Kitabı oku: «How to Catch a Prince»
Thank goodness he’d never given into any errant urges to have sex with her, because he was certain that would have ruined the best relationship he’d ever had with a woman.
If Sophie weren’t his assistant, she might have been the perfect woman for him. Low-maintenance, undemanding, not at all clingy. Max, however, had Sophie’s number. Underneath that practical veneer, she was a romantic at heart. With his past disastrous relationships with women, he’d learned to steer clear of ones who wanted romance and home and hearth. Even though she’d followed him around the world, Max had an itchy, uncomfortable feeling that Sophie wanted a husband and a baby—to go along with that dog she was always talking about getting.
And the romantic in Sophie was now pushing him to go to the land of his newly revealed royal relatives.
“You’re never going to stop with this until I visit Chantaine,” he said. “Are you?”
She looked at him with unapologetic determination. “Never. Ever.”
“Okay, I’ll go,” he said, trying to avoid her slight smile.
Because she looked as if she knew something he didn’t. That wasn’t a good thing.
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Chantaine, a lovely Mediterranean island where the royal Devereaux rule and fall in love. When Max Carter learns his biological father was Prince Edward Devereaux, he’s not impressed. Adopted as a baby, Max has been raised to make his own way. These days, he’s known for the impressive bridges and roads he constructs all over the world, and he couldn’t care less about any biological ties he may have to a bunch of royals.
When his longtime assistant, Sophie Taylor, guilts him into meeting his new half-siblings, he learns how much the Devereaux care for their country and their people. He finds himself drawn into using his expertise to help improve Chantaine.
More important, Max learns he may need to rethink his attitude about keeping his distance from people, especially when his assistant, Sophie, gains the attention of a palace advisor. Sophie was the best assistant Max had ever employed and he’d always been careful to keep their relationship friendly, but not romantic.
On the other hand, Sophie has hidden her mile-wide crush from Max from the first day she fell for him. As she’s grown to know him more throughout the past few years, she despairs that he’ll never return her feelings.
Feelings can change in lots of ways when Sophie and Max give in to their passion and Sophie gets pregnant. Max may be ready to make a commitment, but Sophie wants more than papers. She wants love!
I would love to hear from you if you get a chance to read How to Catch a Prince. You can email me at leannebbb@aol.com.
Happy reading,
Leanne
About the Author
LEANNE BANKS is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author who is surprised every time she realizes how many books she has written. Leanne loves chocolate, the beach and new adventures. To name a few, Leanne has ridden on an elephant, stood on an ostrich egg (no, it didn’t break), and gone parasailing and indoor skydiving. Leanne loves writing romance because she believes in the power and magic of love. She lives in Virginia with her family and a four-and-a-half-pound Pomeranian named Bijou. Visit her website, www.leannebanks.com.
How to Catch a Prince
Leanne Banks
MILLS & BOON
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This book is dedicated to my husband, Tony Banks, for his unswerving belief in me and for all the take-out food he has brought me during deadlines.
Chapter One
“You have to go,” Sophie Taylor insisted for the tenth time.
Glancing out the window of his temporary office trailer, Max Carter felt a sense of satisfaction at the sight of the finished bridge project. The new construction gleamed in the Australian sun as if it were shouting success.
“I’ve got too much to do,” he said, turning to face his assistant of four years. “Paperwork, then it’s on to the next project.”
Sophie scowled at him. “You could take a short break. It’s near the holidays. It wouldn’t kill you. I can’t believe you’re dismissing this without giving it a second thought. They’re your family.”
Max rolled his eyes. There were few people he’d allow to argue with him this much, but Sophie had proven her value to him time and time again. He couldn’t think of another woman he respected more. Even now as she frowned at him with softly accusing chocolate-brown eyes from behind her smudged glasses, he felt compelled to listen to her. He knew that beneath that curly mass of hair, she had a quick and fair mind.
“Why do you care so much about this? It’s not your family,” he said.
“I don’t want you to have any regrets.”
He sighed, remembering the day the two representatives of the Royal House of Devereaux had hunted him down on the job site. The words they’d said to him had been stuck in his brain like the annoying refrain of a song he couldn’t make go away.
Your biological father was Prince Edward of Chantaine.
