by Krista Lakes
Yours Royally
A Cinderella Love Story
Krista lakes
Contents
About Yours Royally
Yours Royally
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Thank you!
Rainwater Kisses
About Rainwater Kisses
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
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About Yours Royally
Can a regular girl ever marry a real life prince?
Prince Marco:
Royal life can be a royal pain, and Marco needs a break. A secret identity, just for a few weeks. A relaxing vacation in America, where nobody knows who he really is. Not even the girl he hires to be his personal assistant, Sabrina. But when Sabrina turns out to be the best part of his vacation, he finds it harder and harder to keep his secret from her...
Sabrina Wise:
Sabrina never imagined that any job could lead to paparazzi encounters and surprise trips to Hawaii. Who could have thought that her boss would turn out to be as charming as he was handsome? But, behind their sizzling sexual tension, she can't help but think there's something more to Marco. Who is this gorgeous man she's taking orders from, and why is he keeping so much hidden away? If she's willing to risk everything to find out, she might end up in her own Cinderella fairy-tale ending...
What happens when Mr. Right turns out to be Prince Charming?
Marco started up the music. It began with a simple drum beat, but soon flutes and horns chimed in. The music was extremely complicated and sounded like a combination of jazz and blues, mixed with salsa. Underlying the melody, though, was a rhythmic beat that actually caused Sabrina to tap her toes.
“Do you like it?” Marco asked, as he stepped close to Sabrina and placed his hand onto her lower back. “I imagine it sounds quite a bit different from the music that is made here.”
Sabrina nodded. Her bangs fell into her eyes and Marco reached up, pushing her hair across her forehead and behind her ear. It was such a simple act, but meant so much to her.
“My hair is a mess,” she said, desperately filling the silence with anything she could think of.
“I think you look beautiful,” Marco said, sliding his fingertips down her cheek. “The most beautiful girl in New York City.”
Sabrina bit her bottom lip and looked at the ground, unable to fully accept such a compliment. How Marco saw her and how she saw herself were two entirely different things.
“That's really sweet,” she said, bringing her gaze back up to his eyes. “Thank you.”
Marco leaned in and kissed her. Her eyes widened at first, surprised by the sudden affection. They resumed what they had started at the haunted apartment, though this time with even more passion and far fewer ghosts. Sabrina stood up from her stool without breaking the kiss. She brought her hands to the top of Marco's shoulders, pulling herself close to him. Her body tingled all over as their tongues danced.
Somewhere, in the very back of her mind, Sabrina knew that she was falling for this guy. And she realized that it put her at risk of getting hurt. She'd had her heart broken before, and she understood that it could likely happen again. But Marco was different. She wanted to believe that he would never hurt her.
She felt his hands slide down her sides, gliding easily along the smooth fabric of her shirt to the band of her pants. His touch turned her on, and a surge of excitement pumped through her. She breathed in, letting the soft scent of Marco's cologne fill her nose. She placed her hands onto his face. His beard stubble scratched at her fingertips as she drew her hands downward, all the way to his neck and then to his chest.
Marco slowly broke their kiss and looked into her eyes. Sabrina saw that his pupils had dilated and he was breathing harder now. Her hands were still on his chest and she noticed the rise and fall of each breath.
He wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted her from the floor, cradling the backside of her knees with his other arm. She was surprised by his strength as he carried her effortlessly away from the bar and to the darkened bedroom. It was as though she was in a trance, unable to take her gaze away from him. His masculine features, the beard stubble and his chiseled jaw, which were half-covered by his shoulder-length black hair. This was every woman's dream come true, and she was living it. Sabrina put a note in the back of her mind to pinch herself when this was over, just to make sure that it was all actually real. Until then, she didn't want to wake up…
After “Yours Royally,” keep reading for a bonus novel, “Rainwater Kisses!”
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This book is dedicated to coffee. You never let me down.
Yours Royally
Chapter 1
Sabrina
Oh God, I hope I don't throw up. What a horrible first impression that would be.
Sabrina swallowed down her nervousness and shifted a bit in her seat, twirling her auburn hair in her fingers. Anything to distract herself from the swarm of butterflies that was currently terrorizing the inside of her belly. The eggs and bacon breakfast had seemed like a good idea a few hours ago, but she began to question it now that she was about to face the most important interview of her life and it didn't want to stay down.
