The Royal Nanny Read online

  Chapter Eleven

  T he official coronation of Princess Valerie and Prince Algerone as the Royal Heirs to the throne of Malvidence was underway and Leyah felt extremely uncomfortable. It wasn’t because of the skin-hugging goldenrod gown that Valerie had insisted Leyah borrow from her. Though with the deep vee at the neckline, Leyah’s considerable cleavage was on display for all interested parties.

  It wasn’t even due to the smattering of arguments she’d found herself overhearing or whispered threats between the royal brothers and Princess Valerie’s friends who had arrived only the day before. No. That wasn’t it. Leyah found herself actually enjoying Helen and Laeticia. Both women were beautiful. Helen with her clear almond-colored skin, full lips, pointed nose, thick, straight black hair, and her extremely curvy body—Leyah thought the woman may have double H breasts they were so big—a thin waist and curvy hips with an ample bottom, Leyah was sure the other woman had to be a model. And Laeticia with her lips that appeared bee-swollen, her smaller height, huge ass, slightly rounded belly, sepia brown skin with reddish undertones, her curly black hair, which she’d happily announced to Leyah was “half-weave, half-her”, and rounded nose, Leyah hadn’t been surprised the American woman worked in PR.

  Both of Princess Valerie’s friends had seemed to have previous dealings with Prince Augustus and Prince Alfie. They were both going out of their way to avoid the two men, who seemed to be everywhere they were. And since the two women were often with Princess Valerie, who wanted Leyah with her wherever she was to help with Dahni, Eliava, and Eckha, that meant the source of Leyah’s discomfort was always there with his brothers and Prince Algerone: Alastair.

  She’d long since stopped thinking of him as Prince Alastair. After what they’d done. Her skin flushed, and she looked around the room discreetly to see if anyone had noticed her discomfort and embarrassment. She was glad she wouldn’t need to be at the ball for long. She’d long since placed the youngest three Smythe children to bed, after they’d made their appearances and been cooed and fawned over by visiting dignitaries, royals, leaders, and wealthy and influential members of Malvidencian and global society. She’d hesitated to even return to the coronation reception afterwards, but Princess Valerie had commanded that she come back, and it would be the height of disrespect and rudeness if she hid out in her room simply because she didn’t want to have to face him.

  She could feel his breath on the back of her neck. She couldn’t see him, even though she’d turned to look over her shoulders repeatedly, but she just knew he was there. Leyah tried to keep the smile on her face as she meandered through the very edge of the party. She was grateful to Prince Algerone and Princess Valerie for inviting her to their soiree, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to stay for too long. There were too many emotions swarming and colliding inside of her. Confusion, anger, gratefulness, happiness, lust, caring, fear, and another deeper emotion that she absolutely refused to look at any closer when she thought about him.

  As she smiled through gritted teeth, curtsied, and weaved her way through the crowd, Leyah continued to glance behind her, sure that he was following her. When her body trembled, and a zing of electricity trailed from her left hip to her core, she gasped and stopped, certain he’d just touched her. She swung her gaze left to right but still there was no one.

  He was making her crazy, with his finding her in hallways and kissing her over the last few days. His lingering kisses on her inner wrists. His eyes following her whenever she moved around a room, leaving trails of fire all over her body, causing her nipples to pebble, and her panties to moisten. She needed to hurry up and complete the mission she’d come here to do, bring the royal family of Malvidence to its knees so that the people of Waldakan could once again repossess the land, and she could get rid of them all. The same way they’d gotten rid of her ancestors. It was time. She had to do it quickly, before Alastair completely made her forget why she’d come to this godforsaken country in the first place.

  Danorian was growing anxious, consistently dragging her into alcoves and empty rooms to ask her if she’d discovered anything they could use. Wondering how close they were to starting the next phase of their takeover. Questioning her. Grilling her. Leyah was close to snapping at him and was liable to curse at or hit her longtime guard if interrogated her one more time.

