by Kendrick, Sharon; Lawrence, Kim; Crews, Caitlin; Milburne, Melanie
‘Your mother…’ she breathed, her voice soft with sympathy.
He nodded. ‘I judged her and I was helpless to help her. I never wanted to love anyone again and let them down.’ He gave a hard laugh. ‘I really thought that there was choice involved and then you happened. I have learnt so much being with you and I swear that I’ll always be there—’
She pressed a finger to his lips. ‘Don’t swear—kiss.’
With a growl he responded to the imperious little command and, tipping her under him, he gathered her to him and proceeded to kiss her senseless in the process, losing his own sense also.
* * *
As she moved in his arms and almost fell off the narrow couch her eyes caught sight of the clock on the wall. ‘Oh, my God, look at the time!’ she exclaimed. ‘There’s no need to look so smug.’
‘I feel smug.’ He felt…complete.
‘We’ve been here all afternoon, Seb. We need to get dressed for dinner.’
She was about to draw her legs up to her chin when his hand went to the smooth naked curve of her bottom. ‘You look like a little cat when you stretch.’
‘Seb!’ she pleaded, struggling to inject some reproach and not only throaty appeal into her voice. ‘Dinner…’ She felt a little slug of disappointment when he reacted to the reminder and sat upright.
Sabrina followed suit, mentally calculating how quickly they could make themselves presentable for the formal dinner awaiting them and get back to their suite without anyone noticing how dishevelled they both looked.
‘Should I ring down and tell them we’ll be late dining?’
‘Don’t bother. I’ve already dealt with that.’ He stretched to ease the kinks out of his spine, drawing her eyes to the perfect muscular development of his lean torso. Everything about his body delighted her.
‘You’re totally…’ Their eyes connected; emotion rose in her chest, consolidating into a knot of sheer longing. She had never in her life imagined that loving someone could feel like this, that it could be so all-consuming and the physical aspect so incredible.
And he loved her back…it still felt as though she were living a dream.
‘Looking for these?’ He picked a pair of lacy pants from the table on her side of the sofa and tossed them to her, feeling his libido kick in hard as she straightened and raised a hand, causing her firm breasts to jiggle and sway as she caught them.
‘How organised—and when?’
‘While you were snoring.’
‘I do not snore!’
‘I shall invest in a set of earplugs.’ His eyes were warm as he levered himself lazily from the tumbled bed, reaching for his boxers.
Sabrina watched the play of muscle gliding and bunching under the golden skin of his back as he stood with his back to her pulling his jeans on over his narrow hips.
God, but he was beautiful!
Hand in hand, they walked up the rear staircase that led to their bedroom suite; the sitting-room door was not closed. Inside two maids bobbed curtsies as they entered before one pushed a trolley with a cloth thrown over up to one of the sofas in the room and the other plugged in the large flatscreen TV that rested on the second trolley.
‘We’ll serve ourselves, thank you.’
The maids nodded and vanished.
Sabrina watched as Sebastian lifted the cloth with a flourish to reveal silver domes, which he lifted to inspect the food underneath, filling the room with smells that made her realise how hungry she was.
‘We are going to eat on trays and watch television?’ she said, thinking, How crazy is this? She was feeling the sort of excited incredulity that most women would if their husband said that he’d arranged for them to eat food created by a Michelin-starred chef served on antique china sitting at a table loaded with silver and crystal.
But in her world this was a treat.
‘Isn’t it what people do?’
She nodded, thinking that Sebastian was a billion miles from other people; he was extraordinary!
‘I thought you might like a night off.’
She nodded vigorously.
‘Movie’s your choice, so kick off your shoes—’
She looked down, a smile tugging at her lips as she realised she had walked barefoot down the corridor. ‘I’m not wearing any.’
They had just sat down when the door opened; without warning a figure scanned the room before the King walked in.
When he saw the TV and the trays he could not have looked more shocked had he walked in and found them rolling around on the floor naked. Half an hour earlier and he might have, she thought, hiding a grin.
