The Billionaire Prince’s Daughter (European Billionaire Beaus Book 2) Read online

  She kept speaking over the gasp that came up from the audience.

  “I didn’t know then that meeting Prince Artur would be the beginning of the greatest adventure I’ve ever taken. It’s brought me through the very earliest stages of motherhood and all the way across the world. I’ve seen more of this beautiful country than I ever could have dreamed of, and met so many incredible people along the way.”

  Her voice trembled, but Amy pressed on.

  “I wanted to tell you all that I am in good health, that the baby is well, and that I am committed to raising our child to love this country, to honor its traditions, and to embrace its future. I’ve learned to love this country myself, and I’ve learned to love its prince, but our baby won’t have to learn that. She will be born knowing it.”

  One last breath, and it was the end of her speech. “I want you all to know how much we appreciate your support and understanding, and I look forward to updating you again soon.”

  Amy stepped back.

  The murmur of the press was loud enough that it should have been a distraction, but all she was aware of was a hand in hers, and Artur was pulling her toward him.

  He kissed her right there by the podium while dozens of cameras flashed. She didn’t care at all. Let them take pictures. Let them see this moment of triumph. Let them see the way her heart healed and all the hurt flew away. She pulled back. “I’m sorry,” she whispered directly into Artur’s ear.

  “I’m sorry. I should have chased after you. I should have let you know that I understood. It’s not easy. It’s—”

  “I love you,” she cut him off.

  “I love you,” he said, and then he kissed her again. Amy thought she could float forever in his kiss and in the way and in the joy suffusing the room. When she pulled back again, it was to see Tatyana clapping and laughing, too.

  Amy and Artur stepped out from behind the podium and raised their clasped hands. She waved along with him, beaming, knowing that this was for the public. This was for all the citizens of Stolvenia who wanted to see the royal family happy and secure.

  This was for them—but later, when they were alone? Their lives would be for each other.

  “I love you,” Amy said, and she wasn’t sure Artur could hear her. She didn’t look at him because she was smiling out at the cameras, proudly, for all to see.

  “I love you.” She caught his words out of the air and pressed them to her heart. She’d keep them there always.

  End of The Billionaire Prince’s Daughter

  European Billionaire Beaus Book Two

  The Billionaire Price’s Nanny, June 20, 2019

  The Billionaire Prince’s Daughter, June 27, 2019

  The Billionaire King’s Heir, July 4 2019

  Do you want to be swept off your feet? Then keep reading for exclusive extracts from The Billionaire King’s Heir and The Billionaire’s Accidental Baby.

  Thank you!

  Thank you so much for purchasing my book. It’s hard for me to put into words how much I appreciate my readers. If you enjoyed this book, please remember to leave a review. Reviews are crucial for an author’s success and I would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to review the book. I love hearing from you!

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  About Leslie

  Leslie North is the USA Today Bestselling pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women's contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres. (no alignment block)

  To find your next Leslie North book, visit LeslieNorthBooks.com or choose

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  BLURB

  Felicity was the only person in the world who knew her daughter, Hope, is heir to the Stolvenia throne. Until a newspaper leaks the story and now everyone knows—including Hope’s father, King Raphael. The media storm surrounding what’s being called the century’s most romantic story is far greater than either could have anticipated.

  On the plus side, with the public crazy about their “love” story, support for a referendum to dissolve the monarchy is waning. And when Raphael shows up at her door with a proposal, it doesn’t take much convincing for Felicity to agree to a marriage in name only—at least until the votes are counted and the referendum fails. She needs to take care of her daughter and her wheelchair-bound sister who requires expensive medical care. Surely, becoming a queen and molding herself into a proper royal won’t be that much of a sacrifice to make to give her family comfort and security. And if she still loves Raphael? Well, that was another thing she could deal with.

  Raphael has never stopped thinking about Felicity and wondering why she’d left him. She was the only women he’d ever loved and for the past three years, he’d been trying to forget her. Now, not only had he found her, he’d also found out he was a father—something his devious late mother had tried to ensure he would never know. All that time, he’d thought Felicity cold and heartless, but now with her acting her part as the future queen, he’s seeing the future he’d once dreamed of for them—and the chance to bond with his daughter, to boot. The only trouble is…he has no idea how to be a husband. Or a father. Or anything other than a king. He’s lived for his people for so long—is it too late to learn how to live for himself, and open his heart to true love?

  Grab your copy of The Billionaire King’s Heir

  Available July 4th, 2019

  www.LeslieNorthBooks.com

  EXCERPT

  PROLOGUE

  Salem, the man from Stolvenia’s intelligence agency who gave King Rafael briefings three days a week, seemed to dread this morning’s briefing. He kept pulling at his collar with subtle little movements Rafael couldn’t help but notice.

