by Bella Grant
Her eyebrows furrowed together as though he asked her to walk to the moon and back with him. She nodded in agreement. “If that’s what you wish.”
He sighed and forced a wider grin. “I do.” He took her arm and led her to the patio outside his office.
The longer he walked with Carmen, the more he realized how unsuited they were for each other. He tried to remind himself of his duty, of her duty. Backing out of the arrangement would not only hurt her tender feelings but could prove disastrous for trade negotiations with her country.
As they came to the end of their walk, her shoulders relaxed. Apparently, she was as relieved to be done with their private time as he was. He looked up at a sound coming from the trees above him and caught a glimpse of Victoria hanging half out of the third story window. His heart stopped cold in his chest. Carmen followed his gaze and gasped. “What is she doing?” She covered her mouth with her hand.
A question Raphael wanted answered, too. “Victoria!” His voice startled her and she stumbled forward, dropping the tape measure she held in one of her hands. It crashed to the patio beside Carmen’s feet, breaking into several pieces.
“I think you frightened her.” Carmen stepped back from the broken measuring tape.
“Yes,” he ground out.
“Prince Raphael. Princess Carmen. I’m so sorry, did that hit you?” She didn’t seem very put out over the fact that she was bent over the window ledge, nearly falling to the patio herself.
“We are fine, Victoria. I wish you’d get back inside, though.” Carmen smiled up at their wedding planner. As concerned as he imagined Carmen was, her regal demeanor remained intact.
“Victoria. Get back inside. Now.” Raphael did not hold onto his irritation as well as Carmen hid her concern. The woman could have fallen out of that window and died. Broken neck, cracked skull. All of the horrible images flooded his brain. What the hell was she thinking, hanging out a window like that?
Carmen looked at him with a surprised expression. Great. If she wasn’t already afraid of him, now she would be terrified.
“I’m going.” Victoria waved a hand and made her way back through the window, slamming it shut once inside.
Raphael led Carmen back into his office. “I’m going to check on her,” he muttered.
“Yes, please do.” If he hadn’t been completely distracted by getting to his errant wedding planner, he would have heard the utter relief in his betrothed’s voice at the prospect of him leaving her alone. “I’ll check with the cook about dinner.”
He was already on the stairs when he heard her. At least she would keep him well fed. Taking the stairs two at a time, he reached Victoria just as she was about to disappear into her rooms. “Wait,” he barked from down the hall. She jumped visibly at his voice and turned to face him, her face flushed with what he hoped was remorse. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” She smoothed a hand down her stomach. “You frightened me, is all. I wasn’t expecting to hear my name bellowed from the ground.” She forced a grin, but he saw through it well enough, having had a younger sister with much the same temperament when she felt he’d wronged her.
“What were you doing hanging out of the window like that?” He hadn’t meant to sound so crass, but his heart was still firing away in his chest after the scare she gave him.
“I was trying to measure the distance between those statues you have on the outside of each window. I had an idea about lights being strung from each of them, starting at each statue and dangling down to the ground. You have them on each level, but I wanted to see if they were spread apart the same on each floor.”
“You were going to hang out the window on the upper floors as well?” His throat dried.
“No. I already did.” And damned if the woman didn’t smile when she said it.
He took a deep, calming breath. “You could have easily asked a member of my staff to either measure for you or answer your question.” He opened and closed his fists at his sides.
“Yes, I could have, but they are all busy. The statues on the upper floors are a bit closer together, not by much, but still. In order to do what I was thinking—”
“Do not ever dangle yourself out the windows again,” he interrupted her. Imagining her hanging out the sixth floor windows blinded him to the fact that her eyes narrowed.
“I assure you these are not the first windows I’ve had to lean out of. They aren’t even the tallest—”
“Never again. I won’t have you putting yourself in danger. You will either ask a staff member to help you or you will ask me.” He wasn’t surprised by the defiant flash in her eyes at his directive. Victoria did not strike him as the type of woman who would take easily to being told what to do.
“I will of course take the utmost care—“
“No, Victoria. You are not to do anything that might result in injuring yourself.”
Her cheeks reddened, but he suspected it had less to do with any embarrassment she might feel and more to do with the attempt she was making not to yell at him. The result was the same. His pants began to feel a bit uncomfortable.
“I had thought your country to be modern in the way of thinking that a woman is nearly as equal to a man. Otherwise, why would you have hired me—a woman—to do this job for you?”
He failed to see what the state of their equality had to do with her dangling herself out the windows, but he went along with her anyway. “Men and women have equal rights under our laws, yes.”
“And in your homes?” She stood straighter when she asked her question. Rolled her shoulders back and thrust out her chin.
He stepped closer to her, bringing his lips to her ear. Breathing in, he took in the soft scent of her perfume. “That depends on the household, Victoria. In my household, my woman will obey me in all things, and when she is instructed to keep herself from harm, she will do as she’s told. Otherwise, she will face consequences she should learn quickly to avoid.” He did not mistake her soft gasp or the quickening of her pulse when he gave his explanation.
