Virgin Princess, Tycoon’s Temptation / The Secret Child & The Cowboy CEO: Virgin Princess, Tycoon’s Temptation. Michelle Celmer

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СКАЧАТЬ much to find. I am a simple man, Your Highness. What some may even consider … boring.”

      She seriously doubted that. Everything about him intrigued her. He was so dark and serious, yet his smile was warm and inviting. She liked the way his eyes crinkled slightly in the corners when he smiled, and the hint of a dimple that dented his left cheek.

      She opened her mouth to tell him that she would never consider a man like him boring, but before she could get the words out, her family appeared in the doorway. The entire lot of them.

      Fantastic bloody timing. God forbid they let her have a little time alone with the man she planned to marry.

      As everyone piled into the room, Garrett rose and Louisa stood to make the introductions.

      “Garrett, I believe you already know my brothers, Prince Christian and Prince Aaron.”

      “A pleasure to see you again.” Garrett bowed his head, then accepted a firm and brusque shake from each of them. Very businesslike, but with an undertone of possessiveness, a silent notification that he was being carefully assessed.

      “This is my sister-in-law, Princess Melissa,” Louisa said.

      “Just Melissa,” she added in the southern drawl she had adopted while living in the States. She shook his hand firmly and with purpose. For a southern belle, she didn’t have a delicate or demure bone in her body. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Sutherland. I’ve heard so much about you.”

      “Please call me Garrett,” he said. “I understand you’re expecting. Congratulations.”

      “Kind of tough to miss at this point,” she joked, laying a hand on her very swollen middle.

      “I understand it will be soon.”

      “They prefer I make it to thirty-six weeks, so the babies’ lungs have enough time to mature. Preterm labor is a possibility with multiples, but I can hardly imagine another month of this. I feel like an elephant.”

      “I’ve always believed there’s nothing more beautiful than an expectant mother,” Garrett said with genuine sincerity.

      Melissa grinned widely and Louisa knew that he’d instantly won her over.

      Aaron stepped forward and said, “This is my wife, Princess Olivia.”

      Liv smiled shyly, still unaccustomed to her role as a royal. A botanical geneticist, she was reserved and studious and would much rather be in her basement lab studying plant DNA than interacting with people. But she shook Garrett’s hand and said, “Nice to meet you.”

      Anne, not waiting to be introduced, stepped forward and announced, “I’m Anne.” She stuck out her hand, shaking Garrett’s so firmly that Louisa worried she might challenge him to an arm wrestle.

      What was her problem?

      If Anne had been expecting a negative reaction from her confrontational introduction, she got the opposite.

      “A pleasure to meet you, Your Highness,” Garrett said with a smile, the picture of grace and etiquette, and Louisa all but beamed with pride. The situation couldn’t be more tense or uncomfortable, yet he’d handled it with ease.

      “I’ll admit I was surprised when Louisa informed us this morning that you were joining us for dinner,” Chris said, and Louisa wanted to punch him. Garrett had to be wondering why she would wait until this morning to tell them. She didn’t want him to get the wrong idea, to think that she was ashamed of him or uncertain of her invitation.

      Instead of appearing insulted, Garrett looked her way and flashed her that adorable, dimpled smile. “And I was a bit surprised when she asked.” His eyes locked on hers with a look so warm and delicious she almost melted. “I could hardly believe I was lucky enough to draw the attention of the most beautiful woman in the room.”

      The honesty of his words and the admiration in his eyes warmed her from the inside out. The fact that he would speak so openly of his feelings for her, especially in front of her family, made her want to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him. But who wanted an audience for their first kiss?

      Geoffrey appeared in the study door and announced, “Dinner is ready.”

      Melissa held out her arm for Chris to take. “Shall we?”

      “Go ahead without me. I’d like to have a private word with our guest.”

      Louisa’s heart nearly stopped. Why did Chris need to see him alone? She prayed he wouldn’t say something embarrassing, or try to scare Garrett off. But if she made a fuss, it might only make things worse.

      At Melissa’s look of hesitance he added, “We’ll only be a minute.”

      Louisa flashed Garrett an apologetic look, but he just smiled, looking totally at ease as Melissa ushered everyone from the room.

      With any luck, Garrett wouldn’t decide that pursuing a princess was just too much hassle and bring an end to their first date before it even began.

      Three

      And so it begins, Garrett thought as the rest of the family walked, or in Melissa’s case, waddled, from the room, leaving only himself and Prince Christian. He wondered if, had he been a royal, the Prince would feel this chat was necessary.

      Well, it wouldn’t be long before Garrett had a royal title, garnering him all of the respect he had earned. Though time wasn’t an issue, he would still push for a quick engagement. The sooner they were married and settled, the sooner he could relax and begin enjoying all the fruits of his labor.

      “Under normal circumstances it would be the King having this conversation with you,” Chris said.

      But the King wasn’t well enough, so Garrett was stuck with the Crown Prince instead. He hadn’t yet decided if that was a good or a bad thing. “I understand.”

      The Prince gestured to the sofa, and after Garrett sat, Chris took a seat in the armchair across from him. “As a precaution, I had a thorough background check performed on you.”

      He had anticipated that, and as he had told Princess Louisa, he had nothing to hide. “Did they find anything interesting?”

      “Actually, they didn’t find much of anything at all. Though ruthless in your business practices, as far as I can tell you’ve always kept it legal and ethical, and you seem to be a fair employer. You donate a percentage of your income to worthwhile charities—most having to do with education for the underprivileged—and as far as any brushes with the law, you’ve never had so much as a parking ticket.”

      “You sound surprised.”

      “I would expect that a man so elusive might have something to hide.”

      “I certainly don’t mean to be elusive,” he said. “I simply lead an uncomplicated life. My work is my passion.”

      “It shows. Your accomplishments are quite impressive.”

      “Thank you.”

      The Prince paused for СКАЧАТЬ