The Royally Broke Billionaire: Royal Wedding Blues E-Book

Ann Omasta

• Herausgeber: More Happily Ever Afters
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Her brothers are prominent billionaires, and his kingdom is in financial trouble. She wants him. He needs her, but he loves her best friend. Will their secrets leave them all royally blue?

Tess Donovan is a smart, classy, opinionated, and independent woman. She has always dreamed of marrying a handsome prince, and suddenly that lifelong wish is within reach.

Prince Pierce Huntington Astor III is about to take the throne of the kingdom he loves. His father’s gambling addiction has depleted the once-extravagant riches of their lush island paradise, leaving his son with a royal mess.

Tess expects the prince to sweep her off her feet. Imagine her surprise when he instead falls for her loud, clumsy, and decidedly un-royal best friend, Mo.

Prince Pierce knows Tess is the woman that can save his beloved kingdom, but his heart wants ill-suited Mo. Mo adores the prince, but she’s a tomboy at heart, so she’s not keen on the royal rules and strict expectations that go along with being his bride.

These three are royally at odds. Can they all get what they want? Or will their secrets ruin everything? Find out now in The Royally Broke Billionaire: Royal Wedding Blues.

This delightful billionaire and royal romance novel can be read as a standalone or as the fourth book in The Broke Billionaires Club Series. 

Available books in The Broke Billionaires Club:
1.The Broke Billionaire
2.The Billionaire’s Brother
3.The Billionairess
4.The Royally Broke Billionaire: Royal Wedding Blues
5.The Royally Broke Billionaire: Royal Baby Scandal

Leseprobe

The Royally Broke Billionaire

Royal Wedding Blues

Ann Omasta

Contents

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Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Epilogue

Sneak Peek of Royal Baby Scandal

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About the Author, Ann Omasta

Acknowledgments

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1

Considering Maureen’s breakneck pace as she clomped up the museum steps, one would never guess that Tess had practically had to drag her to the Emerald Ball Gala. She almost did break her neck when, in classic Mo-fashion, she tripped over her own feet.

Tess was right behind her to catch her and keep her from tumbling head-over-heels down the concrete stairs.

“Thanks, hon,” Mo turned back and grinned at her best friend. “You’re always there for me.”

Tess returned the smile, “And I always will be.”

Mo didn’t even bother to gripe about the sappy response because her attention was diverted to the other side of the stairs. “Hey, I think that’s your brothers.” She pointed to a group of people dressed to the nines, with the exception of a woman in skin-tight leather pants.

Tess squinted in their direction. She had been too vain to wear her glasses tonight, but her contacts had felt particularly scratchy and irritating when she tried to put them in, so she was flying practically blind. Mo had promised to steer her straight towards the prince, if his rumored attendance turned out to be true.

She couldn’t be sure from this distance if the men were her billionaire brothers. Deciding it might be them, she started to turn in their direction. When the group in question started belting out a Grease song, complete with dancing, she turned back to Mo. “Umm, nope, definitely not my brothers. They wouldn’t be caught dead doing a performance like that out here for the entire world to see.”

Mo raised her shoulders. It was obvious that she still believed it to be the Donovan brothers, but she was happy to take their baby sister’s word that it wasn’t the handsome billionaires.

When they reached the top of the stairs, the women paused so Tess could fluff her hair. “Does everything look good?” she asked her best friend, suddenly feeling nervous about potentially meeting the prince.

“Doesn’t it always?” Mo grinned down at her.

Tess beamed up at her best friend. The other woman was several inches taller than Tess’s five-foot-four-inch delicate frame, but it was more than just her height that made Mo seem larger than life. Her mass of flaming red hair, her bodacious personality, and her tendency to talk a bit too loud made the gregarious woman stand out in just about any situation.

It had been that contrast to Tess’s quiet and calm demeanor that had made the two fast friends in kindergarten. They were polar opposites in every way, yet they complemented each other beautifully. Where one was weak, the other was strong, and vice versa.

