Ways To Ruin A Royal Reputation (Mills & Boon Modern) (Signed, Sealed…Seduced, Book 1) by Dani Collins (best contemporary novels .TXT) 📕

us, but I hope you’ll allow us to show you the best of our hospitality for a little longer? And not frighten staff with threats of setting the palace on fire?”

Emotion gathered in Amy’s eyes, beleaguered humor and frustration and something that closed her throat because she suddenly had the horrid feeling she had disappointed Sofia. Not the way she consistently disappointed her mother. She wasn’t being held to impossible, superficial standards. No, Sofia simply projected a confidence that Amy was better than someone who made wild threats. Let’s all do better, she seemed to say.

Luca was right. She was an ideal ruler.

But there was no comfort in being the instrument that had installed her on the throne, not when it had cost her the life she’d worked so hard to build.

“I want to go h-home.” She was at the end of her thin, frayed rope.

“Our people will arrange that soon,” Sofia began, but Luca came forward with purpose.

“I’ll walk you to your room.”

Sofia shot him a look, but Luca avoided her questioning gaze and held the door for Amy.

From the moment the photos had emerged, he had been buried in meetings, phone calls and demands for his attention. He felt as though he’d gone twelve rounds, taking hits from every angle.

It was not in his nature to throw a fight. Keeping his mouth shut while his sister called for an HR investigation had been particularly humiliating. To protect the integrity of that report, he hadn’t spoken to Amy.

While they’d awaited a determination on whether Amy had been harassed by Luca, other factions had proposed throwing her to the wolves of public opinion to save Luca’s reputation. Several voices on the council had tried to cast him as the victim of a scheming woman, eager to make excuses for Luca’s lapse in judgment so they could maintain the status quo.

Sofia’s supporters had been equally quick to question what kind of queen Amy would make, forcing Luca to declare his intentions toward her.

“We seized a moment, that’s all.” He hated to reduce her to a one-night stand, but it was what they had agreed and it was better for her to be seen as collateral damage, not a contributor.

“The media storm will rage forever unless we take decisive action,” Sofia had pressed. “No matter how we attempt to explain it away, the photos will be reposted every time the king of Vallia is mentioned.”

“I’ve become synonymous with our father,” Luca said grimly, hating that it was true, hating that this was the only way, but he threw himself on the proverbial sword. “I won’t have his transgressions pinned on me.” On that he wouldn’t budge. “Vallia’s queens have always been bastions of dignity and honor. If I step aside, that’s what you’ll have again.”

That had been the turning point. Discussions had moved from if to how.

Luca had spared a thought to ensure Amy’s comfort, but he hadn’t allowed memories of last night to creep in. It would have destroyed his concentration.

That fog of desire was making him light-headed now, but he continued to fight it. He had sworn his misstep wouldn’t be repeated. His libido might have other desires, but tomorrow his sister would take the crown and Luca would once again become the Golden Prince, honorable to a fault.

Nevertheless, he owed Amy an explanation for how things had played out today.

“It’s standard protocol to shut down all the open networks and allow only secure messaging when incidents occur,” he told her as they walked. “And I wanted to shield you from the worst of what’s happening online.”

“I understand.” She nodded jerkily, looking like a ghost.

A pocket of gravel formed in the pit of his gut, a heaviness of conscience he wasn’t familiar with because he so rarely made mistakes.

“I assumed you would have an idea what was going on behind the scenes.”

“I did.” She was nothing but eyes and cheekbones and white lips, her profile shell-shocked.

It hit him that she did know—all too well. He wanted to stop and touch her. Draw her into his arms. Kiss her and swear he wasn’t pinning the blame on her.

He settled for following her into her suite.

“I couldn’t bring you into the discussions today. I realize, given our contract, that you expected to be consulted, but I had to sideline you. It was best to let the process play out through normal channels.”

“You think I’m upset because I feel ‘sidelined’? I wish I was a footnote! Why didn’t you tell me we were exposed out there? Did you plan this?”

“Of course not!” He hadn’t given thought to anything but her last night. Did she think he would walk outside naked for anyone else? He was still uncomfortable with how immersed he’d been in their mutual desire. “It was a fluke. For God’s sake, Amy. How could I plan it?”

“A fluke?” she scoffed. “You just happened to pick me to come here and take on the task of ruining you. You just happened to kiss me and take me to your room—” She cut herself off, shielding her eyes in what could only be described as shame.

The rocks in his belly began to churn.

“When I heard the door, I thought you were leaving.” He started forward, drawn by her distress. “I didn’t know you were going outside. I didn’t take you out there.”

As soon as his feet came into her line of sight, she brought up her head and stumbled back, keeping a distance between them.

That retreat, coupled with the trepidation in her face, was like a knee to the groin.

He held very still, holding off a pain that he barely understood. It was new, but so acute he actually tasted bile in the back of his throat.

“I’m not going to touch you if you don’t want me to.” He opened his hands in a gesture of peace.

“I don’t want you to scramble my head again,” she muttered, arms crossed and brow flexing with anguish. “This wasn’t supposed to happen, Luca. No