  She was slightly concerned that her slow progress might cause him to act without thought and take a step she hadn’t authorized. She knew and Danorian as well, that she was the Princess of Waldakan. The ultimate authority. And the final word and decree on all missions regarding The Rebellion, but she was starting to feel as if her hold was getting tenuous.

  Leyah took a quick left into the first open room that appeared open that happened to be the smaller library, but came to a halt, her mouth dropping open at the sound of raised voices. Leyah was not usually a snoop or an eavesdropper, though she’d begun feeling like it since taking on this assignment, but there were so many secrets in this castle and so many dirty and interesting conversations taking place, that she couldn’t help herself.

  Tiptoeing to the edge of one of the tall shelves, she peered around the edge and quickly covered her mouth to stifle the gasp that wanted to escape when she saw who it was.

  “I’ve told you before, it was one. Time! I’m not even certain that the baby is mine! Why won’t you listen to me?” Augustus’s voice was full of anger and desperation as he ran his fingers through his hair and stared down at Helen, Princess Valerie’s best friend who had her arms wrapped around herself, looking stunning in a light pink gown.

  “It doesn’t matter if it was one or twenty times, Augustus! You promised me. You said you would wait. Remember? You said you would wait. For me! Wait for me to be ready. Or wait until we decided we wanted to get married. Not wait until you were away from me for a week or so, get drunk, and then sleep with a detestable… harpy!” Helen shook her head and turned away from Augustus.

  Leyah’s heart broke as she watched Augustus step up close to Helen, his chest pressed to her back. “I did promise, and it was a promise borne of good faith. I promise you. I had absolutely no intention of sleeping with her or anyone else. I got drunk because I missed you, because I missed your face.”

  Leyah wasn’t sure what it was that Prince Augustus had just said but Helen turned around and stared up at him, tears rolling down her brown cheeks. When Augustus wiped away her tears with his thumbs and lowered his head to press a gentle kiss to her lips, Leyah knew it was time to go. She stepped back slowly, quietly. One foot behind the other, until she crashed into a tall, hard frame. Her mouth was covered before she could scream in shock and a deep voice spoke in her ear.

  “Why did you leave so fast? Did you not want to stay and see the show?” Alastair’s voice sent shivers down her spine.

  Leyah shook her head.

  “Ah. I see. You wanted to be the star of your own show. Be front and center. Experience what my future sister-in-law is feeling right now, hmmm?” His voice was low, dark, his words filthy, and his arm around her waist a steel band and unyielding.

  Leyah tried to shake her head and refute what he’d just said, but her body betrayed her, and instead she found herself sinking into Alastair’s embrace as he rubbed his lips along the side of her neck, his erection pressed against the roundness of her ass.

  “Do you know how long I have been wanting to get you alone like this? In my arms? Panting and trembling for my touch? It’s been much too long since the last time I could smell your heat and feel your wetness on my fingers,” Alastair murmured against her throat.

  Leyah merely gurgled as he lifted his arm from around her waist, up to the neckline of her gown and tugged until her braless breasts spilled forth. The growl from above her was the only warning Leyah got before she found herself pressed against the shelving beside her, her back to the spines of the books, the skirt of her gown pushed up around her waist, Alastair’s fingers shoved down into her panties and his mouth attached to one of her nippl
es.

  Leyah gasped, her lungs struggling for air as pleasure unlike anything she’d ever known swirled throughout her body. She looked down at the top of Alastair’s head, and trembled when he glanced up at her and winked. After a few moments, with his fingers doing wicked things to her center and his mouth doing delicious things to her breasts, Alastair stood to his full height, though he kept his left hand shoved inside her panties, while his right hand gripped her hair, tugging her head back.

  “You. Are. Mine,” he growled, sounding almost angry, as if she’d refuted it somehow, before he lowered his head and bit the skin at the base of her neck and top of her shoulder.

  He released it after a moment and licked the bruised skin. Just as Leyah opened her mouth to say something, maybe refute his statement, or perhaps do something, like shove him away from her, or drag him closer, the sound of screams and gunfire filled the air.

