Prince Xander

by Cardello, Ruth

  PRINCE XANDER

  TAKEN BY A TRILLIONAIRE SERIES

  Ruth Cardello

  COPYRIGHT

  © 2015 Ruth Cardello

  Kindle Edition

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Previously published in Taken by a Trillionaire © 2015 Ruth Cardello

  Find out more at the series and more of my books at:

  www.ruthcardello.com

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to J.S. Scott and Melody Anne. Friends make everything better.

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  Three New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. One wild project. Taken by a Trillionaire is an escapism fantasy that was born at a party at RWA. Over cocktails, J.S. Scott, Melody Anne, and Ruth Cardello laughed as they plotted this book with the help of two industry friends, Chris and Brian.

  If you are looking for a historically accurate representation of a monarchy or a serious depiction of how royals maintain their bloodlines, this may not be the book for you. If you love larger than life characters and fun storylines that take you to exotic places with sexy alpha men, then welcome to our imaginary kingdom: Rubare Collina. The men are insanely rich, the traditions are potentially deadly, and the sex will leave you craving a night on this dark isle. If you’ve ever fantasized about what it would be like to be swept off your feet—or tossed over a prince’s shoulder and taken—then you’ll enjoy our trilogy.

  Prince Xander: Taken by a Trillionaire by Ruth Cardello

  Royal Prince Xander Demande needs to choose a wife before his thirtieth birthday, or he will lose his crown. His list of potential candidates is long but shortens to one woman after a brief encounter with the socially inept, but beautiful and brilliant, Dr. Reanna Fielding. She never thought Prince Charming would come for her. He never thought any woman would melt his heart. Love makes its own rules, but will it save her when she defies not only him but the laws of his kingdom? In Rubare Collina, a marriage proposal can be a dream come true—or a death sentence.

  Sold separately, but in this series:

  Prince Bryan: Taken by a Trillionaire by J.S. Scott

  Get married . . . or die. Prince Bryan Demande was left with only two unpalatable choices. When he decides to take his chances rather than marry, his father and the busybody royal adviser take matters into their own hands. Like it or not, Bryan is delivered a kidnapped bride, and it isn’t a woman who’s a total stranger. She’s an American female who has haunted his dreams for the last five years, the only woman who has ever wanted him without his trillions of dollars or his royal title. Suddenly, marriage doesn’t look like such a bad option to Bryan, but he’ll have to convince his angry, kidnapped, bride-to-be that she belongs with him.

  Prince Christopher: Taken by a Trillionaire by Melody Anne

  Christopher Demande wants nothing to do with marriage and is willing to renounce his title to the throne to prove it. That is until he meets independent Adara Burnadette and decides he must have her. Unfortunately, Adara is opposed to marriages of convenience.

  What does a young prince do when his chosen bride refuses his proposal?

  He kidnaps her of course.

  The fun continues in these novellas:

  Virgin for the Trillionaire (Taken by a Trillionaire Series) by Ruth Cardello

  Virgin for the Prince (Taken by a Trillionaire Series) by J.S. Scott

  Virgin to Conquer (Taken by a Trillionaire Series) by Melody Anne

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Note from the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  CHAPTER ONE

  You do speak English, don’t you?”

  I do. Of course, I do. I may drop the occasional R, but no one has mentioned that since I moved back to Boston, Dr. Reanna Fielding thought but continued to stare wordlessly at the most genetically intriguing man she’d ever encountered. His eyes were strikingly blue against his tanned skin. At first glance he appeared Western European ancestry, possibly Germanic. Though some of his features hinted at a Celtic influence. He was tall with a broad chest accentuated by his perfectly tailored suit. His high cheekbones, strong jawline, along with his almost jet-black hair, were a complex and fascinating genomic mystery. His accent was vaguely Italian.

  I’d like to map his DNA, Reanna thought and smiled at the suggestive twist she’d given an otherwise academic desire.

  In non scientific terms—he was gorgeous.

  Reanna stood and scanned the surrounding aisles of the bookstore she’d apparently fallen asleep in. Deep REM was the only logical explanation why a man like him would be talking to a woman like her.

  “Are you looking for Cherise?” Reanna waved one arm toward the front of the store. “She sometimes steps away from the register for a moment to organize the shelves. She’s probably back there now. At the register. Over there.”

  Instead of nodding and turning away as she expected, he stepped closer to her, his eyes not leaving hers. Reanna’s heart began to beat wildly. There was an intensity in the way he was looking at her that was akin to a hunter evaluating his prey.

  Men didn’t look at Reanna that way. They never had. She glanced down quickly and was instantly faced with the reasons why she must have been misreading his expression. She’d worn her white lab coat over her clothing out of habit. Her glasses hung around her neck on the shoelace she’d tied them with since she’d lost their chain. Her blue tennis shoes were as faded as her jeans. Since the pen to her tablet wasn’t in her hand, the likelihood of it sticking out of her thrown together ponytail was high.

