Behind Palace Doors (6 page)

Six

S
tefan’s cell went off again. And again, he ignored it.

“Whoever is calling you must want you pretty bad,” Victoria told him. “Why don’t you just answer it?”

Because he wanted to ignore the fact that certain people did not believe this marriage was real and that he was officially off the market.

“Could be important,” she went on as she slid her dainty feet back into her sandals and strapped them around her ankles.

After an intense bout of sex, a ride on his bike and a picnic at the beach, the last thing he wanted was an interruption to the day—especially by answering phone calls from past lovers. He had his best friend-turned-wife with him, and he was happier than he’d been in a long time. All of his goals were within his reach, and he didn’t want anything to dampen his mood.

He’d promised Tori he’d be faithful, and he wasn’t going back on his word. Never before had he promised to be exclusive, something he made sure his lovers knew up front, but with Tori warming his bed, he didn’t mind at all. He kept waiting for that feeling of being trapped to overtake him, but so far he’d not felt anything but complete and utter happiness.

“They’ll leave a message,” he told her, not really caring if they did or not.

Victoria leaned her hands back in the sand, shook her head and allowed her hair to fall past her shoulders and cascade down her back. As her gaze settled on the emerald waters before them, he smiled. It wasn’t every man who could say he married his best friend...a hot, sexy, centerfold-material friend. Damn, he’d lucked out. An open-ended marriage was absolutely the way to go. Once the crown was his in a few months, he’d seriously have everything: title of king and Victoria in his bed with no major commitment to marriage.

And hopefully he could also convince her brothers to work with him on a documentary to clear his father’s name.

“I’m not jealous, you know,” she said, her eyes still on the orange horizon as the sun set.

He eased closer to her, drawing his knees up and resting his arms on them. “Jealous of what?”

“The women calling you. I’m sure that’s why your phone vibrates and rings every half hour.”

Stefan laughed. Victoria had never been one to mince words or back away from any uncomfortable topic. She was also very confident, like most American women were. He found that quality extremely sexy. What had that jerk Alex been thinking? Stefan only hoped they didn’t run into the guy once they were back in L.A. Or if they did, he hoped the media wasn’t around. The last thing he needed was a picture of him popping the other guy in his pretty-boy face.

“Go ahead and laugh,” she went on. “But I know that’s your entourage calling.”

“And how do you know this?” He chuckled again, now at her description.

“Because if it had been your brother, one of your staff or anyone else important, you would’ve answered it.”

He shook his head. “Possibly.”

With a wide, sinful smile, she turned to face him. “So you admit your harem has been calling?”

“Maybe, but with the way you can’t keep your hands off my body, I don’t have time for others.”

Victoria’s laugh washed over him. “Your ego is even bigger than your bank accounts. I think we both know who initiated the sex this afternoon.”

“You were the one who insisted on changing clothes. In a man’s mind, that’s code for ‘I’m getting naked and you should join me.’”

“Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes, still smiling. “If a woman says ‘I’m going to the grocery store,’ a man thinks that’s a code for ‘let’s get naked.’”

Stefan didn’t want to feel guilty about the women calling him. He couldn’t help it. The fact he was married wasn’t exactly a secret; it had been televised for the entire world to see. But a few of the women from his past knew him too well and had convinced themselves this marriage was a lie.

“Are you just a little jealous?” he asked, throwing her another smile.

Part of him wanted her to be, but the other part of him hoped she kept their relationship light and carefree.

Yes, he’d wanted Victoria on an intimate level for years, but now he had her where he wanted her. He didn’t need emotions or anything too deep to creep into this new relationship they had discovered.

“I’m not jealous.” She looked him dead in the eye, no smile, no glimmer of amusement. “But I won’t be the other woman or played to look like a fool ever again.”

Stefan turned, grabbed her by the shoulders and met her eyes. “There’s no way in hell I’d ever treat you that way, Tori. And I’m not that jerk you were engaged to. Remember that.”

He’d be damned if he’d let that bastard play the third wheel in their relationship, no matter their carefree set-up.

