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Her other books in this series:
The Heir
The Crown
The Duke
The Duke’s Brother
The Prince
The American
The Spy
The Princess
The American
Billionaire Royals Book 6
Sophia Summers
Contents
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 1
Sage Parker worked to keep her wits about her. She sipped water instead of champagne, while her gaze swept the room over the rim of her cup. Everyone watched the head table. They talked to the person at their side, but their eyes flitted back to the head table.
The company hosting this charity gala was looking for a new CEO, and every Harvard grad in the room thought their name was on the door plate.
But Sage knew otherwise. The company had been negotiating for the past week. With her. She could almost smell the leather polish they used on their lobby furniture. But ‘almosts’ bothered her.
Their emcee for the evening stood. His grin surprised her. She didn’t like surprises. He looked as though he might make an announcement…
“Might I have your attention.” He paused, grin growing wider. “It is our great pleasure to announce our special guest of the evening.”
Special guest?
“All the way from the Mediterranean island country of Torren, Thad Valdez, Prince of Torren.”
Polite clapping gave way to several cheers when a tall man in a tux, who had no business being so handsome, walked into the room sporting a flashy pair of sunglasses and bright blue sneakers. His dark hair was styled high on his head, slightly curled, his white teeth nearly reflected the light from above. As he walked by, she could have sworn one of his many pointing hand checks to the audience was directed at her. He opened his mouth as though he winked at her, and then walked by, fist bumping a few guys at another table.
She had never seen him before. He was definitely not part of their usual crowd. Sure, she knew where Torren was. They had been in the press in the last five years or so when their king died and a new one took over. The eldest brother married an American so it caused quite a stir amongst the single American millennials. Everyone was vying for a Prince of Torren. Unfortunately, they never came to visit, were never available to all the many women grasping for a bit of royal attention.
She didn’t blame them. Each brother was hotter than the next. And this guy didn’t disappoint. When he finally made his way to the front, they gave him the mic.
The now second-best looking man in the room by only a few minutes, Devon Fenningway, thick, dark haired, Adonis Fenningway, leaned over and whispered a feather breeze on her neck. “You’re not taken in too, are you?” His eyes mocked her in a challenge.
“You feeling threatened?”
“By him? No. He’ll be in and out of here like a tidal wave.”
She thought that an interesting analogy. What destruction would he leave in his wake?
Curious, she leaned back in her chair and waited to hear what the man had to say.
He took off his glasses, and winked at a lady on the front row. Oh boy he was too much. Cameras flashed in rapid succession and he took it in, showing them good angles, the whole bit. This man knew his way around the camera.
Then he held up his hands and said, “I’d like to thank Zachary for inviting me here. It has long been a dream of mine to work in Manhattan.
Work?
“And giving me this opportunity to shadow some of the experts in the field, is beyond generous.”
She let out a breath of relief. Now she could admire him in earnest, threat gone. She had rarely seen anyone so chiseled, so perfectly proportioned. He fascinated her like a museum piece would. Then his eyes turned to her and something jumped inside. His gaze lingered and she felt warmer, and her stomach clenched. But she returned his gaze, as if unaffected.
“I look forward to getting to know you.” He nodded, subtly, the barest dip of his head in her direction.
Had she imagined it?
He turned the mic back over to the emcee and sat down in a chair up front by the current president of the board. Zachary clapped him on the back and the two looked thicker than Sage thought they should.
Others in the room had pinched expressions and narrowed eyes. This newcomer did not bode well for any of their aspirations.
But Sage had heard him. He was here on an educational trip, to shadow people actually doing their jobs. He had probably never worked a real day in his life.
Her curiosity about him increased. Especially because his gaze drifted to her enough that other women in the room were taking notice and the subsequent chilling glares in her direction amused her. Women were so predictable. She had long given up on being friends with most people of her gender. There were a select few. The sisterhood of the traveling pants in her own life. And she cherished them. But most everyone else wished her a slow death in the most painful manner, even though they smiled and simpered and complimented her shoes.
The speeches wound down, Sage enjoying a lazy scan of Thad’s body from her seat. Zachary and Thad had been occupied by consistent murmuring to each other, but at once they stopped and turned to her.
She jerked her head back in surprise, so sudden was their attention. And then she smiled and tilted her head in question.
Thad took off his sunglasses and smiled in response. Her stomach jumped again. MMM. He was intriguing, and delicious.
The gala came to an end and everyone stood to pretend to care about each other again as they said goodbyes. Perhaps Sage shouldn’t be so jaded. She had been at this for a long time now, five years felt like forever, and it had become easier to assume the worst.
