I close my eyes and take a deep breath. ‘Three, two, one.’
I stand. I brace. I charge. I holler from the bottom of my lungs. ‘You motherfuckers back away, leave her alone.’
Confusion overcomes the three men but Chloe beams with joy at hearing my voice then, when she sees that I’m charging in her direction, she squeals and claps her hands together with utter glee.
My eyes are fixed firmly on my love as I get closer and closer. I’m so fixated on her the fact that the driver and the security guy have raised their weapons and are pointing them at my head becomes irrelevant in my mind. I just want to get to her. To rescue her. The problem is, I haven’t planned this out very well, and I don’t know exactly what my next move is. But what I know is that I love her. And it will all be ok.
When I’m just a few feet away and guns are ready to fire, floodlights illuminate the entire space. It’s blinding. Every single person shades their eyes with their arms and I pounce on Chloe to protect her from the light, the security team and the unpredictability of her eldest brother.
‘Oh Felix, I knew you’d come,’ She clamps her arms around my body and holds me as tight as she can. ‘I just knew you would.’
I wrap my hands around her head, pull her so close her tiny torso squishes into the expanse of mine. I kiss the top of her head and thank my lucky stars that she’s still here with me. ‘Always, darling. Always.’
As my eyes adjust to the sudden influx of light I see a dozen people. They’re just shadows at the moment, but they are advancing on us at a rapid pace. I shelter Chloe behind me and stand tall and wide. ‘You can’t have her,’ I shout. ‘I don’t care who you are. Chloe Theron is my fiancé and when she leaves here, she leaves with me.’
Our pursuers get closer and I have to blink to believe what I’m seeing. I screw my eyes closed before opening them again and squint at the people who are getting closer by the second. I know them. It’s Mother, and Father, and their security team. My jaw hangs slack and I draw Chloe closer into my back.
‘Don’t be a fool, son.’ Father is holding his hands up in the air in surrender as is Mother.
Their security team has their guns fixed on Theo and his blokes who are pointing theirs right back.
‘Get on the plane, it’s our pilot. He’ll take you and Chloe to the safety of our palace.’ Father shouts.
Although her entire body is trembling with fear, Chloe dares to peek over my shoulder. ‘Felix?’
I can’t offer the explanation she’s looking for though because I would not, in a billion years, have foreseen this outcome. Death? Yes. Kidnap? Yes. But my parents coming to the rescue? Never.
‘Get on the plane, Felix.’ Mother adds. ‘We’ve known about you and Chloe for a long, long time. We’ve been waiting for you to come clean. You silly, silly boy.’
‘Don’t get on the plane, Chloe.’ Theo instructs. ‘Your life will be much, much easier if you do not get on that fucking plane.’
Chloe’s fingers dig deeper into my waist as her eyes dart from Theo, to me, to the armed security, to the plane. She’s confused and I don’t blame her because I’m not sure how we got this point at all.
‘Chloe, love,’ Mother says softly. ‘We know what your family are all about. We want to keep you safe and we want you and Felix to be together. Get on the plane. Go to Marea. We’ll tidy up this end. Trust us. We’ve had enough practice of dealing with our children and the havoc they cause by following their wild hearts.’
I grasp Chloe by the hand and squeeze. She tilts her face up to mine and silently questions if they are for real. I nod that yes, they are very much for real. And in a heartbeat we run to the waiting plane. The second we’re on board the doors close and it taxi’s down the strip.
‘How did they know?’ Chloe says as she gazes at the people on the ground get smaller and smaller.
I shrug. ‘Mother and Father are resourceful people.’ I lean over her shoulder to watch the heated discussions below and within moments they’re out of view. ‘I have no idea how they knew, or how they planted our pilot on the plane or anything.’ I sink into the seat and Chloe cuddles up under my arm.
‘So, this is it then,’ she says. ‘The beginning of forever.’
I nod and hum in agreement.
‘How do you feel?’ She asks.
I take a second to ponder her question. I’m feeling so many things it’s impossible to verbalise. There’s a bizarre concoction of excitement, fear, relief, anxiety, adrenaline, and hope clashing in my veins. I turn my face and look into her baby-doll eyes and all at once I can sum up my feelings in one sentence.
‘I feel like the luckiest man in the world.’
Epilogue
Felix
‘Will you stop fidgeting,’ Mother chastises. ‘There are three more families to greet, and once we’ve spoken with the vulgar Theron family, you can have some fun.’
We’ve been standing in line for over an hour. Cheerfully greeting the guests who have travelled from all corners of the globe to celebrate the marriage of myself, and the love of my life, Princess Chloe Henley.
