by Sue Lyndon
“Greg traveled a lot,” she began, “usually to California for his hotel business. He wanted to open a chain of hotels overseas, but he was having a hard time securing the funding for such a venture. He hadn’t decided which countries he wanted to build in, though Ermastistan was a top choice of his; however, he’d run into some difficulties getting the proper building licenses in that country. The woman he cheated on me with, um, now that I think about it, holy shit, I can’t believe it!”
“Can’t believe what?”
“She had dark hair and skin as tan as yours. I ran out of there quickly and didn’t hear her speak or catch her name, but she could’ve been Ismallian or Ermastistanian. She could’ve been born and raised in America too, but perhaps it’s something you could look into.” Cora peered up at Akeen, trying to read his thoughts. Did he believe her?
He tossed the riding crop on the floor and forced her to her feet. Hope surged in her chest, as she considered he might let her go now. But he only removed her handcuffs, before urging her to sit down again. Still, she was grateful to have her wrists free, and she rubbed at her sore flesh. Akeen hadn’t put the cuffs on very tight, just snug enough that she couldn’t escape, and she probably wouldn’t be sore if she hadn’t struggled so much.
“For your sake, Cora, I hope you aren’t lying.” He removed the cell key from his pocket and approached the door, picking up the riding crop along the way. “I’m going to see if your suitcase has arrived yet.”
“I’ve told you nothing but the truth, Akeen. I’m actually a terrible liar. Just ask Malia. She’ll tell you.”
“I’ll return soon.” When he noted her continued shivering, he added, “And I’ll bring you a warm blanket and some slippers.”
Chapter 6
Akeen regretted bringing the riding crop. Despite telling himself he would follow protocol and interrogate her as he would any other prisoner, he wouldn’t have actually hit her. Once he’d entered her cell and seen the fear in her eyes and witnessed her distressing vulnerability when her robe had come undone, he’d felt like the biggest fucking bastard in the goddamn world.
But she hadn’t known that he wouldn’t harm her. She hadn’t known it was all for show. She probably despised him and would run back to America the second he released her.
If she was innocent. God, let her be nothing but a pawn in her ex-boyfriend’s game.
The suitcase had arrived. It contained a formal gown, shoes, makeup, and seven pairs of panties and a few bras. The image of her naked bottom flashed in his mind. She hadn’t worn panties tonight because they’d been in her missing suitcase. She’d probably borrowed the dress she’d worn to the wedding from Malia or one of his half-sisters, he thought absently.
Setting the contents of the suitcase aside, he inspected every inch of her luggage for secret compartments or anything sewn inside. He ripped open all the seams and found nothing out of the ordinary.
“Commander Wornik.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Cora Meyers’ ex-boyfriend had a lover, possibly a woman of Ismallian or Ermastistanian descent. We need to learn the woman’s identity. She might be our connection.”
“You think Greg Keller named Cora to draw attention away from his lover?”
“Precisely. Unless of course, Cora is making the girlfriend up.”
“I’ll report this information at once, sir, and visit the situation room to see what progress has been made.” Commander Wornik spun and hurried in the direction of the elevator, relaying this new intel into the mic attached to his jacket.
Akeen called for an officer to bring him a warm blanket and a pair of slippers, and the items were provided within moments. Despite the dreary ambiance of the dungeon, there were well-stocked storage rooms in a nearby corridor that contained clothing, blankets, shoes, and other items that could be used to reward a prisoner after a confession was finally made.
He hoped Cora had told him everything she knew concerning Greg, and he prayed she truly didn’t have any involvement in the assassination plot. Arresting her had been one of the most difficult things he’d ever done, not to mention cuffing her and bringing her to the dungeon. The look of fright on her face when she’d awoken to a room filled with a dozen Royal Guard officers called up his protective instincts, but he hadn’t been able to offer her a single word of comfort at the time.
