The Duke (Billionaire Royals Book 3) Read online

  The Duke

  Billionaire Royals Book 3

  Sophia Summers

  Contents

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  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

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  Chapter 1

  Seraphina thought she had prepared herself to see Trane, thought she could walk calmly, speak in a normal voice, and pretend he did not affect her. But as soon as she entered the door to King Nico’s wedding reception, she knew her pretense would never be possible. Her eyes found him right away, and he found her. It didn’t help that he stood up abruptly when she entered. His eyes warmed her wherever his gaze travelled over her body. And he was shocked to see her, that much was obvious.

  She smirked. Perfect. She loved to keep people on their toes. The day she became predictable was the day she changed her name and moved to the arctic just to keep things interesting.

  No matter how much Seraphina had tried to brace herself, she still almost teetered over in her heels. Curse these high spikes. Surely a man invented such a torturous device. She gripped her camera and concentrated on remaining upright.

  Franco put a hand at the small of her back. “Steady boss.”

  She swallowed and nodded. “Thanks.” She was here to do a job. Proving she was more than just Princess Seraphina, the eldest Rolana daughter meant she could succeed as a reporter, meant that her journalism degree mattered. She held the camera up to her face and started snapping shots of anything. After about twenty or so, she slipped the strap over her arm, took out her notebook and pulled a pencil from behind her ear.

  She had never been able to respond sensibly where Trane was concerned. She dared the quickest flicker of a glance in his direction. Subtlety, never his strength, he still stared at her.

  The room was lavish. White folds of silk hung from the ceiling and draped this way and that, billowing to create the sense of dancing in the clouds. Though the party was many hours in the making, only the diehards were still here and out dancing, Seraphina had wanted to make an appearance, represent her family. None of the other four siblings could attend and her parents were aging and rarely left their summer estate.

  She had a second motivation for coming. A shot at a feature in tomorrow’s paper. The wedding was the story of all stories in any of the nearby nations. And she wanted some first-hand shots that others might not have taken.

  A quiet voice inside told her that all this baloney about a feature story and family duty were just elaborate excuses to run into Trane.

  Was she that pathetic? Would she take him back if he came begging? No. She wouldn’t. Ok, maybe she would, if he were serious. She couldn’t help craving the sweet torture of seeing him, even from across the room. Oh brother, her intentions were clear as a foggy day across the Mediterranean.

  Franco cleared his throat. “Weren’t we going to do interviews?”

  They hadn’t moved. Two steps into the room and Trane’s gaze had stopped her cold.

  “Of course.” She looked anywhere but at Franco. Or Trane.

  “You could just go talk to him and get it over with.”

  She looked at Trane again and hissed, “Stop talking about him.” When Franco shared her gaze in Trane’s direction she added, “Don’t look at him!” When he ignored her and looked anyway, she waved her hands, “Franco!”

  And then because they looked ridiculous and because Trane and King Nico Valdez had seen it all, she adjusted her camera strap and said, “Come on.”

  She lifted her head, placed one spiky heel on the floor in front of the other as she walked with a confidence she tried to feel. I am a professional. She repeated over and over until she at last arrived in front of Trane.

  She took a deep breath and held out her hand, and said, “I am a professional.” She bit her lip in dismay and wished to turn around and hide.

  Nico laughed and turned away. Which made her feel more ridiculous.

  “No, I mean, hello, Trane. Congratulations, your majesty.”

  But Trane just stood there, dark wavy hair, perfect broad shoulders, tanned skin. His eyes drank her in; he never could hide what he was thinking. It made her want to step into his arms like she used to. But the rest of him seemed frozen. A part of her was thrilled that even if he never called or texted like he used to, he enjoyed her when she was right in front of him.

  Lucan kicked his foot but Trane did not move. This couldn’t get any more awkward. She cleared her throat. “So, I was wondering if I could get a shot with all the brothers?” She smiled and held up her camera.

  This seemed to break Trane out of his trance.

  “Seraphina. Good to see you.” He reached for her hand and brought it to his mouth.

  His soft lips, pressing against her knuckles left a tingle on her skin. She felt a ridiculous urge to give her hand back to him for a repeat gesture. His eyes watched her. He hadn’t yet looked away. Not really. Her face heated with a rush of exhilaration at the close attention.

  She cleared her throat. “How about you stay sitting, just as you are and I’ll get a shot of the dance floor behind you and our lovely new queen out there.” She loved Jo. What a wonderful fresh new figurehead. Watching her move, she chuckled, “That woman has more energy…”

  Nico chuckled, “She’s fantastic.” His eyes, following his new wife told Seraphina all she needed to know about the love he felt. The sight made her smile and a wistful sort of butterfly fluttered around in her stomach. Perhaps someday she would find a man to adore her with his eyes. Like Trane was doing. Except, she amended, he would need to do the other things that mattered too.

