MY ROYAL BILLIONAIRE BOSS

CATE REMY
 CONTENTS

Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
Afterword
Books by Cate Remy
About the Author
 A Peachtree Billionaires Novel
Clean Billionaire Romance

Written by
Cate Remy

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This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, dialogue, incidents, and places either are the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or people, living or
dead, is entirely coincidental.

My Royal Billionaire Boss. Copyright 2018 by Cate Remy

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be resold, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the author. Piracy is illegal. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
 CHAPTER ONE

Atlanta, Georgia

“Congratulations, Shae. You’ve been officially promoted to concierge.”

Shae Lawson stood across the front desk as Mr. Hightower, the Kleghorn
Hotel manager, handed her a new name tag and key card to gain access into the
computer system and service elevators. She was happy to be acknowledged for
her hard work after operating as the front desk clerk for the past two years, but
the promotion was in name only. She had no increase in wages. Even so, she
needed the job to keep the bills paid. “Thank you, Mr. Hightower.” She slipped
the card into her uniform pants pocket.
“Don’t put the card away yet. You’re going to use it tonight.”
She glanced at the computer, where she had clocked out for the evening. “Do
you want me to work a late shift tonight?”
“No, I’d like you to take care of one last round of business before you head
home. Go up to the royal suite and see if the guest wants anything. He just
checked in twenty minutes ago.”
“He did?” Shae manned the front desk for the past four hours. No one came
by within the last twenty minutes. She figured Mr. Hightower made a mistake.
The manager had been in meetings all afternoon.
“His people contacted me personally.”
His people. This guy must be pretty important stuff. Then again, most guests
who could afford to stay in the royal suite usually were.
Mr. Hightower slung a coordinating bag collection consisting of messenger
bag, lunch carton, and laptop bag on his upper body. “I’d do it myself, but my
wife just went into labor. I’m off to welcome my daughter into the world.”
“You’re the one who should be told congratulations.”
 “Thanks, Shae.” He hauled everything to the revolving door. “Remember
what I said to everyone at the last staff meeting. Be discreet around royal suite
guests.”
Who was this person staying at the hotel? Shae had to break into a light jog
as her manager sped to the hotel revolving doors. “Mr. Hightower, what’s the
guest’s na-”
“Good night. I trust you.” The hotel manager was halfway outside before he
finished speaking.
Shae walked back to the front desk. She scanned the lobby. Guests perched
on armchairs and sofas, perusing their laptops or conversing. She manned the
desk until another hotel employee Misty arrived for the night shift five minutes
later.
“I’m going upstairs to check on the guest in the royal suite.”
Misty gave an absent nod, her eyes glued to the flat screen television in the
corner of the lobby. Shae glanced at it. The channel was airing coverage of a
royal wedding in Europe. Not another one. “Misty, didn’t you say you watched
the royal wedding over the weekend?”
“I never get tired of it, you know? It’s like watching a real-life fairytale.”
“More like taxpayer money being wasted,” Shae mumbled as she walked to
the elevator. She never understood the hysteria over royal weddings. Aside from
the crazy outfits and stuffy protocol, royals were just like everyone else getting
hitched. Well, maybe there was a few million dollars difference in wedding
decorations, give or take, but it didn’t mean anything.
She used her new access card to make the elevator bypass all other floors to
reach the thirty-second floor. A minute later, the doors opened to another
television playing in the small lounge by the elevators. More coverage of royals.
The news channel had a scrawling headline about another aristocratic family’s
plan to visit the States over the summer. Whatever.
She made it to the hotel’s most luxurious suite. Normally, only diplomats,
big corporate execs and honeymooners checked into the suite. Shae briefly
wondered who occupied it before she knocked on the door.
Loud music blared from the inside. Riotous laughter, muffled by the walls,
still managed to break through to the outside. Sounds like somebody’s having a
party. Shea doubted they heard her knock. She raised her fist to try again.
The door opened before her fist touched the door. Shae blinked twice as a
tall, gorgeous man with a shock of thick, red hair and a full beard answered. He
wore nothing but swim trunks and an impressive set of pecs.
“Are you here for the party?”
“Excuse me?” She had to raise her voice to be heard over the music behind
him. He sounded like he had a French or British accent, but his speech was also
a bit slurred, like he had a little too much to drink.
“I said,” he raised his voice as well, “are you here for the pool party?”
Shae recalled the royal suite had its own private pool on the roof. “No, I’m
Shae, the concierge. I came here to check on you.”
“Here I am.” He spread his arms wide. His biceps flexed.
He had nice muscles, but she was unimpressed. Was his comment supposed
to mean something?
Before she could speak again, two burly men in dark suits came to the door.
“Ma’am, we’re going to have to ask you to step back,” the one with grey hair at
his temples stated. He had the same accent as the tipsy ginger.
“I work at this hotel. Who are you?”
“Security detail. Ma’am, I have to ask you again to step back. This will only
take a moment.”
Shae did as he said, seeing as how he looked like he outweighed her by at
least ninety pounds. He remained in front of the door while his friend produced a
metal detecting wand and waved it in front of her face. He did a head to toe
swipe. “She’s clean. No weapons.”
“Make your business quick.” Grey Temples stepped through the open
doorway. The guy with the wand followed.
She was still reeling from the weird encounter when the red-haired man
reappeared. “Sorry about them.” He gave an apologetic smile. “They do that to
everyone.”
“Are you a dignitary?”
“You might say that.” He gave her a slightly lopsided grin.
Perhaps dignitary was the wrong word. He had good looks and a foreign
accent, but Shae couldn’t see much that was dignified about him or the loud
party going on in the suite.
“What can I do for you?” he asked.
“I was going to ask you the same thing. I have other guests I need to check
on before I leave for the night.” The second part wasn’t true, but she wanted to
do her job and let the rowdy guest get back to whatever antics he was up to. She
peeked over his shoulder and saw people in bathing suits dancing and drinking
beer.
“I need someone to iron my shirt and polish my shoes.”
“Ok. I’ll take them to our laundry service.”
“I’m not finished. I want breakfast for one delivered from this city’s best
brunch restaurant, promptly at seven. I need an itinerary of the city’s top tourist
destinations, also delivered at that time. Oh, a print copy of the newspaper and a
list of the city’s top companies. I’d get them myself, but someone dropped my
tablet in the pool.”
Shae attempted to mentally store the to-do list he rattled off to her. How he
managed to make such a lengthy request while tipsy, she didn’t know. “I’ll need
the shoes and shirt you want to wear tomorrow.”
He shut the door and reappeared moments later with the articles of clothing.
She took the kid leather shoes and Savile Row-tailored dress shirt that probably
cost more than an entire month’s rent of her two bedroom apartment. “Someone
from the staff will deliver these to you at six,” she said, hoping he took the hint
to set his alarm. Or maybe shut down the party early.
He smiled down at her. He had green eyes. Where had she seen him before?
He looked somewhat familiar. “Are you sure you can’t stay for the pool party?”
“I’m dead certain.” Shae slung the shirt over one shoulder and carried the
shoes in her other hand. She turned and left the mystery guest standing in the
doorway.

Shae was up past midnight in her apartment fulfilling her first requests as hotel
concierge. In addition to addressing the modest requests of the other guests, she
spent most of the night in front of her laptop creating a sightseeing itinerary and
list of Atlanta’s big businesses for the unnamed guest in the royal suite. Her back
protested from sitting in a hard wooden chair at the kitchen table.
“What are you doing up?” Chelsea, her roommate, beelined into the kitchen.
Fuzzy pink pajama pants dragging the floor, she moved towards the fridge for a
midnight snack.
“I’m making an itinerary for one of the hotel guests.”
Her roommate popped open a plastic lid containing leftover chicken salad.
“Why so late at night?”
“This is a client from the royal suite.”
“You don’t know the client’s name?”
“I can’t get into the hotel guest registry from my laptop. Even if I could,
most guests at the royal suite check in under fake names.”
Chelsea rummaged in one of the kitchen drawers for a fork. “Ooh, sounds
like this person’s super important.”
“More like super inconsiderate.” She finished the itinerary and saved the
document to print out later. “He tried to hit on me. Then his security guards
checked me for weapons. He was throwing a party when I came to check on
him.”
“Parties are always fun,” Chelsea said around a mouthful of chicken salad.
“Not for me. I’ve got a term paper to work on and a new job promotion.”
“Wow, congrats. Girl, you work so hard.”
“Like I have a choice?”
“You sound like an old woman. You’re only twenty-three.”
“Sometimes I feel old.” Shae stood up and stretched. One of her feet fell
asleep. She did a little dance around the table to restore blood flow. “My
promotion doesn’t come with a pay increase, though.”
“Ugh.”
“I know, but I need to pay the rent, so I’m keeping this job for a while.” Shae
closed her laptop. “Nutty clients and all.”
Chelsea stuck the lid on the chicken salad. “If there’s anyone who can handle
them, it’s you. Just try to let loose every once in a while. You’re still wearing
your uniform.”
Shae looked down at her black blouse and grey pants. “At least I took off my
jacket.”
Her roommate rolled her eyes. “Goodnight, Shae.” She tossed her fork into
the sink and returned to her room.
Shae packed up her laptop for tomorrow’s class. Even though it wouldn’t be
until the evening, she needed to pack everything to get from work at the hotel to
night classes at the university. First things first. She had to deliver the completed
requests to the redhead in the royal suite. Just who was this mystery guest?

Donovan woke up with a headache. Was it morning already? Sunlight laser-

beamed through the blinds, straight for his eyes. He groaned and rolled over in
bed. A half-consumed bottle of beer sat on the edge of the nightstand.
He threw on a t-shirt to go with his shorts, brushed his teeth, and opened the
doors to the rest of the royal suite. It looked like the room sustained a contained
explosion. Couch cushions lay strewn everywhere but on the couch. Bottles
lined the coffee table, along with empty glasses. Wet towels covered the
television. The whole room smelled like chlorine.
“Splendid,” he muttered. This was what he got for letting an old American
friend who went to Oxford with him come to visit. The guy made it sound like
his work buddies were at least grown up enough to pick up after themselves
when they left the party.
 He found his cell phone on the kitchenette counter, sitting atop a bag of
airline peanuts. He dialed the number to reach his security detail.
“Murphy speaking, Your Highness.”
“What happened to all the guests last night?”
“You don’t remember, sir?”
He felt foolish and responded firmly, “I wouldn’t ask if I did.”
“Right, sir. You retired early after your swim. You told your guests they
could continue to enjoy the drinks and pool until midnight. Giles and I sent them
out because they were getting a little rowdy.” Murphy referred to the other
guard.
“Thank you. I should have also requested a housekeeping service to clean up
after them.”
“We didn’t wish to disturb you while you slept. Should we call one for you
now?”
“It can wait until after I leave to go to my meeting.” Donovan looked in the
front closet. Someone stashed a beer bottle in the pocket of one of his suit
jackets. He tossed the bottle into the already overflowing trash can. “Where are
my dress shirt and shoes?”
“I’m not sure, sir. I think you put them in the care of the young female
concierge who stopped by yesterday evening.”
“That’s right.” He recalled her immediately, though he couldn’t remember
her exact features, thanks to the martini he had on the plane and the beer later
after landing. He wished he hadn’t gone overboard. He remembered she wore a
low ponytail that flicked across her shoulders when she walked away from him
in a huff. He tried harder to recall her appearance. An image surfaced of her
heart-shaped face and caramel brown skin tone. “Now I remember her.”
“Do you want to contact her, Your Highness?”
Donovan got another recollection, this time of the woman frowning. Did he
say or do anything to cause the reaction? He was truly sorry. He was in the
process of turning over a new leaf, but old habits reared their ugly heads from
time to time.
“Prince Donovan, would you like for us to find the concierge?”
“No. I’ll do it. I need to get a hold of my shirt and shoes if I want to get to
the meeting this morning.” He ended the call and set the phone on the counter.
He started straightening up the room. Housekeeping or no housekeeping, he
couldn’t let the concierge think he was sloppy by nature. He was Donovan
Caldwell, Crown Prince of Severn after all.
 CHAPTER TWO

Coffee and newspapers in hand, Shae jogged into the Kleghorn the next morning
after racing from the light rail station. When she entered the hotel at six-thirty,
the desk clerk gave her the royal suite guest’s neatly-pressed dress shirt and
polished shoes in two bags labeled with the room number.
“It’s after six. Why weren’t these taken to the suite already?” she asked.
“The laundry service was running late,” he replied. “They said their washing
machines were on the fritz.”
“All of them?”
The clerk shrugged.
Shae sighed and went to grab a cart to haul the garment bags and the guest’s
requested newspapers. She set her backpack behind the desk and fished out her
flash drive from the front pocket. “I need two documents printed. They’re
labeled Itinerary and Big Bucks Companies.”
“Big what companies?”
“I was up past midnight working on it. My creativity ran out as soon as I hit
Save.”
The printer spat out the pages. Shae snatched them up and tucked them under
her arm. She wheeled the cart to the elevator.
She gulped half of her double espresso latte on the way to the thirty-second
floor. She rolled the cart up to the door of the royal suite and knocked.
“Concierge.”
The mystery guest answered this time in a pair of grey suit pants and a crisp
white short-sleeve undershirt. His beard was trimmed and his wavy hair was
combed neatly into place. The soft hallway lighting made the surface carry a
coppery glow. “Good morning. Shae, wasn’t it?”
She nodded, surprised he remembered. Or he could’ve just glanced at her
name tag. She viewed him. He cleaned up very well from the night before.
“If you’d please come in for a moment, I’d like to have a word with you.” He
took hold of the cart and pulled it inside. Shae, still holding on the other end, got
pulled along, too.
The royal suite appeared less disheveled this morning. Bottles and snack
wrappers were gone from the tables and floor. She saw them stacked in and next
to the trash can in the kitchen. She peeked around his shoulder.
He leaned his head in her line of sight. “All the party guests are gone, I
assure you.”
“You caught me.”
He smiled. This one was quiet and sober. “I want to apologize for making
you uncomfortable yesterday. My flight was long, so I had a couple drinks to
settle my nerves.”
“I can understand.”
“No, I had one too many.”
She agreed, but it’d be rude to say so. “Tell me your name again.”
“I never told you my name. It’s Donovan.”
Donovan. A little old-fashioned, but not unusual. She squeezed between the
cart and the wall. The cart held the door open. “I brought your ironed shirt and
polished shoes. Sorry for the delay. Here’s your newspaper, itinerary, and list of
big name companies in Atlanta. Hope I’m not forget-oh, no. You wanted
breakfast from a brunch-themed restaurant.”
“It’s alright. I can eat a danish when I go downstairs.” He removed the dress
shirt from the hanger and put it on over his undershirt. He flipped through the list
of companies. “This is very detailed, exactly what I was looking for.”
Footsteps approached the door. Shae looked to see the two security guards
she met last night. “Your Highness, the accountant is here for the meeting.”
“Your Highness?” Shae exclaimed.
“Here already?” Donovan glanced at the fitness watch on his arm. “We said
eight for the meeting. It’s barely seven.”
Shae turned to him. “You’re royalty?”
“Yes, ma’am,” she heard one of the guards behind her. “He’s Donovan
Caldwell, Crown Prince of Severn.”
Donovan inclined his head to her. “A pleasure to see you again this morning,
Shae.”
Severn was a small island country between England and France. No wonder
Shae thought his accent mirrored both. She kept staring at him, half-expecting
him to break out a golden crown and set it atop his head. “Why didn’t you say
something before?”
 “I have to be discreet while I get settled in.” He set the list on the coffee table
and reached into his pockets for a pair of silver cuff links. “I completed my guest
registration over the phone privately with your hotel manager. Then Giles and
Murphy over there accompanied me on the service elevator.”
Now she understood how Donovan checked in without appearing at the front
desk. Mr. Hightower, in a rush to see his newborn granddaughter, also forgot to
tell her a royal was staying in the royal suite. “Welcome to the Kleghorn. I
should let you get ready for your meeting.”
“Shae, one moment.” He put on his suit jacket. “Is your manager here?”
Did she do something wrong? Was he going to report her? She quieted her
sudden rush of anxiety in order to answer his question. “I didn’t see Mr.
Hightower when I came into work this morning.”
“Hmm. He didn’t answer his cell phone when I called thirty minutes ago.
He’s supposed to be at this meeting.”
Shae wondered where the manager could be. Maybe he lost track of time at
the hospital. “His wife went into labor yesterday. I can check to see if he’s still
coming.”
Donovan’s security guards moved the cart out of her path. “I’ll bring it down
later,” said the one with the grey at his temples. She was unsure if he was Giles
or Murphy. He looked like a Murphy. Of course, that could be the name of the
one with the glasses.
Coffee cup in hand, she rode the guest elevator to the lobby. She finished the
rest of it in three gulps while waiting for the front desk clerk to finish checking
in a family of four. She gave them a moment to leave the area before she asked
about the manager. “Have you gotten a call from Mr. Hightower? He’s supposed
to be at a meeting here.”
“No. Should I call him?”
“I’ll do it.” She picked up the hotel landline and dialed the manager’s cell.
She received an automated message. “The cellular phone customer is out of
range. Call cannot be completed at this time.”
Shae hung up, a little frustrated and concerned about her manager’s
whereabouts.
“No luck?” asked the clerk.
“No, and I don’t know where he is.” This wasn’t like Mr. Hightower to not
show up or at least let the staff know his itinerary.
“Well, don’t look now, but here comes Pete Fenway, the CEO of Fenway
Accounting. He got here super early for that meeting the manager supposed to be
at.”
Shae gripped her empty coffee cup as an older man in his fifties charged up
to the front desk. “Is everyone here for the meeting? I specifically told my client
and Hightower I’d be here early.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I can’t get a hold of Mr. Hightower, but as far as I know, the
meeting is still moving forward.”
Fenway threw up his hands. “Where’s my client? Where’s the meeting
room?”
The desk clerk stepped aside so Shae could check the computer to find the
reserved conference room. “You’re in conference room B. I’ll take you there.”
She went around the desk and led the way down the hall. The soles of
Fenway’s oxfords slapped against the carpeted floor. Once she reached the
conference room and used her key card to unlock the door for him, she grabbed
the empty beverage tray left overnight from the previous occupants. Someone
forgot to tidy up the conference room. How embarrassing. “Can I have the
kitchen staff bring you something to drink? Coffee, water, tea?”
“I don’t care. Just bring everyone in so we can get this meeting started.”
“I’ll take tea. English Breakfast.” Donovan entered the conference room. His
guards remained outside the door. He beamed a smile at Shae before coming
around the table to shake the accountant’s hand. “Mr. Fenway, how nice to make
your acquaintance. I’m Donovan Caldwell.”
Shae thought it a little strange Donovan didn’t introduce himself by his full
title, but she shrugged it off. What did she know about royal protocol? She
plucked an empty glass from a side table to carry it out the room.
“I thought I was meeting with His Majesty, the king of Severn,” Fenway
griped.
“My father regrets he couldn’t make it. He had pressing business at home.”
“Doesn’t he own all the Kleghorn Hotels in this country?”
“He passed ownership of them to me.” Donovan sat down across from him.
“Now, shall we begin?”
Donovan owned a billion dollar hotel line? Shae reached the door and saw
her surprised reflection in the glass. That meant he was her boss, at the very top
of the chain. The glass rattled on the tray. She caught it before it could fall.
“Shae?”
She glanced behind when Donovan called her. “Yes?”
“If the hotel manager isn’t coming, I’d like for you to stay for the meeting.”
He couldn’t be serious. “Me?”
“Yes. I’m impressed with the information you gathered on Atlanta
businesses. Is that kind of research normally what you do here at the hotel?”
She steadied the beverage tray in her arms. “Sometimes, when we have
guests who want an extensive itinerary.”
 “Is your background in travel and hospitality?”
“Not exactly. I work here while studying to complete my MBA at Clark.”
“Well, it looks like your studies will help the hotel, too. Join us, please. Give
the tray to Giles.”
Shae had no clue what was going on. Neither did Mr. Fenway, but he
appeared irritated about it. She carried the tray over to Donovan’s guards.
“Giles?”
The one with the glasses turned. She guessed right before after all. “The
prince wants me to stay for his meeting,” she informed him.
Giles took the tray without being asked. “I’ll make sure the kitchen staff
brings some proper tea.”
Murphy closed the door after him and stood outside. Shae walked to the
conference table and sat in the middle chair. Both men sat at the ends of the
table. Was Donovan sure about this? She sure wasn’t.
Fenway opened his laptop bag and withdrew a binder. “I’m going to be
upfront with you, Your Highness. The two Kleghorn Hotels in Georgia are losing
revenue. You can see the numbers are down this fiscal year.” He slid the binder
towards the middle of the table.
Shae passed it along to Donovan. He opened it and read through the report.
While he did, Giles returned with the tea. Donovan offered some to Shae first.
She declined.
“None for me, either,” said Fenway.
The prince helped himself to a cup. He took a sip and made a funny face. “I
can see why the hotel’s having trouble. Forty percent of the guests are
international, and this is what’s being served to them as tea?”
Shae wanted to laugh at his comment, though she knew it’d be bad to do so.
She reached for her phone in her pocket. “What brand of English Breakfast tea
do you like? Maybe the hotel can stock it and tell guests it’s your favorite.”
“Not a bad idea,” said Fenway. “More tea sales from the guests won’t
increase these numbers by much, though.”
Donovan put his cup down. “What about more modern amenities? Some
fixtures could use an update.”
“Your father preferred an Old World theme for the hotel.”
“It may have to change if we want to draw younger professionals. I stayed in
the royal suite last night and couldn’t find a free outlet in the bedroom to charge
my phone.”
Shae made a note of that, too.
“Shae, have any guests complained about the appearance or functionality of
the hotel?”
 She looked up from her phone. “Sometimes, but I’ve heard more complaints
about WiFi being limited to the hotel’s business center. We’re working on getting
it available for every room.”
“We’ll make that one of the first priorities.” Donovan scanned a few more
pages of Fenway’s accounting report.
“Who’s going to pay for all of these updates?” Fenway demanded. “You’re
already losing profits.”
Donovan closed the binder. “What about our business partners and
investors?”
“Some shareholders backed out when they saw the numbers. You still have a
few on the fence.”
“I’ll meet with them in the next few days.”
“Do what you have to do to keep them, but bottom line, you need fresh
partnerships.”
“I’ll have to convince companies it benefits them to partner with Kleghorn
Hotels.” He held up Shae’s list of companies. “Starting with the ones on this
list.”
“I’m an accountant, not a marketing guy.” Fenway zipped up his laptop bag.
“I put your budget in the report. If you want to use it to woo your investors and
renovate the hotel, it’s up to you, but honestly, Your Highness, you don’t have
room to overspend.”
Despite Fenway’s tough assessment, Shae watched Donovan produce a
cordial smile. “Understood. Thank you for your time, Mr. Fenway.” He stood
and shook the other man’s hand. “Let’s go over numbers again in, say, three
months.”
“That’s a very short turnaround time. Do you think you can work that fast
with your other obligations as Crown Prince?”
“I’m already working on the details of my business and marketing team.”
Fenway raised an eyebrow at him and Shae, but said nothing. “Alright….
Enjoy your time in Atlanta, Your Highness.” The accountant breezed past them
both to get to his next destination.
Donovan glanced at Shae. “Are you ready to get started?”
 CHAPTER THREE

Shae was stunned by the invitation to be part of Donovan’s hotel project. “I don’t
think I should be on your business and marketing team, Donovan. I mean, Your
Highness.”
“Please continue to call me by my first name. I’m only formal with my
father’s associates.” He pushed his chair into the table. “And give me one good
reason why you shouldn’t be on my team. You know this hotel. You have
research skills.”
“I’m just an employee here. Mr. Hightower would be a better help to you.” If
we can get a hold of him, she added silently.
“I’m sure your manager is competent in the day-to-day running of the hotel,
but you heard what I said to my accountant. We need fresh perspectives like
yours, younger professionals who want to invest and modernize the hotel line.”
She was flattered he considered her to be in that group of young
professionals, but she didn’t have a career yet or economic power. “I’m just a
grad student.”
“I see your potential. At least think about it. In the meantime, I want you to
be my personal concierge, if it suits you, of course.”
Rent was about to go up over the summer. She needed to hang onto her job
until she could find another one after graduating in the fall. Shae didn’t have a
good reason to say no to him.
She couldn’t say no, anyway. Donovan wasn’t just a guest at the hotel. He
owned it. Her paycheck depended on any final decisions he made. “My
extension is 535 when you call the front desk.”
“I’m afraid my security detail will require something more reliable than an
extension line. They’ll provide you with a secure phone where we can all
communicate.”
 “I would have to tell the manager about it.”
“Certainly.”
“I guess it’s settled then.”
He held out his hand. Was she supposed to shake it like they had a deal?
Shae complied. A tiny jolt of energy tingled through her fingers upon contact
and spread up her arm. She broke contact and went towards the door. Donovan
reached it in two steps and held it open for her.
On the other side, Murphy met her with a frown. “I need to see your phone.”
He held out his hand.
“Why?”
“You took it out during the meeting.”
Donovan stopped him. “Relax. Shae only used it to take notes, not sneak a
picture of me.”
Murphy dropped his hand to his side.
“Don’t worry about him,” Donovan said. “The latest tabloid royal gossip has
him put out. You’ll hear from me soon, Shae.”
She nodded, mumbled something to him about enjoying the rest of his day.
She put one foot in front of the other and somehow found her way inside the
employee lounge. Several of the staff, including the head chef and two of the
housekeepers, chatted in a circle. Shae had never seen so many employees from
various departments gathered in the lounge all at once. “Good morning. Is
everyone okay?”
“We heard from the manager. He’s still at the hospital,” answered Giraldo,
the chef.
“Is his wife still in labor?”
Giraldo shook his head. “The baby was born, but had to be taken into the
NICU because of complications.”
“Oh, no.” Shae remembered how excited and joyful the manager was
yesterday when he was packing up to leave for the hospital.
“He said he’ll call back when there’s an update,” said Nina, the housekeeper.
“But he won’t be in today.”
Shae hoped things turned out positive for the manager and his family. She
poured herself a cup of coffee from the carafe and went to help man the front
desk.
“Mr. Hightower is still at the hospital with his family,” she told the clerk.
“I heard. Looks like it’ll just be you handling business today.”
“What about the assistant manager?”
“He quit two weeks ago, remember? Hightower hasn’t had time to hire
anyone.”
 Shae took a sip of the bitter, stale coffee. “It’s just until he gets back, right?”
Not so bad. She could manage the affairs of the hotel and the demands of a
crown prince for a couple days.
She hoped.

