By Order of the Prince

by Carla Cassidy

  Where was Antoine right now? Was he hiding in the trees or had he gone chasing the danger? She feared the latter and the only thing that made her feel the slightest bit better was that she hadn’t heard the sound of any gunfire…at least not yet.

  She didn’t even want to think about her house…her home. It was just stuff, she told herself, and she didn’t need stuff. What she needed was for Antoine to be okay. The last thing she wanted was for him to try to be a hero. Dead heroes held no appeal except in history books.

  He had to be all right. She sent a dozen prayers toward the sky, praying for Antoine’s safety. It would be tragic if anything happened to him, tragic for her and for all the people of Barajas.

  Her heart banged so loudly in her chest she wasn’t sure she’d hear if anyone snuck up behind her. Even though she was on the ground every muscle in her body was tensed for flight.

  Who had done this? Was it somebody from Antoine’s past, like he suspected? There was no doubt that this act had been meant to hurt not just him, but her as well. She sensed true hatred behind this, a hatred that went beyond political goals and into something far more personal.

  Her heart leaped at the sound of sirens in the distance. Help was coming! She pulled herself back up to her feet and began to silently move in the direction of the cabin.

  She hid behind a stand of trees that gave her a perfect view of the house and as she saw the flames eating at the kitchen, tears welled up in her eyes.

  The kitchen, the place where she’d spent many happy hours. Had the fire broken the cookie jar that had belonged to her grandmother, burned the cookbooks that had been handed down through the generations? Had the dish towels her mother embroidered turned to char?

  At that moment strong arms encircled her from behind and a hand shot over her mouth to still the scream that begged to escape.

  “It’s me,” Antoine’s voice whispered in her ear just as she was ready to whirl around and fight for her life.

  He released his hold on her and she turned and threw herself into his arms. The tears she’d shoved back finally spilled from her eyes as he held her close.

  Their heartbeats raced against each other as they clung together. “I was so afraid,” she finally managed to gasp. “I was so afraid for you.”

  His arms tightened around her. “We’ll be safe now. Sheriff Wolf is here.”

  The clearing around the house had become filled with firemen, lawmen and equipment. By the time she and Antoine left the cover of the trees the fire was under control and nearly out, although smoke still lingered in the air.

  Jake Wolf stood near the back of the house, talking to the fire chief as they approached. When he spied them he left the man and came over to talk to them.

  “Thank God you both got out safely,” he said. He looked as tired as Beth felt. Soot dusted his high cheekbones and his eyes held a weariness. It seemed like an eternity since Beth had been sleeping peacefully in Antoine’s arms.

  “What happened?” Jake asked.

  “We were sleeping and I woke up when I heard breaking glass. I got up to investigate and found the kitchen on fire. I think perhaps it was a Molotov cocktail that broke the window.” Antoine placed an arm around Beth’s shoulder. “We managed to get out through the bathroom window. I told Beth to hide in the woods and I went to investigate.”

  Jake’s features tightened. “Prince Antoine, I would prefer you leave the investigating to me.”

  “In any case I didn’t see anyone,” Antoine replied, but it was obvious by his voice that he wished he had seen somebody.

  Jake looked at Antoine and then at Beth and she felt the unspoken questions the sheriff had. She tried not to feel embarrassed about the fact that it would probably now be obvious to Jake that she and Antoine were in an intimate relationship.

  “Are you okay?” Jake asked her, his gaze un-characteristically soft.

  “I’m fine,” she replied and fought a new wave of tears as she looked at the house. Even though she’d told herself it was just things and not important, they had been her things and the fact that somebody had willfully destroyed them both made her angry and made her want to weep.

  “It’s not as bad as it looks,” Jake said, as if reading her thoughts.

  “I have insurance,” she replied and stiffened her shoulders. “I’m sure it will all be okay.”

  Jake looked back at Antoine. “We’ll know more tomorrow when things cool down and the fire chief can get inside and take a look around. In the meantime me and some of my men will search the area and see what we can find. I’ll also make sure somebody stays here on the property until arrangements can be made for Beth to return.”

  “Thanks, Sheriff. Can we go?” Antoine asked. “It’s been a bad night and Beth needs to be someplace safe.”

  “I’ll have a deputy drive you back to the hotel and another one to drive your car back there,” Jake replied. “But I’m sure I’ll have more questions for you in the morning.”

  Minutes later they were in the back of a patrol car. Beth could smell the acrid scent of smoke that clung to them as she leaned against Antoine’s side.

  “Try not to worry,” he said softly. “I’ll do whatever it takes to fix things.”

  “Insurance will take care of it,” she replied wearily. It wasn’t his job to fix things for her. He’d already bought her a new vehicle and she absolutely refused to accept anything else from him.

  They were silent for the remainder of the ride back to the hotel, where the deputy insisted he accompany them to Antoine’s suite. Thankfully at this hour of the morning the lobby was empty except for a few members of the staff who were cleaning the area.

  They watched openmouthed as the three walked through and down the hallway that led to the suite. Beth could only imagine the gossip that would roar through the place in the next couple of hours. At the moment she was too tired to care. She’d deal with it in the morning.

