Page 16 of The Billionaire's Princess

“He may or may not be her fiancé,” my brother tells me.

The fuck he is.

Something raw and primitive gives me a vicious shove between the shoulders, propelling me a step or two toward her with no conscious thought. So much for being proud and aloof. But Ryker clamps a hand on my arm, stopping me.

“What?” I snarl, pulling free. I don’t have time for this. What if she slips away again while I’m dealing with this idiot?

“Didn’t I just tell you not to lose your shit?” he asks, incredulous.

“Get out of my way or you’re going to be scraping this floor clean with your teeth.”

Ryker snorts out a laugh that does nothing to improve my mood. “Don’t you want to know who she is before you go off half-cocked?”

I keep one eye on her, but she doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. And my rabid curiosity gets the best of me, because I still don’t even know her last name.

“Who?”

“Her grandmother’s the Queen.”

“Of?” I say blankly.

“England, you stupid fuck. Her father is Prince Edmund. Duke of Montgomery. She introduced herself as Carly, but her full name is Charlotte Montgomery. Princess Charlotte.”

My brain reels while he types something on his phone and presses it into my hand.

“Here you go,” he tells me. “Take a minute to educate yourself.”

I grab the phone, grateful that at least one of us can think clearly.

“You keep eyes on her for me,” I say. “It’s your ass if she walks off before I can talk to her.”

“Aye, cap.”

I quickly read and scroll with growing astonishment, my adrenaline buzz making my hands unsteady. I catch pictures of her throughout her life, from chubby-cheeked cherub until now. Images of her with her father and with—oh, shit—the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during some big event. Recent snippets about her long-term romance with old Percy over there and speculation about a pending engagement. I also see a recent headline or two about her father’s questionable personal financial situation, which may or may not be dire.

I file all of it away for later. When I have time to do more thorough research.

For now? I have everything I need to know.

“Thanks,” I say, passing the phone back to my brother.

“We good? I don’t want any incidents with you and security tonight.”

“We’re good,” I say, already on my way. I slice my way through the crowd with surgical precision, scrupulously avoiding eye contact with anyone who may want to talk to me.

Now is not the time.

I get there fast. Suddenly there she is, standing right in front of me. Within touching distance, right where I want her. I can’t decide whether I want to wring her elegant neck for putting me through this turmoil or bear-hug her into oblivion.

“Excuse me,” I say, stepping into her line of sight and interrupting Percy mid-sentence. “Haven’t we met before?”

Her breath hitches as soon as I begin to speak, her gaze immediately connecting with mine. I experience a millisecond’s worth of an unguarded reaction from Princess Carly. Her eyes widen. Her cheeks flood with color. A hint of a smile curls her lips before she thinks to stop herself for Percy’s benefit. What do these clues add up to? Unmitigated delight. All of it happens in less than the time it takes for a hummingbird to flap its wings. But it’s plenty of time for me to learn everything I need to know. More than enough time for me to both want her a bit more and hate her a bit more.

If she’s this eager to see me again, why the fuck didn’t she stick around and give me half a chance three weeks ago?

Why did she put me through this?

She opens her mouth. Flounders in the face of old Percy’s avid interest.

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