Royally Addicted Read online

  Royally Addicted

  Henley Maverick

  Contents

  Copyright

  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

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  About the Author

  Also by Henley Maverick

  Sneak Peek

  Copyright © 2018 by Henley Maverick

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Printed in the United States of America

  Chapter One

  “We know what we are, but not yet what we may be…”

  King Eric’s favorite Shakespeare quote had become something of a motto for the way his son had lived his life. Ever since losing his beloved father, Luca Tanner had done his level best to take the words to heart: we know who we are today, but tomorrow is a mystery, so it is important to live life in a way that is forever fulfilling. When King Eric passed, Luca was forced to step up and take his place as rightful king of the small mountain nation of Moreno. Bathed in the cool shadows of the Alps, the Tanner family had been a beloved monarchy for generations, ruling the citizens of their tiny, beautiful country without incident.

  But Luca had never been sure it was what he wanted. He wasn’t sure being king was what he wanted.

  Before the death of King Eric, Luca had filled his life with everything a young man could want: jet-setting to celebrity parties in America; a garage full of expensive cars; dates with the most gorgeous super models… his life was essentially one long music video and he loved every moment of it. But when his father passed away, he realized he couldn’t keep behaving like that and manage to rule a kingdom, not effectively anyway. And in truth, he felt that in thirty years, he’d never managed to find the happiness he’d been searching for. By the time he was twenty, his father and mother had been married and a year later, he’d been born. On one hand, he had enjoyed every minute of his carefree, bachelor’s lifestyle, but on the other… he felt as though something was missing. And he wasn’t sure what he needed to make the emptiness go away.

  As much as he hated to admit it, Luca was beginning to wonder if what he was missing was the comfort of someone to share his life with. Since he was a teenager, he had dated a steady stream of beautiful women: models, actresses, pop stars… pretty much anyone he met that he found even the slightest bit intriguing. But it never took long for him to realize that there was no future in those relationships. The women were rarely interested in anything serious, and if they were, it was only because they wanted the notoriety that came from being a model/queen, an actress/queen, or a pop star/queen. No one ever really wanted Luca for Luca.

  He often found himself frustrated with a life he had never chosen. The only peace Luca found was in his art; whenever he had the chance, he would escape to his attic studio and paint the beautiful vistas of Moreno. He would paint the mountains he could see outside his windows, or the summer sunsets that were as beautiful as a postcard, and sometimes… he would paint memories from his childhood, the good times, before he began to shoulder so much responsibility. He found that his desire to be left in peace was causing him to forget his father’s advice, and as time passed, he would seclude himself more and more inside the castle walls.

  The only time Luca felt truly alive anymore was when he was indulging his only other passion, a passion more dangerous than painting and significantly more expensive: supercars. The rush he got from driving an insanely fast and expensive car seemed to bring him to life in a way he couldn’t explain. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to understand it. All he knew was that when he was speeding around the hairpin corners of tiny mountain roads, he found a peace that nothing, not even his art, seemed to provide him.

  On one clear, mid-March afternoon, his latest purchase had just been delivered to him: a 1993 yellow luxury sports car that wasn’t even street legal in most country. It was a true beauty and had taken him years to find. Luca was so eager for its arrival that he had been waiting outside his castle, accompanied by his good friend and confidant, Bax Laurent. And, when the truck finally unloaded its precious cargo, he couldn’t help but smile to himself, watching as the sunlight reflected off the gorgeous car.

  “She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Luca said he looked in wonder. “There are only six of these in the entire world. Do you have any idea what I had to go through to find this car? 690 horsepower, leather trimming… you’d think it was made yesterday, man.”

  “You know what I just heard?” Bax sighed, almost as bored by his friend’s obsession with cars as he was by Luca’s preoccupation with art. “Blah, blah, blah… You are getting duller by the day, Luca. I swear to God, I have heard you give the same speech about every single car you have bought in the last two years.”

  “Each and every one of those cars has a soul.” Luca said, emphasizing every word for maximum impact. “They exist only to be driven and it is only in being driven that they can live.”

  Bax rolled his eyes. “Cool it with the hyperbole, dude. All it takes is one mistake.” Bax raised his index finger to his chest, turning to his friend. “I like those cars, too. They’re just as beautiful as you said they are, but you seem to be forgetting something very crucial.”

  “Oh? And what is that?”

  “How unforgiving they can be,” Bax said emphatically. “I can’t help but wonder,” he paused. “What can I do to take your mind off them?”

  “Nothing,” Luca shook his head. “I will always love those cars.”

  “I beg to differ.” A calculating smile formed on Bax’s face. “I think there is plenty we can do to distract you, Luca. The first thing we need to do is get you out of that damn castle. Next thing I know, I will find you living in the bell tower like Quasimodo.”

