A Royal Temptation Read online

  Secrets, lies and forbidden love... USA TODAY bestselling author Charlene Sands brings you the most shocking royal romance yet!

  Juan Carlos Salazar II never thought he’d become King of Alma. But when an explosive family secret leaves him next in line for the throne, he’s ready.

  Until he catches a glimpse of Princess Portia Lindstrom at the coronation. Because it’s love at first sight with this mysterious woman. But Portia’s secrets test the power of his devotion and Juan Carlos is tempted to throw duty out the window. Sorely tempted.

  Soon he must choose between commitment to country and family...or his own heart.

  “You leave me no choice, Princess.”

  Then he tipped her chin up and leaned forward. Anticipation pulsed through her veins. Every single second was an unnerving kind of torture. And finally, his mouth was on hers, his hand coming to wrap more firmly around her jaw, as if he couldn’t get enough, as if he would devour her.

  Long live the king!

  She touched his face, and a groan erupted from his throat.

  A whimpering, mewling sound came from hers. Mortification would have set in, if the king wasn’t equally as needy.

  After who knew how long, Juan Carlos placed his hands on both her shoulders and, she sensed, with great reluctance eased her away.

  He leaned back against the seat, breathing hard. “I’ve never made love to a woman in a limo before, Princess. But it wouldn’t take much to change that.”

  * * *

  A Royal Temptation is part of the series Dynasties: The Montoros—One royal family must choose between love and destiny!

  Dear Reader,

  Are you as fascinated with royalty as I am? I love real-life royal stories, the centuries-old traditions and the flamboyant people that make up a monarchy. I mean, who doesn’t love to hear about Prince William and his beautiful wife, Kate? They have captured our hearts and minds.

  I hope that you will equally love my handsome, dashing hero, Juan Carlos Salazar, King of Alma. He’s a self-made American man who discovers his royal destiny to the throne and treats it with the utmost respect and dignity. We first meet him at his coronation, where he spies a lovely light-haired, blue-eyed woman during the ceremony and learns that Princess Portia of the tiny Scandinavian country of Samforstand is certainly someone worth getting to know.

  The reluctant princess isn’t a pushover and she’s through getting involved with high-powered, high-profile men. But Juan Carlos is more than smitten, it’s almost love at first sight, and he makes an offer that the pretty art advisor can’t refuse. Soon, the two of them are traipsing on an adventure through the beautiful countryside of Alma searching for lost art treasure.

  But the secrets they uncover will change them and shatter both their lives.

  I hope you enjoy this high-stakes Dynasties story, A Royal Temptation!

  Happy reading!

  Charlene

  A ROYAL TEMPTATION

  Charlene Sands

  Charlene Sands is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than thirty-five romance novels, writing sensual contemporary romances and stories of the Old West. Her books have been honored with a National Readers’ Choice Award, a CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and she’s a double recipient of the Booksellers’ Best Award. She belongs to the Orange County chapter and the Los Angeles chapter of RWA.

  Charlene writes “hunky heroes with heart.” She knows a little something about true romance—she married her high school sweetheart! When not writing, Charlene enjoys sunny Pacific beaches, great coffee, reading books from her favorite authors and spending time with her family. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Charlene loves to hear from her readers! You can write her at PO Box 4883, West Hills, CA 91308, or sign up for her newsletter for fun blogs and ongoing contests at charlenesands.com.

  Books by Charlene Sands

  Harlequin Desire

  Dynasties: The Montoros

  A Royal Temptation

  Moonlight Beach Bachelors

  Her Forbidden Cowboy

  The Billionaire’s Daddy Test

  The Slades of Sunset Ranch

  Sunset Surrender

  Sunset Seduction

  The Secret Heir of Sunset Ranch

  Redeeming the CEO Cowboy

  The Worths of Red Ridge

  Carrying the Rancher’s Heir

  The Cowboy’s Pride

  Worth the Risk

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com, or charlenesands.com, for more titles!

  To Allyson Pearlman, Robin Rose, Mary Hernandez and Pam Frendian. You’re my crew, my Best Friends Forever. Your friendship puts lightness in my heart and a smile on my face every day. I am surrounded by the best and I love you dearly.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Falling for Her Fake Fiancé by Sarah M. Anderson

  One

  Juan Carlos Salazar II stood at the altar in Saint Lucia’s Cathedral, holding his head high as he accepted the responsibility and honor of being crowned King Montoro of Alma. In a dreamlike state he went through the motions that would bring the monarchy back to what it had once been decades ago. He’d been orphaned at a young age and taken in by his uncle. Since then, he’d lived a life filled with determination and dignity. He’d always known great things would come to him if he worked hard and kept his focus. But king? Never in his life would he have guessed his own true destiny.

  With the golden orb and blessed scepter in his hands, he saw the austere ceremony in the cathedral was coming to a close. Prime Minister Rivera had given a speech full of renewed hope for the country, the small set of islands off the coast of Spain that had been ravaged by the now overthrown dictatorship of the Tantaberras. Seventy years of oppression overturned by loyal citizens, who looked to Juan Carlos for the reinstatement of a monarchy that would capture their hearts and minds.

