“Huh.” A funny look crossed Vivi’s face. “That’s interesting.”
It was? She didn’t see how.
“Is Prince Kassim around?” Vivi asked.
“No, he left earlier. I was just finishing up some work for ‘she who shall not be named’.”
“Ah, say no more.” Vivi grimaced. “She was here today?
“Unfortunately, yes. I made sure to be polite and offer her another cupcake. Not my fault it offends her.”
“Now, Pippa, don’t you know if evil touches something sweet it melts . . . melts . . . melts . . .” Vivi slid onto the floor as Pippa giggled.
Then she popped back up. “Why’re you doing her work anyway?”
Pippa sighed. “Because it’s my job?”
“Nuh-uh, you work for Kassim, not her bitchiness. Tell her to stuff her jobs where the sun don’t shine.”
“That would be fun. But what if she becomes the princess? Then she could have me fired and what would I do?”
Then again, if that happened would she really be able to stay?
“Urgh, don’t put that out into the universe, it might come true. Anyway, we don’t have time for this chitter chatter. Get your butt moving, we have to go. And quickly.”
“Go? Go where?”
“Yoga class.”
“But we hated yoga class. You pulled a butt muscle and I kept falling over onto everyone. Remember? The human domino effect? Once one of them fell, the rest kept following.”
Vivi giggled. “That was so funny.”
“For you maybe. I got banned for life. Who gets banned from yoga?”
“A person who creates a human domino?”
“Good point.”
Vivi leaned over to whisper in her ear. “The yoga is a cover. We’re going to the play area out the back of the toy shop.”
“Why are we pretending to go to yoga?”
“In case someone’s listening.” Vivi looked around. “So they don’t find out your secret.”
That she was a Little. Right. Good thought. Although she wasn’t really certain that there were ears everywhere.
“Someone might see me there.” Sometimes she wondered why she cared about people finding out. Especially here in Escana, where unusual relationships were the norm.
“Nope.” Vivi shook her head. “Because I hired the whole place out. It’s just us.”
“Really?”
“Really. Now, last one to the car is a smelly egg.”
“Wait! I have to change my clothes. I can’t go in this.”
“Got you covered. Packed you a change of clothes in the backpack.”
“Okay, let me power off. This stuff can wait.” And she was officially finished with work anyway. She’d just been staying because . . . well, because her life was sad and all she had to go home to was a tube of icing, a vegemite sandwich and Batman on Netflix.
When she had turned off her computer, Vivi grabbed her hand, tugging her through the palace. “Now let’s go before Wolfe finds out.”
“Wolfe doesn’t know you’re going?” She gave the other woman an alarmed look.
“Course not. Do you really think he’d let me go when I’m supposed to be on bed rest? Do I look sick to you?”
“No, you look fine.” Better than fine, Vivi looked well-rested, happy, loved. She’d bloomed under her guys’ care and attention.
Pippa was happy for her. If just the tiniest bit jealous.
Okay, maybe more than a tiny bit.
Drat.
* * *
An hour later, Pippa fell back into the middle of the big bouncy pillow with a sigh of happiness. She was breathing kind of heavy, her skin coated in a light sheen of sweat after bouncing around like a mad woman for the last forty minutes. Her thighs were already burning, she’d probably be walking around tomorrow like she’d just come off a bucking bronco.
At least it was the weekend. She didn’t have to work. She could hole up in her playroom, watching cartoons, eating junk food and painting.
And worrying about those threats. Shit.
“Talk to me,” Vivi demanded, landing next to her.
“I had a new idea for a cupcake—”
“Not about cupcakes, Pip-pip.”
She glared at her for that nickname. “Then what about?”
“Prince Aric.”
Her heart sped up at his name. What was wrong with her?
Lots. There is a lot that’s wrong with you.
“What about him?”
“Uh-uh, you’re not going to avoid this conversation.”
“What conversation?” she asked casually. “There’s nothing to say. Aric and I are friends.”
