“Of course.” Maya laughed as if anything else would’ve been preposterous. “We’re just estimating, of course, but I think the segment you did tonight will break viewership records. Monstrana loved you. Their werewolf princess, digging up the real-life stories about heartache, tragedy, and scandal. I can’t think of a better tag-line, can you?”
“No...I suppose not.” Stasia pursed her lips thoughtfully. Her honey eyes hardened and then she grimaced. “But of course, that would mean I’d have to work under you. The woman who flew across the country in the middle of the night just to fire me and threaten my entire family. That’s treason, I’ll have you know. I could have you arrested or expelled from Monstrana.”
Maya’s already pale face gained a deathly pallor. She wobbled on her heels and reached for the nearest desk for support. “I didn’t...you know that I didn’t mean...”
“To tell me that I was useless in your plans to take over the company?” Stasia leaned forward. She glanced at the board, who all listened with intent expressions on their face. “Because that message came through, loud and clear. No, I won’t work for you ever again, Maya. I won’t be your pawn. That’s a promise. I quit.”
Silence followed Stasia’s proclamation. Billy could see the wheels turning in the boards’ heads and if he was reading their expressions correctly, it didn’t look very promising for Maya. He couldn’t be prouder of the woman standing next to him.
“I have a new dream now,” Stasia continued. She squeezed his hand. “One that involves my throne and the man who will stand beside me as I take on those duties.”
Her eyes shone when she looked up at Billy. His heart thumped in his chest as they exchanged glances. When he thought he couldn’t love that woman more, his heart seemed to expand another size or two.
“Of course,” Stasia glanced bashfully at the board and smiled, “that doesn’t mean I can’t do a segment here or there for the studios. Provided that I never have to work with Maya again.”
“I’m sure that will be easily accommodated,” one of the board women replied. She turned to Maya and gestured with her forefinger. “We have many things to discuss with Maya. Including, her future here at the company.”
They led the shrinking vampiress from the room. As soon as the door shut behind them, Stasia hopped into the air and pumped her fist, shouting out senseless words.
“Did you see that? Did you see me?” She beamed with pride. “I stood up to that woman. Didn’t even bat an eye.”
“That you did, my princess.” Billy swept her up into his arms and she squealed in surprise. “Now, I believe there was a time long ago that you promised me a tour of your castle. At this moment in time, I’m particularly interested in only one spot.”
“Oh, yeah?” She grinned at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Where’s that?”
“Your royal chambers.” He kissed her on the neck, making her squirm with pleasure. “After that, I’ll go anywhere and do anything you wish.”
“Anything?” She gave him an evil grin, her eyes twinkling.
He didn’t know exactly what he was getting himself into, but he’d go to the ends of the earth for this woman. Of that much, he was sure.
“Anything.”
Chapter Twenty
Stasia screamed and threw her hands into the air. Trees flew past her window at a dizzying speed and her eyes were starting to blur. This was the moment she was going to die. She just knew it. And it was all Billy’s fault.
“Put your hands back on the wheel,” Billy yelled, reaching over the center console to help steer the swerving vehicle back into its lane. Sweat trickled down his forehead.
A vehicle passing in the opposite direction honked its horn and the owner made an obscene gesture out the window.
“Sorry!” he muttered to them as the car righted itself. “Seriously, Stasia, you can’t just abandon ship whenever you start to panic. Besides, I thought you wanted to learn today. This was your idea.”
“I’d take a ship over this metal death trap any day,” she said, biting her lower lip. “At least I know how to swim.”
“You’ll learn how to drive, too,” Billy insisted with a dry laugh. He pulled the car over to the side of the road as it rolled to a stop and put it into park. Safely in a motionless position, he raked his hands through his hair and sighed. “You’ll learn even if it kills me. I can’t be with a woman who doesn’t know how to drive. All the boys down at the shop would laugh at me.”
“Is that so?” She unbuckled her seat belt and crawled across the center to sit on his lap. A teasing smile lit up her face. “Are you sure they don’t already make fun of you?”
“Why? What have you heard?” Billy’s jaw went slack as he gazed intently at her mouth.
“Oh, I don’t know...” She planted a warm kiss on his earlobe and then the angular part of his jaw, moving ever closer to his lips. “It was nothing, really. A passing comment. A tiny joke. Just something about you being house-broken.”
A look of pure indignation crossed his face and Stasia burst out laughing. She pressed her mouth against his and wrapped her arms around his neck, soaking in his body heat and the spicy taste of his lips.
“House-broken?” he mumbled through her kiss. “I’ll show them house-broken...”
“Easy, wolf boy.” She pulled back and grinned. “It had to happen someday. At least, it’s with me. The girl of your dreams. Your future wife.”