Even though she noticed the smudge of lipstick on Mo’s front tooth, Tess didn’t bother to point it out. She knew her friend honestly didn’t care about such things. Besides, Mo was only here and wearing lipstick at all because Tess had insisted that she accompany her. Being a classic tomboy, Mo had whined for a bit about getting all gussied up and going to the fancy party, but Tess promised her friend that she could sneak out just as soon as Tess found her prince.

“We’d better get inside or we’ll be more than fashionably late.” Tess decided, before adding, “I don’t want anyone else to swoop in on the prince before I’ve had a chance to dazzle him.”

The two women linked arms as they entered the museum. The connection felt nice, but Tess had instigated it mostly as a way to keep Mo from faltering in her heels. Her friend wasn’t used to walking in anything other than tennis shoes or work boots, so the risk of her falling was real, and Tess wanted to do anything in her power to keep that from happening.

They both gaped at the astonishing transformation inside the museum. The glittering twinkle lights dangling from the tall ceiling and glowing floating candles on the tables gave the ballroom a warm, inviting ambiance. Colorful fresh-cut wildflowers in Ball jars perked up each table and emitted a lovely wafting fragrance into the air. The setting was ideal. Now all Tess needed was her prince.

Forcing her way through the crowd, with Tess scrambling behind her, Mo bellied-up to the bar. Once their white wine spritzers arrived, both women turned to scan the ballroom and determine their next move.

Tess almost choked on her wine when the prince of Isle de Monsail himself, His Royal Highness Pierce Huntington Astor III, walked up to them. He was even more gorgeous in person than he appeared to be in magazines and on television. There was a regal air about him that extended beyond the navy, scarlet, and gold finery he was wearing or his dark swoop of Ken doll-worthy hair. His smile stretched into his sparkling blue eyes, making him seem almost impossibly handsome.

He reached out to bring first Tess’s hand, and then Mo’s up to his lips. His white gloves would have normally been off-putting, but Tess assumed it was a necessary part of his royal garb.

Unsure exactly how she was supposed to greet a man with his imperial status, Tess bent at the knees and did what she hoped was a graceful and appropriate curtsy. He nodded to acknowledge her, making her preen.

When his gaze travelled to Mo, she nodded and said, “Hey.”

Tess’s mouth fell open at her friend’s garish and wildly inappropriate royal greeting. Just as she was getting ready to apologize for Mo’s faux pas, she noticed the look on the prince’s face. He was gazing at Mo, and he appeared to be utterly charmed!

“Mademoiselle,” he said to Mo before gracing the woman with a dashing smile.

She looked at Tess, seeming uncertain how to respond. Tess quickly jumped in to save her. “This is Maureen,” she filled in before adding, “and I’m Tess.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” the prince said graciously, his eyes never leaving Mo. “Maureen, may I have this dance?”

Mo bugged her eyes out at Tess. Not only did she have two left feet, but this was not at all how their introduction to the prince was supposed to be going. Unsure what to say, she said awkwardly, “Oh, you can call me Mo. Everyone does.”

Smiling and looking completely enamored, the prince responded. “Okay, Mo.” The way her nickname rolled off his tongue made it sound somehow distinguished. “How about that dance?”

“Oh, umm… okay?” Mo’s voice lifted at the end as if she was the one asking a question.

“Have fun,” Tess gave them a brittle smile, doing her best to reassure her friend.

Once the two were on the dance floor, Tess flinched as she watched Mo step on the prince’s feet as he tried to lead her. Mo had always joked that she couldn’t dance because she was meant to lead rather than follow, but this awkward travesty was utterly cringe worthy.

Even the prince’s fluid, graceful, and obviously much-practiced movements weren’t enough to cover Mo’s wooden, uncoordinated steps. Tess was surprised the man didn’t put them both out of their misery by ending the dance early. Proving that he was a gentleman with impeccable manners, he stuck it out until the end.

As the song finally finished, Tess squared her shoulders, fully expecting the prince to return with Mo before asking Tess for a spin around the dance floor. Her years of taking dance lessons were finally going to pay off because she was much better equipped to deal with the expectations of dancing with a royal than her gawky friend.

