass at times. Well, most of the time. Especially when it came to the staff mingling with the family, never mind that Raphael grew up with most of the staff assigned to him, and he considered most of them more friends than servants. His father only saw a divide between them that wouldn’t be breeched.
“Fine.” Raphael wiped his forehead with a towel. “What were you telling me? I couldn’t understand with you talking into your chest like that.” He couldn’t help a little friendly jab.
“Your betrothed has arrived with her family.” James didn’t hide his smirk when he made that statement. His betrothed. Nothing got Raphael more on edge than to be reminded of that colossal mess. Marrying was inevitable, he was aware of that. He was, after all, heir to the throne.
“I thought I had another day before she arrived,” he muttered, more to himself than to his companion.
“I will inform them you’ll be up shortly.” James turned and left him before he could stop him. Of course he’d be up at the main house as soon as possible. Leaving his father alone in the company of his future bride would only serve to give her and her family false impressions of the life she would be embarking on once they were married.
Tossing his towel in the bin, he headed for his shower room. It wouldn’t do to greet his betrothed with a thick layer of sweat.
As the water washed off the remnants of his workout, his thoughts drifted once again to the witty wedding planner he had met during his trip to New York. When he had seen her standing in the corner of the ballroom, virtually hiding behind a potted plant, she had struck him as not only beautiful but enticing. He’d had a swift impression that she hid not only from the rest of the room full of socialites, but partly from herself as well. Her eyes would land on a couple dancing, and she’d look away quickly.
