by Bella Grant
“Probably not,” he agreed with a shrug, pulling her close to him and pressing her against his chest. She didn’t fight him. Instead, she melted into him, inhaling the strong scent of his aftershave. “But you took your punishment so much better than I thought you would, so I had to give you a reward. I always reward good behavior, Isabella, just as I will always punish bad.”
She pushed away from him, harder than she intended, and flipped her braid over her shoulder. “I am not yours to punish or reward. My brother will have you thrown out after I tell him what you did.” Her chin thrust back up in the air at her returned bravado.
He let out a loud sigh. “Maybe. Maybe not.” He brushed past her and slid back into the driver’s seat of the boat.
Sitting on the bench he had just spanked her on, she watched his back. The muscles there were tense and taut. The sun obviously touched his body on a daily basis, and his bronzed skin spoke to his love of the outdoors. “I’m sorry about the lunch,” she mumbled when the silence between them continued to stretch.
He pulled the key from his pocket and slid it into the ignition before looking at her over his shoulder with a grin. “I know you are. I am, too. I’m starved. Let’s go to that restaurant over there on the tip of the peninsula. Someone told me they have an excellent lunch menu.”
VICTORIA
Bernardo seemed to know everyone in the cramped night club where he took Victoria. The bouncer outside the establishment waved them in ahead of the line of guests waiting to get inside.
The cool air of the club was a welcome change to the typical evening heat outside. When she commented on his popularity, he only shrugged and said his business allowed him to meet a lot of people on the island.
“Do you dance?” he asked her when the beat died down to a slower rhythm.
“Uh, not really.” She shook her head with a grin. In her early twenties, she’d spent many late nights in the clubs with friends from college, but as she built her business, the only dancing she became accustomed to was the ballroom type.
“Good.” He gave an exaggerated sigh and a laugh.
She accepted a glass of wine from the scantily clad waitress and beamed back at him. “If you don’t like to dance, why bring me to a dance club?”
“There’s little else to do after dinner. Unless you wanted to come to my place for a drink?” His slow wink made her smile wider. “But I thought you might enjoy a bit of the nightlife.”
“It’s very busy in here.” She nodded to the crammed dance floor. “I like the music, though.” Sitting back against the booth, she rested her head on his shoulder and let the rhythm seep into her body. Dancing wasn’t her thing, but she loved to let the music take her mind away.
“How is your project coming along?” he asked, brushing her hair away from her neck.
“Fine. It’s just the beginning stages, so a lot of questions and answers. The real fun won’t start for another month or so.” His fingers trailed along her shoulder as she talked, sending goose pimples down her arms. She’d worn a simple summer dress with thick straps over her shoulders.
“Still won’t tell me who the client is?” he teased her.
“Not yet. It’s not public yet.” She took a deep breath.
“Boss—I mean, Mr. LaTonya…” A deep voice interrupted them. She sat up and moved her hair back over her shoulder, a bit unsettled by the large man leaning over the table. He wore a well-made suit, and a gold ring glistened on his pinkie. He’d called Bernardo boss, but he didn’t look anything like a fisherman.
She watched the people on the dance floor while Bernardo carried on his conversation. Between the music and their hushed voices, she couldn’t make out anything they were saying. After a few minutes, she looked over at the two men huddled together having an intense exchange. Bernardo’s eyes were narrowed and his jaw tense as he pointed a finger at the larger man and seemed to be giving orders.
When Bernardo shoved the man away, she felt her spine straighten and tighten. The man scurried off through the crowd and disappeared. Bernardo returned his gaze to her. Although his eyes softened, she could still make out the tension in his jaw.
“Is everything alright?” she asked hesitantly. Whatever they were talking about had made him angry.
“Yes.” His reply was curt, and he downed his drink. “Just work.” He rolled his shoulders back and forth, working out the tension before smiling at her again. “Just work, nothing important.” He placed a warm hand on her knee, letting his fingers fondle the hem of her dress.
“Do you ever man the boats yourself?” she asked in an attempt to distract herself from his touch. It had been a while since a man touched her with more than friendly attraction. Even Jerald hadn’t been very intimate with her toward the end of their relationship. And although she knew her attraction to Raphael was wrong and nothing would or could ever come of it, having the sensations Bernardo created in her with just his fingertips made her uneasy.
“Boats?” He drew his eyebrows together. “Oh, the fishing boats. No, I haven’t been on one in a long time. I do most of my work with the markets.” He moved his hand from her knee to reach for the drink the waitress offered to him as she had been watching him. As soon as he put down an empty glass, another one appeared immediately. “What about you? You own your own company but seem to do most of the work. Don’t you have an entourage?”
She laughed at the image of Jessie and Lilly surrounding her with notepads in hand, trying to catch her every word. “No. I have two assistants back home, but they handle clients on their own, too. Right now, they are running the whole business with me here.”
“Mr. LaTonya. I’m sorry to bother you, sir, but there is an issue at the back entrance that needs your attention.” The waitress handed him a folded piece of paper and scurried off. If Victoria hadn’t known better, she would have thought the woman looked terrified.