He wished he could release her from the cell, carry her back to his bedroom, and hold her all night. Stroke her hair. Rub her back. Murmur into her ear.
But fuck, his hands were tied until the Royal Guard cleared her of wrongdoing.
Frustrated, he returned to her cell, opened the door, and immediately went to her with the blanket. He draped it over her shoulders and then knelt before her with the slippers. Despite the seriousness of the situation and the fear that was probably still pumping through her veins, her lips quirked in a small smile.
He massaged her cold toes for a brief instant in an effort to warm her up before he placed the slippers on her feet.
“Thanks, Akeen. Does this mean you believe me? Will I be free to go soon?” There was a heavy note of hurt in her voice.
Still kneeling before her, he said, “The Royal Guard is working to verify the existence of Greg’s lover, and if she indeed is real, I am sure it won’t take them long to learn her identity. As for believing you, when it comes to my duties with the Royal Guard, I must always err on the side of caution. I must follow protocol. Suspects under arrest on the palace grounds are always kept in the dungeon until the Royal Guard proves their innocence or guilt.”
“At least I can cross getting arrested in a foreign country off my bucket list,” she said, a tentative smile tugging at her lips. She sighed, then took a couple of deep breaths, as if she was trying to calm herself down further.
“I’m glad you’re not shaking anymore, Cora. I am sorry if I frightened you.” He stood up but remained close to her. For a moment, he considered taking her in his arms to warm her up more, but he doubted she would be receptive to his touch. She’d allowed him to rub the cold out of her toes, but he hadn’t touched them for more than a few seconds.
She lifted her chin and shot him a challenging look. “I’m trying to decide whether to give you a hard time and make you feel worse, or to tell you I understand that you were only doing your job.”
God, she had spirit.
He glanced over his shoulder, realizing he hadn’t yet closed her cell door, but he wasn’t particularly worried she might attempt escape. He crouched down in front of her again and stared into her eyes, thankful that she wasn’t weeping or having an anxiety attack from all the fear and stress of her predicament.
“First of all, Cora, let me say that I admire your composure right now. I’ve seen men break down in tears the moment they walk through the entryway of the dungeon. Second of all, when Commander Wornik returns and tells me of your innocence, I am going to feel so fucking bad I might have to buy you one of the small islands off the coast of Ismallia.”
“I’d rather you pay off my student loans, but hey, a girl can’t be choosy. I think I’ll call my island, ‘No Men Named Akeen Allowed.’ ”
“Then I shall change my name and come sailing to you,” he joked, reaching for her hands.
She swallowed hard, her expression growing serious. Finally, she accepted his touch, lacing her fingers through his and squeezing. “I knew you wouldn’t really hurt me. I mean, I pull my hair harder than that when I’m brushing it.”
“When you get out of here, I’ll let you pull my hair for revenge.”
“It’s a deal.” Her eyes shone with humor, and her smile lit up the darkened room. “But I’m warning you, I am going to pull very, very hard.”
Though Cora still harbored the fear that the Royal Guard would mistakenly find her guilty, she took comfort in Akeen’s kindness. He’d promised to wait with her in the cell until the news of her innocence, or guilt, arrived. She didn’t know much about the judicial system in Ismallia, but she recalled som
ething about the Royal Guard having the power to pass judgments without a trial. Punishments were handed down by an independent judge though.
She breathed deep and tried to calm her inner storm, telling herself that she had nothing to worry about because she had truth on her side.
“Are you warm enough? I can get another blanket if you’d like.” Akeen’s soothing deep voice was a balm to her anxieties.
“I’m fine, thank you.” She peeked under her blanket at the robe. “I can’t help but notice, this isn’t yours.” The robe fit her perfectly. If it had belonged to him, she would be swimming in it.
He had the grace to look sheepish for an instant. “The woman who used to wear it is long gone. Don’t worry.”
“Tell me about her.” Cora was eager to talk about anything if it helped take her mind off the agonizing wait.
