Highness (18 page)

Michael took her silence as a bad sign.  “Hope,” he said, bringing her attention back to him.

She raised a brow and slowly pulled her gaze from the wall up to his beautiful face, bright with eagerness and determination.  “Hmm?”

His blue eyes burned through her. “Are you going with me?” he asked again. 

She let out a sigh and gave a tight smile. “Michael, I realize that you don’t want to leave me with the impression that you don’t care.  And I don’t think that at all, but you don’t have to throw me on your back and carry me across the world like some newly acquired baggage because you slept with me.  I’m not that fragile. I’ll be okay. I promise.”

“You think I’m doing this to keep from hurting your feelings?” he asked.

Hope had to be honest with him.  She might not ever see him again. “Yes.”

He raked a hand across his face and settled it at his chin.
Women
.  “I’m doing this because I want to be with you.”  He walked to the window and looked out the curtains.  More camera men unloaded from their vans and trucks by the minute.  By nightfall, the house would be turned into a complete media circus with him as the ring master.

“This is a gamble,” he admitted.

Hope didn’t answer but agreed.

“On top of asking you to leave your country, I’m asking you to do it in the next hour,” he said, watching as her head snapped toward him.  He nodded at her.  “Yes, it’s rushed. Yes, it’s sudden.  Yes, it’s crazy,” he said, turning toward her. 

Hope shook her head. “With that many omissions, your
but
statement better be good.”

He smiled despite himself.  She could always bring the humor out of him.  “But…” he began walking back over to her.  He grabbed her hands and pulled her off the bed.  Looking into her eyes, he held her close.  “But I love you.”

Hope’s breath caught in her chest and she had to force herself to blink. Did he just say what she thought he said…what she felt?  Mouth flying open, she nearly buckled at the knees.

“Do you love me?” Michael asked, hoping that unlike Thalia, this woman who seemed to be so good and so pure, would actually tell him the truth.

Hope clenched his back.  “Yes, I love you very much,” she said, fighting tears again. 

“Then come with me,” he whispered on her lips.  He kissed her gently.  “Let’s go on a little adventure.”

Hope felt herself saying the words, but she couldn’t believe that she was saying them.  “Okay.” 

***

In all her years, Hope had never been packed so quickly.  Michael’s men were all given directions with Geoff leading the charge and within 30 minutes, she was downstairs with Michael full-packed and waiting for the helicopter to arrive in her backyard.

The idea sounded preposterous to Hope at first. She was literally awaiting an aircraft to land in her three-acre backyard.  The game plan was for it to take them to the Memphis International Airport where she would board a private jet with Michael and return to London.

It sounded simple enough in theory, but the truth of the matter was that she was quietly shaking in her boots. 

Literally, she had put on some of her low-heeled, brown boots to trek through the grass in the backyard, along with dark blue jeans and comfortable red fitted t-shirt that stopped at her hips.  With a brown leather backpack thrown over her shoulder and shades over her eyes, she had pulled back her hair into a wispy ponytail, slipped on her grandmother’s watch and her grandfather’s dog tags, sprayed on perfume and slipped on gloss. 

Michael on the other hand, looked like a million dollars in his tailor-made suit.  He stood beside her on his cell phone talking to his brother in a low monotone voice while the guards made sure the perimeter was secure.

Unable to help herself, she left his side and went and turned on the television in the living room.  Shocked, she saw none other than Sean Pritchard giving an interview on a local affiliate station of Fox.

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” she bit out, perching on the end of her sofa.

“What?” Michael asked, hanging up with Richard. He hadn’t meant for her to see the television at all until they arrived safely in London.

“Sean,” Hope said, pointing at the television. “I guess we know now who turned you in.  It just doesn’t seem fair that he be allowed to cash in on this.”

Only a few feet away from Hope’s house, a bandaged-up Sean Pritchard stood talking to a reporter about being assaulted by the prince all while pretending to be such a saint himself. 

“He’s got a very hot temper,” Sean said, rolling his eyes.  “I mean, look at my nose.  This guy, out of nowhere, sucker punched me for no reason at all.  I guess he didn’t think that he could take me in any other way.”

Michael snarled. “I hope that I broke his nose.”

“How well do you know Hope Daniels?” the reporter asked. “Reports say that you were lovers.”

“She and I were in love until recently.  Things went downhill. I think it was simply because we just were working so hard.  Our competing schedules caused us to drift apart, but she still means the world to me.”

“Liar!” Hope turned from the television. “Turn it off,” she said, holding her head.

The guard quickly turned off the television for her.