The air of the small square interview room was cold as the air conditioner refused to turn off. It was a stark contrast to the heavy, humid air outside and in a few more minutes, Sabrina thought she might be able to see her breath. She rubbed her arms, wishing she had worn more than a thin dress shirt. She hadn’t brought a jacket, or even a cardigan. Besides the fact that she didn’t own one that was near nice enough for the occasion, she hadn’t even thought about it until now, and why would she? Summers were exceptionally hot and stuffy in Memphis.
She’d arrived ten minutes early just to be safe, but those extra minutes were now passing painstakingly slowly. She wiped her sweating palms nervously against the fabric of her skirt. She’d worn an ensemble of some of the nicest pieces of clothing she owned: a long black pencil skirt, her favorite black heels with a silver buckle near the toe, and had even borrowed a slim, light blue blouse from her mother.
It was best to fill the time preparing, she’d decided, and had since spent the last several minutes running over some scr
ipted answers to a few predicable questions.
I’m an especially hard worker and it’s one of my greater strengths, although I’m equally dependable and loyal. I found your ad online and immediately thought my traits aligned with the description.
Then came her Aunt Faye’s voice at an internal pitch louder than Sabrina’s own thoughts. Don’t overthink it, she’d said. You’re a smart girl with a good head on your shoulders, act like yourself and that alone will be enough. A subtle smile formed in the corner of her mouth as she recalled her aunt’s prep speech the night prior.
A dark table loomed in front of Sabrina. On it was an empty notepad and a single pen. On the wall behind the desk was a pane of glass that Sabrina recognized as a two-way mirror. She'd worked at a retail shop that had one in the security office. It had a different tint to it or something. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she knew that it was no regular piece of glass. Instinctively, she’d sat facing the mirror, wondering if there was someone on the other side.
For that reason, she tried to maintain a stoic expression as she waited, desperately doing anything to keep her nerves from showing on her face. It’d also kept her from checking the wall clock too frequently, not wanting to give off an anxious impression.
Any minute now, she thought, resisting the urge to check her watch.
The unhinging of the outside door handle was the first thing she heard before the door opened slowly. Whoever was behind it was concluding a conversation before stepping in. The voice was feminine.
“No, that is exactly what needs to happen,” the woman said. “Take care of it, please.”
A well-dressed lady stepped through the door and shut it delicately behind her. She was wearing black dress pants with a tight fit around her waist and thighs. She had a thin white shirt tucked into them, with long sleeves and a collar that lent her a business-like appearance.
“Hello,” the woman said, while extending a hand. “I’m Valetta. We spoke on the phone.”
“I remember you,” Sabrina said, standing up to shake her hand. “It’s great to meet you in person.”
The first phone interview had mainly consisted of standard interview questions, but she knew to expect a much more thorough inquiry for their in person meeting. Her past interview experiences never involved anything too intricate and were always designed for simple jobs, ones where her personality wasn’t much of a focus. Getting hired was always easy, but making enough money to pay for college was not. This job, however, would make the goal attainable for the first time in her life, and that was exactly why this interview was so crucial.
The job sounded simple enough. She'd simply be the personal assistant for a traveling foreigner, but the pay for this position was several grades above any wage she’d ever made before. Since it was only for a limited amount of time, she could pick up with school immediately after. She couldn't have designed a better summer job.
“Please take a seat.” Valetta spoke the words with a thick, but pleasing, accent. It was something Sabrina remembered from their first conversation, which made sense given the job description. “Make yourself comfortable.”
Sabrina did as she was asked while Valetta sat down in the chair on the other side of the desk. Valetta set down a some papers and her phone, and organized them before looking up.
“Thank you for meeting us here,” Valetta said, a polite smile crossing her face. She was probably a few years older than Sabrina's mother, but with less worn features.
“Oh, of course,” Sabrina said. “Thank you for meeting me.”
“It actually worked out well for us to come to Memphis,” Valetta replied. “This hotel had an open room and everything after the flight was pretty effortless. After the difficulties we've had setting up this trip, this was a welcome change.”
“You've had a difficult trip? Is there anything I can do to help?” Sabrina asked, in an attempt to make the conversation a little less formal.
“Thank you for your offer. Our current trip plans changed, and we're having to hire a local instead of bringing our own staff,” she said, shaking her head. “But, we couldn’t be happier with the amenities here. Memphis seems like a wonderful city, at least from the small amount that I've been able to explore so far.”
“It is a very fun city,” Sabrina agreed. “The food here is some of the best in the United States, not to mention the music. It's an amazing place, as long as you can handle the heat.”
“Yes, it’s hot where we come from too,” she said, as she made an upward sweeping motion with her hand. “But you Americans love the A/C.”