Eventually, we’ve greeted every one of our guests. We’ve sat through the formal dinners and smiled our way through the everlasting speeches and now we are free to do whatever we want.
I turn to my blushing bride in white and I take her delicate hand in mine. I graze my lips across her knuckles. She smells divine. Sweet and Floral. Perfumers the world over would kill to create a scent as unique as hers. ‘Princess Chloe Henley.’ I say through a barely suppressed smile. ‘I trust you enjoyed the wedding.’
She keeps her face lowers but blinks up at me through her luscious lashes. ‘Yes, thank you, Prince Felix.’
‘Fabulous, and can I ask, have you visited the palace cove?’
Her eyes flicker briefly to our guests before landing back on mine. ‘I have, it is beautiful.’
I look at my watch then back at her. ‘It is. In fact, it’s particularly beautiful at sunset.’
She nods her understanding, kisses me tenderly on the cheek, then leaves the great hall. I give it five minutes before following her.
Chloe
It’s beautiful at the cove. Although my memories from last time I met my beloved Felix here are bitter-sweet. The air is salty and fizzes against my skin. I cast my eyes over the sea. As before, the bright orange sun has dropped low in the sky, its reflection dances on the ripples, threatening to take its heat and its light and bestow them on somebody else in another part of the world. But unlike the last time I witnessed the spectacle, I know now that I am worthy of its beauty.
I sense Felix walking up behind me before he wraps his arms around my middle and rest the palms of his hands on my abdomen.
‘Do you remember the last time we were here?’ I ask.
He rests his chin on the top of my head. ‘Oh yes, I do. I remember it extremely well. Every second.’
My fingers clamp tightly around the small bag I’ve carried to the cove. My gift to Felix. ‘And do you remember what you gave me?’
‘Seaweed.’ He chuckles into my hair. ‘I gave you seaweed. I tied it on your finger as a makeshift engagement ring.’
Neither of us talk for a second. Not wanting to voice what happened next in the story. We stand in silence and admire the view, letting the regrets from that evening drift off in the breeze, catch a wave and wash away for good. There is no time for regrets. Especially now that we have our whole lives ahead of us.
I take a deep breath. Now is the perfect time to give Felix the wedding gift I’ve hidden from him for days. ‘Here,’ I say, opening my hand and offering him my gift.
His forehead crumples as he plucks the little bag from my hand.
‘I made it myself,’ I explain, although it’s obvious that I made it. The fabric is an offcut from my wedding dress, the stitching is haphazard and I made the handles from preserved seaweed. The same seaweed he gave me all those many months ago. ‘Open it.’
He cocks his head suspic
iously before peeking inside. Still intrigued he tucks his thick fingers inside the narrow opening and plucks out the item. ‘What is it?’
‘Look at it, then tell me what you think it is.’
He pulls it out further and I spot the exact moment he registers what the weird plastic gift is.
The butterflies in my stomach go wild with impatience. They want to know his response, and if he doesn’t do or say something soon, I swear I will burst.
‘Pregnant?’ He finally says.
I bite down so hard on my bottom lip I taste blood. He’s not reacting. Why is he not reacting?
‘Pregnant?’ He says again only with more enthusiasm.
I nod hard and fast.
‘You’re having my baby?’ His whole body is lighting up. I can see it. From his head to his toes he’s gleaming.
I nod faster and harder and grin from ear to ear. It’s been so hard keeping it quiet. So damn hard.
‘We’re having a baby!’ He hollers so loud sea creatures lurking at the very bottom of the ocean must hear his announcement.
He scoops me up in his arms and flings me around so fast my head spins and bile rises to my throat.
‘Ooh, easy tiger, I’m going to be sick.’
He places me back on the ground but doesn’t let go. He keeps a firm grip on my middle to make sure I don’t tumble to the ground. ‘Are you OK?’ he asks with concern etched on every inch of his face.
I nod and swallow the bile. ‘Yes, just can you hold back on flinging me around? Just for a while, until the first-trimester sickness passes.’
He pulls me close and presses his hardness into my stomach. ‘There’s nothing else I can’t do to you until the first trimester passes is there?’
‘Nope, nothing that I can think of.’
‘Good, because this marriage needs consummating and I can’t think of a better place or time to do it, can you?’
‘Nope, not at all. That is if you can get into this bloody dress.’
Felix laughs. ‘It’ll take more than that to stop me,’ he says, and to prove it he’s already slid my skirts halfway up my thighs. ‘Nothing will come between us again. Ever’
And he’s right. Nothing ever will.
