BILLIONAIRE'S BABY PROJECT

by Mia Carson

  Daphne frowned and fought the need to tug her ear. “Not at all. What my bodyguard wears is none of your concern. Now, what is your business here, Dion?”

  He shifted, his gaze remaining on Matt as he said, “I had a few things to take care of with the gentlemen of the parliament and hoped to meet with you today, cousin. If you have time. I know how horribly busy you are these days with trying to bring our sweet little kingdom into the future.”

  His mocking tone hurt, but not as much as it would have if Matt hadn’t been at her side. “I’m sorry,” she smiled as politely as she could manage. “But until the allegations against you are cleared, I cannot discuss any matters with you outside of the weather.”

  “Surely you can make an exception.” He sneered. “We’re family, after all, are we not, cousin?”

  “If I make an exception for one, I would have to for another. The answer is no, Dion. Good day.”

  “Daphne, really,” Dion snapped, but Matt stepped between them, pushing Daphne safely behind him and out of Dion’s view. “What do you think you are doing?”

  Matt straightened, and by the way Dion’s face paled slightly, she knew exactly what look he had in his eyes. “The princess wishes for you to leave. You will do so, or I will have you forcefully removed as I did your mother.”

  “How dare you speak to me like this?! I am the cousin of the princess, nephew to the king and queen!”

  “Yes,” Matt said darkly, “and that is all you will ever be as long as I am here. Good day, Dion.”

  Dion huffed loudly, yelling about how inappropriate the household staff had become, and marched down the hall. Daphne deflated slightly, clasping her hands tightly together to calm her nerves.

  “And I thought it would be an easy day,” she said with a sigh.

  “He won’t get to you,” Matt promised. “I’ll be right outside when you’re finished.”

  Daphne wanted so badly to jump into his arms and kiss him, but she couldn’t. When he stepped aside, his hand brushed hers, and that one touch was enough—for the moment. Her head held high, she waltzed into the conference room and called the meeting to order.

  ***

  Dion reached the end of the hall and glanced back. Daphne stared longingly into Matthias’ eyes, and he brushed against her before she went inside the conference room. Matthias took his place next to the door, hands clasped behind him, and glared down the hall at Dion. He nodded, turned on his heel, and hurried through the palace.

  These halls he’d roamed as a child were so much more magnificent as an adult. It should have been his throne, not Daphne’s, but life had taken an unexpected turn and his father died before his grandfather could pass over the throne. It was the only reason Calix, his uncle, had inherited it and thereby Daphne.

  Daphne. So protected all these years, she didn’t even know what went on in her own city. He grinned, slipping his hands causally into his pockets as he turned towards the outer courtyard.

  “Sir,” another guard at the palace said as he approached from the other end.

  “Good morning, Orion, good morning indeed,” Dion said lightly.

  “Sir? You seem in an awfully good mood for having the docks raided last night.”

  He gritted his teeth but shrugged. “Yes, well, minor setback, and they didn’t find what they were looking for.” He glanced around to be sure they were alone and leaned in closer. “What can you tell me about this Matthias?”

  “Not much beyond him being the personal bodyguard to Princess Daphne, sir.”

  “Hmm, and do they spend an unusual amount of time together?”

  “Not that I’ve noticed,” he answered. “What’s this about?”

  Dion dug the heel of his shoe into the pavers. “Just a hunch. Do me a favor. Keep tabs on him, and if anything… interesting arises, take pictures.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small handful of bills. “For your troubles, of course.”

  Orion tucked the bills away and nodded before taking off in the other direction. Dion stayed where he was for a long time, looking up at the palace.

  “What are you up to, cousin?” he wondered aloud. “What are you hiding from me?”

  Chapter 10

  Matt waited impatiently for Daphne to be finished with the idiots in the other room. Yesterday, he had every intention of breaking it off and just being her bodyguard, letting her hate him. Then she had yelled at him and dragged everything out into the open. He couldn’t live without that damn princess. They dove into this uncertain future, unaware of when or if they’d be able to surface safely and breathe freely again.

