To Steal a Groom (Royal Billionaire Romance) (3 page)

Damon inclines his head, the picture of polite interest.

Marc slaps the table. “I’m going to throw an engagement party! For both of you.”

The prince looks at me, a question in his eyes. The very thought of attending a party thrown by Marc makes my skin crawl. There are so many ways that could go horribly wrong.

“That’s very kind of you to offer,” Damon says. “We’ll have to discuss it in private.”

Relief spreads through me. What an elegant solution. Damon can decline in private as well, without the audience of the monarchs.

“What’s there to discuss?” Marc asks. “I’m your brother! Who’ll throw it if I don’t?”

Nic clears his throat, earning a glare from Marc.

Damon reaches under the table to squeeze my hand. He raises an eyebrow at me, and I can tell he’s going to accept. I want to shout at him not to, but my traitorous mouth can’t form the words.

He leans close to whisper in my ear. “Let’s give him a chance.”

I look at him helplessly. I don’t want to wreck their brotherly bond, though Marc’s already done a fine job of that on his own. But if Damon wants this, I won’t deny him.

“All right,” I whisper back.

“Marc,” Damon says, “we’re pleased to accept your offer.”

“That’s just fantastic.” He flashes a wide grin around the room. “Isn’t that great, Dad?”

Across the table, the king nods gravely. “A father is always pleased when his children get along.”

I have to bite back a laugh. Maybe that’s why the king is constantly dour.

“What a wonderful idea,” Natalia says. “You’re such a clever man.” She plants a kiss on Marc’s cheek. Is she intentionally trying to ruin my appetite?

Natalia runs her fingers through Marc’s hair. “I’ll help too. We want to give the happy couple a night they’ll never forget.”

I push my plate aside, my appetite officially dead. What have I agreed to?

By the time everyone has finished eating, my stomach roils so much that I can’t concentrate on the polite banter. As soon as the king sets his knife and fork across his plate, signaling that the meal is over, I stumble up from my chair.

“Are you all right?” Damon asks.

I nod. “I just need some fresh air.”

“Meet me on the roof. I’ll only be a moment.” He gives me a reassuring smile.

As safe as he makes me feel, I can’t stand to be in this room a moment longer. Walking slightly faster than is proper, I make my escape.

Outside the double doors, the tightness in my lungs finally dissipates. There’s a light touch on my arm.

I should have started running.

Natalia stands beside me, batting her eyelashes. “Can I ask you something, Grace?”

Does she want the number for a hit man? “What is it?”

“Are we okay? I don’t want there to be any hard feelings between us.”

I gape at her, not quite sure what to say. She’s spent almost every second I’ve known her trying to lure Damon away from me.

“Um … of course we’re okay.” What other polite response is there?

“Good.” Her smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I do want us to be friends. And I want Damon to be happy. Do try to keep him satisfied. He moves on otherwise. There will always be women waiting to snap him up.”

“Thanks for the advice.” I can’t tell if she actually thinks she’s being helpful, or subtly trying to tear me apart. Who am I kidding, it’s definitely the latter.

“I’m glad we had this talk.” She squeezes my arm, a little harder than necessary. “Let me know if Damon ever needs anything. I’ll always be here for him.”

“I’ll let him know.” Inclining my head slightly, I take my leave, heading for the spiral stair. I wonder if Natalia provides tutoring in verbal cut downs. Resisting the urge to look back to make sure she’s not coming after me, I climb the stairs. She doesn’t follow, but my skin prickles as I feel her eyes on me until I reach the top. By the time I spare her a glance from the highest landing, she’s gone.

I’m greeted by a rush of air as I step onto the roof. The City of Lions is still clutched in the grip of summer, and the wind blows hot. Gazing over the red clay roofs of the city, my stomach clenches. The worst part is that Natalia may be right. What is Damon supposed to do if I can’t satisfy him? And I can’t, if last night is any indication.

I suppress a cry of hysterical laughter. I couldn’t even bear to let him touch me last night. I doubt any woman has done that to him before. Most of his partners have probably begged for his touch, and far more. And he’s been with so many, most vastly more experienced than me. How can I compete with that?

The door to the roof swings open. Damon stands there, his arms outstretched. He runs toward me, and I try to smile as he holds me close. My heart drums against my chest. This man is the source of my happiness. I don’t want to be the source of his sorrow.

