AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sure, but I am looking for a business arrangement,” I responded honestly. “I don’t want the drama and headache of a serious relationship. Most girls want the fairy tale, and I am not Prince Charming.”
“Tell me about it,” she said under her breath.
I watched as she stared out over the city, the look on her face showing she was giving it some serious thought. I took a sip of my coffee and waited a moment before pressing her. I had to remember that while this was a saving grace for me, this was a lot to ask of another person, especially a woman with no aspirations for the throne.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“I think I need a minute,” she said over her shoulder. “You just dropped some big news on me. How many times in a woman’s life do you think a prince asks her to fake a marriage with him? This isn’t really in the lessons they teach you as a little girl.”
I smiled to myself, looking back at the breakfast left abandoned on the table. I didn’t want to push Adriana, but I was pretty taken back by her mastery of negotiation. I had a feeling she wasn’t done yet. I knew as soon as the papers hit the stand at home, my mother would be calling me, wondering why I jumped on a plane and got the hell out of the kingdom.
I was pretty sure the media had snapped pictures of me, not only getting tossed out of the two clubs last night, but staggering into the strip club, which was not going to please my mother at all. Luckily, Caspian did a really good job at not allowing press or cameras in the club. So I knew no one was going to see me tossing money at Adriana, but they may have gotten some pictures as we entered my parents’ hotel. That was easily fixable, though. No matter how much of a playboy I am, no one would really think that I proposed to a stripper from Prague.
I looked over at the window and saw the sunlight shining on Adriana’s blonde locks. Her dark roots peeked out in the bright daylight, and I realized she was just a girl. She was just as beautiful now as she was when I saw her dancing on the stage last night, and I knew, with a little care and some new clothes, she would pass for royalty in a heartbeat. The only problem was, I didn’t know if she was going to say yes or no.
I had assumed that because of her career choice, it would be easy to wave some money in front of her and watch her jump at the opportunity. Adriana wasn’t that kind of girl. She held on to her moral compass like it was her life. Still, no one else last night even slightly caught my eye, and this girl completely blew me away. She took command of the stage like a queen on her throne, and that is exactly the persona I needed to take back home with me, minus the red lights and gold bodysuit. Although, I wouldn’t mind her wearing that to bed every night. As she stood there, tapping her bare foot and biting her nails nervously, I wondered just what was running through her hot little mind.
Chapter 7: Adriana
I couldn’t even believe I was standing here, thinking about accepting this guy’s proposal. He wanted me to basically throw any morals I
had out of the window and fake a marriage to him, ultimately lying to the queen, the kingdom, and everyone I knew. Not to mention the fact that I was pimping out my own hand in marriage, and for what? For 100,000 pounds and a cool, year-long vacation in a country I didn’t know, with a queen I was already terrified of?
On the other hand, I had just spent a really hot, sensual night with a real live prince, and he was offering me more money than I would ever see in a year, especially working for that douche bag, tight-fisted boss, Reg. Could I really spend an entire year in a country I had never heard of?
I mean, this guy was a prince, and more than charming. He was handsome, funny, and caring, but I wasn’t in love with him. This arrangement would force me to act like I was. I would be a real, but fake, princess. Who else could even start to say they had an opportunity like that?
I had always been such a great judge of character, but this hit me out of nowhere. This guy had something going on that he wasn’t telling me about, and it was making me really uneasy. What if he was a crazy person, hidden from the public by the royal guards? I shook my head, realizing I was getting a bit extreme here, but my mind was racing, and I just didn’t know what to do or say. I heard him behind me, tapping on the table, trying to be patient, and waiting for my answer. I took a deep breath and turned around to face him. He looked up and smiled his charming grin at me.
“Three,” I said, putting my hands on my hips.
“Three?” He looked confused.
“Pay me three hundred thousand pounds, and I will do it,” I said, and then held my breath.
When I had gotten to Prague, my naivety kicked my ass, and Reg took complete advantage of me. That was definitely not something I was going to let happen here. My fake marriage and a year of my life was worth way more than a hundred thousand, and he knew that. I watched his brow furrow, and he picked up his phone, scanning through different apps and counting things in his head. He shook his head and smirked, looking up at me.
“I’ll give you two hundred and fifty, but that is my final offer,” he said. “And I have to double check that with my attorney.”
I stood looking at him for a few seconds, not sure whether to jump on it or hold out. Unfortunately, prince or not, I was pretty sure he wasn’t going to budge any further. I walked over to him and stuck out my hand.
“Deal,” I said sternly, completely blown away that I had actually accepted his offer.
“Yes,” he said, jumping from the chair and hugging me tightly.
He let go just as the smell of his skin started to overwhelm me. I watched as he dialed his phone. His demeanor and tone of voice changed from charming to business in two seconds. He was talking to his attorney about the money, and I held my breath until he looked over and gave me thumbs up.
Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds. Holy Shit. I could pay off the mess my mother got herself into and still have plenty left over to set myself up really nice when I went back home to Liverpool. I’d love to continue my trip, but it seemed my trip had changed direction. Now, I was facing marriage and a kingdom to rule. Well at least, I’d watch Milos rule.
I looked up and realized I was sitting alone at the breakfast table with only the light banter of Milos conducting business in the background. I went from having breakfast with a prince to being completely cut out of the conversation, like I was nothing more than a business investment. I was educated, but the kind of legal jargon he was discussing was over my head. I took a deep breath and grabbed a croissant, wondering what came next.
At least I would have an amazing bed and an entire palace to roam around in. It shouldn’t be too boring, trying on all those fancy clothes and riding horses out into the country. I think I might find that palace life suits me. On the other hand, it may be more Marie Antoinette and less Cinderella. I could find myself tried for treason and beheaded on the steps of the palace. I laughed to myself as I pictured me wearing a giant gown, which of course they didn’t wear anymore, and a powdered wig, which hadn’t been in fashion for hundreds of years.
Milos walked from the back room, slipping on his shoes and walking swiftly across the suite. His face had completely changed, and I really didn’t recognize this man. He picked up his cell phone and called down to have his car pulled around. He breathed deeply and looked over at me, as if he had forgotten I was here at all.
“Oh,” he said, shaking his head. “Get dressed. The car will be downstairs in five minutes. The driver will take you to gather your things and then bring you over to the lawyer's office. I’ll meet you there, and we’ll get the contracts signed.”
“That’s very romantic,” I said, chuckling.
