ROYAL BRIDE (A Billionaire Bad Boy Romance)

by Bella Grant

  Antonio understood their frustration, but it wouldn’t do for his men to think speaking disrespectfully about her was acceptable. Only he was allowed to comment and deal with her spirited behavior. “Well, see that they keep their opinions about my wife sealed tightly.”

  “Of course, Your Highness. I’m sure they said nothing to her.”

  “I would hope not.” Antonio didn’t mean to sound as angry as he seemed to himself, but if they were the cause of her unhappiness, they would hear more of it from him. He dismissed Julian and headed out of the room, aiming his quick steps for his room.

  Taking Isabella to the beach would surely brighten her day.

  ***

  Antonio glared at his wife as she walked down the beach toward him. She had wandered off to the changing room to slip into her bathing suit. The guards were walking at a decent pace behind her and were already in their swim gear, trying to blend in with the crowds.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked, pushing up her large sunglasses to peer at him from beneath the shade of her wide-brimmed hat.

  “Your suit.” He pointed at the black one-piece suit that looked more like a summer dress than it did a bathing suit. Although her curves weren’t completely hidden from view, almost all of her skin was. It wasn’t her suit. She never would have picked that waterproof nightgown out herself.

  She looked down at herself and back at him with a confused expression. “I thought you would approve. Is the neckline too deep?” she asked, trailing her finger along the rounded line that went all the way up to her neck.

  “Deep?” He wanted to laugh. He knew he should be pleased that she had thought of him when she picked out the swimwear, but contrary to his own thoughts, he hated it. “Where did you get it?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

  “The store.” She smiled teasingly.

  “Which one?”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to call them and have them remove that horrible thing from their racks.” He waved a hand at her suit.

  Her smile dropped, and instantly he felt like a sodden ass. “It’s appropriate, isn’t it? Not too slutty?”

  Slutty? Where the hell did she get that from? “I never said you dressed like a slut,” he defended himself, getting the impression that something he’d said before made her think such an absurd thing. She did dress a little more provocatively than he wanted her to when they were in public. He didn’t like everyone else viewing what was his and his alone, but never did she dress in such a way that made her appear cheap.

  She squirmed under his scrutinizing gaze. Her feet wiggled into the sand. “You brought a whole room!” She smiled, the forced civil grin of before. She walked past him over to the tented area that had been set up for them. The area of the beach they were taking up was reserved, making it much more private. Leaving him behind, she walked over to their spot and began to unload her bag, digging out her sunblock.

  Her skin already showed a perfectly bronzed tan, but he wouldn’t mind helping her spread the protective layer along her body. “Here. I’ll do that for you,” he offered, snaking the bottle from her hand.

  She paused, then turned around to give him access to her back. With her hair already pulled up in a bun beneath her hat, exposing her neck, he didn’t resist and leaned forward, pressing a wet kiss to her neck and to her shoulder.

  “Antonio, the lotion only works if it’s on my skin.” She giggled.

  “Mmm-hmm. Maybe we should close the tent for a little while before we go swimming.” He licked her earlobe, enjoying the gasp of surprise from her.

  “I’m not going swimming,” she announced with a chuckle.

  He pulled back and twisted her around to look at her. “What do you mean you aren’t swimming? Isn’t that why we’re here?”

  “I never swim,” she argued with a grin.

  “What do you do when you lay out all day then?”

  The small gleam in her eye faded, and he felt her body tighten. “I read, mostly,” she muttered, plucking the lotion from his hand and moving over to the beach chairs. He watched the way her body swayed as she moved. The damn skirt of the swimsuit denied him the ability to see the roundness of her bottom.

  Realizing she’d just told him something he hadn’t known until that moment, he went quickly to her side and sat down in the chair next to the one she was already laying on. “What do you read?”

  A smear of white lotion was being rubbed into her left arm by the slow ministrations of her right hand. She shrugged. “Fiction, usually.”

  Noticing her bag not far away, he walked over to it, thinking to retrieve her book for her and get a glance at what piqued her interest. He dug around but couldn’t find anything other than folded clothing, more lotion and hair supplies. When he looked back at her, he saw the paperback peeking out from beneath her thigh.

  Getting information from her at this point had become more of an inquisition. Antonio’d never had such difficulty speaking to a woman before. With every second that passed, he could feel her drifting further away from him, a thought that turned his stomach and riled his protective defenses.

  “I had a meeting with my security team this morning.” He decided to break his own rule and give her some information on the woman she’d seen get kidnapped. “We had a surveillance team watching the location where the women are being held.”

  She swung her legs over the side of her chair and gave him her full attention. “They found her?” she asked eagerly, a bright smile reaching her eyes.

  “Yes. They are going to attempt an extraction of her and two other women as soon as it’s possible. I would suspect today or tomorrow, depending on the activity.” The news was received with the enthusiasm he had hoped for.

  She leapt across the small space between them and flung herself into his arms. He landed on his back, barely managing to keep them on the beach chair. “Thank you!” She planted a solid kiss right on his mouth, then his cheeks, then his mouth again.

