Page 123 of Modern Romance Collection March 2025 (1-4)

Princess for the Headlines

Heidi Rice

CHAPTER ONE

WHERE THE HELLis she now? Is she trying to create an international incident? Because she’s doing a spectacular job tonight of making me look like a complete ass.

Prince Rene Sven Conrad Gaultiere tuned out the excited chatter from his press secretary as he stood on the ornate marble balcony overlooking Gaultiere Castle’s West Ballroom. He surveyed the centuries-old splendour, which was currently festooned in gold and silver décor, lasers streaming across the dancefloor as music throbbed and the clock edged closer to midnight. Like a raptor locating its prey, he found the woman in red satin he’d been looking for amongst the five hundred carefully selected guests, her blonde chignon glittering like a halo in the sparkle of light from a crystal chandelier.

That would be the woman who had been tasked with hosting the traditional New Year’s Eve Ball by his side—to demonstrate the excellent union between their two neighbouring countries—but who had been avoiding him all evening.

The fury he’d been barely managing to keep a chokehold on ramped up another notch.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that Melody Taylor had appeared only moments before the event started, then run off as soon as they had opened the Ball together, she was now busy flirting with Eli Carter.

Of course he wasn’t remotely surprised Carter had sniffed her out, given the US hotel tycoon had an even more notorious reputation for seducing beautiful women than Rene himself—and the gown Mel was wearing plunged so low it turned her curvaceous figure into the Eighth Wonder of the World. But Carter’s behaviour was not Rene’s concern. Melody’s, on the other hand…

She was here representing Androvia tonight—because she was Queen Isabelle’s best friend as well as her personal assistant. This annual event was supposed to highlight the friendship between their two kingdoms—not how low an opinion the Queen of Androvia’s PA had of Saltzaland’s Prince, i.e. him.

As he watched, the woman who had entered the Ball on his arm tilted her head forward inquisitively, and Carter leaned closer to whisper something in her ear… Close enough to see right down the front of her gown.

Rene’s fraying temper ignited.

Who the hell did Carter think he was? Coming on tohisdate for the evening, onhisterritory, athisevent, inhiscastle? And what was Melody thinking? Carter was a wolf who would take pleasure in using her influence with Androvia’s Queen for his own purposes.

Rene swore viciously under his breath.

Melody and he had always had a complicated relationship—which had only become more complicated when he’d made the mistake of sleeping with her, four years ago. But she was here to do a job on behalf of her Queen, and her decision to flirt with Carter, who had less ethics than an alley cat, by all accounts, was the final straw.

‘As soon as the clock strikes midnight I’m out of here, Andre,’ he said to his press secretary, interrupting the flow of information about what a spectacular success this year’s Ball had been.

Not for me.Because my co-host has gone out of her way to make it abundantly clear she believes I am beneath contempt.

‘But Your Majesty, we were hoping to get some photos for the press in…’ Andre began.

‘Forget it, you’ll just have to make my excuses… And while you’re at it, make Miss Taylor’s excuses too,’ he added.

Tonight, he was through ignoring—or attempting to laugh off—her antagonism towards him. He tugged his phone out of his tuxedo pocket. Midnight was less than a minute away.

About damn time.

Once the castle bell had tolled the hour, he was heading to his private suite. And Melody was going to accompany him—whether she liked it or not. He had no intention of allowing Carter to seduce her because she washisresponsibility. Plus, it was past time he explained to her in words of one syllable that her rudeness towards him in public would no longer be tolerated.

Queen Isabelle had inadvertently presented him with the opportunity to clear the air with her PA when she had asked her friend to attend this event in her stead—while she was on her honeymoon in America.

Ironic to think he had once offered for Isabelle’s hand himself. Not that theirs would ever have been a love match. But the Androvian Queen’s hasty marriage to US sportswear entrepreneur Travis Lord had forced Rene to acknowledge something tonight which he had failed to address for four years. Melody Taylor needed to be taught some manners. He had been treating her with kid gloves, because she was Isabelle’s best friend, and an integral part of the Queen’s entourage—and she had only been eighteen years old that night.

Plus, she had captivated him, more than she should—which had made him determined to give her a wide berth ever since. Although why he found her so fascinating, he had no idea. She was a beautiful woman, but then, he knew a lot of beautiful women.

Perhaps it was her snotty attitude towards him, even before that night, right back to when they were children, which was so unlike every other woman he had ever encountered… Or maybe it was the way she had eventually succumbed to their livewire chemistry—artlessly but without compromise… After all, the memory of her shocked sobs of release, the tight clasp of her massaging him to climax, still had the power to wake him up late at night, hard and ready for her, far too often.

Even her animosity towards him had failed to kill their chemistry completely, which would almost be funny if it weren’t so damned annoying.

But as the world-famous DJ the Castle’s events planner had flown in from Ibiza paused the music to count the seconds down to midnight, Rene dumped his untouched champagne flute on a passing tray.

Enough is enough. Tonight, she has pushed me too far.

He headed down the wide marble steps towards the ballroom below, ignoring the many attempts to waylay him en route.

---