by V Vee
Augustus’s words were met with silence and he turned to look at Alfie, whose eyes had widened. The younger man whistled low and chuckled darkly.
“Well, damn Gus, tell me how you really feel.”
Augustus shrugged. “Can you tell me that any of what I just said was untrue?”
Alfie sighed in resignation but didn’t speak. But then, he didn’t need to, the sadness and barely repressed anger and disappointment that showed in his eyes gave Augustus all the answer he needed.
Without further word to his brother, Augustus walked away. He knew Algerone, the man may not have been with his family—his wife and kids—all that often, but he was here in the States enough that Augustus knew he would find a gym in one of the rooms. Perhaps the basement.
He suddenly had an urge to pound the shit out of something.
Helen watched as Augustus stomped away from his brother, his face an angry cloud and she took a step to go and check on him, before remembering they did not have that type of relationship. Even more than that, she didn’t want them to have that kind of… intimacy. No. Prince Augustus Smythe was entirely off limits to her, and she had to make sure that she kept reminding herself of that. Not only because the man was a prince, but also because they both had fundamentally different ideas about sex and talking to people that one didn’t know.
Helen had read almost everything she could get her hands on about the Malvidencian princes and the royal Smythe family, much to the amusement of her friends and the chagrin of her parents, who didn’t condone engaging in idle gossip. It was something she’d done before Algerone and Valerie had met in Spain all those years ago but had delved even deeper into once she realized she had a personal stake in the stories reported. She was the one who would often report to Valerie everything that the tabloids, gossip columns, and mainstream media were saying about Algerone and his comings and goings. She was the one who kept her eyes open for any hint of deceit or adultery on the part of the “Missing Prince,” as she and Laeticia had coined the man. And while her friends had laughed at her “obsession” they were each extremely appreciative of her knowledge when she was able to talk Valerie off the ledge more than once.
Maybe I should have allowed her to jump years ago, Helen thought to herself as she looked over at Valerie who—though she had a wide grin on her face and seemed to exude happiness—also appeared to be utterly exhausted. Then again, Helen had been with Valerie through all of her other pregnancies and she knew her friend struggled with exhaustion and nausea throughout the first two trimesters. Oftentimes they would be discussing a gallery showing, Valerie’s newest art piece, or even just talking about non-work things, and Helen would look over to find her friend asleep or call her name repeatedly on the phone only to hear the sound of retching. Helen shuddered. While she adored kids… loved them really, she just didn’t think she was equipped to deal with all of the symptoms and negatives that came with being pregnant.
The exhaustion.
The nausea and vomiting.
The sore breasts and sensitive nipples.
The mood swings.
The hemorrhoids.
The labor pains.
Helen shook her head mentally to pull herself out of the dark turn her mind had sent her into. She didn’t need to worry about children anyway. She was unmarried, unengaged, and wasn’t even dating anyone. She wouldn’t be having any babies any time soon.
You could always ask Augustus to give you some. Helen’s subconscious, her “devil” on her shoulder whispered evilly in her ear. She huffed out a laugh at the absurdity and found herself the focus of Valerie, Laeticia, My’chell, Amber, and Angela. She looked at each woman and grinned sheepishly.
“What?” she asked when neither of them said anything.
Angela laughed and shrugged. The umber, dark-yellow brown-skinned woman, with the hourglass figure: overly large breasts, tiny waist, wide hips, extremely long legs—a form her mother was always saying was only for strippers and whores—smiled mischievously at Helen and jerked her head in Augustus’s direction. Helen noticed the new tattoo on the other woman’s neck and struggled to return her attention back to the conversation instead of inquiring why there were two dragons intertwined on Angela’s neck.
“Why are you so interested in Augustus? You think he’s hot?” Angela asked, waggling her eyebrows.
Helen gasped. “What? No!” She barely resisted placing her palms against her suddenly, extremely hot cheeks. Her gaze darted back and forth between her friends who all watched her carefully, their expressions ranging from amusement to concern. The last coming from Valerie, and Helen reached out to touch her dearest friend’s arm.
