A Bodyguard For The Princess (A Bad Boy Romance) (18 page)

The couch shifted, and she was in Matt’s arms, curled against his chest as he carried her into the bedroom. Daphne opened her eyes long enough to see the worried frown on his face as he pulled back the covers on her bed and laid her down.

“I should ask if you ate anything today,” he muttered.

“I had coffee and that scone this morning,” she answered, snuggling into the pillows. “That’s more than enough.”

“Not even close, love.”

He turned to leave, but Daphne reached out and captured his hand. “You could just say it.”

“Say what?” he asked, those damn dark eyes of his begging her to drop it, but she was never good at letting things go.

“You can admit it, Matt. I’m not scared.”

He squeezed her hand in reply and sat down on the edge of bed. “Told you before, I am. Scared as hell that this is all a damn dream and I’ll wake up to find you gone from my life, my last bit of sanity with you.”

Daphne slid over in the bed, and after he’d kicked off his shoes and set aside his holster, he lay down beside her. They faced each other, and Daphne caught another rare glimpse of the man behind the mask, struggling not to slip into that darkness dragging him down constantly.

“Alright, I lied,” she admitted. “I’m terrified, Matt. I’m terrified that I’ve finally found someone who fits me and I’m going to lose him because of some stupid, archaic law.”

Angry tears stung her eyes, slipping down her cheeks before she could stop them. Matt’s thumb brushed them away gently, and his arms pulled her into the warmth of his body, his chin resting on her head as he whispered he was there. It was a softer side of Matt she hadn’t seen yet, and she soaked in every bit of it.

“I’ll fight for you any way I can,” he swore fiercely. “Do you hear me, Daphne Eridian? Princess or not, you’re mine, and I’ll die before I lose you.”’

She prayed, as he held her through the night, it would not come to that.

Chapter 11

The next morning, Daphne awoke naked beneath the sheets with the memory of their middle of the night tryst fresh in her mind. He’d risen to leave before morning, but she woke up, too, and one kiss led to another until he was buried inside her, making slow, sweet love to her, showing her what he felt but might never say out loud.

Marie called out from the other room. Daphne sighed and said she was going to shower before breakfast.

“Very good, my lady, and your parents will be arriving in an hour,” Marie called back.

Daphne groaned and flopped back onto the bed. “Damn it. Maybe I should start my morning with mimosas from now on,” she grumbled to herself and took an out-of-the-ordinary long shower.

Sadly, it didn’t take her more than an hour to get ready and eat breakfast. Sooner than she wished, she was on her way to meet with her parents. Her only saving grace was that Matt actually smiled at her when he opened the door to collect her. She’d been so stunned by the sight and the way it transformed his face, she stumbled over her heels and tripped right into him. Behind her, Marie chuckled. They walked quickly to her father’s study, where Matt announced her.

Calix called out brusquely for her to enter, and Daphne braced herself. She’d spent her time in the shower contemplating telling her parents everything she had learned about Dion, but the disappointed gleam in her dad’s eyes made her bite her tongue in anger.

“Morning, Father, Mother,” she said to her parents.

Alexandria’s hand rested on Calix’ shoulder as she sat behind his wooden desk. “Daphne. I trust you have had time to think over your actions the last time we spoke?”

“Yes, Mother, and I would like to… to apologize,” she forced out, “to both of you.”

“Accepted,” Calix said quickly. “Now, we do not have much time before we must plan the ball for your betrothal, so come here, daughter.”

Daphne flinched at his harsh tone but did as he said. Stacked on the desk were files, and when he motioned for her to open one, she had to bite back another angry retort. “These are the young men you wish me to choose from?”

“Yes,” Alexandria said. “I hear we have some cleaning up to do. You appear to have upset your aunt and cousin again, along with several key leaders of parliament.”

“I’m sorry for whatever distress I’ve caused you both,” she replied in a monotonous tone, her head down so they wouldn’t see her roll her eyes.

“You should be. All the work we’ve put in is about to go to waste,” the queen snapped.

Daphne picked up the files to distract herself from snapping at her mom that they had done nothing. It was all Daphne’s work. “Well, at least there are pictures.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing, Father, nothing,” she said more clearly.

“Good, then you are excused. We will expect your choices presented to us in a week,” he told her before waving at the door, dismissing her.

Daphne’s heart sank as she backed for the door and knocked for it to be opened. She couldn’t even meet Matt’s eyes when she passed him, but instead of going to her room, she turned right and took one of the doors leading out to the private royal gardens. Her mind racing with what was in her hands, she walked on, through the arched hedge entrance and deeper into the gardens where no one could see them.

When she reached the center and the fountain there along with several marble columns surrounding it, Daphne dropped the files and sat on the edge of it.

“What are those for?” Matt asked after telling the others he had the princess safe in the garden and she wished to be alone and removing his com from his ear.

“Those are my choices for a future husband,” she spat out, glaring at the files.

Matt bent to pick them up and flipped through them, his face blank. “Quite a few interesting men in here. All quite rich from the look of it. And handsome.”

“None of them are you,” she argued. “I have a week to choose which ones I want to date.”

“And they’re all coming here?”

She frowned, leaning forward on the edge of the fountain. “Yes, and they’ll be here soon after, staying until I pick one. Why?”

Matt tossed the files aside. “You can’t pick one.”

“I don’t have a choice,” she said with an exasperated laugh. She’d barely held herself together while her parents told her what she had to do, but now that she was away from them and alone with Matt, her control on her emotions vanished.

Daphne hung her head, holding it in her hands as tears pricked her eyes. It wasn’t fair. Maybe before, she could have accepted her fate, but with Matt in her life now, how could she bring herself to marry someone else? Have sex and have a child? She couldn’t do it. The tears fell and she couldn’t stop them, her whole body shaking with the reality of her life.

