Royally Tamed

by Diana Ames

  Alondra saw an opportunity in front of her, and she was going to grab it. “Uh, Damian?” she interrupted. “I think I do need to get checked out by a doctor. I’m feeling really bad.”

  “Tell Anton I can’t meet with him right now,” Damian said with a frown. “I’m taking Ms. Burkheart to medical. She’s ill.”

  “Prince Damian, he said if you hesitated, I should tell you it is regarding the well-being of your wife,” the man on the radio said.

  Alondra put on her most dramatic face and clutched her stomach and head as she slumped against the wall behind her. She wished she’d had more time to think this through, so she could have come up with a course of action, but she was just going to have to wing it. She would not lose the opportunity to get inside the medical department without her shadow.

  “I’ll drop her off in medical on my way to Anton’s office,” Damian said with a sigh. “Get someone from security down there ASAP to sit with her.”

  “Yes, sir,” the man responded.

  Damian clipped the radio to his belt and turned to Alondra. “You look like death warmed over. What’s wrong with you?”

  “I don’t know,” Alondra said, faking a pant. “It just hurts all of a sudden.”

  “Can you walk?” Damian asked with concern.

  “I think so.” Alondra pushed away from the wall but stayed hunched over.

  Damian put his arm around her shoulders and held her up as he took her to medical as swiftly as he could.

  ***

  Damian strode into Anton’s office, irritated. He couldn’t believe he’d been forced to leave Alondra alone. It was not only because he did not trust her out of his sight, but it was also because her face had gone white and then red as she doubled over in pain. It didn’t sit well with him to just desert her when she could be seriously ill.

  Truth be told, she wasn’t all that bad of a person—for a reporter. She wasn’t abrasive or rude. She was a little pushy but not overly so. If Damian had to compare her to someone, it would be himself. She was the female version of him, personality wise.

  Being Alondra’s shadow wasn’t as bad as he’d anticipated, but he was feeling the absence of his family, and he missed them, particularly his wife. He knew she and Anton had made a lot of plans, and they were getting ready to begin the first physical stage of their education program. However, Damian had no idea what that first stage was. Even worse, when Mellissandra tried to talk to him to share her accomplishments, he couldn’t concentrate on his wife. He would be too wrapped up with worrying what Alondra was doing.

  When he was alone with Mellissandra in their bed, he’d feel like there was a canyon between them. He’d wanted to reach for her so many times and make love to her until they couldn’t tell where he ended and she began. The few times he’d managed to cross the divide seemed impersonal as if he were just fulfilling a bodily urge. Damian couldn’t bring himself to make love to his wife like that.

  “What is so urgent with my wife that you had to interrupt me?” Damian snapped as he flopped into the chair across from Anton.

  “Give me strength,” Anton muttered. “Do you know what your wife is doing right now?”

  “I’m surprised she’s not here with you,” Damian sneered back at him. “From what I understand, she spends every day with you now.”

  “Working, Damian. She spends every day working with me,” Anton said. “That’s her desk.” He pointed to the furniture Damian hadn’t even noticed. “But right now, she is currently packing bags for herself and the babies.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Damian demanded, sitting up straight. “She’s leaving me? You convinced her to leave me, didn’t you?”

  “She won’t even talk about you!” Anton shouted. “All she’ll say before completely shutting down is that you’re doing what you think is necessary to protect your family! Does your best include your wife losing dangerous amounts of weight and being so worn down that her eyes are sunken into her face?” Anton stood up, pounding his knuckles into his desk, as he leaned toward Damian. “Do you know that Wally is barely speaking to her because she physically attacked Ryan? Do you even know that Ryan is here?”

  “Security informed me that Ryan arrived last week, but I haven’t had a chance to see him,” Damian said weakly. “What do you mean Sandra attacked him?”