The prince guides me to a bench. “We’re all alone here. Honestly, what is it?”

“You should run.” I bury my face in his shoulder so I don’t have to face him. “Before I cause you too much pain.”

Damon puts a hand on my back, rubbing in small circles. “Are you referring to last night?”

I look down, unable to help the tears that escape.

“Grace, losing you is the most painful thing I can imagine. Do you trust me on that?”

Letting out a shuddering breath, I nestle closer. “You’re the only one I trust.”

He stiffens. “I saw Natalia follow you out of the dining room. Did she say something to you?”

“She didn’t have to.”

Damon frowns at the roof, as if he can see Natalia far below. “Don’t worry about her. Or Marc. I have you, and you have me. That’s all that matters.”

“But what about … last night?”

“It’ll happen.” He kisses my temple. “I’ll be patient. I want the time to be right for both of us.”

I lean against him, grateful for his calming presence. The heat magnifies his masculine scent, and the result is heady. Who could resist such a man? Besides me, that is. I glance around the rooftop. The helipad sits empty. We’re alone except for a sleek white jet in the far corner.

Testing myself, I press a hand against Damon’s thigh. Beneath silky fabric, I can feel hard muscle. Closing my eyes, I imagine grazing one finger up his leg, blazing a trail to his zipper. I’m sure he couldn’t resist me. He would let me unbuckle his belt and slide off his pants. I’d hook my thumbs in the waistband of his boxers, dragging them to the ground. He’d kick them aside, standing half-bare before me. I’d reach for him, and feel him throb against my palm. Our eyes would lock, and he would lay me on the bench…

“Grace?” Damon shifts, moving his thigh out from under me.

There’s an ache deep within me as my hand loses contact. Worse, a steady pulse runs through me, beating out the rhythm of an unknown need. Everything was right in my vision. This reality before me is wrong.

The prince puts a cool hand to my forehead. “Is the heat getting to you? You seemed out of it for a minute.”

“I’m fine.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

“All right. Let me know if you need water or anything. Anyway, as I was saying, I have something for you.”

Sliding from the bench, he gets down on one knee and pulls out a velvet box.

I wrinkle my brow, perplexed. “Haven’t we done this already?”

“Not like this.” He opens the box, revealing a ring. This one is diamond, a huge solitaire that sparkles in the sun. In my old line of work, I had to know a thing or two about them for … resale purposes. I’ve never seen one this large, or this clear and colorless. If I had the chance in my prime, I definitely would have relieved it of its owner.

Damon looks up at me, like he’s waiting for a reaction. “Do you like it?”

“Is it really for me?”

He laughs, wrapping me in a hug. “Of course it’s for you.” He slips the ring onto my finger, where it rests snuggly against the lion.

I hold my hand away from my face to admire them both. “You didn’t have to do this, you know. I already loved the first ring.”

“Keep them both. They’re yours, so do what you want with them. I thought you might like a diamond as well, so you can choose which one you’d like to wear.”

The diamond captures a beam of sunlight, refracting it into a million colors. “I don’t know if I can wear this much rock. What if I lose it?”

“Then I’ll buy you another. I would have gotten a nicer one, but this was the best I could find on such short notice.”

I’m not sure how this diamond could be improved upon, except in size. I’ll have to watch out. Any nicer and I won’t be able to lift my hand.

I twirl my new ring around my finger. “When did you get this? You haven’t had time to leave the palace, have you?”

“Special delivery. They make certain concessions for princes.”

I can’t quite shake the sense that this is a dream that I’ll wake from at any moment. “Why do you do all this for me?”

“You deserve everything, and I want to give it to you. Speaking of which, we have a plane to catch.”

“Is Rashad going to drive us to the airport?”

He takes my diamond-clad hand in his, eyes shining mischievously. “We could go to the airport to catch one of those bulky planes, though I would prefer something faster, and far more stylish.”

“Like what?”

He nods toward the jet in the corner.

My mouth falls open. “Can we really ride in that?”

“I should hope so.” He seems pleased with my enthusiasm, though I can’t help it. I’ve never ridden in a plane before, let alone a craft as elegant as this.

