So when he discovered a sophisticated micro listening device incorporated into the design of a portable phone stand, he cursed quietly in shock.
Well, that explained a lot. Jenna used the stand when she video chatted with Nataliya; Dimitri had seen her do it. Even when they were at the palace together, they would call each other when Nataliya’s schedule allowed for a call but not to break away long enough to get together in person.
The Volyarusian palace covered three city blocks, certainly not a few seconds’ walk from one area to another.
He’d always thought the two women’s closeness was special, and it infuriated him that someone would use it against them.
As glad as he was to find the device, Dimitri knew Jenna was going to be devastated when he told her someone had been spying on her.
He pulled out the remaining items in Jenna’s bag, examining each one just as closely as before. He could not assume there was only one device. Although he found nothing.
He then examined the bag, and his anger grew when he found another device inserted under a buckle on the shoulder strap. How many of her accessories had been compromised like this?
Whoever had done this was serious about gathering intel on the royal family through Jenna.
“What are you doing?” Jenna’s voice startled him.
He should have heard her get out of bed. What was wrong with him that he hadn’t?
“You woke up,” he said rather inelegantly as he turned to face her.
“You weren’t there.” She frowned, like that wasn’t what she meant to say. “Why is everything scattered like that? I know I pulled stuff out earlier, but not all of it.” She blinked, sounding a little out of it and very confused, her beautiful brown eyes looking unfocused.
His body and brain were at cross-purposes as he struggled with his instant, nearly overwhelming response to the sight of her tousled hair and naked body. She looked like she’d just come from bed, and he knew she had. His bed. That knowledge was doing crazy things to his libido.
“Let’s talk about it in the morning,milaya moy. You’re tired, and there are much more pleasurable things we can do with the night than talk.”
Jenna’s body shifted subtly, but suddenly she was alert and not looking nearly as sleepy. “What exactly do we need to talk about? And when did I become yourdarling?”
He’d called herdarling? Dimitri played his words back in his own mind and realized not only had he called hermilaya, but he’d added the possessivemoy. My darling. Shrugging off how uncharacteristic that was for him, he answered the easier question first. “I’d say calling the woman I had sex with twice tonightdarlingmight be expected.”
She bit her lip but nodded. “Okay, but that doesn’t tell me what this serious thing is we need to talk about.”
“You are so sure it’s serious?”
“Yes, or you would have simply taken me back to bed while explaining what you were doing rummaging through my—”
He put his hand up and shook his head before she could mention exactly what he’d been doing. At the same time, he cursed inwardly. He’d mentioned them having sex. If the person spying on Jenna was monitoring, they would know it too.
Damn it.
But that wasn’t as bad as the conversation that was coming, because it was going to hurt her.
He was tempted to sigh, but princes did not expose their thoughts so easily. However, internally Dimitri wished he could avoid what he knew was coming. He hated thinking Jenna was going to be hurt by the spy’s actions.
“If you want to talk, grab a robe,” he informed her. “You’ll be far too much of a distraction otherwise.”
She gave him a look, but retreated to the bedroom, coming back seconds later, tying her robe. He was closing the door on the room’s safe, the handbag and phone stand tucked safely inside in the lead compartment that would not allow any electronic transmission.
Jenna threw the robe she’d had tucked under her arm at him. “Cover yourself. The same goes.”
Stifling the reply he wanted to give, Dimitri slipped into the robe, surprisingly resentful that he had to deal with family business before they could return to the bedroom. Dimitri never resented doing his duty.
Jenna was giving him a searching look, her brows drawn together. “Why did you put those things in the safe?”
“Did you buy that phone holder, or was it a gift?” he asked, rather than answering.
“It was a gift. Now tell me why you tucked my purse and phone stand away like the crown jewels.” She spoke more forcefully, her intention of getting answers clear in her tone.