He read the paper and crumbled it in his fist. “I hate to do this, Victoria, but I do need to see to this issue. I’ll have a car take you home.” He scooted out of the booth.
She watched him shove the crumbled paper into his pants pocket and straighten the lapels of his suit jacket with apprehension. Obviously there was more to Bernardo than being a simple fish merchant, and she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to find out more.
Remembering what Raphael had said about not taking cabs to the estate, she shook her head. “That’s all right, Bernardo. I have a car waiting for me.”
He eyed her cautiously. “You drove?”
“Not exactly. My employer allows me the use of his driver. He’s waiting for me.”
Bernardo opened his mouth with another question but was interrupted by his phone buzzing in his chest pocket. He pulled it out and cursed under his breath. “Fine. I’ll walk you to the front.”
His large hand pressed against the small of her back, almost pushing her toward the front of the club. She could tell his mind had wandered off to whatever problem he needed to fix. When they reached the front door, he told the bouncer to walk her to her car.
“I’m so sorry to end our evening like this, Victoria.” He gripped both of her hands in his. “If you don’t hate me, I’ll call you tomorrow for lunch.” His grin appeared forced, but she sensed the intent behind it was sincere.
“Of course I don’t hate you. Work is work.” She attempted a bright smile.
“I knew you’d understand.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. If she expected fireworks and love sonnets to start blaring from the speakers, she couldn’t have been more wrong. Although the kiss warmed her, the spark she hoped she would experience one day was missing. When he pulled away, his smile seemed forced, as though his mind was already speeding ahead to whatever awaited him in the back of the club. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he promised and waved over her escort to take her to the car idling nearby.
The expansive house was quiet when she walked in the front door. Even after a few days of witnessing the amount of servants working around t
he clock all over the mansion, she still found it surprising that so many were up and about when she walked in at almost midnight.
As she walked past the open doors of the formal living room, she heard a sniffling sound. Her mind told her to keep walking, to head up to her room and go to sleep, but after hearing another sniff, her heart won, and she walked back to the room.
“I know, Cybil, I know, but I can’t. I just can’t do this… No, no, he is kind, very kind, but I know I won’t make him a good wife. I know he will want things I can’t do… Yes, I did, just like you said. I talked with him… I told him he could have a mistress… He said he would never do that… I know my duty… But I don’t love him… I’ll never love him.”
Victoria froze with one foot planted inside the room when she heard the conversation Carmen was having on her cell phone. Sitting on the couch with her feet tucked under her in the most casual manner she’d seen to date, she held her cell phone to her ear with one hand and a tissue to her nose with the other.
Carmen didn’t want to marry Raphael any more than he wanted to marry her. Victoria had picked up on his reluctance the first time she’d seen them in a room together. His civil manner and overly polite manners were more than mere royal civilities. He minded every word and action around Carmen, and she behaved the same. She had seen more warmth between the divorced parents of the last sweet sixteen she’d planned in New York, and those two hadn’t spoken a word without a lawyer present in months.
“Oh, Victoria!” Carmen must have looked over her shoulder for a moment and caught Victoria standing mid-stride, frozen in panic. Her eyes glued to Victoria, she ended her call. “I’m so sorry you had to hear that.” She wiped her cheeks and stood, smoothing her slacks and trying to make sure her hair was still in place.
A worried bride. She could handle that. She’d done it plenty of times in the past. The fact that she herself was attracted to the fiancé wouldn’t matter.
“It’s my fault. I heard you crying and came in to see if I could help. I shouldn’t have eavesdropped.”
“No, no that’s all right. Come, sit with me a moment.” Carmen gestured to the seat beside her. Victoria relaxed her stance and walked over to her, placing her purse on the end table before taking her seat.
Carmen looked at her with red, swollen eyes. “I’m sure you’ve seen a woman with cold feet before.” She let out a nervous laugh.
“Yes, nearly every wedding I plan.” Although she’d never met a bride who didn’t love the groom, at least a little. It was easier to warm the feet of a lover than someone going through with a marriage out of duty.
“I’m sure I will feel better once the wedding is over. Once I’m married and settled here. Raphael does so much good work, and he will let me help him, have some duties of my own to keep me busy. Once we are set in our routine, everything will be fine.” She gave a wary smile that didn’t reach her watery eyes.
“Princess Carmen, have you spoken to your parents about how you feel?” Victoria placed a gentle hand on top of Carmen’s, feeling the tension in her hand beneath her own.
“No. My parents have an arranged marriage as well. They do well enough. Mother sticks to her schedule, and Father sticks to his. It works fine. Raphael and I will be the same. Except—well, he’s different than other men I’ve met. He seems to want us to be involved with each other. I know he wants things that I can’t give him… He has… desires.” She cast her eyes down and blushed at the mention of his desires.
“And you don’t think you can make him happy? I think if you try that will make him happy. Just knowing that you were able to try would be enough, and if you find you aren’t capable, he will understand. He seems like the sort of man who would understand.” Was she really telling this woman to give bondage and spanking a try to please her fiancé?
“I’m not sure that will be enough.” Carmen wiped her eyes as fresh tears began to fall.