“I assure you, there’s nothing going on—or ever will go on—between Prince Augustus and myself. He merely asked me about your lives here without Algerone, and once I assured him you had support and the children were surrounded by love, he was okay. Trust me,” she lied, swallowing the lump that formed in her throat due to her untruth. Her parents had always raised her to be honest, but, in light of their own secrets she wasn’t so sure they could be disappointed in her actions.
Helen shook her head, trying to rid her negative thoughts towards her parents. No matter that they’d lied to her for her entire life. They were still her parents, had raised her… loved her. She had to honor and respect them.
Honor thy mother and father that thy days may be long upon the Earth.
The familiar Scripture didn’t give her the same sense of peace and comfort that it once had, and Helen felt a moment of bereavement. Had she lost her faith, her beliefs, the core of her very identity because of her parents’ sins? Their mistakes? Their misdeeds?
“Hel? Helen? Helen!” Valerie’s voice startled Helen out of the maelstrom of her mind’s inner musings and Helen offered her friend a smile filled with relief and gratitude.
“Girl, I don’t know what the fuck you were just thinking about, but don’t do it again,” Laeticia said, lifting a cup of what Helen was sure was liquor—even at this early hour—to her lips.
Helen frowned at her friend. Not only because of Laeticia’s drinking but also for her profanity.
“Teesh,” Helen reprimanded her.
Laeticia waved off Helen’s words. “Girl, take that holiness somewhere else. Somewhere it will be appreciated. I am not the one.”
Helen stared at Laeticia for a long moment. She wasn’t sure exactly what was going on with her friend but the usually bluntly honest, but still friendly, happy, outrageous woman had been replaced with someone who was caustic, hurtful, brutal, still outrageous, but no longer happy… and an alcoholic. Helen was justifiably concerned and wanted to take Laeticia to the side to talk to her about it, but before she could, she was stopped by the feeling of a small hand touching her on her calf. Looking down, Helen smiled at the sight of little Dahni, Valerie’s youngest child—for now at least—and reached down to scoop up her goddaughter into her arms. But before she could, Dahni held up the lifeless body of a lizard. Then laughed when Helen and the other women—all except Valerie—screamed and jumped away.
Valerie sighed and called for Algerone.
“Dahni killed another lizard. I really hope we don’t have a serial killer on our hands,” Valerie complained as Algerone lifted his daughter into his arms.
Helen watched as Chikere walked over, without a word, and took his baby sister in his arms. The two of them then went off with Algerone’s brother, Andreas, who merely smirked and led them away.
Helen shivered and looked over at Valerie whose lips were turned down in a frown.
“I don’t know how I feel about that,” she told Helen.
“Neither do I,” Helen admitted. Before she could say more, the back of her neck heated, and the feeling spread all over her. Without having to look, Helen knew she was being watched.
Augustus.
Just thinking his name was enough to make her panties wet, her stomach clench with desire, and her mouth dry, all of the moisture in her body heading due
south to dampen—no, soak—her silk thong.
What was that man doing to her? And why did she like it so much?
Chapter Five
“Valerie is surrounded by beautiful women is she not?” Alfie’s voice came from next to him and Augustus sighed in frustration.
“Yes, she is. I thought her sisters were gorgeous, and then her friends showed up. Together they are all like a smorgasbord of sexiness and beauty,” Alastair stated on his other side.
Augustus rolled his eyes and ignored his younger brothers. When Andreas walked up, he knew that his chance to quietly observe Helen was gone.
“What are we talking about?” Andreas asked in an almost bored tone.
“Valerie’s hot female community,” Alfie replied.
“No, we aren’t,” Augustus retorted.
“I was thinking about asking out one of her sisters, you know, really keep it in the family,” Alastair mused aloud. “But both of them have complicated relationships with men. One with her boss, and the other with someone she knows through work. So, I decided to set my sights on someone else.”
Augustus felt his body tense, though his gaze remained trained on Helen who was currently talking with Algerone’s best friends: Gabriel, Antwaun, Farhad, Hank, and Chung-Li, and their wives: My’chell, Amber, Eve, Angela, and Shermunique. The men separated off from their wives to speak to Algerone, while the women all converged around Valerie. Though they were all beautiful in various ways, Helen stood out as a rose in a bouquet of carnations.
