ROYAL WEDDING (A Billionaire Bad Boy Romance)

by Bella Grant

  During her research, Raphael was mentioned more than once for his strong business sense and keen awareness of what his people needed. The healthcare system in his country had been fully reformed with him leading the way, bringing immunizations where there had been none before, as well as seeking candidates for the new medical school he’d built. He saw to it that the best and brightest were given full scholarships so long as they remained in Tobago for five years after finishing their degree to work in the public hospitals. Most of the physicians remained longer than that, given the excellent benefits and pride for their country. Raphael accomplished all of this without raising the taxes on their people. Instead, he held benefits not only in the surrounding islands, but in the United States and in Europe.

  The size of the events he chaired in order to maintain the money needed to fund such scholarships were larger than the weddings she planned. Surely he had someone who could plan his wedding for him in the same fashion? She doubted he planned those events himself. He must have a staff member working for him. Why would he bring her to his island to plan a wedding that paled in comparison to some of the projects he had taken on?

  As the plane began its descent, the nerves from the evening before started to act up again. She reminded herself again and again that she was there in a professional capacity. He was engaged. No matter how many times her mind wandered to the memory of him over the past several weeks, she needed to put all of that aside and plan his wedding.

  “Ms. Thompson, the prince has requested a meeting with you as soon as you arrive. The car is waiting below, and your bags have already been taken care of.” The man giving her the instructions stood with such obvious tension, she was afraid he’d break if she touched him.

  “Thank you.” She rose from the lavish seat and moved past him. “Everything was wonderful, by the way. The best way to fly!” She smiled at him, but he only nodded in return.

  Another car, similar to the one he sent in New York, took her through the villages of his country to the royal estate. She absorbed the beauty surrounding her—the vivid colors, the warmth of the air, the clean smell. The last time she’d been to a place so close to paradise had been on a spring break trip with friends during college. Friends whose names she no longer remembered. The years of work clouded her memories of an easier time. Lilly and Jessie were the only two people she surrounded herself with now, mostly during work hours.

  As the car pulled through the gates of her final destination, her breath caught in her throat. She’d seen pictures of castles and mansions of royal families, but nothing compared to the beauty before her. Palm trees swayed gently with the breeze in front of another gated entrance. The rounded towers made of stone and mortar rose high and proud on either side of the entrance, with squared-off turrets on each one.

  When the car pulled in through the gates, the full view of the castle came into her line of sight. She covered her mouth with her fingertips, in awe of its beauty. She’d seen medieval castles in her past, having been a bit of a romance novel buff in college, but she hadn’t expected to find such architecture in the middle of the Caribbean.

  The stones were clean, with no damage or look of decay, but the shape of the building spoke of long-ago fortresses. Seven round towers of varying heights rose up from the building, each with beautiful sculptures perched upon the turrets. Two large, wooden, arched doors swung open as her car door was opened from the outside. She stepped out of the car and looked up at the modern-day fortress before her. Cinderella’s castle had nothing on this place.

  “Ms. Thompson, His Highness is awaiting you in the Great Room. Please allow me to escort you.” A man about the same age as herself bowed to her from the entrance way.

  “Ah, okay.” She turned to ask about her bags, but the driver and two other men had them in their hands, carrying them toward another entrance of the building.

  As she entered the castle, she expected to find more stone, so the marble flooring and modern architecture surprised her. Artwork was scattered throughout the halls as she was led down them. Several caught her eye, and she stopped momentarily to look. Originals. Works by painters she recalled learning about in college hung on the walls. She wouldn’t even hazard a guess at the prices of such pieces.

  “Ms. Thompson.” Embarrassed at being caught gawking at the obvious wealth of the royal family, she turned and rushed toward the patient man waiting for her at the doors of the room in which she assumed Raphael was waiting. Prince Raphael, she corrected herself. He was a prince, and no matter how attracted she was to him, no matter how at ease she found his wit, she would remain professional and on guard. He was the groom. She was the wedding planner.

  The door swung open before her escort reached for the handle. Prince Raphael filled the doorway with his broad shoulders, a larger-than-life presence. The tailor-made suit was unbuttoned at his waist, showing off the black leather belt he wore in dark grey pants. She gazed at the buckle of the belt and moved slowly up his torso until settling on his face. The square jaw set firmly as he aimed a pointed glare at the man standing beside her.

  “Were you going to open the door for her, or hope she transcended through it?” The cheerfulness in his voice counteracted the firmness of his gaze.

  “I was waiting for the lady to finish admiring your choice in artwork, Your Highness,” her escort retorted in a tight voice.

  “Ah, then you shouldn’t have rushed her. Go away now, James.” He waved a hand to shoo the man away with a much lighter grin than before. Victoria looked over her shoulder at the young man and watched him take his leave. “Forgive my head of security. “

  “For what?” She returned her gaze to him. His teeth were not only straight but perfectly white, just like the rest of him. Perfect.

