They would never be traditional royals, and the only thing that mattered was that they were in this life together.
“Just the three of us,” he told Jinx, who purred appreciatively at being included. “And if you stop using my loafers for scratching, I promise to spoil you rotten. All the canned salmon you can eat, how does that sound?”
The cat flicked his tail and narrowed his eyes. Bugger. It had been worth a shot.
“We’ll try The Sunken Garden,” Liam called over his shoulder. The photographer gave a quick grunt of acknowledgment. “We can start at the center and work our way out.”
Elena had taken to the gardens instantly and spent much of her free time outdoors. The gardens were far more peaceful than the palace itself, and visitors were restricted, which meant more often than not, she had them to herself. Oh, she might run into the queen on occasion, but at least she didn’t have to worry about the courtiers harassing her out here.
It had taken her two full weeks to relax after arriving in Valeria, and not just because she’d been the talk of the court. The guilt and panic of leaving Nia in charge of the studio for the summer had made her restless, but once she’d realized the world wouldn’t come crashing down because she’d taken a holiday, she’d embraced the opportunity, spending her days painting and sketching while he attended to palace business.
She insisted the serenity of the gardens was good for her inner muse, and she’d completed a few new pieces for the upcoming exhibit at The Verve. The exhibit opened in a few weeks and, though he was looking forward to opening night, the prospect of Elena returning to New York full-time left a hole in his chest the size of the city itself.
The summer had passed in the blink of an eye, their time in Valeria far too short. Between his duties and the Spartan deal, he’d shown Elena everything his country had to offer and he was certain that in time she would come to love Valeria as much as he did. It had truly been the best season of his life, the days flying by in a haze of sightseeing, socializing, and sex. It was absolute perfection, and he couldn’t have been happier.
His parents, on the other hand, weren’t pleased. But that was nothing new, and their protests that it was too soon for an engagement fell on deaf ears. Liam had waited long enough, and he wasn’t going to delay a second longer. Their summer at the palace had proven Elena could adapt to royal life, and having her by his side made every day sweeter.
Oh, there had been a few hiccups along the way, like the time she’d invited a group of visiting schoolchildren to tour the private areas of the palace and the time she’d tripped the alarm, bringing the King’s Guard out in full force. None of that mattered. Not to him. He knew in his heart that Elena was the only woman for him and he wanted her to know it, too.
Hell, he wanted the world to know.
The people loved her, and a royal wedding would bring the country together, giving them a long overdue cause for celebration and serving as a springboard to the future.
Assuming she said yes.
“What do you think, little guy?” he asked, examining the ring that hung from Jinx’s collar. “Do you think she’ll like it?” He’d never given a woman jewelry before—let alone a royal heirloom—and he hoped like hell he’d made the right choice, because he wanted her to love the ring as much as he did. He’d chosen a simple design, classic and understated, knowing she wouldn’t want anything too flashy or cumbersome. The moment he’d laid eyes on it, he’d been certain it was the one.
Now if he could just find Elena to give it to her.
As he approached The Sunken Garden, the sound of running water steadily rose from a quiet trickle to a steady burble. He rounded the hedges and followed the limestone pavers past a colorful array of delphinium, canna lilies, and peonies. The scent of lavender hung in the air, and he welcomed the sense of calm that washed over him as his gaze slid across the rectangular pond at the center of the garden and landed on Elena.
She stood at her easel, back to him, seemingly lost in thought. He sensed the photographer move away, but he only had eyes for Elena—could only ever have eyes for Elena. She was a vision of loveliness in a flowing yellow sundress that showed off miles of sun-kissed skin and pooled at her feet on the pavement. Her hair was swept up off her neck and pinned in place with—what else?—a paintbrush. He knew that if he could see her face he’d see her beautiful smile and warm eyes and in that moment his love for her was so damn big, it nearly spilled out of him, his chest tight and his eyes burning with the ferocity of it.
“That woman is my entire world,” he whispered, adjusting Jinx’s collar. “My best friend, my love, my queen.”
…
Lena studied the painting of The Sunken Garden she’d been working on for the last two weeks. Something was off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It was easy to see the finished product in her mind’s eye, but on the canvas?
Not so much.
Maybe she’d gone a little too abstract. Or maybe it just needed more texture. She reached for her brush as a hand snaked around her waist. Lena lurched, heart racing as her fight or flight instincts kicked in. She drew her right arm forward, fully prepared to give the perpetrator a swift elbow to the groin when soft, warm lips brushed her cheek.
