Free Paris and the Prince: A BWWM Billionaire Romance (Royal Weddings Book 1) by Mia Caldwell

They are scrambling to find out whatever they can.”
    Cat stood up from her vanity and wrapped her silk robe around her shoulders as she began to leave the room. Celia chased after her immediately, but Catriona held up her hand to stop her.
    “I'm going to talk to my husband. You should stay here. It's not going to be pretty.”
----
    P aris took in a deep , long breath of the delicious sea air, and she felt her head begin to swim with the luxuriousness of it. Even with her hair wrapped in a luxurious silk scarf, she could feel of the wind whipping around her as the Audi R8 convertible sped down quaint seaside roads made her feel as if she were in an old movie, a romance of which she was the star in spite of her humble beginnings. Even as Paris thought back to the events that lead her to this moment, they felt so foreign, she could scarcely believe it, as if she were leading someone else's life.
    After Alex and Paris had left the botanical gardens and returned to the hotel to get ready for dinner, Alex had come out of the bedroom with his phone in his hand and a funny look on his face. Despite the fact that she was sipping from a wide-rimmed glass of brandy, something about the panic in his eyes... it made her own stomach flip-flop in a way that was entirely foreign to her.
    Paris was used to the panic she felt before a big exam or a practical lab experiment, but getting stressed out over a man was well-beyond her standard emotional capabilities. Yet, looking at Alex, holding his phone, clearly wracked with fear, Paris felt sick.
    But then, Alex took a deep breath, and smiled that dazzling smile at Paris, sending all of her worries flittering away from her mind. Alex walked over, poured himself a brandy, then sat down next to Paris on the plush couch.
    “So, I have a kind of crazy proposition for you. I just got a call that my services are needed in Arcachon. It's a small seaside city near Bordeaux. Would you... be interested in accompanying me there? Just for a day or two? We'd be back in plenty of time for you to make your classes. We don't even have to take a plane. It's only a five hour drive from here.”
    The excitement in Paris' eyes and pure happiness in her smile filled Alex with a guilt that he couldn't have expressed with words, even if he'd been able to share everything with her.
    When Alex had returned to his phone, there was just enough battery power left for him to read an email from Whitney...
    You bastard.
    The show was a disaster.
    I don't know where you are, but I will find you if I have to go to every hotel in Paris and threaten every bastard concierge from one end of the city to another.
    You are going to pay for this, Alexander. And I don't mean with money.
    ~W
    Alex didn't know much about Whitney, but he knew one thing: she didn't bluff. She was probably already tearing her way across Paris, leaving a trail of terrified service industry workers in her wake. It wouldn't be long before she darkened the doorstep of the Manoir, and it wouldn't matter how much Alex attempted to bribe the hotel staff with... Whitney's rage was a far more effective truth serum than any amount of money Alex could shell out.
    So, staying was not an option. However, the Lennox family had long been in possession of many different properties throughout Europe, and it just so happened that one home was in Arcachon, a conveniently located short drive away from Paris, away from Whitney and her anger.
    But now, with the brilliant sun setting, illuminating the sky in the most gorgeous shades of pink and orange, turning the water a perfect shade of purple, Alex felt his panic melting away. Paris had fallen asleep in the passenger seat, so she didn't see the small placard at the end of driveway bearing the family name...
    La Villa Lennox, PRIVÉ
    Alex punched eight numbers into the code box, opening a massive iron gate, as if it were waving “hello” to an old friend. The crunch of the gravel under the Audi roused Paris from her