“He cheated on me with another woman and accused me of it being my fault because I was black.  That hardly qualifies as competing schedules.  Can you believe him? ”

“Yes,” Michael said, looking at his watch.  It had happened to him for most of his adult life. 
Half-truths.  Whole lies
.  It was all the same.

“And he’s just going to get away with it?” Hope put her hand on her hip, disgusted by Sean just a little more than before, which wasn’t hard to do. 

Michael shrugged.  “They often do.  It sells gossip magazines.  So lies will continue to trump truth.”  Seeing the frustration in her face, he went over and rubbed her back.  “Now, now. I’m sure that everything will be okay.  Sean Pritchard is in your past. You just have to move past him and his lies.”

“He’s making you look like a monster,” Hope reminded.

“He won’t be the first,” Michael said soothingly, hiding his frustration with her ex-boyfriend.

Geoff walked through the back screen door with wind picking up behind him. His men were in place and the aircraft had landed, which was causing the media across the street to go crazy.  They knew in just a moment, Prince Michael would again be out of their reach.  Motioning toward Michael and Hope, Geoff stood in front of the opening with his ear piece in and his gun visible.   “Helicopter’s here, Your Highness.  We’re ready for you.”

Michael turned to Hope and smiled. “Are you ready for some fun?”

Hope didn’t know what to say.  She’d never been in a helicopter before, never been in a private jet, never been chased by the paparazzi, and never had one of these experiences.  Shrugging her slim shoulders, she smiled. “Guess so.”

Knowing that this was all new to Hope, Geoff raised his palm suddenly.  “A few things, Ms. Daniels. Stay away from the rear of the helicopter.  Crouch low before getting to and going under the main rotor.  Approach the helicopter from the side or front, but never out of the pilot's line of vision. Hold firmly to loose articles. Never reach up or dart after a hat or other object that might be blown off or away. Protect your eyes by shielding with a hand or by squinting, even though you have on shades.  And if suddenly blinded by dust or a blowing object, stop and crouch lower or, better yet, sit down and wait for help.”  He looked between Hope and Michael.  “You got all of that.”

“No,” Hope said, having second thoughts.

Grabbing her hand, Michael kissed her cheek.  “In other words, stay by me.”

She nodded.  “Will do.”

Michael’s excitement showed in his wide grin.  “Good.”  He looked over at Geoff. “Did you take care of that thing I asked you to?”

“It’s done,” he said, opening the door for them.  “Alright. Let’s get you loaded and the hell out of Hernando, Mississippi.”

As they came out of the house, they were covered on both sides and in the front and back by body guards.  Making their way quickly to the helicopter, Geoff loaded Hope on first and then Michael, despite obvious protocols.  Michael had already briefed him prior to the arrival of the plane that Hope was to be completely taken care of during her entire stay with him – no matter what.

When they were both on the plane, Hope noticed a woman she’d seen on CNC news outlet a thousand times.  Looking over at Michael, she whispered. “What is going on?”

Michael pulled off his shades and shook the reporter’s hand as she offered.

“Thanks for giving me five minutes, Your Highness.”

“My pleasure,” Michael said, buttoning his suit jacket. 

“Ready to go live?”

“I am,” he said, holding Hope’s hand.

“We’re live with Prince Michael and his girlfriend Hope Daniels.  They are on their way out of the country.  However, exclusive to CNC, he has agreed to give us one statement on his relationship and on the allegations against him by Sean Pritchard,” the woman said into the camera that the man was holding beside her.  Turning to Michael, she put the microphone up to him. 

“It’s a shame that we have to deal with this type of behavior in the 21
st
century. But I will say that Sean Prichard is worse than a liar.  He’s an opportunist and a bigot.  The altercation that did not happen the way that he said, but did happen, was a result of his constant harassment of her, his belittlement of her as a woman and his attack on her race.  Evidently, her being African-American was the source of their breakup and the source of his feelings of control over her life.  I do not believe in those bigoted attitudes toward women or races.  Quite frankly I’m utterly disgusted by the man.”

“Any other things that you’d like to add, Ms. Daniels?” the woman asked Hope.

Squeezing Michael’s hand, Hope pulled off her shades and looked into the camera.  “Sean Prichard and I were never in love. He’s obviously capitalizing off this situation and he’s angry that he was emasculated by Michael, even before he knew who he was.  This is simply another case of someone trying to cash in on lies.  I just hope the American public can see right through him.”

“Thank you for your time,” the woman said with a smug grin.  “Safe travels to London.”

“Thank you,” Michael said as the reporter was escorted off the helicopter and Geoff loaded in.  “Well, that handles that.  I never respond to this kind of rubbish.  But I promise you this, whatever he financially hoped to gain from coming out publicly; he will lose in professional circles of influence.”