“Then I suppose it’s a good thing, Prince Raphael, that I am not your woman. I am your wedding planner.” He wanted to laugh at the disgruntled look she tried to control but held his tongue. She felt behind her for the doorknob and turned it, thrusting the door open to the apartments. “Yes. A good thing.” She didn’t look at him as she spoke but turned and ran into her room, slamming the door shut behind her.
He turned away with a deeply satisfied grin planted on his lips to find his little sister glaring at him from the stairwell. “What was that?” She pointed to the closed door.
“That, little brat, is none of your concern.” He walked past her down the hall toward his own set of rooms.
“I want to talk to you about that Antonio person.” She followed him down the hall.
“He is Carmen’s brother. You will treat him with respect and courtesy, or I will let him do what I suspect he wanted to do when you refused to change into proper clothing.” He didn’t look back at her, but could hear her heeled feet keeping up with him.
“What’s that?” she asked as they reached his door.
“That man wanted to turn your half- naked ass over his knee and spank your childish behavior right out of you.” He laughed at her shocked expression and shut his door on her still-appalled face.
VICTORIA
“I can hear it in your voice, Lilly, what’s wrong?” Victoria’s attempt to forget the exchange between herself and the prince failed miserably as Lilly barraged her with a million questions about him when she called the home office to check in. After she answered all of them, she asked how things were in the office. When she left, there were two big weddings coming up and three more slotted to start planning. Lilly dodged the question with more questions about the royal family. “Answer me, Lilly or I’m getting on the first plane home.”
Lilly cursed. “Fine. Schmidt and Schultz canceled their wedding. Apparently, Schultz was sleeping with the maid of honor.
The Jansen and Carlton wedding has been downsized to an intimate gathering of no more than fifty people to celebrate their elopement. Turns out Jansen’s pregnant and her father pulled a shotgun wedding out of his ass. Wouldn’t spring for the ice sculpture, but flew them all out to Vegas so his girl could get hitched ASAP.”
Victoria sunk into the armchair, pinching the bridge of her nose and taking a calming breath. Everything was falling apart. “Okay. Okay. Well, that still leaves the Stevenson’s vow renewal, the Mardev Wedding, and the Panchal wedding. I’ll have to look at the book, but I think we have a few more lined up for later dates. We can start planning those a little sooner.”
“Shit. The Panchals. I have to meet with them on Monday. I hate those two, so snobby. That’s your job.”
“Yes, well, I’m here. I didn’t think I’d still be here. I really thought I’d do a pitch and leave.”
“I told you—”
“I know, but it doesn’t make sense to hire someone sight unseen.”
“What unseen? He was at the wedding. He saw. And he liked what he saw.” Her suggestive tone brought back the feelings of guilt she’d been battling all morning while she tried desperately to focus her mind on the job at hand and not wandering back to her fantasy the night before. And now, after what he’d said to her before she escaped into her room, she realized it might be his fantasy, too. And he was taken. “Victoria. You there?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m here. Okay, well, I guess… Work the accounts we have. I’ll try to get back in a week or two, and we can finalize a few other prospects. This wedding isn’t until spring, but I don’t think I’ll need to stay here the whole time.”
“I would if I were you. Ride out the winter down there. And besides, that prince is hot.”
“That prince is engaged.” Victoria leaned her head back against the chair and stared up at the ceiling. Even the ceiling had more artistic craftsmanship than her entire apartment.
“Bah. For now. I looked into those two… Completely arranged, and the princess—although gorgeous, my God—she’s a mouse of a thing. He’s got a big presence in worldwide organizations, running charitable functions, raising awareness for world hunger. Meanwhile, the princess seems to know how to pour a mean cup of tea.”
Despite herself, Victoria laughed. “She’s a wonderful person, Lilly. Just a little sheltered, is all.”
“Right. Well, he’s not. I’ve also been Googling his personal side, and wow, has that man gotten around. A damn near different girl at each of his functions, never the same one twice.”
“Well, considering his marriage is arranged, that makes sense.”
“No, buttercup, his marriage was just arranged within the last year. He’s been playboy material for the past six. I’m telling you, that man won’t be settling for Minnie Mouse.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter. He’s a client, and I’m not getting involved in their personal relationship. I’m going to wrap up here as quickly as I can so I can get back to business.”
“Okay, fine. Have it your way. I’ll keep the fires burning and talk to you soon.”
The line clicked off, leaving Victoria to her own thoughts. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with her own thoughts. Her mind seemed determined to focus on the prince.
His last words to her echoed in her mind. Consequences. She wondered what those were. Would he peel down her slacks, roll her panties down to her ankles, and bend her over his knee? Would his hand start out slow and gentle, working his way up to a faster and more intense spanking to teach her a lesson in obedience? And after the spanking, after her bottom was bright red, would he keep her bent over while his fingers explored her wet pussy? She imagined his strong hand pushing her legs apart while his fingers toyed with her clit, rubbing harder and faster until she was on the brink of an orgasm before he pulled back so he could unzip his pants and pull out his cock.
