How to Catch a Prince

How to Catch a Prince
Leanne Banks

When Sophie’s gorgeous boss discovered he was a prince, she insisted Maxwell give his royal family a chance and tagged along to paradise. As soon as they arrived, staid Sophie became sexy Sophie and their strictly business relationship became very personal…as personal as a royalbabytobe! Can this reluctant prince fling caution to the wind and finally give his heart to his Cinderella?

Thank goodness he’d never given into any errant urges to have sex with her, because he was certain that would have ruined the best relationship he’d ever had with a woman.

If Sophie weren’t his assistant, she might have been the perfect woman for him. Low-maintenance, undemanding, not at all clingy. Max, however, had Sophie’s number. Underneath that practical veneer, she was a romantic at heart. With his past disastrous relationships with women, he’d learned to steer clear of ones who wanted romance and home and hearth. Even though she’d followed him around the world, Max had an itchy, uncomfortable feeling that Sophie wanted a husband and a baby—to go along with that dog she was always talking about getting.

And the romantic in Sophie was now pushing him to go to the land of his newly revealed royal relatives.

“You’re never going to stop with this until I visit Chantaine,” he said. “Are you?”

She looked at him with unapologetic determination. “Never. Ever.”

“Okay, I’ll go,” he said, trying to avoid her slight smile.

Because she looked as if she knew something he didn’t. That wasn’t a good thing.

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Chantaine, a lovely Mediterranean island where the royal Devereaux rule and fall in love. When Max Carter learns his biological father was Prince Edward Devereaux, he’s not impressed. Adopted as a baby, Max has been raised to make his own way. These days, he’s known for the impressive bridges and roads he constructs all over the world, and he couldn’t care less about any biological ties he may have to a bunch of royals.

When his longtime assistant, Sophie Taylor, guilts him into meeting his new half-siblings, he learns how much the Devereaux care for their country and their people. He finds himself drawn into using his expertise to help improve Chantaine.

More important, Max learns he may need to rethink his attitude about keeping his distance from people, especially when his assistant, Sophie, gains the attention of a palace advisor. Sophie was the best assistant Max had ever employed and he’d always been careful to keep their relationship friendly, but not romantic.

On the other hand, Sophie has hidden her mile-wide crush from Max from the first day she fell for him. As she’s grown to know him more throughout the past few years, she despairs that he’ll never return her feelings.

Feelings can change in lots of ways when Sophie and Max give in to their passion and Sophie gets pregnant. Max may be ready to make a commitment, but Sophie wants more than papers. She wants love!

I would love to hear from you if you get a chance to read How to Catch a Prince. You can email me at leannebbb@aol.com.

Happy reading,

Leanne

About the Author

LEANNE BANKS is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author who is surprised every time she realizes how many books she has written. Leanne loves chocolate, the beach and new adventures. To name a few, Leanne has ridden on an elephant, stood on an ostrich egg (no, it didn’t break), and gone parasailing and indoor skydiving. Leanne loves writing romance because she believes in the power and magic of love. She lives in Virginia with her family and a four-and-a-half-pound Pomeranian named Bijou. Visit her website, www.leannebanks.com.

How to Catch a Prince

Leanne Banks

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

This book is dedicated to my husband, Tony Banks, for his unswerving belief in me and for all the take-out food he has brought me during deadlines.

Chapter One

“You have to go,” Sophie Taylor insisted for the tenth time.

Glancing out the window of his temporary office trailer, Max Carter felt a sense of satisfaction at the sight of the finished bridge project. The new construction gleamed in the Australian sun as if it were shouting success.

“I’ve got too much to do,” he said, turning to face his assistant of four years. “Paperwork, then it’s on to the next project.”

Sophie scowled at him. “You could take a short break. It’s near the holidays. It wouldn’t kill you. I can’t believe you’re dismissing this without giving it a second thought. They’re your family.”