Shae made it through the end of the workday. She was worn out from guest
requests and additional managerial duties, but survived relatively unscathed.
Before she left the hotel, Giles came into the lobby to issue her a nondescript
secure cell phone.
“The prince can call and text you on this phone. Keep it on. Never give the
number away. Never use it for anything else. Do you understand?”
“If I have an exam at school, I’m required to turn my phone off.”
Her reply seemed to throw Giles for a loop. “Keep it on when you’re not
having school exams then. Are we clear?”
“Crystal.” She slipped the phone in her backpack before heading to her night
classes, where the professor did, in fact, decide to spring a surprise quiz on the
class. Shae wrote down what she remembered from the previous chapters she
read in her business administration textbook. She was fairly certain she bombed
the quiz even before turning it in to the professor.
A couple hours later, with sleep and hunger fighting for control of her body,
she climbed the stairs to her apartment on the second floor of the apartment
building. Shae glanced at the time on her new secure cell phone. 22:03. After
ten. At some point, she’d have to ask Giles how to convert the time to standard
twelve-hour format.
Bass-heavy music drifted out of the apartment, causing a vibration in the
floor. It sounded like Chelsea was getting ready to head out to the clubs this
Friday night. Shae turned the key to go inside her apartment.
Her roommate danced in the living room as she used the large mirror over
the couch to check her outfit. Shae set her backpack on the floor. Then she
located Chelsea’s phone connected to the stereo system and hit the pause button
on her music streaming app.
Chelsea stopped in mid-twirl. Her long brown hair continued its flight from
one side of her head to the other. “Hey, party pooper, don’t mess with my
music.”
“If we get reported for a noise violation, the party will really be over. You
know you can’t play loud music in an apartment.”
 “It’s no big deal. Everyone else is gone. It’s Friday night, remember, when
normal people go out and let loose?”
“Ha ha, you got jokes.” Shae started picking up around the living room. “So
where are you going tonight?”
“Ruby Lounge up the street.” Chelsea touched up her red lips. “People say
the new DJ from Brooklyn is down here to drop his new beats.”
“Isn’t there a high cover charge?”
“You didn’t get my text this afternoon. I won two tickets on a radio show to
see him. Wanna come?”
Shae folded a throw and put it on the sofa. “I’m so behind on my term paper
and sleep.”
“I knew you would say something like that. I had Keisha on standby in
case.”
“Have fun with your friend.” Shae plucked out a magazine stuck between the
couch cushions. She glanced at the cover. It was a tabloid with the headline
Royal Ruckus spelled out in neon green letters across the top. The cover photo
showcased a fuzzy image of a man with red hair and a beard laughing with a
group of friends as they stumbled out of a pub. Shae read the caption: Donovan’s
30th Birthday pub crawl. Is Severn’s royal family finally fed up with the playboy
prince?
She almost snorted with laughter. The way the caption was written could be
interpreted as Donovan was celebrating his thirtieth birthday or he actually went
to thirty pubs on his birthday. After seeing the crazy pool party of his yesterday,
she didn’t find the latter hard to believe.
“I thought you didn’t read that trash,” Chelsea’s teasing voice cut into her
concentration.
“I don’t.” Shae tucked the tabloid under her arm. “I was just checking the
date to see if I needed to put it in the recycle bin.”
“Uh-huh, sure.” Her roommate took the dog-eared tabloid away from her.
“Admit it, Shae, you like to read a little bit of this, too.”
“It’s just a gossip rag. I’m not going to use my student ramen budget to make
the tabloids rich.”
“You say so while you stare a hole into the prince’s head on the cover.”
Chelsea studied it herself and sighed. “Prince Donovan could go clubbing with
me anytime.”
“He probably would enjoy Atlanta nightlife.” Shae recalled whether she put
down a few famous nightclubs on the prince’s itinerary.
“How would you know what he likes?”
She heard a loud vibration come from her backpack. The secure phone was
going off. “You’re right, Chelsea. I don’t know.” She hurried to pick the
backpack up from the floor.
“Hold on, Shae, I didn’t say you were wrong.”
“I have to take this call. Have fun tonight.” She hauled her pack full of
school and work gear into her bedroom and shut the door. The phone still
vibrated. She fished through the lower compartments of her backpack until her
fingers closed around the phone. The screen flashed green with an incoming call
from a foreign number. She touched the screen to accept the call. “Hello?”
“Did I catch you at a busy time?” Donovan’s smooth, accented tenor poured
into her ear.
“No, I just got home. How can I help you?”
She heard his soft chuckle. “No need for formality. I wanted to trade ideas if
you have a couple minutes.”
“I can spare a few.”
“What do people use the hotel’s grand ballroom for? I noticed it’s under lock
and key.”
“It hasn’t been used in a while, but we usually reserve it for wedding
receptions or galas.”
“What about fundraisers?”
Shae took off her shoes, thankful to freely wiggle her toes. “There was one
during Christmas last year.”
“I want to put on a fundraiser for one of my family’s charities. I’ll hold it at
the Kleghorn to also draw interest in the hotel.”
It sounded like a good idea. She knew it’d require at least a couple weeks of
planning. “When do you want to have the fundraiser gala?”
“Three months from now, once the hotel has the new fixtures and internet
access installed.”
Whew. She had time. For a moment, Donovan made it sound like the
Kleghorn staff needed to be called into a planning meeting stat. “The hotel preps
for large-scale events in stages. I can show you an example and put together a
template for you next week.”
“Do you have the weekend off?”
“No. I’m acting manager until Mr. Hightower returns. He’s still with his
family. She kept her explanation short, figuring it was enough to explain why
she was acting hotel manager without airing all of Mr. Hightower’s personal life.
“In that case, I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night, Shae.”
“Good night.” She put the phone down on the bed. She wondered why
Donovan asked if she had the weekend off. Did he want her to start planning for
the gala event immediately, or did he have something else in mind?
Donovan woke up at two in the morning. This jet lag was really doing him in.
He was tired by day and restless by night. It was times like these when he
wished Severn didn’t have a six-hour difference from Atlanta.
He flipped on a light, got up, and changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
Might as well burn off energy in the hotel gym if he couldn’t sleep. He laced up
his sneakers while he considered if it was worth notifying his security that he
was about to do a few bench presses and run on the treadmill.
Best to let Giles and Murphy get some shut eye. They worked hard enough.
Besides, he was getting a little tired of being shadowed everywhere by those
two.
He took the elevator to the third floor where the gym was located. As he
suspected, it was empty. Good. If most people were up in the wee hours of
Saturday morning, it was to party, not work out. He swiped his guest key card
and went straight to the weight rack.
Donovan pushed out a couple sets of bicep curls to warm up his muscles for
the bench press. As he grabbed a fifty pound plate off the rack, a light flashed
from the window. He blinked before he looked out to see two college-age
women. They were dressed like they were either coming or going to a party.
They aimed their phones at him and used flash again to take pictures.
“Stop.” He dropped the plate. It landed with a dull thud on the rubberized
floor. “No pictures.”
The women couldn’t hear him through the glass and soundproof walls. He
doubted it would matter anyway. They took off on their stiletto heels, laughing
all the way down the hall.
Donovan grunted. He could pretty much count on those snapshots showing
up in the tabloids within the week, along with a made-up story for why he was in
the gym. Prince Donovan pumps iron to lift sagging spirits after celebrity
breakup. Or worse. Prince Donovan can’t sleep…secret illness exposed.
He swiped a towel from the rack and wiped his brow before heading out. He
hoped if the pictures did get published, his parents wouldn’t hear about them.
The king and queen of Severn made it clear this trip to the United States to
revitalize the Kleghorn Hotels was his final opportunity to prove himself a
worthy heir. If he failed, the Cabinet in Severn could vote to remove his family
from the throne and pass it to rival distant relatives in Europe.
Donovan had this one last chance to show he was mature enough to inherit
the crown someday. He could not fail.
 CHAPTER FOUR

Shae came into work and checked voicemails on the staff line in the concierge’s
office. One of the housekeepers was down with a stomach bug and the lounge
bartender would be an hour late this afternoon because of a doctor’s
appointment. Mr. Hightower called while she was finishing the messages. He
told her things were improving with his newborn daughter, but he was going to
take the next week off to be with his family. Seven more days to hold the fort,
but Shae was glad the baby was doing better.
“It’s so good to hear she’s going to be alright,” Shae said. “I’ll make sure to
tell everyone.”
“Sorry I forgot to tell you about the guest in the royal suite.”
“I know you were in a hurry to see your little baby.”
“Prince Donovan contacted me to ask how my family was doing.”
“That’s thoughtful of him.” She created her schedule for the day while she
chatted.
“He also said he made you his personal concierge.”
She twirled the landline phone cord around one finger. “I’m still handling my
other duties as concierge to the other guests.”
“Shae, I have no problems with it. He owns the hotel. Do what he wants.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“One more thing. Whatever you do, don’t tell anyone about the prince
staying at the hotel. Only you and the hotel security knows.”
“I won’t. Have a good day.” Shae got an idea to see if the staff wanted to
chip in and have a gift basket delivered to Mr. Hightower and his family. While
she drafted a staff email, a valet knocked on the door and stuck his head in.
“Shae, did you know?”
“Know what?”
 “Prince Donovan’s staying at the hotel.”
Uh-oh. The news somehow leaked. “Who told you?”
“Here, look at this.” The valet took his phone from his back pocket and
showed her a couple grainy photos of what appeared to be a guy sitting on a
weight bench. “Someone posted pictures of him in the gym last night on social
media.”
Shae pursed her lips. There was no denying Donovan’s signature ginger hair,
or that the gym was part of the hotel. Black letters with the hotel name decorated
the window of the gym. Not only that, the person who took the photo hashtagged
the hotel name and Prince Donovan in the same sentence when describing the
picture. Shae saw how the window in the picture reflected two women who
appeared to be about her age. “This is bad. Guests aren’t supposed to know he’s
here. I’ll call a quick staff meeting.”
The valet took his phone back. “Secret’s out. What’s a meeting going to do?
People are waiting across the street now in case the prince comes outside.”
Shae inwardly admitted he was right. “I better get hotel security on the phone
first. Let me know if it gets crazy out there.”
She called the Kleghorn’s security manager and asked them to be ready to
direct traffic and watch out for people trying to sneak into the hotel who weren’t
guests. Afterwards, she called the staff meeting in the hotel’s larger conference
room.
She stood at the front of the room, clasping a notepad in one hand and a pen
in the other to keep her fingers from shaking. Since she started working at the
hotel, she had always been one of the employees sitting in the conference room,
never the one initiating the meeting. “I know you were all busy getting started
this morning, but I had to call an emergency meeting.”
“Is this about Mr. Hightower?” Nina asked.
“No. As a matter of fact, he and his family are doing much better. I spoke
with him this morning.”
The staff smiled and murmured among themselves with relief. Shae
continued. “We can have flowers delivered to the hospital today. I called the
meeting because of the social media pictures of Prince Donovan working out in
the hotel gym.”
“How cool is that?” a member of the kitchen staff exclaimed. Her outburst
was met with affirmation and laughter.
“Not cool.” Shae tried to gain control of the meeting fast. “We have to follow
the rules to protect the privacy of our guests. That means no pictures, no
loitering around the hall outside the royal suite, no talking to the other guests
about the prince.”
 Nina raised her hand. “What if they keep asking?”
“If they badger you, tell them we have a strict confidentiality policy and you
can’t say anything.”
“What if we see him?” A member of the kitchen staff interrupted.
“Continue with your work and act like he’s any other guest. Don’t stop to
talk to him or watch him. Any other questions?”
No one raised their hand or spoke. Shae spotted movement near one of the
conference room windows. Murphy was trying to get her attention. What did the
prince’s personal security guard want? She hurried to adjourn the meeting. “If
there are no questions, let’s get back to work. I’ll update you if anything
changes.”
Murphy stepped aside and meandered down the hall as the staff filed out of
the conference room to the lobby. Shae exited and went through the opposite hall
to find him staring at some decorative wall art. Despite his burly build, he
managed to blend in, looking like he was a businessman in a suit, idling for a
moment to take in the scenery. “I saw you standing outside the conference
room.”
“I was canvassing the main floor to see how many people were in the lobby
and waiting outside to see the prince.”
“I can ask hotel security to stand by while a car comes around to the front to
get him.”
Murphy refused. “It won’t do. Donovan will have to leave the hotel through
the back.”
“I see. If your driver goes through the parking deck, there’s a ramp that leads
to a quiet street.”
“His Highness wants you to come with him.”
“Me? Where?”
“He didn’t say, but I told him that I would inform you when I came
downstairs.”
Shae glanced at the time on her phone. “It’s already after nine. The workday
is just getting started.”
“Miss, need I remind you of your position to His Highness who owns the
hotel? And the agreement you made with him yesterday about becoming his
personal concierge?”
She read between the lines of his stuffy tone. “I’m acting manager of the
hotel. I can’t leave.”
Murphy started walking away. “His Highness is waiting for you in his suite.”
Shae could hardly believe it. So was that how Donovan was going to treat
her, by having his guard relay a message, come or else? That wasn’t how things
were done in this country. She was almost tempted to march up to the royal suite
and let him have a piece of her mind.
Yet there was one little fact preventing her from doing so. He was her boss,
plain and simple. He owned every part of the hotel. He called the shots and
could fire her for any reason or no reason at all.
Shae found the closest elevator and took it to the top floor. If she couldn’t be
direct with the prince, perhaps she could tell him in a nice way why she couldn’t
leave the hotel. The doors parted, and she emerged on the thirty-second floor to
see Giles waiting by the elevator, checking a weather app on his phone. Shae
knew exactly what he was doing. These two didn’t mess around. He looked up
from his phone, gave her a quick nod, and resumed pretending to be a busy hotel
guest, agitated by the rain forecast. He started pressing buttons on his phone as
she went by. Likely alerting Donovan of her arrival.
Shae assumed she guessed right, because the prince opened the door to her
before she had a chance to knock. He was dressed casually in jeans and a dark
blue long-sleeved shirt that stretched over his muscled arms and trim, athletic
torso. “Good morning,” he said. “Hope yours is going better than mine.”
“It’s been busy.” She walked into the royal suite. Housekeeping did a great
job of getting it immaculate again. “I saw you got an early workout today.”
Donovan scanned up and down the hall before closing the door. “I didn’t
know those two women took a picture of me until after I saw the flash. I’m sorry
if it caused you and the rest of the staff trouble.”
Shae paused, not expecting to receive a humble apology. “It’s not your fault
they got a picture. The gym’s open to all guests twenty-four seven.”
“I thought I’d be less of a distraction if I visited the gym at two in the
morning. Plus, the fact I couldn’t sleep.”
“Jet lag?”
He nodded before covering his mouth to yawn. “I could use a strong cup of
tea and something peachy for breakfast since I’m in the Peachtree State. Let’s go
to brunch at the restaurant you recommended.”
Shae bit her lower lip. “I can’t leave because I’m still acting manager of the
hotel.”
“It’s only for an hour or two. I promise I won’t keep you longer.” He reached
for a set of keys on the coffee table and a baseball cap. He stuck the cap on his
head. “We can talk more about the hotel renovation project while we’re out.”
“Well, if it’s business, then I guess it’s alright.”
“I promise you won’t get in trouble with your boss.”
She noticed the playful gleam in his green eyes. An odd sense of heat spread
over her face. She touched her cheek. Had someone turned off the air
conditioning? “I have to let the staff know I’ll be out for the rest of the morning.
I’ll need to send an email from the computer.”
Donavon nodded and frowned at the same time. “You should have an office
app on your phone to communicate with staff. Most businesses have them in
Severn. I’ll start designing one for the hotel.”
“You build apps?”
He took out his phone. “It’s a little-known hobby of mine. I picked it up after
I studied programming at university.” He appeared to send a text. “I just told my
security we’re about to leave. I’ll meet you out by the service entrance.”
“See you in about five minutes.” Shae left the royal suite and passed Giles in
the hall. He gave her another almost imperceptible nod. She rode the elevator
downstairs and used the time to place an order with the florist for Mr. Hightower.
When she got to the main floor, she speed-walked to the concierge office and
churned out a short email stating her two-hour absence and how she could be
reached by phone if there was an emergency. Please don’t let there be an
emergency. She crossed her fingers.
She locked the office door and headed for the back of the hotel. She waved
to the food delivery service, there to take supplies to the kitchen. She walked
outside under a light drizzling rain to see a black Mercedes Benz pull up to the
curb.
Its windows were tinted. She had to squint to see the outline of the driver.
The passenger side window rolled down. Donovan leaned over from the driver’s
seat and pushed open the door. “Your chariot, madame.”
She got in and closed the door. In the side mirror, she saw another vehicle
with tinted windows pull up behind them. She guessed Giles and Murphy were
following. “Why did I think you’d have a chauffeur?”
“Because it’s what most people in my position do. I like to drive, especially
on your American roads where the speed limits are higher.” He steered the wheel
away from the curb.
“You might not want to speed through downtown Atlanta. The traffic
cameras could catch you.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Right. My gym shorts already broke the Internet with
their own hash tag. The last thing my family would need to see today is my mug
shot.”
Shae couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry. It’s just how you said it. Plus, the
whole hash tag thing.”
Donovan smirked as he followed the directions on the car’s GPS. “You’d be
surprised at what people follow on social media.”
“Actually, I wouldn’t. I have a roommate who’s goo goo gaga over
celebrities and their social media posts.”
“Try not to tell her about the gym shorts please.”
Shae laughed again. “I won’t, though chances are, she knows about it
already.”
Donovan turned and went up a block. “I’ll have to drown my sorrows in
sweet tea.”
A little surprised, she gave him a glance from the side. “How did you learn
about sweet tea?”
“I’ve never been to Georgia before, but my father has. He loved sweet tea so
much he had it flown to Severn from one of his favorite restaurants. We’ll have
to go there, too, but not today.”
He drove into the parking lot of the restaurant Moonlight & Mimosas. The
lot was packed with the Saturday morning brunch crowd. Shae saw the line out
of the door and became hesitant. “Um, you may want to pick a less crowded
restaurant if you don’t want to be seen.”
“No worries. I called ahead.” Donovan kept driving towards the rear of the
restaurant where employees parked. Two people stood outside waiting. They
directed Donovan towards a space and the car behind them to another.
Giles and Murphy got out first. They spoke to the people and motioned with
their hands. The restaurant employees nodded. Giles turned to the car and gave a
nod.
“We have permission.” Donovan unbuckled his seat belt and got out.
Shae moved to unfasten her seat belt, but it got caught. She eventually
worked it loose as Donovan opened her car door. “Thanks.” She was surprised
by the gesture of politeness. Not only was it a little old-fashioned, but she
wouldn’t think a prince went around holding doors for people.
The air around the restaurant contained the mingled aromas of bacon, coffee,
waffle batter, and fried chicken. The two employees, an older woman and a
young man who looked like he could still be in high school, practically danced
on their toes while they waited for Donovan. “Your Highness.” The young man
gave a bow.
Shae watched Donovan put his hand out in motion to stop. “That’s not
necessary. Thanks for fitting me in on short notice.”
“I’m the manager. We have the private booth ready for you.” The woman
directed him into the restaurant. She took a look at Shae. “I didn’t know you had
a companion. Would you like the private dining room instead?”
Shae’s neck burned beneath the high collar of her hotel uniform. Did the
restaurant manager mistake her for Donovan’s date?
The prince glanced at Shae with his boyish, playful smirk. “No, ma’am. The
booth will be fine. It’s just brunch.”
 CHAPTER FIVE