Silence permeated the large hall, and the prince bowed formally before Mo. Completely out of her element, Mo’s eyes shot to Tess in a silent plea for advice. Tess tried to show her how to curtsy from her place near the bar, but Mo ignored the charade, opting instead to merely bug her large green eyes out and nod at the man.

Tess could see the prince’s gleaming white teeth from across the room as he grinned at her friend. As the music restarted, he leaned in to whisper in Mo’s ear. The woman’s gaze once again darted to Tess.

Rather than responding to whatever he said, Mo lifted her shoulders as if she had no idea what to say. Apparently taking that as a ‘yes,’ the prince replaced his hand at her waist, used his other hand to grasp hers, and began guiding her around the parquet dance floor once more.

Tess couldn’t do anything but stare at them. This was like her worst nightmare coming true. Except it wasn’t a nightmare because even in her wildest imagination, she never would have thought that Mo’s presence would foil her one chance with the prince.

Turning back to the shiny mahogany bar, she lifted her empty glass in the bartender’s direction and snapped, “I need another, and this time skip the spritzer.”

2

When the devilishly handsome bartender delivered her white wine, Tess said, “Just bring the whole bottle.”

He raised his dark brows at her, but complied with her request. At this point, she didn’t particularly care if she looked like a lush. The people at this event had no right to judge her anyway. She normally only drank a glass or two of wine every few months, so she was overdue for some serious liquid therapy.

After downing the glass quickly, she poured herself another. The idea that she should probably eat something before drinking any more dawned on her, but she quickly dismissed it. The tasteless, rubbery chicken they normally served at these types of events didn’t sound nearly as appetizing as another glass of wine did.

Steeling herself to see her best friend dancing the night away with the prince she had always dreamed of, Tess turned around. She must have spun a tad too quickly because she faltered and had to grab hold of the bar to keep from falling.

Quick as a wink, the man that had been standing just behind the prince during the royal introductions leaped forward to catch her. He steadied her by cupping her elbow and encouraging her to lean in his direction.

At first glimpse, Tess felt charmed by his chivalry. Perhaps her knight in shining armor wasn’t a prince after all. When the man spoke, though, he immediately ruined her amorous feelings.

Deftly removing the glass from her hand and turning to place it on the bar, the man said, “Perhaps you’ve had enough wine for tonight.”

Some tiny, still-rational part of Tess’s mind knew that he was probably right, but her emotions were suddenly the dominant majority, and they were furious. They quickly won the battle of how to react to his suggestion.

“How dare you?” Tess glared up at him. He was tall––at least six feet––which forced her to crane her neck up to look at him. That annoyed her even more.

“How dare I?” He seemed perplexed by her flash of anger, but his dark chocolate eyes were sparking with interest. “How dare YOU? What kind of lady comes to a charity gala and proceeds to get soused at the open bar?”

Tess spluttered. No one ever spoke to her this way. Exactly who did he think he was?!?

Sensing her fury and making an attempt to calm her down, the man changed gears. “Look, I think we have started off on the wrong foot. His Royal Highness seems to have taken a liking to your friend, so it might be in our best interest to make an effort to get along.”

Tess gaped at him, stunned by the quick about-face in the man’s demeanor. When he introduced himself as Sebastian Savoy, Royal Steward, and held his hand out to her, she merely stared down at it, opening her mouth and closing it a few times like a carp out of water.

Filling in the awkward silence, Sebastian retracted his hand while saying, “And you’re Tess Donovan.”

At this, Tess couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer. “How did you know that?”

Sebastian gave her a wide, knowing smile. It would have been charming coming from anyone else, but from this man, it grated on her nerves. “Your reputation precedes you, my dear.”

Her anger finally boiling over, Tess stormed away. She wanted to get as far from Sebastian as possible. Quietly fuming, she muttered to herself. “My reputation precedes me… What does that even mean?” She felt quite certain that the cocky, annoying jerk wasn’t referring to her positive attributes.