  Having her in his arms was his only way to have control. He knew that without a doubt. He wouldn’t say he loved her, but it was getting damn close. When was the last time he had actually loved someone? Years ago, after his first year in the military, he’d had a girlfriend. Had planned on marrying her, but then she found someone else while he was gone and Matt gave up on the weak notion as love. He didn’t think he would ever need it.

  With Daphne, it was different. He didn’t know which way was up anymore. The mask he wore chipped and cracked each time he was around her, and soon, it would fall completely away… Just as long as it didn’t happen too soon. The man he was today was the killer, the one a man like Dion was right to fear.

  If that bastard laid one hand on his woman, he’d rip his freaking throat out and feed it to him.

  Matt smirked, picturing Dion out of their lives for good, when the door opened behind him and he turned, ready to take Daphne to the luncheon in the grand hall. The four men she’d met with stomped out of the room.

  “That woman… The nerve of her mouth,” one of them said bitterly as he shook out his suit jacket. “If the queen heard her speak that way to us, I doubt they would let that child have so much power at her fingertips!”

  “To think she believes Dion and Agnes could actually be involved in such nonsense,” the second wrinkled and white-haired man muttered. “Ridiculous.”

  They continued their insulting ramblings down the hall, leaving Matt holding back the urge to punch the four old men. He walked into the conference room. “Princess?”

  She stood at the far windows, tugging her ear, her body slumped. “Yes?”

  “The luncheon will be starting shortly, my lady,” he said as he approached her. “Shall I tell them you won’t be able to attend?”

  “No, that won’t be necessary.”

  When she still didn’t move, Matt walked back to the door and checked to be sure no one was around before he closed and locked it. “Daphne? What happened in here?”

  She sagged, and Matt moved to her side to pull her into his arms. “Nothing good, like always. Why do I do it? Why do I keep fighting so hard when all everyone wants to do is kick my legs out from under me?”

  “Because your people’s future means more to you than yourself,” he told her. “Don’t worry, love, I’ll be your legs if need be. I’ll be your arms, your voice—hell, I’ll be your damn punching bag if you run out of things to smash in your rooms.” He chuckled when he earned a laugh for his efforts.

  “I wish we didn’t have to hide this,” she said longingly.

  Matt kissed the top of her head. “One day, maybe, but one step at a time.”

  “Right. Matt? If I ask you for something, will you do it without fighting me on it?”

  His brow furrowed, and he knew before she even asked he was going to hate it. “What exactly is it you want?”

  “A night out in the city,” she replied. He stepped away, shaking his head. “Please? Oh, come on, just one night outside these freaking stone walls.”

  “Do you understand how dangerous that could be if we’re seen?” he demanded.

  She nodded. “I know, but… Matt, I just sat there and had four men tell me that Agnes has raised so many concerns with my reforms and my ability to lead that even the people are voicing their doubts. Out loud on the streets, Matt. They’re turning down my rule before I even get a chance to show
them who I really am.”

  The pain and desperation in her voice tore at him as nothing ever had, and he sighed, hands on his hips, his head hanging. “On one condition,” he growled. “If we go, you will listen to me and do whatever I tell you to, do you understand me?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “No fighting my orders and no hurling anything at me,” he added as an afterthought. “You might put on a fake smile well enough, but I’ve never seen one person with so much pent-up rage I’m worried she’ll take my head off with a lamp.”

  Daphne grinned sheepishly. “I swear it.”

  He rubbed his forehead and the blooming headache forming. “I’m going to regret this.”

  When she jumped into his arms and kissed him hard enough to set his blood on fire, he knew there was nothing he would ever regret with Daphne in his arms. It would be impossible. His hard-ass demeanor shattered when she was near, and there was no putting it back now.

