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Chapter One

The ti of Griffin Verdi’s personal assistant-slash-valet was appalling "What do you mean, you have the chicken pox?"

"I mean just that," Kip Rothwell said into the phone, with a hint of the proper ruefulness "My doctor assures ested I stay in a hotel until I’ht now"

"You’re fking kiddinghis friend Reese’s favorite expletive It seeious for ten days? We leave too without my assistant"

"I realize that, sir, but I’ up the phone on his long-serving personal assistant The man had never troubled him before Kip had worked for Griffin for ten years, all the way back to when Griffin was an eighteen year old who insisted on co to the States for his education Griffin’s e of servants to join him as befitted his class He’d fired all of them except for Kip Someone had to pick out his clothes and drive him around, after all

And nohen he needed his assistant thehim

Griffin stared at the pile of periodicals on the corner of his paper-strewn desk Under a copy of Scientific Ay Today, there was a copy of Bellissime National Nehich he had iazine, which had the same damn headline

COUNTDOWN TO THE WEDDING OF THE CENTURY, it read in big, bold letters Below, there was a picture of his cousin, Crown Princess Alexandra Olivia the Third, Duchess of Beaulac, Heir Apparent to the throne of Bellissime, and her fiancé, Hollywood action star Luke Houston

Not only was Her Royal Highnessa very famous one, which meant that both A it to a ridiculous extent

Bloody annoying hat it was

As the upco of a royal princess of Bellissi and festivities, Griffin included And while he could get away froer son and lived stateside, he couldn’t get away fro cousins with better things to do--would be rounded up in Bellissi Griffin fully expected to spend a week utterlyfor photos (he hated photos), and generally avoiding whichever eligible princesses his mother threw in his direction

All of which would becompanion wouldn’t be at his side He needed an assistant Griffin couldn’t keep his own schedule straight, and according to his ements If his mother knew that his one and only assistant abandoned hi hihness Princess Sybilla-Louise, believed that a royal lifestyle should consist of an entourage, and she never had less than forty-six staff in her employment at all ti as he had things under control, he could live in his small, book-scattered townhouse off Central Park, with only Kip to assist his on weekends It was how he preferred it He hated hovering, and he hated having people around at all tiht fuss was a necessity for the royal fa, and fast His mother would suspect him the moment she clapped eyes on his tie If it was even so much as askew, she’d hyperventilate and force servants on hi his own life into the ground, she’d say Wouldn’t it be easier if he had an equerry and a valet and a driver and a fewover people determined to make themselves useful Then he’d have no peace at all His loft would be crawling with ht

Griffin’s phone buzzed He picked it up eagerly, hoping that Kip had texted him to state that he’d called the doctor because he knew Griffin was displeased, and had been cleared to fly That he was returning to Griffin’s townhouse and it had all been a coency to see if they can provide a replaceed for a selection of high-end clip-on ties to be delivered this afternoon

Dear God The only thing worse than hishis tie askeas if she saw hi simply had to be done

"Ante up, boys" Reese tossed his chips into the center of the table "Let’s get this show on the road Soht"

"You never ru you into an old et honancy really increases a woed his eyebrows at the others in a devilish rimace He added his ante "Audrey’s a childhood friend ofhored Griffin on the other side of him "You in, buddy?"

"He It o simple words No luck Damn it all "I’an put in his ante and arched an eyebrow at Griffin "Everything okay?"

"Just family issues," Griffin said sourly, and reached backward to the drink table and grabbed the bottle of cognac The others preferred whisky, but he liked solass, just opened the bottle, swirled it, and took a swig

Now, both of Logan’s eyebroent up "I’ as ‘just’ fa for money?"

"If only" If he could toss a few o away, he would Griffin chugged the cognac again Maybe he should have gone for whisky after all

Reese began to flick cards out on the table, dealing "So where the hell is Hunter tonight?"

"Gretchen said he was on his way," Logan said with a shrug "I assuht in traffic"

Jonathan picked up his cards off the table and gave Griffin a curious look "You nervous about the site visit?"

"Site visit?"