Page 6 of Claimed By the Crown Prince

But as she’d grown up, and shown her intelligence and strength, he’d confided in her that he thought he’d make a mistake. That he should have ensured she would become Queen first, giving her more power.

Once Laia knew that her father had doubts and regrets it galvanised her to do everything she could to get out of it. She knew Isla’Rosa was badly in need of modernisation and economic assistance—she didn’t need a playboy Prince to point that out. But she was determined to do it on her own and find love in the process. On her terms.

She refused to give in to the urge to look behind her to check if Prince Dax was following. Maybe he was still on the pontoon, raging at her for outwitting him.

She could still see the laser-like intensity of his blue eyes. Unusual and distinctive. She’d only seen him up close twice before, because in spite of the marriage agreement most of the meetings had taken place between the Kings, and then between Aristedes and Laia. But even those had been infrequent, due to her reluctance to meet with him.

The most recent occasion had been at a nightclub in Monaco. Unusually for her, in a social situation like that, she’d found herself lingering. For once rebelling at the constraints she’d put on herself.

In a bid to get out of her arranged marriage, she’d perfected the art of seeming to appear at every glittering social gathering she could attend, hoping she would put off the famously serious and conservative King Aristedes from marrying someone who didn’t seem remotely inclined to settle down.

Ironically, she had more in common with the King than she did with his feckless playboy younger brother, even if she’d been acting the opposite. But her strategy clearly hadn’t worked. Hence her current predicament—sequestering herself on an island with the last man she would choose to spend time with.

So sure about that, Princess?whispered a mischievous little voice.

She tried to block it out, but her memory transported her back to that night in Monaco with humiliating vividness.

That night she’d felt restless. Full of an uncharacteristic sense of missing out on... Fun? Her youth? The music had called to her and she’d found herself on the dance floor, closing her eyes, letting herself believe for a moment that she wasn’t Crown Princess Laia Sant Roman, Queen-in-waiting, with a huge responsibility on her shoulders. A responsibility she’d borne all her life as the only heir. She’d wanted to pretend that she was just a regular young woman, with little on her mind but normal worries and concerns.

And then she’d felt an awareness. Like a faint breeze. Raising the tiny hairs on her arms. She’d opened her eyes and a man had filled her vision. Tall and broad. Unmistakably powerful. A very masculine contrast to the far more metrosexual crowd around them. As if he was from another time.

And those eyes... As blue as the clearest sea around Isla’Rosa. Laia had felt an immediate primal pull. As if on some level she’d recognised a mate. She’d wanted to take a step towards him. Absurdly. She’d even gestured to her security team that it was okay to let him approach.

And it had only been then, after her helpless reaction, that she’d realised belatedly who was standing in front of her. Crown Prince Dax. The world’s most debauched and spoiled bachelor prince. The spare to the heir.

Immediately she’d felt exposed. And resentful at the brutal reminder that she wasn’t just a regular young woman enjoying a carefree night out.

Along with the resentment had come a dart of envy for his freedom, and that had only made her feel even more antagonistic towards him.

To feel envy for that man was shameful.

How could she find him remotely attractive?

He epitomised everything she didn’t want in a partner. The only form of love he appeared to know was self-love. He let his brother carry the full weight of responsibility for their royal obligations while he spent his days in dissolute hedonism, travelling from party to party.

As do you.

But she didn’t. Not really. And that was all over now anyway. Her plan hadn’t worked and now it was just a waiting game until she could return to Isla’Rosa for her birthday and the coronation.

But even if you don’t marry this king now you will have to marry soon. And well. What if you never find someone who will love you the way you want? What if King Aristedes is your best chance of a happy life? Even if you don’t love each other?

Laia could feel the sweat breaking out on her brow and at the small of her back as she made her way up the steps to the villa through the forest, and it wasn’t just due to the high temperatures.

Lately she’d been feeling more and more claustrophobic, as if the walls were encroaching on her. What if she was painting herself into a corner and making a huge mistake, insisting on maintaining her independence and that of her country?

She forced the sensation of claustrophobia out. She reassured herself she was doing the right thing...not selling out her country to let it be subsumed by the bigger and wealthier Santanger. It wasn’t the easy option, no doubt about that, but she didn’t want the easy option.

She wanted to do things her way, and she wanted a life with someone she could love and respect. Not a marriage based only on duty.

Had it been totally crazy to all but kidnap Prince Dax?Yes. But there was no going back now.

For a louche playboy, Prince Dax had managed to find her—which had been no mean feat. So she needed her wits about her. Clearly he was able to focus when he needed to, and she had a sense that she shouldn’t underestimate him.

Breathing with a bit of effort when she got to the top of the steps, she turned around—and almost fell backwards when Prince Dax appeared right behind her, taller than she’d expected. He showed no signs of exertion.

She felt churlish. Shouldn’t he be a little overweight and soft around the jowls after all his partying? Instead he looked more like a prize athlete.

He stopped and looked around, taking in the open courtyard area in front of the villa with its central pond, where big golden fish swam around lazily. The villa soared dramatically above them, built on three levels. The ground floor was dramatically open to the elements, but there were screens and shutters that protected it during the rainy season.