On a sigh, her head drooped. “I’m sorry. I don’t have trust issues with you, Stefan. My mind just instantly ventured in the wrong direction.”

“Hey.” He placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted her face to meet his once again. “This marriage may not be a traditional one, but I say from here on out we keep your ex and my past out of it. Deal?”

“Deal.”

The quick snapping of an automatic camera had him jerking his attention around.

He spotted a man crouched in the lush plants surrounding what was supposed to be the private beach to his family’s palace.

Stefan jumped to his feet and took off after the unwanted intruder. “Stop,” he yelled.

Hot sand squished beneath his feet, making him slide with each step. By the time he’d gotten to the area where the man had been in hiding, the guy was gone.

What the hell had the intruder overheard?

Stefan pulled his cell from his pocket and punched a button. “There’s a man on the grounds,” Stefan said before his security guard could utter a word. “If you find him first, take his camera. Then call the cops. I’m looking near the beach. Take the front of the palace.”

Knowing Victoria would be fine for a few minutes, Stefan moved through the foliage in the direction the trespasser took off. No way in hell was he letting someone invade his privacy, and on his own secluded beach, as well.

Even though he knew without a doubt that Victoria didn’t think anything of flashing bulbs and media circuses, he wanted their marriage, their life to be private. The bond they shared was so special, and even though the paparazzi had them practically married as teens, he didn’t want their engagement or wedding tarnished. What transpired between him and Victoria was nobody’s business.

But he had to find the guy and find out exactly what he’d overheard and take that damn camera. He couldn’t afford for this secret to get out before the coronation. This country was his, damn it, and he’d do anything to keep it.

Besides, he wanted Tori all to himself...he was selfish like that. He wouldn’t share her with the public any more than necessary.

More than anything, though, he wanted to shield her, protect her from any more pain. Because he cared for her more than any other woman in his life, he wanted to be the one to ride to her rescue and keep her life worry-free and happy.

Stefan spotted footprints in the sand and followed them up the embankment toward the tiny village. Sweat trickled down his back, but the heat was nothing compared to the anger in knowing someone had infiltrated his home. What the hell had his guards been doing? A discussion he’d be taking up later with the head of his security.

Stefan stopped when he spotted the man crouched down on the sidewalk, holding his camera, and from what Stefan could see, the man was looking through his shots. Probably checking to see if he needed to come back for more.

Without a sound, Stefan moved in from behind and wrapped an arm around the guy’s neck, hauling him up to his feet.

“Drop the camera,” Stefan growled in his ear.

Immediately the camera clattered to ground. With his free hand, Stefan pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed security to come collect the trash.

“You made a mistake in trespassing,” Stefan told him, tightening his grip. “I don’t take kindly to people invading my wife’s privacy.”

“I’m sorry,” the man choked out. “Please.”

“Whatever you
think
you overheard, forget it. If I even suspect you’ve gone to the media with lies, there won’t be a place you can hide that I won’t find you.” Stefan loosened his hold but kept the guy in a lock until backup arrived. “I better never catch you on my property or even looking in my family’s direction again or a smashed camera will be the least of your worries.”

The heavy pounding of footsteps had Stefan shouting for the guards. “Over here,” he yelled.

Once the guards had the trespasser secure, Stefan stepped around to get a good look at the man’s face so he could remember it. Then he crouched down, picked up the broken camera and pulled the memory card out, sliding it into his pocket.

“Take him to the front while you wait for the cops,” Stefan ordered his guards.

Tamping down his anger and wiping the sweat off his forehead, Stefan made his way back to Victoria. Her long, golden hair danced around in the ocean breeze, her face tilted up while she watched the water as if her privacy hadn’t just been invaded.

“We secured the guy. Cops are on their way, and I personally confiscated the memory card.” Stefan took a seat beside her. “Sorry about that.”

With a shrug, Victoria turned to face him. “I’m used to it. Privacy really means nothing to me. I wouldn’t know what to do with complete seclusion.”

