Page 3 of Owned By Royal

“A charming playboy who enjoys hearing himself talk.”

He laughs then, a genuine sound that catches me off guard because it doesn’t sound rehearsed the way everything else about him does.

“I like you.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“I know.”

His voice lowers slightly as he takes another step toward me, leaving barely a foot between us. I should move. I should remind him that I don’t flirt with men like Royal Madera. Men who collect admirers as easily as they collect expensive watches. Instead, I remain exactly where I am, my pulse betraying me as his gaze drifts slowly over my face.

“You know,” he murmurs, “you’re a terrible liar.”

“I don’t lie.” I force myself to stay still despite my hammering heart.

“You’ve been pretending you aren’t attracted to me since the moment you walked into this hallway.”

My heartbeat stumbles. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Of course, you don’t.”

Before I realize what he’s doing, he plants one hand against the wall beside my head, boxing me in without actually touching me. The movement more exciting than threatening. The nearness of him steals the air from my lungs. I lift my chin stubbornly, refusing to let him see how aware I suddenly am of every inch separating us.

“Still think I’m exaggerating my appeal?” he asks softly.

“I think you’re insufferable.”

“And yet you haven’t walked away.”

Our eyes lock, the push and pull fading into something heavier, quieter, and infinitely more dangerous. His gaze drops briefly to my mouth before returning to my eyes, and against all reason, I find myself wondering what it would feel like if he kissed me.

The thought is so unexpected that it startles me, but judging by the way his expression shifts, he must see something change in my eyes because he slowly leans closer. Then his phone vibrates. The sound slices through the moment like a blade.

Royal’s entire demeanor changes in an instant. Whatever easygoing charm he’d been wearing disappears beneath sharp focus as he glances at the screen, and something unreadable flashes across his face before he straightens.

“Duty calls,” he says quietly.

Before I can respond, he offers me one last small smile, turns on his heel, and disappears down the hallway without another word.

I remain where I am long after he’s gone, staring after him as confusion churns inside me. A man doesn’t nearly kiss a woman only to walk away because his phone buzzes unless she’s nothing more than a passing distraction.

I shake my head and smooth imaginary wrinkles from my gown before returning to the ballroom. Royal Madera really is exactly what everyone says he is. A gorgeous playboy who can make a woman believe, if only for a moment, that she’s the only person in the room.

Chapter One

Royal

My father’s summons never comes with a request. It comes as a command disguised as family obligation. And after thirty-five years of enduring Marco Madera, I’ve learned that ignoring him only creates more work for myself later.

That’s why I find myself steering my Aston Martin through the wrought-iron gates of the estate I grew up in, already feeling the familiar weight settle across my shoulders.

The sprawling mansion looks exactly as it always has, immaculate gardens trimmed to perfection, marble fountains illuminated by soft landscape lighting, and enough security cameras to monitor a small country. To anyone driving past, it looks like the home of a successful businessman.

To me, it has always been a gilded prison where appearances mattered more than people and obedience was valued above love. I kill the engine, pocket my keys, and remind myself that dinner won’t last forever. It never does, though somehow every visit manages to feel twice as long.

The front door opens before I can reach it. One of the household staff greets me by name and relieves me of my jacket. I step into the grand foyer, where polished marble gleams beneath a crystal chandelier.

My brother is already here, leaning casually against the staircase with a glass of bourbon in one hand, looking every bit the heir our father always wanted. Riccardo notices me first and lifts his glass in greeting.