  His hands came up and grasped her face, cradling it in his palms and keeping her lips on his for longer than the second she had probably intended. She didn’t fight him or pull away. Instead, she let him lead the passion-driven embrace from beneath her. Given their position, she could easily push off him and go back to her seat, but she melted into him, letting him make their kiss deeper and build more of a fire between them.

  “Maybe we should close the tent walls,” she murmured against his lips when he finally let her up for some air.

  He chuckled, but she didn’t seem to be joking. She gave the order for the guards to close the walls and step outside. Though they waited for him to give his nod of agreement, they went about performing the task.

  Once alone in the tent, the area darkened by the lack of sunlight, he watched her as she sank to her knees in the sand in front of him. He sat up on the chair, bending over to kiss her again, but she had other ideas. Her hands were on his swim trunks, trying to yank them down.

  “What are you doing, Isabella?” he asked with a half-chuckle when she grunted in frustration.

  “I want to thank you properly, but you aren’t cooperating.” She yanked again before he relented. He arched his ass off the seat and let her have the treasure she sought.

  As his cock sprang free of the trunks, fully erect and ready for anything she had to offer, she leaned in closer and wrapped her fingers around the base. Not even waiting for him to shove his trunks down further, she engulfed his dick with her mouth. Her tongue twirled around his head with long, languid strokes that made him moan out loud with pleasure.

  His hand slid into her hair, pushing her further down on his cock and only letting her back up when he reached the back of her throat. She coughed but went back down, trying her damnedest to take him all the way into her mouth. “Fuck. Isabella… Open, baby, relax your throat. Fuck, that feels good.” He gripped her hair in his fist and moved her faster down the length of him, and she sucked him with as much need as he himself felt.

 
His balls tightened just as she cupped them and gently squeezed. “Fuck. Swallow it all. Every fuckin’ drop,” he ordered and held her still as he drove upward into her mouth, harder and faster until he stilled beneath her, orgasm ripping through his body. Hot streams of his cum splashed in her mouth, and when she swallowed, he groaned loudly with pride and pleasure.

  He relaxed his grip, letting her move away from him. A small drop of his cum had escaped her lips and was sitting just outside the corner of her mouth. He wiped it away with the tip of his finger. “Open,” he ordered her, holding his finger just at her lips. The somewhat swollen lips parted, and he slid his finger inside, swiping the cum across her tongue before pulling it back. “Swallow.” When she did, he bent forward and kissed her forehead. “That was fucking amazing.” His breath continued to come rapidly, and the warmth of the tent was more stifling than he found comfortable.

  “Thank you for telling me about the hostages.” She rose from the sand, wiping her knees off once she did.

  He grabbed her hand. “No, don’t go over there yet.” He pushed her hand behind her back, and without any further prompting, she brought her other hand back as well. “You deserve a reward.” He reached under the skirt of the offensive bathing suit, skimming her thigh until he found the wetness he knew would be waiting for him.

  Pulling the material that hid her from him to the side, he thrust two fingers inside of her. She bit her lip, trying to remain silent, but he only thrust harder, wanting a true reaction from her. His thumb found her clit, and he worked the little nub in circles until soon, she stood over him panting, her knees bent slightly and her hips arching toward him.

  “That’s my girl. I want you to be a good girl and come for me. Come like this with my fingers inside of you, your clothes on, and my cum still dripping down your throat.”

  His words increased her arousal. Her hot flesh clamping down on his fingers told him his assumption was correct. After he increased the pressure on her clit, she looked down at him, a plea on her lips.

  “Antonio… please.”

  “I’ve already given my permission. Come for me.” With the words barely spoken, her body shattered above him. The waves of her orgasm squeezed his fingers, her hot breath filled the air in a much quicker pace, and the loud scream of release let him know she was feeling every one of his strokes.

  He slowed his fingers, dragging out every bit of her orgasm before pulling them free of her. “Kneel for me again.” He held her arm, helping her to the sand in her trembling state. Once she was kneeling again, he pushed his fingers to her lips. Isabella needed no instruction. Her lips parted, and she licked off every bit of her juices from his fingers. “Such a good girl today.” He kissed her forehead.

  He pulled his trunks back into place and helped her into her beach chair. “I think a short nap would do you good. I’m going to see to ordering us some snacks.” He kissed her again, delighting in the taste of her own juices on her lips.

  “Okay.” She sighed with a contentment that warmed his insides. He left the tent with a much more positive feeling about their marriage. Giving her a little insight into his world was enough to bring a genuine smile to her lips.

  He told the guards to watch over the tent while he went to the concession stands. If they thought it odd for the prince to go get his own snacks, they were smart enough to keep it to themselves.

  When he returned to the tent, he heard a soft voice speaking. Carrying two turkey sandwiches and two bottles of water in his hand, he approached the tent. When the guard standing outside went to open the flap, he shook his head. Feeling very much like an eavesdropping fool, he pressed his ear to the tent flap and listened to his wife.

