“I’m headed to the residence to change. We can meet in a few minutes,” I explained.
“The royal study, sir?”
“That will be fine.” I tugged Molly along behind me into the elevators.
“He didn’t look happy.” She turned to me.
I shook my head. “He never is. Part of his job I’m afraid. I give him problems and he has to provide solutions.” I brushed the hair from her shoulder. “I thought about the meeting on the flight home and I’d like for you to attend.”
Her eyes widened. The bits of blue swirled with confusion. “The meeting with Sutcliffe? Right now?”
“Yes. Whatever the plan is, you’re a part of it. You should hear what he has to say. Ayla will of course instruct you through the details once we have those, but I’d like you to be there. It’s your meeting too.”
There was a moment last night when I thought I had lost her. When I thought I had fucked up beyond repair. It wouldn’t happen again.
“All right. I’d love to be there.” She smiled. “And you don’t think Sutcliffe will mind?”
I laughed. “Of course he’ll mind. He’ll hate the whole fucking concept.”
The elevator dinged, but before we stepped into the residence I pushed her against the wall, taking her lips against mine. It was like our first kiss, but without the hesitation Molly clung to before. Last night something changed. And we both knew it.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, purring as my tongue twisted in her mouth. If she kept kissing me like this we might be late for the meeting.
“Fuck, I’m hard, love.”
Her hands snaked over my body, reaching my cock. “Maybe I can help.”
She lowered to her knees, dragging my zipper as she knelt on the floor.
“Molly,” I groaned. But she freed my cock and I wasn’t stopping her now. I pulled the park lever on the elevator so we couldn’t move.
My palm pressed into the wall while the other caressed the back of her head.
She looked up at me as her tongue darted over the crown, licking the glistening dew of want I had for her.
I knew it intimidated her, but I gave the girl credit for accepting the challenge. She started with small swallows, letting me fuck her gently until I couldn’t contain what I wanted. My cock buried in her mouth.
The corners of her eyes misted with tears, but she didn’t let up. Sucking. Licking. Bobbing her head until I was deep in her throat. Her hand tugged my balls and it was over. I pumped everything I had, releasing every drop in her mouth.
She whimpered, sucking and swallowing greedily.
“Shit.” I staggered back in the elevator car.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, looking satisfied.
“Better?” she teased.
“Come here.” I pulled her into my arms, kissing her roughly. “After we finish with boring Sutcliffe and royal protocol, I promise your first night in the palace is something you’ll never forget.”
“But I’ve already spent the night here.”
“Not as a resident. And that’s going to require something extra special.”
28
Molly
I sat on one side of Damon while Sutcliffe sat on the other. The royal study was on the first floor, not far from the library.
Sutcliffe was listing proclamations and precedent that had been set hundreds of years ago. It would have been a fascinating history if Damon hadn’t been so pissed.
Damon’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t ask you to tell me what I can’t do, Sutcliffe. I asked you to figure out how we’re going to do it. Because Molly is sleeping under this roof. Starting tonight.” He pressed his finger into the table.
Sutcliffe exhaled. “Sir, I realize what the assignment is.” His mustache twitched. “However, co-habiting is strictly forbidden.”
“Forbidden by whom? The king?” Damon dared him to answer with something as illogical.
I didn’t know how I could help. I didn’t know the Galonian traditions. I was a newbie at the royal history.
“There are hundreds of rooms in the palace.” I broke the deafening silence. “How do the citizens know I’m not staying in one of those?”
Sutcliffe pinched his thin lips together. “It isn’t that simple. You two are under the same roof.”
“But the roof is a mile long,” I argued.
“That is not a defense I can present to the moral citizens of this country.” He glared at me.
“Maybe you should try the immoral ones,” I snapped.
Damon shook his head. “Enough. We need a solution. Molly’s safety is what matters. I’m not going to subject her to the paparazzi. And I want her here.” He looked at me warmly for a brief second.
“What does Isabel do?” I asked. “Has she never had a boyfriend stay over?”
“Princess Isabel isn’t a part of the problem,” Sutcliffe explained. “She wouldn’t think of anything like this.”
“And the princes?” I continued my line of questioning.
“Where are you going with this?” Sutcliffe had lost all patience with me. I realized that had happened the first day we met. An American wandering around the palace looking for the king was the last thing he wanted to deal with.
“The public can’t possibly believe single adults would live like nuns and monks. That’s beyond common sense. Hasn’t at least one of them had a girlfriend that was serious?”
I didn’t know if I was prying too much. Poking around where I wasn’t welcome, but this scenario was ridiculous.
Damon scowled. “Dominic.”
“Ok. At least someone has had a relationship. What happened?”
“It is not appropriate to discuss the personal lives of the royal family,” Sutcliffe admonished me. “They should remain private.”
Damon shook him off. “She may ask anything she chooses. That’s why we’re here. Nothing we do remains private. Our personal lives are front page news.” He turned to me. “It didn’t work out with the girlfriend.”
