by Bella Grant
Raphael’s entire body stiffened when he heard Victoria’s voice from her private office as he stood at the reception desk.
“Um, maybe you should wait here.” Lilly smiled brightly at him. He’d met Victoria’s assistants over the weekend when she held an impromptu meeting. Raphael had insisted on taking her and waiting for her.
“Bernardo?” He pointed a finger at the opened door.
She looked over her shoulder and back at him. “Yep. Showed up twenty minutes ago with flowers.”
He felt his features harden as he glared at the door.
“You didn’t return any of my calls this weekend.”
“I told you, I’ve become involved with someone.” Victoria’s voice was more insistent, but Bernardo wouldn’t be swayed from something he wanted. It wasn’t his way.
“Maybe you shouldn’t… Oh, okay, you’re going.” Lilly didn’t stop him as he rounded her desk and headed straight for Victoria’s office, but she did follow him, her curiosity piqued.
Raphael knocked on the door, standing in the doorway with his eyes fixed on Bernardo’s back. At least the bastard didn’t have his hands on Victoria, because if he had, Raphael didn’t think he’d be able to control his anger enough to refrain from throwing his fist into the man’s face, even if it would be splattered all over the newspapers by morning.
“Ah, Prince Raphael!” Bernardo gave him a poisonous smile and looked back at Victoria. “This is your involvement? The prince? It was his wedding you were planning?” Victoria blushed at the implication.
“I am not betrothed.”
“Ah.” Bernardo’s eyes wandered over Raphael’s casual attire and sneered. “Slumming it, are you?” He turned back to Victoria. “I can see you are otherwise engaged for lunch. I’m in town for another week. Please consider accompanying me to dinner.”
“She’s busy.” Raphael answered for her. Victoria shot him an annoyed look.
“Whatever poisons the prince has fed you about me, I would like the opportunity to vindicate myself. The prince believes me to be a criminal, but I promise you, that is not the case.” Bernardo moved his shoulders as though his suit jacket was too confining. “I’m a fisherman, nothing more.”
“Bernardo—“
“You are as much a fisherman as I am a racecar driver.” Raphael nearly spat with his words, the sight of the man angered him to that point.
“It is not my fault the government keeps the poor down. It is not me that is causing their hunger.”
“You block any growth in the markets with your business associates. Those that try to rise up, to open businesses and thrive, are shut down by you and your cronies with your promises of protection. You make your money off the sweat of their backs. Paying you to stay away takes more than half of their income, leaving them where they were when they began. If anyone should decide to go against you—” He looked over at Victoria’s wide eyes and took a calming breath. “Like I said, Victoria is busy. Do not contact her again.”
Bernardo laughed, a chest-rumbling, loud laugh, and waved his hand through the air. “You are not Prince Regent here. Here, you are just another rich asshole in New York City. Victoria will make up her own mind. You don’t own her.”
“I—”
“Bernardo, please.” Victoria stepped around her desk, standing between the two men. She pressed her back to Raphael and held a hand up toward Bernardo. “I have to work. This is my office. Like I said, thank you for stopping by. It really was nice to see you again, but I am involved with Raphael and am unable to accept your invitation to dinner.”
Bernardo’s eyes slithered down her body while his mouth curved into an indecent smile. “Sure.” He used the back of his knuckles to scratch his chin. “I understand, and I appreciate the loyalty you show him. I would expect nothing less from you myself. You have my number. Please don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything. Anything at all.”
She nodded. Although Raphael could appreciate the diplomatic way she handled him, he wished she had been more forceful. One thing for sure, now that Bernardo knew he was involved with Victoria, the newspapers would be alerted, the social rags would be called, and their quiet week would turn into a three-ring circus.
As Bernardo left her office, he paused at the doorway to give Lilly an appraising glance. “Maybe I’ll fuck her,” he said in their native tongue. “Once I’m done with your girl there, of course.” He threw a wink at the room and disappeared.