  A second deputy appeared to hand them the keys to the Jeep and then they were left alone. Beth stood in the middle of the living room area, unsure what her next move should be.

  She was beyond numb. It had all been too much, the car crash, the bullets and now the fire. She was simply overwhelmed by it all.

  “Come.” Antoine took her by the hand and led her into the master bathroom. He started the water in the huge, glass-enclosed shower and then turned back to her and began to undress her.

  Gently he pulled the smoky, soot-covered sweatshirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. When he pulled down her pants, she stepped out of them, still numb to the world.

  There was nothing sexual about his actions. It was only tenderness she felt, along with his obvious need to take care of her. And she let him, grateful that she didn’t have to think, didn’t have to do anything but submit to him.

  When they were both naked he pulled her into the warm spray of water. Using the clean-scented soap the hotel provided he quickly washed and rinsed himself and then began to wash her.

  He dragged the soap-filled sponge over her shoulders and down her chest. She stood impassive and merely accepted, like a child being washed by a parent. He washed every inch of her until she was slicked with soap.

  When he was finished he pulled her back beneath the warm spray and she closed her eyes as the scent of smoke finally disappeared down the drain. With her body cleaned, he used the shampoo and began to wash her hair.

  She leaned with her bare chest and face pressed against one wall of the shower, the glass warm as she dropped her head back. His fingers worked against her scalp in a hypnotic fashion. Her brain was emptied of all thoughts as she completely gave herself to his care.

  Slowly, she felt herself beginning to relax, leaving behind the terror that had filled her through the long, seemingly endless night.

  By the time he was finished and her hair had been rinsed until it squeaked with cleanliness, she was beyond exhaustion. He turned off the shower, dried himself and pulled on one of the thick robes the resort pro
vided, then dried her off and pulled his own robe around her.

  She reveled in the scent of him that clung to the robe. It smelled like caring. It smelled like safety. He then picked her up and carried her into the bedroom where the bed had been turned down and was ready for sleep.

  “I should make arrangements to return to Barajas and take you with me,” he said once they were in the bed, with his body spooned around hers and his arm around her waist. “I feel responsible for you and there I can arrange for your safety without problems.”

  “Let’s discuss it in the morning,” she said and squeezed her eyes as tears once again burned. For in that moment she realized she didn’t need him to fix her house. She didn’t want to be his responsibility. The only thing she really wanted was for Antoine to love her.

  Chapter Eight

  Antoine awoke and knew by the cast of the sun slanting in through the windows that it was late morning. For several long moments he remained in the warm bed, reluctant to leave the comfort and the faint scent of Beth that filled the air.

  He glanced over to the other side of the bed where she was curled up facing him. Her features were soft and his fingers ached with the desire to touch her cheek, to awaken her with a sweet kiss and then make love to her while her body was soft and warm and yielding.

  She’d lost so much because of him. And last night she could have lost her life.

  He fought his impulse to reach over and draw her into his embrace, repeat the lovemaking that had blown his mind. She deserved her sleep after all she’d been through.

  But, it didn’t take long before he grew restless, knowing that there were many things to attend to and staying in bed wouldn’t accomplish anything. With Beth still soundly sleeping, he slid from the bed, grabbed his robe and left the room.

  The meeting with the housekeeper Janine Sahron would have to wait until later in the day. He knew there would be much business concerning the events of the night before to take care of this morning.

  The first thing he did was order coffee and breakfast from room service and then arranged for housekeeping to dispose of the smoky clothing they’d worn the night before. Finally, he called the gift shop and ordered a pair of slacks and a blouse for Beth to put on when she awakened.

  With the immediate needs taken care of, he sank down in one of the leather chairs by the fireplace and replayed the night’s events in his head.

  Why hadn’t he considered that they might be in danger at her cabin? Had he allowed his overwhelming desire for her, his need to get her alone and make love to her to completely muddy his brain?

  It was the only explanation for his foolish judgment and he hated himself for it. He’d allowed himself to be ruled by his emotions and that had nearly gotten them killed. It was definitely a mistake he wouldn’t allow to happen again.

  He could only hope that either the fire chief or Jake Wolf would be able to find some clue in the ruins of Beth’s cabin that might lead them to arrest the person responsible for this latest attack.

  He still believed the attacks he and Beth had suffered were too amateurish to be part of a bigger conspiracy with professional players in the mix.

  Verovick wouldn’t have used a Molotov cocktail, when he or his men could have planted an effective bomb in the car or in the house. There were any number of ways a professional killer could get to him without resorting to something as primitive as a gasoline-filled bottle stuffed with fabric.

  Once again he suspected it was someone with a personal vendetta rather than anyone connected with the COIN coalition.

  Who could it be? Who had the resources to follow him across the sea with the sole purpose of revenge? He didn’t know how to begin to identify a person or persons who might be behind all this.

  Dammit, he should have never pulled Beth into his drama. He should have insisted he take the notes from her and then left her to go on her merry way.

  One thing was certain. She would not be returning to her home. She would not be going anywhere anytime soon. She didn’t know it yet, but he intended to make her a prisoner in this suite until he knew for sure that the danger to her was gone for good.