Brunch was delicious. Shae sampled eggs Benedict and chicken and waffles.
She’d be amazed if she could make it through the rest of the day without
unbuttoning her uniform jacket. “Moonlight & Mimosas never disappoints.”
Donovan sipped his second glass of sweet tea. He kept his baseball cap on
the whole time they were in the restaurant. “Do you eat here frequently?”
“Once a semester.” She shifted in the tiny little booth. It was built for couples
to canoodle rather than business associates to brainstorm. If she moved her arm a
few inches, she’d literally rub elbows with the prince, as well as shoulders. He
was a big man with broad shoulders and back. She sensed the warmth of his
proximity. “Once a semester. I treat myself after final exams.”
The server came to their booth in the back corner of the restaurant. Giles and
Murphy sat at the table in front of them, once again blending in with their
surroundings. “Can I get you another glass of sweet tea, sir?”
Donovan looked as though he debated getting a third refill. “No, thank you,
but I would like a serving of your peach cobbler.”
“Good choice. It’s our specialty. Would you like ice cream with it?”
“However the locals eat it, that’s how I’ll take it.”
The server ran off to get him his cobbler. Shae looked at the plates
surrounding him on the table. “I’m glad I wasn’t the only one hungry.”
He stretched and rested an arm behind her on the back of the booth. “I had to
try southern brunch food after hearing my parents go on about it. It didn’t
disappoint.” He rubbed his flat stomach. “Though I might have to do a couple
more early morning sessions at the gym after this meal.”
Yeah, right. With those muscles and metabolism, he had nothing to worry
about. Shae took a drink of ice water. Was it just her, or was the restaurant very
warm inside? “The restaurant has a good dinner menu, too.”
 He surveyed her. “Are you proposing we return for dinner?”
“No.” She spoke the word fast. Was she too abrupt? “I mean, their dinner
menu is so good, you might want to consider having them cater for one of your
business meetings. You said you were going to speak with contractors and
investors.”
“I need to schedule the first of those meetings very soon.”
Shae got her phone out and opened the memo app. “Do you want to start
planning it?”
“Not right now. I still have cobbler to sample.” He thanked the server when
she came with a portion of cobbler large enough to feed three people.
Shae set her phone down. Why didn’t he want to plan for the meetings?
Wasn’t that why he invited her to come with him in the first place? If he still
wanted to brainstorm for the hotel project and gala, they didn’t have much time.
They already spent an hour and ten minutes in the restaurant. She told the
Kleghorn staff she’d be at the hotel at noon.
The server brought the cobbler to him on a plate with two spoons. He handed
one to her. “I could eat this entire thing by myself, but I probably shouldn’t.”
“No, thank you. I’m feeling full.”
He kept the spoon dangled in front of her. “It’s impolite to refuse a royal
request, you know.”
She froze. “I didn’t mean to be offensive.”
Donovan’s well-shaped lips stretched into a smile. “It was a joke. You didn’t
actually believe me, did you?”
“No comment.” She plucked the spoon from his hand and scooped a small
amount of cobbler and ice cream onto it. The combination of warm, sweet
crunch, soft peaches and cold vanilla ice cream created a symphony in her
mouth. “Mmm. I have to leave this alone.”
He took a bite. “Why? It’s delicious.”
“It’s an expression. The cobbler is so decadent that I should let it be if I
know what’s good for me.”
He shook his head. “Americans and their strange sayings.”
“Really? I’d like to hear what they say in Severn.” Her phone rang. “Do you
mind if I take this? It’s the florist a couple doors down.”
Donovan gestured for her to go ahead. His mouth was full.
She answered the phone. “Shae Lawson speaking.”
“This is Frilly Flowers calling about the bouquet and gift basket you ordered.
Is this going to the Kleghorn Hotel?”
“No, I wanted it delivered to Joseph Hightower at St. Andrew’s Hospital.”
“Oh.”
 Shae didn’t like the sound of that “oh”. “Pardon?”
“The driver left on his morning route. He might not be able to make
deliveries to the hospital until tonight.”
“Tonight should be-just a moment.” She pressed the mute button as Donovan
shook his head at her. “Yes?”
“I overheard. If the florist is a few doors down, I can take you to the hospital
to give him the flowers.”
“They said they can deliver them tonight.”
“Why wait? You have about forty minutes until you have to be at the hotel,
and I’d like to see more of downtown Atlanta, even if it’s from the car.”
She unmuted the phone. “Hello? On second thought, I’m close to your shop.
I can get the flowers. Thanks.”
Donovan set his spoon down and tapped lightly on the table. “I’m done. The
cobbler’s excellent, but I can’t finish.”
She noticed he gave it a good try. Over half of the giant portion was gone.
“You don’t have to cut your day short because I have to run back to the hotel. I
can get you a tour guide to take you around Atlanta.”
“Maybe later. I’d like to finish the abbreviated tour with you.” He showed off
his dimples again.
She averted her gaze, deciding whether to say something to get things on
track. He started off telling her they were going to brunch to talk shop. Now she
was playing his unofficial tour guide. What did he want to do, handle business or
goof around? It wasn’t like they both had tons of free time on their hands. “We
should probably go. We don’t have much time left.”
“Say no more.” Donovan set his napkin down and put money on the table.
As soon as he did, Giles and Murphy stood. Donovan let Giles lead the way
to the restaurant’s back exit. Shae perused the customers seated and waiting in
the buffet line. A few glanced in their direction, but most were so focused on
their food and companions, they didn’t give them a second notice.
She and Donovan got into the Mercedes Benz. He turned the key in the
ignition. “Are we still good on time?”
“Should be. The hospital’s one point four miles from here. If we take twenty
minutes to get the flowers and I take them to Mr. Hightower, we’ll be back at the
hotel at exactly twelve noon.”
“You’re a stickler for keeping a schedule. I’m glad I chose you for the job.”
If he didn’t start planning for his hotel project, Shae didn’t think he’d be so
glad for long.
Donovan soon learned what Americans meant when they talked about sugar
highs. He got a burst of energy as he drove Shae to the florist and to the hospital
to deliver the bouquet. He pulled up to the building entrance.
“Are you coming inside?” Shae had her hand on the door.
“It’s probably not a good idea for me to walk in without notifying the
hospital first. Besides, the family needs their privacy.”
She nodded. “I’ll be back shortly. About twelve minutes.”
“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.” He waited for her to go inside
before he drove to a free parking space. He smiled to himself. Shae was very
punctual, even a little on the obsessive side of it. It was her professionalism and
sense of responsibility that made her good at her job.
His phone chirped and beeped at him. He got a personal text from the Office
of Protocol, his family’s official organization that handled their diplomatic
engagements, public appearances, and communications. Your latest social media
appearance was brought to the attention of His Majesty the King. He is not
pleased.
Donovan gave a ragged exhale. Must the Office of Protocol report every
little picture or incident that occurred with him to his family? He got an
incoming call from Severn while he grumbled to himself. He recognized the
number and was reluctant to answer it. “Hello, Father.”
He heard an echo of his previous sigh. “I don’t want to know how or why
your trip to the gym went viral. Tell me what you’re doing for the hotels in
Atlanta and Harper.”
“I haven’t been to Harper, Georgia yet, but I have a three-month renovation
plan to update the Atlanta facility and attract younger guests.”
“Younger guests who are professional and upwardly mobile, I hope. Not
your usual party-goers.”
“Yes, Father.”
“And whom have you appointed to help you accomplish this feat in ninety
days?”
He refrained from reacting to his father’s sarcastic tone. “The current acting
manager of the hotel. She has great research skills and knows the workings of
the hotel like the back of her hand.”
“She? Is this employee a young lady?”
Donovan knew exactly what his father was hinting at. “She’s set to earn her
MBA next year. I selected her for those reasons and those reasons only.”
 “You may be on the right track after all. Finally.”
Why couldn’t his father give him a chance to prove himself instead of
reminding him of his past failures? “I’ll send you monthly reports of our
progress.”
“You’ll send them weekly. If your mother and I see more pictures of you in
the media, it had better be for business and charity events.”
“Of course.” He thought the conversation was over. His father continued
talking.
“You are the Crown Prince of Severn, our only son. You cannot afford to
shirk your responsibilities or behave like a little boy on holiday any longer.
Goodness knows we have plenty of distant relatives who would love to persuade
the public they can rule Severn better than any Caldwell.”
Donovan braced himself against his father’s stinging words. The worst part
of hearing them was knowing they were all true. “I know you and Mother trust
me. I won’t disappoint you.”
“See that you don’t.” His father ended the call without saying goodbye.
Donovan stared at the screen of his cell phone for a long time.
He startled when Shae gave a soft knock on the passenger door. He unlocked
it and let her in.
“What’s wrong?” She settled in her seat. “I knocked twice.”
“Sorry. I must have been focused on a recent phone call.” The car filled with
her clean scent of linen and lemon. Donovan inhaled it and felt calmer. “How
was your visit with Mr. Hightower?”
“He looks tired and happy at the same time. He enjoyed receiving the
flowers.”
“Did you see the baby?”
“No, the NICU only lets family members in. Maybe in a week or two.”
Donovan made his way through light Saturday morning traffic towards the
Kleghorn hotel. He saw Giles and Murphy’s car in the rearview mirror. “Shae,
it’s going to be intensive work at the hotel from here on out.”
“I understand.”
“Call a mandatory staff meeting first thing next week. I want to address
every hotel employee. It’s going to be all hands on deck for a while.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her giving him a lingering look. “I’ll
send an email today.”
“Good. I appreciate you.”
She broke her gaze from him and stared out the window instead. She had
other questions for him. He could tell. Just like his parents thought he wasn’t up
to task, Shae likely had her own doubts that he could pull this thing off. Donovan
did, too, but failure wasn’t an option. He couldn’t let any of them down.
 CHAPTER SIX

Shae had a hunch something was different about Donovan once she got into the
car. It could’ve been the mystery phone conversation he mentioned. Whatever
the case, he was serious and quiet for the rest of the drive to the hotel. Then he
left her to finish her workday while he went to his suite to work on the new
employee app he wanted to design.
By the time Shae got home at eleven at night, her feet ached and her head
was fuzzy from running around, fulfilling client requests and overseeing the
hotel operations. Her roommate was out, possibly on a date or clubbing. She still
had a term paper to complete. There was no way she could work on it tonight.
Instead, she showered and fixed herself a cup of chamomile tea before going to
bed.
The next morning, her roommate pounded on the door. “Shae, are you up?”
She jumped out of bed and opened the door to find Chelsea in baggy pajama
pants, an old t-shirt, and remnants of last night’s eyeliner smeared on her face.
“Is the apartment on fire?”
“No, silly, but you’re in hot water.”
Shae rubbed her eyes. “Why?”
“You didn’t tell me Prince Donovan was staying at the hotel where you
work.”
It seemed Chelsea saw the gym photo of him online. “You know I’m not
supposed to tell anyone about the guests.”
“Not even your dear roommate?”
“Especially my dear roommate. You would’ve asked me questions every
night about him when I came home.”
“You’re right, I would’ve. But I’m hurt, Shae.” Chelsea put the back of her
hand to her brow as though she were about to fall over and faint like an old time
southern belle. “You hurt my heart.”
Shae raised an eyebrow at Chelsea’s theatrics. Then they both burst out
laughing. “I promise not to hurt your heart again. Besides, you know about him
now.”
“So how long is he in Atlanta? Right, you won’t tell me.”
Shae covered a yawn. “I need to get coffee on so I can work on my term
paper.”
“Come out to Moonlight & Mimosas with me and my girls.”
“No thanks. I was there just the other day.”
Chelsea put her hands on her hips. “And you didn’t say anything? Who’d
you go with?”
Shae slipped past her to head into the kitchen. “It was for business.”
“I want to know your business.” Her roommate followed.
“Have fun at brunch. Tell your friends I said hey.”
Chelsea rolled her eyes. “They’re starting to think I live with a ghost.”
“Boo.”
“Whatever.”
“See you later.” Shae filled the coffee carafe with water and got out a bag of
coffee grounds. Today she had to play catch up with her class work. The summer
semester was over next week and she barely got started on her last assignment.
She doubted the professor would let her off the hook because she was busy
assisting a prince. Who would believe her?

Shae managed to complete a quarter of her term paper by Monday morning.

She’d have to find a way to complete the rest during the evenings when she got
home from work. There were hardly any breaks during the day.
On Monday, Donovan called the mandatory hotel staff meeting. Shae sat at
the front of the conference room while the prince relayed the objectives they
worked on to the Kleghorn staff.
“My family owns this hotel, and we’re very proud of your work ethic and
dedication. I need you to do your best over the next several weeks. Be flexible as
we begin renovations.”
Shae observed her fellow employees. They sat enthralled, looking at
Donovan as he stood tall at the front of the room. She heard a couple of women
behind her mention something about the prince’s accent and they started
giggling. She looked over her shoulder. They got quiet.
 “Next on the agenda is the fundraising gala. It’s set for October Twelfth.
Shae will pass out a paper explaining phase one of planning.”
She felt all eyes on her as she stood up to hand everyone a copy of the paper.
Giraldo the head chef raised his hand to speak. “Is this a large function?”
“I expect to bring in at least fifty of Atlanta’s business owners and
philanthropists. Plan for them to have one or two guests.”
“Then the kitchen staff needs to know what you want at least six weeks in
advance.”
Donovan nodded, though he looked a little perplexed. “Over the next several
days, I’ll be meeting with each department to go over what we need to do. Are
there more questions?”
Shae got through the meeting. After the staff returned to their work,
Donovan pulled her aside. “Is there a reason why the kitchen staff needs six
weeks’ notice to prepare for the gala?”
“They need to know what food to buy and if it’ll be in season when you have
the event. If you want delicacy items, they have to be put on special order as
soon as possible.”
“I see. Thank you for helping me not look like a fool.”
“Trust me, no one thinks you’re a fool. The staff is excited you’re here.”
He gave Shae a grateful smile. “Do you think you can keep me looking like I
know what I’m doing for the rest of the week?”
“You seem fine to me.”
“I have no problem getting up in front of a room or camera to talk to people.
It’s the details of planning that often get me in trouble.”
His humble admission caught her off guard. She wondered where his sudden
loss of confidence came from. “We won’t let that happen. Everyone has
strengths and weaknesses.”
“Thanks again, Shae. I’m glad I can trust you.” He gave her a pat on the
shoulder and left the conference room. His security waited to escort him to the
elevator.
Shae stared after him. Granted, she didn’t know Donovan for long at all, but
this was a new side of himself he revealed to her. He was uncertain about
something, and carried an invisible weight on his shoulders.
The ten-thirty alarm on her phone beeped. She didn’t have time to wonder
about the workings of Donovan’s mind. She had to run to her next meeting.
Shae spent the rest of the week running on caffeine and adrenaline to make it to
her multiple meetings. She and Donovan talked with renovation contractors and
internet service providers. Donovan shadowed her every day as she went about
the usual business of managing the hotel’s daily operations. He wanted to learn
how the hotel ran.
By the time the weekend arrived, she was exhausted. Still, she had two days
to complete her term paper. If she didn’t turn it in, she’d fail and have to retake
the class during the fall. Not only did Shae not want to ruin her modest GPA with
a big fat F, she didn’t have the extra time or tuition money to add an extra class
to her schedule. She wanted to get her MBA and move on.
She finished over half of the paper by Saturday night. She saved her work on
her laptop and put on her pajamas. If she woke up early on Sunday, she’d be able
to finish the rest after working all day.
One of her cell phones rang, the secure one issued by Donovan’s security.
Her heart beat a little faster when she put the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
“Can you come to the hotel?”
Caught off guard by Donovan’s question, she pulled the phone away from
her ear to glance at the time. It was almost eleven. “Right now?”
“Yes, I’m having a party.” When he said it, she heard laughter and chatter in
the background. “I want you to assist.”
What possessed Donovan to throw another party? She wished she could get
out of it. This was her job, though, and she couldn’t simply say no. “I’ll be there
soon.”
“Glad I can count on you.”
Shae dragged herself to the closet to find a spare set of uniform pants and
blouse. They were a bit wrinkled from the wash and she had no time to iron. She
reached in her dresser drawer for a trial size of some anti-static and wrinkle
spray and hoped it would do what the commercials advertised.
She came out of her room fifteen minutes later. “I’m going back to work,”
she said to her roommate, who was practically passed out in front of the living
room television with chips and a pint of ice cream.
Chelsea dropped the spoon into the carton. “Work?” She gaped at Shae in her
uniform. “It’s going on eleven thirty.”
“I know. There’s a party and I have to help out.”
“Oooh, party. Say hi to Prince Charming for me. Tell him I’m free tonight.”
“You’re sick with an allergy cold.”
“I’m still free.”
Shae took a brisk walk to the rail station, passing Saturday night revelers in
their club gear. She got a couple weird looks at her hotel uniform jacket and
pants. Whatever party Donovan was up to, she hoped this one didn’t involve a
swimming pool and wannabe frat boys again.

She walked into the Kleghorn to see kitchen staff wheeling food carts and
beverage trays in and out of the lobby. She stopped one of them before he could
crash into her. “What’s all this for?”
“Donovan ordered hors d’oeuvres for his guests. They’re in the lounge bar.”
Shae followed another server carrying a tray into the lounge bar, where men
in suits and women in cocktail dresses talked loud over music. She passed Giles
near the entrance and Murphy by the bar. Both men did not look too happy to be
on guard.
She searched for Donovan. A woman nearly nailed her foot to the floor with
a stiletto heel.
“Excuse me.” The woman held her Cosmopolitan over Shae’s head as she
passed.
Shae felt two hands come down on her shoulders. She turned to see Donovan
dressed in a white shirt, no tie, and dark pants. His hair was stylishly mussed.
“Why aren’t you dressed for the party?”
“I am dressed for it. I’m here to work.”
He shook his head. “You misunderstood me over the phone. I put this
together tonight so we could meet young investors in a relaxed setting.”
Shae watched a man almost fall over tipsy. “This might be a little too
relaxed.”
The man found a seat in time before his legs gave out. His buddies gave him
a high five.
Shae wanted to make a face at the whole scene. She put on a calm, straight
face for Donovan instead. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think your
friends came here because they want to invest in your hotel. They want to party.”
“Donovan, who’s this?” A guy in a rumpled suit and tie looked over Shae as
though she were a new selection of produce at the grocery store. “Why is she
wearing a costume?”
“It’s not a costume. I work at this hotel.”
The guy laughed as he walked away.
Shae had enough. “I think you should end the party, Donovan. These people
are getting drunk.”
“Hey, old lady, don’t ruin it for us.” The woman who called her old lady had
her hair dyed silver with a touch of blue on one side.
Donovan gazed at the spectacle around him before agreeing. “I should’ve
called a meeting with them during the daytime.”
She wasn’t sure these were the kind of people with which he should do
business. She decided to wait to tell him her full opinion. Shae angled her heel to
turn when she bumped into a man carrying two shot glasses. He spilled brown
liquid down the front of her jacket.
“I am so sorry, ma’am. I didn’t see you standing there.”
If he took off his beer goggles, maybe he would be able to see a person
directly in his path. Shae held her tongue and went to the bar to grab a couple
napkins. She wiped the excess bourbon off her hands. It was going to stain her
uniform.
“Everyone, it’s time to go.” Donovan announced, projecting his voice over
the music. He signaled to the DJ to cut the sound.
Disappointed moans rose up from the twenty or so people in the room. Giles
and Murphy herded them out by twos. Donovan lent a hand.
Shae addressed the bartender. “Tim, pass me a towel and a mop. I’ll help you
clean.”
Tim complied and resumed clearing the bar of empty glasses. “Housekeeping
won’t be in until morning. At this rate, we’ll be here all night.”
Shae slapped the towel over a puddle of melted ice on the counter and started
wiping. The bartender was right. They would be pulling an all-nighter to
straighten up this mess, and it was all Donovan’s fault.
 CHAPTER SEVEN

Donovan realized Shae was right. His friends did only come to the hotel to party.
By the time he called cabs to make sure each of them got home safely, it was
three in the morning.
He returned to the bar lounge to find the place clean and the bartender drying
glasses and putting them away. “Looking for Shae, Your Highness?” the
bartender asked. “She just finished up and went home.”
How did he miss her? He thanked the bartender and returned to his security
out in the lobby. “Take a rest,” he told Giles and Murphy. “You don’t have to
worry about me. I’m going up to the suite.”
“You haven’t told us your schedule for tomorrow, er today.” Giles reminded
him.
Donovan tired of always having to plan out his days to the tee, but it was part
of what his life entailed. “I’ll be downstairs this morning at nine to meet with
another internet service provider.”
His security went with him up the elevator and then parted ways once he got
to his suite. He plopped down on the couch. He wanted to speak with Shae and
apologize yet again. It would have to wait until later in the morning if she hadn’t
already decided to quit her job overnight.

Donovan looked for Shae the next morning before his meeting with a fixture
company. He came downstairs to find her setting up the conference room for the
meeting. She stifled a yawn. Faint circles resided below her eyes.
“Shae, I should thank you again for helping me with the party last night. It
didn’t go as planned.”
 “No, it didn’t.” She gave him a flat look.
He saw the irritation in her eyes and recognized he needed to tread carefully.
“I searched for you after the guests left. The bartender said you went home.”
“I had a term paper to finish. It was due this morning.”
“How did it go?”
She set a water pitcher in the center of the table. “Not well. I only had half
the paper done. I still had to turn it in.”
He winced, remembering his days at university when he failed to make a
couple deadlines. “This is my fault. If I hadn’t called you to come to the hotel,
you would’ve been able to finish your assignment.”
She didn’t say anything to confirm his statement, though he had a hunch he
was right. She pulled out a chair then pushed it back in. “You know, Donovan, I
don’t understand you. One minute you’re responsible and businesslike, and the
next you’re throwing wild parties like this hotel is a college dorm. I just want to
do my job, but you’re making it hard for me.”
“I heard what you said last night. My old friends from university may have
the money from trust funds and such, but they don’t have a real interest in
helping me.”
“Focus on serious investors only. Better yet, do it during banking hours.” She
zipped towards the door, leaving him alone in the conference room. Giles and
Murphy got out of her way.
Donovan felt like a heel for causing her to miss her term paper deadline. She
showed up for work every day and worked hard to help him accomplish his
goals. She didn’t deserve to pay for his mistakes.

Shae aided Donovan through his meetings with investors and contractors despite
being irate at him. What else could she do? She couldn’t simply get mad and
quit. She still needed her job at the hotel. It wasn’t exactly one hundred percent
his fault that she turned in her paper incomplete. She was too slow of a writer.
But what was she going to do? This paper was half her grade and it was
enough to send all of her hard work crashing down.
Two days went by. After work, she trudged to her evening class at the
university. It wasn’t as though showing up would improve her grade after
bombing the term paper. Maybe it would at least show the professor she was
serious about retaking the class in the fall. How she was going to pay for it, she
had no idea.
 After class, the professor stopped her from walking out of the room with the
other students. “Shae, can I have a moment to speak with you?”
All her insides cringed. The professor was going to rail at her for turning in
an incomplete paper. She hung back from the other students who filtered outside.
The professor folded his arms. “You work at the Kleghorn Hotel downtown,
don’t you?”
She nodded once. Why was he asking her about work?
“I heard on the news that a member of one of the European royal families is
there visiting. Caldwell, is it?”
“Yes, Prince Donovan.” Shae hoped the professor wasn’t about to ask her for
a chance to meet the prince like her roommate did.
He chuckled, adjusting his glasses. “The news showed his social media post.
You have had your hands full these past couple weeks, I bet.”
Not expecting his lighthearted reaction, it took her a moment to respond.
“It’s been an experience, I’ll say that.”
“Tell you what. I’m going to give you a four-day extension on your term
paper.”
She thought he was playing a very late April Fool’s day joke. “Really?”
“It’s only fair. I’m guessing you’ve had to deal with extensive security and
scheduling during the prince’s stay.”
“I have, Professor, but I don’t want special treatment.”
“I don’t give extensions without a good excuse. I can’t think of too many that
top having to work for a demanding royal.”
Shae couldn’t believe her ears. She was getting a second chance. “Thank
you. I promise to have the paper in your inbox in four days.”
“I’ll be looking for it.” The professor nodded. “You should’ve told me earlier
you were working for a prince. That’s a slightly better excuse than the dog eating
your homework.”
Shae left the room with the weight gone from her shoulders. Donovan came
in like a Texas twister and sent her schedule and schoolwork into chaos over the
past two weeks, but her professor granted her mercy. The rest depended on her
efforts. She headed for home, renewed and relieved that she was given another
chance to pass the class.
Her secure phone rang right as she left campus. Shae groaned. She didn’t
know if she could last past the hour if Donovan wanted her to come back to the
hotel to work. “Hello, Your Highness.”
“It’s Donovan. I thought about this, and I hope you don’t think I’m
overstepping. I can have a word with your college professors to let them know
why you couldn’t make your paper deadline.”
 He was trying to help. She felt bad for thinking snarky thoughts about him
moments before. “You don’t have to.”
“I caused you to fall behind in your studies. I want to fix it.”
“My professor gave me a four-day extension on my paper. It’s alright.”
“Oh. I’m glad to hear things worked out.”
“Me, too.” She talked while waiting to catch the bus.
“Shae.” His voice sounded gentle in her ear. “I’m not going to ask you to do
anything for the hotel project until your paper is complete. When you leave work
tomorrow, go home and get writing. That’s a royal decree.”
“Yes, sir.” She found herself amused by his humor.
She heard laughter in his voice. “Goodnight, Shae.”
“Good night.” She put the phone in her backpack. The bus pulled up to the
stop. She paid her fare and took a seat in front. The scenery rolled by in the night
as she thought about Donovan’s offer to help. Beneath the partying nature, she
sensed another part of him trying to get out.