  “In brutal terms, Wally told Ryan just what you’ve been up to,” Anton said. “I was there, and even knowing the whole story, I wanted to find you and murder you after just listening to her. Ryan certainly doesn’t know the full story, and he turned twenty different shades of red before storming out of the apartment. Mellissandra took off at a full-out run and jumped on his back. She ended up scratching his face and head pretty badly in an attempt to keep him from you,” Anton told him. “She cried after everything calmed down. Ryan forgave her and held her, but you know Wally. She goes to sit with the babies while Mel comes down here to work, but Wally won’t stay and visit with Mel at all when she gets back to the apartment.”

  Ashamed, Damian looked at his feet. When he’d left to get Wally and Ryan, he’d done so to make Sandra’s life better. Besides giving her help with the babies, he’d wanted her to have companionship other than Anton. Instead, Damian had been spending even less time with her even though he hadn’t been to the club in three weeks, and he’d managed to ostracize her from her only friends.

  “Ask me, Damian,” Anton demanded. “Ask me why she’s packing because I know for a fact that you don’t know.” Anton was angry, and it showed. “Ask me what kind of work she’s been doing or how she feels like she’s finally able to contribute something of worth! Ask me how hard it is to watch her getting thinner and thinner, knowing I can do nothing to stop it! Ask me why I haven’t demanded she stop working before she collapses on my office floor!”

  “Say what you have to say,” Damian said through gritted teeth.

  He was feeling the pressure, too. Perhaps this situation had been harder on Sandra than he thought, but it hadn’t been a walk in the park for him either.

  “I haven’t stopped her because it’s the only thing in her life that makes her feel good anymore,” Anton spit at him. “Even the babies are causing her pain because she sees your face whenever she looks too close. She remains the best mother I’ve ever seen in my life, but every time Arabella demands her attention or Dominic struggles to control his movements, she sees you.”

  “So, where is she going? Why is she packing?” Damian asked after a few moments of silence.

  “We planned a three-month trip around the country to scout for locations for the new schools and to hold interviews for anyone who would be willing to go abroad for teaching credentials. Mellissandra, the twins, and I along with a security detail and a few others will be making this trip.” Anton paused and looked Damian straight in the eye. “I guarantee you this—if she and I are alone for three months, you will not have a wife when we return.”

  “She’s not going,” Damian said, jumping to his feet in anger.

  “Oh, and how are you going to keep her here, Damian?” Anton taunted. “You’re never around, so you can hardly tell her you’d miss her too much. Are you going to just forbid her to go? Don’t be surprised if she tells you to fuck off. Besides, do you really want to rob her of the one thing that is keeping her going right now? Are you really that selfish?”

  “What do you want me to do then, Anton?” Damian demanded angrily. “How am I supposed to fix this?” With a deadly glare, he said, “And if you think for one minute that you’re going to steal my wife, let me warn you now that I will kill anyone who tries to come between us, even you, brother.”

  “You’re going to go in my place,” Anton said with a sudden smile.

  “I can’t just leave Alondra here to roam the castle,” Damian objected. “She’s just looking for an opportunity—”

  “I will take care of Alondra,” Anton said. “After all, this is my mess. Besides, on the trip, you can stop by the prison and chec
k on Gilly. Make sure no one has been in to see her or if anyone is opening their mouth when they shouldn’t be,” Anton told him.

  “I’ll need to see your itinerary,” Damian said, sitting back down with a sigh.

  He detested not being the one in control, and he wasn’t at all certain Anton could handle Alondra. But Anton was right. If Damian didn’t do something fast, the family he was doing all of this for would slip through his fingers.

  “You leave the day after tomorrow,” Anton said, handing Damian a file folder. He felt good about what he’d just done, and while it was a strange feeling for him, it was one he hoped to feel again. He would even go so far as to say that this good feeling was more powerful than his beast.

  ***

  Alondra looked down at her sore arm. She was finally alone in her apartment, satisfied that she’d made some progress.