Skirting the dance floor to avoid getting any closer to Mo and the prince, she stalked to the far side of the ballroom. Silently cursing that she’d left her wine behind, she paced and fumed.

When a slightly older man, whom she recognized as one of her brothers’ acquaintances, asked her to dance, she gladly accepted. She needed something to focus on other than the prince and his haughty helper.

Her dance partner proved himself to be an elegant gentleman as he swept her gracefully around the polished dance floor. His salt-and-pepper hair gave him a distinguished air that she probably would have taken more notice of, had she not been so consumed by angry thoughts about Sebastian.

Tess forced herself to smile at Mo when they caught each other’s gaze across the crowded dance floor. She knew that her friend hadn’t intended to steal the prince, so she didn’t want Mo to feel bad about enjoying her time with him.

For her part, Mo looked incredibly uncomfortable. It wasn’t just the leery look of someone who feared she might be hurting a friend. Her face also displayed an air of sheer terror that she was already in way over her head. Her dance moves had improved slightly with the prince’s tutelage, but her feet still clomped like she was mucking around in a barn, rather than floating elegantly around a stylish ballroom.

When Tess caught sight of Sebastian dancing with a leggy blonde, she couldn’t explain the flare of jealousy that surged within her. The man was one of the most infuriating and annoying people she had ever encountered. It didn’t make sense for her to suddenly long to be the one in his arms.

Despite her tipsiness, Tess’s years of dance classes and her natural fluidity allowed her to hold her own as a light-footed dance partner. The man she was dancing with tried a few times to engage her in conversation, but she was too engrossed in spying on Mo, the prince, and Sebastian to pay him much attention.

When the song ended, the man, seeming determined to win Tess over, asked her for a second dance. She nodded in agreement, mostly so she could keep a closer eye on what was happening with the others.

As a slower song began playing, Tess watched as Sebastian bowed gallantly before the blonde. She giggled and preened as he bid her adieu. Tess rolled her eyes at his blatant stunt. He probably used that royal etiquette garbage to weasel his way into girls’ hearts and pants. Well, there was no way she was going to fall for that ploy.

Tess was so focused on him that she barely noticed when her dance partner pulled her into a more intimate embrace and began swaying to the love ballad.

When Sebastian spotted Tess across the floor, he bee-lined in her direction. For the first time all evening, Tess stumbled and nearly stepped on her dance partner’s foot. She smiled at the blunder and made a sincere attempt to focus on the man in front of her as he pulled her into an even tighter embrace.

She could feel Sebastian’s bold stare on her back as a drop of perspiration dripped down her side. For some reason, she was hyper-aware of the royal steward’s location and movements.

Sebastian finally made it through the crowd and across the dance floor. He stood before them and turned to Tess’s dance partner. “May I cut in?” The question and the sentiment were both rather rude, but somehow with Sebastian’s flourishing way of speaking, it came off with a polite air––almost like he was doing them a favor.

Proving that he was a true gentleman, Tess’s dance partner responded, “Of course.” The look on his face was slightly miffed, but he moved on without complaint.

When Sebastian squared his frame and took Tess’s hand in his own, the difference in the skill levels of her dance partners was immediately apparent. Her previous partner had been technically adept and perfectly acceptable, but Sebastian’s fluid and graceful movements made it feel like they were floating on air as they slowly swished around the dance floor.

Sebastian’s stance wasn’t nearly as intimate as her previous partner’s was, however it felt like a thousand butterflies were suddenly fluttering to life in Tess’s stomach. His hand resting just above the curve of her hip felt warm and good––almost too good. Her focus was drawn to its heat. When his fingers moved, lightly caressing her, she almost faltered.

Forcing her attention elsewhere, she looked into his eyes. They were dark brown, like smooth melted chocolate, and they were looking intently at her.

His steady gaze making her feel uncomfortable, Tess quickly looked away. She found Mo and the prince on the dance floor and watched them sway to the music. The slower song had allowed them to stop pretending that Mo had any real dance skills. She was now resting her head on the prince’s lapel as they moved back and forth from one foot to the other.

