Protecting Her: A Romance Bundle

by Mia Ford

  When the last signature had been made, the attorney thanked us, took my check, and we headed outside to the car. We climbed inside, sitting across from each other, and I pulled out my phone to check the time. We were doing well. We would actually make it to the jet with plenty of time to make it back to the palace by dinner time. I looked across at Adriana as she watched the cars passing out the window. She looked nervous and almost lost in her pretty black dress, sitting in a town car and watching her future zoom forward with no control. I knew exactly how that felt. I went to say something, anything to comfort her, but my phone buzzed in my lap, and I picked it up, grimacing at my mother’s name on the screen.

  “Hello, Mother,” I said answering.

  “Milos,” she replied angrily. “Why in God’s name would you think it was a good idea to go jetting off to Prague just a week after your father’s funeral? And to top it off, you were photographed being thrown out of two clubs last night. Did nothing I say to you about your father’s wishes sink in at all?”

  “Calm down, Mother,” I replied. “I am currently in route to the airport, with my fiancée, and we will be arriving within a few hours.”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone, and I didn’t know whether to laugh or wonder if I had finally killed the old lady. She was really smart, and I knew she would have questions about this, but I also knew she really wanted the royal family to stay in one piece. I cleared my throat to break the silence.

  “Well,” she said, sounding pleased but suspicious. “That is definitely the best news I’ve gotten in a while. I will have to start planning a wedding then, I suppose. Do you have any requests?”

  “No, Mother,” I said, chuckling. “I will leave all the planning of this wedding to you.”

  Adriana’s head snapped up as I spoke, a look of discontent on her face. Regardless of what Adriana wanted, my mother was going to insist on a big wedding, and I wasn’t going to disappoint her. If nothing else, it would keep my mother busy and off my back while I was home. When the conversation was over, I hung up, and I realized it had been the first cordial conversation I had with my mother in years. Maybe this marriage thing wasn’t such a bad deal, after all. My mother would be happy, the kingdom would be back in order, and Parliament would stay off my ass.

  We pulled into the hangar bay where the jet was parked, and I sighed with relief. Finally, I was going to be able to relax for a bit, and if I had my way, relieve some of the tension in my pants. When we parked, I got out of the car and walked around to escort Adriana onto the plane. I stood in front of the stairs with my arms wide in the air.

  “This is my favorite place,” I said enthusiastically. “I do all my best thinking here. No one bothers me while on board, and usually, it is taking me somewhere exciting and new. Come. I’ll show you around.”

  Adriana chuckled at my excitement and took my hand as I helped her up the stairs and onto the plane. The stewardess smiled as I passed, reminding me that my hot few hours on the way to Prague with the brunette from Australia should have prompted a staff change. But oh well. It was what it was. I had called ahead to let the captain know of my fiancée’s attendance, and the staff had been lectured on the importance of keeping their thoughts to themselves.

  “So, here is the main cabin,” I said, as we stood and looked over the carpeted expanse of the plane. “We have a bar over here to our left, a couch for lounging just over there, and our main seats here to the right.”

  Adriana smiled, nodded her head, and lifted her eyebrows. She didn’t seem the least bit impressed, which kind of bothered me. I knew she probably hadn’t seen anything like this before, but understanding that everything was happening so fast, I just took a deep breath and showed her to her seat. We stowed our things away and buckled up.

  Adriana gazed out the window while we taxied the runway, and I noticed her white-knuckling the arms of her seat as we took off. I wondered if she had ever flown in a plane before. Wanting to relieve some of her tension, I motioned to the stewardess to bring us some wine.

  “What do you think so far?” I asked, crossing my legs as I looked at her.

  “It’s all a bit overwhelming,” she replied with a forced grin. “But don’t worry. I’ll get used to it.”

  “Come here,” I said. I unbuckled my seat belt and reached for her hand. “Let me show you something.”

  We walked to the back of the plane and through the tall wooden double doors. I leaped forward and landed on the huge, king-sized bed and down comforters. One might think that I kept this bed here for one reason, which was the reason on my mind while I stared down at Adriana’s long, sexy legs. But that was not always the case. I took long flights all over the world, and I liked to have a place to sleep while I traveled.

  “Why don’t I help you relieve some of that tension?” I whispered, biting my lip, and feeling my erection get harder. “Put your wine down and climb on in here with me.”

  She looked around the room quietly, no indication of what she was thinking on her face. Then she walked back to the doorway and looked down at me.

  “No, I think I’ll just enjoy the flight from the cabin,” she said, a cool smile on her lips.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself as she walked away. The slit in the back of her dress came dangerously close to her ass. Her stockings were sheer, with a black line running up the back of both of them, and her heels had tiny bows at the top. She looked absolutely incredible, and all I wanted to do was get her out of all that and add her to my mile-high club list. But, seeing as sex was optional in our arrangement, I couldn’t really do anything about her lack of interest.

  I climbed up on the bed, slipped my shoes off, and crawled under the covers. I painfully rubbed my hand down my cock, feeling the burn of rejection. After the night of passion we shared, I thought now it would be in the bag, but this girl was going to make it hard.