My own Helen of Troy.
“Who have you chosen?” Andreas questioned.
Alastair shook his head. “No one here. I feel as though my princess is elsewhere.” He cleared his throat and turned to Augustus. “And you, Gus?”
Augustus gave his brother a wolfish smile and nodded his head at Helen when she glanced in his direction. “I have found mine, gentlemen, and now the chase begins.”
It took a while for him before he was finally able to get Helen alone long enough to talk to her. To charm her. To begin the dance of wooing and seduction. Only, after only one conversation, Augustus knew it was about more than simply a seduction. Oh, yes, Helen was gorgeous. Beautiful. Breathtaking. But she was also intelligent, funny, and insightful.
Oh yeah, and innocent. Pure. Untouched.
A fucking virgin.
Augustus had been surprised but he couldn’t say he was disappointed. It was thrilling to know that when they made love for the first time that no other man would have been there. And no other man ever would be.
The thing that had surprised him the most? The moment he’d told her he wouldn’t press for the two of them to sleep together. Not until she was ready. He promised her he would wait. However long that was. He would wait for her. If it wasn’t until after they got married—if they married—then he would wait. He wouldn’t stop pursuing her. Wouldn’t stop talking to her. Chasing after her. Wanting her. But he would wait.
Wait for her to be ready.
Wait for her to say yes.
Wait for her to be his.
Unfortunately, life, and others who had devious and nefarious plans made a complete mockery of his words.
Two Months Later
Augustus stood anxiously on the cobblestone of the palace drive, his eyes trying to find any sign of the royal town car that carried within it his every reason for waking up in the morning.
Helen was coming to Malvidence. Finally.
Granted, she wasn’t coming to see him. She was coming to visit with her best friend, Valerie, staying through the wedding, and she was bringing her loud friend, Laeticia, with her, but that meant nothing. She was coming to Malvidence. She would be on his turf. In his home. And because he’d talked with his brother and their guard, Danorian, Helen would be sleeping in the suite right next to his. She would be sleeping next to him in a sense. So close and yet, so very far away.
Only for the first night, then I will have her in my bed.
He’d proven himself to her. They hadn’t talked every day since the last time they’d seen each other, but they’d talked enough to keep the interest strong. The fire burning. While he’d promised her and himself that he wouldn’t try to have sex with her until she was ready, he’d said nothing about having her in his bed. In his arms. Falling asleep to her and waking up to her face in the morning. It would happen. As soon as possible. It was the same promise he’d made to himself every single day since he’d first found out the beautiful American woman was coming to the palace. Augustus couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this… nervous? Uncertain? How did people who weren’t as self-assured as he and his brothers deal with this? The insecurity?
“Are you outside to welcome our guests to Malvidence? Or is there some other motivation behind you standing here?” Alfie’s voice sounded behind him, and Augustus barely restrained himself from screeching out like a little girl. His senses were extremely honed from his years in His Majesty’s military, but Alfie, who had only served a small amount of time, compared to lifetime dedication Augustus and Andreas had made, was able to get around like a ghost.
Augustus didn’t like it at all.
“I’m out here for the same reason you are. To claim my woman.” Augustus turned to look at his brother, who leaned against one of the pillars that decorated the outside of the palace.
“Your woman?” Alfie scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. Alfie was wearing his favorite type of outfit, a dark blue business suit, white, button-down shirt, gold cufflinks gleaming at his wrists, and a pair of black Italian loafers on his feet. His dark hair was brushed away from his face and his eyes twinkled with amusement. Augustus rolled his eyes at his youngest brother.
“Yes. My woman. She may not know it yet, but Helen Warren belongs to me,” Augustus stated firmly.
“And if she doesn’t agree?” Alfie asked quirking an eyebrow.
Augustus shrugged. “Her agreement is not needed. It will happen because she was made for me and I was made for her.”
“Damn, Gus, that sounds extremely misogynistic and a little serial killer-y,” Alfie said, standing to his full height with a frown.
“I agree, it does,” Valerie’s voice sounded both amused and slightly concerned, and Augustus turned to look at his sister-in-law who stood outlined in the doorway of the palace. Augustus grinned sheepishly and rubbed at the back of his neck.