Tess couldn’t help but feel jealous that her friend was spending the entire evening dancing with the prince. That should be Tess in his embrace.

Sebastian took note of her longing gaze. “So, you thought the prince would like you?”

His disparaging tone set Tess’s teeth on edge. Jerking her head back as if she’d been slapped, she responded, “Is that such an outrageous idea?”

She had assumed that Sebastian would reply that no, it was completely feasible to think that the prince might have fallen for her. So, when he had the audacity to scoff and say, “Yes, you’re not his type at all,” she felt utterly outraged.

Shoving back and glaring up at him, she said, “We’re done here,” before flouncing away to fume and quite possibly cuss a little.

3

Once Tess locked herself inside the museum’s powder room, she began pacing and ranting.

“Who does HE think he is?” She spoke to her reflection in the mirror. “What does HE know about me? I am a perfectly likable, sweet, funny, smart, caring, and endearing person. The prince would be lucky to find someone like me… Not his type… Ugh!”

Tess felt herself shaking with fury that Sebastian had made it sound like the mere idea of the prince falling for her was completely preposterous. It wasn’t that outlandish. It could happen, she reminded herself silently. Just because it hadn’t happened, didn’t mean that it was out of the realm of possibility.

“Not his type,” she blustered as she whirled on her heel to stalk across the small restroom again. “I am exactly the type of lady that deserves a prince.” Even though she refused to admit it aloud, she silently added that Mo was the one who wasn’t fit to be royalty.

Immediately feeling guilty about her wayward and mean thought, Tess justified it in her mind… Mo would be the first one to admit that she was unrefined and loud. She would never imagine herself with a prince. It wasn’t even something she wanted.

Pausing in her movement, Tess realized that is what hurt the most about this entire scenario. Having dreamed of marrying a prince since she was little, it was an extra bitter pill to swallow that the eligible bachelor prince they met in person chose Mo to dance with––even though Mo couldn’t have cared less about his social status.

It was entirely possible that Mo’s lack of interest in his royal bloodline was exactly what had attracted him to her. Tess briefly considered pretending like she too was unimpressed by his station, but it was already too late for that.

The sharp rap on the door startled her out of her ruminating. “Just a moment,” she promised as she moved to the sink to splash chilly water on her arms. She decided that the literal attempt to cool off had worked to some degree as she used a towel to dab her arms dry.

Emerging from the bathroom, she was surprised to see Sebastian standing on the other side of the door. “Stalking me now?” she asked him in a snarky tone.

“Just making sure you’re okay. You were in there a while.” His smile was genuine and kind.

“I got overheated and needed to cool off,” she answered his unasked question, even as she wondered if he had heard her seething to the empty room while she was in there.

If he had heard her, he gave no indication. “Perhaps we should step outside for some fresh air,” he suggested.

Tess weighed her options. She didn’t really want to spend any additional time with the brutally honest steward. More than that, though, she didn’t want to go back to the ballroom to watch Mo dance with her prince. The decision was easy. Tess nodded before leading the way out to the balcony.

She could feel the heat from Sebastian’s hand on the small of her back as they walked outside. For some reason, she seemed to be hyper-aware of his touch. Although she didn’t care to admit it, the contact felt rather pleasant. When they reached the railing overlooking the museum steps, he dropped his hand, and she immediately missed its radiating warmth.

Without even realizing she did it, Tess shivered. Proving himself to be a gentleman, despite his annoying words to the contrary earlier, Sebastian removed his jacket and curved it around her shoulders.

Just when Tess was starting to think he might not be so bad after all, Sebastian said, “You seem jealous that Prince Pierce chose your friend over you.”

Tess winced at the harshness of his words. Even though she knew that was precisely the case, hearing it proclaimed so blatantly stung. “He doesn’t know me,” she bit back.

“Are you insinuating that once he gets to know you, he will decide he likes you, rather than your friend?” Sebastian looked utterly amused. Not waiting for her answer, he went on, “Because I can assure you that won’t happen.”

