I’m back with another SNEAK PEEK of chapter two of Winning Back the Princess! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Did you miss Chapter One? Click here to read it!
DISCLAIMER: WordPress does not love it when I copy and paste from Scrivener. 🙂 It deletes paragraph breaks, italics, etc. I try to fix them, but I’m sure I missed some. 🙂 Any formatting errors will be fixed in the published version of this story. It is also going through its final proofread at the moment, so minor errors may be present that will also be fixed in the published story.
CHAPTER TWO
Charlotte’s hand tingled, and she could still feel the ghost of Adam’s skin against her palm. Running into him while in South Africa had always been a possibility—no, more like an inevitability—but she’d never imagined it would happen five seconds after arriving at his hotel.
Of course he’d known she was coming. Royalty didn’t stay at prestigious hotels unbeknownst to the ones running them, and anyway, her name was probably plastered all over the hotel lobby since she was keynoting the conference. Did it bother him that she was here?
She hoped it drove him crazy. That he’d stayed up all night worrying about her arrival.
Emma nudged Charlotte with one shoulder. She blinked, trying to collect herself. When had Emma gotten out of the car? Charlotte was suddenly very aware of the oppressive African heat, and the way it made her clothes stick to her body. She probably looked like an abandoned cat, her hair limp and clothes wrinkled.
Her hair! The hair she’d dyed blonde when Adam left. Charlotte clutched the novel in her hands, fighting the urge to smooth back her locks. That would only draw more attention to the change.
Emma cleared her throat and extended a hand toward Adam. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
Charlotte bit her lip, holding back a grin. Emma knew very well who Adam was—had cheerfully spent hours verbally abusing him after Charlotte had found the photo of Adam and Brionna online.
“My apologies, Princess. It seems I’ve forgotten my manners.” He dropped an air kiss over the top of Emma’s wrist, smooth as ever. “I’m Adam Montgomery, the chief operations manager at this hotel.”
“Montgomery…” Emma pursed her lips as though thinking. “No relation to Thomas Montgomery, Earl of Nottingshire, I suppose?”
“My father, Your Highness.”
“Ah. Then we’re in good hands here, I’m certain. I was so sorry to hear about the passing of your mother last year.”
Charlotte’s eyes flew to Adam’s, catching the glimpse of pain before it cleared.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Adam said.
He’d only mentioned his mother a few times, but the pain in his voice had been evident each time. Breast cancer. They hadn’t caught it until the final stages. Shortly after her diagnosis, Adam’s father had handed over the South African hotel project—the first property Adam had managed entirely on his own—and he’d thrown himself into the task.
Charlotte swallowed hard, feeling uneasy. Why had she fantasized for even a moment that he would be on a beach in Greece with Little Miss Perfect? A major education conference was being held here over the next three days, and two members of the Durham royalty were staying at his hotel.
Of course he was going to greet them. She’d only been fooling herself. He’d probably stay by their side the entire trip, making sure everything went according to plan.
Adam motioned to the sliding glass doors that led inside the building, apparently oblivious to Charlotte’s inner turmoil. “If you’ll follow me, I can accompany you to your suite and make sure you get settled.”
“That would be lovely,” Emma said. She wrapped an arm tightly around Charlotte’s and propelled her forward, lowering her voice. “Your face is an open book. Don’t let him know how much he hurt you.”
Adam had said something similar once—that he always knew exactly what Charlotte was feeling just by looking into her eyes. It drove Maggie Staton, the head of public relations at the palace, batty. A good royal should always maintain a poker face, but Charlotte had never mastered that particular skill.
The glass doors slid open, sending a wave of cool air over Charlotte. Karla and one of Emma’s bodyguards were already inside, while the two remaining members of the security detail hovered close by.
Just inside the lobby, Charlotte was accosted by a larger-than-life poster of herself. The photograph was from the official palace press packet, and showed her natural brown hair color. She winced, ignoring the photo and taking in the lobby. It was completely empty, save a receptionist at the gorgeous check-in desk of dark mahogany. Charlotte wasn’t surprised. No doubt Joseph had coordinated with hotel security to make sure the area was clear.
Her heels clicked across the white marble floors. Crystal chandeliers sent rainbows of light across the room, and sleek black couches were arranged around a fireplace large enough to stand upright in. She’d known from the photographs on the hotel’s website that the place would be magnificent, but the pictures hadn’t prepared her for the reality. Adam had truly outdone himself with this project.
“This is quite the hotel you’ve got here,” Emma said, echoing Charlotte’s own thoughts.
Adam threw a knee-melting smile over his shoulder. “Thank you. I’m extremely proud of Hotel Montgomery. It received five stars in World Traveler Magazine last year, and I just confirmed this morning that Natalie and Shawn Erickson will be staying here in October. I’m hoping she gives us a glowing review on According to Natalie.”
“That is impressive,” Charlotte said. Natalie’s online travel site had exploded onto the scene two years earlier after writing about how she’d fallen in love on a Toujour singles cruise, and quickly become one of the most popular websites in the world. “I’ve been following her ever since she visited Durham last year. She’s so funny and down-to-earth.”
“Yes, and of course she also has connections to Toujour.” Another smile from Adam. “I’m hoping to convince them to host one of their singles retreats right here at Hotel Montgomery.”
That would be fantastic publicity for the hotel. Charlotte opened her mouth to reply, but caught sight of Emma’s raised eyebrow.
What was she doing? Charlotte quickly shut her mouth. Adam was no longer her friend, or more than a friend, or whatever he’d been back in Durham. She couldn’t allow herself to fall back into the easy conversation they’d shared then. Opening up had never come easily for Charlotte, but something about Adam made her relax and want to share her secrets.
“Well, that all sounds very exciting,” Emma said.