“They’re not my family, Sophie. I can’t believe these royals are thrilled with the news that their father hatched a couple of extra children with a B-movie actress in America.” Although Max had always known he was adopted, he never would have dreamed his biological parents were a prince and actress!
“What about Coco Jordan?” Sophie asked, referring to the other child the prince and actress had produced. “She’s your sister. Don’t you at least want to meet her? And, who knows, maybe she wants to meet you. You might try thinking about the feelings of someone other than yourself. Didn’t you say both of your parents had passed away? She has no one now. No one except you.”
“She doesn’t have me,” he retorted, but he felt an itchy sensation of obligation. “I wouldn’t be able to pick her out of a crowd of two.”
Her frown deepened. “Maybe you should just give her a chance.”
Max sighed and glanced around the trailer that had become his temporary office and home. The LEGO rendering of the bridge sat next to his desk. A small Christmas tree blinked in the corner. Two stuffed puppies sat next to Sophie’s desk. Sophie had complained many times over that she wanted a dog, but there was no way she could drag a pet to all the places Max had taken her for projects, many of which were international. From the first time she’d assisted him on a job, he’d learned she was the best assistant he could possibly have despite her complaints. He grumbled and she helped fix things. She anticipated his needs. Thank goodness he’d never given into any errant urges to have sex with her because he was certain that would have ruined the best relationship he’d ever had with a woman.
If she weren’t his assistant, she might have been the perfect woman for him. Low-maintenance, undemanding and she wasn’t at all clingy. Max, however, had Sophie’s number. Underneath that practical veneer, Sophie was a romantic at heart. Even though she’d followed him around the world, he had an itchy, uncomfortable feeling that Sophie wanted a husband and baby to go along with that dog she so desired.
And with his past disastrous relationships with women, he’d learned to steer clear of women who wanted romance and home and hearth. “You’re never gonna stop with this until I visit Chantaine,” he said. “Are you?”
She looked at him from behind her glasses with unapologetic determination. “Never. Ever.”
“Okay. I’ll go,” he said. “For one day. Just one day and then you don’t get to look at me with that guilty face.”
Sophie gave a slight smile. “One day will be enough.”
Max felt a sinking feeling at her expression. She looked like she knew something he didn’t. That wasn’t a good thing.
Max left the following day for the island country of Chantaine to meet his new relatives while Sophie wrapped up the loose ends of the contract. Terri Caldwell, one of the other assistants on the project, walked into the trailer.
“How’s it going?”
“I’m halfway through a million pages of paperwork,” Sophie said without looking up from her laptop.
“That’s what you get for being so efficient and devoted,” Terri teased. “And head over heels for Max Carter.”
Sophie grimaced. Nearly a decade older than herself, Terri was a good woman from Arkansas, honest to a fault. Her husband was a truck driver back in the States, but they visited every chance they got. Terri had started taking the long-distance work to pay for her twin boys’ college tuition. She had become a good friend to Sophie especially during the last couple of months. Terri was intuitive enough to spot Sophie’s unrequited feelings for Max, and Sophie had grown to trust the woman’s discretion. It had been a relief to have the older woman’s sympathy. “Don’t rub it in. I’ll get over him someday. Maybe someday soon. I really want a King Charles spaniel and there’s no way I can do that if I allow him to keep dragging me all over the world.”
“What amazes me is that he doesn’t seem to notice your feelings for him when everyone else can see it as plain as day,” Terri said, leaning against Sophie’s desk.
Sophie felt a jagged twist inside her. “He doesn’t see me as a woman. He sees me as the ultimate assistant.”
“Well, you are the ultimate assistant,” Terri agreed with a nod. “But you’re also a woman. Ever thought about giving him a clue about that?”
Sophie stopped keying in the final construction details and glanced up at Terri. “I’m not exactly sure how. I’m not the type to wear low-cut shirts or short skirts. Or lots of makeup. But I’m still feminine.”
“Of course you are. I wonder if Max might belly up to the bar if he had a little competition.”
Sophie shook her head. “That’s not my way.”
“Sometimes men need a little push. You may have to think outside the box. Unless you’re okay with having unrequited love for the rest of your life.”
