Leopold: Part One: Royal Heartbreakers Read online

  “What do you mean?” she says.

  “Nothing,” I say quickly. “Just that I don’t live free of consequences, despite what you may believe.”

  “You said you wouldn’t be here…” She leans toward me. “Do you mean here here? At the clinic?”

  I see my opening. “Of course. If I hadn’t tumbled down that ridge, I wouldn’t be on this gurney right now.” I grin for good measure.

  But she’s seen through me. She shakes her head.

  “No,” she says. “No, you meant here. In Rio de Campo. What does that mean? Why are you here?”

  “As you are well aware, I’m here to inspect this place.”

  “But why you?” She straightens. “I’ve been wondering this whole time. Why send a prince instead of a member of the Medical Council? Why send a prince when anyone official would do?”

  “For the adventure, of course,” I say lightly.

  “Stop bullshitting me.” She crosses her arms. “I want the real answer.”

  The real answer is complicated. And it involves more than only me—and my brother’s reputation is far more important than my own. Besides, that whole night was my fault. I was the one who came up with the stupid idea in the first place.

  I can tell by the way Elle is looking at me that she’s read something on my face.

  “What is it?” she says.

  If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was almost concerned.

  “It’s nothing,” I tell her, keeping my tone light. “Every prince has to do something responsible sometimes. This is simply my contribution.”

  “You chose to come here,” she says. “Instead of your usual ribbon cuttings and ceremonial events? You willingly came to a place with no luxury resort and no air-conditioning out of some sense of duty?”

  “Is that so hard to believe?”

  “Yes. Yes, it is.”

  She’s studying me carefully, and I turn my gaze back up to the ceiling. I don’t care how much she presses me—I have no intention of sharing anything about that night with her.

  “You were ordered to come here,” she says after a moment. “Why? Did your family finally have enough of your partying?”

  “My hard work as a tabloid star goes completely unappreciated.”

  For a moment, I think she’ll drop this unfortunate subject.

  “No,” she says. “It’s more than that. I can tell.”

  I glance at her again, cocking an eyebrow. “Are you suddenly an expert on me? I’ll admit, I’m flattered by the attention.”

  “I can tell when someone is lying to me. And you, Leo, are lying to me.”

  Hearing my name on her lips is a special sort of pleasure. But it doesn’t leave me more inclined to share anything with her.

  I gingerly prop myself up on my elbows, careful of my wound.

  “I haven’t lied to you,” I say. “But why should I share anything about my past when you refuse to share anything about yours? I asked you first, I might remind you.”

  A wrinkle forms between her brows. “I’m not telling you anything.”

  “Neither am I. Which makes us even.” I try another one of my smiles on her. “Forgive me for saying so, Elle, but if we’ve both agreed we won’t be sharing anything with each other, I don’t see what the problem is. It certainly makes things much simpler when it comes to this relationship.”

  She throws up her hands. “We are not having this conversation again. And this is not a relationship. I’m surprised that word is even in your vocabulary.”

  “I’m full of surprises, I assure you.” I sit up all the way.

  “Lie back down,” she tells me.

  “You’re welcome to come make me.”

  “And we all know what happened the last time I got near you.”

  “Mm, yes.” I close my eyes, and my senses are flooded with her again. With the scent of her hair, the taste of her lips, the feel of her skin beneath my fingers. It was only a moment, and yet the memory of it makes my whole body come alive, makes the need course hard and fast through me.

  When I open my eyes again, I find her staring at me intently. I know my hunger is plain on my face. But the hunger is equally as plain on hers.

  “I’ll lie down on one condition,” I tell her. “That you lie next to me. We don’t have to do anything else. You have to lie next to me tonight. That is all.”

  Elle

  My breaths are coming too quickly. “It’s not big enough.” I’m panicking, and the words fall out of my mouth before I even know what I’m saying.

  He chuckles. “I assure you, Doctor, I’ve never heard any complaints.”

  I groan at the innuendo and stare down at the floor. There’s no way I’m going to lie down next to him—no way I’m going anywhere near him ever again for that matter. That kiss—fuck. Someone might think no one had ever touched me before by the way my body is still reacting to the memory of that kiss. And I can’t control myself around him. The closer I get to him, the less authority my brain seems to have over my body.

  Damned hormones. Seriously.

  “There is plenty of room beside me, Elle, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. It would seem that when my family dedicated this clinic, they spared no expense on these gurneys.” He motions between the two beds, pausing for effect. “And I see no reason we shouldn’t be utilizing them now.” He grins.

  I shake my head. “I’m sure there’s a weight limit, though. The last thing I want is the bed collapsing and you injuring yourself again. I mean, I’m probably going to be court-martialed for allowing His Royal Highness to have lost so much blood already…” I’m rambling again. And making excuses. Anything to keep me as far away from him as possible.

  He stands and I swear I see a wince flash across his face, but he hides it as quickly as it appears. “As you can see, Elle, I’m feeling much better.”