“Right, wish I had a friend who bought me ten grand worth of fancy shoes.”
“More like fourteen apparently and I wish he hadn’t spent that much on me. I’m never going to have anywhere to wear them and I feel a bit sick about how much he spent on me.”
“He wanted to do it. You shouldn’t feel bad,” Vivi told her gently.
“Well, he did promise to donate some money to a charity of my choice so that makes me feel a bit better. But this was overkill, you have to admit it.”
“That’s my point. It was total overkill. So why do you think he did it?”
“I have no idea. I’m just average, there’s nothing special about me.”
“Dude, that is totally not true. You aren’t average.”
“Uh-huh, look at me. Average size, average looks, average intelligence, average bank bal—”
Vivi slammed her hand over her mouth. “You are not any of those things.”
She glared up at her. “I am.” Her voice was muffled behind Vivi’s hand but she must have heard her because she narrowed her gaze at her.
“You need a spanking.” She drew her hand back.
“Do not,” Pippa countered, crossing her arms over her chest. “I can’t be spanked for being honest.”
Vivi snorted. “If I said any of that, I’d get a spanking.”
“Yeah? Do tell.”
Vivi gave her a small shove as she laughed. “Stop it. I’m not telling you about my spankings.”
“You want to know about my Aric.”
She winced after saying that and Vivi let out a whoop. “I knew it. There’s something between the two of you isn’t there?”
“I don’t know.” Should she tell her? Who else did she have to talk to? And she really needed some advice. “Vivi, it’s not just him. Oh man, I’m in trouble.”
“What? Who else?”
“Tavi.”
“Holy. Shit. What? What with Tavi?”
“Well, he’s been—”
“Genevieve!” a voice roared through the room.
Vivi’s eyes widened. “Oh shit! That’s Wolfe! He found me.”
Pippa rolled her eyes. Really? Of course he found her. He was probably tracking her. And they’d had one of the palace drivers bring them here. They hadn’t exactly been sneaky about it.
“You really thought he wouldn’t?”
“I was hoping he’d be stuck in his meeting for another hour.”
“Genevieve. Down here. Now.”
Vivi grimaced. “What do you think the odds are of us sneaking out of here?”
“About as good as you sitting comfortably tonight,” Pippa told her cheerfully.
Vivi glared at her. “You’re supposed to be my friend.”
“So?”
“So you’re meant to lie to me.”
“Oh, right. In that case, you’ll be fine. I’m sure the very angry, crazy man glaring up here is just waiting to give you a cuddle and lollipop.”
“A lollipop?”
“A sucker.”
“Hmm, maybe if I suck something I can get some leniency.”
“Vivi!” She giggled.
“Genevieve!” Wolfe demanded.
“Shoot. I best get down there.”
“Um, you think? The longer you stay up here, the worse you’re gonna get it. And girl, you’r
e getting it bad.”
“Thanks. You’re making me feel so much better.”
“Hey, that’s what besties are for.”
“Genevieve!”
Vivi swore under her breath. “I’m coming!” She turned to Pippa. “You need to come down there with me.”
“What? No way. I’m not going down there with Wolfe in ultra-protector mode. What if he blames me? He could kill me and no one would ever find the body.”
“He wouldn’t do that.”
She shot her friend a look.
“All right, he would totally do that. But I won’t let him. Please.”
“Uh-uh, you’re on your own.”
Suddenly, the blow-up pillow bounced, and they looked over to find Wolfe stomping towards them. Vivi let out a squeak of distress and started backing up.
Pippa rolled away to get out of the line of fire. If she truly thought that her friend was in danger then she would interfere. But she knew that Wolfe adored her and wouldn’t harm her.
“Wolfe, why are you so mad?” Vivi asked.
“You’re supposed to be on bed rest.”
“But I’m fine. I’m fully recovered.”
“Obian said eight to ten days.”
“It’s been twelve!”