  Alastair covered Leyah’s body with his own as gunfire and screams tore through the air. What the fuck was happening? When the sounding of booted feet rushing by the library reached his ears, Alastair realized the royal guards were either chasing after the terrorists who’d had the audacity to attack his brother and sister-in-law’s coronation, or they were racing to get involved in the action.

  Knowing he couldn’t stay in the library with his body on top of Leyah’s though it was certainly a delightful place to be, Alastair pushed himself to his feet. He pointed at Leyah who was attempting to climb to her feet.

  “No. You stay there. I’m going to go and check it out. I’ll be back for you,” he promised. He turned away, only to stop when Leyah’s fingers gripped the arm of his tuxedo jacket.

  “No, Alastair. Don’t go. You’ll be hurt or k-killed.” Leyah’s eyes were wide with fear, her hand trembling where it held his arm. Alastair placed his hand over her own, wondering at the sheer terror he could see on her face, and the tears that were building in her eyes. What had happened to her? Why was she having such a visceral reaction? Granted, the sound of gunfire and screams was definitely scary, but until they knew what was going on exactly, knew that danger was imminent, Leyah’s reaction was… odd.

  “I will be careful. And I will come right back to you. I swear.” He gently extracted her hands and turned back around to stride from the library. He met up with Augustus coming up one of the aisles, adjusting his clothing and he quirked an eyebrow.

  “Don’t say a kythrar gracvoring word to me,” Augustus growled. “I was this close,” he held up his index finger and thumb an extremely small distance apart from each other. “I need to find out who the gracvor I’m going to kill.”

  Alastair nodded. “Agreed.” Reaching into the shoulder holster hidden beneath his tuxedo jacket, he pulled out his Mark XIX Desert Eagle .50 AE semi-automatic pistol and released the safety. Stepping to the doorway of the library with Augustus, Alastair peered around the side of the doorway, expecting to see bodies littering the floor.

  Seeing nothing Alastair turned to look at Augustus in confusion.

  “Hopefully they aren’t holding them all in one room,” Augustus muttered, his eyes narrowing, and his sky-blue eyes darkening.

  “Is that likely?” Alastair whispered as he followed Augustus down the hall back toward the ballroom.

  “It’s what I would do,” Augustus confessed. He stopped and looked at Alastair. “It’s what I have done.”

  Alastair’s eyes widened for a moment before he continued following Augustus. As they drew closer to the room they’d all vacated moments earlier, the strains of the orchestra playing reached their ears.

  Why was the orchestra still playing? Were they the only ones not shot?

  Augustus and Alastair came to the closed ballroom doors and stopped. The doors were closed. They hadn’t been shut when Alastair had followed Leyah to the library earlier.

  Inhaling deeply to calm his racing heart and still his muddled and frantic thoughts, Alastair waited for Augustus’s signal. They both held their guns at the ready as Augustus counted down from three. Before he reached one, the doors swung open and they both pointed their weapons at the head of the person on the other side.

  It was only the sound of a feminine scream, then the thud as she hit the floor that let Alastair know that perhaps what they’d heard wasn’t exactly the murderous attack they’d assumed it was. Alastair’s eyes moved over the well-dressed guests who stood staring at him and his brother, then over at the guards who stood beside the open French doors that led out into the garden.

  The garden where fireworks were currently being set off, to the screams and squeals of delight of some of the women in attendance. Alastair groaned, and his eyes slid closed. He slid the safety back on, then placed it back in the holster, gesturing for Augustus to look out at the garden with his head.

  “I am so sorry, Lady Lemieuge,” he apologized as he helped her up from the floor.

  “What the hell are you two thived isris doing?” Algerone hissed as he rushed over to them.

  “We thought we heard gunshots and screams of terror and fear, so we came to check it out…” Augustus replied, his voice trailing off in confusion.

  “Where were you that you did not hear your kothrar announce that we would be setting off the fireworks in the garden if anyone wanted to see them?” Queen Araminta asked as she came forward to stand in front of them, her hands on her hips.