  Luca laughed in spite of himself. “We don’t even have a bell tower, Bax.”

  “The attic then,” Bax said with a wave of his hand. “Anyway, that is why I took the liberty of inviting a reporter here.”

  “A reporter?” Luca squinted at his friend. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. You know damn well I don’t trust journalists anymore.”

  “Juliet Baptiste was five years ago, my friend.” Bax smiled, patting him on the shoulder. “Not every reporter is going to pose as a maid just to sneak into your house. Despite what you may think, there are some good journalists out there, like this one,” he added, pulling his cell out of his coat pocket. Bax showed him a photo of a smiling blonde woman holding a book in her hands. It was titled, Dreams: The Key to Your Heart’s Desire.

  “Grace Brewster? She’s…”

  “… American,” Bax finished his sentence. “Twenty-seven year
s old, works at the New York Register. Elle discovered her about two years ago, when she published that book. It didn’t exactly light the publishing world on fire, but she loves it. She and Grace have become very close. They talk on social media every day and spend hours on the phone. Elle thinks she’d be the perfect choice to write a profile on you.” Elle was the head of Luca’s PR team and also happened to be Bax’s girlfriend.

  “I don’t need the attention,” Luca grumbled. “There are plenty of local writers who would be more than happy to do a piece on me. I don’t need to import them from overseas.”

  “Do you like it when local tabloids say all kinds of nasty shit about you?” Bax’s firm tone and his question put Luca in a difficult position. He did have a point. Quite often, the locals made up stories about him in the media. They seemed to love to feed the rumor mill, especially when it came to his love life, or the way he was governing Moreno.

  “No,” Luca sighed, dropping his gaze from his friend’s frustrated stare. “I just think it’s a lot easier to ignore them than give them more ammunition, you know?”

  “I think it’s time for you to set a few things straight,” Bax whispered angrily. “It’s finally time the world knew what kind of person you are. You are a good man and you are doing the best you can under incredibly difficult circumstances. I’m tired of local gossip reports using rumors about you to sell their trash magazines and papers.”

  “But why did you choose her, Bax?” Luca asked, casting a glance at the cell screen.

  “I just thought you might find it easier to talk to someone who wasn’t from Moreno,” Bax replied, as his friend handed him back his cell phone. “I’ve been planning this since January, Luca.”

  Luca scowled at Bax and shook his head. “I don’t think she needs to understand me. She just needs to be discreet for as long as the interview lasts.”

  “For the whole seven days,” Bax said with a grin.

  “Seven?” Luca opened his eyes wide in disbelief. “What kind of…?”

  “This won’t be a typical interview,” Bax interrupted firmly. “She will live in the castle, study your habits. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, Luca, but I’ve been planning this with her editor for more than a month. He thinks a thorough interview would be ideal for you, and I agreed. Do you mind?”

  “Well, you should have asked, and I do mind,” Luca grumbled. “But, it doesn’t sound like I have much of a choice anymore. Let’s hope she’s as professional as you think she is. When is she coming?”

  “Tomorrow morning,” Bax’s answered quickly before Luca had a chance to argue. “Don’t worry. If she’s not professional, we’ll send her home. But something tells me she will be fine. Oh, and it might do you some good to talk to her about her book. It’s about utilizing your dreams to embrace your untapped desires. It seems like something that could be beneficial to your… state of mind,” Bax said, hesitating as he struggled to find the right words. Luca understood why; there had been no real rhyme or reason to his behavior lately, and Bax had been searching for anything that might help his reluctance to truly embrace his role has king.

  “I will think about it,” Luca said with a nod, debating whether or not he should thank his friend. He liked appreciated Bax’s initiative, but this particular scheme was way outside of Luca’s comfort zone. At the same time… it sounded like an ideal way to shake up the routine that he had found himself trapped in as of late.

  Luca left Bax standing in front of the castle and jumped into his newest car. He may not know what he needed to make his life more satisfying, but there was one thing he knew for sure…

  The feel of rubber hitting the road would, at the very least, make him forget about the reporter. For a little while longer anyway.

  Chapter Two

  Unfortunately for Luca, the weather in Moreno the next day was nothing compared to the sunny day before. The rain was beating down on his castle and the thick fog had made it impossible for his pilot to take off. He had to send his driver to pick up Grace from the larger airport in France.

  The massive steel door of his castle gate slowly opened before his black town car entered the driveway. Louie, a gentleman who had been driving for his family since Luca was a boy, quickly jumped out of the car and rushed to the back. He opened Grace’s door, as Luca watched the scene unfold from the entrance of his hall. Despite the torrential rain, the young woman took a moment to gaze at her surroundings. She looked up at the ancient watchtowers of the castle and then down at the grey, stone walls, as Louie opened a black umbrella and held it over her.