Shae did what she promised both her professor and Donovan. Over the next four
days, she spent her free time working on the term paper. She didn’t see Donovan
at the hotel. He didn’t call her or send his security to find her. Shae was almost
convinced he checked out of the hotel until she caught a glimpse of him in an
investor meeting in the conference room.
After work, she opted to take advantage of the school library’s late hours so
she could focus. On Friday night, Her roommate made an unsuccessful attempt
to get her to go to open mic night at a poetry cafe on Peachtree Street.
“I’ll go when I’m done with my paper this Monday.”
“Good.” Chelsea approved. “Because my date is giving a reading there that
night. Hope to see you in the audience.”
Shae finished the paper on Sunday afternoon and did her edits that night.
Morning morning arrived, and after hours spent agonizing on her final
assignment for the class, she hit send to deliver it to the professor. There. All
done.
She arrived at the Kleghorn hotel afterward, happy to be free of late night
classes and eye strain, at least for the rest of the summer. She didn’t see Mr.
Hightower in his office. She checked the messages that stated he’d be in later in
the afternoon. She looked forward to handing him the reins back to the hotel
operations.
 At ten in the morning, she took the elevator to deliver concert tickets to a
guest on the tenth floor. When she went to the elevator to go to another floor, it
opened to reveal Donovan dressed in sweats. “Making use of the treadmills in
the gym?”
“No, actually.” He held the door open. “I went out for a jog. I left Giles and
Murphy to catch their breath in the lobby.”
“I’m sure they loved keeping up with you.” She stepped inside and hit the
button for the twenty-eighth floor.
“Checking on other guests?”
“There’s a Taylor Swift concert tonight. Some of the guests bought last-
minute VIP tickets.” She indicated to the yellow envelope in her hand. “I’m
delivering them.”
“How did your term paper go?”
“We’ll see. I sent it to my professor this morning.”
Donovan watched the numbers light up above the elevator door as it
climbed. “You were right to confront me last week. It was a dumb idea to throw
an impromptu party in the lounge. I need to attract more responsible investors.”
“I could’ve been a little nicer when I said it.”
“You’re the only person who’s not afraid to talk to me like I’m a regular
guy.” His eyes twinkled when he looked at her. “I like that.”
Was the elevator always this small, or was she standing close to him? His
athletic form seemed to take up all the room. “You want to be like everyone
else?”
“Sometimes it’s nice to go where you please without a crowd. When I have a
chance in Severn, I like to slip out from time to time to a little cafe or pub when
it’s not busy.”
“You might want to check out some of the coffeehouses here after your
security recovers from their morning run.”
“You still haven’t finished showing me Atlanta. Do you think you’ll have
time today?”
“What places did you have in mind?”
“One of those quiet coffeehouses you mentioned, but first, I’m hungry. I
want to go to my father’s favorite restaurant where they sell peach crepes.”
“Emil’s. I know exactly where it is.”
“I figured you would.”
The elevator chimed before opening to the twenty-eighth floor. Shae folded
her hands. “This is my stop.”
“Meet me outside the hotel at noon? Same as we did before last week?”
She agreed. “Mr. Hightower is supposed to return to work this afternoon. We
can get him up to speed on what you started for the hotel project.”
“What we started, Shae. He may manage the operations here, but I still want
you to be in charge of the project.”
“If you want.” She stepped out. Donovan waved as the doors closed.
What did he have in mind today?
 CHAPTER EIGHT

Donovan was happy to hear Shae completed her term paper and turned it in that
morning. He was even happier when she agreed to visit Emil’s with him for
lunch. She didn’t think he was a complete heel. He showered, dressed in pants,
button down shirt, and jacket. He brought his laptop along to do business after
the meal.
They got to Emil’s shortly after noon. Donovan’s security detail arranged for
him and Shae to dine in the private dining area. He and Shae had the modest
room to themselves while Giles and Murphy hung around outside the door.
“Hope you don’t mind eating alone with me.” He pulled out her chair for her
to sit.
“Not at all. I’m not a fan of the noisy lunch crowd,” she replied.
He liked hearing those words. “That’s nice to know. Most of my friends and
associates enjoy a photo opportunity whenever they can get it.”
“You don’t have to worry about it with me.” She picked up the menu.
“Cameras and I do not get along.”
“I don’t believe it. You’re quite photogenic.”
She looked up over the menu at him through her long black eyelashes. The
menu covered half her face, though he could tell she was using it to hide a smile.
“Hardly anyone knows this, but I used to be a child model until I was three years
old. My mother drove me to auditions for baby food commercials and local toy
store ads.”
“That’s impressive.”
“Not really. This was when camera filters had to be changed manually and
studio lights were hot.”
“You couldn’t sit still for a long time?”
“Nope, and I was sensitive to little noises like camera shutters moving and
the flash going off. I still am a little.”
He couldn’t resist teasing her. “I get to have lunch with a famous model.”
“Stop.” She tried to conceal her laugh. Her ponytail flicked over her shoulder
when she shook her head. “You are not having lunch with a famous person. The
gigs ended when I got all my primary teeth.”
Donovan enjoyed her reaction to his teasing. After the waiter came and took
their drink and appetizer orders, he took his phone out of his pocket and pulled
up the internet browser. “If I search under your name, will I find old commercial
clips of little baby Shae with strained peas all over her face?”
She made a cute yuck face, scrunching her small nose. “I hate peas
specifically for that reason. You won’t find those clips because they were lost on
the cutting room floor.”
“Maybe not.” He pretended to type into the phone. “You never know what
manages to find itself on the internet these days.”
“Spare me. At least until after I eat.”
She put the menu down, exposing the plum blush that crept on her cheeks.
Her light brown skin was fresh and dewy under the lights. The waiter returned.
“You said your father liked to eat here whenever he visited Atlanta?” she
asked after the sweet tea and appetizers were placed on the table and the server
went away with their entree orders.
“My mother told me he came here to eat every day until it was time for him
to fly home.” His throat muscles tightened after he said the word fly. He coughed
and reached for his glass of water. In his haste, the glass chinked against the
plate of appetizers. He splashed a good bit of it all over his hand and on the
white tablecloth.
“Are you okay?” Shae half-rose in her seat, hand stretched as though she was
about to reach over and clap him on the back.
“Yes, no worries.” Embarrassed, he drank the rest of the water until the tickle
in his throat vanished. He wiped his hand dry with a napkin. “I hate when that
happens.”
“The appetizers are a little salty.”
“It’s not the food. I don’t like to talk about flying.” He cleared his throat.
“My parents were in a plane crash when I was a child. It put my mother in a
wheelchair.”
Shae’s eyes widened before her expression turned sad. “I’m so sorry. Were
you on the plane, too?”
He motioned his head in the negative. “They were coming home from a trip
to France. I waited for them at the airport with my aunt. We saw the plane go
down on the tarmac.”
 She covered her mouth. “How scary. For anyone, but especially for a child.”
He looked away, wondering how the conversation reached this topic and
wishing it never did. “I haven’t been too fond of flying since.”
“Who could blame you?” Shae looked hesitant. “Is that why you…”
“Had too much to drink when I first got here? Yes. Not my best moment.”
He wanted to change the topic. Anything was better than discussing his
weakness. “I’ve been working on the schedule app hotel employees can use to
keep track of when they clock in and out of work.” He launched into telling her
about the new coding program he used. By the time he finished, the server
brought their lunch. He ate crepes in relative silence.
When the meal was over and the plates cleared, he took out his laptop to
show her progress on the app. He demonstrated how to use it. “I’m almost done
with the beta. I’ll set it up for the employees to test in the next day or two. Once
I know all the kinks are ironed out, I’ll get the real version up and running in a
couple weeks.”
Shae nodded her head. She looked a little bored. Donovan hated rambling
on. He just wanted to move past what he shared with her about his family
trauma. What if she thought him weak or inept for not dealing with it sooner?
A half hour went by. He knew he and Shae needed to return to the hotel to
meet with Mr. Hightower. “We should be going so we’re not late.” He reached
for the bill when the server brought it.
“How much was mine?” asked Shae.
He wasn’t going to let her pay for her own meal. “I invited you out to eat.
Besides, it’s the least I can do for almost ruining your G.P.A.” He put a couple
bills in the receipt holder, including the tip.
She stood up with him. “I enjoyed eating here. I’ve had their appetizers, but I
never ordered anything from the dinner menu.”
He put his laptop in its bag. “I want to see the cafe on Peachtree Street later.
If the entertainment’s good, we can bring it to the gala in October.”
“A lot of younger professionals go there, so that’s a good idea.”
He was glad she liked his idea. Giles and Murphy stood at the door, ready to
walk with them to the cars. Donovan waited for Shae to walk out the back with
him. “When does open mic start?”
“Tonight at seven.”
“You don’t have any more term papers to write between now and then, do
you?”
She quirked one corner of her mouth. “Not unless the professor springs a
surprise essay on the class. Why?”
“I’d like for you to come with me.” He let her go outside the restaurant first.
“We’ll be scouting the talent, but you don’t have to wear your uniform.”
“I get the hint.” Humor made her skin glow. “I won’t show up to open mic
night looking like a concierge.”
“Of course, there’s nothing wrong with you looking like a concierge.” What
was he doing? That was a ridiculous thing to say.
Shae took it in stride as she got into his Benz. “Do you want me to meet you
at the hotel?”
“I can pick you up from your place so you don’t feel like you’re walking
back into work.”
She told him her address. While he put it in his GPS, she added, “Don’t
worry. I’ll find something appropriate for the occasion.”
Donovan started the car. He turned on some music and kept quiet during the
drive. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass himself and be awkward in
front of Shae again.

Shae saw Donovan with new eyes after he revealed the trauma he experienced as
a child. She couldn’t imagine the fear and devastation at seeing a plane go down
and knowing one’s parents were on board. No wonder he had been in the mood
to throw a party once he arrived in Atlanta. The flight was long and he wanted to
release stress. For his sake, though, she hoped he’d find a better coping
mechanism than partying.
She clocked out after work and rushed home so she could change clothes to
go to the cafe with Donovan. Chelsea had already left for the cafe. Good,
because she didn’t want to explain to her roommate why she suddenly was going
to open mic night and who was going with her. Donovan’s hopes for a quiet,
uneventful evening would go kaput.
She took a quick shower and padded over to her closet in towel and bare feet.
What was she supposed to wear to this thing? She dressed in jeans and a nice
shirt when she went months ago, but that was with her roommate and friends,
not a business date with a prince.
Business date. No, the term didn’t sound right at all. She was going there as
part of her planning for the gala, yet it wasn’t exactly all work.
She flipped through items in her closet. Her hand stopped on a fitted black
dress. Too formal. She kept moving through racks of t-shirts and stumbled on a
pair of sweat pants on the floor. Her casual outfits might be too casual. She
might have clocked out of work at the hotel, but she didn’t want to look like she
just rolled off her couch.
Shae settled on a cotton sundress she bought last year. The black and white
gingham print was a little old-fashioned, but it looked a lot better than sweat
pants and a Falcons t-shirt. She dressed and pinned her ponytail into a loose bun.
She opted for a pair of sandals since it was a warm July night.
Five minutes later, a knock came from the door. She opened it to Donovan
standing in black pants and an olive green shirt that brought out his eyes. “Hi.”
“You look charming.” He took in her outfit with a smile. She felt a little self-
conscious under his gaze.
“Thanks, but isn’t that a term people normally reserve for you?”
“People have a lot of terms for me. Charming is-oh, I get it.”
“I know, it wasn’t funny. That’s why I sit on the other side of the mic on
open mic night.” Shae locked her apartment door before stepping outside with
him. A warm, balmy breeze touched her arms. This was a nice night to go out.
Donovan walked downstairs with her. She saw a pair of black Mercedes-
Benz waiting. “I have my security, but they’ll be at another table when we get to
the cafe. Hope it doesn’t bother you.”
“I enjoy watching Giles and Murphy play incognito.” Shae pondered
whether she could do the same at the cafe with her roommate there.
Donovan drove from her apartment complex to downtown Atlanta. He
navigated crowded Peachtree Street like an old pro. Shae watched all manner of
people from tourists to regular night clubbers waiting to cross the street. “Most
visitors get tired of the traffic. You seem to not mind it.”
“The urban streets of Severn are much smaller and have similar pedestrian
traffic.” He drove into a lot behind the cafe.
By this time, Shae knew the drill. She got out and let Donovan’s security
lead the way inside. A couple bouncers were there to point the way to a table
nestled way in the back of the darkened cafe. A navy curtain partially concealed
it from view of other tables ten feet away and the stage up front. They took their
seats while a guitarist played an acoustic version of a Fleetwood Mac song for a
small audience of about fifteen people.
Donovan applauded when the guitarist finished. “Do you think he’d like to
play music at our gala?”
“Maybe, if you’re going for a classic rock theme.”
The emcee came on stage to announce the next person, an amateur comedian
from Columbus, Georgia. During the interim, Shae excused herself.
On the way to the ladies room, she scanned the audience. They looked like
artsy undergrads with striped t-shirts and dark wash jeans. There were a couple
older people enjoying red wine. She went into the ladies room.
 Shae was on her way out a minute later. She heard the door open behind her
while she reached for a paper towel to dry her hands at the sink.
“Shae, is that you?”
Her legs locked in place at the sound of Chelsea’s voice.
 CHAPTER NINE

Shae wadded up the paper towel. The water was still running in the sink. She
moved to turn it off before facing Chelsea. “Hey, how are you?”
Her roommate stood between her and the only way out of the ladies room.
Chelsea dwarfed her by at least five inches in her skyscraper peep toe booties.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“You know, last minute decision and all.”
“Your outfit doesn’t look last minute. It’s cute, girl.”
“Thanks.” Shae hoped another woman would walk in so she could break up
the awkward conversation. “I should get going.”
“Who’d you come with tonight?”
“Someone from work.”
“You both can sit with me and my date if you want. We got a table close to
the stage.”
“No, we’re fine where we are.”
“Ooh, I see how it is. You want your privacy.” Chelsea gave her a knowing
smile.
“It’s not quite like that, Chels.”
“Hmm, let’s see. You’re out at night, which is something you never ever do.
You’re dressed like you’re out on a date.”
“I’m not on a date.” Shae tried to get around her roommate in the cramped
restroom space.
Chelsea gasped. “You’re with him, aren’t you? The prince?”
She stiffened. If her roommate knew Donovan was here, so would everyone
else on Peachtree Street soon after. Chelsea would announce it to the world. “I
have to go. I’ll see you at the apartment.”
“I’m coming out there. I’m going to find out who you’re with.” Her
roommate called after her.
Shae weaved around the tables to arrive at the one she shared with Donovan.
He was laughing at the comedian’s jokes. “We have to leave,” she whispered. It
came out more like a hiss.
His smile vanished. “Is something wrong?” he stood. His security a couple
tables away also got up.
“My roommate is here, and she’s going to be onto us.”
He put a tip on the table and walked out with her into the night. When they
got into his car, he asked, “Do you want to go somewhere else? It’s still early.”
“There’s a comedy club I used to go to back in undergrad. Tuesdays are
amateur night. It’s really dark inside. No one will see us.”
He fastened his seatbelt. “Tell me the address.”
Ten minutes later they were pulling into Hijinks Comedy Club. Shae was
relieved. “That was close.”
Donovan turned the car off. The lights came on. “I want to see what makes
you laugh.”
“You’re just going to go in, without telling management first?”
“It doesn’t look like a lot of people are here tonight. It should be fine to slip
in.”
They went to the doors, where the bouncer hardly gave them a second glance
after Donovan paid the cover charge. “Help yourselves to a table.”
Shae pointed to a little table nestled in a corner. “That’s where I usually sat
when I used to come here.”
They sat down right as a waiter came along. “Good evening, folks. What can
I get for you to start?”
Donovan glanced at the menu. “We’ll have two cokes and a couple glasses of
water.”
Shae glanced at him. What happened to his accent? It disappeared.
“Cokes and water coming up. I’ll bring dinner menus.” The waiter ambled
off into the kitchen.
Shae lowered her voice when someone took the stage. “Donovan, did you do
something different with your voice?”
“I dropped my accent and replaced it with an American one. I always wanted
to see if I could get away with it.”
“I see.”
The waiter came with drinks and a menu. “Sorry. I could only find one menu
at the moment.”
Shae glanced over Donovan’s shoulder to scan the entrees. “The burger looks
good.”
 “Is that what you want?” He closed the menu and handed it to the waiter.
“Two burgers please.”
“You got it.”
Donovan folded his arms on the table and leaned her way to whisper. “Hope
you don’t mind me ordering for you.”
She smelled his scent up close, a mix of pepper and fresh green notes. “No
problem. You wanted to try on your shiny new American accent.”
“Was I convincing?”
“I think so, but you won’t convince anyone you’re from Atlanta. Maybe the
Midwest.”
“As a matter of fact, I don’t believe your voice carries a charming southern
drawl.”
“I was born in D.C. I came here to go to undergrad.”
The room suddenly erupted in laughter. She looked around and realized the
comedian finished a short skit. She and Donovan had been talking to each other
the whole time. She sipped her Coke and watched the next act go onstage.
“Maybe we can find someone here to bring their talent to the fundraising gala.”
“Perhaps. I don’t want to think about work for the rest of the evening.”
Donovan leaned back in his seat.
She listened to the comedians with him. Seeing new acts as well as a few
familiar ones put her in a relaxed mood. She ate the burger when it came hot and
ready from the kitchen. Towards the end of the show, she and Donovan slipped
out of the comedy club and to his car. He drove her to her apartment. They
arrived at ten-thirty.
Donovan parked the car. “I can walk you to your door. My chaperones hate
climbing the stairs.” He joked about Giles and Murphy, who trailed somewhere
behind them in their car.
Shae unfastened her seat belt. “My roommate might be home. It’s probably
better that you stay in the car.”
He turned the car off. The lights came on, and he looked amused. “You make
your roommate sound like she’s over the top.”
“She’s a very friendly person, but if she saw you, she would act that way.”
Shae studied his profile. He had the handsome, aristocratic looks of a prince, yet
there was a ruggedness about him, too, with his beard and in the way his thick
hair refused to lay flat on his head. “You know how some of us Americans are
royal-obsessed.”
“But not you.”
Was he teasing her? She looked for the little telltale gleam in his eyes. She
didn’t find it. “I don’t know how to respond to that.”
 “No need.” A slow smile crossed his face. “I like how reserved and
thoughtful you are, Shae. It’s refreshing.”
In all her life, she had never been complimented for being a quiet person. He
rested his arm on the arm rest between them. His shirt sleeve brushed against her
arm. She felt the tiny hairs stand on end. “I should get inside. See you bright and
early tomorrow?”
“Early, but not so bright. I’m still not used to the time here.”
“I had fun tonight. I’ll research those acts we liked at the improv club to see
if they’re good for the gala.”
Donovan made eye contact, though he didn’t appear to be interested in the
gala. He focused on her. “Thanks for accepting my invitation. Have a good
night.”
She left the car and went upstairs to the second floor of the apartment
building. Chelsea was already home when she came through the door.
“Aha. I knew you skipped out on me at the improv club.”
“Chelsea, we decided to leave and go somewhere else.”
“Who’s we? I saw you get out of a black Benz. Whoever you’re dating, this
guy isn’t cheap.”
“You were watching from the window? You can’t be serious.”
“Who is he, Shae?”
She had to make her roommate’s game of Ninety-Nine Questions come to an
end. “I wasn’t on a date.”
“Was it Prince Donovan? Just say it.”
She gave in. “He wanted to see some Atlanta local hotspots so I told him
about where I used to go in undergrad.”
Chelsea crossed her arms and gave her a once over.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because the happy glow on your face and what you’re wearing says it all.
You say it wasn’t a date, but I know it wasn’t work, either.” Chelsea went to her
own room, giggling.
Shae shook her head, then thought about her night out. She enjoyed spending
it with Donovan. And it was for work.
What else would it be?

Donovan woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. It was only the middle of
the week, but he was energized and ready to go to work. Part of that had to do
with Shae.
He had fun going to the comedy clubs with her last night and listening to her
talk about her favorite college hangouts. She was pretty in her gingham dress.
She wore her hair up in a bun, and he couldn’t help wondering what it would
look like if she wore it down. The more she revealed about herself, the more he
learned how she enjoyed the small pleasures of life. He also enjoyed being in her
company without paparazzi and royal fanatics waiting in the wings to catch him
in a candid moment.
Too bad it was a weeknight and they couldn’t remain at the comedy club
much longer. Then again, he doubted Shae would’ve spent more time out with
him. She made it clear she was there on business. Did she like making
conversation with him, or did she simply consider it as part of her job?
He got up and dressed to meet with the hotel’s contractors. This morning,
they’d begin installing new fixtures in one part of the Kleghorn. Then over the
course of the next two months, the contractors would cover every floor. It was
important to keep to schedule. He couldn’t believe he had already been in the
United States for nearly three weeks.
He walked out of his suite. His security waited right outside the door, ever
ready and up to the minute with his itinerary. “Morning, Giles. Murphy.” He
nodded to them on his way to the elevator. The three of them traveled down to
the main floor.
“Ahem.” Murphy produced a strange little cough. Donovan knew what was
coming. He wanted to say something.
“Yes, Murphy, what is it?”
“Your Highness, last night you and Miss Lawson made an impromptu visit to
another nightclub.”
“We did. And?”
“As a matter of precaution, please alert us to your updated itinerary.”
“Are you saying you two don’t like my spur of the moment decisions?”
The two security guards sputtered. Donovan gestured for them to relax. “You
know I’m only kidding with you.”
Giles fixed his glasses upon his nose. “Right, sir, but with all due respect,
your father His Royal Majesty won’t be in the same light mood if hears of it.”
“Then don’t tell him. I understand what you’re saying, though. From now on,
I’ll try to stick to schedule.”
Donovan’s buoyant mood deflated a little as he was reminded of his father
the king. He needed to send the weekly report to his father in a couple of days. If
he was lucky, his father would be pleased at the project underway. It would show
he cared about the family business entrusted to him.
 The elevator doors parted to the sound of commotion coming from the lobby.
Giles signaled for Donovan to remain by the elevator while he stepped out to
investigate. Donovan looked out into the hall. In the weeks during his stay at the
Kleghorn, it was usually pretty quiet in the mornings. What was the fuss all
about today?
Murphy’s phone beeped. Without glancing across, Donovan knew it was
Giles sending a message. “What did he find out?”
“A local news channel followed the contractors into the building. Apparently,
they told the media you hired them to revamp the hotel. Now a team of reporters
want to interview you.” Murphy pressed a button on his phone to use the walkie-
talkie function. “Giles, direct them out. The prince can’t meet with them.”
“I will,” Donovan asserted. “Tell them I’m coming their way.” He
straightened his jacket and walked away from the elevator.
“Sir, wait.” Murphy jogged after him.
He reached the lobby, where three reporters with cell phones and two camera
operators bustled at the front of a flock of curious onlookers and hotel guests.
They crowded the lobby and front desk, where Shae and Mr. Hightower stood
before a human sea threatening to spill over.
“If you’re not a guest, I have to ask you all to leave or I’m calling the
police.” Shae splayed her arms to keep them from passing.
One of the reporters shot a glance Donovan’s way. “Look, the prince is
here.”
The two camera operators careened into each other in attempt to swing both
cameras in his direction. It was time to help Shae by putting a stop to this. He
walked past Giles and got in front of Shae. “You heard her, ladies and
gentlemen. This is a private establishment. You have to leave.”
“Prince Donovan, is it true you’ve been staying here this past month?” A
male reporter ignored everything he just said and fielded him with a question.
“Unless the Kleghorn hired a body double, I think it’s pretty safe to assume
so.” His remark gathered up a few laughs from the crowd. Now that he had them
listening and the cameras were rolling, he went on. “My family’s hotel has great
things in store. I’ll tell you about them when Miss Lawson and I hold a media
conference in two weeks.”
He felt a tiny tap on his shoulder. He glanced behind to see Shae’s look of
caution. He offered her a grin that he hoped was reassuring before addressing the
crowd. “I’ll field questions at the conference. Have a good day.” He turned away
from the reporters and people. He caught Shae’s hand on his way and tugged for
her to follow him down the hall while Giles, Mr. Hightower, more hotel security
and a police officer from outside all worked to shuttle the people out of the
lobby.
 CHAPTER TEN

“Donovan, what are you doing?” He felt Shae’s resistance as he walked down
the hall with her hand in his.
“Getting you away from them.”
She dug her heels in the floor. She wrenched her hand from his when he
stopped moving. “I meant you telling those reporters there would be a
conference. We can’t have them back in the hotel.”
“Wait.” He flipped on the lights in the conference room where his meeting
with the contractors was scheduled to take place in five minutes. He ushered her
inside and shut the door so they could talk in private. “Why can’t the reporters
come back to the hotel in two weeks?”
“Because it isn’t enough time to complete the project.”
“It doesn’t need to be completed then. I’m going to use the conference as
free publicity to talk about the gala.”
Shae gave him another exasperated look. “There’s little to talk about. It’s still
in the planning stage.”
“Time to get busy.”
“I have to get busy. You told them I was holding this news conference with
you.”
“Aren’t you?” Donovan couldn’t understand why she was acting this way.
“Haven’t we been working together on this project for the past three weeks?”
Shae’s chest went up and down as she breathed. She made him wait two
beats before she answered. “I think you want it to move faster than what we’re
realistically capable of doing.”
“Are you saying you can’t or won’t work with me, then? I don’t have time to
slow down, Shae. I’m responsible for the success or failure of my family’s
business.”
 “I know you are.”
“You don’t know, because I haven’t told you everything. I can’t lose the
throne.”
She tilted her head and frowned in confusion. “What?”
Donovan fell into silence. She continued to look at him in expectation to
keep talking. Shame crept up his neck and back like a heavy cloak. He regretted
saying anything. “Never mind.”
“No, you said you couldn’t lose the throne. What does the hotel here have to
do with your position in Severn?”
“There are rivals within my family, distant noble relatives. If I don’t prove I
can be king like my father, they’ll try to persuade Severn’s Cabinet to cast my
family off the throne.” He put his hands in his pockets. “My father gave me the
hotel project as a way to prove to everyone that I’ve left my partying days
behind.”
“Have you?”
He searched Shae’s face and saw concern and perplexity, no longer anger.
“My family and the people of Severn are worth more to me than a little fun.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “I’ll work as fast as I can with you, but
I don’t know what will happen.”
“Just give your best. It’s worked well so far.”
His genuine compliment made her face brighten. “I’ll let you have your
meeting with the contractors. I’m sure there’s a mess of spilled coffee and
muddy footprints in the lobby I need to make sure is cleaned up.”
“And I need to find out which one of these contractors leaked my project to
the media.”
“Good luck.” She exited the conference room.
It was going to take far more than luck to get this project off the ground and
win his father’s approval.

