Home > The Billionaire Prince's Single Mother(3)

The Billionaire Prince's Single Mother(3)
Author: Leslie North

“Does the room seem fitting?” Piper asked.

“Absolutely,” he answered quickly. “Charming, in fact.”

She nodded. “There’s an adjoining bath with all the toiletries you might need. Let me just get some fresh sheets on your bed.”

Piper threw open the closet doors and pulled out a set of creamy white linens.

“You don’t have to do that,” Aldon said. Surely it wasn’t this woman’s job to make his bed.

Although, he had to admit, he’d never really had to make his bed himself before. His staff had always done it for him.

“It’s no hassle,” she replied and shot him a warm smile. “I want you to be comfortable. You seem a bit stressed. Hopefully while you’re here, you can just relax and feel pampered.”

Suddenly, Aldon was overcome by Piper’s kindness. A warm glow lit him up from the inside as he considered her empathy. Not only was this woman drop-dead gorgeous, but she was good-hearted.

An image of the always-flawless Carrie slid into his mind’s eye. She never looked messy or disheveled, but then she never had any reason to. She’d grown up with staff catering to her every whim. It wouldn’t ever cross her mind to make her own bed, much less make one up for anyone else.

Piper, with her cute, mud-streaked cheeks and authentic smile, seemed to genuinely enjoy helping others. She was so unlike his ex-fiancée, and, at the moment, this made her extremely attractive, even with her dirty face.

“There you go,” she said and smoothed down the bedclothes with one hand. “I just need to get the comforter.”

“Uh, Piper,” he said.

“Yes?”

“You have something on your cheeks.”

Her hand flew to her face, and she started to laugh, a bright sound that lit Aldon up from the inside.

“Occupational hazard,” she said and used a handkerchief to dust off the remaining dry mud. “Better?” she asked him.

“Yes,” he said, but thought to himself that Piper looked amazing no matter what. A little mud couldn’t hide the kind of beauty she possessed. For a split second, he wondered what it would be like to be with her—wrapped up in the fresh sheets she’d just stretched over the bed.

Stop.

He was here for solitude, not for a romp with a ravishing redhead.

“I’ll grab the comforter,” she said, her sweet voice dripping like honey over the bitterness of his current circumstances.

He forced a smile and swallowed, because he had the distinct feeling that this attraction he felt toward Piper was going to be an ongoing problem.

A very interesting problem.

 

 

As Piper stared up at the heavy down comforter that was tucked onto a high shelf in the linen closet, she paused to take a deep breath. Her fingers were trembling, and she felt altogether uncomfortable in her own skin.

All because Prince Charming had decided to pay a visit.

Which—she told herself—he had every right to do whenever he wanted. The castle belonged to him, after all. It was just that she’d been living here at Thistledown Castle virtually alone for nearly five years.

She’d gotten so used to her peaceful, simple life maintaining the castle grounds, enjoying its high walls and gorgeous gardens, not giving too much thought to its owner. She’d always assumed the prince would show up for a visit someday, but thought it would be a meticulously planned one, arranged weeks in advance with an army of staff arriving in advance of him to make sure everything was arranged the way he wanted it. She certainly hadn’t expected him to walk into the kitchen all by himself. She could have used some time to prepare both the castle and herself.

Self-consciously, she smoothed her incorrigible red hair into place then stood on tiptoe to reach for the comforter. She noticed Prince Aldon peeking into the hallway at her from the bedroom and shot him a flustered smile.

“Let me help you with that,” he said. He pulled the comforter down and carried it back into the bedroom. Piper followed him.

“Thanks.” She could feel the heat of a blush on her cheeks, no doubt the result of her surprisingly strong attraction to Prince Aldon. She’d seen him and the other members of the royal family—his parents and brothers—in the news and the papers dozens of times and had found him easy on the eyes, but in person… mercy.

He was beyond gorgeous.

His blue-green eyes bore into hers from over the bed. As the comforter settled, a breeze wafted his musky scent across the room, making Piper swoon.

Not only did the angels sing when he looked at her, but he smelled like heaven too. Piper would have to get her wits about her. She tried to think of something to say to break the silence.

“It’s a nice time for a getaway. Blue skies and sunny out here in the country.” Again, she grinned nervously at the prince, admonishing herself for being unable to come up with anything more clever to talk of than the weather.

He let out a heavy sigh and rounded the corner of the bed back toward her. Goose bumps rose on her skin as he neared. Why was she so affected by his presence? “I need a bit of a respite from life in the capital right about now,” he said.

Respite? He was the Prince of Sovalon. She couldn’t imagine his life was all that difficult. And yet, he did have deep circles beneath his eyes.

“Hopefully, you can get the rest you need here at Thistledown,” she said, wondering what possibly could be stressing him out.

“Let’s hope so.”

As she fluffed the pillows, she remembered seeing the news story of Prince Aldon’s wedding being postponed.

Oh!

Perhaps that was the reason for the dark shadows on his face. Could there be trouble in paradise? Could the handsome prince be on the verge of becoming available again?

Once again, she silently scolded herself for going there. Even if Prince Aldon was single, what would he want with the likes of her, his employee?

“I was sorry to hear of your wedding being delayed,” she dared. “That must be difficult for you.”

“Oh, that.” The prince cleared his throat, and his stare drifted to the window she’d opened a few minutes before. Piper’s heart squeezed at the forlorn look on his face. Finally, he met her eyes again. “Thank you,” he said. “I appreciate your concern, but it’s fine. It will be fine.” He paused for a moment, seeming to hold his breath, then continued. “It’s probably for the best anyway. And certainly not your problem. It’s completely fine.”

“I see,” she said. Obviously it wasn’t fine. “Have you chosen a new date yet?” She knew she was overstepping, but curiosity had overcome her.

At her question, the prince’s eyes narrowed. “Definitely not,” he said sharply. He took two steps toward her then two steps back, as if emotion had spurred him to movement. He pointed one finger toward the window and raised his eyebrows. “It’s not just a delay. The wedding is off entirely.”

Piper bit her lip. Clearly she’d touched a sore spot.

“But,” he said, seeming to calm down, “the press don’t know exact details, and we’re claiming cold feet, so it’s all hush-hush.”

“Ah.” Curiosity was eating her up. What were the details? Knowing she shouldn’t press him, Piper nodded slowly as not to agitate him further. “Well, mum’s the word,” she said and pretended to zip her lips with her thumb and forefinger. “I’m sorry for your troubles, Prince Aldon.”

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