Victoria mentally went through her tried and true methods of making a bride feel more confident in her decision to marry but found nothing that fit the situation. Carmen clearly did not want to marry Raphael, and Victoria wasn’t entirely sure she knew what to say to make her want to. Everything Victoria found appealing about Raphael, Carmen found unappealing.
“Carmen?” Antonio walked into the living room with a concerned expression. “What are you doing up? It’s midnight.” He walked around the couch and held out his hands to little sister. “You’ve been crying.” He moved his gaze to Victoria.
“It’s not her. She’s been consoling me.” Carmen took her brother’s hands and let him pull her off the couch.
“Thank you for your help.” Antonio nodded to Victoria. “Let’s get you upstairs.” He walked his sister from the room, leaving Victoria sitting by herself.
What a mess. Raphael didn’t want to marry Carmen, Carmen didn’t want to marry Raphael, and unless her inner senses weren’t working properly, she was pretty sure she was dating a mob boss.
ANTONIO
The idea to visit his sister and meet the man who would be taking her as his bride face-to-face had seemed logical. It even held the promise of a little fun. Prince Raphael had a reputation for living a little on the edge. Not so far as to make headlines with his activities, but among common friends who enjoyed the same ideas for play, he was well-known.
Now, as he sat across the room from the prince’s sister in the king’s office, he wondered how sound his new plan could be. King Renaldo had arrived home only an hour earlier, several hours after his phone conversation with him the night before.
“What is my father doing back so soon?” Isabella hissed at him from her seat. Her right leg crossed over her left bounced up and down rapidly. If she was upset at that moment, he could only imagine the fit she would throw once her father laid out the news.
Having spent the afternoon with Isabella the day before confirmed what he already knew. She was a spitfire of a girl who would most assuredly blossom under a firm hand. A hand that would be willing to lay down the law and keep her centered. She needed guidance and goals. The woman had absolutely nothing to do all day aside from shopping and sunbathing. The king had done her a great disservice in allowing her to be so spoiled. He wouldn’t blame her brother. It was easily seen on his face whenever Isabella was mentioned that he disagreed with her behavior and her upbringing but had been powerless to step in.
“He has some important business he wants to discuss.” Antonio waved a hand over his knee before placing it palm up and rubbing it, his eyes on her. Her gaze moved to his lap before she turned her head abruptly to look at the door. The tint of pink on her cheeks told him everything.
The doors opened and in walked the king, a small group of advisers, and trailing the group, Raphael and Carmen. The king moved straight to his desk, taking a seat and gesturing for everyone else to do the same. Carmen sat beside her brother as Raphael took the seat beside Isabella.
Antonia gave Carmen a reassuring smile and focused his attention on the king, feeling Isabella’s gaze on him but ignoring her for the time being. The next few minutes were going to be hard for her, and he didn’t want to make it worse.
“It has come to my attention that Antonio and Isabella have been spending some time together. Alone. With no chaperone to speak of.” The king’s baritone echoed in the room.
“Father, no one uses chaperones anymore.” Isabella smiled warmly, scooting to the edge of her seat.
“I spoke with Antonio last evening, Bella. You should be grateful he is such an honest man. Although the proper channels were ignored, I can understand that in this situation. I’ve already spoken with King and Queen Absolom, and they have given their consent. They were going to be here this afternoon but have been detained.”
“Why did you speak with them? Why did Antonio call you last night?” She glared at Antonio before looking back at her father. Antonio could see the panic rising in her body. The muscles in her neck tensed, creating a small tick in the muscle there.
&nb
sp; “Antonio has requested your hand in marriage. Both his parents and I consent. You’ll be married within a month. He has some business abroad, I understand, that he will need to see to before he is able to return home for a length of time, and you will, of course, need to coordinate your move to his country estate.”
“What?” He knew there would be a strong reaction, but he had not known she had the capability to raise her voice to such a high pitch and volume.
Her father was nonplussed by her outburst. “Isabella, it’s been decided.” He put a hand up as if to end the conversation, but she wouldn’t be dismissed.
“You cannot expect me to marry this… this… man! He is abusive… He will beat me, father! You can’t.” She stomped her foot on the carpeted flooring, making the barest of sound with her heeled shoe.
“He’s abusive?” The king shot Antonio a curious glance before telling his daughter to explain herself. “That is quite an accusation, my dear. I hope you have some substantial reason to say such a thing about Prince Antonio.”
“He… he… hit me when we were on the boat yesterday,” she blurted, wringing her hands together.
Antonio had to give her credit. He didn’t think she’d actually bring up the incident. Now that she had, however, he would be forced to confirm the events. He acknowledged that he shouldn’t relish her discomfort so much, but he couldn’t help himself after the way she behaved.
“King Renaldo, if I may. I believe what Isabella is referring to is the spanking I gave her aboard the boat.” Antonio rose from his seat as he explained, his eyes on Isabella and smiling even wider when her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Served the girl right for trying to humiliate him.
King Renaldo’s eyes widened, and he continued to stare at him as if he wasn’t entirely sure what to make of his announcement.
