The Royal Heir Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: Carrie 7

  Chapter 2: Erik 9

  Chapter 3: Carrie 12

  Chapter 4: Erik 15

  Chapter 5: Carrie 17

  Chapter 6: Erik 20

  Chapter 7: Carrie 23

  Chapter 8: Erik 26

  Chapter 9: Carrie 29

  Chapter 10: Erik 31

  Chapter 11: Carrie 33

  Chapter 12: Erik 36

  Chapter 13: Carrie 39

  Chapter 14: Erik 42

  Chapter 15: Carrie 45

  Chapter 16: Erik 48

  Chapter 17: Carrie 51

  Chapter 18: Erik 54

  Chapter 19: Carrie 56

  Chapter 20: Carrie 59

  Chapter 21: Erik 62

  Chapter 22: Carrie 65

  Chapter 23: Erik 70

  Chapter 24: Carrie 73

  Chapter 25: Erik 76

  Chapter 26: Carrie 79

  Chapter 27: Erik 83

  Chapter 28: Carrie 86

  Chapter 29: Erik 89

  Chapter 30: Carrie 92

  Chapter 31: Erik 95

  Chapter 32: Carrie 98

  Chapter 33: Erik 101

  Chapter 34: Carrie 104

  Chapter 35: Erik 107

  Chapter 36: Carrie 109

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: Carrie 7

  Chapter 2: Erik 9

  Chapter 3: Carrie 12

  Chapter 4: Erik 15

  Chapter 5: Carrie 17

  Chapter 6: Erik 20

  Chapter 7: Carrie 23

  Chapter 8: Erik 26

  Chapter 9: Carrie 29

  Chapter 10: Erik 31

  Chapter 11: Carrie 33

  Chapter 12: Erik 36

  Chapter 13: Carrie 39

  Chapter 14: Erik 42

  Chapter 15: Carrie 45

  Chapter 16: Erik 48

  Chapter 17: Carrie 51

  Chapter 18: Erik 54

  Chapter 19: Carrie 56

  Chapter 20: Carrie 59

  Chapter 21: Erik 62

  Chapter 22: Carrie 65

  Chapter 23: Erik 70

  Chapter 24: Carrie 73

  Chapter 25: Erik 76

  Chapter 26: Carrie 79

  Chapter 27: Erik 83

  Chapter 28: Carrie 86

  Chapter 29: Erik 89

  Chapter 30: Carrie 92

  Chapter 31: Erik 95

  Chapter 32: Carrie 98

  Chapter 33: Erik 101

  Chapter 34: Carrie 104

  Chapter 35: Erik 107

  Chapter 36: Carrie 109

  The Royal Heir

  Bad Boy Billionaire Royal Romance

  Tawny Amaya

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  Copyright © 2018 Tawny Amaya

  www.tawnyamaya.com

  www.facebook.com/AuthorTawny

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, dead or living, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the author and publisher.

  DEDICATION

  To those who believe that love is regal.

  Chapter 1: Carrie

  I walked through the lobby, stopping to pick up a piece of trash that somehow ended up on my clean floor and threw it in the nearby trash. The hotel was bustling as usual, and I smiled at the tourists as they passed, on their way to have a fun-filled day in New York City. We were one of the busiest tourist destinations in the world and the city truly never slept.

  Neither did the tourists.

  I straightened my shoulders and walked over to the bar, watching as my best friend, Jeanie, served a customer. We both worked in a boutique hotel not far from Times Square, one that was extremely popular with the tourists and there wasn’t a day that we were at least ninety percent full to the gills. I had worked here since high school, moving from housekeeping to the manager position I hold now. These people were my family, and this hotel was more like home than the crummy apartment that I shared with Jeanie. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

  “Hey friend,” Jeanie said as she walked to the end of the bar, wiping her hands on a bar rag.

  “Hey,” I said, looking at the partially full stools. “Looks like business is good.”

  Jeanie shrugged, adjusting her blonde ponytail. “I guess. It’s not bad for a weekend crowd.” She looked at me, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “But enough about that. Tell me about this prince.”

  “Shh,” I said, putting a finger up to my lips. “You’re not supposed to know anything about that. You could get me fired.”

  Jeanie laughed, rolling her eyes. “As if. Everyone in the hotel is talking about it, Carrie. It’s not a secret at all.”

  I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face. We didn’t get many requests for high profiled clients here, but for some reason, one came two weeks ago. For a prince. My boss, Jarred, was over the moon at the thought of having royalty grace the doors, already thinking about marketing opportunities once the visit was complete. I didn’t see the big deal. Sure, he was a prince, but I was more worried about the hassle of having to cater to someone like him and his entourage for a few days. It was hard enough to run the hotel without the added stress. “Well, I don’t know what the hype is all about. He’s just a man.”

  “He’s royalty,” Jeanie reminded me. “I mean, this could be like that movie, you know where the prince comes to town and sweeps a poor little commoner off her feet?”

  I laughed. “Come on! Who would want to be in a mess like that?”

  “I would.”

  I saw the seriousness on Jeanie’s face and decided to forgo any arguing with her. “You’ve been watching too many movies.”

  She winked and walked off to tend to a customer as I moved on, making my daily rounds to ensure that everything was going smoothly. Royalty. Ha. I honestly didn’t understand.

