The Reluctant Wife: Chapter 43

She looks so frustrated and so damn cute, I almost give in. I want to let her come, but I also know if I hold back, the final pleasure will be above anything she’s ever experienced. I place a finger on her mouth. ‘Trust me.’

She scowls.

‘You’re adorable, baby.’

She rolls her eyes. ‘You’re turning on the charm and trying to distract me.’

‘Is it succeeding?’

She goes up on tiptoes and raises her chin, and because she has me wrapped around her little finger, I oblige and kiss her lips. She parts her lips, and I deepen the kiss. The feel of her mouth, the taste of her, the scent of her… All of it goes to my head. I feel all of my resolutions crumble and wrap my arms about her. Footsteps approach.

‘Bro, are you ready to meet with the rest of the team? Oh—’ Tyler blinks, then turns his back on us. ‘Sorry, mate. Didn’t mean to do that.’

The princess squeaks and buries her head in my neck.

‘I’ll wait for you in the war room, and let them know…uh… That you’ll be there soon.’ Tyler’s steps recede.

I bang the back of my head against the wall. ‘Goddam Tyler,’ I say through gritted teeth.

The princess pulls away from me. I let her. ‘I should be getting back. They’ll be wondering what I’m getting up to.’

She takes a step back, but I stop her with a touch on her shoulder. ‘You okay?’ I scan her features. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips swollen. It’s clear what she’s been up to, and while I don’t want her to be embarrassed, I’m satisfied that I’ve left my mark on her.

She draws in a breath then composes herself. Once again, she’s the haughty princess. ‘I will be.’ Her chin trembles, and I realize, no, she more resembles the girl I spotted at the bar and wanted to take home.

It elicits in me that same primitive instinct I had to possess her as soon as I saw her. The compulsion propelled me, for the first time, to see past my guilt at the events in my past. A compulsion which gave me hope and felt like redemption. It’s what spurs me to confess, ‘You’re the first woman I’ve wanted since Jane.”

Her gaze widens. ‘So, when we kissed at the bar other day⁠—’

I nod. “I saw you, and I was selfish enough to want you.”

A softness comes into her eyes. ‘You’re not being selfish by falling in love. You deserve to be happy, Ryot.’

‘And you deserve to be with someone you choose to be with.’

Say you chose me that very first night we met, too, I implore her silently. Tell me you, too, have feelings for me. Give me a reason for this marriage to become something more than one of convenience. Her expression grows wistful.

She looks at me with an imploring gaze but stays silent. The seconds stretch, then she looks away. ‘I’d better be off.”

This time, when she leaves, I don’t stop her.

I head off in the opposite direction, through the hallway, down the corridor, until I reach the room at the very end, which has been converted into our meeting space. I walk in to find the bank of computers set up on the tables pushed up against the wall on the right occupied by various crew members.

Upfront is a big screen, split into many windows, each of which shows the feed from different parts of the grounds. It includes all shared spaces from the palace, except for the suites of the Royal Family and the guests. The private suites of the princess, have additional cameras. Only I have access to via my phone.

There’s a conference table on the left and Tyler, Quentin, and Brody are gathered around it. Connor’s off on one of his research trips. I also recognize Karina Beauchamp, a friend who runs one of the leading security agencies in the world and whose expertise and team I’ve tapped into in the past.

Tyler watches me with concern on his face. Thankfully, he doesn’t mention having found me with the princess. He’s the most discreet of my brothers. Unlike Connor, who wouldn’t have thought twice about telling everyone what I was up to.

‘There you are,” Tyler says with sarcasm. ‘Not even married to the princess, and already behaving like royalty.’

I ignore him and turn to Karina. ‘Thanks for joining us.’

She nods in my direction. ‘Arpad wasn’t happy about my being away. But when I explained what it would mean to you, he agreed.’

‘Tell the big guy, thanks.” I met Arpad and Karina at Sinclair’s place and instantly hit it off with them. And when I found out Karina’s background was in personal protection, and that Sinclair uses her agency to provide security for his own family, I knew I could rely on her.

‘Including Karina’s team, we have a total of five hundred operatives spread out around the palace grounds.’ Quentin nods in her direction. ‘We’ve also boosted the camera surveillance on the perimeter and have armed guards with guard dogs patrolling the area. On the wedding day itself, and the day following it, the number doubles to a thousand.

