Read Online Stolen Kiss From a Prince by Teresa Carpenter - Free Book Online

whirled through Julian’s head as he tried to anticipate every contingency. So much to think about, but as he slipped closer to sleep, his control over his mind slipped and thoughts of Ms. Vicente took over.
    The look on her face when he intimated Beale would toss the pesky men of the press from the train had been priceless. How could she spend every day at the palace and remain so delightfully unaffected? In the middle of this hell he found her patience and generosity of spirit calming.
    He had no business thinking about her, yet he never lost track of where she was.
    Holding her in his arms last night had been a mistake. And not because she was a dear friend and royal Prince’s goddaughter. No, it was because the feel of her had been burned into his memory. Her soft curves aligned perfectly with the hard contours of his body.
    And the taste of her, all sweetness and honey, had seduced the sense right out of his head as he sank into the embrace. Who would have predicted she’d wake up and kiss him?
    Though he was half-asleep, a frown formed as he remembered she’d thought him someone else. A former boyfriend.
    Anger roused him as he awoke with one word roaring through his head. Mine.
     

CHAPTER FIVE
    G IGGLES FLOATED DOWN the stairs. Katrina smiled at the sound. Sammy so deserved a break from the depression that had swallowed him these past few days.
    She slipped through the gate, relatched it and followed the joyful noise to the domed lounge, where she found Sammy and his dignified Uncle Julian playing ball. Realizing the two hadn’t heard her approach, she paused to watch.
    Man and child sat on the floor, their legs spread wide, rolling a ball between them. Make that two balls. As she watched, Julian bent to the side and snagged a ball that had gotten away from him.
    “‘ou missed.” Sammy laughed.
    “Because you cheated,” Julian informed him.
    He’d discarded his jacket, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and ditched his shoes. At first glance he looked as relaxed and carefree as the giggling boy. Only a closer examination revealed the worry and fatigue weighing on him.
    He held up the ball. “Let’s try this again. This is your ball.” He rolled it down to the boy. “And this is mine.” He picked one up from between his long, silk-clad thighs. “You send yours to me while I send mine to you. You don’t send them at the same time.”
    “More balls.” Sammy hopped up and ran to the couch. He pulled out a drawer and found a ball twice the size of the baseball-sized balls they were currently using. He pushed the drawer nearly closed and plopped down in front of Julian.
    Ball in hand, Sammy reared back as if preparing to throw the ball. She tensed, ready to intervene, but Julian pointed a finger at Sammy.
    “What happens if you throw that ball?”
    Sammy deflated a bit. “No play.”
    “That’s right.” Sammy subsided, and Julian didn’t dwell on the near infraction. “You think you can beat me with three balls but I’m pretty fast. Prepare to lose.”
    “Go!” Sammy sent both balls rolling toward his uncle while Julian sent one his way. The balls went back and forth to the sound of Sammy’s chatter until Julian pretended to fumble the two shot his way and they jumped the barricade of his long legs.
    “I win!” Sammy shook his fists in the air.
    Katrina grinned, enjoying the interaction. Then she bit her bottom lip, wondering if she should leave them to their play. When Sammy woke up forty-five minutes ago, he’d promptly made sure she was awake, too. After freshening them both up, she’d wandered out to the lounge, where she found Julian working on his computer. Not wanting to disturb the Prince, she turned Sammy around and headed for the stairs.
    Julian had stopped her and offered to take the boy for a while to give her a break. She’d told him about the storage drawers full of toys and gratefully escaped. She used the time to do something totally for herself. She dug out a book, curled