Behind Palace Doors(26)

"That was fine. The media will spin a story or make up one if the truth  isn't juicy enough. Letting them know there was more to come will  pacify them for a bit," Stefan told her. "Once Mikos comes to and can  speak for himself, this will be easier to handle."

Eyes closed, head still back, she gave a slight nod. "Yes, it will. Just tell me how I can help."

Stefan smiled. Even when she was dragging and on her last leg, she was  still putting herself out there for him and his family. She was the  strongest woman he knew and perfect to be reigning as queen...if she  stayed.

No, he couldn't think about that right now.

"The best thing you can do is rest," he told her, wrapping his arm  around her and pulling her down to his side. "Once we get back to the  palace we'll both try to get some sleep."

And then he planned on staying at the hospital until his brother showed  a vast improvement. He needed to give Karina some time to eat, to  sleep, but once the doctor had assured them all that Mikos wouldn't be  waking or likely showing much change for the next day or so, they'd all  promised to go home, rest, shower and refuel and return the following  morning.

Stefan glanced at his watch. He was so confused on time. Between not  getting enough sleep before arriving and the time difference, he didn't  know what time he thought it should be. But his body knew it was time  for sleep.

By the time they reached the palace, Victoria had a soft, steady snore  going. He smiled. He'd tried telling her once when they were teens that  she snored when she'd stayed for a movie and had fallen asleep. Like any  young lady, she refused to believe that she could do something so  rude...or normal. So he'd let the moment go, until they'd fallen asleep  once while on an evening picnic. They'd stayed out late and lain beneath  the stars talking when she had drifted off and started snoring. She  occasionally joked that maybe she did snore, but it wasn't loud like he  claimed.

And every night for the past three months, he'd been lulled to sleep by  those soft purrs, as she liked to call them. She may think it was a  catlike purr, but it was more like a tiger growl.

When the driver opened the door, Stefan carefully slid her into his lap  and eased from the car to carry her inside. The palace wasn't a small  place and his room was at the end of the long corridor, but that didn't  matter, not when he held such precious cargo.

He wasn't about to wake her to make her do the zombie walk of  exhaustion up to the room. Besides, she didn't weigh much, not when he  was used to pulling his own body weight up while rock climbing.

Would he ever be able to climb again? If his brother didn't make it, he  honestly didn't know. But he couldn't think like that. He wasn't scared  to tackle the rocks again, but he didn't want to do it alone when he'd  done it for so long with his brother.

Victoria was being strong through this process; he needed to mimic her actions in order to get Karina through this tough time.

The weight of Victoria in his arms felt so...right. He didn't know how  he would've gotten through this initial shock of his brother's accident  without her. She may have not done much, but being by his side, refusing  to leave the hospital until he did and then handling the paparazzi like  that only gave further evidence that she did love him.                       
       
           



       

But did she truly love him as deeply as she thought she did? Part of  him wanted that to be true, but the friend side wanted her to be  mistaken. He could admit his feelings for her had deepened since their  wedding, but...love? No. He couldn't-wouldn't-go that far.

For years he'd wanted to explore their friendship to see what could  come of it, but he never thought love or marriage would be a step in  their lives.

Maybe fate didn't want them together since the timing was always off.  Or maybe fate knew just when to throw them together for maximum support  and impact. Between his father's death, her scandalous breakup and now  his brother's accident, he knew they needed each other now more than  ever.

Not to mention the upcoming coronation. Yes, they were always there to  offer support and for consoling, but that's what friends did, right? All  of that did not allude to love.

Stefan entered his suite, closing the high double doors behind him, and crossed to the bed, where he laid her down.

He stood over her, looking at all that pale blond hair spread across  his navy, satin sheets. She was such a beauty, such an angel to have  come into his life to save him over and over again.

How could he truly ever repay her?

Love had never been on his bucket list, had never been a priority. Love  was something his brother had found, Victoria's brothers had found.  Love wasn't something for a man who enjoyed women as much as he did or  who didn't plan on marrying and settling down.

Yet here he was married to the most precious woman in his life. And, if  he were being honest with himself, he'd admit that being married to  Victoria was amazing. But they'd not really been married long and they'd  been jet-setting back and forth. They hadn't lived in a realistic  wedded atmosphere-or as realistic as it could get with being thrown into  the proverbial spotlight as royalty.

As he slid off his own shoes and stripped down to his boxers, he slid in beside her and held her against his chest.

How would he manage if she stayed? Could he give her the marriage she  deserved? She'd been engaged before-she obviously believed in happily  ever afters-so why had she settled knowing he couldn't offer her a bond  any deeper than their friendship and sex?

There were no easy answers, and Stefan had a sickening feeling he was going to hurt her before this was over.

* * *

Victoria had been working via phone and email with her staff back in  L.A. Between a few mishaps on the set of her brothers' film that her  assistant had to take care of and a glitch in the Italian silk she'd  ordered not arriving on time, Victoria was ready to pull her hair out.

Added to all of the work tension, she was worried for Stefan. His  brother was showing remarkable progress, but Stefan was so dead set on  staying at the hospital to give his sister-in-law breaks whenever she  needed them. Like any loving, dedicated woman, Karina wasn't leaving  Mikos's side. Victoria envied their love.

On a sigh, Victoria sent off another email to her assistant to remind  her to check on the dates for the bridal expo she hoped to be ready  for...if that blasted silk would arrive.

As she was looking at possible backup outlets for material, her cell  rang. Grabbing it from the oversized white desk in her suite, she  answered.

"Hello."

"Tori," Bronson said. "So glad I caught you."

Her stomach sank. "There's another problem with a piece of the wardrobe?"

His rich laughter resounded through the earpiece. "Not at all. Your  assistant did an amazing job coming to our rescue the other day. She  deserves a raise."

And she was going to give her one, for all that poor girl would probably have to take on in Victoria's absence.

"So if it's not the wardrobe, what are you calling about?" she asked.

"I've been trying to reach Stefan, but it keeps going to voice mail. Are you with him by any chance?"

"No. And he keeps his phone off while he's at the hospital."

"How's his brother doing?" Bronson asked.

Victoria sank back into her cushy chair and dug her toes into the plush  white carpet. "The doctors are astonished at the progress Mikos is  making only two weeks after a near-death experience."

"That's great. You guys must really feel relieved."

"Stefan is still like a mother hen," Victoria told him. "He spends his  days and evenings there. I think he'll feel better once Mikos is  released and a nurse is with him at home."

"I hate to bother him," Bronson said, "but when he gets a chance could you have him call me?"

Victoria drew her brows together. "Something wrong?"                       
       
           



       

"Not at all," he assured her. "I just wanted to discuss that documentary we are going to be working on."

Victoria sat up straight. "Documentary?"

"Yeah, the one on his mother's death? Anthony and I are thrilled he came to us and trusted us to take on such a project."

Stefan went to her brothers for a film? And didn't say anything to her?  A sliver of betrayal and dèjà vu spread through her. Had she been used  again for her family name?

"Anyway, just tell him no rush," Bronson went on, no idea of the  instant turmoil flooding through her. "He can call me when he gets a  chance."

Victoria hung up, laced her fingers together and settled her elbows on  the desk. Her forehead rested against her hands and she refused to let  her past relationship make her have doubts and fears about this one.