Scandal With a Prince (46 page)

Since Massimo couldn’t call for Gaspare without drawing attention to himself, he turned from the dock and made his way along the shore in the direction opposite the bar, toward the parking lot.
 
Gaspare was an intelligent dog.
 
Perhaps he’d simply gone to the car, knowing it was time to head home.

Massimo swore to himself as he strode along the beach, his mood becoming blacker by the moment.
 
It was his own fault, of course.
 
He should’ve known Gaspare would leap overboard and doggie-paddle the last two hundred meters to shore.
 
The beast had been itching to swim from the moment he’d realized Massimo was driving him to the boat dock for a spur-of-the-moment fishing excursion this morning.
 
Unfortunately, Gaspare’s wild jump angered a group of nearby fishermen, who’d been compelled to yank their lines as the dog approached.
 
Massimo had to spend several minutes soothing their tempers.
 
He couldn’t have them telling their friends—or the media—that Prince Massimo and his dog ruined their afternoon catch.
 
Unfortunately, during the time Massimo spent making nice with the fishermen, he’d lost track of Gaspare.

Next time, he’d come alone.
 
Despite humoring his parents’ suggestion that he always have Gaspare along as security when he spent time outdoors by himself, no good came of bringing the dog fishing.
 
Then again, he’d rather have Gaspare for company than anyone else.

A wave rushed up the beach and over Massimo’s feet as he made his way along the firm sand at the water’s edge.
 
A few lounge chairs remained on this section of the beach, but only one appeared occupied.
 
A pair of long, lean legs stretched up from the lounger’s footrest toward an extremely firm, round backside clad in a tiny pink bikini.
 
The woman lay on her side, showing off a hip perfectly curved for a man’s hand, seemingly oblivious to the fact she was the last remaining person on the beach.
 
Normally pink wasn’t his favorite color—he’d always had a strong preference for bright red or a sexy, not-so-innocent white when it came to bikinis—but given what this woman looked like from the waist down and the fact he had to pass her to reach the parking lot, he suspected he was about to discover the wonders of pink.
 

As he moved closer, what he saw from the waist up wasn’t bad, either.
 
A shoulder rounded with just enough muscle to be firm without being hard.
 
A long, elegant neck.
 
A tangle of shiny, reddish-brown hair exactly the color of the palace’s infernal afternoon tea twisted on top of the woman’s head.

Then he heard the moan.
 

He paused, stunned.
 
Only one creature on Earth made that sound, and then only in one instance.
 
Gaspare.
 
Getting his butt scratched.
 
Something the dog never allowed any human to do other than Massimo and—on rare occasions—Massimo’s sister, Sophia.

Who in the world was this woman, and what had she done to his dog?

He covered the stretch of sand that separated them in quick steps.
 
When he came to the base of the chair, he drank in the sight of Gaspare’s large body wedged alongside the woman’s.
 
Sure enough, she had one arm stretched to rub his dog’s backside.
 
Gaspare’s head was tipped back in ecstasy.
 
And no wonder…even with her eyes covered by a pair of large sunglasses, the woman in the chair looked better from the front than from the back.
 
She gave no indication she’d seen him approach; he got the impression her eyes were closed.

Gaspare, on the other hand, let out another moan and wiggled closer to the woman, deliberately ignoring Massimo.

“You are unbelievable, you nutty dog.
 
Did your owner send you away for excessive cuddling?” she said just loud enough for Massimo to hear.
 
So, an American.
 
And the soft voice was every bit as sexy as the woman.

A slow smile spread across his face.
 
Good dog.

END OF EXCERPT

About the Author

Nicole Burnham is the RITA-award winning author of over a dozen romance novels, most featuring modern-day royalty.
 
She has lived and traveled all over the world, absorbing different cultures and visiting the opulent palaces and lush gardens that inspired the Royal Scandals series.
 
All About Romance
declares, “Nicole Burnham gives life to a fictional kingdom and monarchy that feel as though they could be real” and “gosh darn it, Nicole Burnham is
good
….readers should definitely check her out.”

Nicole currently lives in Boston.
 
She enjoys yoga, games at Fenway Park, taking her dog for long walks, and reading the many romance novels on her bookshelves.
 
Most of all, she loves writing stories about far-off countries, deliciously powerful heroes, and passionate heroines for her readers.

You can read more about Nicole and sign up for her popular e-newsletter at her
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