The Billionaire Prince’s Stubborn Assistant by Leslie North Page 0,3

lean, he was obviously in great shape. His wavy sand-colored hair flopped over his face, giving him a boyish look that matched the freckles flecking his nose and cheeks. Warmth crawled up her neck when she realized how long she’d been staring. She couldn’t deny it; she was attracted to him too.

“Thanks,” she said and held up the backpack. “You look really…” She was about to say “familiar” but then decided to leave it. She didn’t need to complicate the situation by showing interest in this man. He may be attractive, but he was clearly not her type if he was in any way involved in the destruction of the schoolhouse. Better to just walk away.

She swiveled on one foot, but before she could take a step away from him, he had a hand on her shoulder and was angling her body into his. His lips landed on hers before she knew she wanted them to, but once they were there, she couldn’t deny her desire. The heat was palpable between them, and in the space of one small kiss, a million fires were lit on Clementine’s skin. When the man pulled away, he looked just as surprised as she was. Clem stepped back to gather herself. What the hell was that?

Without thinking, she held up her hand and gave an awkward wave. “Bye,” she said and started in the other direction.

“Wait,” he called out.

She swung back around, ready to give him an earful about how she may have kissed him back but she certainly was not interested in anything more, especially with someone like him whose very career put him at the polar opposite end of everything she stood for. But before she could say a word, he held out her backpack. In the throes of their kiss, she must have dropped it.

“You don’t want to forget this,” he said.

His hand brushed hers as she took the bag from him, and a thrill coursed down her arm. The fire was once again ignited, and she felt herself melting like candle wax in the flame of his stare. She had to extinguish this desire and cool the hell down before she did something she would regret. With all of the gumption she could muster, she broke from his gaze. She ran off in the other direction, her bag full of treasures bouncing against her shoulder, the memory of his lips overshadowing everything else.

2

“How am I supposed to think with that racket, let alone get anything done in here?” Edward posed the question aloud to no one, but Lance, his driver, was coming out of the restroom and heard him. Lance walked over to Edward.

“If nothing else, those protesters are a determined bunch,” he said.

“’Determined’ is one way to put it.” Edward let out a frustrated sigh. “It’s a miracle no one was hurt yesterday at the schoolhouse implosion,” he said. “A group larger than this one was at the site all day, chanting, waving signs, getting in the way. One woman even charged the school just before the devices were set off. She could have been killed!”

Lance shook his head. “You seem stressed, sir. Would you like me to fetch you a tea?”

Edward did not want tea. What he would like Lance to fetch for him was a large container of common sense that he could dump all over the crowd outside the castle. Did they not understand the need for progress?

“No thanks, Lance. I’m fine,” he said and watched Lance tread casually down the hallway of the old castle Edward had inherited from his aunt. Lance whistled his way through the front doors, and Edward found himself envious of his driver’s serenity. He wished he could go on a long drive in the country instead of being stuck with the historical society breathing down his neck to restore this old castle to its original splendor at all costs.

Splendor.

All Edward saw was work. So much work and money to be poured into something from the past. Why not put the effort and resources into the future? He would so prefer to be immersed in the urban development project, designing modern structures with ecological benefits. Instead he was stuck in this drafty old castle that devoured fossil fuels at light speed and was falling apart at the seams. His contractors were all behind schedule, and their work was shoddy when it did get done, leading to even more uproar from the historical experts who blamed him for every shortcoming.

In the back