Page 3 of Royally Tempted

I frowned, nodding as I opened the folder to the flimsy stack of notes and interviews.

“Know any royals who might help us dig into this?”

“Sadly, no.”

Not anymore at least. I’d burned the last of my contacts to get the story a month back on the Duke of Leané having those sex parties involving men a third his age and bondage. Again, a totally lame, tabloid story, but Martin had insisted on chasing it. And ithadmade quite the headlines, despite being trashy gossip.

“Your roommate just started working for Prince Snow, right?”

I frowned and he chucked. “Overheard you telling Simone about it in the break room the other day.”

Great, my pervy boss is eavesdropping on us now too. Wonderful.

He was right though. Julia hadjuststarted as the personal assistant to Prince Luke Snow, of North Revania — a position she scored with the help of her cousin Anya, who worked with the royal family of Berne.

I nodded slowly. “She did.”

“Great, can we use it?”

I didn’t even hesitate before shaking my head. “No, I don’t think she’s going to be working very close with the Prince at all.”

Of course she was going to be working close with him, she was his PA. But then, it was a huge job for her, and there was no way I was going to step on that or jeopardize it for her. I wasn’t going to burn my friend to get a story. Contacts, yes. Snitches, maybe. But friends?

No way.

“I’ll look into it though,” I said with a forced smile at my boss.

Sure, I’ll look into rumors, and bullshit legends, and fake stories sorority girls tell to make each other blush.

Because I knew as scandalously tempting a story it was, that’s all it really was — just a story.

…Right?

Chapter 2

Emma

“Oh. My. God.”

I’d have said “so much for girl’s night,” but then, Ihadbeen the one to push my roommate Julia to go out that night in celebration of her new job. I’d even been the one to say “let's get wild”.

For my more demure, quiet roommate and friend, I thought “wild” might entail a tequila shot or two, possibly flirting with some guys, and hopefully some late night karaoke.

…What I hadn’t expected was for her to tell me — face bright red and eyes wide with excitement — that she was about to go home with two guys she’d met at the masquerade night club we’d walked into.

Two. Men.

Needless to say, my jaw was on the ground.

“Are you seriously doing what I think you’re doing?” I hissed, my hand tight on her wrist as I glanced over her shoulder at the two guys. To be fair, they weregorgeous, but c’mon!

“I have to go, okay?”

“Julia!”

“Emma.”

My lips pursed, and even though I’m sure she could see that I was a little worried for her, and maybe a teeny bit scandalized, I knew she could also see something else there on my face: curiosity. Curiosity and maybe even a little jealousy.

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