Hope was astounded.  “You did that for me?” she asked. 

“Yes.  Anything to make you happy,” he said as they felt themselves begin to make their ascent in the air.  “You have no idea how happy I’m going to make you.”

Chapter 17

The Matsworth House

The Dowager Duchess of Matsworth

No matter how Nathaniel tried, he couldn’t get enough of Thalia.  Even after three times of making love back-to-back to her that afternoon, he still could not ravage her enough.  It was the way that her silky skin felt under between his fingers, the way that her hair spilled like oil against the nude-colored silk sheets. As the sun began to roll behind the vast green hills of the historic manor home, he hid his body from the rays of setting sun coming in from across the room under twisted sheets and pillows.  Rolling around in the comforter as she giggled and kissed his neck, he buried his head in her lushness and drove himself deeper in between her succulent thighs. 

“Harder!” she whispered in his ear right before she tugged at his lobe with her perfect white teeth.

He closed his eyes, trying to gain more self-control, and grabbed the end of the mattress for better positioning, then arched his back and thrust into her as she commanded. 

They both let out a gasp of pure unadulterated pleasure. 

“Is that hard enough, love?” he asked, sucking her spear-like tongue.

“Not nearly,” she said, running her hands down the length of his slim back and grabbing his adorable bare backside.  Opening her legs wider, she undulated under him, driving him insane with the motion of her hips.  “There,” she moaned.

“Right there?” he asked, raising up to see her tan angelic face.

Her blue eyes flashed open and gazed at him under heavy black lashes. “Yes,” she panted.

Moving faster, he pumped into her body, making the headboard slam loudly into the wall.  Grunting, he licked the sweat off her neck. 

Feeling her tight womb pulsate with pleasure, she looked up at him as her climax began to surface.

“Yes,” she said again, this time with much more base in her throaty moan.

“Thalia,” he said, clenching his jaw. 

“I’m so close,” she panted. “So fucking close!”

Her father couldn’t have timed his entrance any more perfectly.  Right before she rushed full on into her orgasm, the doors to her bedroom burst open and a well-dressed man and his son came barging in. 

Hitting the light switch, he startled both of them.

Quickly, they began to scramble to hide from their new uninvited audience.

Nathaniel tried to cover himself as he quickly rolled over on his back and snatched the comforter. “Shit!” he exclaimed, wiping his brow. “What is this?”

“Father! What the hell are you doing?” Thalia asked, panting still.  “Get out!” Pushing her back up against the headboard, she looked up at her father, stern and rigid, as he walked casually over and stood over them with his arms folded across his chest.

“Just what do you think that you are doing?” he asked as his son, Mitchell went to the other side of the bed and literally pulled Nathaniel out of the bed by his blonde mop of hair. 

“Grab your clothes and get the fuck out of here,” Mitchell ordered, pushing Nathaniel towards the butler and the door.

Thalia screamed in anger. “What are you doing in my room invading my privacy?” 

Picking up the remote, he turned on the television and changed the channel to the news.  The breaking story was Prince Michael loading into a helicopter in Hernando, Mississippi with Hope Daniels.  Throwing the remote on the bed, he looked down at his daughter as she tried to cover herself up.

“Do you know why I made you stay here at the family house instead of your flat in London?” he asked, ignoring Mitchell as he shoved Nathaniel out of the door and closed it behind him.

Thalia tried to process what she was seeing on the television. “To make me miserable. To punish me,” she said, frowning at the sight of Hope. 

“I brought you here to keep you under lock and key until Prince Richard had time to deal with Michael on his own and make him see his error.  I brought you here to keep you out of the newspapers and off the television and to honor the contract that we have with the royal family to keep our business out of the social pages.  Do you know why I did that?”

Thalia could barely turn from the television. 
Did her eyes deceive her?
“To protect your name,” she said smugly.

Her father’s frustration ramped higher.  “To ensure that your virtue would not be in question when the Prince came to his senses,” her father snapped.

“My virtue?” Thalia said with a smirk.

Her father ignored her less than noble reply.  “But what Prince will want you if he finds out that you’re sleeping with your lowly tennis instructor?” He bent to her, close enough for her to see the dirt on his gold-rimmed glasses.  “Stupid girl.  Do you know how long it took me to make you favorable enough for the Queen’s son? I spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to make you into the most logical, obvious choice out of the other women vying for his attention. I paid off families. I ruined reputations. I spent a third of my fortune investing in your lifestyle.”

She leaned into her father and sneered at him. “I’m not stupid.  I’m tired!” she screamed, hitting the mattress with her balled up fist.  “I’m tired of pretending. I’m tired of waiting. I’m tired of placating.”

