ROYAL BRIDE (A Billionaire Bad Boy Romance) by Bella Grant

to know—”
    “And I just wanted you to obey. But since you obviously can’t do that, or be trusted while you are alone, I will have to take other precautions.” He went to the closet and plucked out every dress and article of clothing she had hanging there, tossing them all over one arm. “Do not move,” he barked at her when she looked ready to spring from the bed.
    “I didn’t do anything—”
    “You obviously have some connection with my military or you hired your own security to dig around. Either way, you have insulted me, my military, and my country by trying to take things into your own hands.”
    She watched him stomp to the bedroom door. She opened her mouth to protest, to beg forgiveness, but he moved too quickly. The door slammed shut, and a few moments later, she heard the front door of the suite do the same. Running from the bed to the bedroom door, she half expected it to be locked. Nearly falling down from opening it with too much strength, she hurried to the front door. But upon realizing that she was completely naked, she couldn’t do anything more.
    Leaving the room wasn’t an option. He’d taken every bit of her clothing other than a few pairs of undergarments. She was stuck.
    He’d grounded her, again!

ANTONIO
     
    Standing outside the door of his suites, Antonio took a deep breath, trying to calm himself at least a fraction. Never had he reacted so impulsively.
    “Your Highness?” The guard outside the door looked at him.
    Antonio looked down at the pile of dresses and other articles of clothing in his hands and sighed. He’d behaved nearly as badly as she did when she was angered. Her temper was beginning to wear off on him and not the other way around.
    “Antonio?” Silver appeared in the hallway, looking at the pile of clothes with some humor laced in his smile. “Been shopping?”
    “Not exactly,” he grumbled, shoving all of the articles of clothing into the guard’s hands. “I want these put somewhere else. Not in the suite. No one is to go in or out of those rooms.”
    “Where would you like them put?” The guard looked a bit panicked.
    “I don’t care, just not in there.” He jerked a thumb toward the closed door. “Put them in your rooms,” he said off-handedly.
    “You look like you could use a drink. I was headed down to the bar. Care to join me?” Silver winked at the guard with the bundle of clothes in his arms and gave him a reassuring smile.
    Antonio eyed him for a moment and nodded stiffly. A drink sounded like just the thing after the day he’d had, topped off by the short encounter with the one of the most infuriating women he’d ever met. “Not one delicate foot steps out of that room. If even a fingernail slips out from under the door, I want to be notified immediately.”
    “Of course.” The young guard nodded quickly, though Antonio doubted he would be up the task of keeping Isabella inside if she wanted to get out. He would need to speak to Julian about placing more experienced guards at the doors.
    Antonio joined Silver at the doors of the elevator and flexed his fingers at his sides. A strong part of him wanted to rush back into the bedroom and redden Isabella’s bottom until he was sure she wouldn’t sit for several days, but the other part of him reminded him of his vow.
    After they wed, he promised himself he would not spank her again. The spanking he gave her upon their first meeting had been well deserved, but not his place to give. Now that she was his wife—in part because he had not kept his hands to himself—he vowed he would show more patience and more understanding for his young wife. She would come around without being punished like the little brat she was.
    However, standing in the elevator, feeling the steam of his anger heating up the small space, he wasn’t positive he would be able to keep that promise to himself.
    Silver must have noticed his need for a few moments of silence to calm himself, and Antonio was grateful