‘Father.’ Sebastian got to his feet slowly, his casual attitude thinly masking his anger. Seeing it there just below the surface, Sabrina felt her heart sink like a stone. ‘Sorry, if we’d known you were coming we’d have saved you some.’
‘You would possibly have dressed for dinner too?’ The King took a deep breath and shook his head. ‘No, it is none of my business. I accept that things change. I have come to apologise,’ he said stiffly. ‘Some…most of the things you said were right. You are doing a good job. I should have said it before but I… It is hard not to feel needed.
‘Your brother—if he and his family wish to come to the reunification ceremony then I will be glad to see them as my guests. And, Sabrina, I have no objection to you working, and, yes, I agree it will be a good example to set to your daughters and the young women of our country.’ He inclined his head. ‘So I will say goodnight.’
* * *
‘What,’ Sabrina gasped as the door closed, ‘was that?’
‘That, my dearest darling, was hell freezing over—with style, to give the devil his due,’ he added wryly. ‘Now, where were we?’
Sabrina shook her head and pushed him away as he leaned in to kiss her. ‘Luis? Me working? What was all that about?’
‘When I went to Paris it wasn’t for a meeting—I was seeing Luis.’
She drew back, startled. ‘Luis?’
‘Do you mind?’
‘Why would I mind? I would actually love to thank him for dumping me at the altar considering how things have worked out.’
Sebastian grinned. ‘So you’d have no problem with him coming to the reunification ceremony next year?’
‘And your father agreed?’
‘That was quite a climb-down. And quick,’ he admitted. ‘But I think it is the idea of a baby—’
‘Luis is having a baby?’ she exclaimed.
‘Well, not Luis—but, yes, and I think that might be the swing vote. I’m starting to think that Father is getting a little soft in his old age.’
Sabrina gave a sceptical grunt. ‘That is only one part of the mystery. What about me working?’
‘I think he has decided that to have talent in the family firm and not utilise it is a waste—especially when the research is so important.’
‘He has decided?’ She shook her head. ‘What have you been up to, Seb?’
‘Me?’ he said, looking innocent. ‘I had nothing to do with it except to mention the need for further research into dementia and expertise right here.’
‘Oh, my God—truly? Me, work?’ She began to bounce excitedly.
‘I expect you’ll be running the university in a few years.’
‘If having those daughters he was talking about doesn’t get in the way.’
‘What can I say? He’s keen on grandchildren.’
She smiled and looked at him, eyes gleaming through her lashes as she straddled him.
‘And how do you feel about children?’
‘Pretty damn good so long as you’re the mother.’ He let out a low growl and tugged her down onto him. ‘How do you feel about starting now? I’ve heard it can take a while.’
&nb
sp; ‘In that case, less talk more action, hmm?’
‘Shut up, woman, can’t you see I’m dynasty-building?’
There was very little talking for some time, but a lot of communicating.
EPILOGUE
SEBASTIAN WAS THE last to speak. He kept it short.
‘I feel that the people here today to celebrate the day our country becomes one have already said it.’
He gestured with a flourish towards his father and the Duke, who were seated on the stage, and there was a cheer from the crowds that filled the palace parkland as far as the eye could see.
‘I have only one thing to add. A wise man once said…’ he smiled at his father ‘…that it is all about family.’ He moved to the edge of the stage and held out a hand to his brother, who sat with his wife and baby in the front row.
Luis jumped up on the stage to a loud cheer.
Sebastian put his arm around his brother.
‘And today our family, our country, has expanded in a beautiful way, a little like my lovely wife.’
It was Luis, along with Chloe, who pulled Sabrina, heavily pregnant, to her feet and escorted her over to Sebastian before clapping his hands and backing away to leave them centre stage.
The applause was thunderous as Sebastian kissed his wife on the lips, his grin flashing.
‘You promised you wouldn’t do this.’