  Archbishop Santiago placed the royal robe over Juan Carlos’s shoulders. As he took his seat on the throne, the archbishop set the jeweled crown of Alma upon his head. All of the tradition, ritual and protocol of the coronation had been observed, and he was now King Montoro of Alma, the true heir to the throne. He spoke an oath and vowed to be much more than a figurehead as he promised to restore order and hope to the country.

  It was a monumental time in Alma’s history and he was happy to have the support of his cousins, Gabriel, Rafe and Bella. They were smiling and nodding their approval from their seats, Bella with tears in her eyes. They’d all lived and thrived in the United States before this, and forgive him, but heaven knew Rafe and Gabriel, who were once thought to be first in line to the throne but had been disqualified for separate and unique reasons, were not cut out for the rigors and sacrifice of royal life. They were only too glad to see Juan Carlos accept the position of sovereign.

  A woman seated several rows behind his cousins caught his attention. Deep cerulean-blue eyes, clear and large, stood out against her porcelain face and white-blond hair. She reminded him of a snow queen from a fairy tale in his youth. And as he was ushered down the aisle after the coronation their gazes locked for an instant and her one eyelid closed in a wink. Was it for him? His lips immediately quirked up at the notion and he f
orced the smile from his expression. Still, his heart did a little tumble as it had been doing all day, but this time it was the woman, and not the ceremony, that had caused the commotion.

  The next hour passed, again in dreamlike wonder, as he was escorted out of the cathedral by Alma’s finest royal guards, to be met with unrestrained jubilation all along the parade route. He sat atop a convertible car and waved with gloved hands, as they made their way toward the palace. And there, on the top steps of Alma’s regal old-world palace, Juan Carlos began his first speech as king.

  “Citizens of Alma, as your new king, I promise to honor the sovereignty of our nation, to always put the country first and to work alongside our parliament to restore our democracy. It is a vow I take with an open but steady heart and a determination to see that our freedoms are never threatened again.”

  Cheers went up. “Viva Juan Carlos!”

  Juan Carlos waited until the crowd calmed to finish a speech that was interrupted three more times by applause.

  He left the palace steps energized, instilled with the very same hope he saw in the eyes of his fellow countrymen. He was a foreigner, by all rights, an American, and yet, they’d accepted him and looked to him to help establish a newer, brighter Alma.

  He would not let them down.

  As austere as his day was, he took a moment to reflect on the coronation and picture the beautiful woman in the light blue chiffon gown, her eyes as vibrant as deep ocean waters. He’d searched for her during the procession, the parade and the speech that followed, only to be disappointed.

  She’d been a diversion from the gravity of the day.

  Winking at him had brought a smile to his lips.

  Who was she?

  And would she have his children?

  * * *

  “Do I need to call you Your Highness?” his cousin Rafe asked as he pumped Juan Carlos’s hand. They stood off to the side in the palace’s grand ballroom. The coronation gala was well underway and the orchestra played lively tunes. An array of fresh flowers decorated the arched entryways, aisles and tables.

  “You mean, as opposed to Squirt, Idiot and Bonehead like when we were kids?”

  “Hey, I wasn’t that bad.”

  “You were a year older and that gave you bullying rights.”

  “Okay, guilty as charged. But now you can have me hung by the neck until dead.”

  “I could’ve done that to you back then, too.”

  “Ha, funny.”

  “Call me Juan Carlos or cuz, just like you do now. Your Highness comes into play only on formal occasions or royal business.”

  All amusement on his cousin’s face disappeared. “Seriously, Juan Carlos, congratulations. The family is proud of you. You’re the only one of the lot who was cut out for this. You are honoring our aunt Isabella’s final wishes by restoring the monarchy.”

  Juan Carlos came to the throne quite by accident, after Bella discovered a secret cache of letters that revealed Rafe, Gabriel and Bella’s late grandfather, Raphael Montoro II, was illegitimate and not the true heir to the throne. As such, neither of Juan Carlos’s cousins would have been the rightful king. The former queen’s indiscretion had been kept hidden all these years until her great-grandchildren had uncovered it.

  “Thank you, cousin. I’ve thought about my grandmother these past few weeks and I think she would approve. It means a great deal to me.” He sighed. “I hope to make a diff—” He caught a glimpse of a woman in blue and craned his neck to get a better look.

  It was her. She was attending the gala. Only dignitaries, friends and family members along with the royal photographers and journalists had been invited to the party, two hundred strong.

  “Hey,” Rafe asked. “What are you stretching your neck to see?”

  “She’s here,” he muttered, without shifting his gaze. She was standing near an archway leading to the foyer, looking to make an escape.

  “Juan Carlos?”

  “Oh, uh, I saw a woman at the coronation and I haven’t stopped thinking about her.”