  He jumped as his cell phone rang and answered to hear Sebastian’s voice. “My brother, how are things in Barajas?” he asked.

  “Very well,” Sebastian replied. “Jessica and little Samantha are settling in quite nicely and our people seem to be pleased that I finally have a woman by my side. What about there? Any news on Amir? Any other developments?”

  “I’m afraid there’s been nothing new on Amir,” Antoine replied and then told his brother what had happened since last time they spoke. “I have a bad feeling, Sebastian. I don’t think these attacks are related to our reason for being here in the States. I think it’s somebody from my past and my biggest regret is that now I believe Beth is in danger as well.”

  The two brothers discussed what Antoine had learned about Verovick and speculated on the Russian mob’s involvement in the conspiracy against the royals.

  As he spoke with his brother, confessing all his concerns about Beth and how much his involvement with her had cost her, once again he was struck by her bravery. She was a woman unlike any other that he’d ever known. She would make some man a wonderful wife. She would be a courageous and beautiful mother and the fact that he wouldn’t be around to see that broke his heart. The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door.

  “I think breakfast has arrived,” Antoine said into the phone as he got up from his chair.

  “Then I’ll let you go and enjoy your food. Stay safe, Antoine.”

  “I’m doing my best, my brother,” he replied.

  “And keep in touch,” Sebastian added. With a promise to do just that, Antoine hung up.

  At the door was not only breakfast, but also an employee from the gift shop with the items he’d requested for Beth. As the meal was being set on the table, he carried the clothing into the bedroom where he discovered that Beth was out of bed and in the bathroom.

  He knocked on the door. “Beth, I have some clean clothes here for you.”

  She opened the door and he saw that she’d neatly brushed her hair and her face was dewy with a recent scrub. She looked achingly beautiful and for just a moment he wanted to pull her from the bathroom and back into the bed. He wanted to forget what had happened, not worry about what might happen and just hold her once again in his arms.

  “Thank you,” she said and took the clothes from him and then closed the bathroom door once again.

  There had been a touch of distance in her eyes, he thought as he quickly got dressed for the day. And could he blame her? She’d simply offered to drive him where he wanted to go and now she’d lost a vehicle, her house had been damaged and her privacy invaded.

  He hadn’t missed the shocked looks on the faces of the cleaning crew working in the lobby when he and Beth returned to the suite last night.

  He knew the gossip that would be flying around the resort this morning, gossip about the prince and the head of housekeeping.

  Long after he left here she would have to deal with the aftermath of her involvement with him. He had brought her nothing but trouble, was it any wonder her eyes had held a distance?

  He returned to the dining area and poured himself a cup of coffee and by that time Beth had joined him. The navy slacks he’d bought kissed the length of her legs with perfection. The peach-colored blouse brought out the blond highlights in her shoulder-length hair and the bright green of her eyes.

  Had it only been the night before when he’d tasted the sweetness of her lips? Felt the burn of her body next to his? Desire once again nibbled at him, like a voracious hunger that refused to be ignored, a hunger that would never be completely satisfied.

  “Thank you for the clothes,” she said.

  “I didn’t think you’d want to put the soot-covered smoky things from last night back on.”

  “Have you heard anything from Jake this morning?” she asked as she poured herself a
cup of coffee and took a seat at the table.

  “Not yet. If I don’t hear anything from him by the time we finish our meal, I’ll call him.” He joined her at the table. “I’m hoping he’ll have some news for us.”

  “You ordered enough breakfast for an army,” she observed.

  He looked at the food on the table. There were pancakes and eggs, fresh fruit and oatmeal and biscuits and bagels. He looked back at her. “I woke up hungry.”

  She must have seen something in his eyes that let her know he was talking about more than just an appetite for breakfast. Her cheeks grew pink as she speared a pancake and placed it on her plate.

  He watched as she took banana slices and placed them on the pancake like eyes, then used an orange slice to make a mouth on the pancake. She looked up to see him watching her and a small smile curved her lips.

  “My mother used to do this to my pancakes when I was a little girl and was being crabby. She’d say, ‘Look, Beth, your pancake is smiling at you and he wants a smile back.’” She looked at him and her cheeks were pink. “Silly, I know, but whenever I was upset it always worked to bring a smile to my face.”

  He hated that the implication was that she was upset now and had reached back into the memories of her childhood to feel better. Again he mentally cursed himself for getting her involved in his mess.

  He sought words to comfort her, but recognized at the moment he had none. He couldn’t tell her everything was going to be okay when he didn’t know what to expect next. He refused to mouth empty platitudes. She deserved so much better than that.

  “Do you have happy memories of your mother?” she asked as they began to eat.

  The most easily accessed memory Antoine had of his mother, Nephra, was of the night of her death. Certainly not a happy one.

  He now fought past that particularly horrific memory in an attempt to find others more pleasant from his earlier childhood. And they were there, just waiting to be tapped into.

  “She loved to sing,” he said, surprised by the sudden recollection. “And she had the voice of an angel.” His heart warmed as he thought about the lullabies his mother would sing to him and Sebastian before they drifted off to sleep each night.