A Royal Temptation. Charlene Sands

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СКАЧАТЬ to the throne. He spoke an oath and vowed to be much more than a figurehead as he promised to restore order and hope to the country.

      It was a monumental time in Alma’s history and he was happy to have the support of his cousins, Gabriel, Rafe and Bella. They were smiling and nodding their approval from their seats, Bella with tears in her eyes. They’d all lived and thrived in the United States before this, and forgive him, but heaven knew Rafe and Gabriel, who were once thought to be first in line to the throne but had been disqualified for separate and unique reasons, were not cut out for the rigors and sacrifice of royal life. They were only too glad to see Juan Carlos accept the position of sovereign.

      A woman seated several rows behind his cousins caught his attention. Deep cerulean-blue eyes, clear and large, stood out against her porcelain face and white-blond hair. She reminded him of a snow queen from a fairy tale in his youth. And as he was ushered down the aisle after the coronation their gazes locked for an instant and her one eyelid closed in a wink. Was it for him? His lips immediately quirked up at the notion and he forced the smile from his expression. Still, his heart did a little tumble as it had been doing all day, but this time it was the woman, and not the ceremony, that had caused the commotion.

      The next hour passed, again in dreamlike wonder, as he was escorted out of the cathedral by Alma’s finest royal guards, to be met with unrestrained jubilation all along the parade route. He sat atop a convertible car and waved with gloved hands, as they made their way toward the palace. And there, on the top steps of Alma’s regal old-world palace, Juan Carlos began his first speech as king.

      “Citizens of Alma, as your new king, I promise to honor the sovereignty of our nation, to always put the country first and to work alongside our parliament to restore our democracy. It is a vow I take with an open but steady heart and a determination to see that our freedoms are never threatened again.”

      Cheers went up. “Viva Juan Carlos!”

      Juan Carlos waited until the crowd calmed to finish a speech that was interrupted three more times by applause.

      He left the palace steps energized, instilled with the very same hope he saw in the eyes of his fellow countrymen. He was a foreigner, by all rights, an American, and yet, they’d accepted him and looked to him to help establish a newer, brighter Alma.

      He would not let them down.

      As austere as his day was, he took a moment to reflect on the coronation and picture the beautiful woman in the light blue chiffon gown, her eyes as vibrant as deep ocean waters. He’d searched for her during the procession, the parade and the speech that followed, only to be disappointed.

      She’d been a diversion from the gravity of the day.

      Winking at him had brought a smile to his lips.

      Who was she?

      And would she have his children?

      * * *

      “Do I need to call you Your Highness?” his cousin Rafe asked as he pumped Juan Carlos’s hand. They stood off to the side in the palace’s grand ballroom. The coronation gala was well underway and the orchestra played lively tunes. An array of fresh flowers decorated the arched entryways, aisles and tables.

      “You mean, as opposed to Squirt, Idiot and Bonehead like when we were kids?”

      “Hey, I wasn’t that bad.”

      “You were a year older and that gave you bullying rights.”

      “Okay, guilty as charged. But now you can have me hung by the neck until dead.”

      “I could’ve done that to you back then, too.”

      “Ha, funny.”

      “Call me Juan Carlos or cuz, just like you do now. Your Highness comes into play only on formal occasions or royal business.”

      All amusement on his cousin’s face disappeared. “Seriously, Juan Carlos, congratulations. The family is proud of you. You’re the only one of the lot who was cut out for this. You are honoring our aunt Isabella’s final wishes by restoring the monarchy.”

      Juan Carlos came to the throne quite by accident, after Bella discovered a secret cache of letters that revealed Rafe, Gabriel and Bella’s late grandfather, Raphael Montoro II, was illegitimate and not the true heir to the throne. As such, neither of Juan Carlos’s cousins would have been the rightful king. The former queen’s indiscretion had been kept hidden all these years until her great-grandchildren had uncovered it.

      “Thank you, cousin. I’ve thought about my grandmother these past few weeks and I think she would approve. It means a great deal to me.” He sighed. “I hope to make a diff—” He caught a glimpse of a woman in blue and craned his neck to get a better look.

      It was her. She was attending the gala. Only dignitaries, friends and family members along with the royal photographers and journalists had been invited to the party, two hundred strong.

      “Hey,” Rafe asked. “What are you stretching your neck to see?”

      “She’s here,” he muttered, without shifting his gaze. She was standing near an archway leading to the foyer, looking to make an escape.

      “Juan Carlos?”

      “Oh, uh, I saw a woman at the coronation and I haven’t stopped thinking about her.”

      “This I’ve got to see. Any woman who can take your mind off a day as big as this has got to be something special. Where is she?”

      “I’m not going to point. Just look for the most beautiful woman in the room and you’ll find her.”

      “Emily is right there, talking to Bella.”

      “Spoken like a besotted newlywed. Okay, yes, Emily is gorgeous, now find a woman in blue who is not your wife.”

      “If you’d agreed to a formal receiving line, you’d have met her already.”

      He hadn’t wanted a stiff, awkward line of people congratulating him. He’d make his way over to his guests and speak with them during the course of the evening. He’d vowed to be a king of the people and for the people and that started right now. “Do you see her?”

      “Ah, I do see her now. Very blonde, nice body, great eyes.”

      “That’s her. Do you know who she is?”

      “No, but apparently she knows Alex and Maria Ramon. They just walked up to her and they appear friendly.”

      “Well, then, I think it’s time I spoke with Alma’s deputy prime minister of commerce and his wife, don’t you?”

      Juan Carlos moved swiftly across the ballroom and as he approached, Alex spotted him and smiled. “Your Highness.” Juan Carlos nodded. It would take some time getting used to that greeting.

      Maria, not one to stand on ceremony, hugged his neck. She and Alex had just married and postponed their honeymoon to attend the coronation. “I’m happy to see this day, Your Highness. You are just what Alma needs.”

      “Thank you, Maria.”

      As СКАЧАТЬ