“It's true,” Sabrina said with a chuckle. “We like air conditioning almost as much as we like Walmart and hot dogs. You know, the finer things in life.”
Valetta bowed her head in a short laugh. “When we last spoke, you said that you grew up here in Memphis. Out of curiosity, have you done much traveling?”
“Not much,” Sabrina said, instead of not at all.
“Perhaps that’s about to change,” Valetta said, fixing her gaze on Sabrina as she laid her palm on the folder in front of her. “I’d like to get started.”
“Sounds great,” Sabrina said, as her heart thudded behind her rib cage.
“Wonderful,” said Valetta with a perfect smile. “I'd like to go over the job responsibilities again. I know we went over them over the phone, but it is crucial you understand them.”
Sabrina nodded. “Of course.”
“This is a temporary personal assistant position,” Valetta started off her speech. “Above all, my client’s privacy is the most important thing. Many of the position's responsibilities are designed to protect his identity and ensure that his whereabouts are not discovered. This means that you will be the face of almost all procedural requirements. Hotel, restaurant, and all other reservations will be made in your name. If room service is desired, you will order it, receive it, and do all the talking to staff members. You will also clean the room yourself so that no member of the house keeping staff enters my client's quarters. Just to be clear, this isn’t a ‘bodyguard’ position. However, if a difficult situation should arise, you will be entrusted with prioritizing the security of my client’s identity in every decision you make. Think of the job as something between a maid and personal assistant. Does that make sense?”
“Absolutely,” Sabrina said with a nod. She'd never heard of a job like this, but she was ready to work.
“While all of this precaution may seem excessive, I promise you that it is not. People of all sorts, paparazzi especially, have been known to stalk and harass my client,” Valetta said. “I don't want to turn his trip into a covert operation, but to simply to ensure that it can be enjoyed with the smallest number of incidents possible.”
“Of course,” Sabrina said, attempting to demonstrate that she was following more than she really was. The secrecy, the significance, the all-around mystery; it was all a little strange, she thought. Strange and intense. But the pay was equally as intense, and that’s what mattered.
“Good. Then I want to confirm that you're willing to do everything I just mentioned,” Valetta said, her expression stalling as she looked directly at Sabrina.
“I am,” Sabrina assured her.
“Excellent,” Valetta replied with a smile. “Then, the next thing I would like you to do is try to identify some photos.”
“Okay,” Sabrina replied, hoping her smile didn't show her nervousness. She had no idea that she was going to have to identify photos for a job. Her brain immediately went a million miles a minute, trying to recall every photo she'd ever seen and how it could relate to the job of a personal assistant.
Valetta opened the manila folder in front of her and removed nearly a dozen glossy photos. “I’m going to show you pictures of several different people and I’d like you to tell me whether or not you recognize them.”
“I'll do my best,” Sabrina said, overwhelmed with curiosity. She'd never had to do anything like this before on a job interview.
“I’d like to move through them fairly quickly,” Valetta said. “So if you’re able to identify the subject, say their name. If not, a simple ‘no’ will be just fine.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Valetta slid the first photo across the desk so that it was facing Sabrina. It was a picture of a blonde man with a thick beard. He was wearing a grey suit with a black undershirt. He was handsome, and Sabrina could have pictured him as a model for something, but he definitely didn't look familiar.
“No,” Sabrina said. “I'm afraid not.”
Valetta pulled the photo back and immediately turned over a different one. This picture was of a different man. He had wavy black hair that fell to his chin and was wearing a white button dress shirt tucked into grey slacks. His features were striking, with dark almond-shaped eyes and Cupid's bow lips. Gorgeous, no doubt. But still, not familiar.
“No,” Sabrina said again.
Valetta made no expression as she exchanged the photos again. This one was of an older man with a grey beard. He was wearing a fuzzy black robe, which could hardly contain his large gut. He was looking toward the sun and squinting. He appeared confident and proud, but there wasn't a single thing about him that seemed familiar, other than she could easily imagine him living at her family's trailer park.
This has got to be the strangest interview process I've ever been a part of, she thought. And I must be failing miserably. I don't know a single one of these.
“Nope,” Sabrina said, her forehead hot and growing warmer. The cold air was harsh against her clammy skin and for the first time she noticed her back soaked in sweat. She wanted this job so badly that these photos were becoming frustrating.
Valetta retrieved another picture from her folder and instantly Sabrina’s chest inflated. She knew this one, or at least she thought she did.