“She was a tour guide from the neighboring kingdom of Heratima. We met while I was on a diplomatic mission there. To make a long story short, I brought her home with me and, after a few months, I was about to propose marriage to her, but she betrayed me and my family.” He frowned and gazed at a spot on the wall beyond her, his eyes distant.
“What did she do?”
“She left the palace, supposedly to go on a shopping trip, but she never returned. I tried to find her and soon discovered she had hopped a flight back to Heratima. Two days later, I saw a tabloid with the headline Secrets of the Palace Revealed. A few days later, Bastard Prince Likes It Rough In Bed. The headlines kept coming for weeks, accompanied by pictures she must have taken when I wasn’t looking, including several pictures of me sleeping naked. If not for the pictures, it wouldn’t have been so bad, but it was difficult to deny the truth behind the stories, despite the exaggerations in some of them, when never-before-seen pictures were published. I learned she made millions of dollars off the stories.”
“I’m so sorry, Akeen. How long ago did this happen?”
“Three years.”
“That’s a long time to hold onto a silk robe,” she said, brushing her hand along the fabric.
He shrugged. “I didn’t realize I still had it. One of the servants must have washed it and put it away in a drawer I never look in.”
“Despite what she did to you, did you miss her?” She caressed the inside of his palm with her thumb.
“I suppose I did. Or at least, I missed what I’d thought we had together. Her betrayal blindsided me.” He shot her a perceptive look. “Greg cheated on you, so you left him. Despite his infidelity, did you miss him?”
She sighed. “Sometimes. Not enough to take him back though. My dad cheated on my mom during their entire marriage. I watched her pretend everything was okay when I knew she was hurt and falling apart inside. I couldn’t take that risk, even when part of me wanted to believe Greg when he swore it would never happen again. And now I find out he’s dead and was a criminal. Talk about a bullet dodged.”
“He didn’t deserve you, Cora.” He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She leaned into him as his fingers trailed down her neck and reveled in the burning wake of his touch. “Don’t ever settle.”
“Do you give all your prisoners advice about their love lives?”
“Only the very pretty ones.” He inspected the fading marks on her wrists from the handcuffs.
Though the redness had nearly disappeared, he bent down to kiss the circumference of each wrist, his lips warm and electric. Every time he placed another kiss upon her flesh, a jolt of awareness shot through her, and her insides coiled with tension. His hot breath wafted on her hands, and his wavy locks tickled her arms.
She bit her lip in an effort to restrain the moan building in her throat. Her pulse raced and her center throbbed with heat. She squirmed in the chair to alleviate her swelling arousal, but it didn’t help—her desire only escalated with the slight movement.
Maybe she should hate Akeen for arresting her and bringing her to the dungeon.
Maybe she should try to resist his advances.
But damn, she couldn’t force herself to dislike him even a little, let alone hate him.
Her body hummed at his nearness, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be fully claimed by him. He’d been a second away from thrusting into her when…
The sound of approaching footsteps startled her from her naughty thoughts.
Akeen released her hands and stood up, facing the door of the cell. One of the officers she recognized from earlier appeared in the dimness of the corridor.
“Commander Wornik.”
“I have news from the Royal Guard, sir.”
Cora’s heart commenced pounding and nerves curled in her stomach.
Please let him say I’m innocent. Please let me go free.
She held her breath, waiting.
“Is it sensitive information, or can you speak in front of Cora?” Akeen asked, his entire body tensing.
“It’s not sensitive intel, and I’m sure the news outlets will soon be broadcasting it anyway, as the Royal Guard is seeking the public’s help in finding certain persons of interest involved in this threat against the crown.” The officer glanced at Cora and then returned his gaze to Akeen. “Greg Keller’s lover, Maria Heshanoma is an Ermastistanian national who recently flew into Ismallia from America. She has relatives in Ta-Kona, many of whom were already suspected supporters of the king’s older brother. The Royal Guard found no evidence that Cora was involved in the plot against your father; however, we insist she remain in Ismallia for the time being, in case we must ask her additional questions about Greg Keller. If she leaves the palace, she must remain in your custody, sir.”
