The Honeymoon Prize (19 page)
Read The Honeymoon Prize Online
Authors: Melissa McClone
“Tell your boss he needs to be fired.”
“I did when problems started the first week of filming, but no one listened. The production company believes the show will be a hit, and they’re brainstorming a royal wedding spinoff.”
“Has the prince found a bride?”
“No.” And if something didn’t change soon, the show would have to be retitled
How To Lose a Princess in 10 Hours or Less
. Not one princess was interested in a second date with Prince Luc. Few agreed to a first one. The majority wanted nothing to do with the guy. “But I have the names of nobility from duchesses to baronesses to add to the list of princesses.”
“Why not a commoner?” Addie asked. “That worked out well for Prince William.”
“King Leopold wants his son to marry a royal. That was a requirement for the show.”
The cab backfired. Emily’s heart pounded. A good thing they were almost at the hotel.
Addie’s lips twisted. “What about love?”
Her words held a touch of whimsy. Not surprising. She believed in happily ever after and one true love.
Emily knew better thanks to her divorced parents. Being with a man could be enjoyable. Everyone needed companionship and attention at times. Affection, too. But forget about making things permanent.
“It’s reality TV,” Emily said. “No one cares about love.”
“I did. Nick, too.”
“The two of you are in love.” Last June, Emily had cast Addie and Nick in a reality TV show and ended up with a hit show. “The prince’s father ordered Luc to go on the show and find a bride. He’s only doing his duty.”
“How sad.”
Emily shrugged. “That’s the life of a royal.”
“Maybe that’s why the prince is so...troubled.”
Troubled? Yeah, right. More like a troublemaker.
“No one is forcing Luc to hang around half-naked women and drink until he passes out.” Thankfully the photos of the prince’s party habits had stopped being uploaded to social media once Nick arrived on the set.
“I read about the fabulous events Prince Luc puts on to raise money for his charity foundation,” Addie said. “At least he’s trying to do good.”
Trying wasn’t enough. The fundraisers were probably excuses to have a good time. His just-have-fun party attitude made finding him a wife impossible. “I wish he’d
be
good for once.”
The cab double-parked twenty feet away from the hotel.
“This is as close as I can park.” The driver spoke English with a slight accent. “You’ll have to get out here.”
“Fine.” Emily paid him. “We can handle our own luggage.”
The driver removed their suitcases from the trunk and carried the bags to the sidewalk.
The sun shone bright in a clear blue sky. Emily squinted, then put on her sunglasses. The temperature was pleasant, only a slight breeze. The mountain air refreshed her after breathing in the recirculated air in the various planes.
She grabbed the handle of her suitcase. “Ready?”
“Yes.” Addie wore sunglasses and a San Diego Padres cap. She held the handle of her wheeled bag. “But will the prince be ready for us?”
Emily pulled her luggage. “He’d better be.”
A man ran past, bumping into her. She stumbled forward. The pavement rose to greet her.
Addie grabbed Emily’s arm and kept her upright. “Hey, you jerk.”
The man, who carried a camera bag, kept going. Typical.
“No worries.” Emily smoothed her tunic over her pants then picked up her suitcase by the extended handle. Probably shouldn’t have worn new shoes. They felt tight after the flight. “He’s only thinking about a celebrity being in the vicinity.”
Him and two dozen others.
Chaotic was the only way to describe the crowd in front.
Prince Luc’s location and the show were supposed to be top secret. That was one reason they weren’t filming in Alvernia until the end. The king’s youngest son drew attention wherever he went.
“If I pinch myself, do you think I’ll wake up and discover I’m having a bad dream?” she asked Addie.
“This might be your nightmare, but I’ve been dreaming about seeing Nick.”
Emily shook her head. “Newlyweds.”
“Don’t knock marriage until you try it.”
She didn’t want a boyfriend let alone a husband. Casual dates when she felt lonely were good enough for now. She needed to focus on her career.
“Let’s see if you’re singing the same tune after your one year anniversary.” Emily continued toward the hotel. “I’m not in any rush to take that plunge.”
“Not every man is like your dad.”
Logically, Emily knew that. Convincing her heart would take some doing. She squeezed past the throngs of paparazzi. Finally she reached the uniformed doorman.
“I’m Emily Rodgers.” She removed her sunglasses to look the man in the eyes. “I have a reservation.”
He opened the door. “Please check in at the front desk.”
“Thank you.” She stepped inside. Addie followed.
Cool air greeted Emily. The scent of money, too. Plush carpeting and heavy gold drapes swallowed the noise from the crowd outside. Old World was the only way to describe the décor with hanging chandeliers, gilded wood molding and exquisite oil paintings on display. The luxurious atmosphere seemed one-hundred-and-eighty degrees from the party animal prince who would be more comfortable at a college fraternity house.
At the front desk, she handed an envelope full of cash to a man behind the counter. Inside was the amount Nick had told her to pay. “I’m Emily Rodgers.”
“We’ve been expecting you.” The man handed her a room card. “You’ll find what you’re looking for in Suite 428. Will you need anything else?”
“Send up Nick Cahill when he arrives.”
The man replied with a nod.
A few minutes later, Emily stood in front of Suite 428. A
Do Not Disturb
sign hung on the door handle. Was the prince alone? Or would they be disturbing a romantic rendezvous?
Addie stared down the hallway toward the elevator. “We’ve never met the prince. He might not take kindly to us bursting into his room.”
“Luc chose to disappear like a rebellious teenager. Now he has to face the consequences.”
Those included Emily. She knocked.
No answer.
She slid the card into the door reader. The little diode next to the card slot turned green. She turned the handle.
Addie sighed. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“No worries.”
Emily might not have a firm plan in mind, but she did her best thinking under pressure. So what if the guy was royalty? A random accident of birth didn’t make him different or special.
She pushed open the door.
Darkness greeted her. No movement or sounds, either.
“Is he gone?” Addie whispered.
“Let’s find out.”
Emily turned on the nearest light switch. She saw a sitting area, decorated in white and gold.
Someone grunted. Not a passionate moan, but an I’m-not-feeling-well groan.
Addie sucked in a breath. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
So did Emily, but she chalked up the thought to jet lag. She could handle anything. That was why she’d been sent. “Come on. Let’s go meet our runaway prince.”
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Find out what happens next...
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After raising his younger sister, an instant family is not on Ty’s Christmas wish list. But he finds himself falling hard for the single mom and her little girl. Meg, however, is not interested in a romance with a cowboy like Ty, or any man. Getting her under the mistletoe is going to take a Christmas miracle . . . or a little help from Santa.
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