  When she’d been examined, the doctor had insisted on doing blood tests because he couldn’t find anything wrong with her. She had allowed the test because it had meant a trip down to the lab where she had hoped to find the tech Gillian had told her about.

  To her fortune, she had found him. He was actually the one who had drawn her blood. She had just passed him the hair samples and had given him instructions when Damian’s security guard had arrived. After being told to return in two days for her test results—wink, wink—she had been escorted home.

  The slimy tech had given Alondra a bad feeling, but he was her only option right now, and she wasn’t going to let a sleazeball keep her from finding the truth for Gillian.

  CHAPTER 18

  Gilly was once again chained up in Stephen’s office, waiting for him to arrive for their session. It had been three weeks since she first asked him to help her get over Anton, and Stephen had yet to respond. She knew he’d seen her shows for him. The way his eyes would eat up her body gave him away, but the little weasel had more self-control than she had given him credit for, so she would have to step up her game.

  He was her target because he was the one who could get her into minimum security. From there, she was sure she could find a way out of this godforsaken hellhole and back to her love and their children. If Stephen didn’t give in soon, Gilly was going to have to resort to desperate measures.

  “Gillian,” Stephen said in greeting as he walked into his office.

  “Hello, Stephen,” Gilly said in a husky voice. “You’re late today. I hope I’m not keeping you from other more important duties.”

  “All of my patients are equally important, Gillian,” he said with patience. “That includes you. I have noticed, though, that you’ve been in my office more frequently than usual, and your other therapists have told me that you haven’t been participating at all in their sessions.”

  “I just”—Gilly lowered her head—“feel so much more comfortable with you,” she said in a tiny voice.

  “Have the other therapists done something to make you uncomfortable?”

  “It’s nothing like that,” Gilly told him. Raising her head, she met his eyes. “It’s just that I feel like you really understand me, and I can be myself around you.”

  “Well, I’m glad you feel that way, Gillian,” Stephen said, moving to crouch in front of her. “But you need to understand that you see a variety of therapists because everyone has something different to offer.”

  “Have you thought any more about my…special request, Stephen?” Gilly asked him coyly.

  ***

  Stephen began to pace. He had to keep reminding himself not to imagine her naked and fingering herself into orgasm. She’d been putting on daily shows for the security cameras, and Stephen had found that he couldn’t stop watching. To top it off, she’d been requesting daily sessions with him, which he’d been sitting through with throbbing erections.

  And then there was her request. He knew she was going to bring it up again. It was only a matter of time. He had hoped for more than a few weeks of reprieve, but he supposed a few weeks, a few months, or a few years wouldn’t make a difference to this conversation.

  “I think that your suggestion shows fantastic progress, Gillian,” Stephen began, choosing his words carefully. “It shows that you want to rid yourself of this unhealthy obsession with Prince Anton.” He watched her face carefully. “But I’m not convinced the way to do that is with another man.”

  “Don’t you see though? I have no experience with anyone but Anton,” Gilly protested. “If I had more experience—”

  “Gillian,” Stephen interrupted, moving to crouch in front of her again. He reached up and softly cupped her cheek. “You have to accept that you murdered two people,” he said slowly. “You are never going to be able to have a relationship with anyone. You are here for the rest of your life.”

  “I know what I have done and that I have to accept the consequences for my actions,” she responded bitterly. “But when I sleep, I dream of his hands on me. I can still feel his body inside mine. It eats at me. I need something to replace those thoughts, those dreams, those memories.” She sighed loudly. “How can I move on when he is all I think of?”

  Stephen watched her face as she spoke, his hand still cupping her cheek. Touching her had been a calculated risk, considering how hard his cock was from just looking at her, but he felt it necessary to give her that human contact while he attempted to make her face reality.

  “It’s not going to be easy,” he said, his thumb lightly tracing her cheekbone. “It’s going to take a lot of hard work and cooperation with all your therapists.”

