Free Royal Affair by Laurie Paige Page B

portable phone and put it to her ear, ignoring Max who sat and leaned close so he could hear, too. She gave him a glare that did no good. “Hello?”
    â€œIvy!” her sister said.
    Ivy prepared herself for bad news. “Hi, Katie. What’s happening?”
    â€œI should ask you that. Was that your prince who answered the phone?”
    â€œUh, yes, well, not exactly.” He wasn’t her prince, only a prince. It was too complicated to explain. “What is it? You sound excited.”
    â€œEmma just called. She spoke to her neighbor—they ran into each other at the grocery store—and the neighbor’s nephew works in the E.R. at the hospital.”
    Ivy groaned. She knew what was coming.
    â€œThe nephew said you were brought in by two men. He didn’t know either of them, but one of themseemed to be in charge and signed the E.R. forms for you. The name he used was Max Hughes. That is your prince.”
    â€œI’m going to move someplace where no one has ever heard of me and my family,” Ivy vowed.
    â€œHe’s still there with you,” Katie said. “That must mean something. However did he find you?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    Max took the phone from Ivy. “This is Max,” he said to her sister. “I knew where your company was located, so I followed her here. Ivy and I ran into each other on the jogging trail. My appearance must have been a shock. She fainted each time she looked at me.”
    â€œIvy did?”
    â€œI take it fainting isn’t something she does often?”
    He smiled when Ivy groaned and buried her face in her hands. Would this day never be over?
    â€œOf course not,” she heard Katie say.
    â€œWhy don’t you call tomorrow? It’s time for her to get ready for bed,” Max told her sister.
    â€œAre you staying the night?”
    â€œOf course. She might be ill again.”
    â€œIll?”
    â€œNauseated. She might need me to hold her head again.”
    â€œOh. Of course.”
    Ivy reclaimed the phone. “Stop laughing,” she demanded of her sister, unable to disguise the prickly tone.
    â€œI’m not,” Katie protested. “I’m only smiling.”
    â€œAnd he is not spending the night,” Ivy added.
    Max indicated he was. “There are too many things to settle between us. Besides, I don’t trust you not to take off during the night for parts unknown.”
    â€œYou are not spending the night,” Ivy told him.
    â€œYes, I am.”
    â€œI think I’ll let you two argue that out,” Katie said. “Call me in the morning, Ivy. You hear?”
    â€œYes, I hear. Thanks for calling,” she said. She hit the off button and placed the phone on the table.
    â€œI am staying.” Max crossed his arms over his chest.
    â€œFine. Stay. See if I care what my neighbors think about some foreigner crashing in my apartment.”
    â€œYou have plenty of space. There’s a guest bedroom. Unless you want me to sleep with you.”
    She glared at him, aghast that he could even mention such a thing when everything was a mess. Men.
    His thick eyebrows rose slightly. “I didn’t think so.” He gathered up their glasses and the damp napkins under them, then herded her into the house. “Although it’s a bit late to be concerned about that. ”
    She whirled on him. “If you hadn’t…and then you… Anyway, it’s all your fault.”
    Tears pressed close. She would rather die than cry like some spineless wimp in front of him. She fled down the hall and into her room. There she slammed the door and fell across the bed, her hot face pressed desperately into the pillow as she fought for control.
    All was quiet in the rest of the house.
    After a while—ten minutes or an hour, she had no idea of time—she crept off the bed and into the bathroom. After changing to a nightgown and preparing for bed, she