I tilted my head. I wanted more information than that.
Damon sighed. “She left. She couldn’t handle the spotlight. The press hounded her non-stop. It reached the point that they camped out in front of her parents’ house. She couldn’t go to work. She couldn’t go to the market. There was an assault.” His voice was hushed.
“Assault?”
“One of the camera crews pushed a camera in her face when she was visiting her parents. She shoved him out of the way to get in the front door. He filed a law suit, claiming she assaulted him. That was the last straw.”
“Oh my God.”
“It was eventually dropped,” he explained. “But the damage was done.”
“And Dominic? There wasn’t anything he could do?”
He shook his head. “No. He even offered to step away from the crown. But he let things get too far before he even considered that. It was too late. She left the country. She said it was the only way to have a normal life.”
I felt a small hold around my neck as if something had clamped against my throat. The fishbowl the royal family lived in had already destroyed one relationship. Were we next? We were still new. Budding. Growing. Exploring. To even say we were a we, seemed too new. How would we ever survive anything like that?
“I see.”
Sutcliffe rapped his hand on the table. “What happened to Prince Dominic isn’t our concern.”
“Like hell it’s not,” Damon snapped. “He’s trapped. We’re all trapped. That’s what the crown does. It destroyed him. Look at him now. He drinks the demons away. I don’t even recognize my own brother. It is every bit my concern.”
Sutcliffe lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry, sir. Of course. He’s your brother. His health is the concern of the country.”
“Why is that?” I questioned. It sounded like he had been put through enough being a member of the royal family. It had cost him his girlfriend and his freedom.
“He’s next in line for the thro
ne,” Sutcliffe answered.
Oh shit. That was a problem. I’d only heard bits and pieces. But Dominic’s story was starting to come together. I didn’t need his entire history to understand how the pressure could lead to his impulse to drink.
I remembered Damon telling me how the Galonian crown was passed to the next monarch. I knew he would never step down. There was only one way Dominic would become king. My stomach rolled with nausea at the thought. Damon would have to be dead for that to happen.
“Molly can have her own set of apartments,” Damon started. “She’s right. No one will know what part of the roof she’s under.”
“Sir, she doesn’t have a title. You can’t give her apartments.”
He growled. “Fine. I’ll give her a title.”
My heart pulsed an extra beat.
“That requires a ceremony. She must be presented to the court as well as your cabinet.” Sutcliffe started to perspire on his forehead. He reached for a silk handkerchief. “I believe I can put the events together in six months. That is if I work day and night.”
Damon laughed. “Six months? I said tonight.”
“Impossible.”
I held my breath. I knew Damon well enough he didn’t like to be told no, especially when he had an agenda. Right now, that agenda was me.
“I’ve been committed to modernizing the monarchy. This is my opportunity to do it publicly. We’ll have the ceremony in private and Molly will be presented this evening in the blue ballroom. Invite the court and the cabinet. Make sure my brothers and sister are there.”
“You want to mix the court and the government?”
“It’s necessary. Now I have to think of a title.” He winked at me.
God, I hoped he wouldn’t try to decree me as the royal concubine.
“Ahh, I have one.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“Royal Consort.” He grinned.
Shit. In some cultures, a consort was the royal concubine, and in others the consort was a spouse. Could he have come up with something more ambiguous?
“Your majesty, that title hasn’t been used in Galona in two hundred years.”
He grinned. “Good. I’ll appease the traditionalists with the title and prove to the modern citizens things are changing.”
I didn’t like that they argued because of me. I was already at the center of the palace’s biggest distraction with the olive grove photo. I didn’t want to cause division. I wanted to help Damon secure the irrigation funding. Instead we were in secret meetings so I could move in.
Part of me wanted to walk away. Climb in a car and drive back to my shabby little apartment on Rue de Santa Lucia, where I could crawl into bed and listen to Brooklyn singing in the shower. Where I could get lost in my notecards. The place where I could come and go whenever I wanted.
Had I lost all of that? Had I already given it up to be with Damon?
Sutcliffe and Damon continued to discuss why there had to be a ball tonight and why it was an unrealistic request.
They argued and I grew quiet, absorbed in the place in my mind where I couldn’t escape the doubt. What was I giving up for a man I met through an auction? A man who was used to being in constant control? A man who had never had a serious relationship?
Did Dominic’s girlfriend give up too much for too long? Was she as wrecked as the prince? I didn’t know if she was as haunted by the breakup as he was. Would that be me? Was I going to end up a shell of myself with nothing left? No privacy. No freedom. And no love.
29
Damon
I wasn’t doing this. Sutcliffe could fuck off. There wasn’t an argument he could present to make me back down. Tonight, Molly was going to be presented to the royals and to the Galonian government as the Royal Consort.
The position would entitle her to apartments in the palace. Behind closed doors, it was no one’s damned business where she slept.