  “This I’ve got to see. Any woman who can take your mind off a day as big as this has got to be something special. Where is she?”

  “I’m not going to point. Just look for the most beautiful woman in the room and you’ll find her.”

  “Emily is right there, talking to Bella.”

  “Spoken like a besotted newlywed. Okay, yes, Emily is gorgeous, now find a woman in blue who is not your wife.”

  “If you’d agreed to a formal receiving line, you’d have met her already.”

  He hadn’t wanted a stiff, awkward line of people congratulating him. He’d make his way over to his guests and speak with them during the course of the evening. He’d vowed to be a king of the people and for the people and that started right now. “Do you see her?”

  “Ah, I do see her now. Very blonde, nice body, great eyes.”

  “That’s her. Do you know who she is?”

  “No, but apparently she knows Alex and Maria Ramon. They just walked up to her and they appear friendly.”

  “Well, then, I think it’s time I spoke with Alma’s deputy prime minister of commerce and his wife, don’t you?”

  Juan Carlos moved swiftly across the ballroom and as he approached, Alex spotted him and smiled. “Your Highness.” Juan Carlos nodded. It would take some time getting used to that greeting.

  Maria, not one to stand on ceremony, hugged his neck. She and Alex had just married and postponed their honeymoon to attend the coronation. “I’m happy to see this day, Your Highness. You are just what Alma needs.”

  “Thank you, Maria.”

  As he made eye contact with the blonde woman, it felt as if something quick and sharp had pierced his body. Her eyes were large, shaped like perfect twin almonds, the sparkle in them as bright as any star. Mesmerized, he couldn’t look away.

  “And please, let me introduce you to Portia Lindstrom, Princess of Samforstand.”

  Princess?

  She could have his children.

  Juan Carlos offered her his hand and at the touch of her delicate palm, he once again felt that quick, sharp sensation. “Nice to meet you, Princess. I’m glad you could make the coronation. It’s a good day for Alma, I hope.”

  “I’m sure it will be, Your Majesty. And please, call me Portia.”

  “I will,” he said. “If you call me Juan Carlos.”

  A pink cast tinged her porcelain skin. “I couldn’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because, you’re the king.”

  “I’ll let you in on a secret. Up until a few months ago, I was living in Miami and running a rather large business conglomerate. I’m afraid I still have American ties and king is not in their vocabulary, unless we’re talking about Elvis.”

  She smiled. “I live in America, too. I’m on the west coast right now. My family was from a tiny country near Scandinavia.”

  “Well, then, we have a lot in common. As you can see, Alma is not a large country, either.”

  Maria and Alex exchanged looks and excused themselves. He’d forgotten they were there. It was rude of him. But now, he was alone with Portia.

  “You are a curiosity. You won’t call me Juan Carlos, but yet you wink at me just as I am crowned king.”

  * * *

  Portia froze. Surely the king didn’t believe she’d actually winked at him. It was that darn nervous twitch of hers. It would have to happen at the exact moment she’d first made eye contact with him. She should be immune to royalty—she’d met enough princes and princesses in her twenty-eight years—but Juan Carlos Salazar seemed different, strikingly handsome and down to earth. Before she could explain about the wink, the orchestra began playing a lovely Latin waltz.

  He bowed in old world fashion. “Princes
s Portia, I’d be honored if you danced with me.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t waltz.”

  “Neither do I,” he replied. “We can wing it and set a new trend.”

  She chuckled. He didn’t act like the stuffed-shirt royals she’d met in the past, and when he took her hand and led her to the unoccupied dance floor, she didn’t protest. He was a better dancer than he let on, and she glided across the floor with him, fully aware every set of eyes in the room were on them.

  “We’re the only ones out here,” she whispered.

  He grinned, flashing white teeth against golden-brown skin. He was tall and dashing and at the moment, charming her silly by staring into her eyes as if she was the only person who existed in the world. It was quite flattering.

  “Don’t worry. Other guests will join in after the king’s first dance. It’s tradition.”

  “Then I should be honored you picked me.”

  “After that wink, how could I not pick you?” He held her possessively and spoke with authority, as if he’d been king all of his life.

  “It was a twitch. I had something in my eye.”

  “I choose to believe it was a wink.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  He smiled again and moved her across the dance floor as if she were light as air.

  When the dance ended, he didn’t release her hand. “Will you take a walk with me?”

  “You want to leave your own gala?”

  He shrugged and didn’t appear worried. “It’s been a long, monumental day. I could use a little break.”

  Portia couldn’t very well say no. And getting some fresh air did sound good. Because of her title, she’d been invited to the gala, and to refuse such a high honor would’ve been unheard of. Her mother and father’s greatest wish, as her grandmother told it, was for her to remain true to her royal bloodlines, even while having a career and life of her own. So she juggled her time accordingly, to honor her deceased parents’ wishes. She hadn’t had enough time with them, but she’d hoped to make them proud. “Well, then, yes. I’ll walk with you.”