“Last night, you were sneezing,” he grumbled as he reached her. He easily picked her, setting her on her feet as he glared down at her.
“It was an allergy.”
“Allergy? What allergy? Why haven’t you mentioned this allergy? I’m getting Obian back. No wait, an allergy specialist. I’m sure they have those.”
Vivi sent her a pleading look. Shoot. She hoped the other woman knew that she was taking her life into her hands.
“Hi, Wolfe, what’s up?”
“What’s up? Nothing is up.” Wolfe could be very literal. He turned back to Vivi. He could also be very single-minded. “Your face is flushed. Are you running a temperature? That’s it. It’s back to bed for you.” He placed his hand over Vivi’s forehead.
“I’ve been bouncing for the last forty minutes, that’s why I look flushed. I’m not running a fever.”
Wolfe scowled at her. “You disobeyed me. You knew you were supposed to rest. Instead, you snuck out here to play.”
He glared at Pippa then back to Vivi. Pippa bit her lip.
“I’m sorry, Wolfe,” Vivi said pleadingly. “I was just having a bit of fun. I’ve been cooped up and bored.”
“You shouldn’t have left without permission. Time to go home.”
“I can’t just leave. What about Pippa?”
“Pippa will come back with us. Keep arguing and your punishment starts in the car.”
Vivi’s mouth popped open. “You can’t spank me!”
“If you’re feeling good enough to play then you’re well enough to be spanked.” He lifted her over his shoulder.
Wait, was he seriously going to walk across the bouncy pillow with Vivi over his shoulder? Pippa couldn’t even walk on her own without falling over. Was the guy even human?
“Pippa, come,” Wolfe barked.
“Um, that’s okay. I’ll catch a ride back with our driver. Give you two some privacy.” She followed Wolfe down the giant pillow and yep, slid halfway down on her ass. Graceful, she was not.
“You will not. You’ll come with us,” Wolfe told her sternly.
“I need to do some shopping anyway,” she said.
“I said no.”
Sheesh. Did he think he was king of the world or what?
“Wolfe, set me down!” Vivi wiggled in his hold and he slapped his hand against her ass. Hard.
Ouch! That looked sore. And it made her think of Tavi and the way he spanked her. And then she thought about the other princes. What would it be like if Aric spanked her? Or hell, Kassim? Matek? Yikes, she might not survive that. Matek had hands like dinner plates.
“Wait here,” Wolfe told her, turning to stride towards a privacy room.
Oh shit. Those rooms were used if a Top needed time alone with their Little. Either to comfort, change, or spank.
She didn’t need three guesses to figure out what Wolfe was doing. And she thought this was the perfect time for her to leave. Wolfe wasn’t the boss of her and she actually did need to do some shopping. If she was headed to London at the end of the week, then she really needed something to wear. She had some things for the cooler months here, but it wasn’t going to be anything like the chill in London.
She’d go through the back. Which is how they’d come in.
Stepping out, she looked around for their driver. Shoot. Had Wolfe sent him away? She stood there for a moment in indecision. Had Wolfe driven himself down? Urgh, maybe she should just wait for them. She turned back towards the door when something black rushed towards her. She half-spun with a scream as something came at her head.
“You were warned.”
Pain slashed through her head, she thought she might have cried out but she wasn’t sure as blackness overtook her.
5
“Pippa! Oh God, Pippa! Please wake up. Wolfe, is she going to be all right? Please, Pippa wake up.”
“Princess, calm down. She’s all right.”
“All right? How can she be all right? There’s blood everywhere. What happened? Did she fall? Was she assaulted?”
“Vivi,” Wolfe said sternly. “Calm. Down. I need you calm.”
“Okay, okay. Do I call the police? What do I do?”
“Call for an ambulance. It looks like she sustained a knock to the head. Head injuries bleed a lot.”
She groaned. No. She didn’t want an ambulance.
“Pippa?” Vivi asked. “Are you awake? Can you hear me?”