Sophie sighed, remembering the first time she’d met Max. She’d been bowled over. He was the Indiana Jones of road construction. She’d quickly learned how to anticipate his professional needs. He’d learned, not quite as quickly, how valuable she could be to him. Though her feelings for him had deepened over the years, only his professional respect had grown for her, and nothing more.
Sophie had hoped and wished, but nothing romantic had developed between them. She’d watched Max engage in several quickie affairs that had brought her enormous pain. Somehow, his relationship with her had turned out to be his most long-lasting one with a woman. Except, he didn’t really view her as a woman.
“Maybe with the holiday break, I can go back home and get my King Charles spaniel. Maybe then I’ll get over him,” Sophie said. “Not being around him could help me get over him.”
“It would help if he weren’t so good-looking,” Terri said.
“I can get over the good-looking part, but he can be charming,” Sophie said. “When he wants to be, he can be so damn charming.”
“He can also be a toad. He’s fine about making us all work long hours” Terri said.
“True, but he works longer than anyone else. And everyone is well-compensated. The real trouble for me is that he is charitable. He puts on this front about only caring about himself, but everywhere we go, he gets the crew involved in some kind of charity project.” She pointed at the pile of wrapped gifts next to the Christmas tree. “For children stuck in the hospital over the holidays. If only he were as selfish and uncaring as he says he is.”
“Have you gone out with another man since you’ve met Max?” Terri asked.
Self-consciousness burned through her. “Yes, I have,” she said. “Four times. All during my vacations.”
“Woo-hoo. Four times in four years.” Terri shook her head. “I dare you to meet six new men over your holiday.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Online. You can arrange meet-ups in no time.”
“I think I’d rather poke out my eye with a pencil,” Sophie said under her breath.
“You gotta do something,” Terri said. “You either need to pull that pony in or let him ride.”
Max couldn’t see much of the island country of Chantaine while soaring in the sky since he was arriving after dark. He’d run a computer search and caught a few images. Beautiful country that seemed to combine Greece’s Mediterranean views, France’s sophistication and Italy’s charm. While he’d run the search, he’d also looked into his new so-called siblings. The eldest, Crown Prince Stefan, came across as a hard worker, more serious-minded than their biological father, Prince Edward. It appeared that their father had enjoyed yachting and living like a playboy, much more than ruling.
Max figured that his adopted parents’ failed marriage was one more reason for him to never get married. They had fought more than they hadn’t when his father had been around. When things got tough, which was quite frequent, his adoptive father would leave the house and desert Max’s adoptive mother. He’d always been grateful for the home and opportunities his parents had provided for him, but their discord had bothered him the first time he’d heard them screaming at each other and doors slamming at night.
Now, Max not only had been given a bad example of marriage, he had the genetic material of a philanderer from Prince Edward.
He’d briefly checked out the rest of the Devereaux clan. The eldest sister, Valentina, lived in Texas with her rancher husband and their daughter. The second sister, Fredericka, lived in France with her movie producer husband. Princess Bridget was married to a doctor from the States and Princess Pippa had just married an international businessman. The youngest brother, Jacques, attended Oxford and played soccer.
Once he’d told the palace he would be coming, Prince Stefan’s wife, Eve, had sent him a message asking him to keep his visit secret because she wanted his presence to be a surprise for Coco Jordan’s wedding. The idea that he would be a surprise for anyone’s wedding, let alone his full-blooded sister, made him squeamish, but he agreed to the plan.
The plane landed with a jolt, reminding him he was about to put himself in an insane situation. He thought of how Sophie had hounded him. After this brief visit, she wouldn’t be able to look at him with her guilt gaze. Lord knew, he hated that guilt gaze.
A man approached him at the luggage carousel. “Mr. Carter? Mr. Maxwell Carter?”
Max nodded slowly. “Yes, and you?”
“I’m Mr. Bernard, an assistant to His Highness, Prince Stefan. We’re happy that you’re visiting Chantaine. Welcome to our country. If it pleases you, I have a driver ready to take you to a villa just outside the palace grounds. We would normally invite you to stay on the palace grounds itself, but with Miss Jordan’s wedding taking place in a few days, Princesses Eve and Bridget have requested to keep your presence secret until the nuptials.”