“I appreciate your counsel, Sutcliffe. I know exactly where you stand.” I interrupted his incessant argument that I was breaking every royal protocol known to generations of kings. “But this is my decision. There will be a ball in the blue ball room tonight. If it’s too late notice for any of the members, they can read about the announcement tomorrow morning with the rest of the country.”
“Your Highness—”
“No.” I glared at him. “If there isn’t a loophole we can use, then we’re going to pave our own way. I appreciate your perspective on the institute my family represents, but I’ve made my decision.”
I rose, straightening my jacket. I looked at Molly, but she wasn’t paying attention. I wondered how much of my stance she had heard.
“Molly?”
“Yes?” Her head jerked upward.
“Let’s go.”
I held out my hand and led her away from the study. The staff carried on their usual tasks, but in about ten minutes they would find out we were hosting a ball. This place would come alive like a bee hive.
We turned down the corridor for the residence elevators.
“Are you ok?” I asked. She hadn’t spoken since the meeting.
The security officers opened the elevator for us. The doors closed.
“Molly, are you tired from the trip?” This morning we had awakened on the yacht, flew to Freychon, and completed an aggravating protocol meeting. Hell, I was tired.
“Royal Consort? What is that? Mistress or advisor?”
“I didn’t think you’d care what the title was as long as I made this work.”
“I don’t care about having a title at all.” She walked into the apartment. “I do care that people are going to hear ‘consort’ and think I’m the royal call girl.”
“You’re not.” I pressed my lips together. This was supposed to be settled.
“Why didn’t you mention Dominic’s past to me before?”
I ruffled my hair. “And give you more reason to run out of here?”
She looked startled. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“No? Isn’t that where we were last night? You were ready to quit before we even began.”
She sighed. “For completely different reasons. It’s not the same.”
“I can’t make this perfect for you, Molly. I’m trying my fucking best here. But this is my life. I’m the king of Galona. And I want you. I’m willing to break traditions and laws to make that happen. What are you willing to do?”
I saw the look of hurt flash across her eyes.
“What if we both sacrifice too much?” she whispered. “Is it supposed to be this hard?”
I wrapped my arms around her. “I’m ready to announce to the world that you are the king’s Royal Consort. To clear up any confusion, that means you’re my advisor.”
“Not a concubine?”
I chuckled. “No, love. Not a concubine.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “I’m sorry. The meeting freaked me out. Sutcliffe isn’t a fan of me.”
“He doesn’t like anyone new. Try not to take it personally.”
“It’s hard not to. His job is to protect you, not me.”
I shrugged. “He has a new job now. He’ll get used to it. He’ll warm up to you. I swear.”
“And this ball tonight, I guess I get to meet the rest of your family?”
I nodded. “They will be there.”
“Where’s Ayla?” I saw the panic.
“You have plenty of time to prepare. In the meantime, I need to address the cabinet. I have a strong set of arguments to present thanks to you.”
“Oh God. The vote is today.”
I gripped her shoulders. “It is. I am going to the cabinet room. Will you be here when I get back this time?”
She smiled. “I will. But I’d like to have my own things. Can I pack them and bring them over?”
“It’s already taken care of. Everything will be here in a few hours.”
“How’d you do that?”
“Helps to know the king.” I winked.
I turned to l
eave. I had a few notes I wanted to collect from my office.
“Wait, I know you have to leave, but can I ask a favor?”
“What is it?”
“Since we’re having a ball, can I invite someone? I’d like Brooklyn to be here. She’s my best friend. I need a friendly face other than yours,” she added.
I knew Sutcliffe would advise me to forbid it, but this was Molly’s night. “Sure. Tell her it’s formal.”
Molly nodded. “Thank you. Good luck with the vote.”
I grumbled. I needed more than luck. Yesterday’s publicity stunt had blown up. I didn’t know whether I had enough sway to convince the rest of the cabinet to change their votes. They could be stuck on my damn love life instead of the critical infrastructure system our agriculture needed.
“I’ll let you know how it goes, love.”
I picked up my files in the office and headed for the cabinet room. I didn’t know how today turned into the one day when I had to fight for everything that mattered. There wasn’t time to second-guess how I had arrived at this intersection. I had to make it through two huge obstacles to come out on the other side victorious. Failure was not an option.
30
Molly
I knew the elevator had reached the main floor. The air always changed when Damon was gone. I sank on the sofa, curling my feet underneath me. I leaned over and pulled my phone from my purse.
I called Brooklyn. “Hey.”
“Mol, what is going on? These people just showed up and started packing your things. I’m freaking out.”
“Shit. Already?”
“You know about this?”
How was I going to explain it? “I’m moving into the palace.” I went for the rip-the-Band-Aid-off approach.
“You’re what? Hey, that’s mine, not hers,” she called to one of the movers.
“I’m moving. Damon wants me to move into the palace with him.”
“You’re not coming home? Ever?”
I sat forward. “Not back to the apartment. I’m sorry. It’s not safe for me anymore. Damon thinks royal security will be able to keep a closer eye on me here.”
“What am I going to do? You’re my roommate, Mol. We have a lease. Rent.”
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