Stefan knew with her family she came into this world in the spotlight, but something about her statement struck him. She wasn’t asking for privacy; no doubt she thought that was something she could never have. But why couldn’t he provide her a little escape?

“What did he overhear?” she asked.

“I didn’t give him the chance to say, but I made it very clear he’s not to repeat anything or he will be found and dealt with.”

Tori gasped. “You threatened him?”

“What did you want me to do? Ask him over for tea?”

On a sigh, Victoria shook her head. “I don’t know. I just hope he didn’t hear us. Pictures are one thing...”

Stefan wouldn’t let some overeager cameraman ruin his future, or Victoria’s. No matter the cost. He also wouldn’t let the bastard ruin his day with his wife, either.

“Remember when we first met and we were trying to hide from all the cameras and crew for the film your mother was in?”

A genuine, beautiful smile spread across her face. “That was fun. We were purposely avoiding anybody so we could do whatever we wanted.”

Stefan pictured the time in his mind, so clear and vivid. “I believe that’s when I introduced you to alcohol.”

On a groan, Victoria closed her eyes. “Don’t remind me. I was so set on impressing you, I didn’t want you to know I hadn’t drank before.”

“The look on your face after your first sip of whiskey kind of gave you away,” he told her.

“You probably thought I was such a loser.” She laughed, lying back on the blanket and looking up at the clear, blue sky.

“A loser? Nah. I thought you were innocent, and that’s the kind of girl I was interested in.”

And he had been...well, as much as a teenage boy could be interested in a girl. She’d been California fresh with all that silky blond hair and tanned skin. He’d instantly had a crush but had to play it cool.

So he did what any good boy would do. He’d plied her with alcohol and tried to talk her into skinny-dipping.

“You mean the kind of girl you were interested in corrupting?” she asked with a low laugh that made him pause to enjoy such sweetness.

There was just something about her that always made him smile. Their friendship never had any speed bumps, and for years he’d found himself wondering what something more with her would be like.

Of course, marriage to anyone never entered his mind, but so far being married to Tori really had its perks. She was playful in bed, and he appreciated the fact she wasn’t getting too involved on a more heartfelt level.

“Maybe a little corrupting,” he agreed. “I never did get you to go skinny-dipping.”

Victoria shook her head. “That’s something I’ve never done. It just sounds so...cold.”

His eyes roamed over her body. She’d forgone the jeans and shirt and had ended up donning a beautiful pale blue strapless romper, and he wanted to slide his fingers between her breasts, loosen the knot and see the material puddle to the ground.

“Trust me.” His eyes came back up to meet hers. “When I get you naked in the water, you’ll be anything but cold.”

Her breath hitched as she bit her lip and dropped her eyes to his mouth. Hell yeah. She was sexy personified, and she was all his for the next six months. After that...well, that ball was in her court. Going back to dating, and bedding, other women surprisingly wasn’t a priority, not with Tori matching him both in bed and out.

Stefan slid one hand through her hair, his other hand cupping the side of her face. With the utmost care and tenderness, he tilted her head and secured his lips to hers. With gentle persuasion he coaxed her lips apart, pleased when she accommodated him. Her soft moan as she eased into his body aroused him more than all their frenzied kisses. Those fast-paced kisses were stepping stones to sex. This gentle, passionate kiss was a stepping stone to...what?

He told himself he was just enjoying the moment and not getting deeper intimately with her. Stefan didn’t want to go down that path. But he did want to keep savoring his wife. He wanted to slowly strip her and see her body in the sunlight on the beach as he...

His cell phone chimed, breaking the moment. With a muttered curse, he eased back from those tender, swollen lips.

After jerking the phone from his pocket he answered, “Yes?”

“The police are here,” the guard told him. “Would you like to come and talk to them or do you want me to take care of it?”

Stefan stared at Victoria. The moment of reminiscing had turned intense...something he hadn’t counted on. Sex was one thing, but that flutter in his chest was not welcome.

Na pari i eychi.
The woman was almost too perfect for him. He couldn’t afford to let himself get all emotional about their arrangement. He was a man—one known for his physical relationships. He had to remember that here.