Behind Palace Doors(15)

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.

"I'll be right there," he said before disconnecting the call.

Stefan came to his feet, put his hands on his hips and looked down at  Victoria. "Police arrived. I'm going to go talk with them."

Still staring into his eyes, as if searching for answers about what had just happened, Victoria nodded and remained silent.

What had just happened? He didn't even know himself, but it was far too much. Besides, he couldn't focus on that right now.

"I can send someone to pick up our picnic later," he told her. "Are you staying here or coming back with me?"

"I think I'll stay here."

He studied her, trying to read if she was uncomfortable or just  confused like he was. Was she feeling something beyond their friendship  and sexual desire?

"Then I'll send someone down to make sure you're all right by yourself."

Victoria smiled. "I don't need a sitter, Stefan. I'll be fine. Go on  and talk to the police. But you have the man's memory card, so don't be  in a rush to press charges."

That was his Victoria. Always wanting the good in life to override the  bad. She was a special woman and for now she was not just his best  friend, she was his wife. He refused to delve deeper than that.

* * *

Victoria slid into her red silk nightgown and smoothed her hair back  over her shoulder. The phone calls Stefan had been receiving shouldn't  still be in the forefront of her mind, but they were, and she hated the  fact she let the jealousy settle there for so long.                       
       
           



       

Stefan wasn't Alex. Stefan was the most loyal friend she'd ever had and  no way would she compare the two men because Alex didn't even deserve  the time of her thoughts.

What did deserve her thoughts were those blasted designs. Something  just wasn't clicking. She'd never encountered this before, where all of  the drawings weren't up to her own standards of perfection. Granted,  they may be okay for some designers, but Victoria prided herself on  flawless, shockingly stunning designs before she let anyone see them,  and she wasn't going to change her ways with this new bridal collection.

She wanted her team back in L.A. to gasp with awe when they saw what  she'd come up with. Unfortunately, if she took these current drawings to  the table, her associates would only gasp in fright.

On the bright side, her random drawings of various forms of the  Alexander family crest were quite impressive, if she did say so herself.  Too bad that wasn't her main focus.

Soon-to-be brides around the world were waiting with high expectations  to see what Victoria Alexander, Princess and almost Queen of Galini  Isle, would come up with for the launching of her new line.

Maybe if she added a touch more lace. Lace said romance, but too much  could scream tacky. Perhaps longer trains like so many girls dreamed of.  Grown women still kept that little girl fairy tale in their mind. Their  wedding day was supposed to be magical, and it all started with the  dress because it set the tone.

Warm, strong hands cupped her shoulders and Victoria jumped.

"Easy."

She turned in Stefan's arms and smiled. "I didn't hear you come in."

His eyes dipped down to the V in her nightgown and a wicked grin spread  across his lips. "Why cover up? Inside this room there should be a  no-clothes rule."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "I barely get them on before you take them off."

"Exactly," he agreed, squeezing her almost-bare shoulders. "It's a  waste of time. So tell me what had your mind so preoccupied?"

Reaching up, Victoria grabbed his forearms and held on. Sometimes it  was just nice to have his strength, his shoulder to lean on. He never  judged her and always listened with the compassion that only a best  friend could.

"I've just hit a rough spot with the designs." Fear gripped her at the  thought of being stuck in a rut, at the idea that she may be tapped out  at the moment in her career she needed her creativity most. "This has  never happened."

"You're stressing yourself," Stefan told her. "Take another day off to  think about it. For that matter, take the rest of our time here off.  Maybe once we get back to L.A., when you're in your element, the ideas  will flow."

She hoped, but she couldn't count on what-ifs to get her through her  career. Idly sitting by while waiting for something spectacular to jump  in her mind wasn't how she worked. But taking a few days off couldn't  hurt. It's not like the designs could get worse.

Offering a smile, she nodded. "You're right. I probably just need to get home."

Stefan slid her straps down her arms, the feather-soft touch of his  fingertips she'd so quickly grown used to sending shivers all over her  body. And her body never failed to respond to him since they'd first  made love in the theater.

Made love? Yes, she felt confident using that phrase-though she doubted  Stefan would be. She loved him as her best friend, and the special  relationship they had was unique. Granted this marriage may not be like  many others, but at least they had a strong bond that was lacking in so  many other couples.

"Now, since we have through the end of the week to enjoy this honeymoon  phase," Stefan said, backing her toward the four-poster bed, "what do  you say we continue making use of this alone time?"

And who could argue with a sexy Greek prince?





     Seven

Stefan knew he wouldn't get out of Galini Isle without his entourage  following him. While he was used to the guards being underfoot, now that  he was king-or very soon to be-they took the role even more seriously.

Victoria didn't seem to mind the extras at her impressive Hollywood  Hills home. Then again, her mind hadn't been on much else other than her  designs. She'd drawn on the flight, she'd stayed up all hours of the  night back in Greece, and she was still struggling.

Stefan hated to see her being so hard on herself. They'd been back in  L.A. for only a few hours and she was already downtown at her office  speaking with some of her staff.

The woman was a workaholic, but he admired her more than nearly anyone  he knew. He also had a little surprise for her, hopefully to help get  her creativity flowing in the direction she needed.                       
       
           



       

"Sir."

Stefan turned from the view of the city and faced the open living area  to see his assistant, Hector, standing in the arched doorway.

"Yes?"

The man, who had been assistant to his father before his death, stepped forward.

"If you have a moment, Sir, we need to go over your schedule of events while we are in the States."