There was no way out. She couldn’t run away unless she chose to give up her right to the throne, turning over the kingdom to Dion.

Matt hoisted Daphne to her feet. “No, you’re not going to be with anyone else. I won’t let you,” he growled before his mouth slanted over hers. He cupped her face in his hands and backed them up to a nearby column.

Daphne clung to him as their tongues entwined. He moved his hand up under her skirt. She fumbled at his belt and pants, desperate to feel him when the world around them tilted and faltered. Fear of losing him overwhelmed her, and she kissed him fiercely, pressing her body hard against his. He cursed, and she heard a rip before a draft moved between her legs. Matt tossed aside the torn shreds of the thin lace, and the second she had him free, he lifted her up, wrapped her legs around his waist, and plunged into her to the hilt.

She groaned against his lips, Matt moving into her again and again as he kissed her neck, tugging her blouse aside to lick the mounds of her breasts. He possessed every bit of her, leaving his mark on her in ways she would never be able to forget or live without.

“You are mine,” he whispered harshly in her ear, moving deep inside her. “I won’t let you marry someone else. Won’t let another have you like this.”

Daphne believed him, gripping his shoulders hard. “What are you telling me, Matt?” she pressed roughly.

“You know what,” he muttered.

When his slate eyes found hers, he thrust into her until they moaned as one, their bodies shaking as pleasure rippled through them. It was more than just that. Daphne knew it and saw the truth in Matt’s eyes. One of these days, she’d get him to say it out loud.

His kiss was gentle and his breath ragged as their bodies calmed. She slid down his front, putting her raw nerves on edge, but they had risked too much by being together out in the open. While she fixed her skirt and blouse, Matt buttoned his pants and picked up the torn lace panties with a raised brow.

“You want these back?” he asked, his lips twitching in one of his rare smirks, but his eyes smiled at her.

She took them and tucked them into his pocket, letting her hand linger. “Keep them for luck.”

“Going to need it if I’m taking you into the city tonight,” he grumbled.

Daphne stared at him wide eyed. “You’re taking me to the city?”

“With conditions,” he told her firmly. “We’ll talk about it more later, but I looked into those clubs you pointed out last night. Might be a good place to poke around. One of my military buddies is going to meet us when we get there.”

Daphne hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Matt, really.”

“Don’t thank me yet. We might find nothing,” he said quietly.

“But the chance is enough for right now.” She looked around for the files on her possible betrothals and picked them up. “I guess I’ll act like I’m interested in them for the time being.”

Matt’s dark look said she should just throw the files away, but he didn’t voice it. Daphne made sure she looked like she didn’t just have sex in the garden and walked calmly back out to the main path towards the palace, her bodyguard close behind.

***

Orion flipped through the pictures he had taken and grinned. There were plenty of good shots showing both their faces. Dion would be pleased. Orion tucked the camera back into his suit jacket and pulled out his cell.

“Yeah, it’s me,” he said when Dion answered. “I have something that might be of interest to you.”

“How much interest?”

“You said you wanted to bring Princess Daphne down? Well, you will be able to do that sooner rather than later. Where do you want me to meet you?”

Dion gave him a location and time, but before he hung up, Orion told him to double his usual fee. “It better be worth it,” Dion snapped on the other end.

Orion leered, remembering the look on Daphne’s face while Matthias took her against the column. “Oh, it’s worth it, Dion, it’s definitely worth it.”

***

Getting Daphne out of the palace without being noticed was easier than Matt assumed. Marie told the other servants and the king and queen Daphne was busy going through the profiles of the men and would not be leaving her room the rest of the night. Jeremiah stood guard in the hall, which covered any worry of someone going to check on her. They waited until ten when most of the household was headed to bed before Daphne crept out of her room, ushered down the corridor by Jeremiah, with Matt watching the cameras from the surveillance room while Theodore took a break. Once she was safely outside, Matt joined her, and together, they took off on his bike.

Daphne’s arms stayed securely wrapped around his waist, and as they left the palace behind, he wished he could’ve seen the look on her face. He hadn’t been sure if this was a good idea, but after their moment in the garden, Matt realized the only way they might make this work out was to bring Dion’s real business into the light and give Daphne something to bargain with. It was a long shot, but Matt was not going to lose her easily.

When they’d reached the main drag in the city close to two of Dion’s nightclubs, he parked the bike in a nearby lot and put down the kickstand. Daphne hopped off, her eyes wide as she stared at the city’s bright lights. She turned in a circle, and Matt cursed under his breath. He’d told her to wear something so she’d fit in with the club nightlife. He should’ve told her to wear jeans and a damn turtleneck.

The dark blue mini skirt clung to her ass and hips like a second skin, and the cropped halter top stopped right at her ribs, showing off her flat stomach. She didn’t have a bra on underneath, and he groaned when she turned back around to face him. If they hadn’t been in public, he would’ve torn every last bit of clothing from her and taken her on the bike, but there were too many people around and they were here to do a job, not enjoy a night out. Roughly, he cleared his throat and nodded towards the sidewalk.

“Is it always like this?” she asked excitedly, slipping her hand into his and leaning against his side.

For the night, he tucked his gun at the small of his back in a different holster so he wouldn’t give himself away. Daphne’s hair hung down, and her makeup was heavier than normal to disguise her. In the midst of the crowds at the clubs, he doubted anyone would recognize her, but just in case, he didn’t want them to get swarmed and have pictures posted of the princess out clubbing with her bodyguard.

“Usually,” he finally said, trying to keep his eyes in front of him and not on her body.