Page 9 of The Royally Broke Billionaire
Mo’s monologue contained such sage words of wisdom for a princess that was known for being tactless and awkward. Piper immediately understood why Tess remained so close to the other woman. After watching the ladies hug for a long moment, Piper quietly slipped into her suite.
As she climbed into her tall four-poster canopy bed, the only thing on Piper’s mind was the overwhelmingly sad look she had spied on Queen Tess’s face over Mo’s shoulder as the friends hugged. When the queen thought no one could see it, she let her grief show.
Guilt overwhelmed Piper as she realized that she and Liam were likely the causes of that sadness in the kindhearted, gracious woman’s expression. Vowing to find a way to make things better for the queen, Piper stared at the tall ceiling and wondered how she could possibly make that happen.
10
After a restless night spent tossing and turning, Piper arose feeling worn out. The guilt over Queen Tess’s dark expression hadn’t allowed her a moment’s peace.
Determined to ease the kind woman’s concerns, Piper decided to find a way to get some time alone with her today. She hated having a part in hurting the queen, so she would do anything in her power to make it better for her––short of giving up Liam’s birthright.
When Piper handed off Liam to Hettie and made her way to the grand dining hall, she was surprised to find the royal foursome already seated at the table. She scurried in, feeling awkward, and hoping they weren’t politely waiting on her for breakfast. They each had steaming mugs of coffee or tea, but no one was eating.
As soon as Piper slid into her seat, Mo whined, “Where is he?? It’s a quarter pastI’m hungry o’clock.”
They all chuckled at the silly woman’s joke as Piper wondered whose arrival they were anticipating. It was her understanding that the royals weren’trequiredto wait for anyone.
Pierce tried to appease his hungry wife. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon, my sweet.”
“The baby is starving,” she poked her lip out in a pout and patted her tummy for extra emphasis.
“Have a croissant while you wait.” The queen picked up a roll from the basket and surprised everyone when she tossed it in Mo’s direction.
Proving her natural athletic prowess, Mo reacted instantly and caught it with one hand. “You think I won’t eat this because you threw it at me? You’re wrong.” Mo told her friend before taking a big bite of the flaky pastry.
“Aren’t you even going to put any jam on it?” The king scrunched up his face with distaste.
“No, she’s a barbarian.” Tess teased her friend.
“You’re the one throwing rolls across the breakfast table,” Mo fired right back with her mouth full.
Piper couldn’t stop smiling as she watched the exchange and realized how much fun these four had together––even during what likely should have been a stuffy meal.
Showing his own annoyance, Pierce huffed out an irritated breath and asked, “Seriously, how long do we have to wait on him? I’m starting to get hangry, and you don’t want to see me turn into the Hulk.”
The king gave his brother an exasperated look. “I don’t think you’re in any danger of starving. Besides, he is paying a hefty sum to share a meal with us. The least we can do is be gracious hosts.”
Piper couldn’t help but wonder who this mystery guest was and how much he might be paying for the privilege of eating breakfast with the foursome in the royal residence. She couldn’t even imagine how much money must be involved for the king himself to refer to it as ‘a hefty sum,’ but it was probably more than she would earn in her entire lifetime.
When the handsome man finally arrived, his larger-than-life presence seemed to fill up the room, taking with it all of the available air. Piper felt an odd pressure on her chest as she struggled to breathe.
Finn, the royal steward, who had escorted Piper to her suite upon her arrival at the castle, announced the newcomer’s entry in a deep, clear, and booming voice. “Your Highnesses and Ms. Pearson, may I present Mr. Cole Daniels?”
Piper couldn’t be certain, but she thought the charming royal steward paused for the briefest of moments and flashed her a hint of a flirtatious grin when he said her name. It was such a quick, subtle gesture, that she might have imagined it.
The king made a welcoming gesture with his hand to the debonair newcomer as the others murmured their greetings. Uncertain what to say or do, Piper remained a quiet observer. She could have sworn that Finn sent a quick wink in her direction before whirling around and exiting the dining hall, but Cole Daniels quickly stole her attention from wondering about the steward’s intentions.
Immediately honing in on her as the only unattached woman in the room, Cole gallantly kissed the back of Piper’s hand before introducing himself unnecessarily. “Cole Daniels, billionaire extraordinaire. And you are?”
Piper didn’t have to look to know the royals were exchanging eyerolls over Cole’s outlandish, boastful self-introduction. She wasn’t normally one to be impressed by material wealth, but there was no denying that her heart raced as the gorgeous man bored his vivid blue eyes into hers. Having the undivided attention of a billionaire was not something that had even seemed in the realm of possibility for her life just days ago. The reality of it was both frightening and exhilarating.
When Cole took the only vacant chair at the table, which coincidentally, was adjacent to Piper’s seat, she could sense his nearness, even without looking in his direction. Her cheeks burned hot with awareness and an odd surge of excitement.
For some mysterious reason, she felt compelled to look behind her and make sure Finn wasn’t still hovering just outside the doorway, witnessing her strong physical reaction to Cole’s arrival. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he was nowhere in sight. Unwilling to think about why she was so worried about the royal steward, she focused her attention on Cole.
The billionaire dominated the conversation as their breakfast was served. Piper discovered that she was hanging on his every word, even though she found it odd that he would spend a fortune to eat a meal with the royals, but then not let them squeeze more than a word or two in.
He wasn’t just a blow-hard that liked to talk about himself, though. His stories and anecdotes were highly entertaining, although she did find that he always managed to come off as the hero of his tall tales.