Deciding that this man was a little too honest––bordering on rude––for her liking, Tess said, “I should go get Mo because it’s getting late. We need to head home.”

“She’s having the time of her life,” Sebastian said. “You would ruin that for her?”

When he put it that way, Tess felt like a heel. Not wanting him to think she was a total jerk, she defended her previous statement. “You don’t know that she’s having fun. In fact, she probably isn’t. Mo doesn’t like going to fancy functions. I practically had to drag her here. She’s probably anxious for me to come rescue her.” Tess knew that last bit was taking it a bit far, but she felt desperate to prove that she had Mo’s best interest at heart.

Sebastian’s rich brown eyes sparkled with amusement. “You think so?” he asked as he took Tess’s hand and led her to the window.

When Tess looked inside, it didn’t take long to find Mo and the prince. They had taken a break from dancing, but were now sitting close together, chatting, and gazing at each other as if they were the only two people in the room.

“Well, of course, she has to pretend to be engrossed in their conversation… He IS a prince.” Tess didn’t know why she was still defending her theory that Mo didn’t care for the prince, when it was obvious that she actually liked him very much.

“Mo doesn’t strike me as the type of person to be disingenuous about anything––especially not something that important,” Sebastian weighed in.

Tess couldn’t explain the instant flare of jealousy. Did Sebastian like Mo too? Had they slipped into some alternate universe where every man was attracted to Mo?

Overwhelming guilt immediately followed the flash of envy. It wasn’t at all ridiculous to think that two men might be interested in Mo. She was a wonderful, funny, kind, and lovable person. Tess was simply used to most men gravitating towards her. This new pecking order where Mo was the hot commodity was going to take some getting used to. She certainly didn’t begrudge her friend the attention. She simply was unfamiliar with being second choice––or, more accurately––not chosen at all.

Swallowing her pride, Tess turned to Sebastian and said, “You’re right. Mo is honest, loyal, and an all-around amazing human being. I’m sorry the prince is ruining your shot with her. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

Tess had already turned away and taken a step towards the doors to go back inside when Sebastian reached out and took her elbow to stop her. “Hold up a second, please.”

When Tess turned, she couldn’t keep the hope at bay that he was going to set the record straight and say he was actually interested in her, not Mo. Even though she knew it was by all rights Mo’s turn to have suitors chasing after her, Tess didn’t like being the odd woman out.

“Yes?” she asked as she turned back to face him. Her voice had taken on a mysterious husky quality that she hoped sounded sexy, not congested.

She was delighted to discover when Sebastian smiled down at her that he had an adorable dimple on his left cheek that she hadn’t noticed earlier. It made him look even more handsome. Her eyelashes fluttered at him of their own accord as she gave him her best flirty smile in return.

“Umm… my jacket?” Sebastian said, completely deflating her high hopes.

Tess yanked the suit coat off her shoulders and tossed it at him, hitting him square in the chest. With a frustrated huff of annoyance, she turned and flounced back inside the museum. As the door slowly closed behind her, she was almost certain that she heard him chuckling in amusement.

4

Using her spike of annoyance as fuel, Tess barged up to the table where Mo and the prince were canoodling. “Are you ready to go?” she asked the woman without preamble.

“What?... Go?...” Mo gave her a wide-eyed stare, obviously caught off-guard by her friend’s abruptness.

“Yes. I’m ready to leave. Are you?” Tess clarified, since Mo seemed to be lost in moony-eyed oblivion.

“Oh, umm, okay,” Mo looked crestfallen.

“Don’t leave yet. Please.” The prince pleaded with Mo.

Seeming torn about what to do, Mo looked up at Tess, who was hovering over them. “Maybe you could take the car, and I’ll grab a cab later.”

“Tess isn’t driving.” Sebastian’s voice startled Tess. She hadn’t realized that he had walked up behind her. “She’s had too much to drink,” he revealed to the others, making Tess’s cheeks flare red-hot with embarrassment.