  ***

  Gilly was sick of his jabbering, and she was fighting hard to keep from rolling her eyes. She liked his hand on her face though. That was progress. She turned to nuzzle his hand, and she lightly kissed his palm. His quick inhalation told her she was getting to him even if he tried not to show it.

  “No one would ever know,” Gilly said, looking at him again. “Your special help would be our secret, and think of what it could do for you as well,” she coaxed. “You would be the therapist who performed a miracle. I know how people talk about me and the scandal I caused. Stephen, just imagine when word got around that you fixed me.”

  And just like that, Gilly knew she had him. His eyes glazed over at the thought of accolades and praise coming his way. She cursed herself for not thinking of it sooner. Raising his libido hadn’t been enough. Making his cock throb was something he could resist. Stroking his masculine pride wasn’t the right incentive to make him want to take the risk. His professional ego was his weak spot.

  Gilly leaned over as far as she could while being shackled to the chair and pressed her mouth to his. “You would be famous throughout the entire country,” she whispered. “Possibly even the world.” She nipped lightly at his lips. “No one has to know how you fixed me.”

  Stephen snapped out of his stupor and hungrily slammed his lips against hers, his tongue raping her mouth. After a moment, he grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head away from his. Breathing hard, he just glared at her.

  “Your session is over,” he said. “Tomorrow, be naked underneath that jumpsuit.”

  Then, he turned and walked out of his office. Gilly watched him go with a satisfied smile on her face.

  ***

  Mellissandra hadn’t seen Damian since she and Anton finalized their plans for the countrywide tour. Anton had assured her that he had taken care of Damian and the travel arrangements for her and the twins. She couldn’t help but wonder why her husband was avoiding her if everything was okay.

  She wished she knew where exactly he had been spending his nights, since he hadn’t been with her. She didn’t doubt his fidelity even though seeing him flirt with Alondra had been difficult. Regardless of what everyone had said to her, she knew Damian wouldn’t have sex with another woman—at least, that was what she’d kept telling herself. She couldn’t help but wonder if being faithful was about more than just sharing a body though. Maybe sharing time and intimate parts of life were also cheating.

&nbs
p; Several private conversations with Alondra had convinced Mellissandra that the woman had no sexual interest in her husband. Mellissandra could see that Alondra was so focused on her article that all her flirting and banter with Damian was merely the same technique he’d tried to use against her. Will that continue to be the case when it’s just the two of them for months? Will they still remember that Damian is a married man if I’m not here as a physical reminder?

  Even knowing that neither one was interested in the other, it was still hard to watch them together. It was hard to see Damian giving another woman all his attention while she waited for even a glance in her direction. It was a struggle for Mellissandra not to let her insecurities take over when he would put his arm on Alondra’s waist to lead her from one room to another while he couldn’t even bring himself to touch his own wife.

  She couldn’t count the number of times in the past three weeks when she’d felt the urge to just lie down and cry. Thanks to working and Anton’s attentiveness, she’d managed to pull through. She had ceased worrying about Anton being in love with her because he hadn’t made a single inappropriate remark. He hadn’t looked at her in any special way either. In fact, she could almost swear he had been treating her the way she’d treat her younger siblings. If it hadn’t been for his passionate declaration the night they found Damian holding Alondra in his arms, Mellissandra would think she’d imagined his feelings for her.

  It was the only reason she felt comfortable going on this extended trip with Anton. She trusted him to have control for both of them. It had been so long since Damian made love to her, so long since she felt his passion, that if Anton attempted to woo her into bed, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to resist. She didn’t want Anton or any man other than Damian, but her body craved the closeness and release only a man could offer her.

  With a sigh, Mellissandra loaded the babies in the double stroller and stowed diaper bags in the basket underneath. Servants had already gathered their bags and taken them to the garage, so all that was left was to say good-bye to their home for three months. After one last look around, Mellissandra pushed the stroller out of the apartment. Depression weighed heavily on her heart as she accepted the fact that she wasn’t going to be able to see her husband before she left.