  What really grabbed her attention was the extensive rose garden that took up an entire acre of the property. She even pointed at it as a broad smile lit up her face. After what felt like an eternity of waiting for her to finally come in, Luca grew impatient, and walked out into main entryway. When she finally stepped into view, Luca was surprised to discover she was even lovelier than her photo on the internet.

  “Merci, Louie,” Luca said to his driver as the duo stopped in front of him. Then, he reached out and took her hand in his. Bending down, he closed his eyes and kissed it. “Charmed,” he said with a slightly deeper voice than his own, as a polite smile spread across his face.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, your highness,” Grace answered nervously, giving a little curtsey before seemingly realizing how silly she looked and standing upright once again.

  “Why don’t you follow me inside?” he suggested. “How was your trip?”

  “Long, but pleasant, thank you,” she responded as they walked into the spacious hall. “I appreciate you inviting me here. I didn’t… well, I guess I wasn’t expecting you to be so warm to the idea of a reporter living with you for a week.”

  “I wasn’t. But, by the time anyone told me what was going on, you were already in the air. And while I have some measure of power, I don’t have the ability to interfere with commercial airliners.”

  Grace laughed softly. “Well, I appreciate that you didn’t send my plane back to New York. If you don’t mind, your highness, I’d kind of like to just jump right in with some initial questions.”

  “Could you please stop calling me ‘your highness’?” he politely requested. “It makes me feel like I’m going to have to save you from a dragon or a giant ogre.”

  “Luca, I’m a little confused,” Grace said with a smile. “I’d never even heard of Moreno before I met your PR person, Elle. And then I come to find out, you are the lone heir to one of the oldest monarchies in Europe. How is it that your country and much of its history has remained hidden away from the rest of the world for so long?”

  “It has taken quite a major effort, I assure you of that,” he said with a long, deep sigh. “Even when my father died four years ago, it barely made a blip on the radar in the States. And as you said, we have been around for generations.”

  Grace made a mental note to ask him later about the possibility of being the last Tanner in this castle. “I still don’t understand why you’re living in this castle in the mountains. Why stay here so confined when you could live in town among your people?” she asked.

  “You did notice the emblem on the gate, didn’t you?” Luca answered her question with a question.

  “Yes: two howling wolves, separated by a line of fire. It’s very impressive,” she said, barely containing an eye roll.

  “Wolves can’t survive in the city. They belong in the wild, just like my family, Miss Brewster,” he said commandingly. “My ancestors were survivors. And they were tough enough to call Moreno home.”

  “I’m sorry,” Grace responded, looking deep into Luca’s eyes for any sign of deception. “I meant no disrespect.”

  “I wasn’t offended,” Luca laughed. “I was just clearing something up. What do you like about the city, Miss Brewster: the noise, the traffic? Or is it the constant onslaught of unpleasant odors?”

  “It’s just a little more human, that’s all,” Grace shrugged, as her eyes met his gaze.

&
nbsp; “Anyway, I’m the one who needs to apologize. You’re exhausted, and I’m giving you a lecture about my ancestors.”

  “No, that’s why I’m here.” Grace smiled, waving her hand in front of her face. “We’ll have plenty of time to talk about your family. I just find it fascinating that anyone would wish to live such a difficult life.”

  “Miss Brewster,” Luca said with a gentle smile, “I didn’t exactly have a choice, now did I? Anyway, you should go get some rest. My housekeeper Josephine will show you to your room. But before you go, I need to ask you something.”

  “Please do,” she nodded.

  “My friend, Bax, says you’re an author. Elle, his fiancée, loves your book. But he said it didn’t sell well. May I ask you why?” His question froze the smile on her face, and Grace’s eyes darkened as she dropped her gaze to the floor.

  “You’re the one being interviewed, King Luca. Not me. We can speak more later.”

  Luca would have loved to insist, yet he was so stunned by her reaction that he could not force another word out of his throat. It was as if his words had reminded her of a very painful moment, one that hurt her too much to discuss. He didn’t mean to upset her, especially given he had just met her.

  But what exactly was this woman’s deal?

  Chapter Three

  Unlike when she had first arrived at the castle, Grace felt all of her troubles come crashing down on her. For a moment, she thought she might have a chance at forgetting while she was in Moreno, but Luca’s comment about the book was all it took. As she walked down the halls, following the housekeeper, she was too distraught to pay any attention to the beautiful paintings or the generations-old furnishings. Josephine spoke to her about the room where she would be staying, but Grace barely even heard a word. The immense size of her bedroom, the pale blue silken curtains, and the intricate floor-to-ceiling mirror were not enough to excite her now. After Josephine left, she kicked her shoes away and lay in bed, sighing.