“Fine with me,” he said reluctantly, and realized his one-day stay had just been extended.
Three days later, after several tours of the island, Max was escorted to the office of Crown Prince Stefan Devereaux. Now, pacing the office as he waited for his half brother, Prince Stefan, he felt the hard gaze of the palace security tracking every move he made. If the Devereauxes were so insistent that he join them, then why did they look at him as if he were a potential assassin?
One moment later, a man stepped inside the room. “His Royal Highness, Prince Stefan,” the man announced.
A dark-haired man wearing a black suit strode toward him and nodded. “Maxwell Carter?”
Max nodded. “Yes. Max. And what shall I call you? Your highness or Prince Stefan?”
Prince Stefan lifted his left eyebrow. “Stefan will do.”
Max nodded again. “Stefan it is.”
Stefan waved his hand to a chair facing the desk and then sank into the large chair behind the desk. “I appreciate that you have made an effort to come to Coco Jordan’s wedding. Coco has made a huge effort to meet us … and now to meet you.”
Max shrugged, uncomfortable with Stefan’s gratitude. He’d expected the man to be more cold and pompous. “I haven’t met any members of the family before now.”
“You will before and after the ceremony,” Stefan promised, glancing at his watch. “In fact, the girls should be stopping by any minute. My sisters have been fussing over Coco for the last few days. I’m sure you’re curious to meet her.”
“I suppose,” Max said. “I have no idea what kind of person she is even though we share the same blood.”
“Well, she’s delightful,” Stefan said. “Kind and compassionate. The kind of woman you would want as a sister.”
“I’m impressed that you can say that after you have four sisters.”
Stefan laughed. “Good point. My sisters do their best to keep me in line.”
“And you?” Max asked.
“I do my best to keep them out of the equation,” Stefan said. “I’m told you’ve had a chance to tour the island?”
Max nodded. “I have,” he said. “It’s a beautiful place, and because of my profession I notice the infrastructure. Most of the roads and bridges are in good condition except the north end of the island.”
“I was going to ask you about that,” Stefan said. “One of my brothers-in-law has expressed an interest in building a green retreat with an emphasis on the nature areas on that part of the island, but he and I agree that the roads currently can’t sustain the possibility. We’d like to improve the roads, but keep the costs down.”
“Isn’t this something your government would pursue? I wouldn’t have expected a royal to have interest in roads.”
Stefan gave a shark-like smile. “Then you wouldn’t be familiar with the current generation of Devereauxes. All of us are interested about improving our country and the life of our citizens.”
“Unlike previous generations?” he asked, thinking of his biological father, who, from everything he’d read, was a shameless playboy.
Stefan’s facial expression closed. “Every generation has their emphasis. We can either be inspired by what they did or didn’t do or spend our lives complaining about it. I sense that you’re a man of action rather than the kind to sit around grumbling. Perhaps we have that in common.”
A knock sounded on the door and Stefan’s assistant opened it. Three women stepped inside the room. Two of them were very pregnant. The one who was not pregnant stepped toward him. “Oh, you must be Maxwell Carter. We’re so thrilled you could make it for Coco’s wedding. She’ll be so excited.”
“This is my sister Bridget,” Stefan said. “She loves to create surprises for family members.”
One of the pregnant women with wild hair laughed lightly and extended her hand. “Very true. I’m Phillipa and very pleased to meet you. Thank you for coming.”
Stefan slid his arm around the back of the other very pregnant woman. “This is my wife. Princess Eve.”
Not exactly sure how to address the roomful of royals, Max nodded. “Your highnesses,” he said.
Eve extended her hand. “Titles are unnecessary,” she said with a hint of a twang that made Max recall she was from the States. “As everyone has said, we’re just very pleased that you were able to come.”
He found it odd how protective the Devereauxes were of their father’s illegitimate child, Coco. “If you don’t mind my saying so, you haven’t known Coco very long. It’s surprising how attached you seem to be to her,” he said.
Eve smiled gently. “Ah, well, you’ll understand when you meet her. She is such a kind soul.”
“Wouldn’t take advantage of anyone,” Bridget added.
“Very sweet and so alone in the world since her mother died,” Phillipa said.
