Going Royal 02 - Some Like It Scandalous
Read Going Royal 02 - Some Like It Scandalous Online
Authors: Heather Long
Some Like It Scandalous
By Heather Long
Not every girl wants to marry a prince.
After Anna Novak discovered that her fun-loving college sweetheart was actually the Grand Duke Armand Dagmar, she fled. Now, her work directing a scholarship foundation forces her to meet with the lost love of her life. Face to face, her body remembers what her heart has struggled to forget.
Armand regrets hiding his identity from Anna, but cherishes the memory of being loved as a man, not a prince. Unable to resist, he uses his family’s influence to see her again and relies on their shared history to bring her back into his arms.
Anna refuses to trust her feelings for a man who never really existed. But when news of their reunion reaches the paparazzi prematurely, the Dagmar family’s enemies are paying attention. Scandal and mortal danger are parts of his life that Armand never wanted to share with Anna, but now he may be forced to protect her...even from himself.
Book Two of Going Royal
65,000 words
Dear Reader,
If there’s one thing that’s sure to tickle me every time, it’s when I ask for book recommendations via social media, and readers come back to recommend books I’ve edited or published. Most recently, readers have given me recommendations for
Saved by the Bride
by Fiona Lowe,
Wild Ones
by Kristine Wyllys and
Goddess with a Blade
by Lauren Dane. I’m always pleased when this happens and I think our batch of May books will be next on readers’ recommendation lists!
We’re thrilled to welcome fan favorite Josh Lanyon back to Carina Press with
Stranger on the Shore
. Journalist Griffin Hadley shrugs off lawyer Pierce Mather’s objections to his investigation of a decades-old kidnapping, but it might not be so easy to shrug off the objections of someone willing to do anything to keep the past buried.
Bestselling author Stephanie Tyler returns with another sexy, unique story set not too far into our possible post-apocalyptic future. In
Salvation
, when Luna leaves Defiance to rescue Bish from a rival gang, she doesn’t realize she’s the one who will end up needing saving—both from the gang and from Bish, the man who can’t wait any longer to claim her and make her his. Though this book can be read as a standalone, be sure to check out both
Defiance
and
Redemption
as well!
There’s
No Accounting for Cowboys
in Leah Braemel’s sexy contemporary cowboy romance. Jake Grady relies on family accountant Paige Reynolds to bring order to his life, when family secrets throw it into chaos. Check out our new reduced-price bundle of Leah’s erotic romance duology,
Texas Tangle
and
Tangled Past
, available now.
And speaking of sexy contemporary romance, the only woman Grand Duke Armand ever desired is her, but not every girl dreams of marrying a prince. Anna doesn’t want prince charming, she loved the man behind the crown. Can they overcome their mistakes and reclaim a love neither forgot? Don’t miss this Going Royal book by Heather Long,
Some Like It Scandalous
.
Tamara Morgan joins us with the start to a new contemporary romance series in
If I Stay
. In this kickoff to a modern-day
Downton Abbey
series, the nanny to a rich hotelier family must choose between the hard-edged chauffeur who gets her pulse racing and the profligate playboy she’s loved her whole life.
Another author kicking off a new series is Sheryl Nantus. If you’ve been looking for a unique futuristic romance series to enjoy,
In the Black
is being described as
Firefly
meets
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
. What’s more unique than a heroine who’s captain of a bordello spaceship?
Male/male author KC Burn also offers up a futuristic romance this month. Falling in love with an alien exotic dancer forces a prejudiced fleet captain to reevaluate who he is and what he believes in
Voodoo ’n’ Vice
.
May is a month packed full of science fiction, fantasy and futuristic books. Cindy Spencer Pape is back with a new book in her Gaslight Chronicles,
Dragons
&
Dirigibles
(I love this title!). Airship engineer Melody MacKay is exactly the kind of emancipated woman Victor Arrington wants to keep away from his impressionable niece—that is, until smugglers start trying to kill the girl. Then Victor turns to Melody for help. If you’re new to the Gaslight Chronicles, you can start the series now with a new, reduced-price bundle of the first three books in the series. Available wherever ebooks are sold.
Author T.D. Wilson returns to Carina Press with book two in his space opera series. In
The Epherium Chronicles:
Crucible
, only one more jump to the new colony in the Cygni star system, but what will Captain James Hood find when he arrives—a thriving colony, dangerous enemies, or will it be in ruins?
We’re pleased to welcome four authors to Carina Press this month. Debut author April Taylor brings us a tale of fantasy and alternate history. In
Court of Conspiracy
, book one of The Tudor Enigma, ordered by Anne Boleyn to protect her son, can apothecary and elemancer Luke Ballard overcome the evil sunderer who seeks to kill Henry IX at Hampton Court Palace?
Also with a debut novel this month is historical paranormal romance author Kari Edgren. Selah Kilbrid would sacrifice everything for her birthright, except the one kiss that could destroy her in
Goddess Born
.