  “He sometimes forgets that we have known each other since we were babies. Come in, Victoria. I am so glad you decided to take the project on.” He moved out of the way so she could enter the expansive room. A large mahogany desk took center stage, and several potted floral plants dotted the room. Again, modern artwork was displayed on the walls where there wasn’t a bookcase filled with hard-covered books. “You must be tired from your trip. I won’t keep you long.”

  “Tired? It was only a few hours.” She laughed as he stepped closer to her. He smelled of the sea.

  “Still. Travel is always taxing. I don’t want you to overdo it on your first day on the island.” He cupped her elbow and led her to the chairs near his desk. The simple touch to this small part of her anatomy sent a warm tingle through her entire body. He released her so she could sit and walked around his desk to sit in his own chair. Having the mammoth of a desk between them provided her with a barrier she needed. He’s engaged, Victoria!

  “Thank you. By the way, the plane ride was more than I ever expected. A commercial ticket would have been just fine, though.” She slid her purse strap down her arm and held it in her lap. She hadn’t checked her makeup when the plane landed and wondered briefly if she had rubbed off what little mascara she had put on while she napped. “I appreciate the chance to show you some thoughts I have for the wedding. I don’t want to keep you very long, I’m sure you are extremely busy—you know, running a country. If you’d like, I can make my presentation in the morning.”

  “Presentation?” He leaned back in his chair.

  “Yes, for the project.”

  “You’ve planned the whole affair already?” His eyebrows rose.

  “No, not everything. I mean, I did do some research, have a few outlines and ideas, but the bulk of the work would happen after you accepted me for the project.” She fiddled with the snap on her purse.

  “Accept—no, no, Victoria, you misunderstood. You aren’t here to give a presentation. You have the project. I want you to plan everything. Of course, if you need your assistants to help, I will send for them, but I didn’t think you’d want to leave your business in New York completely unattended.”

  She took a moment to think about his words. Lilly had ment
ioned her being gone for a lengthy amount of time, and she had packed for at least a week or two away, but she had thought she would be putting in a bid for the project. “Don’t you have a staff here that does this sort of thing?” she blurted, remembering how many events he put on a year to pay for his healthcare projects.

  “Yes.” He nodded. “I do, but they are working on other events. I don’t want to use my people’s money for my wedding. Your fee will be paid from my own personal accounts.”

  “Personal accounts? Don’t your people pay you?” She needed to shut up before she offended him. Maybe the plane ride had been more tiresome than she thought.

  He gave a laugh. “No… Well, not directly. It’s complicated.” He waved a hand through the air, and her cheeks heated at his dismissal. “My betrothed doesn’t live on this island but will be making weekly trips to aid you in anything you might need. There are several days of festivities prior to the ceremony and afterward that need to be dealt with. I will, of course, hire as many hands as you need to make the event exactly as she wishes it to be. The only requirement I have is that it remain simple. Nothing too extravagant, like elephants walking through the streets.”

  “No elephants. I think I can manage that.” She shifted in her seat. “When will your fiancée be arriving next?”

  “Tomorrow morning after breakfast.” The doors to the room opened and a large man bounded into the room.

  “Raphael! You didn’t tell me the planner had arrived!” a deep voice boomed. She immediately stood and bowed her head, recognizing the king from the pictures on the internet.

  “She only just arrived.” She didn’t miss the tension in his voice as he replied to his father. “She’s going to settle in before getting started. Princess Carmen will be here in the morning, and they can begin the preparations.”

  “You aren’t even going to introduce me?” The man stepped up to Victoria, invading every bit of her personal space, and grasped her hands in his. Her purse slipped onto the floor from her chair, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  “Of course. Father, this is Victoria Thompson. She will be planning the wedding festivities.” He hadn’t risen to make the introduction, and she could see from the quick glance in his direction his eyes had darkened at the arrival of his father.

  “Victoria, this is my father. Renaldo Saurs. King of Tobago.”

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.” She curtseyed as best she could in her skirt and heels. Without having much practice at the skill, she worried she looked completely foolish.

  “Not as great a pleasure as it is to meet you, Victoria.” His thick accent surprised her, as Raphael’s was much milder. She noticed the thin layer of moisture over the older man’s upper lip and the wet feeling of his hands as they continued to hold hers. The room felt cool to her, the air conditioning saving them from the heat outside. “My son demanded you be brought from New York to plan his wedding. You must have greatly impressed him.” The hinted accusation struck her as rude, but she bit her tongue to keep from lashing out at the king.

  Raphael felt no such obligation, apparently. “Whatever you have stuck in that mind of yours, release it. Victoria did a wonderful job with Jonathan Riley’s wedding, and I wanted the same professionalism and creativity for my own ceremony. I showed her profile to Princess Carmen, and she agreed.”

  “I meant no insult.” The king glared at his son. They wore a similar style of suit, but the king did not carry it as well. His protruding belly ruined the sex appeal created by his son.

  “None was taken.” Victoria smiled at the king. She tried to pull her hands free gently, but his grip only tightened.

  “Perhaps I can apologize further over supper this evening?”