“Of course I can hear you,” she managed to say. “You’re so loud they could hear you at the palace.”
“That’s not possible. The palace is too far away,” Wolfe replied.
“It was a joke, Wolfe,” Vivi explained. “Can you open your eyes?”
“I can try, but my head is thumping something fierce.” She forced her eyes open then shut them on a groan.
“Did you fall? What happened?” Vivi asked her.
“I . . . I don’t know,” she managed to say. There was something tugging at her brain, but she just couldn’t figure it out. “I . . . I can’t remember.”
“Shh, it’s all right,” Vivi soothed. “You’re going to be just fine. Right, Wolfe?”
“You probably have a concussion. But all the blood makes it look worse than it is.”
“Can someone help me up? I just want to go home.”
Sirens sounded in the distance and she groaned as her head continued to thump, making her feel ill. This sucked.
“You’re not going home,” Wolfe told her. “You’re going to the hospital.”
“Nooo,” she complained. “I don’t wanna. You can’t make me.”
All right, rein it in. But her Little side didn’t seem to want to be reined in and she found herself pouting.
“Hush, Pippa,” Wolfe told her in a surprisingly gentle voice. “Just do as you’re told for once.”
She gasped. Oops. That was a bad idea. That made her head feel worse. “I always do what I’m told.”
“Right. That’s why you stayed where I put you, is it?”
“Don’t gotta do what you say. You’re not the boss of me.”
“But you do everything that you’re told, is that right?”
Well. Shoot.
“Stop being logical. I don’t like logical.” And right now, she didn’t like Wolfe much.
“Wolfe is always logical,” Vivi told her.
“And right. I’m always right. Here are the paramedics.”
What followed was her own personal nightmare. She was poked and prodded. Nobody would listen to her when she demanded to go home. And they were all mean to her.
Well, all right, no one was mean to her. But they definitely didn’t listen to a word she said about being fine and just wanting to go home. Not with Wolfe overriding ever
ything she said.
At least no one had tried to force her into one of those horrible hospital gowns. Hard pass.
Finally, she had a moment alone. Wolfe had stepped out to take a phone call. Vivi was in the bathroom and the nurse said she’d be right back. She slid her legs off the edge of the bed and stood.
Well, she attempted to. Everything spun crazily and there were dots in front of her eyes, not to mention the headache that overwhelmed everything else.
She groaned, feeling herself slip to the ground. That was going to hurt.
Two warm arms caught her, pulling her up into a wide chest.
“Wolfe, seriously. Can’t you go back to forgetting I exist? What is your problem?”
“Not. Wolfe.”
The two words were spoken in a dark voice that she’d only heard a couple of times.
Oh shit.
She opened her eyes and stared up at the big man glaring down at her.
“Crap. How did I mistake you for Wolfe?”
“He touched you.”
“What? Who? Wolfe? No, he’s never touched me. Well, he did help stop my head from bleeding. But I don’t think he likes touching other people. Except Vivi, he touches her a lot. Kind of hard not to touch someone when you’re . . .” she trailed off as Matek stared down at her with a mixture of shock, worry and anger. “I’m babbling. Sorry. It’s just that Wolfe is being all bossy and I want to go home.”
To her horror, a tear started dripping down her cheek. “Will you take me home?”
His eyes were wide as he gaped down at her. More tears followed.
“Pretty please. I don’t want to be here.”
“Yes.”
Well, color her shocked and delighted.
“Thank you.”
He nodded and started towards the door of the private room.
“You can set me down? I can walk.”
“No.”
Well, all righty then. She thought about arguing but the truth was, she wasn’t entirely sure she could walk. Her attempt to stand hadn’t been so shit hot.
“Where is she?” a voice suddenly demanded as they moved down the corridor.
Oh shit. That sounded like Wolfe.
“Where has Matek gone?” And that was Aric.
She looked up at Matek. “Can you walk faster?”
Claimed by her Daddies Page 6
