The Exiled Prince
Blurb
One night. No names. No faces. It should have been simple.
I’ve never been reckless with my heart until I meet a handsome stranger at a secret masquerade ball. From the glint of his dark eyes, he knows I don’t have an invitation. I’m not rich or a celebrity. I’m just the personal assistant of someone important. Instead of showing me the door, he escorts me through the gardens and into a world of decadence, sin, and forbidden pleasures.
From the moment we meet, I can’t stop thinking about him. The way his hands feel on my hips. The press of his hard chest against mine. Everything about this night is a sham except for the way he owns my body. Tomorrow, I’ll go back to my normal life and forget this ever happened. Tonight, I’m going to live it up.
Except…this isn’t the ending. It’s just the beginning. A few months later, my new boss is the billionaire exiled prince from the masquerade, and I’m in serious trouble.
Cinderella meets Fifty Shades in this dark, royalty romance.
***This book was formerly released as Sex, Lies, & Lipstick in the Bad Boy Billionaire Bachelors Boxset.
1
Rourke
As I stood in the center of Everly’s hotel suite, wearing her extra ball gown, her designer shoes, and an expression of shock, I knew this was the granddaddy of bad decisions. Beside me, Everly floated like a graceful princess in vintage Oscar de la Renta, a jeweled tiara on her head, and a delicate silver mask in her grasp. I smoothed my hands over the hundreds of Swarovski crystals sewn to the bodice of my dress and shook my head. My pulse leaped and skittered like leaves scattering in the wind.
“This is not a good idea,” I said. The girl staring back at me from the mirror looked like someone else, thanks to a team of professionals, two hours in a makeup chair, and hair extensions. Not in a bad way, just someone different, someone who wasn’t me. What would Aunt May think of this transformation? A pang of guilt twisted my insides at the thought of the fairytale evening in front of me while she languished inside the beige walls of a low-income, assisted-living facility.
“Yes, it is. It’s the best idea I’ve ever had.” Everly circled me, scouring my appearance with a critical eye.
“Give me one good reason,” I said.
“Here.” She thrust her phone into my face. The picture of a dark-haired, enigmatic Russian prince stared back at me. My heart skipped a beat. A triumphant smile brightened her face. “Case closed.”
“The chances of meeting this guy are less than zero,” I grumbled. “You said so yourself.”
“Always so negative.” Her eyes softened. No one knew the misfortunes of my past better than Everly. “But miracles happen all the time. What if he’s your miracle?”
“He’s way too complicated for my taste.” I waved away her foolishness with a sweep of my hand. “I’m only going because you’re forcing me.”
She stuck out her tongue and turned her attention back to my transformation. “What do you think, Christian?”
“Excellent.” Christian, her stylist, patted his hands over my body in an impersonal way, making me blush, adjusting and tugging on the dress, until he nodded in satisfaction. “Now put on the mask.”
I groaned but lifted the white-and-gold filigree mask to cover my face. He clapped his hands together in delight.
“Perfect,” Everly said.
“Perfectly crazy,” I replied.
For seventeen of my twenty-six years, Everly had been my best friend. She was also the daughter of the former Vice President of the United States, and my boss. We’d attended the same private schools, our lives weaving parallel lines until my parents died and my life had changed. As her personal assistant, I organized the chaos in her life, attended social functions, and kept her company during her travels. Tonight, those duties included crashing London’s most exclusive masquerade ball. She had received an invitation. I didn’t.
“Stop bitching and be quiet for a second. I need to think.” She tapped a polished fingertip to her lips. “Something’s missing, Christian. What is it?”
I studied my reflection but couldn’t see anything out of place. My blond hair hung in loose curls over my shoulders, much longer than my normal shoulder-length locks, thanks to hair extensions. Everly’s diamond earrings dangled from my earlobes. The ensemble was classy and elegant.
Christian frowned. “It’s her lipstick. It’s all wrong. She needs a pop of color.” He turned to the makeup artist at his elbow and clapped his hands, “Lipstick. Now.” In a flurry of panic, she grabbed a plastic case and opened it for his inspection. He shuffled through the dozens of tubes. “No. No. No. Hell no.” At last he landed on something worthy of his attention. “Yes. This one.”
The girl, pale and anxious, removed my mauve lipstick with a cosmetic wipe and reapplied the new color, a luminescent shade of pink. “This is a test brand. It’s not on the market yet.” Her anxiety intensified. “I’m not supposed to give it out to anyone.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Christian shuffled her aside and scanned me with a critical eye. “Is that better, Everly?”
“Yes!” She hopped up and down. Her voluminous skirt rustled like brittle fall leaves. “You’re brilliant, Christian.”
“You don’t pay me to be average,” he said with a cock of his pencil-thin eyebrow.
The makeup artist’s shoulders lowered in relief. I tried not to giggle at the absurdity of it all. Fancy, formal events had never been my thing. I preferred a nice, quiet night at home with a good book and a glass of wine.
“Everybody out.” Christian clapped his hands together. The others jumped. “Ladies, you are pure perfection. My work here is done. I’ll be on my way.” He leaned forward and bestowed double air-kisses to Everly’s cheeks. Not to me, because I was an employee and therefore no one of consequence. “Enjoy your evening, love.”
“Thanks, Christian. You’re a doll. Love you.” Everly waggled her fingers at him then turned to face me. “The car is waiting downstairs. Are you ready?”
“Tell me again why I’m doing this.” Every shred of common sense in my head screamed for me to run in the opposite direction of Everly and her latest zany scheme.
“Because you love me, and I insisted, and I always get my way.” Her pretty eyes sparkled. “And because I love you, and I’m worried about you. I want you to have fun and let your hair down for a change. This is my last night as a single woman. We need to celebrate and kick up our heels.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine,” I said, more for my benefit than hers.
“Don’t lie to me, Rourke. You’ve been moping around for weeks. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.” She rubbed a hand up and down my back, her forehead crinkling. “I just want you to be as happy as me.”
“I am.” To hide the truth, I ducked my head and pretended to pluck imaginary lint from the dress. Change scared me. I liked safe and steadfast.