Honeymoon With a Prince (Royal Scandals) by Nicole Burnham Read Free Book Online Page B

fashion and handed her a sandwich he’d filched from the palace kitchen.   She’d inhaled it, thanking him profusely all the while.   Every time he’d taken a woman to dinner after that and watched her take only the daintiest bites of her meal, he’d secretly suspected she’d raided the fridge afterward.
    He found it strangely appealing that Kelly wasn’t concerned about eating in front of him.   He wondered if that’d change if she knew his background.   Then again, he didn’t know that much about her background, either.
    “So tell me, Kelly Chase from Dallas, Texas, in the United States, what do you do when you’re not relaxing on the beaches of Sarcaccia?”
    She smiled at his teasing, but it didn’t quite make its way to her eyes, making him wonder if the question bothered her or merely caught her by surprise.   “Well, until two weeks ago, I ran my own business.”
    Impressive.   “What type of business?”
    “Closet design and organization.”   She gave her wine a swirl.   “I imagine that sounds frivolous compared to what you’ve done with the military, but it was a great way to make a living.   I made a lot of people’s lives easier.   I’d help them get rid of belongings they couldn’t use and focus on those that improved their productivity.   Then I’d install a new system to keep everything organized for the long term.   It improved their efficiency and made them happier.   Like a weight had been lifted.”
    “Sounds like hard work,” he mused. “Not sure I’d want to spend days on end slogging through other people’s closets and cleaning them out.”
    “See, that’s exactly why people put it off.   They worry it’ll be a huge undertaking.   But in most cases, the entire job can be done in a few days.   It’s only the huge, walk-in closets that are the size of a bedroom and stuffed to the gills that take longer.   Even then, the payoff is worth it.   My clients are always stunned at the transformation and tell me they wish they’d done it sooner.”
    Sounded like it made her as happy as her clients.   “And you decided to toss it all away for a wild Sarcaccian vacation?”
    “You could say that.   I sold out to a competitor.”
    “I hope he—or she—paid you a fortune.”   It would certainly explain the villa she’d rented.   He knew enough about the price of vacationing on Sarcaccia to know her chosen location wasn’t cheap.   Particularly at this time of year, with balmy weather and the country’s Independence Day celebration about to begin.
    That brought a droll smile to her face.   “Not nearly enough, I’m afraid.   I’m using this vacation to plan what I’ll do next.   My last venture was successful, so I hope to take that experience and use it to launch a new business.   An even better one.”
    “Closet organization again?”
    “Can’t, at least not in Texas.   I signed a noncompete as part of the sale.   But I’m sure I’ll come up with something I enjoy.”   She set down her glass and leaned forward.   “Why don’t you tell me more about you?   What do you do when you’re not visiting exotic countries as part of your military duties?”
    He considered his answer carefully.   He refused to lie, but he wasn’t ready to reveal his true vocation, either.   “Well, for the last few days, I’ve spent most of my time on my boat.   I finished my tour of duty only a few weeks ago.   So, like you, I’m considering what I’ll do next.”
    “No plans to re-enlist?”
    He shook his head.   Much as he’d like to sign up for a three-year extension, his parents expected him to attend to his royal duties sooner rather than later.   As they’d told him over and over, there were thousands of Sarcaccians who could serve in the military, but only a few who could enrich the country by wielding the power and resources accorded to those bearing the Barrali name.  
    “I loved my time in the army—it was fulfilling in a way that few