For our mystery offering this month, debut author Rosie Claverton brings together an agoraphobic hacker and a streetwise ex-con to hunt down a serial killer in Cardiff. Don’t miss
Binary Witness
, the first in a new mystery series.
Last, we’re thrilled to have author Vanessa North join us with her new male/male romance
High and Tight
. Deeply closeted Navy pilot Adam returns home, planning to convince his longtime lover he’s ready to commit at last, only to find Harris has moved on without him.
Coming in June: novels from Lynda Aicher, Ava March, Christi Barth, Dana Marie Bell and more, along with a fabulous male/male contemporary romance anthology from three talented authors.
Here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend.
Happy reading!
~Angela James
Executive Editor, Carina Press
Dedication
For Virg.
My first
,
and best
,
Going Royal fan.
I
wrote this for her birthday after all.
Contents
Chapter One
The five-thousand-dollar painting on the wall hung crookedly. Not so much as to be obvious but—since she’d stared at it for the last fifteen minutes cooling her heels—she’d noticed. Anna Novak slanted a look down at the scratched face of her wristwatch.
Twenty minutes.
Her blood pressure rose. She hated to wait. She liked it even less when the summons came via special messenger with specific orders to arrive by two in the afternoon or consider their offer to fund the scholarship ended.
The only reason to stipulate punctuality and make her wait was power.
The grand duke had flexed his royal muscles to teach her a lesson. The crooked angle of the picture added to the steady thrum of a headache pounding against the backs of her eyes. She walked away from the expensive leather sofa and the plush rug to stare out the window. The Petersburg Tower parked squarely in the center of Los Angeles boasted an amazing view from its thirtieth floor. She could make out the Pacific Ocean in the distance, beyond the filmy haze hovering over the area.
She stared at the water, imagining herself standing on the sandy beach. The wind would push her hair back from her face and the water would lap at her bare feet. It didn’t matter that it was cold. The gentle ebb and flow of the tide reminded her even the worst storms passed.
“Ms. Novak?” A pleasant feminine voice pulled her attention back to the luxurious surroundings. Turning, she saw Gretchen, the blonde secretary who’d greeted her at the elevator and escorted her into the waiting room. “His Highness is ready to see you now. Please follow me.”
Shifting the strap of her purse against her shoulder, Anna claimed her laptop bag and followed—not that Gretchen left her with much choice.
It’s not her fault he kept you waiting.
You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
She would catch even more with horse manure, but she fought to maintain her composure. The scholarship fund needed the additional checks the royal family pledged to Princess Alyxandretta’s start-up project. Key phrase in the sentence was
needed
, not wanted. If Anna had realized when she took the job who she would be working for...
Cutting off that thought, she pasted on a plastic smile. The hallway continued the tribute to the grand duke’s magnificent wealth. Masterful artwork—mostly Russian impressionists—decorated the walls with expensive designer vases stationed every third painting. The carpet muffled the sound of her heels. It didn’t take her long to realize Gretchen led her to the pair of cherry-colored oaken doors at the end of the hall. The paneled wood cried out
ornate elegance
.
Breathing became optional the closer she came and her heart thundered like a horse galloping full tilt to escape. Dread cramped her stomach.
This couldn’t be any worse than walking to her execution.
Of course
,
I
could have had a last meal instead of a stale granola bar and the cold coffee leftover from the drive into the office this morning.
Gretchen grasped both handles and pushed the doors wide. She curtsied with exquisite grace. “Anna Novak, Your Highness.”
Anna’s heart leaped. She searched the expensive—and spacious—office, desperate to see him before he saw her. But she didn’t have to search long. He stood with his back to the door, gazing out of a massive picture window. If the view from the waiting room was magnificent, this one took her breath away. The Los Angeles valley seemed to sprawl out at his feet, as though waiting for him to step down from the glass tower and walk among the mortals.
“Thank you, Gretchen. That will be all.” He didn’t turn and Gretchen curtsied once more. And then she was gone, the doors closing silently, but the latch of the two coming together echoed through Anna. The figure he cut against the glass was impressive, tall and lean. His shoulders seemed even broader somehow and his dark—silky as sin—hair stopped just above his collar. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
Anna considered her options. She could speak, but that probably flew in the face of protocol. Not that she was altogether certain she could push words out past the lump in her throat. It had been a bad idea to come.
A
very bad idea.
Maybe if she were quiet about it, she could open one of the doors and slip out the way she came. Her expertise in managing charities and organizations included fundraising. She could continue trying to get money elsewhere.
“Miss Novak.” He turned and not even the backlight of the broad windows could overshadow the patrician nose, the square jaw, the high forehead and the spectacularly devastating black eyes. His gaze struck her like a physical blow, pinning her in place. Her heart punched her ribs and spots danced in front of her eyes. Her chest squeezed and memories she spent years trying to bury swarmed through her mind.