Over Ruled
On the Wild Side Series
Lizabeth Scott
Contents
Don’t Miss Out!
Also by Lizabeth Scott
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
On the Wild Side Series includes
Also by Lizabeth Scott
Connect with Liz
About the Author
Copyright
Over Ruled - On the Wild Side
Lizabeth Scott Copyright © 2019
All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, currently known or future inventions, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from [email protected]
Cover Design: Jade Webb (https://www.jwauthorservices.com/client-jade-webb)
Content Editor: It’s Your Story Content Editing
Copy Editor: Grammar Ninja Editing Services
Thanks to my brilliant Beta Readers, Shannon Peeples, Melissa Young, and Jean Whitesell! You ladies keep me straight and are I can’t thank you enough.
I hope you enjoy!
♥Liz
Don’t Miss Out!
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About This Book
Prince Nate’s charmed royal life was due to his noble birth. Fast cars, fast women, and beyond wealthy was the perfect storm for living on the wild side. Which he did with gusto.
* * *
Leaving his family responsibilities behind and shedding his royal identity Nate set out on a path of his own choosing. Now he owns a successful business and spends his days doing what he loves on his own terms. Until a lapse in judgement resulted in hiring a woman he could never have.
* * *
After too many failed relationships, Rylee rids her life of the up and down drama of dating. Instead she pours her heart and soul into a job she loves. Her unique skills make a difference in the world and that’s her reward.
* * *
Until her look-but-don’t-touch crush threatens her new, no man zone. But a mutually beneficial touch-but-don’t-keep rendezvous... Now that she could get behind, under, or any other position he has in mind.
* * *
No matter how hard she fights it… this prince is going to rule her heart.
Other Books in the Series
Game Over - Cheryl Douglas
Over Ruled - Lizabeth Scott
Over Heated - Elizabeth Lennox
Over Joyed - Jeannette Winters
Also by Lizabeth Scott
A PDF printout of books by series is available at LizScottBooks.com.
The Royal Vow Series
Sweet Royal Beginnings
Sweet Surrender
Sweet Denial
Sweet Seduction
Sweet Temptation
Sweet Destiny
* * *
Hearts of Gold Series
A Sheik for Rose
A Star for Annie
A Cowboy for Mary
Dirty Ankle Series
You Promised Me Forever
Kissed Series
Snow Kissed by the Billionaire
Chased by the Billionaire
Sun Kissed by the Billionaire
French Kissed by the Billionaire
* * *
Billionaires of White Oaks
Heartbreaker
Troublemaker
Mastermind
Hothead
* * *
Slide over from Hothead to the
Love in Transit Series
Ticket to Forever
Ticket to Pleasure
Ticket to Desire
Ticket to Romance
Ticket to Destiny
Chapter 1
Nate
* * *
“…and then your Aunt Mari got up and walked off the podium and straight into the crowd. Her security detail went crazy and you can imagine your Uncle Ki’s expression when his bodyguards held him back from following her. All I can say is I bet their ears are still ringing. Anyway, Mari walked right up to the adorable little girl that had fallen down, took her hand, dried her tears, and sat back down with the sad little cherub on her lap as if nothing had happened and carried on with the rest of the event. The parents…”
From the two-way mirror in his office, Nate watched the work in progress in the ink room, only half-listening to his mother fill him in on all the goings-on back home. Syd was putting the final shading on a wolf arm band. Marty was working on a three-scene back piece that would take a few more sittings to complete. And Kev was consulting with a new client.
Nate’s gaze moved to the front of the shop where Cora, their office-manager-slash-receptionist, was finishing up with a customer. Cora was funny, sharp, and had absolutely no filter, but she was brilliant at talking clients out of bad design ideas. And she kept them all in stitches.
Then there was Rylee, their design artist. Nate sighed when she came out of her office to greet her next consult and he could feel his pulse quicken. Rylee had been his find—he’d caught her at an opportune time and convinced her to come work for him. His eyes tracked her as she led the client back to her office. She wore another one of those tempting skirts. There was nothing inappropriate about her outfits; in fact, they were quite sedate. But on Rylee, they were anything but demure. The waist cinched, then flared over her hips, and the hem swayed teasingly above her knees. She always paired a dark skirt with a colorful blouse. Today’s was a sunshiny yellow with tiny black polka-dots. The black belt accentuated her full breasts. And those heels. He swallowed when she smiled up at the client, and Nate’s lips pulled upward in response. A red ribbon was tied in the burnished brown hair that swished halfway down her back with each step. He’d had more than one fantasy about that hair.