“Hello, love.”
“Ay Dios mío,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief as she twisted to face Liam. He was grinning from ear to ear and looking a little too pleased with himself. Jinx was curled up against his chest, purring contentedly, a red satin ribbon decorating his collar. “Don’t sneak up on me like that. You scared the crap out of me.” She smiled up at him sweetly and batted her lashes. “Do I need to remind you I’ve got a solid right hook? Not that you wouldn’t look great sporting a black eye, but I prefer you just the way you are,” she said, patting his cheek. “And after the incident with the King’s Guard, I’m trying this new thing where I don’t give your parents new reasons to hate me.”
Liam chuckled, the low rumble going straight to her ovaries. Six months of toe-curling orgasms and she still got turned on as easily as a faucet. Life was good.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Meetings wrapped up early today. Jinx and I couldn’t wait to see you.” He tilted his head to look over her shoulder. “The painting is coming along nicely.”
“You think?” Lena asked, scrunching up her nose.
“Indeed.” He paused. “Can you take a break? There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Well, that didn’t exactly sound encouraging. Lena’s stomach churned. It wasn’t quite we need to talk, but it was pretty damn close. Too close for comfort. Had she unwittingly broken royal protocol again?
Liam took her hand and led her to the pond, his expression serious as he turned to face her.
“I’ve spent my entire life serving the people of Valeria and I was taught that nothing was more important than duty, strength, and honor. For a long time, I believed that was true. Then I met you.” He reached up and caressed her cheek with his free hand. A shiver raced up her spine, and she melted into his touch. “You were the first person who saw me not as a prince, but as a man. With you, I find myself inspired to be the best version of myself. The last six months have been the best of my life, and I’ve fallen so madly in love with you that I find myself counting down the hours and minutes until I can see you each day.”
Lena swallowed, her voice thick with emotion. “I can think of worse problems.”
Liam flashed her a dimpled smile, and she swore she’d never complain about royal protocol again as long as she got to wake up to his beautiful smile each day.
“I love you, Elena. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. None of this,” he said, gesturing broadly toward the palace, “means anything without you by my side.”
Liam loosened the ribbon from Jinx’s collar and dropped to one knee, sitting the cat gently on the pavement.
Holy crap. Was he? No. It couldn’t be.
Her heart leaped into her throat as he held up the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. It had a simple white gold band and a pear-shaped solitaire that positively sparkled in the sunlight.
“Marry me, Elena.” He stared up at her with such love in his eyes it nearly overwhelmed her. “Marry me so I can spend the rest of my life cherishing you the way you deserve.”
Lena clapped a hand to her mouth. She was dreaming. She had to be. They’d only been dating for six months, and even that felt like a dream most days. Just to be sure, she pinched herself.
“Ouch!” she exclaimed, gently rubbing the angry red welt that was quickly rising on her forearm.
Liam quirked a smile, his eyes dancing with laughter. “What are you doing?”
“Just making sure this is real.”
“This is as real as it gets, love. Marry me, Elena. Be the queen I need to make this crazy life complete.”
Lena stood, frozen. In her wildest dreams, she hadn’t imagined this day ending with a diamond. But what was there to think about? She loved Liam with all her heart and she couldn’t imagine returning to New York without him at her side. He loved her without limit, and with him, she’d learned to love herself. She no longer worried about what might happen when disaster struck, because she knew Liam would support her with the same endless humor he’d shown from the start. Yes, they’d have to figure out the logistics, but if she’d learned anything this summer, it was that she really could handle anything—including a pissed-off queen—with Liam at her side.
Plus, there was the ah-maz-ing sex. That alone might’ve been enough to convince her if she wasn’t already 100 percent all-in.
“Yes,” she said, shaking her head vigorously as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
Liam rose to his feet and she threw herself into his arms, crushing her lips to his. The ring slipped from his grasp and as he scrambled to catch it, Lena stepped on the hem of her dress and stumbled forward, sending them both tumbling right into the pond. They landed with a splash and went under in a tangle of arms and legs.
The water was surprisingly warm, but it tasted like ass and Lena flailed to the surface, sputtering and spitting green pond water like a cherub in a fountain—albeit with far less dignity. Jinx yowled at them from his spot at the edge of the pond, making it clear he didn’t appreciate their antics. When she turned to Liam, his shoulders were shaking with silent laughter.
“Well, was it everything you imagined?” she asked, scooting over to sit next to him, her hair dripping and her dress plastered to her body.