  Franco nudged her, and she got to work. She snapped shot after shot of the incredibly photogenic group. And then took quotes from each brother. Then, because she wanted more time with Trane, she said, “Let’s get a quick shot of the Duke and Tripp.” Tripp jumped up. He was not often featured anywhere, but she appreciated his quiet way with people. And she had a personal interest in his efforts to save the oceanic wildlife. She stood them together, Tripp in front of Trane. “We’ll call this, The Duke’s Brother.” She smirked. Tripp shrugged, “It’s as good a title as I’m going to get.”

  Lucan snorted, “As if Prince isn’t enough of one.”

  “Well, besides that.”

  Trane rested a hand on his shoulder. “Being next in line isn’t always a sail around the Mediterranean. No one calls me the Duke. They call me—”

  “The King’s brother.” Nico smirked.

  Tripp held up a hand. “I’m not complaining. I’ve never wanted to be the Duke.” His grin, wide and easy, showed just how happy he was to do his own thing right in the middle of a group of powerful men.

  She finished as the DJ announced one last song.

  Nico stood, eyes for only his wife.

  Suddenly shy, Seraphina looked down at the floor and then at the wall. All her days at middle school dances rushed back to haunt her. You would think all those years of finishing school, gala training, royal governesses, and she would be able to shake the scars of middle school.

  Franco nudged her “Should we leave? I think we’ve g
ot everything here. Might be able to get a good position to watch their car drive away.”

  Her eyes flew to Trane’s. “Oh sure.” Was she really going to stand there, stalling, hoping he asked her to dance?

  Then his eyes sparkled and he straightened. “Seraphina, someone’s got to show Nico he’s not all that. Would you care to dance?” His outstretched hand beckoned, promising to hold her close, to move about the floor. A flush of warmth spread through her.

  “I’d love to. Someone has to put them in their place.” She amended. “Though I love Jo. She’s great right where she is.”

  He winked. “Everyone loves Jo. Best thing to happen to my brother.”

  As soon as her hand rested in his, she forgot everything else. A repeated tugging at her arm pulled her from her faraway place of bliss to hand the camera equipment off to Franco. Then she followed Trane out onto the floor.

  Truth told, she would follow him anywhere. He had always been her weakness and she had spent much of her late teen years, pining away for him, jumping every time he dropped a bit of attention her way. She knew he liked her, but he just never had time for a relationship and she was left feeling needy and demanding. So she had allowed some space between them and that space had grown until they rarely saw each other now and he never called.

  But here he was. He pulled her into his arms, closer than was necessary. She fit so comfortably in them. He held her. His hands weren’t merely resting on the small of her back or holding her other hand. His dance was an embrace and she felt wrapped in the security of his strength.

  His eyes sparkled warmly. “This is nice. I like you right here.”

  The honey baritone voice washed over her. But she couldn’t let herself get used to his attention. She knew it was-out of sight, out of mind-with him, and the thought brought a sigh.

  “Why the sigh?” Trane raised his eyebrow. His eyes still holding that look of fascination, that complete attention to her every detail. She knew if she swallowed he took note.

  She hedged. “Oh, I don’t know. Just tired I guess.” Maybe this dance was a bad idea.

  He waited. “I know you better than that.”

  She allowed a bit of her anguish to show. “Do you?” She looked down. It wasn’t really the time to get into such a conversation. “Cause you haven’t called in months.” She bit her tongue right after she said it, but she couldn’t keep the words from flowing out. They showed the hurt she had been burying when she realized that if she didn’t put herself in front of him, he didn’t think of her.

  She straightened. It was time to return from the few moments of fantasy in his arms and face life as she knew it. She and Trane could never be.

  “Seraphina, you know what’s been going on around here.” His head indicated Nico and Jo who danced near them. “We’ve got to get Nico fully transitioned and then things should calm down enough. But then there’s the work with the summit—”

  She shook her head. “I know Trane. It’s always the same. I’m fine, really. It’s just when I see you, I can’t help but wish there was time for us.”

  The guilty expression on his face reminded her why she had put distance between them. Here she was again, the needy person in his life who he never made time for. She stopped their dance. “You know what, it’s fine. Trane. You are married to the crown.” Even though, ironically, he would never wear it. She knew Torren was everything to him. She backed up and felt the lonely coldness of her life surround her. “Perhaps I’ll see you at the new ocean facility ribbon cutting?”

  He nodded. But his pained expression cut to her center. “Stay, Phina. Come to the palace. Just for tonight.” He took her hand back in his own. And she almost couldn’t concentrate. “Like old times. We’re swimming, movies, music…”

  “Trane, I can’t. As good as it sounds right now, it will only make tomorrow harder.” She shook her head and backed away from him. Franco came up behind her. “Everything ok, boss?”

  She turned to him, gratefully. His kind brown eyes comforting. He held up her equipment. “The front walk?”

