Prince's Dirty Little Secret (A Royal Secret Baby Romance) Read Online Free Page A

actually expected to meet him. But he was even more handsome than in photos. He had that North Molvanian exoticism, and he had it in spades. The less I tried to think about him ravaging me, the less I could help myself from doing so. In the fucking courtroom, of all places.
    He doesn't even deserve his good looks. He lucked into them, just like he lucked into the royal bloodline.
    And why is he playing this game with me, of all people?
    I guess life gets boring when you have more wealth and power than you'll ever need. I'm just entertainment for him.
    But me? My head spins. I'm going in circles. It makes no sense. If he's bored with Molvanian girls and European princesses, he has a million foreign girls lined up to meet him. Including Americans. Hell, even Ashley fits the stereotype of a hot American girl better than I do. Why me and not her?
    Soon, we begin to ascend a hill. It's long and flowing, and our altitude increases slowly. But I can see where the road leads—to a giant black compound up in the mountains. I've seen it before in pictures.
    It's the Caprion Royal Palace, made of solid black marble. A charming medieval castle it is not.
    When we enter the palace grounds, we pass a heavily armed perimeter sentry. It's a squad of five or six men armed with huge, black automatic rifles, guarding the palace gates.
    The two army guards exit the van, motioning for me to step out. I do so, taking in the full majesty of the palace. It's enormous and magnificent, and up close I see that the black marble swirls with ivory inserts. It's more like some ancient temple than a castle, and it seems to threaten everything around it. The marble's blackness absorbs the sunlight, and I sense that the palace contains secrets locked deep inside.
    Secrets of oppression, control, and elite power.
    The guards lead me inside. The interior of the palace is also black marble. It's unlike any building I've ever seen, and oozes opulence. There are no windows. The lighting is all dim and artificial, yet oddly soothing. The walls are adorned with oil paintings, the corners of the rooms furnished with golden statues and sculptures of antiquity. Almost like being on some alien planet.
    We stand in the foyer, waiting. I wonder if Nikolai is meeting us here. I hope not. I need to find a way out of here, out of this crazy experiment. Away from him.
    Before he makes me do something really crazy.
    A clean-cut young man comes around the corner into the foyer, emerging from the deep innards of the compound. He wears a perfectly tailored blue suit that's so crisp it must have gallons of starch soaked into it.
    "Jenna Duval," he says, smiling thinly. His voice sounds… really condescending. "I am Gaius. You are now a guest of the Crown Prince. This means that you are under his protection, an honorary citizen of the Democratic Republic of North Molvania."
    "I don't want to be an honorary citizen."
    Gaius seems far less amused by my antics than the Crown Prince was. He doesn't smile again. "Desires are irrelevant. You are free to move about the palace grounds. But if I were you," he says, "I'd be careful not to stick my nose anywhere it doesn't belong."
    "Okay," I say curtly. I feel my eyes start to roll, but I think better of it, and force them to remain stationary.
    If I can move freely, then maybe I can find a way out of here.
    "Your royal guards will escort you to your quarters, at which time you may rest or proceed to the dining hall on the upper level to eat. Please," he says, "Feed yourself well. We wouldn't want a guest of the Crown Prince to go hungry."
    "Okay," I say again blankly. I don't want to give them the pleasure of thinking I'll enjoy any of this. Because I fucking won't. "When is he coming here? And when do I get to see Ashley?" I ask.
    "The Prince will see to you when he's ready," says Gaius cryptically. He gives me one final, very insincere smile. "Enjoy your stay," he says. He turns and walks back, deep into the belly of the compound.
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