  The man looked nervously down at the folder in front of him. “We’ve come to the last item on today’s briefing, and I’m afraid it’s a bit of a…” His voice trailed off and he reached up and adjusted his tie. “I’m afraid there’s not an easy way to—”

  Rafael’s entire soul sighed. “Just tell me, Salem. I’m not going to dismiss you from palace service if you’ve got uncomfortable news. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

  Of course it wouldn’t. His country might be small, but it had its share of problems. And when anything went wrong, where else were the people to look but to their king to make things right again? It didn’t matter whether or not the issue—social, political, economic, environmental—was his fault. It was always his responsibility. That’s what it meant to rule.

  “Some news has come to light regarding Felicity Callard.”

  Rafael’s heart stopped; he was sure of it.

  “Say that again?”

  “Details have…surfaced, and some of them…” Now Salem looked pale. “Some of them could be viewed as rather scandalous by the general public.”

  His mind whirled. Felicity Callard had blown into his life like a hurricane nearly three years ago, and just when he thought they were going to tip right into a permanent union, she disappeared.

  No—it was more accurate to say that she ran. One moment, she was with him in Stolvenia. The next, she’d had to go back to the United States to be with her sister, and had insisted on breaking all contact with Rafael. He’d thought she’d change her mind, that she’d reach out when she was ready. She hadn’t. So that had been that.

  At least that’s what Rafael told himself, along with everyone else. He was over her. He had forgotten her.

  Rafael cleared his throat, trying to school his face into a more neutral expression. “How was this discovered?”

  Salem straightened his tie. “We have an informant in one of the opposition papers. They have the story, King Rafael. At least, they have part of the story. And it’s going to break.”

  These days, Rafael badly needed to avoid scandalous breaking news, and for obvi
ous reasons. An opposition group had taken root in Stolvenia claiming that all the nation’s problems could be solved by dissolving the monarchy. The idea had spread like a cancer, undermining the people’s trust in Rafael’s leadership. An upcoming referendum would decide the issue once and for all, and with the date fast approaching, any scandal could be fatal.

  Polls currently showed a small majority of the country sided with the royals—thanks in no small part to the massive popularity of his brothers’ whirlwind romances. But that just made the opposition more desperate as they dug for a game changer.

  Salem was hedging.

  “What are you not telling me, Salem?”

  The intelligence officer looked him in the eye, steeling himself.

  “She had a child. Your child.”

  Salem picked up a printed photo from the folder and slid it across the desk to Rafael. He took it in his hands. It was a photo of a little girl, maybe two years old, with blonde ringlets, huge blue eyes, and an infectious grin. She stood on a checked blanket laid out on the grass—a park or lawn somewhere. The sun caught in her hair, and she looked like she was laughing. Her small hands held a little bubble machine and the bubbles flew upward in front of her. Rafael could almost see the scene playing out in front of his eyes, almost hear her laughter ringing in his ears.

  “My child,” he repeated slowly, emotions circling themselves in the pit of his gut. His child. Felicity had become pregnant with his child, and she’d hid it from him.

  Why?

  He looked back up at Salem, but the man looked more nervous than ever. Rafael’s stomach sank. “There’s something else, isn’t there?” He let out a harsh laugh. “What could be more scandalous than a king with a secret family?”

  “It would be more of a blow,” Salem said cautiously, “if the opposition had reason to believe that the royal family had been…complicit…for generations.”

  Hot indignation flared. “How could any other generations have been involved in Felicity Callard spiriting my daughter to the United States?”

  “They have some kind of evidence that your mother, the queen, was involved.”

  Rafael felt the blood drain out of his face. “My mother?”

  Salem shifted his weight uncomfortably from foot to foot. “Signs point to some kind of payment, arranged between the queen and Felicity. It would explain…” He cleared his throat again. “It would explain her rapid departure from Stolvenia.”

  “And hiding my child from me.” Rafael’s stomach churned. His mother had been dead for over a year, but that wouldn’t matter to the press. “Do we have our own evidence?”

  “We’re working on it now, sir.”

  In the meantime…in the meantime, he stared at the photo of the little girl, his mind racing down all the corridors of possibility and coming up against the same dead ends.

  He had a daughter.

  He had a daughter.

  And he had never seen her.

  He might be over Felicity. His feelings for her might be long gone, fled back to America with her. But a child changed everything—absolutely everything.

  He folded his hands on top of the desk and put on his best poker face. He couldn’t let it show how much this was affecting him. Not here. Not now. Not ever. Being king meant he had to view every situation for the way it impacted his country. His personal feelings had to come last.

  “Where is Felicity?”

  “A city called Des Moines, Iowa,” he said carefully. “She’s been living there for the last three years, working in Human Resources for a care facility called Westwood Crossings. It’s where her sister, Joy, lives.”

  “When does the story break?”

  “This week, at the latest.”

  Rafael instantly understood what this meant. Somehow, some way, he needed to take control over the story and frame it to help Stolvenia rather than hurt it. He needed to meet his daughter. And he needed to save the monarchy.

  “What do you need from me, Your Majesty? What do you want to do now?”