“What did he say?” Lilly let out a long breath.
“He said you were beautiful,” Raphael lied. He wasn’t about to tell her what he really said, and Victoria didn’t need to know either. The threat lingering in his statement was clear to him, and he needed to translate that to Victoria.
Bernardo got what Bernardo wanted. Every time. There were no exceptions to that rule, and he didn’t care who he had to hurt or kill in order to get it. If his sights were set on Victoria, he wouldn’t just step aside because she was involved with him. The fact that Bernardo was aware of their relationship only made the situation that much more dangerous.
Once the three of them heard the front door click closed, Lilly let out a loud breath. “He’s hot, Victoria. Since you have no need of him, how about I take a chance?”
Raphael looked at Victoria’s expression to see if even a hint of jealousy over her friend’s comment still lingered. Nothing. The relief he felt was unexpected. He should know Victoria wouldn’t want a man like Bernardo. Especially after the last three days they had spent in each other’s arms.
“Bernardo isn’t your type.” Raphael tried to give her a convincing smile, but on the inside, he wanted to command someone to go after the bastard and follow him. He’d left his security detail outside the office and knew they would recognize him on his way out. What also didn’t sit well with him was the fact that none of Bernardo’s men were lingering in the hall or the main lobby. He never went anywhere alone, especially in America. He’d screwed over more than one powerful connection in the States with his business dealings. He may have been feared by everyone on their tiny island, but the men in the States only saw him as an irritating necessity to do business on the black market in their part of the world. He could be wiped off the map, making their lives a lot easier.
Lilly laughed. “You don’t know my type, Prince Charming. Trust me, hot men are my type.” Lilly called him that little nickname. He hadn’t corrected her and didn’t plan to. The woman was harmlessly fun, but she was treading into some dangerous territory.
“Lilly, I would really appreciate it if you stayed away from Bernardo, and if at all possible, keep him out of the office entirely. He’s not a good man. He’s a powerful man, yes, but not in the way I think you would enjoy.”
“You can’t tell her what to do,” Victoria snapped as she plopped down in her seat, rubbing her temples. Something more bothered her, that much was plain.
“I’m not. I’m suggesting she remain a safe distance from him. You, I told to stay away from him. You didn’t.”
“He walked in here—what was I supposed to do?” She waved a hand at the door. “You heard me trying to get rid of him.” She pointed a finger at him. The sensation of irritation crawled up his spine. He didn’t like her tone, but he knew it was coming from stress. Either way, he would need to address it with her. Later. When Lilly wasn’t gawking at them with open-mouthed excitement.
The phone began ringing in the front office, and Lilly jogged out to answer it. He took the opportunity to walk over to Victoria and kiss her. A warm, lip-tingling kiss meant to center her thoughts on him. Judging by the way her hazed eyes focused on him when he pulled back, he would say it worked.
“I know you are stressed and things aren’t going like you want, but I won’t tolerate you raising your voice or your attitude at me in the future.”
Her throat convulsed when she swallowed, and her eyes turned to check the door for an audience. “I-I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“We must always be re
spectful to each other.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Are you done for the morning? I wanted to whisk you away to lunch… And for something I think you Americans call a nooner?”
Her small smile spread wider until she was laughing. “Never use that word again.” She placed a flat hand on his chest as she laughed. “It sounds weird with your accent.”
“Fine. I’m whisking you away to fuck you in the back of my limo. Does that sound better?” Her grin was addicting.
“Oh.” She caught her breath and wrinkled her brow. “You talk so crudely sometimes,” she whispered, once again checking the door for Lilly’s presence.
“Only when I want to do dirty things to you.” He winked and stood back up, letting her get a good look of the hard bulge in his trousers.
“Victoria,” Lilly called from the front office.
“Coming.” Victoria brushed her hand against his erection as she stood up. “Give me ten minutes and you can whisk me away.” She kissed the tip of his chin.