Two weeks went by in August after Shae learned the truth behind Donovan’s
need to get the hotel project completed within three months. It made sense now
and actually drove her to want to work harder to complete the project. Not only
did she want to keep her job by making sure the hotel kept getting business, but
an entire country’s economy and monarchy could be affected if the project fell
through.
She took over responsibility of managing the hotel again. Mr. Hightower,
with Donovan’s approval, took a week off to be with his family now that his
baby daughter was being released from the NICU. Donovan also used the week
of the news conference to roll out the new employee scheduling app. Between
learning how to use the new software and planning the conference, she was up to
her eyeballs in work.
The day of the media conference arrived. Reporters from local and national
news networks got wind of the event over the past two weeks and swarmed in.
Shae manned the front desk with the clerk, booking the out-of-town news
reporters for overnight stays at the hotel in the newly remodeled suites. The
reporters agreed to give honest reviews.
Shae was in charge of a whole team of staff working to set up the smaller
ballroom for the conference. The morning of the event, Donovan helped to make
sure the space was equipped to handle multiple camera hookups and web feeds.
As far as Shae was concerned, the whole thing was too much, but then again,
perhaps a big show was necessary for the Kleghorn to attract more business.
As media began to arrive for the conference, she went into her office to go
over staff scheduling and make sure everyone was using the app correctly. It
gave her work to do while security made sure media was ushered into the
ballroom promptly.
She had her door partially shut. A knock came from the other side. “Come
in.”
“We’re all set.” Donovan adjusted his cuff links as he entered. He stopped
when he saw her seated at the desk. “Why aren’t you ready? Everyone’s already
seated.”
“Just going over the new app to make sure everyone’s in compliance.”
“You can do it afterwards. We need to field questions.”
She really wasn’t looking forward to going in a big room filled with cameras
and reporters pumped with caffeine and an unhealthy dose of competition. She
walked out of her office with him. Giles and Murphy stood off to the side,
waiting to take them to the ballroom. “Okay, deep breath. I think I’m ready.”
“You’re going to do well.” Donovan smiled and moved her ponytail her off
her shoulder so it could hang in the back. “I have confidence in you.”
Shae didn’t know what to make of her reaction when he touched her hair.
Her skin got a tingly sensation, even though he didn’t make contact with it. She
rubbed the back of her neck while plodding her way to the conference.
Giles and Murphy took them inside the room through a side entrance that led
to the front. The media applauded, some stood, when Donovan walked in ahead
of Shae. He looked so confident as he strolled with ease to the podium and
welcomed the reporters. Shae took her place to the side along with security and a
few other hotel employees. The combination of hot lights overhead and the
cameras focusing in on the front made her feel like she was reliving a
commercial audition from her childhood all over again. She resisted the urge to
dab at her brow.
“Prince Donovan, when can we see the grand ballroom?” a reporter kneeling
in front of a camera asked.
“We’re putting a new dancefloor in. It’ll be ready for view and use in
October when we have the gala.” Donovan fielded a couple more questions
about the gala. It was mostly superficial, about who was expected to attend and
if there was a costume theme.
Another reporter raised her hand. “Tell us how you’re organizing this. Do
you have an assistant?”
“Miss Shae Lawson has been assisting me with the project ever since I
arrived in Atlanta.” Donovan looked over his shoulder at her, producing one of
his dimpled smiles. “She has skills in business and hospitality management, not
to mention she knows where to find the best sweet tea in Atlanta.”
He sent the room into laughter. Shae thought his comment was a little funny,
too. It took the edge off her nervousness at having to stand in front of everyone
and look calm, capable, and professional.
The media came to see Donovan, and they kept peppering him with
questions about the hotel, how his family was doing, even what the weather was
like in Severn. The prince answered their questions with wit and charm. Shae
started to enjoy watching him handle their questions like it was an art form.
“I have time to answer one more.” He chose a man from the back.
The man stood. “Can we expect to see your most recent girlfriend on your
arm at the gala?”
Uh-oh. Shae cringed. He had to have known somebody would ask a stupid
question.
Donovan straightened his back. He put his head down. Shae saw another
angle of him on a camera screen. His expression looked like he was trying to
conceal a cynical laugh. “Thank you all for coming.” He turned on his heel and
left the podium. The room full of reporters erupted with multiple voices shouting
additional questions all at once.
He caught Shae’s eye and motioned his head for her and the staff to follow
him out. She gladly left the news reporters to yell and clamor over each other.
If this was going to be the tone from here on out, how was a playboy prince
going to complete the project?
Donovan watched replay of his media conference on television later that night in
the living room of his suite. He saw his reaction the moment the reporter asked
the last question. It had to be a silly one. This time, he did what the Office of
Protocol recommended and didn’t give an emotive reaction.
He looked past his own image to see Shae standing to the side. He knew she
had been nervous before the cameras earlier today. She handled herself very
well, and stood looking calm and poised. He meant what he said to the media.
He knew she was capable of doing the job and glad she was there to help him
navigate the project.
His laptop produced a low dulcet tone. Someone was calling to video chat
with him. He hit the pause button on the television remote and opened his laptop
on the couch beside him. He was getting an incoming call from a secure line
from Severn. He clicked on the button to accept the call.
The screen opened to show a grainy image of his father. The image gradually
came into focus until Donovan could see the king’s familiar stern face. “My son.
I didn’t think you’d be up at this hour.”
Donovan checked the time. It was after midnight in Atlanta and just past six
in the morning in Severn. “I’ve been having a little trouble adjusting to the time
here.”
“Well, I received your weekly report.”
He sat up on the couch and put the laptop on the coffee table. “Are you
satisfied with the timetable I have for the contractors?”
“I was actually surprised you were able to start work on the hotel this week.”
“You shouldn’t be, father. I meant what I said about getting things done.”
His father neither nodded or smiled. “Your mother and I watched your press
conference. She thinks you handled yourself well.”
What did his father think? He wanted to know, but knew he shouldn’t bother
asking. “Is mother doing well?”
“She’s getting a chance to work in her garden. She’s still asleep. I’ll let her
know you asked about her.”
“I’ll send another report next week.”
“See that you do. And Donovan, you’ll need to assess our other Kleghorn
Hotel in Harper, Georgia.”
Donovan meant to visit the other hotel. Work was so extensive for the bigger
one in Atlanta that he wasn’t able to get around to it yet. “It’s on my agenda.”
“Excellent. I want to hear about it next week. Goodnight.”
 He closed the laptop. Looks like he was going to be out of town next week,
whether he planned to originally or not. He’d wait to tell Shae in the morning.
He picked up the remote and unpaused the television.
The previously recorded coverage showed Shae walking out of the room, her
low ponytail swinging behind her. He remembered how soft her hair felt when
he touched it to move it off her shoulder.
Donovan turned off the television. He didn’t need to think about Shae’s hair.
Or her laugh. Or her sweet smile. They had a job to complete. Whatever he did,
he couldn’t get sidetracked.
That was the old Donovan. He was a new man.
 CHAPTER ELEVEN

“We’re going to Harper when? Next Monday?”

Shae stood in her office across from Donovan. She barely walked in the hotel
and put her large coffee mug on the desk when he came in and announced the
news.
“I need to look at their revenue and see what work needs to be done in that
hotel,” he explained.
“How long would we be gone?”
“One week. Have you been there before?”
“Once on a girls trip in college. It’s about an hour’s drive.”
“You can drive home every night if you want, but feel free to reserve
yourself a room at the hotel. It’ll save you a commute.”
She wasn’t sure she could juggle more with the current hotel project. Just
this morning Donovan emailed her a list of guests he wanted to invite to the gala.
She told herself to remain positive. Maybe there wasn’t a lot that had to be done
for the Harper location. “I’ll call the hotel after I meet with a graphic designer to
make the invitation.”
“This will be a good trip. You’ll be paid for the extra travel hours and
expenses.”
Shae plowed through the Saturday morning meeting with the graphic
designer. They settled on a fun Art Deco design for the gala invitations. Then she
got to work on her next task, calling the Kleghorn in Harper to make
reservations. Donovan sat in the office with her while she talked on speaker.
“You need to plan for tight security,” she explained to the Harper Kleghorn
manager over the phone. “Prince Donovan from Severn is coming.”
“Are you kidding? This is great. He’d be our most famous guest in years.”
The manager gushed for a whole minute.
 Donovan spoke up. “Harper has a sister city in Severn, dating back from
when Americans gave our country aid in World War II. I look forward to my
visit.”
Shae let the manager of the other hotel ask Donovan questions about his
preferences for food and things he wanted in the room upon arrival.
“Please don’t go out of your way for me. This is for work purposes.”
Shae intervened. “There are some standard requirements. I’ll let you speak
with the prince’s security detail so you can coordinate.” She provided him with
the number to reach Giles and Murphy and transferred the line to them. She
hung up the phone. “Reservations, check. What next?”
“See if we can schedule a couple meetings with Harper’s local contractors on
Monday. I want to hit the ground running as soon I get there.” Donovan typed
something in his laptop and carried it over to her desk. “Here’s a list I started of
people I think can do the job.”
He leaned over her as he spoke. His arm brushed against hers. Shae
experienced that little tingle again. This time it moved through her shoulder and
down her spine. She lifted her ponytail off her neck. “Ouch.” She felt a little tug
on her scalp. Her hair got caught in one of the buttons near her jacket collar.
“Here, allow me.” Donovan leaned across.
“It’s okay. I got it.” She tried to move her head to see where she needed to
work the hair loose. It got further entangled.
“Your hair’s caught at a weird angle. It’s easier for me to see.”
She allowed him to help. His fingers touched the side of her face while he
untangled the few strands that wrapped themselves around the button. Once
again, she got a physical, almost electric response when his skin came into
contact with hers.
“There you are.” He freed her ponytail from the captive button. His eyes
lingered on her face.
Shae looked back at him for several moments. Then she blinked, looked
down and saw his fingers caressing the ends of her hair. “You’re still holding my
ponytail,” she remarked, quietly.
He appeared to not realize until she said something. “Right. Sorry.” He
released her hair, but not before brushing it behind her back. “I’ll send the list to
you in the cloud. Let me know what you think of it.” He walked out of the
office.
Donovan was gone from the room, but Shae continued to feel his energy.
Also his touch. She opened her laptop to bring up the saved list, expecting to
distract herself from thinking of the brief encounter in the office. She didn’t want
to make a big deal about it.
 The prince was by all standards a very hot guy. However, she started to think
her reaction to him started to go a little more past admiration of his good looks.
Had Chelsea been right about her after all? Was she attracted to Donovan?

On Sunday, Shae packed for her week-long trip. Her roommate came home from
seeing a matinee to find her folding clothes in a suitcase. “Off on your
honeymoon, already?”
Shae fiddled with a button on one of her uniform blouses. “I have to go on a
business trip. I’ll be gone all week so you have the apartment to yourself.”
Chelsea reached in the fridge for iced tea. “Where are you going, Cancun?
The Maldives?”
“Chels, stop teasing. It’s just a work trip, alright? I’m going down the road to
Harper.”
She popped the lid off the glass bottle. “Small towns can be romantic,
especially with Prince Charming.”
“I wish you’d stop, and don’t talk like that to anyone else about Donovan.”
“Whoa, yes, ma’am. What’s gotten into you?”
Shae closed the flap of her suitcase with a huff. “I shouldn’t have snapped.
I’ve been stressed from work and school.” She applied pressure to the suitcase so
she could zip it up. “I’ve got a lot on my plate.”
“I’ll say. Darling Donovan can help you shoulder the burden.” Her roommate
plopped down on the couch. “Darling Donovan, hmm. There’s a new hashtag.”
“Chelsea, I have to be discreet for my job. It looks bad if my roommate goes
off and adds to the social media feeds.”
“I haven’t told a soul about your new business partner, but thanks for the
vote of confidence.” She got up from the couch and went to her room.
Shae sighed and left her suitcase in the living room to go apologize to her
roommate. Pop music came on before she could knock on Chelsea’s door.
Chelsea was not up to talking at the moment.
Shae returned to the living room. She’d speak to her roommate later. When
she came back in a week, Chelsea would’ve cooled off.
And maybe she would’ve cooled off, too, and stop thinking about Donovan’s
hands in her hair or on her arm. He was going to his country in a little over a
month. The best thing for her to do in the meantime was keep her head low and
finish the job.
Keeping her hair from getting stuck in buttons wasn’t a bad idea, either.
The next week went by in a flash. Shae got in Donovan’s car and they made the
drive down to Harper. Giles and Murphy followed on the highway.
The staff at the Kleghorn hotel in Harper fell over themselves when it came
to Donovan. Shae observed how they took instructions from him. The hotel was
smaller than the one in Atlanta, so walking through the building to find where
improvements could be made was faster and much easier.
She sat down in meetings where Donovan discussed changes he wanted
done. They scheduled a timeframe for contractors to go in and update the hotel
room fixtures and Wifi access. She came up with a spreadsheet for them to keep
track of projects and their progress. Donovan promised to come back before it
was time for him to leave the country to see if the updates were made.
Next on the agenda, she visited some town tourist attractions with him,
including Harper’s retro-inspired diner and the historic park. On Friday, their last
day in Harper, the mayor of the town came out to the hotel to meet Donovan and
awarded him a ceremonial key to the city.
“In honor of the bond between our countries and the sister cities of Harper,
Georgia and Trepal, Severn, we wish to bestow this as our token of esteem and
friendship.”
Shae stood off to the side while Donovan posed for pictures with the mayor.
The local media had a field day taking snapshots and recording his speech in the
ballroom. Shae proceeded to hang in the background while he chatted and joked
with them.
“You can’t give me all the credit. My associate Shae Lawson has been
handling all the important details.”
The spotlight came on her. She smiled for the crowd and tried to take the
attention off herself by further retreating. Donovan parted from the mayor and
came to stand beside her for more pictures. He put his hand on her back while
the cameras clicked and snapped away.
“Don’t be shy,” he said, keeping his lips relatively still to maintain a pleasant
expression for the camera. He had far more practice at it than she did. “They’re
celebrating your work, too.”
She remained there with him until the photographers got all the pictures they
wanted. Then it was time to leave for Atlanta.
Shae checked her phone while Donovan drove on the I-75. Her roommate
sent her text after text of screenshots showing her and the prince with the mayor
of Harper. She sent the last picture with a caption: You’re going viral! OMG!
 “Who’s blowing up your phone?”
“My roommate saw our pictures online.”
“There’ll be more at the gala in October.”
“Don’t encourage her.”
Donovan passed a sign that indicated Atlanta was thirty miles away. “Tell
you what, everyone at home would admire those photos we took today in
Harper.”
“That’s good.” If the pictures showed his family how hard they were
working to revamp the hotels, then she could be alright with them going viral
online.
“Absolutely,” he went on praising the pictures. “Classy and understated. The
guy with the silly grin and mop of red hair isn’t too bad, either.”
She gave him a sideways glance. Was he being friendly or flirty? Shae
pondered if she was reading too much into it.
They arrived in Atlanta at seven, just after most of the evening rush hour
traffic ended. Donovan took her to her apartment. “We’re planning the gala from
here on out.”
She grabbed her purse off the floorboard. “I’ll get the entertainment lineup
together next week.”
Giles jumped out of the other car to grab her luggage out of the trunk of
Donovan’s car. She saw apartment residents on the grounds, tossing a volleyball
and having a cookout. She guessed Donavan’s security didn’t want attention
drawn to him. “Anything else you want me to do?” she asked as she got out of
the car.
“Yes. Get some rest this weekend. Things are going to get busier between
now and October.”
She shut the door. Busier before Donovan had to leave. She felt a little tug of
disappointment as she walked to her apartment. Why was she thinking about him
leaving and getting bummed out about it? This wasn’t professional. She had to
get her head together and get rid of this unexpected, ridiculous case of royal
fever before it got worse.
 CHAPTER TWELVE

Six weeks later

Shae ran from out of the hotel kitchen into the ballroom, holding the skirt of her
rented purple evening dress. “Do we need more shrimp cocktail?”
She counted the tables in the room, draped in white cloth. So far the kitchen
made enough for all but five of those tables. “Never mind,” she told hotel staff
helping her set up the ballroom. “I see we need five more.”
She padded back into the kitchen in her black lace-up shoes. No way was she
switching to heels until it was absolutely time for the gala to begin. All day, she
went back and forth between the ballroom and the kitchen. She and the hotel
staff worked since five in the morning to get everything ready for the guests. It
was a miracle she found ten whole minutes to change into her dress before the
gala started.
She reached the kitchen door and jumped out of the way just in the nick of
time before two servers came out bearing a punchbowl big enough to for a small
child to splash in. She ducked inside the kitchen and found Giraldo at the front.
“Giraldo, we have five more tables that need shrimp cocktail.”
“We’ll get right on it.” The chef checked out her dress and gave her a thumbs
up. “Fancy. Shae, you better get out of here before you trip on a puddle of
grease.”
“I’m just here to check on the final details.”
“We have it covered. Go. And change out of those shoes. My mother would
have a heart attack if she saw you wearing them with an evening gown.”
“Alright, alight, I’m leaving.” Shae chuckled. Giraldo’s mother worked as a
sales associate at Trina’s, a trendy Atlanta boutique. Thanks to her, she was able
to get one of the store’s beautiful designs to rent at a discount. “Tell your mom I
owe her a peach mimosa next time she visits the hotel lounge.”
She checked the time on her phone. Ten minutes until guests would start to
arrive. She dashed inside her office to get her dress shoes. She spent eight
minutes touching up her makeup and taking her hair down from its bun to comb
out. She finished with hairspray to make it settle in place.
“Shae, are you in there?” Donovan spoke from outside her door.
She dropped the can of hairspray on the desk. “Yes, you can come in. Give
me one second.” She hurried to pick up the can.
He gave her a literal second before pushing the door open the rest of the way.
He entered, wearing a slim fit tuxedo and bowtie. “I was looking for you in…”
He started coughing when he came up to her desk.
Shae opened a drawer and stashed the can in a desk drawer. “I didn’t mean
for you to walk in while I was setting my hair.”
Donovan fanned the air around him until the white micro droplets dissipated.
“It’s fine. I’ve always wondered what the backstage of an eighties movie was
like.”
She tried to contain a laugh, but it came out on her face as a smirk. “It’s not
hairspray. It’s setting spray. There’s a difference. One is touchable.”
“Is that right?” His eyes followed her hand as she fluffed out the ends of her
hair.
Shae got to her feet. “I’m ready to go out there.”
Donovan took his time gazing at her dress. “Wow. You look amazing.”
When he gave her the compliment, her hair started to tickle her neck. This
was why she didn’t want to wear it down all the time. “Thank you. James Bond
has nothing on you tonight.”
“Oh, I don’t know. A fancy car, cool gadgets, and an element of danger are
pretty hard to top.”
“You know what they say. Two out of three ain’t bad.” Shae sealed her lips.
What in the world did she just utter? “Excuse me. That made no sense.”
He held her in his gaze. “I think it did. I’m going to enjoy guessing which
two you’re talking about.”
“I should leave the humor to you.” She went from around the desk. “Before I
go and say something else off the wall.”
She stopped in front of him. She felt the familiar electric intensity in the air
whenever he was near. Hovering, stretched tight as a rubber band just before it
was ready to snap. Donovan took a step towards her. She moved forward. She
was close enough to see the faint trace of freckles across his nose. Then, without
warning, she felt an inclination from within. She leaned more into the space
between them. Donovan sealed the space when he closed his mouth on hers in a
heated kiss.
Shae felt a current run through her body as his lips pressed against hers. His
beard scraped gently against her chin as he switched angles. He put his hand on
her waist and supported her frame while she splayed her hands against his lapels.
Murmuring from outside reached her ears. He must have heard it, too. She
felt him straighten and withdraw.
“Shae, I-”
“No, I-” She paused. They were both talking at once. She let him go first.
“I kissed you.”
She placed her hands back at her sides. “I’m pretty certain I kissed you, too. I
shouldn’t-”
“I liked it.”
“Me, too.” She pressed her fingertips together. “But-”
“We shouldn’t have,” he concluded. “I’m sorry for my part.” More noise
came from outside. It went from murmurs to a loud talking. Donovan glanced at
the door left partially ajar. “We’d better go in the ballroom. The guests are
arriving.”
He got one foot near the door as a shout tore through the lobby. Donovan
held his arm back to shield Shae.
She heard scuffling and then a loud buzz from a crowd of people. “Donovan,
do you see what’s happening?”
He motioned no. “Stay right here.” He opened the door a little wider.
Shae saw Murphy running to the door. “Prince Donovan, who’s in there with
you?”
“It’s just me and Shae. What’s all the shouting we hear?”
“Please, Your Highness. Open the door at once.”
Something was wrong. Shae never heard Murphy speak that way to
Donovan. He may have said please, but his next statement was a command.
Donovan placed himself in front of Shae, blocking her view and whatever
else was beyond the door besides his security guard. “Murphy, tell me what’s
going on.”
“I need to see Miss Lawson. Right now.”
“Not with that tone, you don’t. Why do you want to see her?”
“A woman just tried to slip past police officers to get inside the ballroom.
She’s drunk and had to be restrained.”
“What does that have to do with Shae?”
“She said she knows her. She said her name was Chelsea.”
Shae put her hand over her mouth. “Chelsea’s my roommate.” She shot
forward, but Donovan blocked her from leaving.
 “We don’t know if it’s safe.”
“Chelsea wouldn’t harm anyone. Let me go and talk to her.”
Murphy gave her a stern look. “She attempted to stalk the prince. She’s being
put in a squad car to be taken down to the police station.”
“Ask them to let her go,” said Donovan. “I won’t press charges.”
Murphy didn’t block Donovan, but he didn’t give him more room to leave
the office, either. “Your Highness, you can’t.”
“Murphy, you’re beginning to overstep your bounds.”
Giles joined his partner at the door. “There’s a roomful of people waiting for
you, Your Highness. You can’t leave them.”
“They’re right, Donovan.” Shae spoke up. All three men looked to her. She
addressed the prince. “This evening is what you worked for. Stay here with your
guests. I’ll go down to the police station.”
“Shae,” he started.
She shook her head. “It’s way more important for you to be here than me. It’s
probably better that I’m not in the ballroom. You don’t want this to take attention
away from the event.”
His security guards were silent. She could tell they agreed with her.
Donovan exhaled. “I don’t like any of this. Giles, go with Shae to the police
station. Pay for Chelsea’s bail.”
Shae was stunned. “Donovan, you don’t have to do that.”
“I want to. On condition that Chelsea goes home and sobers up. I won’t press
charges if she does that.”
Giles exchanged a look with Murphy. Giles then turned to Shae and waited
for her.
She passed by Donovan. “Thank you.”
He touched her arm. “Call me as soon as you and your roommate get home.
If I can’t answer, leave a message.” He looked to Giles. “Make sure they get
home safely.”
Giles nodded. Shae set out after him to head towards the police station.