A Quick Message from Tiffany Squires
Well, that’s it. The end of the Randy Royals series is upon us.
I’m quite sad to be honest. They’ve been such fun to write and I hope you’ve enjoyed watching them blossom into bigger and better men with the a little help from their heroines.
But I have good news.
Never being one to let the grass grow under my feet I’m already working on my next series.
Alpha Nights.
I’ve got kingpins and head honchos lined up as far as the eye can see. They’re all as alpha as alpha gets and each one is about to meet a sassy heroine who’s guaranteed to keep them on their toes and up all night.
If you want to be the first to know when the first alpha comes out to play click here to join my readers group today. I’m a no-spam kinda gal and respect your email address a much as my hero’s respect their women.
Also by Tiffany Squires
Impulsive Prince - Randy Royals Book 1
Can an arranged marriage hold the promise of passion?
They can run, but will they ever escape their royal duties?
Brice
I only wanted one night.
One night to be free of my royal shackles.
To escape my fate.
I didn’t intend to meet a special girl.
The mystery girl has all the class of a princess but the sultry curves of pure temptation.
The night I'll never forget just happened.
Under the cover of darkness.
And now I must forget that stolen night because I’m duty bound to marry a royal.
Madeline
Freedom.
That’s all I ever wanted.
To taste what other people take for granted.
But I tasted too much.
And now I must go back
Back to being the dutiful princess who does as she’s told.
Back to face my future husband and the marriage my parents have arranged.
And keep my scandalous secret to myself forever.
Impulsive Prince by Tiffany Squires is a sexy royal romance with no cliffhanger and a HEA. Short enough to read in one sitting. Long enough to leave nothing to the imagination. One click now and take some time out for yourself.
Impassioned Prince - Randy Royals Book 2
She’s a bad girl from the wrong side of town. He’s a playboy prince with the world at his feet. They come from different worlds but they need each other more than they can ever know.
Magnus
She’s got balls, I’ll give her that much.
She seduced me then humiliated me in public and nobody, but nobody does that to the next King of Marea.
She needs to pay. And I know exactly how I’m going to make her.
Because her indiscretion has taught me a lesson.
I need to keep my nose clean. No more royal scandals for me. I’m going to bring my passion for bad girls inside the palace walls where nobody can see.
Roxanne Bennett just unwittingly made herself my live-in lover and I’m gonna love her sweet little body every chance I get.
As long as I can stop myself from falling in love with her.
Roxy
I know the score.
Free food. Free board. Paid employment.
And in return Prince Magnus enjoys unlimited access to my private rooms.
Sounds fair enough to me. In fact, there’s no way I’m gonna argue. Work experience and the chance to get my life straight are just what I need.
It also helps that the man is so damn fine it should be illegal.
All I need to do is keep my head low, not get carried away with myself, remember my place, and all will come good.
It has to.
Impassioned Prince is a safe, steamy novella with no cliffhanger and a guaranteed HEA. Fill a bath, light some candles, fix yourself a drink and one-click now to immerse yourself in your next favourite romance story.
Infatuated Prince - Randy Royals Book 3
Will a second chance at love and sudden parenthood be enough to reform the notorious playboy Prince Drake Henley?
Or will his one true love choose to remain a single parent forever regardless?
Drake
Second chance at love is a myth.
True love is also myth.
That’s a fact.
Or at least, it was my version of the truth before the love of my life tumbled back into my lap.
Vanessa Dean walked out of my life without a word.
She broke my heart and I never found out why.
Now she’s back.
With a four year old surprise by her side.
And I’m determined to prove that I can change.
That I can step up and be the man she needs.
If only she’ll let me back in.
Heart, body, and soul.
Vanessa
It’s just me and my daughter against the world.
We’re strong and, together as a pair, we can cope with anything life throws at us.
Except Drake Henley.
The man who I thought loved me but only truly loved himself.
The man who has strut back into my life without a care in the world.
The problem is he’s still dangerously hot.
And reigniting parts of me that have lain dormant for years.
But I can’t let him all the way back in.
Blind leaps of faith are a luxury not available to me anymore.
I have too much responsibility in my life.
Besides, despite what he says, he’ll never change.
Or will he?
Infatuated Prince is a steamy, sweet second chance romance. If you like your easy read quickies brimming with high heat, instalust, and over the top, then this short st
ory is perfect for you.
One-click now to enjoy this standalone short romance with a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhanger.
Intoxicated Prince Page 4