  I had gotten the business end of what I wanted, but she was not going to make the other part easy in the least. The carefree part of myself wanted to completely forget about it, knowing there was no lack of pussy in my life, but the other part of me yearned for her wetness, her moans, and the way she looked at me as she orgasmed in the sheets.

  For the next couple of hours, I tossed and turned, trying to take a nap while enduring the endless suffering of a gigantic hard on. I watched out of the door as Adriana sat quietly, her legs crossed, and her hands resting in her lap. She definitely knew how to be regal and contemplative, but she also knew just what to do to drive me crazy. The line between any type of relationship and business had been drawn, and she was not going to let me forget it. The question now was, how do I get her to forget it, and how easy will it be to seduce her back into my bed?

  9

  Adriana

  To say everything was moving at warp speed would be an understatement. I stepped out of the car that drove us from his private airstrip and out into the courtyard of the palace. I was left completely breathless. The castle was enormous, and I felt like the whole of Prague could fit in just one wing. The outside was stunning, with large stone arches, light green rooves, and three tall towers that made me feel as if I was standing inside of a fairy tale. The amount of servants that stood on the steps, ready to welcome me, was staggering, and I assumed they were just a minuscule percentage of who actually worked for the kingdom.

  “My dear,” Milos said, as he handed me my purse. “This is Byron. He will be showing you to your quarters and getting you settled in.”

  I shook my head, not even noticing Milos slip off in the other direction. Byron smiled at me kindly, and I nodded my head and smiled at the servants who curtsied, one by one, as I passed them. Byron walked quickly through the sweeping halls, and I hurried to catch up. I glanced into the dozens of rooms I passed as I went and gawked at their magnitude. There were ballrooms, dining halls, maids’ quarters, and kitchens. And this was all before I had even reached my wing of the palace.

  “This wing will be yours,” Byron said
as he opened the large engraved doors.

  I stepped into a large sitting area decorated with large, framed paintings of what I assumed to be royal family members. There were ornate vases scattered throughout, and a large pinstriped couch perched in the center, just in front of the fireplace. The rugs covering the marble floors gave a hint of the culture that I would be experiencing during my time in Silesia. There were so many things to see, explore, and admire, but everything seemed to be moving forward without a moment to take a breath. I stood in the large room looking up at the high-domed ceiling, clutching my purse.

  “My Lady,” Byron said. I looked up to find that he was standing by another set of large doors. “Deep breaths. It can be a lot to take in at first. Let’s get you settled.”

  I smiled and nodded my head, still looking around as I followed him into the halls beyond the doors. There were over a dozen rooms in my wing, and I wasn’t really sure what I was supposed to do with them all. We made our way past the gold-ornamented bathrooms and around the corridor, where we entered into my bedroom. Byron carried my luggage in and sat it by my king-sized, four-poster bed. I looked around in awe. The room was so large you could fit two of my flats from Liverpool inside of it with ease. It had its own dining area, living room, and sleeping quarters, as well as the largest fireplace I had ever seen.

  “Before you unpack, however, the Queen requests an audience,” Byron said kindly, bowing his head.

  “Oh,” I said with surprise and nerves. “Well, let's not keep the Queen waiting then.”

  We made our way across the castle to another large set of doors, where two guards sat perched. I thought to myself that I would need a map to find my way back. Fortunately, as arrived, I was introduced to a trove of servants that would be attending me, and they seemed to go wherever I did. Surely, they would be helpful.

  We stood in front of the large doors, and immediately, I became more than nervous. I clasped my hands in front of me to keep them from shaking. Byron opened the door and stood to the side, allowing me to slip into the room. It was like my sitting room at the front of my wing, except larger, and it smelled of hot tea and perfume.

  “Ah,” a voice said from the center of the room. “You don’t know how excited I am to meet you.”

  A beautiful woman walked toward me, dressed in a long skirt and suit jacket with a small rose pinned to the lapel. Her arms were open wide. Her hair was peppered with gray, but I could see the same smile on her face as I saw on Milos the first time I met him. Her eyes were kind but stern, and she grabbed my shoulders, leaning in and kissing each of my cheeks. She pulled back and took a good long look at me, as though she were making sure I was a suitable fit to become her daughter-in-law.

  “You must be exhausted,” she said, taking both of my hands and pulling me to the center of the room. “Things tend to move a bit faster inside the castle than they do on the outside. Milos will be along momentarily.”

  She motioned for me to sit in the chair facing her couch. I smiled and tried to sit as gracefully as possible, tucking my legs underneath my chair with my ankles crossed. I had no idea what I was supposed to do or say, so I just sat there watching the Queen’s servants rush around the room, preparing tea. Queen Zora smiled thankfully at her servant as she handed her a cup and sat back on the couch.

  “How are you adjusting so far, my dear?” she asked.

  I didn’t know what to say, and I felt like my mouth was stuck shut. I took in a deep breath, but before I could talk, the doors swung open, and Milos made his usual grand entrance.

  “Mother,” he said loudly. He walked over and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. “You look as lovely as always.”

