Rich, Rugged...Royal
HER LIVE-IN PRINCE"From the moment their eyes met across a crowded ballroom, schoolteacher Lauren Carlyle was lost. The tall, handsome stranger had swept her into his arms for a dance…. But (after an unforgettable night, they went their separate ways. So much for happily ever after…until Lauren discovered they'd be living under the same roof! And suddenly she was living a very twisted fairy tale. Because the man she thought didn't have a dime to his name was none other than Alexander Gabrielle, Prince of Carpegnia. Even before Lauren learned her boarder had royal blood in his veins, she knew he was everything she'd ever wanted in a man. But could she convince him that she loved him for the man he was and not for his crown?
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Time seemed suspended as their gazes met, his reflecting the same flare of heat that burned in her veins.
“I want to walk you to your room,” he said.
Lauren drew a steadying breath and shook her head. “You’re way too—”
“Irresistible?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of persistent.” The elevator door opened on her floor and she moved forward onto the plush carpet.
Alex stepped off the elevator and the door closed behind him. He picked up her hand and drew a lazy pattern on her palm with his index finger. “I’d give up if you told me to get lost and meant it.”
His touch made it difficult for Lauren to breathe. “I’m not sure.”
“Maybe this will help you decide.”
He tugged her toward him, and covered her mouth with his own.
Dear Reader,
What are your favorite memories of summer? Even though I spend my days reading manuscripts, I love nothing better than basking in the sun’s warm glow as I sit immersed in a great book. If you share this pleasure with me, rest assured that I can make packing your beach bag really easy this month!
Certainly, you’ll want to make room in your bag for Patricia Thayer’s A Taste of Paradise (SR #1770), part of the author’s new LOVE AT THE GOODTIME CAFÉ miniseries. Thayer proves that romance is the order of the day when a sexy sheriff determined to buy back his family’s ranch crosses paths with a beautiful blond socialite who is on the run from an arranged marriage. Watch the sparks fly in Rich, Rugged…Royal by Cynthia Rutledge (SR #1771) in which an ordinary woman discovers that the man whom she had a one-night affair with is not only her roommate but also a royal! International bestselling author Lilian Darcy offers an emotional tale about an estranged couple who are reunited when the hero is named bachelor of the year, in The Millionaire’s Cinderella Wife (SR #1772). Finally, I’m delighted to introduce you to debut author Karen Potter whose Daddy in Waiting (SR #1773) shows how a mix-up at a fertility clinic leads to happily ever after.
And be sure to leave some room in your bag next month when Judy Duarte kicks off a summer-themed continuity set at a county fair!
Happy reading,
Ann Leslie Tuttle
Associate Senior Editor
To Lee Cades, my favorite aunt
Books by Cynthia Rutledge
Silhouette Romance
Trish’s Not-So-Little Secret #1581
Kiss Me, Kaitlyn #1651
Rich, Rugged…Royal #1771
Love Inspired
Unforgettable Faith #102
Undercover Angel #123
The Marrying Kind #135
Redeeming Claire #151
Judging Sara #157
Wedding Bell Blues #178
A Love to Keep #208
The Harvest/“Loving Grace” #223
Two Hearts #264
Love Enough for Two #264
For Love’s Sake #281
CYNTHIA RUTLEDGE
is a lifelong Nebraska resident. She graduated from the University of Nebraska with a liberal arts degree, then returned several years later to earn a degree in nursing. A registered nurse, Cynthia now works full-time for a large insurance company and writes in the evenings and on weekends. She loves writing romance because a happy ending is guaranteed!
Cynthia loves to hear from readers and encourages you to visit her Web site at: http://www.cynthiarutledge.com.
Lauren’s To-Do List:
* Develop pictures from friend’s wedding.
* Remember fondly how I spent the wedding reception dancing with a handsome stranger…who is now my roommate.
* Eat a hot fudge sundae to forget that your roommate is a hunk and that you are “just friends.”
* Go to Neiman Marcus and find a sexy dress on the off chance hot roommate will ask me out for a spontaneous dinner.
* Buy stamps so that I can pay overdue bills.
* Eat another hot fudge sundae to forget overdue bills.
* Go to Neiman Marcus to buy shoes I can’t afford to match dress on off chance my princely roommate will find me irresistible.
* Eat third hot fudge sundae to numb the fact that I am in love with my roommate!
Contents
Chapter One
“Were there any men at the wedding?” Clarice Carlyle took a tiny bite of dessert and tilted her head expectantly, an avaricious gleam in her eye.
Lauren resisted the urge to sigh. Why couldn’t her mother realize that not everything in life revolved around men? The fact that she was almost thirty and still unmarried drove her mother crazy. But she wasn’t going to settle for just anyone. Or marry for money, as her mother hoped.
Lauren wanted the fairy tale. She wanted a man to sweep her off her feet, to love her with a passion that defied logic. Quite simply, she wanted to live happily ever after.
“They didn’t invite any men,” Lauren said flatly when the silence lengthened and she realized her mother actually expected an answer to the ridiculous question.
Clarice looked askance for a second before she chuckled. “Of course there were men there. Chicago is full of men. What I was asking was if you’d met anyone interesting?”
“I danced with several different men.” Lauren skirted the question, her answer honest as far as it went. Most of the evening had been spent either talking or dancing with old college friends.