  “We should get you to the luncheon before you’re late,” he said against her lips and reluctantly set her back on her feet. He shifted and tried to be sure his erection wasn’t visible as he moved for the door.

  “What are you going to do while I’m there?” she asked, oblivious, as always, to what she did to him.

  Thinking of all the ways I’m going to pay you back for that kiss, he thought.

  “Checking in with Ambrose. I want to know what happened last night at the docks,” he told her. “I’ll be back before it’s over.”

  “Too bad I can’t come with you,” she mused as they exited the room.

  “What’s this luncheon for, my lady?” he asked formally as several servants passed by.

  “The latest donors for the new hospital built in the outer coastal town,” she told him. “I should be thrilled to see such generosity, but they don’t do it for the people.”

  Matt nudged her arm, and she glanced at him. “You will be a great ruler, my lady, and when you are, I’ll be by your side, one way or another.” The promise of his words hung between them until they reached the grand hall.

  He left her to join people who assumed that they knew who Princess Daphne was beneath that smile. Only he did, and it filled him with a sudden need to drag her away from all of this… to keep her safe. She was his and only his.

  A little while later, after Matt had changed into his more formal attire, he tracked down Ambrose and Jeremiah in the surveillance room, talking with their heads together. “Sir,” Matt said as he approached. “Any success last night?”

  Ambrose shook his head and slammed a stack of files down on the table. “No, we turned up nothing and didn’t even find a shipment that came in at midnight. We have nothing.”

  Matt cursed. “Sorry, sir. I thought I heard them correctly.”

  “I don’t doubt what you heard,” Ambrose said. “I underestimated how sophisticated Dion’s system is and how many hands he’s greased lately. We’ll keep trying to poke holes in his company. Sooner or later, something will show up. I just hope it’s not too late.”

  “Too late, sir?”

  “It would be ideal to stop him before Princess Daphne takes over, of course,” Ambrose said. “One less thing for her to deal with, the better.”

  “Of course,” Matt said, but Ambrose’s eye twitched when he spoke. “Are there any more plans to search the docks again? Maybe we can bribe one of his men, turn him against Dion and Agnes.”

  Ambrose shook his head. “At the moment, no, but we do have an inside man.”

  “And what did he say, sir?” Matt demanded.

  Ambrose shot him a look—warning him, but why? The other day, Ambrose had been thrilled that Matt was being proactive about the situation, but now, when they were getting closer to answers, Ambrose wanted him to shut up about it?

  “Nothing. Now, Matthias, I believe you have a princess to guard,” Ambrose said, dismissing him. “If we find anything, I will tell you at once.”

  Matt nodded and backed away for the door. When Jeremiah caught his eye, he motioned for him to follow. Once out in the hall, Matt and Jeremiah removed their coms, and the first asked what was wrong with Ambrose.

  “He’s pissed, that’s what. Has been since this morning,” Jeremiah told him.

  “Because of the lost shipment?”

  “No, it happened after a phone call,” Jeremiah whispered. “Something’s not right about this whole thing. Couldn’t tell you what’s going on inside that man’s head right now.”

  Matt leaned in closer. “You don’t think he’s involved in this too, do you?”

  Jeremiah looked over his shoulder at the older man and frowned. “Before, I would’ve said no way in hell, but the way things have been playing out lately… I can’t be sure.”

  Matt knew Ambrose by reputation. Most of the commanding leaders in the Apostolos military did. The man was highly decorated and had never faltered in all his years of service. There was no reason to believe he could be working with Dion and Agnes unless there was something they were all missing.

  “Let me know what happens here,” Matt said. “If he gets anymore phone calls.”

  Jeremiah saluted him and the men went their separate ways. Matt didn’t know Dion well enough to understand what the man’s limits were, and an unknown enemy was additionally dangerous. Before he escorted Daphne back to her rooms that afternoon, Matt made a pit stop at his room and called one of his old military buddies, asking him to keep an eye out for Dion Eridian and let him know if anything cropped up.