“I will say so.  You ruined your engagement by telling the Prince of England that you didn’t love him.”

“It’s true.”

“It’s irrelevant!” he said, throwing up his hands. “An idiot could have known better than to admit to something so…”

“So true?”  Thalia pulled the covers tighter over her breasts and raised up slightly in the bed. “I have done everything that you have asked of me.  I offered myself on a platter to a man I do not love so I could protect this family’s name and financial future.  I’ve laughed at his ridiculous jokes, listened to his God-awful music, kept my peace on his far-fetched domestic and foreign policies and agreed to marry him and give him more ridiculous children.  I’ve done all of it for the sake of this family.  I hardly think that qualifies as idiotic or stupid.  But finally he asked me very sincerely one question that I could not lie about and I answered him truthfully and it cost me everything.  One question!  Sue me!”

“We sued him, remember?  For you, we took money from the crown, from our country to remedy your decision to be honest.”  Her father shook his head. “You made yourself lie for your entire courtship. What made it so hard to lie then?”

“He said he loved me, and I reciprocated by saying the same. He kissed me; I kissed him back.  He desired me; I desired the crown.  And I still desire it, but that has been my only focus – for you, for this family and for myself.  When he asked if I would stand by him, love him even when he denounced his royal rights as a Prince to move off and be some godforsaken philanthropist toiling away in Africa with his charity organization, I answered truthfully because I thought that it would make him see that his place was here in England with
his
people.”

“You said you didn’t love him!” her father exclaimed, reiterating her betrayal to both the family and Michael. 

“I said I wouldn’t marry him if he were not the Prince of England. That I couldn’t bear to think of leaving this country and being something other than what we were born to be…royal.”  She breathed hard, nostrils flared as she glared at him.  “I told him the truth.  I loved what we could become as a force of power for this country. Our two families joined would make England stronger.” 

“You told him that you didn’t love him!  You don’t tell a man like that something like that and expect for him to simply brush it under his royal rug!”  Her father swallowed down a breath of disbelief.  “It was a test, Thalia. Pure and simple.  He was testing you.  The man would never denounce his royal birthright.  It is what gives him the ability to fund his charity and do his work. He was testing you – testing your relationship.”

“You don’t know him like I do.  You didn’t put in the hours, the days, the weeks, the years.  He
would
denounce his rightful place.  He probably still will. I saved you the embarrassment of being associated with the first Prince of England to run off from his country with his tail tucked between his poor privileged legs because his family, or someone in it fed his mind with too much liberal thinking.”

“There is talk,” her father said, eye brow raised.  He lowered his voice.  “The Queen is nearly 70.  Her husband is dead.  The next in line is Prince Richard.  And there is talk in secret that he is ill.  This constitutional monarch requires a Sovereign.  When the Queen passes away either from old age or sickness, if her elder son is already dead…”

Thalia couldn’t blink though she tried.

Her father continued with a more even tone now that he had her full attention. “Even if Michael had plans to dishonor his family and denounce his thrown, which I seriously doubt all together, that time has come and passed.  If Richard is truly sick, terminally so, then the next King of England is…”

“Michael,” Thalia finished in nearly a whisper.  “Oh my God.” Rubbing the hair from her face, she pulled herself together.  “How reliable is this talk, these rumors?”

Her father wouldn’t give his source.  “As reliable as it comes.” He knew that she’d read between the lines. Standing back up straight, he pulled at his suit jacket. 

“Right.”  Thalia said, looking back over at the anchor man still reporting on Michael’s new girlfriend. A photo of Hope flashed on the television, making her cringe.  “Well that changes things dramatically.  So what do you suggest we do about her?”

Her father walked to the bedroom door. “We will do what any self-respecting family would do.  We will discredit her entire existence and make her completely unsuitable for the Prince.  I’ll start making calls immediately to our friends in the media and government to see what can be dug up on her.  By the time that he arrives back in London with his little starving artist, we’ll have torn her apart.  He’ll have no choice but to send her back and be done with whatever is between him.”

Pulling herself out of bed, Thalia dragged her sheet toward her bathroom.  She had to get ready – clean herself up and prepare to be as beautiful and loving as possible when the Prince returned from his exhausting travels. And this time, she wouldn’t get relaxed and mess it up with being honest.  

Pausing by the fireplace, she turned back to her father with a deep breath.  “Do me a favor, daddy.”

“Yes, dear. Anything,” he said, ecstatic to know that she was finally back on board.

Thalia smiled smugly.  “Fire Nathaniel.  Pay him off and send him far away. I don’t want him to be a problem.”

Her father smiled and opened the door. “He’s already gone.”