  “Reanna Fielding?” he asked, his deep voice sending shivers down her back.

  Reanna swallowed hard. “Yes,” she whispered. He’d spoken with a regal authority that brought his attractiveness up another notch.

  He looked her over slowly and raised one eyebrow. “Interesting. You’re not what I expected.”

  His words stung even though she had no idea what he meant. If the encounter were indeed a dream, it was lacking in charm. “I’m sorry. Who did you say you are?”

  “I didn’t.” He held out a hand for Reanna to shake, and she forgot her earlier irritation. His hand enveloped hers. There was a restrained strength to it that excited and confused her. Part of her wanted to rip her hand away from his and run back to her house. Part of her wanted to pull his face down to hers to see if she would enjoy the touch of his lips as much as she was enjoying the touch of his hand. As if he could read her thoughts, he raised her hand to his mouth, and the bygone gesture sent flames of desire shooting through her. The hint of a smile in his eyes suggested he knew exactly what he was doing to her. “My name is Xander Demande.”

  Reanna pried her hand free then buried both in the voluminous pockets of
her lab coat. In her profession she didn’t grasp at possibilities, but life outside the lab was much more unpredictable, and Reanna often floundered while attempting to make sense of it. “If you’re from Biostern, the report isn’t ready. I told Ben I’d have it completed by Monday. He said that was fine.” She looked down at her clothing again. “And before you say anything about how I’m dressed, as a consultant researcher I am not held to a dress code.”

  “I don’t work for Biostern. I came a long way to meet you, Reanna Fielding. Have dinner with me tonight.”

  She wanted to say yes. Yes to dinner. Yes to anything and everything that might entail, but she didn’t. His request didn’t make sense, and when something didn’t follow predicted patterns, it often wasn’t true. “Why?”

  “Why does any man ask a woman to dinner?” He placed a hand on one of the shelves beside her and leaned down until their lips almost touched. She felt the heat of his breath warm her, and her tongue wet her bottom lip in an excited and involuntary response.

  There had been a time, a long ago time, when she had dreamed of something like this happening to her. A gorgeous man would stroll off the street, take one look at her, and decide he had to have her. But that kind of fantasy was best discarded as an adolescent daydream.

  Recent experiences dealing with her male coworkers at Biostern had destroyed her belief that men like that existed. After her photo shoot for the charity calendar had brought her unwanted attention at work, including a bet about her sexual experience, she’d started working from home. When one of the men from her lab had called and said he’d missed her, she’d agreed to meet him for a drink only to discover his interests had only been in answering the question of her virginity rather than any desire to be with her.

  In the field of mapping genomic ancestry, she was considered a pioneer.

  As a woman, she was a train wreck. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the negative thoughts. It was better not to fixate on what was wrong with her life. Some things couldn’t be changed. They simply were.

  Dreaming only led to more hurt.

  Reality was best faced head-on and with as much emotional detachment as possible.

  For example, if she gained control of her wayward libido, she could verify that past patterns allowed for a very low likelihood that a man like Xander would ask her out to dinner unless he had an ulterior motive. Such motive would be impossible to determine without further inquiry. She lost the battle to analyze the situation as she would any puzzle, and impulsively voiced the first plausible explanation that came to her. “Did Cherise hire you? Do you work for an escort service? Now this makes sense. You’re her idea of a joke.”

  Xander frowned. “I am no one’s joke.”

  The simplest answer was often the correct one. Cherise was known to go out of her way to make her regular customers happy. It wasn’t inconceivable that she would pour money into pulling off something like this. Was the man worried Reanna had figured it out so quickly? She gave his arm a supportive pat. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell her you were wonderful. It was actually sort of sweet of her to go to this extreme so I wouldn’t spend my birthday alone. I told her it was no big deal. I’m used to it. You can tell her you took me out, or if you don’t want to lie, I can pay you whatever she offered and then explain to her it was my decision to do so.” Reanna picked up her purse and started rummaging through it. “If I can find my wallet, I’ll pay you right now. That’s probably the best way to do this. Do you take checks? I may have some with me.”

  When Reanna held up the checkbook and pen triumphantly, she realized he looked distinctly displeased with her. “I’ll tip you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I don’t know what people tip escorts. Is it like a waitress? You tell me. I’m not judging what you do; I’m just not interested in your services. I hope you’re not offended.”

  He cocked his head to one side arrogantly. “What is it about me that makes you think I’m a paid escort?”

  Oh, so he wasn’t upset about the money. She’d hurt his pride. Most likely he was also concerned that being so obvious would cost him other clients. “I don’t feel comfortable critiquing someone else’s work, but since you asked, the accent is amateurish. It’s a blend of French and Italian. To be believable, you should choose one or the other. You’re also a little overdressed for a bookstore. This is a university area. You’d blend better in khakis and a nice button-down shirt.”