  “I’m not sure about that, though. Math has never been my strong suit. I hate numbers. No, I don’t think that will work either.” A long pause and several sighs. “Can I just take basic classes for the time being until I figure out what I want to major in?”

  Classes? What the hell was she talking about?

  “Yes, that will work… Yes, perfect. I will be by your office tomorrow to finalize everything if that’s okay… Thank you so much, you’ve been a big help!”

  After he was sure she’d hung up, he nodded to the guard and entered the tent, feeling the heat hit him as he did. “We should open these flaps again.” He announced his presence. She jumped in her seat, dropping her phone into the sand. “I hope I didn’t scare you. I thought you would be napping.”

  “Oh, I was, but I received a phone call.” She blew on her phone and shook it to get as many sand particles out of the cover as she could.

  The side flaps of the tent opened and the sunlight poured in, along with a gentle breeze that cooled off the area. He placed the tray with her sandwich on her chair and handed her a bottle of water. “I heard you talking—who called?” He tried to keep his smile light, but he could feel the skin around his lips tightening. She was hiding something from him, and that phone call had something to do with her secret. “Come now, I gave you a bit of information today. It’s your turn now.” He began to unwrap the deli sandwich on his tray.

  She took a deep breath as though she were about to confess a great sin, and he prepared himself to hear whatever she said with the utmost patience. “I was speaking to a guidance counselor at the University of Illinois. She’s helping me pick a major… Well, she’s helping me pick classes.”

  “University of Illinois.” He heard the clipped tone his words came out in and tried to rectify it. “That’s quite a commute to school each morning.”

  Her fingers began to play with the hem of her swimsuit. “I would do the classes online. That way, if I needed to travel with you again, I would still be able to take classes.”

  “And the university at home is not good enough for that?” He bit into the sandwich, ignoring its taste and chewing on it more for something to do than to actually eat.

  “The university in your country does not have online coursework available.” She spoke softly and moved her eyes to avoid his. There was more she didn’t want to say.

  “I will have instructors work with you at our estates, and when we travel, they can either accompany us or they will need to learn how to handle online work,” he said matter-of-factly.

  She took another deep breath. He could see the tension in her jaw and knew she was trying to hold her temper, although he didn’t understand why she would become angry. He was giving her what she wanted. “I don’t want that, Antonio. I want to attend classes like other people do. Didn’t you go to college?”

  “Yes. My parents sent me to England for my education after I finished basic schooling.”

  “Then you understand.”

  “No, not really. They sent me there to help get a worldly view of not only politics, but advanced technology in math and science so I would have a well-rounded education. After I completed that work, I made my place with the Royal Guard. Why would you need those skills?”

  The tension in her jaw increased, and her eyes widened at his comment. “I don’t have much interest in science and math, but there are other pursuits. The arts, literature, fashion design.”

  He threw his head back and let out a loud laugh. “Fashion design is best left to the Vera Wangs of the world, not a princess from our little island.” Her shoulders slumped, and he knew he’d hurt her. His words had wounded her deeply. “I mean… What I mean to say is, you’ll have many royal duties, especially when my parents step down from the throne and we are the new monarchy.”

  She nodded but remained silent. Pushing the tray of food away from her, she rose from the chair. “Yes, of course. If you are truly against it, I will call her back and cancel my appointment for tomorrow.” Without waiting to hear his determination, she picked up her phone, hat and sunglasses, and strode from the tent. “I think I will dip my toes in the water.”

  He watched her walk away from the tent, the pleasant hum of her presence completely gone. “Well, hell,” he muttered to himself and tossed his sandwich on the
tray.

  ISABELLA

  Frustrated that her brother wasn’t answering her calls, Isabella tossed her phone on the seat of the car beside her. She wasn’t calling to complain—as she assumed he thought—she just needed some support. Something from him to push her to continue as she had begun.

  Being a polite and obedient wife was starting to take its toll on her. She wanted nothing more than to dive under the covers and remain hidden for the rest of their trip. Once they were home, she would find her normal schedule and keep herself busy with those things. But while they were still in Chicago, she had little to do other than read and attend the social functions Antonio had lined up for her.

  Elisabeth was busy at work, and it was most likely she would not see her before she left. Maria had texted her a few times to try and arrange a lunch or dinner before they went back to New York, but Isabella effectively avoided those initiations. She would not sit through another meal while that woman had it in her head that Antonio did what she believed he did. Just thinking about what Antonio had told Silver made her mad all over again. The hurt still very real—that he would divulge something like that to a stranger—she avoided Antonio as much as possible as well.

  The previous afternoon, the beach had tricked her. When he gave her information about the kidnapped woman and let her into his inner circle, she had found a glimmer of hope for them. The sexual encounter that followed directly had been impulsive but not unwelcome. However, it was all snatched away with a few sentences. He truly believed her too stupid to do anything of worth. She would remain by his side as something to look at. He would never find pride in her because what could she really offer him?

  Nothing.

  “Can you please take me to the Washington Library?” Isabella asked the driver. Looking at her watch, she realized she could just make the lecture she’d heard about. A new, upcoming author from the area was giving a talk on the value of the romance genre within the literary community.