As we approach, a door pops open on its hull. A set of stairs unfolds before us, covered in plush ivory carpet. Not only do the Lions have a jet, apparently they can afford to have it staffed and ready to fly at any time. I guess it’s good that I restrained myself earlier. Damon and I weren’t as alone up here as I thought.

The interior of the plane is cool, a relief from the heat of the rooftop. Every surface is the same creamy ivory color, even the oversized leather chairs. It would be a nightmare to clean, though I bet these flight attendants have to deal with fewer spilled drinks and crushed peanuts than their commercial airline counterparts.

I look down the length of the cabin. There are three rows of chairs, and a narrow aisle to one side. I don’t see any sign of a crew, though.

“Take a seat,” Damon says. “I’ll just have a quick word with the captain.”

I choose the front seat that’s more of a couch as he disappears inside the cockpit. I wonder who’s piloting us if not Rashad, who seems to be the family’s master navigator.

Damon reappears, carefully latching the door behind him. He sits next to me, closer than necessary with all the space we have available to us. I don’t mind one bit.

“Where are we going?”

He puts an arm around me. “That’s a surprise.”

The prince really does love surprises. I’ll have to surprise him myself one day, but in a good way. Not like last night. I cringe inwardly. I have to stop thinking about that. I make myself focus on Damon. He’s still here, isn’t he? He even has an arm around me, and his leg presses against mine. My fiancé is still here, and I want to thank him for that. But what could I get him that he doesn’t already have? This is going to be challenging. I have a lot to think about.

The jet rumbles beneath us as the engines warm up. I clutch the armrest, tingling with nervous anticipation.

The engines whine, rising to a keen. We’re still pointed at the edge of the roof. I don’t know much about planes, but I do know that you need a runway. At least there’s a wall to keep us from tumbling off the edge of the palace. I’m sure the pilot is experienced, but it’s hard for me to trust someone I’ve never even seen.

I swallow, trying to keep my voice from quavering. “Is there enough runway for us?”

Damon puts a hand on my knee. “That’s the best part.”

I’m about to ask if he should check on the pilot when the engines roar. I can feel the jet tremor with the sheer power it’s unleashing, but the strangest thing is that we’re not moving forward.

We’re lifting up.

I gape at the scenery as the jet ascends. The clay roofs and shimmering office buildings lie far below. The encroaching sea is deep green today, but thin white lines are the only sign of crashing waves. I’m pressed against my seat as the engines scream, launching us forward.

Then we’re gliding, everything quiet as we slip into a cloudbank.

There’s a whole other world up here. We’ve entered a kingdom of clouds full of wispy pillars and spires. The jet’s wings cut through them all, leaving whirling spirals in their wake. I try not to press my nose against the glass. It would be unseemly to leave a print.

“Do you like it up here?” Damon asks.

“I love it.” It’s difficult to tear myself away from the clear blue sky, but I’m rewarded with his hazel eyes.

“You can use it any time you like. Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

After I left California, I never stayed in one place for more than a week. I hopped from one cruise ship to another, working my way down the coast of Mexico, through the Panama Canal, and across the Atlantic to Europe. I’ve sailed into the Mediterranean, and planned to keep going until I got all the way around the world. Even a month ago, I could have rattled off a list of places I was dying to see. Rio de Janeiro. Cape Town. Tokyo. Auckland. I didn’t realize it until now, but I haven’t felt that itch of wanderlust since I met Damon. If he never wanted to leave, I’d be happy to stay with him in the City of Lions forever.

“I’ll go wherever you go.”

He grants me a tender kiss on the cheek. “I’ll try to do the same. I’d be remiss in my duties if I left the city too often, I’m afraid. But if you ever get the urge to get out, I’ll do my best to make it happen.”

“That sounds good.” I wrap my arms around my chest. The plane was delightfully cool when we were stepping off a blazing rooftop, but now I’m getting chilled.

Damon puts his jacket around me, then adjusts a dial in his armrest. I no longer feel like I’m going to start shivering.

“You can change the temperature without speaking to the captain?” I ask. “This
is
a nice plane.”

“You think that’s nice?” Damon strides to the cockpit, unlatching the door and letting it swing open. I’m afraid he’s going to get scolded by an angry pilot, but nothing happens. The prince looks so proud. I go to his side, wondering what he wants me to see.