  Alastair swallowed nervously. He’d never been nervous or uncertain in his life. He’d certainly never been embarrassed or wracked with guilt and shame like he was in that moment. “We um… we were…” he stammered.

  “We were in the library,” Augustus answered, his voice determined and sure.

  “Together?” Algerone asked, narrowing his eyes.

  Alastair nodded his head. “Yes. Augustus was helping me find books on the history and the people of Waldakan. I want to know more about their reasoning for the Rebellion and see if I could find a way to help His Majesty arrange for a peace treaty,” Alastair stated, quickly coming up with an explanation.

  “Hmmm,” Queen Araminta squinted at them as if assessing the truthfulness of Alastair’s statement. Alastair refused to squirm. While that wasn’t why he and Augustus were in the library, it was something he’d intended to do on his own.

  His mother nodded after a while and turned back to their guests who had been doing an abhorrent job of trying to pretend they weren’t listening to their conversation.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the interruption and the distracting, and yes, fearing presence of our sons: Prince Augustus and Prince Alastair, with their guns. However, they thought our fireworks sounded like real gunfire and your screams of delight, ones of terror. While this seems alarming, I want to reassure you they mean you no harm, and I think, perhaps we should all feel safer that our princes would run into battle to protect us from an attack, don’t you think?” Queen Araminta asked in a persuasive tone.

  When the crowd murmured their agreement and began talking amongst themselves, calling Alastair and Augustus “brave” and “heroes,” Alastair knew his mother had handled things perfectly. He opened his mouth to thank her but stopped when she held up her hand.

  “Save it. You two will be discussing this with your kothrar and I tomorrow after breakfast. I do not believe you were in the library, alone,” she said firmly.

  Alastair went to reassure her again that they had been alone when Valerie rushed up to them, holding the gown of her emerald green dress in her hands. The color made her brown skin shine, and Alastair was glad to see his sister-in-law up and moving around freely again.

  “Have either of you seen Helen or Leyah?” she asked breathlessly. “I can’t seem to find either of them.

  The skin on Alastair’s neck heated when his mother turned to glare at him and Augustus. Looked as if they’d just been found out. Alastair could only hope Leyah would still be waiting for him in the library once he finished smoothing things over with his mother.

  Leyah backed away from the end
of the hallway and met back up with Helen who waited for her at the entrance of the library.

  “It was merely fireworks,” she informed the older woman.

  Helen sighed with relief. “Oh, thank God. I was a little afraid, I’m not afraid to say so.”

  Leyah nodded. “Yeah, me too.” But for a completely different reason than you, I’m betting.

  “I’m going to return to the ball. There’s no way I’m waiting around for that man to come back and try to sway me with his kisses and his hands and his…” Helen’s voice trailed off and her eyes grew distant as if she were remembering something pleasant.

  Leyah could understand what the other woman was feeling, but she knew she had to rush off before Alastair returned as well. He would want to pick up from where they left off, and with the fear of what she’d at first thought was an attack by The Rebellion still coursing through her veins and setting her teeth on edge, she needed to be alone before she did something foolish.

  “I understand,” she said with a nod. “Can you please tell Princess—Valerie—that I went up to my suite?”

  When Helen agreed, Leyah turned and rushed back up to her room. She hadn’t even cleared the elevator on the floor where her suite was before she was acutely aware of Alastair’s presence. She attempted to ignore him and hurry into her room, so she could close the door and lock it before he got there, but he was much too quick for her. She cleared the sitting and walked hurriedly to her bedroom, the heavy tread of Alastair’s footsteps echoing her own lighter, quicker steps.

  Once she was in her bedroom, she turned to him, anger flashing through her. Anger and something darker. More intimate. More primal. Raw.

  “Must you always be where I am?” Leyah asked him with a huff of annoyance.

  Alastair chuckled and pushed away from the doorway of her bedroom. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “Tell me you don’t want me to be where you are, and I will leave,” he said in a smooth tone.