Breathless Press
Category:
Romance
Publisher: Breathless Press
Type: Fiction
ISBN-13: 9781926930633
All Princess Celina wants is to stay on her beloved island of Antaka, marry a man of her culture, and make her papa proud. So when Prince Joqua ships her off to America, Celina’s believes she’s being punished. While she’s not prepared for the wild ways of the Americans, no one is more surprised than her when she finds herself falling for a California hottie…
All Princess Celina wants is to stay on her beloved island of Antaka, marry a man of her culture, and make her papa proud. So when Prince Joqua ships her off to America, Celina’s believes she’s being punished. While she’s not prepared for the wild ways of the Americans, no one is more surprised than her when she finds herself falling for a California hottie…
Drake Randall looks forward to a vacation from work, especially if it means showing the princess how people their age have fun. But when Celina strips off all her clothes and announces she’s trained in Kama Sutra, he’s left with an even bigger problem than wanting to make love to the princess.
Drake's holding on to a secret that could not only ruin his chances with Celina, but could also ultimately destroy her.
Excerpt
The courtyard bristled with movement, and Celina soaked it all in. Young men strummed their guitars with the hope of attracting the attention of women who stood around chatting in groups nearby. Small children played a game of skipper, where they jumped from square to square. Mothers sat on the stone benches and conversed with each other.
"Celina, wait," a voice called out.
Tressa's mother, Marti, ran toward Celina. Her long gown billowed in the breeze sweeping off the ocean. The lump in Celina's throat grew bigger, and for a moment, she took pleasure that a parental figure came to say farewell.
"Celina." Marti grabbed Celina's hands. "I wish you well, daughter."
Daughter. The casing she placed around her heart threatened to crack over the endearment. Here was the one person who might be able to answer the question she needed to ask.
"Marti, can you tell me why my mother was buried with the blessed in the Holy Ground?" She squeezed Marti's hands and searched her face for the answer.
Marti drew back her hands and acted wounded. Celina reached out and picked up Marti's hands again. She ignored the onlookers who gathered around them, curious about the prince's daughter.
"Please, Marti, it is important to me," Celina begged. "It's the only thing I want to know before I leave here, never to come back."
Marti stepped closer to Celina, and keeping her head down, spoke to her in a low voice, no one would overhear. "It's not something I can speak of. Your father forbids the people to tell you the truth."
"The truth? What is the truth?" Celina shook Marti's hands and tried to coax the secret out of the woman. She deserved to know what everyone else knew.
"I must go. I'll miss you." Marti pulled her hands away and leaned over to kiss her on the cheeks.
"Marti, I beg you. Tell me before I leave."
"Find the truth, Celina. Find the truth about your mother," Marti whispered in her ear.
The chatter of conversations came back to Celina, who became aware of the eyes trained on her. Mr. Randall waited patiently. What truth? She knew the truth…didn't she?
The stories she'd heard growing up about her mother never included her ever being buried in the blessed area. Did the Antakians know Natalia was buried in the wrong area? Shaking her head, she gazed up at the palace one last time. It's off-white masonry smooth with age and the abuse of sand and salt stood majestically against the almost barren landscape of the island. This was her home where her family would stay all their lives. Never before had she felt so alone.
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