Adam shot Charlotte a glance that she couldn’t quite read. “Yes, I’m very happy with how well the hotel has done.”
Montgomery Hotels & Resorts had a worldwide reputation for excellence, but this was on a whole other level. She knew how much this success meant to him. How hard he had worked to prove himself to his father, even if he was half a world away most of the time.
“Was there ever any question?” Emma asked, giving a polite laugh that no one but Charlotte would recognize as forced.
“I certainly try my best,” Adam said.
They arrived at a set of gleaming gold elevator doors, and Evans pushed the up button while Karla scanned the hallway. Charlotte could feel Adam’s eyes on her, but she refused to meet them.
Why, out of all the employees in this hotel, had he decided to be the sole member of their welcoming party? Adam had to know that he was the last person on the planet she wanted to make small talk with. Sure, he was the hotel manager at this property, but wasn’t there a public relations specialist better suited to the task?
The elevator doors slid open. Joseph quickly inspected the interior, then motioned them inside. No doubt Karla was checking out the stairwell or something.
Soft classical music filled the elevator as the doors slid closed. Charlotte clasped her hands tightly together, taking comfort in the weight of the novel in her hands. She was all too aware of Adam’s presence—the spicy scent of his aftershave, the fine cut of his suit, the way his blue eyes made her heart throb.
“There’s a welcome dinner tonight in the main dining hall at eight o’clock,” Adam said. “Most of the conference’s special guests are arriving sometime today, and they’re all very eager to meet the two of you.”
“How lovely,” Emma said.
A welcome dinner? Charlotte felt her cheeks heat at the thought of spending even more time with Adam. Her secretary, Becky, hadn’t mentioned any welcome dinner.
“We’ll have to make sure there is room in our schedules,” Charlotte said. This elevator was far too small for her taste. “All of that goes through my secretary.”
“Yes, I sent an official invitation to the palace nearly two weeks ago,” Adam said. Was that a smirk? “Your secretary accepted on your behalf.”
Charlotte pressed the book closer to her stomach, forcing herself to take slow, even breaths. This was the problem with a secret relationship—your secretary didn’t know to refuse invitations that forced you to spend more time with your ex.
The elevator doors slid open, and Charlotte exhaled in relief. She quickly stepped into the hallway, noting Karla and one of Emma’s bodyguards were already there.
“I guess I didn’t pay too much attention to our itinerary,” Charlotte said. Oh, how she wanted to rail at Adam—to scream that this conference was about bringing education to underdeveloped areas, not drinking cocktails and making small talk. But she knew that socializing was an important part of the next few days, and she would grudgingly play her part.
“A side effect of being a princess,” Adam murmured.
Charlotte’s spine stiffened at the phrase—one they’d joked about often during those ten days they’d spent together. “I’m rather tired, Mr. Montgomery. Which way to our room?”
“Yes, of course,” Adam said, all formality once more. “My apologies, Your Highness. It’s the presidential suite at the end of the hallway.”
Charlotte waited as Adam unlocked the door and let them inside the suite. Joseph immediately disappeared down one of the hallways, no doubt to do a sweep of the rooms.
The suite was spectacular, with floor-to-ceiling glass doors covering an entire wall and offering a breathtaking view of the savanna. A black baby grand piano sat tucked into one corner of the room, and white couches framed a cozy fireplace, with an animal-skinned rug—a cheetah, perhaps?—in front of it. The kitchen boasted gleaming stainless steel appliances and a dining room table big enough for eight. But Charlotte felt more tightly coiled than a spring, and couldn’t appreciate the splendor.
Was Adam still with Brionna? Charlotte assumed they were still together, but she wasn’t so. Little Miss Perfect might be somewhere in the hotel right now.
Charlotte glanced over at Adam. His eyes were on her, face unreadable. She quickly looked away again, focusing on an abstract painting in the dining room. Was it supposed to be a lion? She wasn’t sure.
Becky bustled into the room, directing the bellhops with their carts of luggage and breaking some of the tension. Thank heaven. Charlotte sent Emma a pleading expression.
Emma clasped her hands together and smiled broadly. “Well, thank you for your help, Mr. Montgomery. We’ll see you tonight at the welcome dinner.”
Adam blinked, clearly surprised at the dismissal. Charlotte ignored his questioning stare. He’d closed that door forever, and she wasn’t about to humiliate herself by mistaking a casual glance for affection and trying to re-open it.
“I’ll see you tonight, then?” Adam asked. It was a question—one Charlotte wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of answering.
Emma took a step forward, herding Adam toward the door. “Yes, we’ll see you tonight.”
Adam paused in the doorway, his soulful eyes still trying to pull Charlotte in. “Please let me know if you need anything.”
She wanted to throw her book at him. Need anything? She needed him to stop looking at her like there was unfinished business between them. Needed him to leave her alone and assign someone else to be their contact here at the hotel.
“We’ll be fine,” Charlotte said, her words clipped.
Emma took another step forward, placing one hand on the door. “Goodbye, Mr. Montgomery,” she said.
“Goodbye,” he echoed.
Emma firmly closed the door, turning to Charlotte.
“Well,” she said. “That was incredibly awkward and uncomfortable. So much for avoiding him during the conference.”
Charlotte let out a moan, collapsing onto the couch. “How am I going to survive the next three days?”
Emma sat down beside Charlotte, patting her back consolingly. “It’ll be fine. I’ll run interference tonight as much as possible, and hopefully Adam will be too busy to bother you during the conference.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Charlotte said. “There’s nothing else to be done. I’ll try to ignore him as much as possible.”
“Good plan,” Emma said. She rose heading toward the balcony. “I’m going to check out the rest of the suite. Want to come?”
“Sure,” Charlotte said, rising.
Three days, and then Adam would be out of her life forever. What could possibly go wrong?
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