Free Tangled Up in Princes (Royal Romances Book 1) by Molly Jameson Page B

it looks like --"
    Edward interrupted him, "Yes, he should be ashamed, but if history is any indication, he isn't. As much as I'd like to beat the stuffing out of you right now, dear brother, we have greater problems than your latest lapse in judgment."
    "What?" Jamie, a pillow shielding his crown jewels from view, jumped out of bed.
    "Carrie and I were followed here, most likely by Dinah and Daniel, but it sounds as though they've picked up friends."
    Muttering curses under his breath, Jamie managed to keep himself covered while donning his trousers. Half-dressed, he lunged toward the passage entrance.
    "Not that way, you imbecile. They followed us down the passage. You'll have to go out the door."
    Amanda squeaked as she threw a white lace robe around herself, giving no regard to how much Edward saw of her nudity. Carrie had shopped with Amanda for her wedding lingerie, and that robe had been part of the ensemble. It wasn't very sisterly, and Carrie wasn't proud of it, but she couldn't help thinking that Amanda deserved to have her misdeeds exposed to the world. What kept Carrie from giving Amanda over to the mercies of the press was that Phillip didn't deserve it. Carrie couldn't spare Phillip the heartache that must surely come, but she could spare him the public humiliation. She went to the door and peeked out.
    "It's clear. Go next door to my room, lock the door, and do not come out until we tell you it's safe."
    Amanda and Jamie scurried out like the rats they were, leaving Carrie and Edward alone to face the fire.
    "What now?" Carrie asked.
    Edward looked miserable. He shoved a hand through his hair.
    "They saw us on the roof together. They're pursuing a shot of me, something scandalous."
    Carrie could hear footsteps and excited murmurings coming toward them from the passage.
    "You're used to covering up for him like this, aren't you?"
    He nodded, and he looked even more pitiful than Jamie had moments earlier.
    "And if they catch you in bed alone, without getting a good look at the woman you're with, they'll just keep searching until they find me."
    "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I never meant for this to happen. It's the last thing I wanted."
    "And if they keep searching, they could discover that the real story in this bedroom was Jamie and the bride."
    "They have a knack for discovering dirty little secrets, particularly when those secrets belong to members of my family."
    "Then there's nothing else for it."
    She had to do it. And really, what difference would it make to her? Hell, it would probably even be good for business back home. 'Learn to knit and get tangled up with a prince,' she could see the headline now.
    "Okay, start stripping, Your Highness."
    His eyebrows shot up as her dress hit the floor. She dove beneath what remained of the bed clothes. Edward took off his shirt and jumped in bed beside her. He propped himself on an elbow.
    "Regardless of what this is, there is no pretense to the way I feel about you. I love you," he said before claiming her mouth in a kiss.
    The spots dancing before her eyes had nothing to do with the flashbulbs that filled the room.
     
     

Chapter Six
     
    Edward reached in the bowl of fruit on the tray that he and Carrie shared in her bed. It was the last strawberry. He offered it to her.
    She shook her head. "You take it."
    "I'd rather feed it to you."
    "The last time you fed me, I ended up having to eat cold pancakes."
    "Is that a complaint?"
    There it was, that blush on her cheeks that he found both adorable and arousing.
    "What do you think?"
    "You're inviting trouble with that look," he said.
    Edward held the strawberry to her lips.
    "Bloody hell, but I'm in love with your mouth."
    Her sultry look changed to a question.
    "Are you questioning my stamina?"
    "Even princes are touchy about slights to their manhood, apparently,”--she rolled her eyes--"No, I'm questioning your motives. I don't doubt your interest in sex, but you do realize I will eventually see that newspaper