“It’s not really whisking when I have to wait,” he commented as she scooted around him, her hand once again brushing his hardness. “If you keep touching me like that, you won’t get that ten minutes, and we won’t make it to the limo.”
She looked over her shoulder at him from the doorway. Her hair was swept back in a messy bun at the base of her neck, her makeup applied lightly and perfectly, and her navy blue dress hugged her curves—every detail of her made him want to leap across the room and take her against the door of her office. “Ten minutes.” She made an obvious bow of her head to indicate she was looking at his groin and licked her lips. “Maybe eight. No five. Definitely five.”
Raphael considered himself a patient man. He knew when to lie in wait and when to strike. However, with Victoria, he had more trouble holding himself back. The physical attraction he’d felt for her the moment he’d laid eyes on her weeks ago had blossomed the more he looked at her, touched her, and tasted her.
His proposal was sincere. He wanted her for his wife, but he was sure his body would get over its hunger for her, or at least dim from such a heated desire. But it wasn’t happening. The more he had her, the more often he sunk into her, the more he wanted to do it again.
Waiting for her in the living room of his hotel suite gave him time to consider that it might be more than just a physical attraction. It wasn’t just her body he craved. He looked forward to hearing about her day, about her troubles, about her ideas.
He was putting together another fundraising event in the city that would help create enough revenue to supply a working well in villages in small countries much like his own, which weren’t thriving as well. Bringing drinkable water to the families who worked hard to make their lives livable would be a great accomplishment for him. Not only did Victoria want to hear about his efforts, she seemed eager to help him. He liked to do most of the planning of his events himself, but with her experience, it suddenly became much easier.
“I’m ready!” She stepped out of the bedroom with her arms in the air, spinning around slowly to show him the entire view of her body. The soft-blue, chiffon dress he’d picked out for her hugged her curves and made his hands jealous. He’d asked her to leave her hair down, and he hadn’t been disappointed by her obedience. For the past several days, he’d eased her into obeying his commands, simply because he never made them sound like commands.
“You could not look more beautiful.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tenderly.
“Hey, watch the hair.” She pushed him away playfully. “It took over an hour to get these curls right.”
He laughed and looked down at the large curls cascading down her shoulders. “Perhaps I should have hired you a hairdresser.”
“No. Don’t do that.” Her eyes widened. “You’ve wasted enough money on me already.” She walked away from him, searching the room for something.
“I don’t waste money when I spend it on you,” he countered, picking up the silver clutch he found on end table and taking it to her.
She gave him a wary look but thanked him for the clutch. “Is Stanley bringing his… uh… girlfriend to dinner?” she asked without meeting his gaze.
“Cindy? Oddly enough, he is.”
“Why is that odd?”
“Stanley rarely keeps a girl in his company for this long. She must have struck a chord with him. Not only has he been seeing her at the club almost nightly, he’s seeing her outside of it as well. For him to bring her to dinner with us gives me the impression she’s more than just a dalliance.”
“He’s a playboy, is he?” She winked at him and walked over to a mirror to check her hair and makeup again. She’d applied a bit more mascara and lipstick than she normally did, but he didn’t comment on it.
“Self-proclaimed and everything.” Raphael laughed as he looked at his watch. “We have to get going. The car is downstairs.”
Victoria nodded and walked to him, linking her arm through his as he’d taught her to do when leaving the suite. She was amenable to his little rules and desires and didn’t question them. He knew dinner would be somewhat of a challenge for her with Stanley there. She had no trouble submitting to his rule when they were alone, but he’d noticed if others were present, she struggled.
As the elevator slid down the shaft toward the lobby, Victoria asked their guards how their days had gone, something they had grown used to over the past several days. By then, she had learned the names of their children and wives and inquired about them as well. Her compassion for everyone around her not only warmed him but drew her closer to his heart, if that were possible.
“Prince. I think we should take the back entrance.” James pointed to the back of the lobby once the doors opened for them.