  Both of his eyebrows rose. “You consider me inappropriately dressed?” He looked her over again, amusement lightening those dark blue eyes.

  Reanna replaced her checkbook and adjusted her lab coat, sticking her chin out proudly. “There’s no need to get defensive. You asked me.”

  He inclined his head in concession to that point. “I did. You’re an intriguing woman, Reanna. Not at all what I was expecting.”

  “You said that before. It didn’t sound like a compliment that time, either.”

  He ran a hand lightly down the side of her face. Reanna shivered from the pleasure of his caress. He leaned down again and said softly, “Oh, but it was. When I saw you in the swimsuit calendar, I thought you a vain woman and one who would have quite a lot of experience with men. But, instead, you’re shy and more than a little awkward. I’m intrigued.”

  Reanna jerked her face away from him. “I thought you said you didn’t work with Biostern. If this is about that stupid bet again, let me end it now. It’s not anyone’s business, but if it matters that much to you, go back and tell them, yes, I am a virgin. I’m a twenty-five-year-old virgin and proud of it. Are you happy now?”

  Stuffing her purse beneath her arm, Reanna pushed Xander with the intention of walking past him. He grabbed her arm and held her before him. “You’re a virgin?”

  Breathing heavily, with a mixture of anger and excitement she couldn’t deny, Reanna snarled, “If the bet requires proof, you’re out of luck, buddy. However, I’ll put it in damn writing if it means I never have to see or speak to any of you again. Let me go, you asshole.”

  A dark look crossed his expression, almost territorial. “Whoever has made you feel your virtue is less than a diamond among coal is a fool, and I have no patience for men who do not respect women. Whatever they may have said to you in the past, you have my assurance they will never say it again.”

  Reanna was now thoroughly confused and more than a little turned on. “Let go of my arm.”

  “Have dinner with me tonight.”

  “I can’t,” Reanna said and tugged to free herself. She fought because it was the sane thing to do, not because she wanted to end their connection. Did I just make a fool of myself? I’m not dreaming: he’s not an escort, and he’s not here for the bet . . . who the hell did I just proclaim my virginity to? And why does it feel so good to have him looking at me like I’m an entrée on a menu? “I have a project due by Monday. Listen, I’m flattered that you want to have dinner with me. Especially after everything I just said to you. But I can’t.”

  “Are you turning me down?” he growled softly. There was an arrogance that would have been unattractive if it hadn’t also contained a hint of genuine surprise. Maybe a man as attractive as Xander didn’t hear the word “no” often. That alone was enough evidence Reanna had made the right decision. As unrealistic as she knew it was, a part of her still clung to the romantic idea she would someday give her virginity to a man she loved—one who loved her back just as desperately.

  Love, not whatever she felt for the man holding her arm. Even with her limited experience, she recognized lust for what it was. Tempting as it was to continue to stare into the eyes of a man who made every inch of her tingle, she had no time for temporary relationships. When she finally did give her heart and body to a man, it would be all or nothing. “Yes. Sorry, but I am.”

  A smile spread across his face, transforming him from handsome to I-can’t-breathe-in-his-presence beautiful. “Don’t be sorry, Reanna. I didn’t expect to enjoy any part of this trip, but you’ve changed that.”r />
  Reanna shook her head, trying to correlate what he was saying with how she was feeling. “I don’t understand.”

  He pulled her to him and kissed her. Reanna raised her hands to his chest to push him away, but his gentle caress shook her. She expected him to be rough, but he teased her lips lightly with his own. Although her head told her she was being reckless, her body burned with a need she’d never felt before. She didn’t want the feeling or the kiss to end. She tentatively ran a hand across his muscular chest.

  He broke off the kiss without deepening it and released her. “I will pick you up at your house tomorrow.”

  Reanna swayed, gathering her scattered thoughts. “Tomorrow? I can’t. I wish I could. I’m working.”

  “On your birthday?”

  “It’s just another day.” Reanna had learned early the best way to not be constantly disappointed was to keep her expectations low. If she didn’t celebrate her birthday, it didn’t matter when no one else did either.

  “Be ready by noon,” he said before turning and striding away.

  Reanna watched him leave and raised a hand to her lips. “I said no.” She told herself to call after him and warn him she had paperwork to pick up, which required a drive to a nearby town, and she probably wouldn’t be home at noon. Instead, she sat back down beside her half-eaten lunch, closed her eyes, and let herself relive his kiss.

  Tomorrow I’ll probably discover all of this was a prank or some sort of misunderstanding. But that’s tomorrow. For now I am just going to enjoy the fact that I kissed that man.

  Me.

  Xander slid into the back of his Bentley and told his driver to take him back to his hotel. He called Simon, a man who had been his family’s advisor since before Xander was born, to inform him of his changed plans. Even though Simon had stayed behind in Rubare Collina, he was involved. “I’ll be staying in Boston at least another night.”