Shae gripped the edge of the table while she stood waiting at the police station
with Giles. Still in her evening gown, she tried in vain to ignore the stares from
officers and the people who were being processed in.
Another minute went by before Chelsea was escorted to the front of the
office. Wearing one of her night out dresses, she plodded along in spiked heels.
Her hands resided behind her back. A female police officer walked her towards
Shae. The officer reached for the keys at her belt and unlocked Chelsea’s
handcuffs. “You’re free to go.”
Chelsea rubbed her wrists. “Let’s get out of here.” She stomped past Shae
and Giles in a clear cut path towards the door.
“I’ll bring the car around.” Giles easily caught up and passed Chelsea as she
tottered on. She moved like she was still inebriated.
Shae followed her roommate out in the cool night air. She rubbed her bare
shoulders, wishing she hadn’t forgotten her wrap back at the hotel. “Giles is
getting the car for us.”
“What took you so long?”
“Excuse me? I just bailed you out of jail.”
Her roommate simmered down. “Where’d you get the three grand, anyway?”
“Donovan. He was nice enough to put up the cash after you crashed his gala.
What was going through your mind, Chelsea?”
“I wanted to see the prince up close.” She swayed a little. “Maybe if you had
simply given your roommate an invitation or let me come as your guest, it
wouldn’t have happened.”
Shae wasn’t about to take the blame for her roommate’s lousy choices. “No,
you’re not going to make this my fault. It was an exclusive event, and I didn’t
have authority to invite people not on the list. You could’ve gotten seriously hurt
or worse tonight by showing up uninvited.”
“It was a one in a million chance, so I took it.”
Her roommate said some foolish things, but Shae was sure this was the
alcohol talking. “And you didn’t even consider what it could cost me.
Everything is just fun and games to you.”
Chelsea glared. “Why does everything have to be about you? Your job, what
you have to risk. You act like you’re so perfect because you’re in business
school and work all the time.”
“Just stop, Chelsea. You’re drunk.”
“Sometimes I think you believe you’re better than me.”
Shae put a hand on her hip and looked up at the full moon in the sky. Maybe
that was the reason for all this lunacy tonight. “I should’ve let you sit in jail and
cool off until morning. You’re saying crazy things you don’t mean.”
The car pulled up to the front of the police station. It couldn’t get there fast
enough. Chelsea marched to the car and flung open the door. “I’m not signing
another lease with you. I’m moving out at the end of the week. How’s that for
crazy?”
Shae got into the car with Chelsea. The two sat silent while Giles took them
home.
First Shae engaged in an inappropriate kiss with Donovan tonight,
jeopardizing her job and principles. Now her roommate was moving out. She
wanted to get home as fast as possible before the night had another chance to
throw cold water in her face.
 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Chelsea didn’t lie. By the end of the week, she had all her things completely
moved out of the apartment and turned in her key to the rental office, leaving
Shae with a half-empty space and no money for her share of the rent. Shae went
to talk to the landlord to see if she could work out an arrangement.
“I just need a little time to find another roommate.”
“Sorry,” the clerk stated. “Full rent is due every first of the month. We let
your roommate go late on her half for October.”
Shae forked over the rest of the rent money. She had to dip into her
remaining savings to cover Chelsea’s cost. “I can’t move out of the apartment
immediately.”
“You have until the end of the month. Then your lease is up. You can renew
or move out.”
Shae left the office discouraged and in a hard place. Soon she was going to
get kicked out of her apartment. She couldn’t put in any more extra hours at
work to earn money. She already worked multiple twelve hour days at the hotel,
anyway. She couldn’t drop her fall semester classes without her grades suffering.
The term paper she wrote over the summer was just enough to bump up her
grades. Plus, the deadline to withdraw had passed. It wasn’t like putting school
on hold would immediately free up cash to pay the rent.
She thought about her family in DC. Her parents were struggling enough as
it was to make ends meet. She couldn’t ask them. There were no other options.
She trudged to her apartment from the rental office to get dressed for work.
Donovan had one more week in Atlanta before returning home to Severn, and he
wanted to meet with her to tie up loose ends. A unique pain gnawed at her from
the inside when she thought about it. She couldn’t describe it. Her mind whirled
from having to switch from one issue to the other. Was the long-term stress of
juggling work and school finally getting to her? Combined with the hotel project
and the falling out with her former roommate, she had a potent concoction for a
first-class meltdown.
Shae willed herself to hold it together until the end of the day when she
could go home to her empty apartment and crash in bed over the weekend. That
is, if nothing else presented itself to make demands on her time.
Mr. Hightower greeted her as soon as she had her foot in the door of the
employee break room. “Shae, meet me in my office in a minute. This is
important.”
She rubbed her temples. Please, please, don’t let this be about Chelsea’s
appearance at the gala. She couldn’t lose her job. Not now. “Will do. Let me
grab a cup of coffee.” She headed over to the coffee maker, hoping in advance
for the brew to be strong enough to fortify her for whatever she was going to
hear.
Mr. Hightower engaged in a conversation with one of the hotel guests in the
hall. “I’ll be there in a second, Shae.”
Coffee and coat in hand, Shae passed them to get to his office. She pushed
open the door to reveal Donovan sitting in front of the desk. He stood when she
entered.
“Shae, you look like you’re going to fall down any second. Have a seat.”
Without waiting for her to agree or refuse, he took her gently by the shoulders
and steered her into the chair from which he just arose. He bent down so he
could meet her at eye level. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t say it’s nothing when I know better. Please tell me what’s on your
mind.”
She swallowed her pride at having her professional cover blown. “It’s been a
rough week. My roommate moved out.”
He looked surprised for a moment. “Is it because of the gala incident?”
She nodded. “It’s over, so I don’t need to talk about it.”
Mr. Hightower walked in and closed the door. Donovan stood over Shae’s
chair. She looked at the two of them, suspicious. “If this is about what happened
at the gala, I’m so sorry.”
“What are you talking about?” asked the hotel manager. “Everyone who
came to the gala said they enjoyed it.”
“You saw all the positive things the society magazines and bloggers had to
write about it.” Donovan seconded him. “I wanted to speak to you in front of Mr.
Hightower because I want you to come with me to Severn next week.”
Shae set her paper coffee cup on the floor by the chair. “Severn?”
 “Let me explain. My family has seen you in all the photographs from Harper
and watched the news conference. They want to meet you so they can learn who
helped me make this happen.”
“Donovan asked me if the hotel could do without you for a couple weeks.”
Mr. Hightower added, with a joking lilt in his voice. “I told him we might be
able to hold it together while you had an audience with a king and queen.”
She almost kicked the coffee cup by accident. She picked it up and clutched
it in both hands while staring, incredulous, at Donovan. “Your family wants to
meet me?”
“I know it’s sudden. You’d be gone for a week. You’ll be paid for your time
since it’s work-related, plus a bonus for travel expenses.”
Shae was still stuck on the news he wanted to take her to his country to meet
his family. She was intrigued from what he told her about them, although the
whole venture sounded intimidating. She got a passport last year, but never
traveled outside the country. He did mention she’d be compensated for her time,
including a bonus. She needed whatever funds she could get her hands on at the
moment. “After I come back from Severn, I’ll go to my regular job as
concierge?”
“Absolutely, if you want to,” said Donovan. “I know you mentioned
graduation in December.”
Graduation or no graduation, she couldn’t afford to leave her job now at all.
“I still would like to maintain my position with the hotel.”
“When you get back, we need to discuss your pay,” said Mr. Hightower.
“The hotel is seeing increased revenue, and with your educational background,
you’d be a good candidate for manager.”
Shae blinked. “Manager? Are you leaving?”
Mr. Hightower touched a picture frame on his desk. “I want to take time off
to be with my family. My wife works in the tech field. Her maternity leave is
ending soon. I figured it would be a great time for me to be a stay-at-home dad.”
“There will be plenty of time for you to think about the new position,” said
Donovan. “Will you come to Severn with me?”
The manager was leaving. Donovan was headed to Severn. So many changes
taking place. Shae didn’t know whether to be excited, sad, nervous, or
everything all at once. She played with the coffee cup. “What’s the weather like
in Severn this time of year?”
Her response brought a grin to the prince’s face. “Chilly. You should stock
up on scarves and fuzzy socks.”
The phone on Mr. Hightower’s desk chirped. “That would be the front desk
telling me the new Christmas decorations are here. Excuse me.” He left Shae and
Donovan in his office.
Shae proceeded to stand. “Guess I’d better ask my mom to dig out my
sweaters and send them.”
The prince helped her up. “You don’t have time. Go to the store after work
and put it on your expense account.”
“As you command.”
Donovan shook his head, chuckling. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound bossy or
commanding. I’m very happy you agreed to go to Severn with me.” He patted
her arm before breaking contact.
She smiled, still feeling the contact even though he took his hand away. “I’m
looking forward to it, too.”
Who knows? Maybe this would be the start of things turning out for the
better.

Shae took Donovan’s advice and headed to the store after work to buy cool
weather attire in preparation for the trip. She felt out of place, telling the stores
to charge her purchases to an expense account. Usually, she did the shopping for
other people as part of her concierge work.
She spent her limited free time after work packing for the trip. Before bed
one night, she called her parents to tell them the news. “I’m leaving the country
for a week. Prince Donovan’s family wants to congratulate me for working on
the Kleghorn hotels.”
“What an honor. Hold on, Shae. Let me get your daddy on the phone.” Her
mother was so happy for her she yelled for her father to leave the living room,
where he watched Thursday night football with his friends.
“Gladys, we’re neck and neck in the fourth quarter.” Shae heard him
grumble. She giggled while she fluffed her pillow.
“Your daughter has something important to tell you.” She heard rustling as
her mother handed over the phone.
“Uh-oh.” Her father’s voice came over the phone loud and clear. “Those
Georgia boys aren’t giving you any trouble down there, are they, honey?”
“No, Daddy.”
“Good, because I don’t want to have to come down there and scare them off.
Your mother said you have news.”
She repeated to him what she told her mother. “I’m flying out next Monday.
It’s only for a week, but I’ll get to meet the king and queen of Severn.”
 “That’s fantastic. My little princess is going to meet other royalty. Now,
didn’t you once say how you didn’t understand why people got so excited about
blue bloods?”
“Daddy.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s for work.”
She heard her parents laugh. “Have fun, Shae,” said her father. “Be careful,
and take lots of pictures.”
“I will. Love you both.” When she got off the phone, Shae couldn’t deny to
herself how excited she was. So maybe her father may be a little right about her
getting bitten by the royal bug. It was only because of her proximity to Donovan,
not an unrealistic obsession with them.
Her mind circled back to the kiss Donovan gave her before the gala,
followed by Chelsea’s shocking appearance at the hotel. Both events replayed in
her mind, sharp and clear as any high-definition movie. If she closed her eyes,
she could still recall the touch of Donovan’s lips.
Shae was jolted awake by her six AM alarm. She fell asleep with her cell
phone still in her hand. She got up and pushed the remaining fuzzy vestiges of
her kiss with Donovan out of her mind. She decided to put the past behind. What
was done was done. This was her chance to see another country and maybe even
get a few days to relax.
She wasn’t going to let her sadness over the broken friendship with Chelsea
or her momentary lapse in judgment with Donovan keep her from moving
forward. Once the prince returned to Severn, their work together would be
essentially over. He’d forget about her and the illicit kiss they shared at the gala.
She might as well do herself a favor and forget about it now before it had a
chance to get stuck on permanent replay in her head.
She couldn’t have romantic feelings for Donovan. She just couldn’t.

On Monday, Shae and the hotel staff threw a goodbye party for Donovan. Shae
went home mid-morning to change out of her uniform and into comfortable
clothes for the flight. Donovan picked her up from her apartment and drove her
to the airport.
At the ATL, she boarded a commercial jet, Severn’s own line, with him.
They were ushered into a relatively empty first class.
“I wanted to fly when there weren’t a lot of people on board,” he told her.
Shae had never flown first class, least of all to another country. She glanced
across the aisle at Giles and Murphy, both seated and wearing tinted glasses. She
wondered if they wore them to shut out the light so they could sleep or to fool
everyone else that they weren’t alert and on guard. She shrugged and adjusted
her headrest for comfort.
Five minutes later, the flight attendant stopped by. “Welcome to Severn Air,
Your Highness. Would you and your companion like a drink while we get ready
for takeoff?”
Donovan appeared to consider, glanced at Shae, and then shook his head.
“I’ll have a cup of chamomile tea.”
Shae asked for a bottled water. Once the flight attendant went to get their
drinks, she leaned over and spoke softly. “I don’t mind if you have a drink.”
“No, I’d like to start the leg of this flight on the right foot. I’ve been thinking
about what you said to me when we first met and at that hotel lounge party three
months ago.”
She remembered comparing him and his friends to frat boys in the hotel
lounge. “I was angry that night.”
“You had a right to be, and you had a point. I don’t need alcohol to get
through stressful times. I’m ready to work through my anxiety about flying.”
Shae felt proud of his decision. “I’m happy for you. I’ll try not to be so harsh
in the future.”
“I know you’re not saying it to be cruel.” Donovan accepted the cup of hot
tea from the flight attendant when she returned with their beverages. “You’re one
of the few people in my life who won’t lie to flatter me. That’s one of the
reasons why I like you.”
She got a fuzzy feeling when he said he liked her. He had to have only meant
it in a strictly platonic sense. Why were her emotions betraying her by making
her feel like she was a giddy little girl in junior high? Shae twisted the cap off
the bottled water and took two cooling swigs. She had to reign her renegade
feelings in, or it was going to be a very long flight.
 CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Shae read a magazine and listened to music on her headphones to keep her mind
occupied during the flight. She glanced up from the glossy pages of the fashion
magazine to look at Donovan. The chamomile tea put him to sleep. He dozed off
in his seat beside her, his shoulder touching part of her seat. She heard his deep,
even breathing. He looked peaceful when he was resting. His hair fell over one
side of his brow. In the dim light of the cabin, it appeared to be dark auburn. She
had the strangest, strong urge to brush it back from his brow. She kept her hands
to herself, folding them in her lap atop the magazine.
“Do you usually watch people while they sleep?”
She gasped. When she looked at him again, his eyes were open. “You saw
me?”
“I looked at you through my eyelashes. It’s an old trick I learned as a kid.”
She recovered from her embarrassment at getting caught. “Then you were
the one watching me.”
“Only for a moment.” He sat up and stretched his long legs out as far as the
seating would allow. A soft chime went off in the cabin.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ll be making our landing in Severn in
approximately twenty minutes. Please lift up trays, reclining seats, and fasten
your seatbelts,” announced the pilot.
Shae came out of her in-flight lull. They were going to land soon, and she’d
step foot in another country. She was excited and anxious at the same time. What
would it be like? How would the people treat her? What was she supposed to do
or say when she met Donovan’s parents? Her mouth went dry. She reached for
the bottle of water on the foldout tray and knocked it on the floor by accident.
Donovan reached down to grab it for her. “You seem nervous all of a
sudden.”
 “It just occurred to me that I’ve done absolutely nothing to prepare for this
trip. I don’t know the first thing to say or do when the plane lands.”
“Reaching up to get your carry-on is a start.”
“Not funny.” She watched him smirk. “Well, maybe it is a little. Seriously,
Donovan, I have no idea what the customs are in your country.”
“People in Severn are much like Americans. They’re open and generally
friendly.”
“What about your parents? I want to make a good impression.”
“My mother’s a gem. My father…” He paused. Shae wasn’t sure she liked
that pause. “He’s a diamond in the rough. Sometimes brusque, but he’s a very
strong and respectable man.”
“I’m doomed, aren’t I?”
Donovan started laughing. “Shae, I’ve never seen this side of you. Is this
how you act under pressure?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been in this position before.”
“It’s kind of cute, if you don’t mind me saying so. I promise my parents
won’t throw you in the dungeon. No one in my family has done that to a
foreigner in the past two hundred and fifty years.”
Shae stared at him and the wickedly mischievous glimmer in his eyes.
“That’s it. I’m staying on the plane.”
“I’m just joking.” Donovan could barely contain his laughter.
“Not funny.” She inched away from him, trying to conceal her own
amusement.
The plane made its landing and taxied to the gate. Donovan and his party
were allowed off first. He carried Shae’s bag for her as they walked off the plane
and into Severn’s small airport.
The airport was very tiny by ATL’s standards. Still, Shae was impressed with
its sleek, ultra-modern design. She passed travelers who looked like they could
be from different parts of the globe. Donovan wore his cap so no one stopped to
notice him as they walked fast through the terminal. Giles and Murphy led them
outside to a pair of sleek black cars with tinted windows. Across the street,
people with cameras started making noise and waving.
“Looks like the paparazzi came out at night to welcome us home,” Donovan
muttered to his security. He let Shae get in the car first before climbing in the
backseat with her.
She peered out at the paparazzi through the tinted windows. “Do they always
wait for you?”
“If it’s a public event or they find out where I’m going. They’re not nearly as
bad as the Hollywood mobs who tail your American celebrities.”
 “I’d still get annoyed at them following me all the time.”
“You get used to it. Here in Severn, they keep their distance for the most
part.”
The driver started the car and took them down the road. Shae learned that
Severn transit operated very much like the roads in the United States. People
drove on the right side of the street and stopped at red lights. Most of them.
She couldn’t see much at night. They passed restaurants and went through
what looked to be the center of a town.
“Tomorrow morning we’ll tour Trepal outside my family’s estate,” said
Donovan. “I want to show you how we live.”
The drive lasted forty minutes. Shae was about ready to doze off as Donovan
did on the plane when the car slowed down coming up on a hill. Donovan tapped
her shoulder. “We’re here.”
She looked out the window to see a large sprawling estate at the top of the
hill. She guessed they were in the heart of the countryside because they passed a
few smaller homes, but there were no rows of street lights.
The car reached the top of the hill. Shae tried to get a good look at the
Donovan’s family estate. The front of the building was painted white. Lights
along the sides revealed a brick facade with climbing ivy and moss. The building
looked like it spanned a block long.
The driver took them to the gate, which opened once he entered a code. He
drove around to the front of the main entrance, under a covering and opened the
door for Shae and Donovan.
“Welcome home, Your Highness.” A man in dark pants, a vest, and white
shirt came out of the house.
To her surprise, he and Donovan clasped hands and shared one of those
friendly man-hugs that ended with a clap on the back. “Shae, this is Jacques the
butler. He’s been with the family since my father was little.”
“Good evening, Miss.” Jacques acknowledged her. “There’s refreshments
waiting inside your room. I’ll get your bags.”
Shae followed Donovan past the security guards outside and walked through
the white doors. The crisp cold night air gave way to cozy warmth. They
continued through the foyer and into a living space. Plush blue carpet lined the
floor all the way up to the fireplace where a fire crackled. Donovan removed his
coat.
Shae viewed the comfy armchair by the fire. “Will we see your parents in the
morning?”
“Most likely not. Father’s speaking before the Severn Council at the weekly
meeting and Mother said she had a charity event scheduled at a children’s clinic.
We have a better chance of seeing them tomorrow at dinner. You’ll also get to
meet my Aunt Resa. She’s an artist.”
She observed Jacques walking into the living room with her luggage. “If
you’re ready, Miss, I can show you to your room.”
She looked to Donovan, who made himself at home in front of the fire. The
flames made his hair glow bright as a copper penny. “See you in the morning.”
“Get some rest. I’d like to take you on a tour after breakfast.”
“Goodnight.” She left him in the comfort of the den.
Jacques took her down a winding hallway where portraits lined the walls.
She passed contemporary figures of men and women in suits. The farther she
went, the portraits grew older, until she was studying oil paintings of men and
women dressed in Victorian clothing and hats that looked like they were straight
out of a Charles Dickens novel. “Are these paintings of family members?”
“Yes, Miss. The portraits date back to the mid-1700s when a Caldwell built
the estate. He was the owner of a tobacco shipping company.”
He climbed the stairs and led her through another hall. “This is the east wing,
the newest addition to the house.”
The walls were painted crisp white. A modern art sculpture gleamed at the
end of the hall. “When was it built, in the last ten years?”
“At the turn of the twentieth century.”
“Oh.”
Jacques stopped before a large oak door. “Here’s your guest suite. The maid
already started a fire for you and laid fresh linens in the bath.”
Shae walked into the spacious guest room. It was big enough to fit her entire
apartment and then some. The same soft dark blue carpet blanketed the floor. A
massive bed with four wooden posts took up a section. It was built so high it
needed a stepping stool. A majestic armoire and vanity also filled the room. A
tea tray with sandwiches were on the vanity.
Jacques set her luggage by a chest at the foot of the bed. “If you need
anything from the kitchen, dial one on the phone by the bed.”
“Thank you, Jacques.”
“Breakfast is at seven. Would you like a wake up call?”
“It’s probably a good idea.” Not knowing how jet lag would affect her, she
wanted to be sure she didn’t sleep through breakfast.
Jacques left the room. Famished, Shae helped herself to the yummy little
sandwiches and tea. After a few dainty cups, she understood why Donovan
balked at the tea they served at the Kleghorn hotel back in Atlanta. She made a
note to get a box for herself to take home.
She went into the gleaming marble bathroom and took a long hot shower. By
the time she peeled the downy covers back from the bed, she was ready to close
her eyes.
She turned out the light on the bedside table and snuggled in. So this was
what it felt like to rest. She missed doing that. Shae closed her eyes and
welcomed a deep sleep she hadn’t had in months.
 CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Shae slept until the phone rang on the bedside table. “Hello?” she mumbled.
“Good morning,” a woman’s cheery voice responded. “This is your wake up
call. Breakfast in the parlor room begins in thirty minutes.”
“Thanks.” She hung up the phone and buried her face in the pillows. Now
she know what the hotel clients felt like when they received those
complimentary calls from her. She lay in bed for another ten minutes, enough to
get her mind fully awake. Then she went to brush her teeth and pick out
something to wear to breakfast.
She settled on a light purple cable knit sweater and dark jeans. She put on the
black leather boots she bought specifically for the trip. Might as well get her
wear out of them.
She left her guest room and retraced her steps down the hall to the stairs
separating the east and west wings of the estate. A domestic worker was dusting
the banister of the stairs. “Excuse me, ma’am, could you tell me where the parlor
is?”
The woman directed her to go down the hall and make two rights. Shae
followed directions until the smell of coffee and pastries led her the rest of the
way.
Donovan was in the parlor when she arrived. She entered the sunlit room and
stood in awe at the heavy oak table, laden with enough food to feed far more
than two people. Her mouth watered at the sight of delicate pastries and fluffy
eggs. “Good morning. Is this all for us?”
“My Aunt Resa and her friends are staying at the estate for a few days. She
should be down shortly.” Donovan looked at her outfit with a smile. “I see
you’re taking advantage of sweater weather.” He got up and pulled out a chair
beside him for her to sit.
 “I love it. Fall never gets this cool in Atlanta.”
“We should take a walk in my mother’s garden sometime. You’ll see the
colors of the fall foliage.” He looked to the parlor entrance again. “Aunt Resa.”
Shae turned in her chair to see a petite woman with short white hair and
dancing blue eyes. She wore a grey shirt dress. Her large multicolored scarf
almost swallowed her round cherubic face. “There’s my nephew. I thought you
were hiding from us. Jacques told me you got in last night.”
“I did, very late.” He got up to greet her with a big hug. “But not as late as
you did from your bridge game, from what I hear.”
“What else is an old woman like me supposed to do on a cold night, knit
mittens?”
Shae smiled at the playful banter between Donovan and his aunt. She liked
how Donovan openly showed affection to his family and kindness to the people
who worked for him.
“Aunt Resa, I’d like to introduce you to Shae Lawson. She assisted me with
revamping the Kleghorn hotels in Georgia.”
“What a lovely young woman you are to put up with my nephew all
summer.” Donovan’s aunt took Shae’s hand and pumped it up and down. “You
must have the patience of a saint. Either that or you’re doing penance.”
“Aunt Resa, please.” Donovan shook his head, good natured. “Let her eat
before you get her to reveal her true feelings about me.”
“It’s nice to meet you…” Shae trailed off in a moment of panic. What royal
title did Donovan’s Aunt Resa bear?
“Dear, I know what you’re thinking. I’m supposed to be a lady, a duchess
such and such but call me Resa. It’s short for Theresa. I don’t care for titles when
I’m out of the public eye.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Resa. My parents are big bridge players.”
“Oh?” Resa’s interest was piqued. “Do you play?”
“A little. I’m not very good.”
“We’ll see after dinner tonight. You’ll get to watch me win several rounds
against my brother.”
“She’s referring to my father.” Donovan pulled out a chair for his aunt across
from them. “Any special plans for your time at the estate this week, Auntie?”
“I’m here strictly to welcome you home.” Resa picked her napkin up from
the plate and spread it across her lap. “Maybe sample some of Jacques’ specialty
rum cake at the ball tomorrow night.”
“Ball?” Shae looked from her to Donovan.
“Oh, Donnie Boy, really.” Resa tsk-tsked. “You brought this sweet young
lady all the way here and neglected to tell her about the ball in honor of both
your hard work?”
“I am just now hearing of this.” Donovan defended himself. “I didn’t think
anyone would go to great lengths to have a celebration.”
“You know your father. He pretends not to like parties, but that’s where you
get your fun-loving spirit from.”
“Are you sure it doesn’t run from somewhere else in the family, Aunt Resa?”
“Why, no. I was raised to keep my head down and mind my business.” She
looked to Shae and winked. “Hope you like music. There will be plenty of it at
the ball.”
Shae fiddled with the edge of her napkin. “I didn’t come prepared.”
“Not to worry. I’ll have one of my favorite shops in town bring you a few
gowns to try on. We’ll find something for you to wear.”
“I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
“Please. All I need to know are your measurements. A selection of gowns
can be here within the hour.”
“I’m taking Shae to visit the family castle after breakfast,” said Donovan.
“Hmm, that big dust trap is large enough to get lost in all day. Then Shae can
try the gowns on this evening before dinner.” His aunt lifted a lid off one of the
platters on the table. “Sausages. My favorite. Well, why are we letting the food
get cold?”
“Aren’t we waiting on your friends?” asked Donovan.
“My friends are still asleep. Let’s eat.”
Shae exchanged glances with Donovan. She could tell he was trying to
contain his laughter at his eccentric aunt.

