Read Online Prince's Addiction (The Exiled Royals Series Book 2) by Ivy Iverson - Free Book Online
Authors: Ivy Iverson
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are—that you’re a prince and why you’ve been exiled?”
“No, I was scared if I told her she’d just be impressed by the, ugh, former title. I didn’t want her to turn out to be a gold digger. This isn’t some fuck for fun. I want her to like me, apart from all the reputations and tabloid expectations. That’s all I ever wanted,” he said, his voice growing quiet.
Xavier nodded and smiled. Reaching up, he squeezed Alex’s shoulder. “I think that it’s time for you to tell her everything. Maybe if she knows, she can help support you instead of accidentally tempting you.”
“And what if she either only sees the crown or, worse, knows exactly all about my past and thinks I’m a fuck up?”
“Well, cousin, we are fuck ups, but if she’s as amazing as you say she is, then she’ll love you anyway.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Xavier grinned, his normal levels of cockiness rising with his shit-eating expression. “I always am.”
***
“I know you’re not going to believe me,” he said, as he met Kate in the lobby of the theater, but you’re even more beautiful than our last date.”
She laughed and it was gorgeous, like the tinkling of bells at Christmas time. Today she’d opted for a long, slinky black dress with a plunging neckline and a slit just this side of appropriate up the left thigh. “I’m glad. It makes it worth dressing up to make your tongue hang out of your mouth like that.”
“My tongue is not!”
“Oh, there’s definitely some drool there, Casanova,” she chirped, her tone amused.
“Well, I’m glad I can be so funny to you,” he huffed, narrowing his eyes at her mockingly.
“No, completely. I guess it’s just been so long since I’ve dated. I take care of Lily because I just don’t have time for anything else. I have my job in hotel reception and I’m there doing double shifts just to make ends meet.”
“Can I ask where your parents are?”
Kate stilled and he instantly regretted asking her such a question. It was obviously dredging up very painful memories for her. “They were taking my sister to a pediatrician’s appointment. It’s funny. I was supposed to do it but I begged out of it. I mean I was already a senior. Lily was kind of a surprise,” her breath hitched and he squeezed her shoulders.
“Just take your time.”
She nodded and swiped at her eyes quickly. “There was a car accident and they died, so it’s been me and Lily against the world since then, but Joan, my best friend, helps a lot too. I guess with basically being a mom at eighteen I didn’t have time to do a lot of dating and I don’t focus on it much. I can admit it’s been fun to have a reason to dress up.”
He nodded and squeezed her hand. “Then I’m glad that I can serve as an oasis for you. If that’s how you’d like to think of it.”
“Definitely,” she said. “So, what’s your story? You said you learned to play chess as a kid. Did someone back home teach you how to do close-up magic too?”
He frowned at that question and let his fingers trail over the poster for The Great Waldo, the performer they were seeing tonight. He could have gotten front row tickets to Pen and Teller, but he wanted to be modest, to let her see him and not the money or, frankly, the title he may never actually have again.
Jesus, not if his mother had anything to say about it.
To be fair, he was far from the right man to be king of Lavinia, even he knew that.
“My dad. He’s always had a lot of passions, and both chess and magic were part of that. He wanted me to be good at everything I did. He said the tricks would help me be more flexible, and think faster than others.”
“You don’t have bad skills. I’m not telling you to start your own show in Vegas, but I think he must be impressed with you.”
“He’s never impressed with me. That’s…I could never live up to anything he wanted.”
“I’m sorry. Is your father dead too?”
He shook his head and
“No, I was scared if I told her she’d just be impressed by the, ugh, former title. I didn’t want her to turn out to be a gold digger. This isn’t some fuck for fun. I want her to like me, apart from all the reputations and tabloid expectations. That’s all I ever wanted,” he said, his voice growing quiet.
Xavier nodded and smiled. Reaching up, he squeezed Alex’s shoulder. “I think that it’s time for you to tell her everything. Maybe if she knows, she can help support you instead of accidentally tempting you.”
“And what if she either only sees the crown or, worse, knows exactly all about my past and thinks I’m a fuck up?”
“Well, cousin, we are fuck ups, but if she’s as amazing as you say she is, then she’ll love you anyway.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Xavier grinned, his normal levels of cockiness rising with his shit-eating expression. “I always am.”
***
“I know you’re not going to believe me,” he said, as he met Kate in the lobby of the theater, but you’re even more beautiful than our last date.”
She laughed and it was gorgeous, like the tinkling of bells at Christmas time. Today she’d opted for a long, slinky black dress with a plunging neckline and a slit just this side of appropriate up the left thigh. “I’m glad. It makes it worth dressing up to make your tongue hang out of your mouth like that.”
“My tongue is not!”
“Oh, there’s definitely some drool there, Casanova,” she chirped, her tone amused.
“Well, I’m glad I can be so funny to you,” he huffed, narrowing his eyes at her mockingly.
“No, completely. I guess it’s just been so long since I’ve dated. I take care of Lily because I just don’t have time for anything else. I have my job in hotel reception and I’m there doing double shifts just to make ends meet.”
“Can I ask where your parents are?”
Kate stilled and he instantly regretted asking her such a question. It was obviously dredging up very painful memories for her. “They were taking my sister to a pediatrician’s appointment. It’s funny. I was supposed to do it but I begged out of it. I mean I was already a senior. Lily was kind of a surprise,” her breath hitched and he squeezed her shoulders.
“Just take your time.”
She nodded and swiped at her eyes quickly. “There was a car accident and they died, so it’s been me and Lily against the world since then, but Joan, my best friend, helps a lot too. I guess with basically being a mom at eighteen I didn’t have time to do a lot of dating and I don’t focus on it much. I can admit it’s been fun to have a reason to dress up.”
He nodded and squeezed her hand. “Then I’m glad that I can serve as an oasis for you. If that’s how you’d like to think of it.”
“Definitely,” she said. “So, what’s your story? You said you learned to play chess as a kid. Did someone back home teach you how to do close-up magic too?”
He frowned at that question and let his fingers trail over the poster for The Great Waldo, the performer they were seeing tonight. He could have gotten front row tickets to Pen and Teller, but he wanted to be modest, to let her see him and not the money or, frankly, the title he may never actually have again.
Jesus, not if his mother had anything to say about it.
To be fair, he was far from the right man to be king of Lavinia, even he knew that.
“My dad. He’s always had a lot of passions, and both chess and magic were part of that. He wanted me to be good at everything I did. He said the tricks would help me be more flexible, and think faster than others.”
“You don’t have bad skills. I’m not telling you to start your own show in Vegas, but I think he must be impressed with you.”
“He’s never impressed with me. That’s…I could never live up to anything he wanted.”
“I’m sorry. Is your father dead too?”
He shook his head and
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