He shrugged. ‘My memory, darling, it is not what it once was.’
She dabbed the emotional tears running down her cheeks and began to laugh while the crowds cheered on, but she had the last laugh.
‘If my waters break right here and now it won’t be pretty.’
He leaned in close and whispered, ‘Everything you do, my love, is beautiful!’
* * *
The reunification of Vela was also the birthday of the future King—the people said it was a very good omen…
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781459293045
A Ring to Secure His Crown
Copyright © 2017 by Kim Lawrence
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She must obey his command…
Desperate to escape her stifling royal life, Princess Valentina swaps places with her newly discovered identical twin. But fooling her billionaire “boss” Achilles Casilieris is harder than Valentina imagined…especially when his every look makes her burn with longing!
When closed-off Achilles discovers the game Valentina’s playing, he’s furious. But now the power is in his hands: it’s only a matter of time before her stunning facade cracks. He’ll push this perfect princess to her very limits…and he’s not afraid to use the full force of their attraction!
Achilles smiled as Valentina settled herself across the coffee table from him, with a certain inbred grace that whispered of palaces and comportment classes and a lifetime of genteel manners.
Because she thought she was tricking him.
Which meant he could trick her instead. A prospect his body responded to with great enthusiasm as he studied her, this woman who looked like an underling that a man in his position could never have touched out of ethical considerations—
but wasn’t.
She wasn’t his employee. He didn’t pay her salary and she wasn’t bound to obey him in anything if she didn’t feel like it.
But she had no idea that he knew that.
Achilles almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
Introducing a new sinfully scandalous duet from Caitlin Crews…
Scandalous Royal Brides
Married for passion, made for scandal!
When personal assistant Natalie and Princess Valentina meet, they can’t believe their eyes…they’re the very image of one another. They’re so similar it’s impossible that they’re anything but identical twins.
Dissatisfied with their lives, they impulsively agree to swap places for six weeks only…
But will they want to return to their old lives when the alpha heroes closest to them are intent on making these scandalous women their brides?
Read Natalie and Prince Rodolfo’s story in
The Prince’s Nine-Month Scandal
And discover Princess Valentina and Achilles Casilieris’s story in
The Billionaire’s Secret Princess
Available now!
The Billionaire’s Secret Princess
CAITLIN CREWS
USA TODAY bestselling and RITA® Award–nominated author Caitlin Crews loves writing romance. She teaches her favorite romance novels in creative writing classes at places like UCLA Extension’s prestigious Writers’ Program, where she finally gets to utilize the MA and PhD in English literature she received from the University of York in England. She currently lives in California, with her very own hero and too many pets. Visit her at caitlincrews.com.
Books by Caitlin Crews
Harlequin Presents
Castelli’s Virgin Widow
At the Count’s Bidding
Scandalous Royal Brides
The Prince’s Nine-Month Scandal
Wedlocked!
Bride by Royal Decree
Expecting a Royal Scandal
One Night With Consequences
The Guardian’s Virgin Ward
The Billionaire’s Legacy
The Return of the Di Sione Wife
Secret Heirs of Billionaires
Unwrapping the Caste
lli Secret
Scandalous Sheikh Brides
Protecting the Desert Heir
Traded to the Desert Sheikh
The Chatsfield
Greek’s Last Redemption
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To all the secret princesses cruelly stuck working in horrible offices: as long as you know the truth, that’s what matters.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER ONE
ACHILLES CASILIERIS REQUIRED PERFECTION.
In himself, certainly. He prided himself on it, knowing all too well how easy it was to fall far, far short. And in his employees, absolutely—or they would quickly find themselves on the other side of their noncompete agreements with indelible black marks against their names.
He did not play around. He had built everything he had from nothing, step by painstaking step, and he hadn’t succeeded the way he had—building the recession-proof Casilieris Company and making his first million by the age of twenty-five, then expanding both his business and his personal fortune into the billions—by accepting anything less than 100 percent perfection in all things. Always.