“Is there a problem?” he asked before stepping out of the elevator with Victoria.
“Your presence in the city has been made public, as well as your current involvement with Ms. Thompson.”
Raphael took a deep breath. Bernardo worked faster than he’d thought. After seeing him that morning, he knew the society pages would be notified, but he didn’t think they’d work so quickly.
“Very well. Victoria, stay close to my side. Do not let go of me, do you understand?” He looked down at her with a stern set of his jaw. She nodded and tried to peek out of the elevator, but he pulled her back. “Ignore them as much as possible.” He nodded at James, and their little entourage left the elevator and headed to the back entrance. As the door swung open, bright flashes of lights flickered at them. Questions were yelled in their direction.
James and his crew managed to hold back the reporters enough for him to get Victoria to the safety of the limo. Once safely inside, he slammed the door shut and turned to her. She’d never been the center of media attention, and he worried she’d be shaken up. She was grinning like an excited child.
“Wow. That was an adventure. Is it always like that when you come here?” She readjusted her dress.
He looked out the window as his driver pulled away from the crowd, searching for a familiar face. If he hid within the crowd, Bernardo didn’t show himself. “No. Not usually.” He readjusted his jacket and pulled her up against his side. “Are you okay?”
“Okay? Of course. Just a mild-mannered mob trying to take a picture of the great Prince Raphael.” She rested her hand on his knee with a laugh.
“They weren’t there for me, Victoria.” His phone began to beep, and he grabbed it from his jacket pocket, letting out a curse. “They were trying to get a picture of you.” He shoved the phone away. “Word has been spread of our… involvement.” He kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry about it right now.”
“Why would I worry about it? Does this mean anything? I mean, will your father be upset—does it interfere with any political situations, you dating a commoner?”
“A commoner?” He laughed. “No, dating you doesn’t interfere with anything, and my father’s reaction to my relationship with you is of no consequence.” He tried to pu
t the worry from his mind. Victoria’s company struggled enough, and their involvement could make things worse. Or better, depending on the finicky New York City society.
“Still, I’m sure your father will be displeased when you return home and the papers have splattered your sultry affair all over the front page.” The lightness she gave the situation told him she really had no idea how his life worked. It also gave him a glance at her inner thoughts.
“It will all blow over, especially after you return home with me as my wife.” He unwrapped his arm around her and pointed to the floor before him. “Come here and kneel for me, Victoria.”
She glanced worriedly at her dress. “It’s brand new,” she whispered.
“Come kneel for me, Victoria.”
She must have sensed his seriousness because her hesitation disappeared. Sliding from her seat beside him, she maneuvered herself to kneel before him, pulling her dress up enough not to kneel on the hem.
“I know you have several more days before I can ask your decision, but in the meantime, I will continue treating you as I would my wife.” His hands trailed along her shoulders, hooking his fingers into the thin straps and dragging them down her arms. He pulled her closer to him and unzipped the back of her dress, pushing it further down her torso until her breasts were exposed to him.
“You would strip your wife in the back of a car?” she asked with a hint of amusement.
“I would strip my wife anywhere I chose. If I wanted to have her body in my office, I would do so, in my library, in my garden, in my bathroom, my kitchen, my fucking front hallway… So yes, even in my limo.” Her eyes flashed with excitement at his words. Her tongue peeked out of her mouth, moistening her lips. “Open your legs… Yes, there you go.” He tapped her left knee. “Just a bit more.” Once her bottom sat on her heels and her legs were open wide, he ran his hand up her thigh, finding her panties blocking his touch from her pussy. Through the flimsy fabric, he could feel her moisture.
Not to be deterred, he bent over, and using both hands, he tore the panties on her left hip, then her right. Ignoring her gasp, he yanked the material until it was completely freed from her body. He held up the torn garment in front of her surprised eyes. “No more of these.” He opened his window, keeping his eyes on her expression as it slowly lowered, and tossed the torn panties out of it into the night traffic.