“Dammit, Victoria.” She yanked her hand out of her pants and tossed her phone on the table. Her fingers were still wet from the momentary lapse in control. She needed to get out of the apartment and away from the prince. She wouldn’t be able to sit through another meal with him without staring at his hands and wondering how hard he would spank a naughty bottom. “Get a grip!” she chastised herself and grabbed her phone again, shoving it into her pocket and heading out the door.
The driver pulled up outside a small restaurant several miles south of the prince’s estate. He assured her that the restaurant was one of better quality and that she wouldn’t need a reservation. The town brought many tourists, and she didn’t want to stand around for a table. She just wanted to have a nice quiet dinner before heading back to her room for a long soak in the tub.
She didn’t know who to leave a message with about going out, so she simply left a note outside her door. It had occurred to her to just order something from the kitchens, but she figured Raphael would somehow manage to get her to agree to come down. He didn’t separate her from his fiancée and his family; he treated her as though she were one of them. But she was his employee, and as such, she needed to put some space between them.
The table she was given faced the beach. White sand stretched out before her, leading into the soft waves of the ocean. Palm trees swayed with the gentle breeze of the evening, and she allowed herself to relax.
She’d been in the country for only a few days, and already, her shoulders hurt from the tension. Normally, she’d ask Jerald for a massage, but that was out of the question. Her mind hadn’t conjured him up since she last saw him leaving her apartment. They had been over months before he finally made the last step to end things, so it didn’t surprise her, but it did worry her how easily she’d been able to get over him. Jerald never treated her with anything other than respect. He supported her desire to build her business, and he catered to her every want, never asking for anything from her other than what she wanted to give. No wonder he finally gave up. She took a hell of a lot more than she gave.
And that had been the problem. There was no heat between them, nothing to send sparks into the night when they kissed. Even their lovemaking had been average. They’d never had any tear-off-your-clothes-I-need-you sex. It usually just occurred when they went to bed, a natural thing to do every couple of days. Nice, sweet, lovemaking, then roll over and go to sleep. She imagined sex with Raphael wouldn’t be anything like that.
Stop it. You have to stop thinking about him like that.
It would be a hell of a lot easier to keep her mind from traveling down that road if he would stop giving off such sexual, dominating vibes. She knew hanging out that window was dangerous, but no more so than she’d done before. True, she could have asked for help or asked if someone knew the dimensions, but it was quicker to see to the task herself.
She couldn’t deny how much his authoritative glare and tone of voice had affected her, even to herself. Just remembering the way he spoke, the low tone, the firm eyes, made her panties dampen in the restaurant.
What she needed was a good lay. Looking around the small restaurant, she noted several men sitting alone at the bar, all of whom were nursing a drink and eyeing the room. One in particular, the brown-haired man with light blue eyes, met her gaze. She looked down at the table, unsure if she wanted his attention or not. When she looked back up, his charming smile met her stare. A deep crease in his right cheek made the grin playful. He slid from the stool, leaving his drink behind, and walked through the tables toward her.
“Good evening.” He approached her table. “What idiotic man left you to dine alone?” She’d heard worse pickup lines, so she decided not to brush him off so easily.
“Ah, you assume it was his choice to not accompany me.” She smiled up at him, brushing her hair back.
He laughed. “Very true, and I’m sure he is somewhere licking his wounds.”
“I’m sure of it.” She noticed the waiter coming back to her table with her glass of wine.
“Please, allow me.” He took the drink from the waiter’s ha
nd and placed it in front of her. “Put this on my bill.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary.” She raised a hand.
“Just because it’s not necessary doesn’t make it so. I will pay for the lady’s drink.” The waiter didn’t wait for her to object again before he disappeared toward the kitchen. “Have you ordered your meal?”
“Yes. Thank you for the drink. Would you like to sit?” She waved to the seat across from her. He nodded and sat across from her, leaning back in his chair to unbutton his suit jacket.
“You are not from here… You are on vacation?”
“No, I’m here for work. I’m an event planner.” She studied his features—strong jawline, warm blue eyes, and thick wavy hair. He looked like something out of a romance novel.
“Ah, and what event are you planning now?” The thick accent made it a little difficult to understand him as smoothly as she did the prince, whose accent had been tempered by years of political and charitable functions. “An American wedding?” He waggled his eyes as he swept the room with his hand. The island was the perfect destination for a wedding, an idea she’d already jotted down in her planner.
Unsure how widespread the news was regarding the royal engagement, she decided to keep the specifics of her current project to herself. “Something like that.” It was a destination for her, so it wasn’t a total lie. “Since you’ve bought my drink, perhaps you could give me your name?” She took a slow sip of her wine, her eyes on him. She wouldn’t deny his attractiveness, or the small bit of fluttering her stomach performed when he smiled in her direction.
“How stupid of me.” He chuckled. “You have made me forget my manners.” He shook a finger at her playfully, and she joined his laughter. “My name is Bernardo LaTonya.” He held a hand out to her over the table.
She gripped his hand, feeling the strength in his fingers as he held onto her. “Victoria Thompson.” He held her hand to his warm lips for a brief moment before releasing her. A waiter moved toward them from the kitchen carrying a tray.
