Box Set: Puppy and the Prince by Nikki Steele

Author:Nikki Steele [Steele, Nikki]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-01-20T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

We left Baxter with the other dogs while we continued the tour—I figured the exercise would be good for him after the long plane ride yesterday and three bowls of food today. Our steps carried us down another long, stone corridor, this time lined with portraits of stiff faced kings and queens from ages past—Xander’s relatives, I realized as we walked.

“Here, I want to show you something special,” he said, pausing before a beautiful dark oak door.

“You mean the throne room wasn’t?”

He shook his head. “Not like this. As a child, this was my favorite part of the castle.” He twisted the door handle and then motioned me inside. “The Royal Library,” he announced.

My hand went to my heart. “It’s beautiful.”

The library was two stories high, with an ornate gold balcony on the upper level that looked down upon a collection of books so vast it took my breath away. Many were leather bound, with gold lettering and thick spines, but here and there I could see manuscripts, and parchments, and what must be fragile works, displayed behind glass in airtight cases.

I walked to one, admiring it, face pressed close. It was a huge old book written in beautiful flowing script, with intricate illustrations around the margins of each page.

“A ninth century gospel,” said Xander, walking close. “Almost as old as the Book of Kells.” His hand unflicked the latch. “Would you like a closer look?”

I pulled back in alarm. I didn’t know much about old books, but I did know they shouldn’t be touched. “You can’t just open the lid. What if it crumbles or something? It’s a priceless work of art!”

He shrugged. “Only $23 Million at last valuation. There are many more valuable books in the room.”

My eyes bulged. “That’s… that’s…” I sputtered. I couldn’t even comprehend that much money. I backed away from the case quickly, pressing up against a bookshelf behind. “That’s ludicrous.”

Xander laughed, taking his hand from the latch. “We wouldn’t have picked it up—not without gloves at least.” Then his eyes twinkled. “Remind me to show you my childhood coloring book sometime.”

I looked at him, eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Is it under a glass case too?”

“It used to be, before it was my coloring book. After that it lost a considerable amount of value.”

“I swear you’re going to give me a heart attack.”

He walked toward me, backing me into a bookcase against one wall. His arm rested against the books above my shoulder. “I’ll give you something, my lady.”

“Really?”

“Did you honestly believe I brought you here to talk to you about boring old books?”

“What did you want to show me then?” My body pressed back into his. Desire begin to flutter a message from my heart to my thighs. I could get lost in those eyes and drown.

“A secret.”

I raised an eyebrow

“A secret I’ve never shown any woman before.”

“I find that hard to believe,” I whispered. His lips against my neck were making it hard to think straight. “You’re… ah… too good for me to be your first.

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