The Kingâs Convenient Brideby Michelle Celmer
A thought suddenly struckHannah. For the first time sincetheir marriage had beenarranged, she and Prince Phillipâ No, King Phillip â were alone.
Totally alone.
In the past, whenever they met, there had always been a chaperone present. But right here, right now, there was no one to stop them fromâ¦whatever.
Suddenly she felt ultra-aware of his presence. The clean, crisp scent of his aftershave. The weight of his gaze as he studied her. He was just soâ¦there.
And so close.
With little more than a lift of her hand, she could touch him, brush her fingertip across his cheek.
âIf you keep chewing your lips that way, thereâll be nothing left for me,â he teased, and something playfully wicked flashed behind his eyes.
The Illegitimate Princeâs Babyby Michelle Celmer
He leaned in, his mouth close toher ear, his breath on her face.
She held her arms to her side to stop herself from doing something monumentally stupid. But she suspected that it was already too late. And just as she decided to give in, the phone started to ring.
âI should get that,â she said, slipping out from under his arm and dashing to the cordless on the table.
She glanced over her shoulder at Ethan, where he leaned casually against the door, watching her. She couldnât think straight when those smoky eyes were fixed her way.
This was it. She could leave now and put an end to this. For tonight anyway, and possibly forever. Or she could stay. With Ethan. Knowing exactly what that would mean.
This time, it wouldnât end with just a kiss.
MICHELLE CELMER
Bestselling author Michelle Celmer lives in southeastern Michigan with her husband, their three children, two dogs and two cats. When sheâs not writing or busy being a mum, you can find her in the garden or curled up with a romance novel. And if you twist her arm really hard you can usually persuade her into a day of power shopping.
Michelle loves to hear from readers. Visit her website at: www.michellecelmer.com, or write to her at PO Box 300, Clawson, MI 48017, USA.
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the first book in my ROYAL SEDUCTIONS series. This is my first series for Desire and I couldnât be more excited, nor could I have picked a more interesting family to write about than the Royals of Morgan Isle, a small island country located in the Irish Sea between England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
Phillip is everything you would expect from a king. Gorgeous, wealthy and powerful. And letâs not forget stubborn. This arranged marriage is nothing to him but that. An arrangement. But Hannah Renault, his bride-to-be, wants the real thing, and sheâll stop at nothing to chip away the ice covering his frozen heart.
I hope you enjoy their story!
Best,
Michelle
The Kingâs Convenient Bride
MICHELLE CELMER
To my mum, Karen,
who is hands down my most devoted fan.
THE KINGâS CONVENIENT BRIDE
by
Michelle Celmer
One
Though she had been preparing for this day for eight years, as the limo pulled up to the palace steps and Hannah Renault caught her first glimpse of the princeâmake that the kingâwaiting to welcome her, she trembled in her ecru Gucci pumps.
Wearing his royal dress uniform, King Phillip Lindall Augustus Mead stood at the top of the stairs flanked by what had to be the entire palace staff. A collection of medals and commendations on his jacket glittered in the sun and a gilded sword hung at his hip.
Outside the gates, residents of Morgan Isle crowded to get their first glimpse of their soon-to-be queen.
Aka: Her.
The limo stopped at the base of a gold-rimmed red carpet. The door swung open and a gloved hand appeared to help her out.
She smoothed the skirt of her dark blue linen suit. This is it, she told herself. This is the day youâve been dreaming of. The time to make a good impression on your husband-to-be and, from the looks of it, half the country. So, whatever you do, as youâre climbing those stairs, donât trip.
With all the grace and dignity a woman could manage while climbing out of a vehicle, her heart fluttering madly in her chest, Hannah stepped into the balmy sunshine. Beyond the gates a cheer broke out among the onlookers.
Warring with the sudden, intense urge to turn around and dive back into the limo, she took a deep breath, straightened her spine and lifted her chin high. As per the instructions she received from the royal social secretary, she stood her ground and waited for the kingâs formal greeting. She held her breath as he descended the steps and a deafening hush fell over the crowd, as though they were holding their breath with her. Donât be nervous, she told herself, but nervous didnât even come close to what she was actually feeling. She bordered more along the lines of terrified.
Just breathe, Hannah. In and out. You can do this.
It had been two long years since she had seen her fiancé face-to-face, and he was more handsome, more heart-stoppingly beautiful than she remembered.