  “Please. Please lie down. Do you really want me to beg you?”

  “Yes.” He grins again and his eyes flicker with amusement. “Yes, that is exactly what I want.”

  My voice lowers and I speak under my breath, though I’m sure it’s still loud enough for him to hear. “So fucking immature…”

  “I look forward to showing you just how mature I can be, Elle.” He flashes another grin before his brow furrows and he bends over, holding the wound below his chest.

  I stand and step over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist to guide him back to the gurney. “You might have broken a rib. You need to be resting—I swear, Leo if you don’t stop this, you could puncture a lung.”

  I halfway expect him to argue, and I don’t want to admit it, but I more than halfway hope he’s faking it again.

  But he doesn’t resist this time, allowing me to walk him a step back to help him back into bed. He barely holds back a groan as I help him get his legs up. But before I can step away, he catches me by the wrist. His voice is much lower, almost hushed. “Elle, I meant what I said.”

  “Which part?”

  He groans in pain. I wish there were something else I could give him, but I can’t—I’ve given him the strongest medication we have. And I still don’t know how his head is doing—and if it weren’t for the damn rain pouring down overhead, I would insist on taking him to the hospital now.

  I sit next to him on the bed. That’s as close as I’m willing to go, and even this is a little too close.

  His eyes close and he squeezes my hand. “I meant all of it. But at the moment, I’m speaking of the part in which I said the only way I was lying back down was with you next to me.” He opens his eyes. “I’m happy you’ve decided to oblige.”

  I shake my head and roll my eyes to the ceiling.

  He drops my hand to pat the bed and tries to shift over. “I promise, there’s plenty of room.” He almost moans in pain with the movement. “Please.”

  I know there’s still a small chance he’s conning me again, but it doesn’t seem like it this time. And I don’t know what happens to me, but I turn and lift my legs
onto the bed and lie down next to him.

  He slides his arm beneath my neck and I turn to face him. There is barely enough room for both of us on this thing, and with him on his back, there’s even less. My ass is probably hanging off the edge of the bed.

  But only for a moment. His hand slides down my back and he guides my body toward him until I’m pressed against his side. I pull my bottom arm across my chest, at least keeping my breasts from touching him. I’m not sure I can take this much contact and I’m starting to shake a little. He’s too close. The scent of him is overpowering me—some mix of pine and earth and fuck if I know what else. Something making my heart race in my chest. Making the rest of me pulse with excitement.

  I finally give in and rest my head against his outstretched arm. And I swear I hear him sigh.

  “This...this is only because I need to observe you.” My voice is trembling like the rest of my body.

  “Mm. Of course it is.” His voice is still hushed and he doesn’t seem to be teasing me in quite the same way he was before.

  “And it’s only because I really needed you to lie down. Because you’re clearly injured. And—”

  “Elle. I promise you. I will not be doing anything but lying here with you tonight. Unfortunately, even if I did desire more, I find my body is quite uncooperative at the moment.”

  “Because you’re hurt. Because I tried to tell you before—”

  “Yes. I should have listened to you.”

  My mouth falls open and I’m not able to find the words to speak. He should have listened to me? What the hell kind of guy ever admits he’s wrong?

  “Now, Elle, tell me something about yourself. We don’t have to speak of your love life if you’re still intent on keeping that a secret from me.” His hand rubs across my back and over to my arm, tracing it up and down.

  “I…” My breath catches in my chest. His caress is electric, and I find I can’t think of anything else when he touches me. “You have to stop that.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Touching me. Doing that.” I’m almost pleading with him. “I need to… I still need to observe you. For your head injury.”

  “Mm, yes. For my head injury.” His finger trails all the way down my arm until he takes my hand in his. “Is this better?”

  “Yes.” I gulp. “No.”

  He chuckles. “I’d prefer to be on my side, too, Elle. To feel your body pressed against mine again.”

  I can’t even respond. My brain is now flooded with the memory of that kiss. Of tasting him—damn it, I can still taste him on my lips.

  He lets out a breath that sounds almost pained. “Tell me something about yourself and I’ll share something about myself. If you feel that is fair.”

  “Okay.” I hate the way my voice sounds, all breathless and...hopeless. “What do you want to know?” I’m not sure I can play this game, though. If the topics get too touchy, I’m out.

  “Where did you live before you came to Rio de Campo?”

  “California. Santa Monica. Owen lived there, too. He loves to surf.” Fuck, I have no idea why I’m talking about my brother now.

  “And you? Do you like to surf?”

  “No, my turn. I told you something—now you have to tell me something.”

  “Hm. Fair enough. What burning question do you have for me, Elle?”

  I pause. I have plenty of questions for him, but I’m not sure there are any he’ll be willing to answer. “What happened that your family made you come here?”

  He pauses for a moment. “That hardly seems fair. I ask you an inane question and yours is...less than inane.”