He should have his head examined for hiring her. When Rylee closed her office door, Nate snapped back to the conversation he should have been paying attention to.
“…but of course, Dane wouldn’t even consider the possibility of showing the young woman around the city. But you know your Uncle Ki has a way of changing a person’s thinking to match his. It must be some King gene or something.”
Nate rubbed his eyes. He loved his mother, and he missed her, but sometimes their calls were a bit long and tedious. “Mother.”
“Yes, dear?”
> Grinning into the phone, Nate asked, “Was there a reason for your call?”
He could just see his mom squinting, trying to remember. “Oh, yes. Well, mostly because I miss you, but I also wanted to find out your plans for the wedding. It’s approaching quickly.”
His brother would be the first of their generation to marry, and the festivities were growing. The wedding, according to his sisters, was going to be the event of the decade. “What do you mean, my plans?”
“Lukas…I mean, Nate—I just wanted to make sure you were planning to attend.”
Nate chuckled. “You can call me Lukas, Mom. Only the people here know me as Nate. And of course I will be there.” Even if he didn’t want to go, he would, because Milo was his brother and had won the grandest prize of all.
His mother’s tone grew serious. “I know this will be hard for you, but honey, it will hurt everyone if you’re not there. Milo needs to know you’re okay.”
Nate didn’t know what to say. His mom knew how much he was hurt and how badly he had needed to leave. Thankfully, his hierarchy in the family wasn’t of insurmountable importance.
“Have you found what you were looking for?” she asked with all the love and understanding only a mother could have.
He’d discovered a lot of things since he’d left home, but he wasn’t ready to go back. “Not yet. But soon. I thank you and Father for giving me this time away.” It hadn’t been easy telling his parents he wanted to move halfway across the world and take over his buddy’s tattoo shop. They hadn’t been pleased, but with a few stipulations, they’d given their blessing. His security detail would accompany him, and at the end of four years, he’d return and take his rightful place alongside his family.
“If you’re happy, then we’re happy. But Lukas…not much longer, okay? We all miss you horribly.”
Long after he’d ended the call, Nate surveyed the business he’d taken over. He’d increased revenue by forty-eight percent, and satisfied customers brought not only repeat business, but also new word-of-mouth customers walking through Wicked Ink’s door. Their reputation in the ink world had their schedules booked solid months in advance. And he’d accomplished all of that in two years, and all on his own because nobody in Denver knew who he really was. Here, he wasn’t the Royal Prince Lukas SuMartra of Tanistan.
Even though he did have bodyguards near, they hadn’t been necessary. Running to the corner grocery for milk or simply taking a walk in the park weren’t a problem for Nate Kensington. He chuckled—learning how to do those things had been a challenge. One thing he’d learned was when to seek the help of professionals. Since the incident with his red shirt, he no longer did his own laundry. However, he found satisfaction in keeping his own home clean. A lot of that he owed to his mother for always insisting her children make their own beds every day and keep their own suites tidy, even though they’d had staff to attend to those type of things. And every one of his siblings and cousins had taken a stint in the stables cleaning stalls.
Nate rubbed his stubbly chin; he hadn’t minded the stables at all. He’d learned a lot that summer—most of which his parents would not have approved—but being a SuMartra male came with expectations. And he’d excelled.
Chapter 2
Rylee
* * *
Rylee Haywood gripped the steering wheel in both hands and forced the car to the side of the road. Once she was safely on the shoulder, she let her head fall forward and slam into the wheel in defeat. There wasn’t any need to get out; she knew she’d just had a blowout. She also knew she didn’t have a spare in her trunk because it was currently in use on the opposite side of the car.
“Args!” She’d been too busy to take time to get it repaired. Her head jerked up when headlights reflected in her rearview mirror. The approaching car slowed and stopped beside her. Again, she wanted to slam her head down—she recognized that sporty car. She took a calming breath and watched the other car’s passenger window lower before she rolled her window down and turned on a fake smile.
“Car trouble, Rylee?”
And just like it always did when this particular person spoke to her, her stomach fluttered. “Yeah. Just a flat.”