Max rolled his eyes. There were few people he’d allow to argue with him this much, but Sophie had proven her value to him time and time again. He couldn’t think of another woman he respected more. Even now as she frowned at him with softly accusing chocolate-brown eyes from behind her smudged glasses, he felt compelled to listen to her. He knew that beneath that curly mass of hair, she had a quick and fair mind.

“Why do you care so much about this? It’s not your family,” he said.

“I don’t want you to have any regrets.”

He sighed, remembering the day the two representatives of the Royal House of Devereaux had hunted him down on the job site. The words they’d said to him had been stuck in his brain like the annoying refrain of a song he couldn’t make go away.

Your biological father was Prince Edward of Chantaine.

“They’re not my family, Sophie. I can’t believe these royals are thrilled with the news that their father hatched a couple of extra children with a B-movie actress in America.” Although Max had always known he was adopted, he never would have dreamed his biological parents were a prince and actress!

“What about Coco Jordan?” Sophie asked, referring to the other child the prince and actress had produced. “She’s your sister. Don’t you at least want to meet her? And, who knows, maybe she wants to meet you. You might try thinking about the feelings of someone other than yourself. Didn’t you say both of your parents had passed away? She has no one now. No one except you.”

“She doesn’t have me,” he retorted, but he felt an itchy sensation of obligation. “I wouldn’t be able to pick her out of a crowd of two.”

Her frown deepened. “Maybe you should just give her a chance.”

Max sighed and glanced around the trailer that had become his temporary office and home. The LEGO rendering of the bridge sat next to his desk. A small Christmas tree blinked in the corner. Two stuffed puppies sat next to Sophie’s desk. Sophie had complained many times over that she wanted a dog, but there was no way she could drag a pet to all the places Max had taken her for projects, many of which were international. From the first time she’d assisted him on a job, he’d learned she was the best assistant he could possibly have despite her complaints. He grumbled and she helped fix things. She anticipated his needs. Thank goodness he’d never given into any errant urges to have sex with her because he was certain that would have ruined the best relationship he’d ever had with a woman.

If she weren’t his assistant, she might have been the perfect woman for him. Low-maintenance, undemanding and she wasn’t at all clingy. Max, however, had Sophie’s number. Underneath that practical veneer, Sophie was a romantic at heart. Even though she’d followed him around the world, he had an itchy, uncomfortable feeling that Sophie wanted a husband and baby to go along with that dog she so desired.

And with his past disastrous relationships with women, he’d learned to steer clear of women who wanted romance and home and hearth. “You’re never gonna stop with this until I visit Chantaine,” he said. “Are you?”

She looked at him from behind her glasses with unapologetic determination. “Never. Ever.”

“Okay. I’ll go,” he said. “For one day. Just one day and then you don’t get to look at me with that guilty face.”

Sophie gave a slight smile. “One day will be enough.”

Max felt a sinking feeling at her expression. She looked like she knew something he didn’t. That wasn’t a good thing.

Max left the following day for the island country of Chantaine to meet his new relatives while Sophie wrapped up the loose ends of the contract. Terri Caldwell, one of the other assistants on the project, walked into the trailer.

“How’s it going?”

“I’m halfway through a million pages of paperwork,” Sophie said without looking up from her laptop.

“That’s what you get for being so efficient and devoted,” Terri teased. “And head over heels for Max Carter.”

Sophie grimaced. Nearly a decade older than herself, Terri was a good woman from Arkansas, honest to a fault. Her husband was a truck driver back in the States, but they visited every chance they got. Terri had started taking the long-distance work to pay for her twin boys’ college tuition. She had become a good friend to Sophie especially during the last couple of months. Terri was intuitive enough to spot Sophie’s unrequited feelings for Max, and Sophie had grown to trust the woman’s discretion. It had been a relief to have the older woman’s sympathy. “Don’t rub it in. I’ll get over him someday. Maybe someday soon. I really want a King Charles spaniel and there’s no way I can do that if I allow him to keep dragging me all over the world.”