“Except now she has her husband and his daughter,” Bridget pointed out.
“Family means so much to her, and she really had none,” Eve said. “We couldn’t resist her after we met her.”
“We don’t have much time,” Bridget said. “Apologies, but we do have a plan for when we’d like to introduce you at the reception. We’ll have you sit in the back of the chapel so you won’t miss the wedding.”
“Because every man loves a wedding,” Stefan muttered dryly.
Both Bridget and Phillipa scowled at their brother, and at that moment, Max felt a strange kinship with Stefan.
Stefan shrugged. “What? It’s not as if a wedding is like a soccer match.”
An hour later, Max sat in the back of the chapel feeling incredibly uncomfortable. He watched as his full-blooded sister met her groom and both of them pronounced their vows. The Devereaux sisters crowded around the couple, and Max felt a strange twist in his chest. His sister’s voice touched something deep inside him. The Devereauxes were kinder than he’d expected. Why had the royals decided Coco belonged to him? Why had Coco pursued both the Devereauxes and him?
Max watched as the groom kissed his so-called sister and felt another bizarre clench in his gut. Why did this sight affect him? Why did he care?
After the couple kissed, Max was led to a reception in the ballroom. Then Bridget offered him a drink. “I hope whiskey is okay,” she said. “I never know what you Yanks want.”
Max downed the drink. “Whiskey’s fine. What’s the plan?”
“Just tell Coco how glad you are to meet her and how special she is. If you knew her, it wouldn’t be difficult,” she said.
“As you wish, your highness,” he said and put his empty glass on a tray.
“You’re missing out,” Bridget said. “But you’ll have to learn that on your own. Come along.”
She led him to the bride and groom. He stared into his sister’s face. He kept trying to tell himself that Coco wasn’t his real sister, but he felt a sense of connection with her.
She stared at him. “You’re my brother, aren’t you?”
“Yes, and you’re my sister. Maxwell Carter at your service, your highness,” he said in a wry voice.
She laughed out loud. “Yes, just as you are a prince, your highness.”
“Not me,” he said, shaking his head, feeling regret steep through him. “I wish I’d known you before.”
He saw the same wisp of loss he felt slide through her. “You know me now and I’ll be your pain in the butt sister for the rest of your life.”
“Why do I feel like I won the genetic lottery?” Max asked.
Her groom, Benjamin, stepped forward. “Because you did, in every way.” And then he took Coco’s mouth in a kiss.
Arriving back for a holiday visit in Northern Virginia, at her mother’s home, Sophie braced herself for her mother’s usual inquisition. This time, however, her mother seemed to have given up on nagging Sophie to get married. Her mother was far more relaxed than Sophie could remember. As a single parent, Katherine Taylor had spent most of Sophie’s growing-up years in fear of losing her job and subsequently being unable to care for Sophie. It had taken years for Katherine to trust Sophie to be able to take care of herself, but now it appeared her mother believed.
Sophie did her best to push Max and his situation from her mind. She needed some downtime. Even with the rush of decorating and baking, she found herself easing into a routine and taunting herself with advertisements for dogs.
After roaming the globe with Max for years, she wondered if she was ready for a different job. Although being away from Max was less exciting, she found herself much more calm and at peace. Maybe it was time to find a place of her own where she could stay for more than a few weeks at a time. The possibility was seductive, but something kept her from calling the engineering firm that employed her.
On New Year’s Day, she began composing a list of resolutions. The first was that she was going to start having a life, wherever she lived. As she recalled her list, her cell phone rang and she saw the caller ID. Max. Her stomach danced with stupid anticipation. She pressed the answer button. “Yes, Sophie.”
“Okay, I met my sister. She was nice. You were right. But I ended up staying a lot longer than one day. This Prince Stefan guy is a shark. That said, he needs a road fixed. Our company loves the idea of fixing the roads of an exotic island country, so we have our new assignment. I want you to come to Chantaine.”
“What? I thought I was going to get some vacation time,” she said.
“I’ll give you some time off when you’re here in Chantaine. You’ll like it here,” he said.
Sophie sighed, wondering if this was when she should finally say no to Max. It had been a fun ride traveling to exotic places to work with him, but she was longing for a home of her own. She was tired of feeling unsettled. “When would you need me?” she asked.