  “You didn’t say there were topics that were off limits.”

  “Indeed, I did not. I should have explained the rules. You may ask me any questions that are unrelated to my family.”

  “And you may ask me any questions that are unrelated to my love life.”

  “Fair enough.” He pauses again, waiting for me. “Would you like to ask a different question?”

  “Yes,” I reply, though I have no idea what I’m going to ask. I think for a moment. “How long was your longest relationship?” It takes me a second to realize I’ve left out an important detail. “Not with your parents. A romantic relationship.”

  “Ah, you’re good at this. Because I would have replied with my age if not for the clarification.” He chuckles. “Let’s see.” He pauses. “I spent the better part of a summer holiday with a woman not too long ago. It might have lasted a bit longer if…” His voice trails off. “I believe it was just over three weeks. Perhaps closer to four.”

  I’m embarrassed to admit I think I know who he’s talking about—it was all over the celebrity news a few years ago. Has Prince Leo finally settled down? Clearly not. Not with that particular starlet.

  “What happened?”

  “Ah, I believe it’s my turn to ask a question now.” He’s silent for a moment. “I have occasion to be in California several times per year. There’s a hotel in Beverly Hills catering to people with my particular needs. It has private entrances where no paparazzi have the ability to photograph its guests.”

  “This doesn’t sound like a question.”

  “I’m coming to that.” He pauses again. “Would you consider…joining me, perhaps? The next time I find myself there, of course. I suppose a better question would be to ask if that is where you are planning to return upon your departure from Rio de Campo.”

  “I can’t believe I’m letting you get away with a two-parter,” I mutter. “I am going back to California. It’s the only place I’ve ever lived. Before here.” I let out a long breath. “As for the other part of your question—I have no desire to take part in some secret rendezvous with you.”

  “We have so little time left here, Elle. And I believe this desire we both feel for each other is something worth exploring.”

  I try to pull myself away from him, but his grip on me tightens.

  “It’s your turn, Elle.”

  “Why? Why would you ask me something like that?”

  He turns his head to face me, his eyes dark with passion. “Because I want to hear you admit you feel the same desire for me that I feel for you.”

  I shake my head. “So, you want me to—what? Come suck you off like a cheap whore? You want a guaranteed quick and private fuck after you’re done partying and being seen with the women you want to be photographed with? Yeah, no thanks. I think I’ll have to pass on that one.”

  He releases my hand and grips my forearm. “When you put it like that, it sounds much less pleasurable than it could be.”

  “I’m not a toy, Leo.”

  He smiles. “No. But I believe you would very much enjoy being played with. In fact, I can virtually guarantee it.”

  I shake my head and try to pull away again, but he pulls me even closer—my body is almost melded to his now.

  “It’s your turn,” he says.

  “It is not my turn. I just asked you why… You know what? Never mind. I don’t want to play this game.”

  “Then I guess we’ll lie here in silence for the rest of the night.” He turns his head to look up at the ceiling again.

  “I guess so.” I let out an exasperated breath. “You should let me go.”

  He doesn’t move.

  “Leo, really. I think…” Damn it. I don’t know what I think. I hate how he wants to use me. I hate how my body wants me to let him. I hate…everything. Everything about this is so wrong.

  His head turns to face me again, his forehead tipping to touch mine. I can feel his breath on my lips. “What? What do you think, Elle?”

  “I…” My body is betraying me again. Because I can’t think of what I think. All I want to do is kiss him. I part my lips, tilting my head to his when I hear a crash in the lobby, halting whatever might have happened between us. The door to the treatment area swings open a moment later.

  A man stands in the doorway. A chill runs down my spine and Leo’s grip on me tightens, almost like h
e’s trying to protect me.

  “Excuse me,” the man says. “I’m looking for Dr. Eleanor Parker.”

  “I’m Elle,” I say and I pull out of Leo’s grasp, sitting myself up. “Can I help you?” Thunder cracks loudly overhead and another torrent of rain beats against the roof.

  He nods. “They thought the roads would wash out because of the rain so I came a bit early. I’m Dr. Walter Mitchell, your replacement.”

  Leopold - Part Two will be available on July 26, 2016. Sign up for the Royal Heartbreakers Newsletter now for a reminder on release day.

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  The Royal Heartbreakers Series

  Leopold unfolds over the course of six novels, released every three weeks. Each follows the continuing story of Prince Leopold of Montovia and Dr. Eleanor Parker. Leopold is the first of the Royal Heartbreakers Series.

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  Leopold

  Part One (July 5, 2016)

  Part Two (July 26, 2016)

  Part Three (August 16, 2016)

  Part Four (September 6, 2016)

  Part Five (September 27, 2016)

  Part Six (October 18, 2016) ~ Full-length novel

  All Parts are available for pre-order now

  ANDREW - Part One will be available November 1, 2016

  Also by Ember Casey