  Rafael looked up from the photograph. “Have my staff ready the plane.”

  Grab your copy of The Billionaire King’s Heir

  Available July 4th, 2019

  www.LeslieNorthBooks.com

  BLURB

  Connie Bonner has spent her life working hard and following her passion, never too worried about how things will work out or where her life is headed. But after one unforgettable, passionate night with Brian O’Leary, her gorgeous former boss, her life has ground to a halt. Now, she’s pregnant. Facing the biggest responsibility of her life. Worse, Brian’s new girlfriend and soon-to-be fiancée is demanding Brian not be named the father and that Connie sign a non-disclosure agreement. But when Brian begins to help Connie prepare for the baby, she finds herself dreaming about not just their child but a family with the billionaire as well.

  Brian is convinced that Connie’s pregnancy is just a small hiccup on his way to the perfect life he’s dreamed of since he was a poor kid on the wrong side of the tracks. He’s already amassed fortune, and has found the perfect, practical fiancée who comes with a major tech deal, putting his goal almost in reach. He has no room in his life for the always-cheerful Connie, but he finds himself more and more drawn to her despite his looming goal. She’s the opposite of everything he needs in life. But if that’s true, why is it so hard to resist her?

  As the pregnancy progresses, Connie wants Brian to see that there’s more to life than making money, and that they’re meant to be a family. But with everything working against them and a baby on the way, time is running out for them to find their happily ever after.

  Grab your copy of The Billionaire’s Accidental Baby (Billionaires & Babies, Book 1) from www.LeslieNorthBooks.com

  EXCERPT

  Brian O’Leary didn’t do patience very well.

  Which is why the Saudi prince currently lollygagging around Brian’s San Diego headquarters made him clench his fists behind his back.

  He was steps away from closing the deal. Steps that he could count on one hand. Hell, he could practically feel the signature already scratching over paper. The deal that he’d worked tirelessly to organize, to orchestrate, like the delicate masterpiece it was—the deal that would push him over the threshold of billionaire.

  He’d been working his entire life for this moment.

  And Prince Yariz was intent on inspecting every square inch of the office, as if he might find a deal breaker by the water cooler.

  “Sir, if I could accompany you back to my office, we can—” Brian began.

  “What about the development offices?” The prince arched an eyebrow. Brian understood that signing today’s contract meant five years of dealing with this guy and his software company. But sacrifices had to be made in the name of financial security and goal achievement. At this point, Brian would offer one of his own limbs to get this guy’s signature on the paperwork.

  Brian had been crafting triumphant emails and celebratory phone calls in his head for weeks now. He could already imagine the pride in his mother’s voice when he called her up in South Bay to tell her about the deal. She hadn’t been struggling for a good number of years—not since Brian made his first million, at least—so it wasn’t so much about taking care of her. She was proud of him, no matter what; at least that’s what she always told him and he almost always believed her. Getting Prince Yariz’ signature on the contract would be the icing on the cake and he’d achieve his goal of reaching billionaire status five years earlier than planned.

  Growing up destitute and desperate, after his dad had skipped town leaving his mother, him and his younger siblings struggling for survival, his ten-year-old self promised his tearful mother that he would always take care of her and he had.

  Brian straightened his back, trying not to let his irritation seep out and stain the whole deal. He gestured toward a nearby hallway, which led to the development area. The two walked down the neatly carpeted hall, decorated in beige and brown tones. Bria
n’s favorite. It was calming. Neutral. Distantly woodsy. He pushed open the glass door at the end of the hallway. The open-plan work space of the development team greeted them, lined with wall-to-wall windows overlooking downtown San Diego.

  At first glance, it was a pristine image of industriousness and productivity. A snapshot of the modern American workplace. Brian smiled. Yes, let Prince Yariz take it all in.

  The distinctive sound of feminine laughter sent a ripple of interest through him. From across the room, Constance Bonner sat at her desk surrounded by several of the male developers as they watched something on her computer. The laughter from the other developers dried up as one by one, they noticed our arrival and quickly slunk back to their desks. All except for Connie who had yet to notice us. Realizing that she was now alone, she looked up, her thick, black ponytail swishing over her shoulder. Pushing her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose, she leapt up, tugging at her black button-down shirt and too short plaid skirt. He could just make out the print on her socks, which stuck out above her black boots. Unicorns? Of course, it would be unicorns.

  Brian pressed his thumbs against his temples as Prince Yariz began moving toward her like a moth to a flame. Connie was one of the top developers at the company. She was gorgeous, too, not that it mattered. But she was chronically, relentlessly, friendly.

  It was a nice trait for an employee to have.

  Except for right now.

  Connie’s eyes seemed to grow bigger as she saw us walking toward her. Audio from her computer caught her attention and she quickly tried to close out of whatever had everyone engaged prior to them coming in the room. Her mutterings of, “Oh, no, no, no” almost had him feeling sorry for her but he also knew that everyone had been apprised of today’s VIP visit.