  “Ah, Milos,” the Queen said in a loving tone. “We were just talking about how she was adjusting.”

  “My sweet Adriana is used to constant motion,” he said with charm. “She is a school teacher in Prague. Well, she was, until I swooped into her life. We’ve been dating for several months now, but we wanted to keep it quiet. She teaches elementary English, and the children really adore her. So, she wanted to make this transition as easy on them as possible.”

  I sat there listening to Milos, not realizing he was talking about me until he smiled and took my hand. I was going to have to remember all of these lies he told, if I was going to keep up this charade for a year. He continued to gush about me to his mother. I stared at the large portrait of whom I assumed was his father. They looked identical. The only difference was the King’s peppered black and gray hair, showing his seniority.

  “It was hard to tear her away, since she is involved in so many volunteer programs, and the community relied on her for so much,” Milos gushed. “But alas, I was able to talk her into bringing that sweet and caring demeanor to Silesia, with the hope that she can make the same difference in our kingdom as she has for the people of Prague.”

  “That is just lovely,” the Queen said, sipping her tea. “Now, I know our time is limited today, since I must get the plans ready for the dinner in your bride’s honor for tomorrow night. Let’s talk briefly about the wedding.”

  “I don’t want to wait,” Milos cut in. “It must be something we do immediately.”

  “While I appreciate your enthusiasm, a royal wedding can take months to plan,” the Queen said, with a knowing laugh.

  “Then cut it down, Mother,” Milos responded, standing and looking around. “This Kingdom has been through enough change with father’s death. I would like to get the wedding complete and on to business.”

  “Milos,” the Queen said with a disappointed look.

  “Mother, you are resourceful. Let’s say a week. I want to be married within a week. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a honeymoon to plan.”

  Milos looked down at me and nodded before sweeping out of the room as quickly as he had entered. I looked down at my hands, feeling slightly uncomfortable with how demanding he was. The Queen set her cup on the table and sighed deeply.

  “He is so frustrating sometimes,” she said. “When he gets something in his mind he is more than stubborn. But, that being said, it may be a crazy week for you, my dear, but I will make sure you have as beautiful a wedding as I possibly can.”

  Feeling that this meeting was over, I stood and turned to the servant to show me out. I stopped and turned back to the Queen, who was putting on reading glasses and looking down at some papers on her desk.

  “Thank you, Your Grace,” I said with the best curtsey I could muster.

  She looked up over her glasses and smiled, nodding her head at me as I turned and left her chambers.

  From that moment, and for the next week, my life was hard to even recognize as my own. Each morning, I was greeted with breakfast in my chambers and then presented with a laundry list of things to do for the wedding. From dress fittings and cake decisions, to décor and even picking which set of Royal China to use, I didn’t have two seconds to breathe. The seamstress took my measurements, and by the next day, I was dressed in whatever was handed to my servants that morning. I didn’t even have a chance to unpack. I’d thrown my bags into the closet, promising I would get to them later. By the end of the week, I was more than a little exhausted by everything.

  Queen Zora was always so gracious, but as she ordered the staff around and glided through the palace with purpose, I started to understand why she and Milos clashed so often. She was like the reformed version of Milos. She knew exactly what she wanted, she didn’t take no for an answer, and she won almost everything with the use of her wit and charm. The biggest difference between the two was she understood her responsibility to the kingdom, while Milos lived in his own little world.

  By the time the wedding day arrived, I was so exhausted by the week, that the only thing left was my nerves. Standing at the back of the cathedral, waiting for my entrance cue, was the first quiet moment I’d had since I arrived. To be honest, the only thing my mind wanted to do was take me out of all this.

  What had I gotten myself into? In the beginning,
it sounded like a great idea, but now that the wedding was about to happen, I realized I was in deeper water than I could swim in. I felt like I was barely staying afloat.

  The music began to play, and the doors to the church opened slowly. My mind raced, and my hands began to shake. I immediately thought about running, just turning and bolting from the church, out into the countryside, and not stopping until I was out of Silesia’s borders. But as I stepped into the light of the stained-glass windows, I looked up to the front, and my eyes met with Milos’s. His warm smile filled my chest with excitement. Without even thinking, my feet began to move forward.

  Every step I took brought me closer and closer to this man that I wasn’t even sure I liked, much less loved. However, as if his smile and warm eyes were a drug, I was drawn to him, oblivious of everyone around me. With every step of my small heeled feet, I moved closer to my place in the Silesia Kingdom, next to the devilishly handsome, future king.

  In that moment, I could see nothing but my future, blinded by the grandeur of my own unbelievable life.

  10

  Milos

  My mouth hung open as Adriana stepped into the holy lights, shining through the stained-glass windows of the cathedral. Her dress was as elegant as any royal bride I had ever seen, with its modest fitted top, large layered gown, and sweeping train. Her face was shrouded by a thin veil that flowed down over her and ended at her chin. The small glimmering tiara sitting atop her boundless, cascading curls sparkled in the light. She was an absolute vision in white. Oddly enough, nervousness ran through my stomach, as if she were an angel floating toward me.