The smile on his handsome face seemed to glow from the interior lights. Or maybe from his sparkling white teeth. But then he ruined it when he said, “And let me guess, you haven’t replaced your spare?”
The smile turned into a condescending grin that made her want to smack him upside the head just before kissing those strong, full lips. But that probably wouldn’t be a good idea. He was, after all, her boss.
With a knowing smirk, he said, “Come on. Get in and I’ll take you home.”
Rylee barely managed to keep the shock from her face because getting in that car with him was the last thing she wanted to do. It was after midnight; if she had absolutely any hope of getting home, she’d have to get in his car. But she would be enclosed in a small space, within his atmosphere and all his manly scents would get all over her, tempting her. She gave a frustrated sigh because she knew she had no choice. She just wouldn’t breathe. Pulling her crossbody bag over her head, she climbed out and locked her doors. She wasn’t afraid of anyone stealing or stripping her car. If they did, they would be doing her a favor. Her ten-year-old Hyundai was past the age of retirement. She just hadn’t gotten around to replacing it. And then, this one was paid off, and she didn’t want to take on a nasty monthly payment.
Nate leaned over and opened the passenger door. She had to bend down to crawl into the ground-hugging sportster. Rylee jumped when Nate reached over and grabbed the seat belt, brushing against her breasts as he buckled her in. She swatted his hands away. “I can do that.” She took the buckle out of his hand, which was another mistake because she touched his warm skin. A current ran through her, making her breath quicken. Before she had herself strapped in, she tried to take in a slow, calming breath. And that only filled her senses with his yummy masculine aroma. She gave him her address and clasped her hands together in her lap.
Checking the rearview mirror as he pulled back on the road, Nate asked, “Why are you out this late?”
Nervously, she pulled her frizzy hair over her right shoulder, wondering why she hadn’t used her umbrella earlier. Because she loved a soft drizzle on her face, but her hair was a different story. Rylee’s gaze went to Nate’s hands as he gracefully worked the manual stick. She could imagine them caressing her the same way he finessed the gear shift. “Just getting off work,” she mumbled.
“You need to quit that job, Ry. You’re the best damn designer I have. I’ll give you a raise if you need the money.” Nate’s turned his gaze to her for a moment.
Giving her a raise and no one else was a recipe for disaster. “Thanks. I know you would. But I’m the newest person at Wicked Ink, and Marty should get a raise before me; he needs the money for his family. I’m fine, really.”
“Money isn’t an issue, Ry,” Nate insisted.
Rylee shrugged. She supposed someone who owned an expensive sports car like the one she was currently sinking into wouldn’t be worried about money. As close as she’d grown to the people she worked with, she knew from experience that she had to earn her place in order to gain their respect.
His hand brushed her thigh as he shifted to turn onto her road, and she shivered. She turned her head sharply to look out her window to take a few seconds to compose herself. She had no idea why she reacted to Nate the way she did. Yes, he was a ten-plus on the attractiveness scale, and his slight accent pushed every one of her buttons. She’d worked for him for over six months, so she should be used to him by now. Shouldn’t she? But every time he looked at her, she couldn’t breathe. And when he spoke to her, she wanted to attach herself to his chest and lick him. And when he turned his smile her way, those dark intense blue eyes sparkled all over her, while her heart beat to a Luther Vandross song that played in her mind.
She had no idea why Nate affected her like he did. He’d always treated her
professionally and never showed a hint of being attracted to her.
Nate’s fancy car navigated her street with ease, pulling into her driveway without a single rattle, ping, or grinding of brakes. She scanned the overgrown front lawn for any forgotten toys and noticed that no lights were shining from the windows. How could she be so lucky? “Well, thanks for the ride home and sorry for the inconvenience.”
Nate turned to her. “It was no inconvenience at all. In fact, I had a better time driving you home than I did on my dinner date.”
She breathed past the curling jealousy rumbling in her tummy at the thought of Nate on a date. But if he was going home alone, the woman had to be incredibly stupid. “Struck out, did you?”
Nate chuckled and moved his hand off the steering wheel and onto the shifter between them. She could feel the warmth from his skin on her bare thigh. “Not that type of date. It was my annoying sisters. I’m just thankful they don’t live here. I put them on the plane home myself right after I fed them an insane amount of food.”
The breath she’d been holding slowly turned to a smile. A man who pampered his sisters—she liked that. “How long were they here?”
Over Ruled: On the Wild Side Series Page 1