Cora felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
She smiled at Akeen and rose to her feet with his help. He gathered her close and gave her a tight hug, not caring that the commander was watching. Before he released her, he pressed his lips to her forehead, just as he had before leaving her alone in his bedroom.
“I will see that she remains in the palace, Commander. You are dismissed.” Once they were alone, he put his mouth to her ear and said, “Hm. Not allowed to leave the palace unless you’re in my custody. I think this means you are still my captive, Cora. Whatever shall I do with you?”
He swept her up into his arms and carried her out of the cell.
Chapter 7
Sunlight broke over the mountains and spilled into Akeen’s quarters.
He carried Cora to his bed and gently laid her down. “I’m going to ring the servants for breakfast. Please make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.” He gave her a quick kiss and left her alone.
The sound of birds chirping entered with the warm breeze. She visited the bathroom quickly, making sure to wash her face and straighten her hair. Dark circles were starting to form around her eyes. Damn. She really needed to catch a few hours of sleep. Yawning, she ventured back to the bed and curled up under the soft sheets.
She drifted off in no time, dreaming of fancy balls and dancing across the room with Akeen.
When she awoke an indiscernible amount of time later, she felt the solid warmth of a body spooning hers. Inhaling a deep breath, she knew it was Akeen. She’d recognize his familiar spicy masculine scent anywhere. She turned, hoping to catch a glimpse of him sleeping, only to find him wide awake and peering at her with an intensity that spoke volumes.
Beneath the hunger flaring in the dark depths of his eyes, was an ocean of apologetic turmoil. He obviously still felt bad for arresting her and taking her to the dungeon. How could she be angry with him? He’d been doing his job. If anyone were to blame, it was Greg. The jackass had probably made some sort of deal to secure the building licenses he’d been having difficulty obtaining in Ermastistan and gotten in way over his head with the CKP in the process.
She smiled to show Akeen she harbored no ill will, then reached for a strand of his thick wavy hair and gave it a quick but sharp tug.
“Payback,” she said, still grinning.
“I still have th
e handcuffs, if you want to pay me back completely,” he replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her to his chest, and she returned his embrace, enjoying the affectionate moment.
Her stomach rumbled then, disrupting the quiet.
“I ordered breakfast, but you were asleep when it arrived. Here, sit up. There’s plenty left.”
She sat against the pillows as he reached for a tray of fruit. Grabbing a slice of orange, he guided it to her mouth. She parted her lips, feeling a tad awkward, but allowed him to feed her. He continued on, giving her slices of peaches, strawberries, and blueberries, followed by little pastries that tasted like apple pie.
“Coffee?” he asked. “I think the carafe is still hot.”
“Yes, please. Cream and sugar.”
He poured her a cup of coffee, adding a splash of cream and a spoonful of sugar, stirred it, and passed it to her carefully. She inhaled the delicious aroma and took a sip.
“Mm. Thank you.” She straightened and decided to broach the subject that was troubling her most. “So, I’m really not allowed to leave Ismallia?”
“That’s correct. Not until the Royal Guard gives you permission.”
“My flight home departs in four days. Do you think I’ll be able to leave then? I have to get back to work. I have meetings with several important clients next week, and my boss is a total hardass. I’ll probably get written up if I don’t return when scheduled.”
Akeen’s gaze darkened. “I don’t think I like this boss of yours. Maybe you should work somewhere else. Like in a public relations firm in Ismallia. It’s not difficult for American citizens to obtain work permits here. I could put a rush on it and have one ready for you in days.”
“Wow, you sure do come on strong. We haven’t even slept together yet, and you are trying to make plans for me to live in your country. Never mind the fact that we’ve known each other for less than twenty-four hours.”