After breakfast, Shae wrote down her measurements for Resa to give to her shop
to find gowns. Then she and Donovan parted ways with his aunt. Shae went
upstairs to grab her coat so they could leave. Then she went out of the estate
with Donovan. He brought his car around to the front. The engine gave a low
hum when they drove away from the estate and up a narrow road amid a fall
countryside.
Shae admired the rustic scenery that passed by through the window. Houses
that looked to be centuries old dotted the landscape. They passed a sheep farm
and a field with chestnut and cream-colored horses. Children playing in the yard
of one Tudor-style home waved to them as they drove by.
Twenty minutes went by before they came to a grand stone structure jutting
out from the top of a hill.
“This is it,” Donovan said, driving to it. “Caldwell Castle.”
An old narrow brick bridge spanned a wide moat. An elderly man in hat and
a thick coat sat within an enclosed structure at the front. He glanced at the
license plate of the car and motioned for Donovan to drive through. “He’s the
groundskeeper. The castle is closed to the public today, but we usually open it to
tour around holiday season.”
While Donovan rolled down the window and received a loop of keys from
the groundskeeper, Shae looked out at the moat, wondering how deep the water
was. She thought she heard the bridge creak and she immediately stopped
wondering and held her breath instead.
They crossed over to the castle. As they parked outside the courtyard, Shae
looked in awe. The castle had both the familiar storybook parapets and balconies
that she knew from childhood fairy tales and princess movies. It also was very
majestic and old. The stone at the gate showed centuries of wear in places where
the wind swept up the hillside. “When was the castle built?
Donovan came up to unlock the doors. “Sometime after the English invaded
Scotland. I think my ancestors were preparing for them to come here next.” He
got the lock open and proceeded to put his back and shoulders into pushing the
doors open. They parted reluctantly with a creak on ancient iron hinges. “The
castle awaits you, my lady.”
She stepped inside. Natural light filtered in through the small window space
high in the wall to cast a soft glow in the cool cavernous space of the entry hall.
Several modern light fixtures also illuminated the area. The bulbs were set in
sconces to recreate the feel of life in a castle.
“Wow.” Her voice carried up to the vaulted ceiling. Her footsteps echoed
across the stone floor. The hall was set up to look as it did in medieval times. A
woven mat sat in the center of the room. Several suits of armor from varying
ages and styles were lined against the wall like silent soldiers guarding the keep.
“There’s more to see this way in the great hall.” Donovan walked by the suits
of armor.
“I don’t see how you could call this a lesser hall.” Shae followed behind,
watching their reflections slide over the polished breastplates and visors of the
armor.
The next hall was twice the size of the first. From the wall hung a heavy
square table with elaborate carvings. Bundled straw was stacked near the stone
hearth. She walked up to get a closer view of an iron cart of tools used to tend to
a fire. “This space seems big enough to fit a small village.”
“That was its intent if there was an invasion. Would you like to see the living
quarters? It’s a bit of a hike.”
Shae joined him on the other side of the great hall. “After eating all that
breakfast, I could spent the day walking it off,”
He pointed down a corridor that didn’t seem to have an endpoint. “There are
plenty of halls to roam in the castle.”
“Just as long as we don’t get lost in them.”
“I still know my way around. I think.” Donovan pretended to look confused
at the set of keys in his hand.
At least Shae hoped he was pretending. “Maybe we should’ve asked the
groundskeeper for a tour map.”
She joined him in the corridor. They walked through other halls and rooms in
the castle, including the chamber where arms used to be stored, the food cellars,
and lesser chambers where servants slept. Donovan took her to a staircase
leading up to the lord’s chamber and study. He explained how one room used to
hold supplies for a physician who served the village that once stood half a mile
beyond the castle.
They walked in room to room for a long time on the second floor before
Donovan revealed a door built within the wall. “Care to see where it leads?”
“If it’s to the dungeon, no.”
“What is it with your fascination with medieval dungeons?” He gave the
door a push. It creaked open to reveal a narrow staircase carved out from the
stone of the wall. “See? It leads up, not down.”
Shae peeped into the hidden wall staircase. The steps were worn smooth in
places from hundreds of years’ worth of use. “Looks like it leads to somewhere
everyone wanted to go.”
“Come and I’ll show you.” He offered his hand to help her up the steps.
She took it and stepped up with him into the narrow space. It was so tight
Donovan’s shoulders almost touched both walls. They climbed up until the stairs
began to wind. At one point, Donovan had to bend down to keep his head from
scraping the stone ceiling.
“For not being sure about your way around the castle, you seem to know a
lot of little hidden passageways.” Her voice filled the cramped space of the
steps.
“I used to look for places to hide as a child when my family entertained
guests here.”
“Shame on you.”
“I was an only child. I needed to find something to occupy my time.” He got
to the top, where a locked door marked the end of the ascent. He searched the
key ring, settling on a brown skeleton key. “When I was eight, I freaked out
when I came up here and realized I needed one of these. My parents heard me
screaming all the way down in the great hall.”
“I bet they weren’t too happy about you wandering off.”
“I made the guests think there was a ghost.” He put the key into the latch and
gave it a turn. Shae felt air moving. Donovan opened the door to reveal a roof of
the castle. She covered her eyes as noonday sun brightened the darkened space
of the steps.
She got out on the roof with him. She pulled the cowl neck of her sweater a
little closer to her skin as the temperature fell in the afternoon. She looked out
over the moat. It was smooth as a mirror. She looked further out and could see
the little houses and farm they drove by to get to the castle. “This view is
gorgeous. You can see the countryside for miles.”
“On a clear day, you can see the hills near the estate.” He pointed towards the
horizon, where it was partly obscured by trees and mist.
A cold breeze blew in and found its way through the weave of Shae’s
sweater. She suppressed a shiver. “I shouldn’t have left my coat in your car.”
“Do you want to go get it?”
“Not right now. I want to look at this for a moment.”
She took her time studying the scene before her. She put her hands on the
cold, smooth stone of the parapet. Another cold breeze came. She braced against
it.
Then she felt warmth and a solidness against her back. Donovan slid his
arms around her. His face was close to her ear. Shae, surprised the first moment,
gradually relaxed as they stood in the same place.
They stood for several minutes, watching leaves being carried away in the
wind. Shae began noticing less of the scenery and discovered her senses taking
note of Donovan. She saw him interlace his fingers with hers. She felt his warm
skin and heard him take a breath. She shivered again, this time not from the cold,
but as a more intimate response when he brushed his lips against her earlobe.
She turned her face to the side. Her eyes met his. Then she closed them as he
kissed her lips.
Shae wasn’t sure how long she stood on the castle balcony, kissing him. All
the coldness she experienced before gave way to warmth. The kiss deepened
from sweet to passionate. When she opened her eyes, she discovered she had
turned away from looking out at the horizon. She was in his arms, facing him,
her own hands locked behind his neck. His eyes darkened to a more intense
forest green hue.
She pulled back. The wind picked up and dug frigid fingers in Shae’s skin.
She wanted to leave. “We should put this behind us. I think I should go back to
the estate. Your aunt wants me to try on gowns before dinner.”
Donovan’s body language indicated he had more to say. Instead, he opened
the door for her to exit the balcony. She went down the steps and began the silent
walk with him through the castle. This time the charm of the fairytale structure
vanished and she was left only with the cold, lonely remains.
 CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Shae, still feeling the emotions from her time with Donovan at the castle, wanted
to go to her guest room as soon as they drove to the estate. She got out of the car
and left him with her excuse. “I need to rest a bit. I’ll see you at dinner.”
It had to be the lamest thing she ever said. Not only was it odd, but it made
her sound weak, as though she couldn’t handle talking to him directly. Shae got
honest with herself and figured she did require time alone to process what
Donovan said about wanting to be in a committed relationship with her. Her
mind was swirling. The whole idea sounded unworkable. She would tell him
again in a better way when her mind was clear, just not at the moment when she
had his parents to meet and a royal ball tomorrow. She had to make a solid
professional impression before monarchs, diplomats, and scores of important
dignitaries. If she acted on her feelings, she and Donovan could both lose the
respect they gained for their work.
She opened the door to her room and found three garment bags on the bed
along with a note. The note was from Resa.

My dear, I had my stylist deliver three youthful gowns for you to choose
from for tomorrow. She was thrilled to style something other than my
rainbow scarf collection for a change. Toodles, Resa

Resa’s humor showed through in her note. Shae smiled and unzipped each
garment bag. The gowns were all beautiful, well-crafted, and made of soft silk
and satin. She tried each one on in front of the mirror before deciding on a
bronze silk gown with black beads and chocolate lace. The top was long-sleeve
and fitted while the skirt had a slight flare. Shae was careful when she placed it
on the hanger and back in the bag. She checked the time to see dinner was about
to start in less than an hour. She got in the shower.
She changed into a burgundy dress with three quarter sleeves. She had it
zipped up when a person called from the other side of the door.
“Knock, knock.” The voice sounded like Resa’s.
Shae answered the door to see her guess was correct. “Hi. Thank you so
much for letting me borrow your stylist.”
“Did you find a dress you like?”
“I did, and it fits perfectly.”
“Mind if I come in?”
Shae stepped aside to make room for her to enter. Resa strolled in wearing
black slacks and a cashmere turtleneck. “I’m guessing you might be a wee bit
nervous about meeting the king and queen this evening.”
“Am I that obvious?”
Donovan’s aunt chuckled. “If you can handle my nephew while he’s abroad
by himself, then this will be a cinch.”
Shae sat on the bed to put on her shoes. “I don’t know where to begin.”
“Tonight isn’t very formal. You start by standing when the king and queen
enter the dining hall. You wait until they’re seated before you sit down. When
they speak to you, address them as Your Majesty.”
“I can remember those things. What else?”
“That’s it. No bowing, no curtsying. The Office of Protocol did away with
those things a hundred years ago. Royals shake hands like everyone else.”
“Thanks for helping me avoid embarrassment.”
Resa’s face took a serious turn. “No, my dear. Thank you for assisting my
nephew. It may look like a simple hotel renovation project, but you showed the
world how Donovan is preparing to be king someday.” On her way out, she
paused in the doorway. “You showed who you are, too. Hold your head high
tonight.”

Shae came downstairs ten minutes after Resa left. Her encouraging words still
rang in her ears when she saw Donovan at the foot of the steps.
“I was waiting to escort you to dinner.” He offered his arm.
He wore a suit. He looked good in whatever he had on, whether it was
business attire, jeans, or those now-famous gym shorts from the photo
circulating of him on the internet. Maybe if she remembered the funnier aspects
of his life, she wouldn’t have to worry about slipping up and embarrassing
herself at dinner.
Donovan brought her into another dining room and to the table. This one was
a little larger than the parlor. Resa stood at her place at the table, along with three
new people. They dressed in similar minimalist styles like Donovan’s aunt. Shae
guessed them to be the friends she mentioned before.
Jacques stood at the entrance to the room. “Announcing their Royal
Majesties, King Alexander and Queen Helena.”
Shae’s heart sped in anticipation as the monarchs entered. King Alexander
was tall and regal with a stern face. He wore a navy suit. Queen Helena was
stately and lovely with thick, wavy red hair. She wore a cream dress and entered
the room in an electric wheelchair.
They first greeted Resa and her friends, and then Donovan. “It’s good to see
you home, son.” His father gave him a hug.
Donovan bent to give his mother a kiss. “Welcome back, sweetheart” she
said.
The king and queen looked to Shae. Donovan introduced her. “Mother,
father, this is Miss Shae Lawson.”
“We finally meet you.” King Alexander extended his hand. “Donovan’s told
us good things about you.”
“He certainly has.” The queen shook her hand next. “Welcome to Severn,
Shae. We hope you’ll feel at home.”
Shae smiled at Donovan. She met the king and queen and didn’t do anything
to humiliate herself in front of his parents. The hard part was over. Now she
could eat and enjoy their company.

Donovan was pleased at his parents’ response to Shae. They made polite
conversation with her during dinner, and seemed genuinely interested in her as a
person. They asked her questions about her family and what she was studying in
school.
When his parents declined to stay after dinner and Shae excused herself
temporarily, Donovan sat down at the table again with his aunt. Her friends left
and didn’t return. He watched her break out a deck of cards.
“Where were you hiding those, Aunt Resa?”
“There’s a notch under the table where the leg joins the board. I keep a deck
stored there when I visit.”
“Why not just have someone bring you a deck of cards?”
 She took the cards out of the box and shuffled them. “Because then I have to
wait. People that I’ve talked into playing bridge with me usually get impatient
and leave when they have to wait.”
“Speaking of people, where did those friends of yours go to?”
“They went into town to catch a movie. You’ll see them at the ball
tomorrow.”
“Ah, yes, the ball. Hours of standing and pretending not to feel awkward.”
His aunt shuffled the deck again and dealt him a hand. “Nephew, if you feel
out of place at a soiree, it’s either a boring party or you’re having trouble
impressing someone. Since the ball isn’t until tomorrow, I’m guessing this has
something to do with the pretty American business student visiting with us.”
As usual, his aunt had a way of zeroing in on every detail. She missed
nothing. It was one of the things Donovan loved and struggled to accept with
her. “What makes you think Shae has anything to do with what I said?” He did a
mental check to make sure his posture and face muscles were all relaxed.
“Donovan, did you think I was born yesterday or the day before? I watch
how you glance at Shae when you think no one else is looking.”
Aunt Resa strikes again. He knew he had been caught too easily.
Nevertheless, he thought of Shae and her wish for things to be kept at a strictly
professional level. “You sound like a tabloid news segment.”
His aunt dealt a hand for Shae and one for herself. She kept the cards turned
down. “I don’t need gossip rags to confirm what I see. But something’s different
tonight than it was for the two of you this morning. Did Shae like the castle?”
He knew she was trying to press for answers. “She loved it.” In the
beginning, anyway. Once they went on the balcony, it all went downhill and
splashed in the moat from there.
“Are you sure, nephew? I hope you didn’t give her a tour of the dungeon.
That dark, dingy thing should be converted into a billiards hall.”
Shae re-entered the room. Aunt Resa stopped talking about the dungeon and
pointed to the cards. “We’re all set to play three-handed bridge, my dear.”
Donovan played a couple rounds with them and lost both. Aunt Resa had a
ball teasing him about it. He got up while she shuffled for the third round. “I
know when to bow out and save my remaining dignity. Good night, ladies.”
“Goodnight.” Shae told him, making the briefest of eye contact before
focusing on her new deck of cards.
Maybe tomorrow would be better. Twenty-four hours would have passed
since the last time they kissed. Maybe she’d put it all behind her like she said she
wanted to. Her words still stung.
He went towards the west wing of the estate where his rooms and office were
located. He met with Jacques on the way.
“Your Highness, the Office of Protocol phoned to say they were trying to
reach you. I told them you were at dinner.”
“I left my phone in my office. I’ll see what they want. Thanks.”
Donovan finished his walk to his office suite and found his phone next to his
laptop. He listened to a message from the Chief of Protocol concerning
confirmation of a scheduled photo-op at the horse races later in the week. He
dialed the chief’s extension at the office. “I hope I’m not disturbing you if you’re
on your way out of the office.”
“Not at all, Your Highness. Thank you for returning my call. Last spring, you
scheduled a photo-op for Well Bred, an equestrian magazine. Do you still want
them to send a photographer this Friday at the Autumn Reigns tournament?”
Donovan remembered he set up the photo-op right before he left for the
United States. “No. It turns out I’ll be traveling with an associate. I want her
privacy respected.”
“I’ll alert the magazine’s editors at once.”
“As an apology, invite them to the royal stables for a photo-op next month.”
He put the phone aside.
Good thing the Office of Protocol alerted him. He spared a glance at the
freshly-pressed tuxedo delivered from his tailor this afternoon. Tomorrow he and
Shae would be honored by Severn’s notables at the ball. It would be the last
formal event they’d share together. It meant they were one day closer to her
traveling home to her country. Shae may be looking forward to it, but he
definitely was not.
Aunt Resa may be right. He wasn’t so sly after all.
 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Shae spent the next day at the harbor with Donovan, the king and queen, and an
entourage of people, including the royal family’s personal photographer, media
spokesman, and a host of security. Donovan’s parents were scheduled to appear
at a christening of a new cruise ship to promote tourism of Severn. Each member
of the royal family addressed the crowd.
She stood on the pier in her coat, a sweater dress, boots, and one of Resa’s
heavy woolen scarves. She was so glad Donovan’s aunt lent it to her. If she lived
in Severn, her whole wardrobe would have to change.
Why am I thinking about life in Severn? She wondered as she watched the
town’s population turn out for the event. She was flying home to Atlanta on the
weekend. Her cool-weather threads would be up in storage until the next rare
cold winter in Georgia.
“We hope that our project with Kleghorn Hotels will be the start of many
new friendships and partnerships with Americans.” Donovan concluded his
speech with a congenial and polite handshake to Shae. Cameras flashed and
people applauded their prince. Her hands were a little cold, but his were warm as
always. She kept her smile until the cameras and people focused on the queen as
she got ready to break a champagne bottle over the bow of a cruise ship.
Donovan moved to stand by her side. He leaned over and whispered in her
ear. “Your hand is freezing.” He drew up to his full height.
She had to lift her chin and stand on tiptoe to respond. “I should’ve asked
your aunt to borrow a pair of gloves.”
He covered her hands with his large one and kept facing forward to watch his
mother christen the ship. Shae glanced at the cameras and people with their cell
phones. She was pretty sure it looked like they were holding hands. With the
ceremony underway and all eyes front and center, she couldn’t do anything
about it. As her fingers began to warm, she almost didn’t want to.
Donovan looked around the harbor before his gaze fell on her again. She
lifted an eyebrow. He gave a neutral, innocent look in response.
“Aww, look at the prince and the American girl,” she heard a person state
very loudly from the crowd ten feet away.
She dropped her hands to her side. Donovan smoothly stuck his in his
pocket.
The ceremony wrapped up and the royal family got into separate vehicles to
go to the estate to prepare for the ball. Shae got in a car with Donovan and his
security. She wasn’t about to say anything about his previous handholding while
they were in front of Murphy and Giles.
At the estate, Donovan excused himself to go to his office. “I look forward to
seeing you tonight, Shae.” He told her when they were inside.
Shae used the free time to engage in a rare luxurious activity she almost
never had a chance to do at home in the States. She took a long nap.

Three hours later, she woke up to get ready for the ball. She bathed and put on
the beautiful bronze silk gown. It came with nude heels that made her almost
look like she was wearing no shoes at all, like she was balancing on tiptoe. Shae
made use of a curling iron to sweep her hair into a high curly bun. She applied a
dab of perfume when the phone on the nightstand rang. Was this another
courtesy call?
“Hello?”
Jacques’ voice came on the line. “Miss Lawson, His Highness is waiting at
the staircase to escort you to the ball.”
“I’m on my way.” She gave her appearance a final check in the mirror before
leaving.
She walked to the staircase and saw Donovan standing at the foot in a sleek
black tux. His wavy, wild hair was tamed with a bit of gel. She put her hand on
the banister for support. His face turned up when she started coming down.
He reached for her hand as she completed the last two steps. “I want to tell
you how gorgeous you look, but I’ve said it so much you probably don’t believe
me.”
She bit her lip. “I think you’re being charming again.”
“It’s called honesty. Even I’m capable of it.”
Was he capable of not flirting? Was she capable of not thinking about
yesterday at the castle? She rested her hand in the crook of his arm.
They walked to the doors of the estate ballroom. Soft string music wafted
from the interior. Shae beheld the men and women in their formal evening attire.
They arrived at the ballroom. She looked in and saw people representing
different countries. Some wore their nation’s traditional ceremonial dress. Since
she worked at the Kleghorn, she saw events like this from a staff person’s
perspective. She didn’t think she’d be a guest of one, certainly not in a foreign
country and definitely not being escorted on the arm of a prince.
Donovan caught her looking at him and gave her a telling stare back.
A flirtatious prince.
The usher at the door announced them. “Crown Prince Donavon Caldwell
and Miss Shae Lawson.”
Donovan walked inside with her. All eyes turned to them. If she could get
through the night without tripping over herself or stumbling over her words,
she’d be golden.

Donovan couldn’t get over how Shae looked tonight. He introduced her to some
of the guests, including the friends he made while serving overseas in Severn’s
navy. Shae was elegant and poised the way she talked to diplomats. She did the
same once his mother and father joined them in the ballroom. When she first
came to his country, she expressed how nervous she was to meet his parents. He
couldn’t see that now. She looked natural, like she fit right in with his friends
and family.
He went to get a couple glasses of champagne for himself and Shae. His
father joined him at the champagne table.
“Your mother and I are proud of you. Your work in Georgia exceeded
expectations.”
It made Donovan happy to hear his father praise his efforts. Finally, he was
on the right track. “I can’t take all the credit. Shae made my ideas practical.”
“She’s a bright young woman.” His father took a glass of champagne and
went to speak to Severn’s Secretary of the Treasury.
Donovan watched Shae chat with his aunt. She was bright, as his father said.
She shined brighter than anyone else in the room. He grabbed the drinks and
rejoined her and Aunt Resa in a corner of the room.
“You didn’t get one for me?” Aunt Resa asked, feigning offense. “I see how
it is.” She cast a sage look at him and Shae. She left to chat with her friends.
 Shae turned to him after she left. “What did she mean?”
“Who knows half the time with Aunt Resa? She’s just teasing us.” He
handed her a drink.
Shae watched people come in from the balcony. A breeze came in and lifted
the curly tendrils of her hair. He wanted to do the same. “Windy tonight.”
“Care for some fresh air?”

There he goes again. From the look on Donovan’s face, she caught the double
meaning of his question. Shae raised her eyebrow at Donovan again, as she did
in the harbor earlier that day. “I don’t think going outside on the balcony is a
good idea after what happened last time.”
“I think it’s a great idea.”
She sipped her champagne, not dignifying his remark with an answer.
He put his untouched champagne glass on a tray when a server walked by.
“Shae, you wanted to leave abruptly when we kissed at the castle. Why?”
She looked around to see who could be listening. Everyone seemed to be into
the music or listening to their companions talk. She got a little closer to Donovan
so she could lower her voice. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
“We both wanted to.”
“It doesn’t mean we should have.” She tapped the stem of the champagne
flute. “It’s wrong. We work together.”
“The project’s done. We don’t have to pretend we’re not attracted to each
other anymore.”
Shae decided to move closer towards the balcony, where people came in
from the cold. The space was empty now. She could talk more candidly to
Donovan. “Don’t you see how bad it looks, an employee going out with her
boss? Her royal boss? Those trashy tabloids will eat it up.”
“We’ve done good work,” he persisted. “I don’t care about the tabloids,
Shae. They’re always going to find something to gossip about. If not me, then
someone else.”
She finished her drink and set the glass on a small table. She crossed her
arms. “How do I know this isn’t just another fling you want to have?”
He looked offended. Hurt, even. “I’m not interested in flings. I’m looking for
someone to spend my time with regularly, long term.”
She gave weight to what he was saying. “You want a committed
relationship?”
 “Yes. With you.”
Part of her wanted to believe him and go with it, while the other kept her
shield up. “You’re a prince. I’m a grad student. An American one. We have too
many differences that are so obvious.”
“You’re referring to our different nationalities and race.”
She nodded. “Those reasons are enough for many people to consider us
taboo.”
“The people of my country need a future king. I will give them my best, but
they can’t dictate who I let into my life.”
She didn’t think he was considering it fully. She hadn’t even mentioned the
long distance part. “I wouldn’t let you kiss me if I wasn’t attracted to you.”
“Does that mean you’d give us a chance?”
Us. She couldn’t believe she was hearing this. She wanted to go with it and
see what happened. But common sense had to rule. “Can you let me think about
it? I don’t want to make a quick decision.”
“Fair enough.” He held out his hand. “Can I at least convince you to dance
with me once?”
Shae accepted as the music played.
 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Shae spent the next two days touring Severn with Donovan. He took her into
Trepal to show her his favorite pubs and to a production at an opera house.
Wherever they went, people took notice. Shae assumed they were pondering
what was going through her own mind. Was she simply enjoying touring parts of
Severn with Donovan, or was she dating him?
She asked him to let her think about it. Time was running out. The day after
tomorrow, she’d be on a plane to Atlanta. There was one last event to go to, a
horse race called the Autumn Reigns. Then she’d give her answer.