  Matt triple-checked his Beretta, added his military-issue knife to a sheath at his lower back, and tucked a second at his ankle in his boot, just in case. He wasn’t just her bodyguard anymore. He was a soldier, first and foremost, and a soldier with a love under threat was more dangerous than anything else on this earth.

  Dion would be sure to learn that if and when he tried anything. For Daphne’s sake, Matt hoped it wouldn’t come to that. But the dark voice in his head prayed to God it would so he could wipe the smug smirk from that man’s face.

  ***

  Someone called her name, but Daphne’s eyes didn’t want to open. Her mind protested, and she grunted, annoyed, when two strong hands covered her shoulders. When they shook her, her eyes shot open and she cursed.

  “I’m awake, promise,” she said and stood, nearly head-butting Matt in the face.

  He raised his brow and glanced at the papers she’d scattered all over the floor. “No, you’re exhausted, and you don’t need to be doing this.”

  “Course I do. He’s my damn cousin, isn’t he?” she argued, rubbing her face vigorously and bending down to pick up the papers.

  They’d been at it for hours, taking advantage of the king’s and queen’s absence to escape to her rooms without the worry of being disturbed. After Matt told her they’d found absolutely nothing at the docks, she was even more determined to make the allegations stick. After everything he’d done to ruin her reputation, it was time she gave him the same courtesy. He was family, after all, wasn’t he?

  “You’re smirking,” Matt pointed out worriedly.

  “Yes, and?”

  “Do I need to rescue the new lamps before you shatter them?”

  She smacked him with the papers and plopped back down on the couch, sitting on more files she’d set aside for one reason or another. “No, but I think you were right about that dark side of you affecting me.”

  Matt stiffened. “Daphne.”

  “Kidding, Matt… sort of,” she added. When he didn’t relax, she set the papers down and reached for his hands. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just… All these years, I’ve been kept in the dark, and now that I finally have an inkling of what the hell is wrong, I have to find a way to fix it.”

  His lips thinned and his jaw clenched in a way that made her want to cup his face and kiss him until the sun came up. “I know,” he groaned as he sat down beside her, “which is why I helped you dig up all these files to begin with. Daphne, you have to swear
to me you’ll be careful. Your cousin… He might have more people under his belt than we think.”

  “Anyone ever tell you that you worry too much?” she said through a yawn.

  Matt reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Never,” he growled.

  “Right. Well, you do,” she said and glanced back at the file she’d been reading until she fell asleep. “Did you see this?” She handed it over for him to peruse and dug through another stack.

  “These are names of nightclubs in the city,” Matt said quietly. “I didn’t even realize he was sole owner of some of the ones I worked for.”

  “If he’s smuggling drugs into the kingdom, maybe one of the clubs is where he’s… he’s stashing them,” she said as another yawn overtook her. Her arms stretched up over her head, and she lay back against the couch. A moment later, her eyes slid closed again.

  The couch shifted, and she was in Matt’s arms, curled against his chest as he carried her into the bedroom. Daphne opened her eyes long enough to see the worried frown on his face as he pulled back the covers on her bed and laid her down.

  “I should ask if you ate anything today,” he muttered.

  “I had coffee and that scone this morning,” she answered, snuggling into the pillows. “That’s more than enough.”

  “Not even close, love.”

  He turned to leave, but Daphne reached out and captured his hand. “You could just say it.”

  “Say what?” he asked, those damn dark eyes of his begging her to drop it, but she was never good at letting things go.

  “You can admit it, Matt. I’m not scared.”

  He squeezed her hand in reply and sat down on the edge of bed. “Told you before, I am. Scared as hell that this is all a damn dream and I’ll wake up to find you gone from my life, my last bit of sanity with you.”

  Daphne slid over in the bed, and after he’d kicked off his shoes and set aside his holster, he lay down beside her. They faced each other, and Daphne caught another rare glimpse of the man behind the mask, struggling not to slip into that darkness dragging him down constantly.