Crown Prince's Chosen Bride by Kandy Shepherd

Author:Kandy Shepherd [Shepherd, Kandy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-02-19T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

GEMMA STRUGGLED TO hear what Andie was saying to her over the rise and fall of chatter, the clink of glasses, the odd burst of laughter—the soundtrack to another successful Party Queens function. The Friday night cocktail party at the swish Parkview Hotel was in full swing—the reception being held to mark the official visit of Tristan, crown prince of Montovia, to Sydney.

Gemma had explained to her business partners what had happened on the Argus and had excluded herself from any further dealings with him. Tristan had finalised the guest list with Eliza on Thursday.

Tristan’s guests included business leaders with connections to the Montovian finance industry, the importers and top retailers of the principality’s fine chocolate and cheese, senior politicians—both state and federal—even the governor of the state.

If she didn’t have to be here to ensure that the food service went as it should for such an important function, she wouldn’t have attended.

Her antennae twitched. Okay, so she was lying to herself. How could she resist the chance to see him again? On a strictly ‘look, don’t touch’ basis. Because no matter how often she told herself that she’d had a lucky escape to get out after only a day, before she got emotionally attached, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him.

Not that it had been an issue. Tristan was being the ideal host and was much in demand from his guests. He hadn’t come anywhere near her, either, since the initial formal briefing between Party Queens and its client. She shouldn’t have felt hurt, but she did—a deep, private ache to see that after all that angst on the Argus it seemed he’d been able to put her behind him so easily.

The secret of his identity was now well and truly out. There was nothing the media loved more than the idea of a handsome young European prince visiting Australia. Especially when he was reported to be ‘one of the world’s most eligible bachelors.’ She knew there were photographers swarming outside the hotel to catch the money shot of Prince Charming.

‘What did you say, Andie?’ she asked her friend again.

Tall, blonde Andie leaned closer. ‘I said you’re being very brave. Eliza and I are both proud of you. It must be difficult for you, seeing him like this.’

‘Yeah. It is. I’m determined to stay away from him. After all it was only one day—it meant nothing.’ One day that had quite possibly been one of the happiest days of her life—until that conversation on Store Beach. ‘No big deal, really—unless I make it a big deal.’

‘He lied to you. Just remember that,’ said Andie.

‘But he—’ It was on the tip of her tongue to defend Tristan by saying he hadn’t out-and-out lied, just skirted around the truth. But it was the same thing. Lying by omission. And she wasn’t going to fall back into bad old ways by making excuses for a man who had misled her.

But she couldn’t help being aware of Tristan. Just knowing he was here had her on edge.

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