Dominated By Desire (10 page)

There was a restroom right inside the doors so she slipped in without too many people seeing her. There were several women at the mirrors, but they cleared the area when they realized who she was. Royalty had its perks.

She tried to fix the dress but found she needed more than two hands.

The bodice had shifted and the only way to get it back where it belonged was to undo the dress and move it, and she couldn’t reach the magnetized seam. Asking another patron was out of the question. There’d be too much talk, but she couldn’t go out with half of her exposed.

Peeking out the door, she looked for someone she knew and realized she really only had three choices, and two of them would probably get her into more trouble. Luckily Storm’s sister happened to be nearby and spotted her. Heather signaled her over.

“I heard you were in here.” She stepped into the bathroom and allowed the door to close behind her. “Everything all right?”

“Yes, it’s just my dress seems to be a little off kilter.” She dropped her hand so she could see her predicament.

“What happened?” She stepped up behind Heather and released the dress enough to put everything back where it belonged. “My brother wouldn’t leave you like this.”

“No he wouldn’t.” She checked herself in the mirror, making sure everything was where it should be. “One of your pleasuring servants wouldn’t take no for an answer. Now he’s sporting a broken nose and speaking a few octaves higher.”

“Good for you.” She closed the seam of the dress and stepped back.

“Have you told my brother? He won’t be happy.”

“I’m not going to ruin his evening because of one stupid man.” She pulled the bodice up, hoping it would look like it did when he left her.

Fluffing the lace she decided it would have to do. “I’m sure security will alert him anyway. Until then he doesn’t need to know. Now, I can sense him lurking right outside the door. We have to make this look good.” They came out giggling and whispering to each other.

Storm stood there with his arms crossed. “What are you two up to?”

“What makes you think we’re up to something?” asked Heather as she linked arms with him. She wanted to act normal but was afraid he saw right through them.

“Because my sister is involved. I got in more trouble as a child because of her.” He looked down at her. “What happened to your dress?”

“I told you one of them was bound to pop out and you weren’t there to put it back so I had to do it myself.” She tried to sound nonchalant.

“If you had just waited for me I would have done a better job.” He took a hold of her bodice and pulled. Everything fell into place. “Looks like they got a little scraped up in the process too.”

He could be clueless about so many things, but when it came to her body he was like a hawk. How was she going to get out of this?

“I see the two of you have finally been given some freedom.” The new voice made Heather turn around. Perhaps she would be the out Heather needed.

Heather had noticed the woman before. Her tight black dress exposed more than it covered. Storm seemed oblivious as he smiled at the woman.

He wrapped his arm around Heather possessively. “Thank you, yes.”

“Come, there are a few people you need to be introduced to.” Storm’s sister pulled Heather out of his hold and hurried her away.

“That was rude.” Heather pulled herself free from her grip.

“Yeah, well you don’t want to get caught up with her.”

“Why?”

“Old family. Lots of ties. Thought she would be where you are someday.” She grabbed Heather by the arm and dragged her a few more feet before Heather pulled out of her grip again.

“We just went through a lot to get these puppies back where they belong. Cut it out.” She pulled at the material around her breasts to make sure they would stay in place. “So that is an old girlfriend. Wondered when they’d start showing up.”

“What? No. They never really dated or anything. Storm might have had a dalliance here and there but never anyone serious.”

“Then why are you dragging me away like she was?”

“Because Vespian women can be quite cruel when they want to and you don’t deserve that tonight. My brother can handle her and send her on her way.”

“And you think we humans aren’t cruel? I have been on the wrong end of many a comment that would hurt a weaker person.” Heather lifted her dress to move. “Did you close this right? I feel like there is a whole lot more material all of the sudden.”

She stepped behind Heather and tried to get the back of the dress to work. “The magnets have stopped working. Someone demagnetized them.” She grabbed the back of the dress to keep Heather from spilling out all over.

“You’ve got to be kidding.” Could it get any worse?