“Enough to provide security for all VIPs, as well as doubling the protective detail so no inch of the palace is left vulnerable.’

‘We’re sewn tighter than a baseball’s cover,’ Tyler grunts.

‘Any more, and we’ll be as tight as a duck’s arsehole,’ Brody drawls.

‘It’s not enough.’ I fold my arms across my chest and scowl at them. I realize, I might be a tad unreasonable here, but when it comes to keeping my Empress safe, no security measure seems to be enough.

‘You’re joking,’ Tyler protests.

Brody stares at me like I’ve grown two heads. Only Quentin and Karina don’t seem surprised.

‘How many guests will be attending.’ Karina pulls up her tablet and swipes across the screen.

‘Five hundred at the wedding in St. George’s Cathedral. Two hundred of them will be at the evening reception.’ I rub at my temples.

‘It’s a security timebomb, is what it is,’ Tyler grumbles, his gaze fixed on his phone. His thick fingers fly across the screen.

‘It’s what the princess wants,’ I point out.

Aura wanted to leverage the PR generated from the wedding to bring in tourists, and it’s working. Arrivals to the country have gone up. Restaurants and shops have reported an uptick in sales. The capital has hired hundreds of additional tour guides, leading to a rise in employment. And thanks to Arthur, the board of The Davenport group signed off on the investment proposal for Verenza. Her country’s economic outlook has improved, and I know that makes her happy. Which makes me happy.

Tyler sends me a strange look. He’s thinking I’m pussy-whipped. Hell, I think I’m pussy-whipped. But she is my Empress. Mine. And I’ll do anything for her.

‘Hmm.’ Quentin drags his thumb under his lip. ‘Most of the invitees are VVIPs—European and British royalty, and A-list celebrities. And then, there’s the press.’

‘Two hundred of them will be in the press enclosure on the wedding day. Not to mention, the hundreds of onlookers in attendance around the cathedral.’

“It’ll be a miracle if we pull this off without a major incident.” Brody rotates his neck.

I’m going to make sure nothing unexpected happens. Nothing that will spoil the wedding for my woman. It’s bad enough she’s going through this to ensure the future of her country is safe. I’m going to ensure she doesn’t suffer the ignominy of a security glitch, as well. ‘A miracle is precisely what we’re going to make happen.’ I look around their faces. ‘After all, we have the best security minds on this.’

Quentin squares his shoulders. ‘You have my word. Given you won’t be able to oversee the details that day, I’ll do so personally. I’ll do my best to ensure the event unfolds without a glitch.’

‘I’ve reached out to some more acquaintances I trust. They’ll be here with their teams by tomorrow morning. That’s another two hundred of the best security personnel on the continent.’ Karina continues to message on her phone as she speaks.

‘And another two hundred former Marines, who’ve gone into private security since.’ Tyler looks up from his device. ‘Pulled in a few favors.’ He smirks.

‘That takes the total number of security folk to nine hundred.’ Quentin’s lips twitch.

That’s more than one security person per new arrival, if you include the press.

Add in the mass of tourists coming into the island, the extra ferries being pressed into service, the additional sea and air traffic, not to mention the private planes and yachts expected during this, the scale is truly astonishing.

There hasn’t been any further suspicious activity or threats since the assassination attempts on the princess. But instead of reassuring me, it’s made me more nervous. It signals that whoever was behind the threats could be regrouping. But I’ll be damned if they’ll get through security at the wedding and do anything to disrupt the ceremony. My princess deserves a service fit for a queen. And with the number of security personnel deployed, we just might be able to mitigate the risk involved.

My shoulders relax slightly. ‘Now, we only have to rework the security arrangements and brief everyone.’

‘Good thing we have another seventy-two hours to the wedding.’ Brody rolls his shoulders. ‘Hell of a bachelor’s party you’ve got going here, bro.’

I bare my teeth. ‘Never did believe in them.’

Besides, I’m not getting drunk before the wedding. Not when I need to keep my wits around me. And no way, am I interested in going to a strip club or any of the conventional activities that bachelors seem to revel in. I’m not interested in any woman but her. So no, count me out of these boring rituals. I intend to channel all of my energy into making sure my woman is safe.

I walk around the table to the whiteboard and pick up a marker. ‘Here’s how I propose we allocate our resources for that day.’