  She wiped one lone rebellious tear off her cheek, took a last look at Trane and then hurried from the room, with Franco following after.

  Chapter 2

  “Why don’t you go after her?” Tripp joined him at his side and watched Seraphina leave.

  “Because she doesn’t want to get involved. I asked her to come to the palace tonight. To spend time with all of us. She only lets me get so close, then she runs.”

  “Have you ever followed her? When she runs?”

  Trane shook his head. “She’s so convincing about it I just let her go.” He tried to smile and lighten the conversation. “Besides, what kind of relationship could we have?”

  “Nico and Jo do it.”

  “Just barely. You saw what happened to them. It takes a special woman…”

  Tripp shook his head. “And you don’t think Seraphina is that?” His face showed the skepticism Trane felt.

  “I know she is. And she was raised with an equally busy life. I don’t know. I just get lost in my work, the committees, my responsibilities. She’s not happy when we are dating cause I don’t make time for her. She deserves better.”

  Tripp didn’t respond but Trane knew he disagreed. Well, no matter. He hadn’t been there to witness Trane’s train wreck of a relationship last time he and Phina tried to date.

  Lucan joined them. “She searches your news and photos at least once a day.”

  Irritation grated. “Will you please stop watching her? She’s not a matter of national security.”

  Lucan lifted one shoulder. “It’s not Phina I worry about, but some of her associates.”

  Trane frowned. She had recently exchanged emails with a more radical environmental group. “They have the same goals as Torren.’’

  “And have used radical means in the past to express themselves. Bombs. Threats.”

  “Those were never officially attributed to the group.”

  Lucan just widened his eyes and Trane knew he had his own evidence. Lucan was the head of their security team and he was very good at what he did.

  “I’m just not comfortable with your group keeping her on surveillance. She would not thank us.” Unspoken, but also important, she might never speak to Trane again even in passing if she knew. He couldn’t blame her.

  “All those close to the crown need surveillance. It’s for their own safety as well.”

  “True, but she doesn’t know.”

  Lucan didn’t even blink. To him, the family’s security was the most important thing. Any toes they stepped on to ensure their protection were worthy sacrifices.

  Nico and Jo gathered their things as the DJ kept playing soft music, but everyone had gone home except for the brothers and a few of their closer friends, or as Trane liked to call them, hopefuls. He shook his head. Tonight each of the brothers had a few hopefuls looking for an after party invite to anything they did. He didn’t even glance over at them as he walked out the door. Then another guilty pang pinched in his throat. Seraphina used to be one. She was ready for fun with him whenever he was available. He didn’t blame her for stepping away. But he didn’t know what to do about it either, because if she wasn’t willing to be ready when he had a free moment, he just didn’t have time for a relationship right now.

  With a sigh similar to hers, he pushed open the outer doors and climbed in the brothers’ limo.

  Giggling entered soon after and he nodded to the women who joined him. Tripp, Thad and Daniel crooked an arm over their dates.

  The brother swim-and-hot tub-movie-night was getting more crowded. He resisted the urge to text Phina. So often he resisted these urges. What if he stopped? What if he reached out to her every time he had a moment such as this? Were there enough moments to make a relationship? He had noticed Nico blocking out time on his day with his assistant. Jo time. Perhaps the Valdez’s were getting to a place in their family where Trane could step back a little bit. For years he had been
the stand-in for Nico while Nico partied, while he irresponsibly created more havoc for the family. And then their father had died and all of the responsibility of the crown was thrust upon his older brother. But Nico was a different person now. And Jo was a lifeline. Perhaps he could step away, even a little, in his watchcare.

  Two more girls jumped in and Lucan followed.

  Trane raised his eyebrows when one came and snuggled in at his side.

  Lucan shrugged and started telling his short blond some of their skiing stories.

  Trane tried to be polite, to listen and enjoy himself. He looked out the window as their limo pulled away. Phina and her assistant stood on the curb taking pictures of all the departures. He groaned inside. Any chance with her was certainly not helped when she saw him with a last minute pick up date. “Stop the car.” He called to the driver who immediately complied.

  Trane hopped out. “Excuse me just one moment.”

  He ran over to Seraphina. She stiffened when she saw him. But he said. “I know you’re busy. I wish you could come, but I understand. Look, I just wanted you to know it meant a lot to see you again. Things are going to be different now.”

  She eyed the limo, the girl closest to the window had rolled it down and leaned out cheering to the night sky. “Looks about the same to me.”

  He shook his head. “Things are going to change. I’m working on it.” He held her eyes in his gaze. “Trust me.” It was a question as much as a statement and he waited, her eyes searching his own, running over his face. As her gaze swept over him, he thrilled. It felt almost like a caress. Then at length she said, “I don’t have room in my life for a repeat of what we had. I have a tiny-” She held up her fingers close together. “little bitty space for something new.” She eyed him with caution, and more than a little distrust. “Be careful with my heart Trane.”