“Valerie, are you to be out of bed?” Augustus asked, trying to change the subject.
When Augustus and his brothers had returned to Malvidence, they had Valerie and the children with them. But no sooner had they landed than an unknown shooter, someone from The Rebellion, country of Waldakan, had taken a shot at Algerone. Valerie had pushed her husband out of the way and been shot instead. She’d been in the hospital for a while, the doctors concerned about the offspring of the Crown Prince, but in the end, Valerie had been okay and able to return to the palace, her new home. Though the doctor cautioned her to be careful and to take it easy, which to Augustus’s older brother, Algerone, meant Valerie had been practically confined to their suite, barely able to stand on her own two feet to go to the bathroom. Algerone was always there, hovering.
“I cleared it with my doctor,” Valerie shrugged. “Besides, your brother does not get to tell me what I can and cannot do.” She looked around surreptitiously and Alfie laughed.
“He’s not here. The last time I saw him, he was taking AJ and Beaumont to the stables,” Alfie reassured her.
Valerie shrugged. “What? I don’t care. I’m not afraid of my husband,” she scoffed, though Augustus had definitely clocked the look of relief that had passed over her face. She tossed up her hands. “Besides! Why shouldn’t I be able to be here to greet my best friends? It’s been forever since I last saw them and reassuring them that the kids and I are fine over the phone, email, and Skype ™ is apparently not enough.”
Augustus snorted and shook his head. “You Americans and your need for exaggeration.” He saw the moment Va
lerie’s hands landed on her wide hips and she speared him with a look of incredulity. He quirked an eyebrow back at her before returning his focus back to the driveway. He would apologize for speaking the truth.
“I will not apologize for my words, Val,” he informed her with a smirk. “The Malvidencian people are those who admire and appreciate statements of plainness. Those who speak frankly and without frivolity.”
“Boring,” Alfie muttered.
“Dull,” Valerie stated with a nod.
Augustus shook his head again. “No. We speak the truth without the need for flowery language or flamboyant speech to make it appear more appealing to the listener or to keep them engaged in conversation. The problem is, Americans are always seeking attention and if you’re not doing it with your businesses, your music, your movies, your pictures, or your ridiculous bigotries, then you’re doing it with your words.” He sighed deeply as he saw Valerie’s eyes narrowing on him. He knew she was annoyed or even insulted, which was another problem, Americans were too damn sensitive. He lifted his shoulders in a gesture of frustration then lowered them before he focused back on the palace gates. “Just be blunt and honest. That’s what it means to be a true Malvidencian.”
Valerie snorted. “Is that what you want, Gus?” she asked in a steady voice, using his nickname.
Augustus felt a chill run up his spine at his sister-in-law’s tone and he turned to look at her, giving her a hesitant nod. He noticed Alfie taking a step back from them and he glared at his youngest brother, wanting to call him a coward. However, his attention was diverted by Valerie stepping close to him. She poked him with one finger, a small smile on her face.
“Well, allow me to be blunt, honest, and plain, no exaggeration,” she said, putting emphasis on certain words, and while Augustus wanted to point out that the inflection she’d used in her words were—in themselves—a form of “exaggeration”, the glint in her eyes kept him silent. “You’re out here waiting to see my best friend, my manager, one of the godmothers of my children: Helen. You think you have a shot with her acting the way you have been? With your condescending attitude? Strutting around here as if you are the greatest thing to happen to women since sports bras and boy shorts?” She shook her head with a soft chuckle. “Well, allow me to point something out to you, Your Highness. You. Don’t. Helen is a good woman. She’s moral, she’s honest, she’s innocent, and most of all, she doesn’t suffer fools lightly, and you are the world’s biggest fool if you think your superior, high-handed, sexual, snobbish, arrogant attitude is going to get you anywhere with someone we call: Church Girl.” She turned to walk away from him; to go, God only knows where, when she spun back around and looked him up and down with disinterest. “And none of what I said was ‘exaggerated’. You really are the world’s biggest fool if you don’t think you’re going to have to fix your thinking and behavior if you want to have a shot with my friend.”