Thad and Zachary made their way straight to her.
Devon straightened and buttoned his jacket, prepared to meet who he thought were his adoring fellow business brown-nosers.
She smirked when they approached her, and ignored him. Zachary took her hand in his . “Miss Parker, This is his highness, Thad Valdez. And Thad, I hope you will watch everything this woman says and does. She is true CEO material.”
Thad raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the prospect. “I’d be happy to pay such close attention.” His eyes sparkled with such amusement that Sage almost laughed.
Devon cleared his throat. “If I may?” He looked from one to the other.
Sage took pity on him. It was difficult to be displaced so fully from one’s spot at the top of desirable men in Manhattan. “This is Devon Fenningway, fellow CEO hopeful.” She couldn’t help teasing him, might as well just say it like it was.
But Thad’s reaction surprised her. She hadn’t considered him in the running at all, but as soon as the words left her lips, he stood taller and sized Devon up. Men were so obvious. But that worried her. If he was vying for her position, was it still hers? She looked from Zachary to Thad and back again. They were tight.
Zachary turned to her. “I was wondering if you could stop b
y the office tomorrow morning?”
Her insides glowed with happy expectation, but she kept her face cool. “Sure, nine o’ clock?” She knew he liked to start his day early.
“Can we make it later?” Thad checked his watch, tapped it a few times, and then nodded. “I’ve got the Valdez family breakfast to attend and with the time difference and everything, it will be very early tomorrow morning before that even finishes.”
She rocked back on her heels. Something alarming was going on. And she couldn’t pinpoint what exactly. But Thad was not only invited in the morning but was dictating the timing of their meeting. Whatever had happened since the last time she had seen Zachary, all her assurances were blown out of the water. It was any person’s game at this point. She would have to up her tactics. She sidled up and put an arm in the crook of his elbow. He was an old fashioned kind of man. He enjoyed the genteel manners of address, even though he also respected her position and reputation and capability.
She sweetened her tone. “Zachary, I’m available for whatever time best suits you, of course. If Thad has to miss, I’m sure we can catch him up with whatever pertains to him.”
Thad’s eyebrow raised and took on a calculating expression. “I feel that I especially would need to be present for all matters that will be discussed.”
She lifted a shoulder, delicately. “I’d imagine you would think that. But consider opportunity cost. It’s all about productivity. Not everyone needs to be a part of every meeting.”
“I know that of course, but I would consider that given the circumstances—”
Zachary cleared his throat and Sage turned to him in surprise.
“Let’s meet later so that Thad can fulfill his family obligations. Will eleven a.m. work for you both?”
She nodded. “Absolutely. I‘ll be there. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me?” She smiled openly to them both and waited until Zachary nodded his head. Another thing he appreciated from his upbringing. He felt the need to dismiss others when he was finished.
Thad moved closer to her. “I’ll walk you out, if you don’t mind?”
She tensed. She did mind. The last person she felt prepared to talk to was this strange prince. She planned to find the nearest cab and whip out her phone to talk to her contacts. How had things spiraled out of her control so quickly?
Thad walked at her side. “You seem like the only person in the room who understands what’s going on.” His expression was kind, supportive, but she saw a question there. And it gave her great satisfaction. He wasn’t as sure in his footing as he appeared.
“I’ve been here a long time, worked with most everyone. I might know a few things.” She hoped to leave it at that.
“Then I’ll answer the question you still don’t know.” They stopped at the curb and he held up his hand to signal a cab for her.
“I hardly think you know anything I don’t.” It came out before she could stop the words. This man made it difficult to keep her business professional mask up.
He opened up the cab’s door and as she was slipping by him to climb in, he whispered, “Zachary called me.”
“What?” she stopped, her face inches from his own. She enjoyed his closeness, the hint of cologne, or maybe it was his soap. But her heart stuttered at what he said.
“Zachary initiated our discussions. He sent for me.”
His quiet whisper so close to her face sent delicious chills through her, but his words jarred.
“We may be working together more than you think.”
The door was shut and the car driving away before she thought of what she could say. She whipped her head around and the last thing she saw was his hand up, watching her go. She was in more trouble than she thought.
Chapter 2
Thad pulled out his laptop and plugged into the Torren international Wi-Fi router. They had their own family network. When Thad’s brother Nico lived in North Carolina and the Wi-Fi was spotty, their father lost patience and immediately set things in motion so that they would always have a great signal, and their own private towers, even their own satellite. Thad shook his head. He missed his father. If something could be improved, he worked to fix it before the dust settled on his thoughts.