“It was perfect,” he said, pulling her onto his lap and brandishing the ring, which he’d miraculously managed to save. “I couldn’t have planned it better myself.”
Lena laughed, completely high on endorphins. “You do realize I’m going to be the worst queen ever, right?”
“You’re the perfect queen for me.” He slid the ring onto her finger. “And I can’t wait to tell the world.”
Lena pressed her forehead to Liam’s and stroked his cheek. “I love you so much, and I’m honored to be the future Mrs. Stanley.” She grinned. “I might even get the T-shirt.”
Liam laughed and lowered his mouth to hers. He claimed her lips with the raw intensity of a man who would definitely be getting lucky when they got back to his suite. A flash went off near the edge of the pond and for once, Lena didn’t mind. She was living her best life with the man she loved and, even though it might not look like a fairy tale from the outside, she was going to get her happily ever after, dammit.
Royally Engaged!
Grab the tissues, ladies! We have it on good authority HRH Prince William is officially off the market. After just six short months of dating, he put a ring on it, confirming Willena is end game.
And in true Willena fashion, we’re told the proposal was a complete disaster. Rumor has it there was a fountain involved (we’ll pay top dollar for photographic evidence), but the palace has been tight-lipped. It just goes to show that all you really need is love, because perfect proposals are so last year.
Perfect weddings on the other hand… Well, let’s just say we think the wedding industry’s going to get a real bump this year, and we predict the future Mrs. Stanley will be setting some hot new trends. We just hope one of them won’t be paint-splattered tuxedos. Or flaming veils.
With HRH on lockdown, Prince Alexander’s stock just shot through the roof. (He may be the spare, but we know for a fact he’s extra AF where it counts.) And really, who wants to be queen anyway? We figure the lucky lady who snares the spare will get the palace and the perks—without the duty. #Winning.
Only time will tell if Prince Alexander will follow in his brother’s footsteps and settle down, but don’t hold your breath, ladies. The guy’s never dated the same woman for more than seven consecutive days as far as we can tell. It’ll take a pretty special woman (IE—a unicorn with a magical vagina) to bring the royal bad boy to heel.
Until then, we’ll be watching the bill box for an invitation to the royal wedding. There’s no doubt it’ll be an affair to remember, and we wouldn’t miss it for the world!
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Author’s Note
A Royal Disaster was so much fun to write! I’ve always loved romantic comedies, and from the first time Elena and her bucket of purple paint exploded in my imagination, I knew I had to write this story. What I didn’t know at the time was how Lena and Liam would take on a life of their own or how much I would grow to love these characters. I hope you enjoyed reading A Royal Disaster as much as I enjoyed writing it, but I couldn’t have done it on my own.
Publishing is a team effort and I’m fortunate to work with an incredibly talented editorial team at Entangled. THANK YOU to Liz, Candace, Lydia, and Wendy for believing in this story and for loving these characters as much as I do. This story wouldn’t shine half as bright without your thoughtful guidance and insights.
To my Tuesday girls, Carrie and Laura, where to even start? Thank you for writing sprints, yummy snacks, and generally putting up with me, especially when I’m mainlining caffeine and panicking about deadlines and kindergarten bus schedules. Your friendship and encouragement are everything.
To Michelle Mioff-Haring at Cupboard Maker Books, thank you for your friendship and for graciously opening your store to me. I’m not exaggerating when I say I live for Tuesdays, and having such a strong support network has completely changed my writing life.
Tara and Becky, thank you for always saying yes, whether I’m begging for a last minute read or a few minutes to obsess about all the things. You always make time, and that’s the greatest gift I could ever receive.
And, last but not least, thank you to my family for supporting me on this crazy adventure and for always believing in me…even when I’m on deadline and forget to make dinner—again.
XOXO,
Jen
About the Author
Jennifer Bonds writes contemporary romance with sassy heroines, sexy heroes, and a whole lot of mischief. She’s a sucker for enemies-to-lovers stories, laugh-out-loud banter, and over-the-top grand gestures. Jen lives in Pennsylvania where her overactive imagination and weakness for reality TV keep life interesting. She’s lucky enough to live with her own real-life hero, two adorable (and sometimes crazy) children, and one rambunctious K9.
Jen loves connecting with new people, especially other readers and writers. Visit her website www.jenniferbonds.com and sign up for her newsletter to receive exclusive content and updates on new releases. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram @jbondswrites.
Also by Jennifer Bonds…
Once Upon a Dare
Once Upon a Power Play
Seducing the Fireman
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