“Nope.” She looked over Heather’s shoulder. “Storm is coming.”

“Of course he is.” She put on her best smile and waited.

“Ladies?”

“Storm.” They said it at the same time.

“What seems to be the problem?”

“Little glitch with the dress. No big deal. We can fix it.” Heather started to back up, hoping Storm’s sister would move with her. They didn’t get too far before Storm stopped them and made her turn around. The back of her dress gapped open where his sister wasn’t holding it.

At that point head of security showed up. Heather hung her head. This wasn’t going her way at all.

“Let’s go.” He pointed for Heather and his sister to go first.

“If you don’t need me.” His sister started to let go of Heather’s dress.

“Oh, no. You’re coming. You are always in the center of trouble.” He grabbed the back of the dress as well. “Besides, if you were to let go now my mate would be mortified and I can’t have that.” It was a long walk to the security center. Heather felt like a fool with the two of them holding onto the back of her dress for dear life.

Storm saw the half-naked man with a bloody nose and turned to his sister. “You want to explain this?”

She pointed to Heather.

“Traitor.” Heather held her dress in place. “He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“These people are trained to please not harass.”

“So you don’t believe me?” More than anything, that pissed her off.

Keeping a death grip on her dress, she stepped up to him and jabbed him in the chest. “You haven’t let me out of your sight because you think I’m so fragile, yet when I am left alone and attacked this is the way you’re going to handle it? Not the smartest move you could have made.” She heard a snicker behind her. Whipping around, she found two very straight faces. One belonged to his sister. “Thought not.”

“Are you arguing with me?”

She saw the intense gaze and remembered what happened the last time she argued with him. It sent little slivers of desire through her but she realized she was close to overstepping her boundaries. “I am vigorously inserting my opinion.”

Storm didn’t show any reaction for a moment, then he laughed and pulled her into his embrace. “You are glorious when you’re ‘vigorously inserting your opinion.’”

“Um, sir.” The guard stepped up to a view screen and brought up the image of her being approached by the man in the cell. “She is telling the truth.”

She looked at the screen, grateful they had caught it on tape, yet pissed off that he had to see it before he believed her.

As Storm watched the scene unfold she realized why his name fit him so well. His eyes darkened, his brows furrowed, like a storm he was ready to strike. The angry glare he gave the man had the guy quaking in his cell.

“We found these items on his person.”

Storm picked up each of the items and looked at them. One of the items he threw to his sister while he stared a hole into the man who was looking very nervous in the cell. “You came here to harm my future wife?” He used the human’s words instead of calling her his mate.

Heather heard the device hum as Storm’s sister ran it up the magnet. In seconds the dress was back together but she was still having issues. Holding the dress in place she stepped up to Storm and placed a hand on his arm. “I think I inflicted my share of damage.”

He noticed the broken nose. “True, but that isn’t that much for what he could have done.”

She wanted to kick him for still thinking of her as a fragile flower.

“One, I can protect myself and two have you noticed what he is grabbing?

Doesn’t matter what planet you are from when you get hit there you are worth nothing.” She turned her back to them and tried to get the dress to sit right. She gave up when she couldn’t get it to do what she wanted. “He should be glad I had this dress on or he could have gotten a stiletto in the gonads. That would have put him in the hospital.”

“Keep him for me to deal with later.” He slipped an arm around Heather and escorted her out of the room. “You shouldn’t have been in that situation in the first place.”

She wanted to say if he hadn’t left her this wouldn’t have happened but knew it went beyond this. She stopped him in the hall. “You can’t watch over me all the time.”

“You mean like this?” He looked down at her dress. Her rosy tips peeked up at him. His hands brushed against her skin as he adjusted the material to get everything back into place.

It took him seconds to fix what she hadn’t been able to do since she kicked the man’s ass. It just wasn’t right.