“Yesterday. Sophie, come on. You know what a great team we are. We always get the job done ahead of time and under budget when we’re working together. There’s no one I can count on the same way I can count on you.”
Sophie took a deep breath and said what she always said to Max. “Okay.” But this was going to be the last time. Really.
Two days later, Sophie gaped out the window of the jet as it neared the island. She couldn’t believe how beautiful the island of Chantaine was. White sandy beach on one side, rocky mountains on the other with azure ocean surrounding it all. Australia had been amazing. She’d been lucky enough to steal a long weekend over to New Zealand and absorb the lush gorgeousness of that island. But this, she thought, this was incredible. Paradise. She couldn’t wait to see it on the ground. Within moments, the plane landed. She grabbed her carry-on from the overhead compartment and waited her turn to exit the plane.
Her checked luggage arrived without a hitch. Nice change, given how many times the airlines had lost it in the past. She walked outside the terminal to what felt like a perfect combination of temperature and humidity and thought she would never want to leave this place.
A Mercedes slid in front of her. The driver and Max exited at the same time. “Miss,” the driver said.
“Sophie,” Max said. “We’ve got work to do.”
“I expected that. But you mentioned vacation days.”
“You’ll get a break. Just not right away.”
“Great,” she muttered under her breath. After the long flight, she didn’t have the energy to put up a fight.
The driver relieved her of her luggage and opened the car door for her. Sophie was grateful for the consideration. “Thank you,” she said, climbing into the car.
“The island is so beautiful,” she said to Max as he followed her.
“Yes, but the north side is a mess. That’s where we’ll be working. Unstable roads. Rock slides. Not acceptable. Far too dangerous. Stefan thinks one of his brother-in-laws will want to build a resort there, but the roads will have to be improved.”
“Will they need a bridge?” she asked.
“I think we can just build up the road. It’s tricky because it’s hard to get materials the second you want them.”
“Which will drive you crazy,” she said. “Since you consider patience a vice.”
Max shrugged. “You know me,” he said while lowering his window so that the breeze flowed through the backseat. “My impatience is my strength and weakness. I try to direct it toward my strength as much as possible.”
Sophie nodded. “What do you think of your new relatives?”
He moved his head from side to side. “An interesting crew.”
“I’m surprised you agreed to direct this road construction for them,” she said.
“Why not? Plus, if I do this, I won’t feel obligated to do anything else.”
Surprised, she threw a questioning glance at him. “Obligated?” she echoed.
“It’s a weird situation,” he said. “I’m related to them, but I don’t feel like I am. I wouldn’t feel right just doing nothing.”
“Hmm,” she said. “So this is a guilt job?”
He shrugged. “An obligatory job,” he said. “And the good thing is that the company will pay for it.”
Sophie took a deep breath. “You mentioned that Prince Stefan is a shark. You sure sound like one at the moment.”
“I haven’t figured them out. Stefan has royal manners, but underneath, he can be a hard case. He married an American and she’s about to give birth. Come to think of it, she’s Texan and so are two of the sisters’ husbands. He seems to truly love his wife. The same for the other couples I met.”
“You sound astonished,” she said.
“I’m not used to it. My parents spent most of their time fighting when my dad was home. He spent most of the time on the road.”
Sophie studied him for a long moment. Although Max had alluded to the fact that his parents hadn’t shared a great relationship, he’d never come right out and said it until now. It was eye-opening.
“You know, some people actually do fall in love, get married and stay in love,” she said.
“Sounds like a fairy tale to me,” he said, staring out the window as the car rode past one of the most spectacular beaches Sophie had ever seen.
“I knew you were cynical about romance, but—”
“It’s not cynical,” he said. “It’s realistic. The reason men and women marry is for sex. Then children. Men want children for progeny’s sake. Ego. The focus temporarily turns to children. Then men need to feel young again and sex is key. Even with the help from the blue pill.”
She slid him a sideways glance. “Blue pill. What do you know about that?”
He chuckled. “I don’t need it yet.”
“You and I have never really discussed your attitude toward marriage. You’ve given little clues, but I’ve never heard your complete scientific view.”
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