Thad clicked on his computer video icon and instantly the Valdez breakfast and conference room came into view. Looks like he was the first one there. Then Lucan’s face took up his whole screen.
“Aah! Brother, it’s too early to be looking at your unappealing nose.”
Lucan snorted. “As if you don’t have the exact same nose, and remember you were voted most handsome something or other.”
“A distinguished nose on one face could be disturbing on another.”
“Are we discussing noses now?” Trane, the second oldest joined them, laughing.
Thad smirked. “Well, now that the productive part of the Valdez family is present, perhaps we should begin?”
It was an old joke, one that no longer applied, but sometimes they liked to revert back to old jabs, as brothers do.
“How’s America, brother?”
Thad thought for a moment. He had been in town all of three days. Sage came to mind and he smiled. “Excellent.” Then he frowned, “Though I seem to be stirring a pot of highly competitive and cutthroat Americans.”
“Men in suits look genteel but it might be better to see them as their true selves, with full American football uniforms and helmets.” Trane picked up his breakfast tray and moved to the table.
“This camera works great. I can see the whole room.”
Lucan raised a thumb. He was their expert on all things having to do with surveillance. Thad wondered for a moment if Lucan was tracking him all the way in America.
Lucan turned to him. “Yes, brother, I have plants on you and don’t try to find them.”
More than once Thad had wondered if Lucan read minds. “Did you ever consider having a right to privacy added to the Torren constitution?”
“Now you sound like the American you are so excited to be.”
“It’s not like I want to be American.”
Both of his brothers snorted.
“No, I am a Torren forever.” He started to sing the Torren national anthem.
“Ok brother.” Lucan held up his hand. “We believe you, enough hackling.”
“But I do love their country. You should see the industry. The work ethic. They are all about producing and working and building. It’s inspiring.”
“And sounds to me like they are climbing on the heads and feet of others.”
Thad remembered the people in that room last night. “And that’s true as well.” He considered. “And they are not all suits. Women might be the most talented.” He remembered Sage and her keenly observant eyes, flitting about the room. He had watched her, more than she realized. He knew what was coming for them both and he wasn’t sure how well it would go down. He guessed, not well.
“Oh, has Thad finally found someone with eyelashes and curves to attract his eyes?” Tripp drank his orange juice.
“Figures she would be at an American business meeting.”
Nico finally joined them, the king of Torren since their father died. “She? Has someone caught Thad’s eye already?”
Thad leaned back in his chair. They weren’t having this conversation. Sage wasn’t up for discussion and would not be an easy one to impress. He suspected it would take all of his people skills to simply be on good terms with the woman. “There are many ladies to be found.” He thought of the upcoming cocktail party and another night at a high class nightclub a little later this week. Once word had gotten out that he was in town and planning to stay for a while, the invitations had come pouring in.
Dahlia, their sister, popped up on a screen across the room. Thad smiled. “Whoa, is that Dahlia I see? To what do we owe this honor?” She rarely ever joined them for their breakfast meetings.
“Yes, Thad, I’m here. How’s the Big Apple?”
He gave her a thumbs up.
Their mother assumed every other location in the world to be less than ideal. And she was right most of the time. But Thad loved America. He had been longing to do just this very thing for a long time.
The meeting went as most do. They had some press concerns for him to deal with but nothing he couldn’t handle from far away. He spent most of the meeting watching each of his brothers. Daniel pretended he was listening, but Thad could see from his angle that he was scrolling through images on his phone. Tripp had just finished his second turn at the Olympic trials. Nico led the meeting with Jo at his side. Everyone joked and worked and talked. They had a good, solid working relationship. And he missed them. But he was also excited about this new experiment, all his own. As the Valdez brother in charge of their press relationships, some years were busier than others, depending on the paparazzi and the news they stirred up. Until now, he had not yet had a chance to pursue any real goals outside of his responsibilities for the crown. And this was his year. The call from Zachary had come at the perfect moment.
He finished up with his family at around three A.M. and then tried to get a few hours of needed sleep. The alarm came too soon. He needed to be on his A game today, with sunglasses and bright shoes and the best cut suit he owned.
On his way to the office, he bounced his knee in excitement. Today would begin his first day of real negotiations and responsibilities for Zachary. And he determined to try out some of the theories he had learned when getting his MBA.
He was early. When he stepped out of his car, straightened his coat, and grabbed his bag, he smiled.
The American (Billionaire Royals Book 6) Page 1