Donovan put on his coat to leave the estate on the morning of the Autumn
Reigns race. Today was the day Shae would give her answer. He hoped it was a
yes, that she’d consider dating him.
They attended the race with his security detail in tow. Donovan sat in his
family’s box while the horses raced during the next hour and a half. When it was
over and the winner was announced, he moved down from the stands to go and
congratulate the jockeys who participated.
Donovan took a sneak peek at Shae while she thought he was busy waiting to
chat with the jockeys. She was so lovely in her camel coat and yellow dress. The
warm colors flattered her caramel skin. A breeze came along. She put a hand
lightly on top of her beret while she engaged in light conversation with another
spectator. The strands of her dark hair lifted and danced across her shoulders.
Suddenly, the jockeys came out from the stalls and approached. Donovan
realized he’d been focusing on Shae the entire time. She turned as well, and the
two of them chatted with the jockeys and congratulated the winner.
 About twenty minutes later, Donovan’s security detail designated a path for
him and Shae to get to the car. They approached an ice cream stand near the
track. He watched Shae form a smile at seeing a child eating a cone with three
colorful scoops. “That ice cream looks delicious. Do you mind if I break
protocol to buy a scoop?”
He signaled for security to pause so they could make a stop at the ice cream
stand. “I don’t mind, but isn’t it a little cold for ice cream?”
She shrugged. “What would a day at the races be without it?” She made for
the stand without waiting for security to give the okay. Donovan walked after
her. He needed to remind her to wait for security, but he could tell her so later
once they got in the car.
“You asked what would a day at the races be without ice cream. I thought
you said you’ve never been to a horse race.”
“I haven’t. I just made it up.” She gave him a smile before ordering a double
scoop of dark chocolate and raspberry in a waffle cone.
He watched as the ice cream attendant put two scoops the size of softballs in
a waffle cone. They teetered over the edge as the attendant handed her the cone
through the window. “Are you going to share?”
“I didn’t plan to. I’m kind of territorial when it comes to my dessert.” She
tasted the first scoop. A bit of raspberry decorated the tip of her nose in red.
Donovan reached out and swiped it on the tip of his finger. He tasted the ice
cream. “I guess this is all I can hope for.”
He heard soft laughter and “awws” as pedestrians walked by. They didn’t do
a good job of pretending they weren’t watching. Shae looked a little
uncomfortable, but pretended not to notice she had an audience.
“For you, Your Highness.” The attendant handed him a waffle cone with
peanut butter cup ice cream. “I remembered you ordered this last year.”
“Thank you.” Donovan saw that he received a nice tip. “Are you ready to go
back to the estate, Shae? We can watch a movie before dinner.”
“Sure.” She walked with him. Donovan was a little amused. Here they were,
two grown adults, walking side by side and eating ice cream like children. He
enjoyed this simple pleasure with her. These moments didn’t come by too often,
with his increasing business engagements and public appearances. Shae brought
a welcome presence into his life with her calm presence and thoughtfulness that
he didn’t realize was missing.
He finished his waffle cone as he and Shae strolled behind security. Out of
the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of movement. Donovan turned as a man
tried to come up to Shae. He got in between them.
“Just want a picture,” the man said.
 “No pictures, please,” Donovan said, polite yet firm.
“Just one of your new girl, then.” He heard a voice from behind.
He whipped around to see another man, about his height, rush at Shae from
the other side. It happened too fast. She tried to back away, dropping her waffle
cone. The man reached for her arm to get her to stop moving from him. Her foot
went out from under her and she went down on the pavement.
Donovan got to her. “Shae, are you hurt?”
She looked a little stunned. Her stocking was torn at the side of her knee and
the skin was scraped where she fell. The man responsible stuck a camera in her
face and snapped away. “Enough.” Donovan knocked the camera out of his
hands. He heard it hit the ground and the parts scatter. He reared his arm back
and gave the man a rough shove into a beverage cart.
Giles and Murphy were yelling. He heard them but didn’t understand what
they were saying. Giles yanked the man out of the smashed beverage cart and
held him restrained. Murphy got in front of the other guy who wisely stayed put.
“Don’t get mad at us. We’re from Well Bred magazine. His Highness said we
could come.”
Shae looked to Donovan. “Is that true?”
“They’re breaking the law.” Donovan helped her to her feet. “I scheduled a
photo-op. Then I cancelled it when I knew you were coming with me.”
She shook her head and got out of his grasp. “I can’t do this, Donovan.” She
looked down at her dress, splotched with dirt and ice cream, and her scraped
knee. “This kind of tabloid stuff always follows you, but you allow it. You like
it.”
She shot past him to go to the cars. Security had no choice but to go after her.
She got into one of the other cars and had the driver shut the door on him and the
rest of the world.

Donovan drove to the family estate alone. He took the long route to clear his
head, get away from the busy traffic in town, and give Shae some time to
decompress. When he arrived, Jacques informed him she was gone. “She packed
up her things and left within thirty minutes upon arrival, Your Highness.”
His pulse raced. Maybe he could catch up to her. “Did she say where she was
going, a hotel maybe?”
Jacques wrung his hands, uncomfortable. “She wanted to go home. She had
one of the drivers take her to town. He said she hailed a cab there to take her to
the airport.”
She was leaving the country. He bungled up and hurt her so badly that the
only thing she wanted to do was get away from him. “Inform my family and
guests that I won’t make it to dinner this evening. I’ll explain the rest to them
later.”
“Your Highness, Her Royal Majesty the queen is waiting to speak with you.
She wants you to join her in the parlor immediately.”
He knew his father and mother had seen what happened at the races by now.
They were alarmed and angered by what happened. He’d talk to them, but at the
moment there was no time. “Inform my mother that I left to find Shae.”
“But what about the dinner guests?”
“Tell the guests I won’t make it this evening. I’ll explain the rest to all of
them later.”
“You will do no such thing.” His mother’s voice rang from the other side of
the hall. She entered through the arch doorway. “Jacques, will you give me a
moment to speak with my son alone?”
The butler inclined his head to the queen and then gave a helpless look to
Donovan before leaving.
Donovan’s mother waited until Jacques left the room and vanished down
another hall. “My son, your face is all over the media right this moment. What
were you thinking when you pushed that man?”
“He put his hands on Shae when she refused to take a picture. He made her
fall.”
“I saw those things. Why didn’t you let your security handle it?”
“They weren’t in close enough range. Besides, what kind of man would I be
if I just stood there and let a photographer manhandle Shae while I waited for
my guards to do something about it?”
“You’d be a respectable prince, one who understood the importance of
looking proper in the public eye.”
“You taught me to value people. With all due respect, Mother, I will never
put my honor over Shae’s safety.”
His mother was silent for several seconds. “Are you in love with her?”
“Yes.” Saying it aloud confirmed what he felt in his heart.
The queen looked out the window towards the garden in the distance. “Does
she love you?”
“I…don’t know.” It pained him to admit it. “She’s not here.”
“It troubles me to say this, but there might be your answer.”
“She left quickly because she’s hurt and upset. If I could talk to her, I’d clear
this up.” Donovan got out his car keys. “I can’t stay. I have to go out and find
her.”
She turned away from the window with a long, heavy sigh. “Your father and
I always wanted you to be the ruler Severn needs. Strong, smart, fair. You’re all
of those things, and you’re also passionate. Sometimes you make decisions with
your heart, Donovan. I hope it guides you and Shae down the right path.” She
pressed a button on her wheelchair in the direction of the garden entrance.
“Thank you, Mother.”
The queen stopped and gave him a quiet smile. “You’d best go after the
young lady. I’ll let your father know we talked.”
He kissed his mother on the cheek before he ran to his car outside.

He put on the gas to make the forty-minute drive to Severn’s airport. Since it was
smaller than large commercial hubs, he was able to use his family’s special
entrance to drive around to the back and enter the building without notice.
Donovan moved swiftly among the travelers, wearing a cap and keeping his
head slightly lowered so as not to draw attention to himself. He weaved in and
out of the path of rolling suitcases. A buzzing erupted and people stopped to give
him a double take. He was spotted. It didn’t matter. He was there to find Shae.
He went to the terminals and spoke to the first attendant he saw. “What
flights are leaving for the United States today?”
“Y-your Highness,” the woman was stunned and taken off guard by his
sudden appearance. “Let me check.” Her fingers flew across the computer
keyboard. Donovan tried hard not to shuffle his feet as precious seconds went by.
The attendant read the flights on screen. “The last direct flight for the US
took off eight minutes ago.”
“What about layovers?”
She checked the computer again before shaking her head. “Two planes took
off for the US this morning, with a four-hour layover in Heathrow Airport. I’m
sorry, but those were all the flights today. Would you like to use a private jet?”
“No,” he replied, hopes crushed. He missed Shae by mere minutes. “I’m
already too late.” Donovan turned away from the attendant. At least fifty or sixty
people had pooled into the small section of the airport terminal to look at him.
Police officers came jogging up the terminal towards him.
“Your Highness, you can’t be in the terminal without security.” The first
officer who reached him began steering him away from the check-in counter.
Donovan allowed himself to be herded towards one of the terminal exits.
Amid the chatter of the people, he noticed for the first time the televisions
blaring in each gate waiting area. He glanced up for a few seconds at one of the
gates and saw a news broadcast. It showed footage from this afternoon of him
pushing the photographer into the beverage cart. The banner at the bottom of the
channel read Prince Donovan Goes Wild at the Races.
Every television showed the same footage. It was on all the local stations and
major world news networks. As the police shuffled him past the crowd, he heard
more than a few peals of laughter erupt from the people. To them this was a joke.
Just another folly from the crown prince.
Once the police escorted him outside in the back, he found his car and drove
home with the setting sun in his rearview mirror. He turned on the radio. Two
hosts joked about the incident.
“What do you think about Prince Donovan and that photographer this
afternoon?” One man chortled into the microphone.
His companion snorted. “What a way to tell somebody to cool off, right?”
He turned off the radio, then he used his car’s wireless system to call Shae’s
personal cell phone. He expected to get her voicemail since she was onboard a
plane.
“Hi, you’ve reached Shae’s voicemail. Please leave a message and I’ll get
back with you as soon as possible. Stay sunny.”
He waited for the beep. “Shae, it’s me. I missed you at the airport. I’m
driving home now. Please call me when you get this.”
Donovan drove the rest of the way on the lonely road with only the sound of
the engine to keep his ears occupied.
 CHAPTER NINETEEN

Shae flew home from Severn. On the plane back to Atlanta, she worked hard to
keep herself from dwelling on the scary and embarrassing paparazzi incident and
from lamenting the end of her relationship with Donovan.
Stop calling it a relationship. She argued against her emotions. The past
couple days were only casual dates. Maybe Donovan thought they were less than
that.
For a while, she started to get wrapped up in her growing feelings for him.
She should’ve trusted her first instincts. The crown prince of Severn didn’t have
a reputation as a playboy for nothing. Maybe she amused him the whole time by
thinking she, a commoner and an American, could actually have a romance with
royalty. What if he had been using her the whole time for the hotel project and
for laughs? Shae stared out at the grey clouds from her window seat and wiped a
tear from her eye. She felt manipulated and foolish, but she was not going to
bawl her eyes out in public like a silly little girl with a celebrity crush.
There’d be time enough for tears later when no one was watching. She
busied herself for a couple hours by reading a thick paperback she purchased at
the airport gift shop.
“Passengers, we’ll be making our way into ATL in approximately two hours
and ten minutes,” the captain announced over the loudspeaker.
Shae leaned her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes. She just
wanted to be home, away from the media and rabid paparazzi. That was
Donovan’s world. He liked the attention and chaos that swirled around his
carefree lifestyle.
When the plane landed, she checked her personal phone and found three
missed calls, all blocked numbers. She listened to the first one. “Shae, it’s me. I
missed you at the airport. I’m driving home now. Please call me when you get
this.”
She chewed on her lip as she listened to Donovan’s voice on the second
message. “It’s me again. I wanted to see if your plane landed.”
The third voicemail contained no message. She supposed Donovan became
frustrated after getting her voicemail and simply ended the call.
The light came on for passengers to depart the plane. Shae put her phone
away and got her carry-on bag out of the overhead compartment. She couldn’t
talk to Donovan right now. She had no idea when she’d be able to.
Inside the airport, she set her phone to make sure his calls went straight to
voicemail and his texts to a private folder where she didn’t have to see them all
the time. He didn’t have the right to use her private number to contact her
anymore. Not after what he allowed to happen. If he wanted to reach her
concerning the hotel business, she’d have no choice but to talk to him on the
other phone he gave her for business. However, she could do that in a work
setting, not on her own time.
“Hey.”
She lifted her chin to see she was being addressed by a female flight
attendant who was onboard her previous flight. “Yes?” She wondered if she was
being stopped because she left something on the plane.
The flight attendant pointed at her and then motioned her finger towards the
gate’s television screen.
“You look like that girl Prince Donovan took to the horse race.”
Shae averted her gaze from the footage that forced her to relive the past
several hours again and again. The next news cycle couldn’t come fast enough.
She knew getting over Donovan would take much longer.

For the next three weeks, she tied up loose ends with the hotel project.
Donovan’s ideas worked. Both Kleghorn hotels saw an increase in guest
reservations. The one in Harper was already booked for a big writers retreat next
month in December, with several more retreats on the calendar for January and
February of next year. The main Atlanta hotel was set to host a major
philanthropist ball in December, with the proceeds going to a charity that helped
fund surgeries for premature babies like Mr. Hightower’s now healthy baby girl.
“Do you think Prince Donovan will be here to headline the ball?” asked
Nina, one of the Kleghorn’s housekeeping staff, in a meeting with Shae.
Other hotel employees in the meeting looked at Shae as if she had all the
answers. She cleared her throat. “I haven’t heard from him recently. I’m sure
he’ll contact the hotel if he plans on coming.”
Since the hotel project was a success, Donovan likely put it behind him and
moved on. It was time for her to do the same.
She applied for jobs at business consulting firms. While waiting to hear from
them, she also kept a draft of her two weeks’ notice saved on her laptop. She
dreaded the day when she’d have to turn it in to the hotel’s Human Resources
department, but she couldn’t work at the hotel for much longer after she
graduated in December. The short time she spent working with Donovan there
made it too painful.
One evening after work, she checked her voicemail. She got a call earlier in
the afternoon from a firm she applied to, asking to set up an interview. Shae
hoped it wasn’t too late to return the call when the firm opened again in the
morning.
“Goodnight.” She told Missy at the front desk after clocking out.
She headed towards the revolving doors just as a man in a jacket and hat
came in. He removed the hat and revealed his auburn hair.
“Donovan?”
The prince headed straight to her. “Shae, I’m so glad I caught you.”
She couldn’t believe he was standing in front of her. “Are you here to check
on the hotel?”
“No, I came to see you. I’ve been trying to call you for weeks, but you
haven’t returned my calls or texts.”
She pressed her lips together. “I know it looks like petty behavior, but I
couldn’t talk to you right away.”
“We need to talk, though.”
Shae looked around. The lobby was practically empty except for a few
businessmen reading news on their phones at the charging stations in the far
corner. “I don’t know what else there is to say. You really hurt me when you
tried to use our time at the races as a photo-op.”
“I really did cancel that photo-op when I knew you were coming with me.
The photographers decided to crash the event anyway.”
“It was scary.”
“They’re facing criminal charges. I’m working with the Severn Cabinet to
get a motion passed that will limit what paparazzi and photographers can do.”
He sighed. “Shae, I want you to know that I never intended to hurt you or use
our relationship for publicity.”
She searched his face. His eyes focused deeply into hers. She sensed he was
telling the truth. “I still have feelings for you, but I don’t want to put myself in a
vulnerable position again. How do I know I won’t be just another dumb tabloid
headline, Prince Donovan’s Dating Disaster?”
“Because I haven’t been that kind of man in a long time, and I’m not going
to be again. I don’t want to just date you.” He got closer. “As I said before, I
want to be committed. You made me fall in love with you, Shae. Don’t make me
leave Atlanta without at least telling me you are or you aren’t willing to explore
this.”
She stared at him. “When you say committed, do you mean-”
“A life partner. A wife. That’s what I want.”
She was stunned. “I really don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything about it now. Can you at least promise to
give it a lot of thought while we spend time together?”
“I don’t like making quick decisions. You’d have to be in this for the long
haul.”
He smiled. “I could live with that. On one condition. We first revisit that
place you took me for brunch.”
Shae laughed. “Lucky for you, Moonlight & Mimosas has a late night
menu.”
She took the prince’s hand and walked out of the hotel with him and into the
awaiting car.
 EPILOGUE

One year later

From her guest room at the royal Caldwell estate, Shae heard the church bells
ringing in the cathedral and her heart matched their rhythm. Once she left the
estate and got into the car waiting outside, she’d be on her way to meet her
groom.
“Are you nervous, Shae?” Her mother finished fastening a pearl bracelet on
her wrist. It was a miracle Shae could hold her arm out without shaking.
“Yes and no. Yes, because Donovan and I are going to be televised across the
globe. No, because, well, you know.” She felt a blush creep up on her cheeks.
“We’re in love.”
“Don’t I know it? Your father and I could tell the moment you brought
Donovan to DC to visit us that you two were smitten with each other.” Her
mother adjusted the veil over her face.
Shae played with the hem of the antique lace. During the medieval ages,
Severn was known for its fine lace-making techniques. The lace used to make
her veil and decorate the sleeves of her dress came from a batch that once
belonged to Donovan’s great-great grandmother. She couldn’t believe she was
adorned with something that held so much history and family value.
Her mother took a deep breath. “Everyone’s waiting at the church for you.
Are you ready?”
Shae listening to the sweet tolling of the bells. Donovan was waiting. With a
nod, she picked up her bouquet and exited the room.
Outside, a driver waited to take her and her mother up the long road to the
cathedral. A crowd stood across the street, calling her name and asking her to
smile for pictures. Cameras flashed everywhere, including the royal family’s
personal photographer who waited at the foot of the estate steps to take her
picture as she descended. The veil made the people’s faces a little blurry, which
helped Shae’s nerves calm a bit. She waved to the crowd before getting into the
vintage Rolls Royce. Her mother climbed in beside her.
“Thanks for being here with me, Mom. I know you missed a large part of the
guests filing in the cathedral.”
“Your father can fill me in about those guests later. Just between us, he also
gets a kick out of the outfits they wear to these royal shindigs.”
“Shindigs?” Shae laughed as the car started moving. “Where are you getting
these words, and since when has Daddy been interested in royal weddings?”
“I just wanted to make you laugh. It’s going to be a beautiful day.” Her
mother touched her shoulder. “I can feel it.”
Shae could feel it, too. The sun was bright in the blue sky this spring
morning. She looked out the window at all the people of Severn who had come
out to see the wedding. If someone told her a little over a year ago that she
would be marrying a prince, she would’ve laughed.
Now it was really happening. After graduating with her MBA and a year of
following royal protocol on how to date and make public appearances, she and
Donovan were one step closer to their destination. They were going to the
cathedral separately. They’d be leaving together as husband and wife.
The car stopped in front of cathedral steps, where a long red carpet draped
the ancient stone. A uniformed attendant opened the door. Shae got out.
Photographers scurried to get pictures of her in her floor-length gown. She
experienced a brief case of the nerves again. Then, for a moment, she felt the
sun’s golden rays beam down on her, blanketing her in warmth. Excitement and
eagerness to see her love quickly chased away any anxious thoughts about the
eyes of the world on her. This day belonged to her and Prince Donovan. Her
prince.
Dispensing with protocol, she embraced her mother before walking up the
steps. She wanted the world to know how much she adored the woman who gave
her love, encouragement, and stood by her all her life.
A boys’ choir sang in sweet falsetto as she arrived at the top of the steps.
Ceremonial guards stood by as her father waited to walk her down the aisle.
Through her veil, she saw the tears in his eyes. “You look so beautiful,
honey.”
She looped her arm through his and began the walk. Her heart fluttered as
she saw the cathedral filled with dignitaries, royals who came throughout
Europe, and her own friends. She smiled at Mr. Hightower and his wife. Several
of her co-workers as well as college friends sat in the middle rows. Her two
bridesmaids as well as the groomsmen were in front. She was thankful to have
people in her life who cared about her and wanted to share in her and Donovan’s
special day.
The king and queen of Severn sat in their personal booth alongside other
members of the royal family, including Donovan’s Aunt Resa. The king and
queen wore pleasant expressions when they looked at her, but maintained regal
dignity. Aunt Resa gave her a wink.
Then everything and everyone faded into the background as Shae saw
Donovan standing before the altar. He looked strong and handsome in his blue
and white military uniform. Sunlight drifting in from the cathedral’s stained
glass windows gave his coppery hair a mischievous, fiery glow.
He grinned when she approached. I love you. His mouth formed the words.
The choir ended their song, and a brief piano solo played the refrain. The
cathedral was quiet after it ended. Then the priest addressed the congregation.
“Who will bring this woman into the welcoming embrace of the royal family
of Severn?”
“We will,” Shae’s mother and father said in unison. Shae’s father gave her
hand to Donovan before taking a seat with his wife in the front row.
Shae turned to Donovan. He lifted the veil from her face. She saw fully the
emotions in his green eyes.
The priest proceeded with the ceremony. He talked about the sanctity of
marriage and the joy it brought. He told a funny story about his own early days
of marriage to his wife that sent the congregation into laughter. Soon, after
exchanging vows, the moment finally arrived. Donovan placed a square-cut
diamond ring on her finger.
The priest asked him, “Do you, His Royal Highness Prince Donovan
Alexander Caldwell, take Shae Lawson to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love
and cherish as long as you may live?”
“I do,” Donovan answered, without hesitation.
The priest turned to her. “And do you, Shae, take Donovan to be your
lawfully wedded husband, to love and cherish as long as you may live?”
“I do.” She smiled at Donovan while she spoke.
“Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife.
Donovan, you may kiss your bride.”
Shae welcomed Donovan’s first kiss as her husband. The wedding guests
applauded. They did it. They were married.
The priest spread his arms. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I be the first to
introduce His and Her Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Severn.”
More applause. Everything was a blur as Donovan took her hand and they
walked out of the cathedral together. Outside, photographers scrambled to get
the first pictures of them as husband and wife while they climbed into a royal
carriage, complete with four white horses.
Shae waved to the citizens of Severn as the carriage passed them on the road
to the family castle. The crowd thundered with cheers and applause. Children
threw flowers. It was all surreal.
“What do you think, my love?” Donovan asked, leaning in close to speak in
her hear. “Is this a life you could welcome?”
She turned to gaze up into his eyes. “It’s a beautiful life. As long as I’m with
you, I can face anything.”
She entwined her fingers with his as the carriage took them to the royal
palace. There’d be more photography and the official kiss.
But best of all, there would be more of the latter to come.
 AFTERWORD

Thanks for reading My Royal Billionaire Boss. I’d appreciate if you could leave
a review on Amazon. Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to learn about new
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 BOOKS BY CATE REMY

My Billionaire Crush (Peachtree Billionaires, Book 1)

My Royal Billionaire Boss (Peachtree Billionaires, Book 2)
My Secret Billionaire Bodyguard (Peachtree Billionaires, Book 3) -Coming Soon
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cate Remy loves quirky characters and happy endings. She lives in Texas with her football fanatic husband
and little toddler princess. When she’s not writing, she can be found engaging in all kinds of fantasy
geekdom and 80s nerdery.