“I’m serious. I’ve been through a lot more than a man trying to molest me. If you don’t believe I can protect myself how is anyone else going to believe it?” She smoothed the material as much as she could. It was beyond repair by this point. “This poor dress has seen too much action. It looks like we’ve been at it all night.”

“I can rectify that.” He scooped her up in his arms.

“Mom wants you.”

“Didn’t I dismiss you?” Storm turned to growl at his sister.

“Don’t care. You are wanted on the dais now. No excuses.” She fought a smile that wanted to explode onto her face. “The council has another surprise for you.”

“Oh goody. This day hasn’t had enough of those.” Heather tapped him on the shoulder so he would put her down.

They walked into the main hall to find everyone staring at them.

“Did something pop out again?” Heather asked in a soft voice.

Storm looked down. “Everything is right where it should be.” He escorted her to their seats. “You wished to speak to us?”

“Heather’s leader wished to speak.”

Storm turned to look at her and she shrugged. “I have no idea.” She just hoped whatever it was wouldn’t be too embarrassing. The Vespians had a lot more technology than they did. There wasn’t a whole lot Earth could offer.

She listened as he went on and on about the treaty and how the joining of her and Storm would bring both worlds together. She just kept waiting for the big surprise.

“As we watch these two together we see everything we hope to accomplish with our treaty. As the commander in chief of this planet I have hoped to contribute to the nuptials in some way. I have learned that our lieutenant doesn’t have anyone to give her away at the human ceremony, so I am volunteering.”

He gave her a big smile. All she could do was smile back.

How many times were they going to be married?

Chapter 7

“You okay?” Storm placed a hand on her arm.

“Yep.” She gave him a bright smile. One that didn’t go to her eyes.

“Need some fresh air.”

“He’s not done talking.”

“Great.” She sat there wondering what else would be expected of her.

A wedding took months, even years to plan for some brides and she would have hours or days. Her mind buzzed with all the things she would have to do. So was it going to be the long white gown or the military wedding? That part was up for grabs. She continued to listen, hoping he would stop soon when she caught military and formal. Wonderful. Just what she wanted.

That meant a lot of explaining to Storm who probably saw their military as something he could wipe out in one day.

A toast was offered and she lifted her glass as expected. But her mind went into overdrive. So much to do. “Has he mentioned a date?”

“Two days from now.” He looked at her with concern. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Two days. I have two days to pull this off.” She pinched her nose. “I’m going to need an army.”

“Perhaps we should go out for a bit of fresh air.” Storm stood and offered her his hand. He led her out into the gardens. “Why did what your leader said upset you so much?”

“A military wedding entails a lot more than a regular wedding. If I could have worn a regular bridal gown I could have gotten it done. But we’re talking formal military wedding gown. They have to be special ordered months in advance. I have to have my medals, be fitted, get permission to have the wedding.” She felt a little giddy. “But since the commander in chief is walking me down the aisle I guess I don’t have to worry about the last part and we know where the medals are.”

“Take a deep breath.”

She looked up at him. “Do you know what
elope
means?”

“Yes, and I think we’ve already done that.” He hugged her. “I have never seen you like this.”

“How long have we really known each other?”

“True, but we’ve been through a lifetime of emotion in just a few days and nothing up until this has ruffled you.”

“You’re right.” She sat on the marble bench in the little alcove he had secured for them. “I think tonight I have been through them all. Fear, when I learned that your mother was the leader of your race and she wanted to talk to me. Laughter when I watched as you waited for us to finish talking.

You were like a child waiting for that bit of candy you had been promised.

Anger, when that little weasel of a man made me wish I was somewhere else. Frustration when I couldn’t get that damn dress to fit right. Sadness when I realized I have spent thirty years of my life on this planet and I wouldn’t miss any of it. And joy, because I have the rest of my life to spend with you.”

“Perhaps I need to take your mind off of things for a moment.” He drew her into his lap.

“And someone will come around that corner wanting one of us in about a minute or two.” She wrapped her arms around him. “Just how fast can you do this?”