  “No.” Raphael rose from his chair then—more like bolted from his chair—aiming a hard glare of displeasure at his father as he rounded his desk. “I mean to say, Victoria will be dining in the main hall with me. I have a few more requirements for the wedding. You may join us, of course, if you wish.” His eyes moved from his father’s face to where he held Victoria’s hands hostage.

  As though just noticing he still held her hands, the king released her and took a small step backward. “No, that’s all right. I will see you tomorrow then, before I leave for England. A week in that country! If I don’t drown from the rain and smog, I will be surprised.”

  “I’m sure you’ll manage to keep warm,” Raphael shot at him.

  The king grunted, turned on his heel, and headed back to the door, bellowing down the hall for one of his staff.

  “He’s… nice.” Victoria managed to maintain her pleasant smile while she wiped her palms on her skirt.

  “No, he’s rude, arrogant, and an ass, but you are none of those things.” He flashed her a grin. “Now, let me walk you to your rooms so you can rest before dinner.”

  “I’ll need to call my office.”

  “Of course.” He led her from the room and down the hall to a large winding staircase. “One of the rooms in your suite has a full office set up with computer, telephone, fax machine, scanner. Whatever technology you need will be at your service.” She followed him up the steps.

  When he pushed open the door to what he called her suite of rooms, the breath in her chest whooshed out of her. It was an entire apartment. He grinned while showing her around the rooms. A bedroom, twice the size of hers at home, with its own private bathroom, whirlpool tub included. The office he mentioned was set just off the main living area and looked more organized than her office in New York. There was a small kitchenette in the apartment, but he told her she didn’t need to use it at all, to simply call the kitchens and they would bring up whatever she wanted, no matter how small.

  “Is there a grocer nearby where I can pick up a few things… snacks?” She eyed the empty cabinet she would need to stock with chocolate chip cookies, popcorn, and peanut butter.

  “Just send down a list of what you need to the kitchen and they will get what you need.”

  “I can shop for myself.” She stood straighter.

  He eyed her cautiously and shut the door to the cabinet. “Of course you can. But there is no need for you to wander into the city. The cook sends a staff member to the market daily. Let them get your supplies for you. It’s part of your pay. Accept it.” He didn’t wait for her response as he walked from the kitchenette to the double doors. He pulled them open and a strong sea breeze blew into the apartment. The smell of fresh, salted air hit her, instantly calming the irritation brewing.

  Before she could remark on the beautiful landscape before her, he gripped her hand and pulled her out onto the balcony. She raised her chin, enjoying the feel of the warm breeze against her face. She could hear the soft crashing of the waves as the ocean washed up over the rocks below her balcony. Not an admirer of heights, she didn’t look down and gripped his hand a bit tighter.

  “I have a meeting I must attend.” He released her hand, and she couldn’t help the disappointment at the loss of his touch. “You’ll rest until supper. Katherine is my sister’s personal aide. She can help you with anything you need while you are here if you can’t find me. I will have her sent up to fetch you for the meal.”

  She stepped back into the apartment before him. “I’m not that tired. Perhaps I can explore the castle, although I’ll most likely need a map.” She laughed. Her sense of direction wasn’t the best, and the castle definitely was large enough to get lost in.

  “You can go exploring tomorrow. I’ll take you myself. For now, rest.” He gave her a nod that told her he’d made his decision and it was final.

  “Prince Raphael, I’m sure you are used to your staff doing exactly as you say, but I am really not in the mood to rest. There is so much to see, and I’d love to explore before I dive into planning your wedding.”

  He gave her a look that told her he was not used to people contradicting him. “Katherine will be up in a little over an hour.” He didn’t touch on her request. Then again, she supposed he had alread
y made his decision clear. Why would he continue to argue with her? It was, after all, his castle.

  “An hour. Got it.” She planted a smile on her face and folded her hands in front of her. She was a grown woman, not some child to be ordered to nap before dinner. But upsetting him on the first day of her job was not a good idea.

  He narrowed his eyes at her before he walked to the door. “I have the feeling, Victoria, that you will be more than a breath of fresh air in this stuffy castle.” With a slow wink, he pulled open the door and was gone.

  RAPHAEL

  The woman would prove to be a greater challenge to ignore than he originally thought. When he had decided to bring Victoria to his home to plan his wedding, he convinced himself it was out of mere interest in her and respect for her creativity. He did think she had done great work in the past and knew Carmen would approve of her as well, but he’d be lying if it didn’t have a fraction to do with his attraction to her.

  It wasn’t just her natural beauty but the way he felt drawn to her immediately after meeting her. Her ease with conversation made him feel like a real person, not Prince Raphael, heir to the throne.

  Being around Carmen reminded him every minute that he held a position of royal descent. He wouldn’t blame her. She had been raised as such, just as he had been, with the constant awareness that royal blood ran through their veins, which came with responsibilities. The difference was that he had been able to stand up to his father and become his own person with his own identity. Carmen didn’t seem to have any interests that weren’t directly tied to what her parents required of her.

  When he had shown Victoria the apartment he chose for her, he watched her face light up. The office definitely pleased her the most. She had swept past him to look at the books and the desk. He wished he could be there when she turned on the computer and found that it exactly mirrored the computer from her office.