  Blowing out a breath, I walked back to my office and sat behind my desk, eyeing the mound of paperwork that was sitting in front of me. Invoices to sign off, food requests to grant, events to plan. The hotel wasn’t large compared to some of the chain hotels around us, but we had the same problems as they did. In such a competitive city, any minor issue could shut a hotel down. I prided myself on making every guest feel as if they were part of our family and resolving any conflicts immediately.

  And now I would have to do the same with this prince.

  Pulling out the file that had been started on the request, I couldn’t help but wonder why he or his people had chosen our place. While our suite was nice, it paled in comparison to some of the penthouse suites around the city. It made me wonder if his visit was even announced. Maybe he wanted to keep a low-key.

  “Oh my god,” I said, throwing the file onto the desk. Now I was thinking about the visit. This was ridiculous. He was just another guest if you ignored the list of demands to have upon his arrival. It was two pages long, and I had given it to one of the interns working with us from the local college. I mean, who asks for Egyptian cotton sheets with pinstripes? What was wrong with our regular white ones?

  But my boss, Jarred, had told me under no uncertain terms that I had to comply with each demand, no matter how outlandish. I should be grateful, I guess, that if we could pull this off, it would elevate the hotel into the next realm to be able to compete with the corporate ones. I would just have to tough it out.

  And keep my mouth shut. That was going to be a bit d
ifficult for me to do so. I just hoped I didn’t have any run ins with the royal entourage while they were here. That would keep me out of trouble, though I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I would be the one everyone would look to.

  Pulling myself back up to the desk, I cleared my throat, intending to focus on work. It was a long time that I forget about this upcoming VIP guest and focus on the here and now. It was my job to ensure that the hotel ran as efficiently as possible, spending long hours in this very office to make sure that it did so. Sure, it took a toll on my personal life, but I wasn’t interested in anything but my work. Besides, a warm body in my bed at night wasn’t going to pay the bills. This job was. Jeanie loved to laugh at me, make fun of my ‘marriage’ to my job, but I couldn’t help it. It was the place I was most comfortable at, and no one in my life could understand it.

  Chapter 2: Erik

  I drummed my fingers along my knee, ready to be out of this car and somewhere where I could stretch my legs. I wasn’t one to sit still for extended periods of time, and the plane ride plus the car was more than I wanted to endure.

  “I believe by the end of the month your father will be ready. He’s planning a massive celebration at the palace you know. I think that is where he is going to make the formal announcement.”

  Yes, he said palace. I was the sole heir to the crown of Maltan, a small seaside province near Italy. My father, the current king, and ruler of our small country was starting to fail in his health and rumors were starting to swirl if his reign was about to end. It was a decision I had been waiting my whole life to happen, groomed for the position since I was in diapers. My uncle, Fredo, was my father’s oldest brother and closest confidant and he had helped mold me into the man I was today. A prince.

  But before I could get excited about this potential transition, I first had to get through this official visit to the states.

  Sighing inwardly, I looked at the passing buildings. Making official visits were not my idea of fun, preferring to stay at the palace and conduct business there. If there was one difference between my father and myself, it was that he had molded himself into a people’s king. Everywhere he went, people loved him and flocked to greet him.

  Me, on the other hand, was working on my people skills. I knew it was part of the job, but it wasn’t the part I was looking forward to. I was all business.

  “Erik?”

  I turned and looked at the man I considered my mentor, as well as family. “Sorry. I was doing some thinking.”

  My uncle smiled and clapped me on my shoulder. “That is my nephew, always thinking. You remind me of myself at your age.”

  I smiled as well. Some days I was more like my uncle than my father. It had only been the three of us; my mother died from cancer when I was two. I didn’t remember her, but from what I heard from others, she was a graceful and very loving queen. Portraits of her still hung in the royal gallery and my father’s private apartment, and though there were many, willing women to take her place, my father had never remarried. “I hope I can live up to the expectation.”

  He laughed, shaking his head. “You will do more than that my boy, much more than that. Maltan will be cheering in the streets when you take your father’s place.” He looked down at his watch, frowning. “We should already be at the hotel by now.”

  My uncle, the ever stickler of the time. “I am sure we will be there soon.”

  He sighed heavily and rubbed his hand over his face. “Well once we finish this visit, you will have to focus on your future, including your future queen.”

  I frowned, always hating this conversation. While I enjoyed the occasional beautiful woman, I hadn’t thought of any of them as my future wife and the queen of Maltan.

  “It will look favorable for your father to decide your reign,” my uncle continued, seeing the look on my face. “What about Monique? She comes from a good family and will look good on your arm.”

  I thought about the tall blonde that had attended a formal dinner with her parents two weeks ago. She was lively and gorgeous and more than my interest had piqued when we had been paired for dinner. He was right; she would be damn near perfect as a queen.

  I just wasn’t ready for that step yet.

  The car slowed, and I turned my attention to the task at hand.

  “What the hell?”

  I glanced over to find my uncle staring up at the building. “What?”

  His face was turning red. “T-this hotel! This is not what, we cannot stay here.”

  I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I didn’t care if it was a fucking hostel. I wanted out of this car. The guard was instantly at my door as I opened it, stepping out into the crisp air. In Maltan, we rarely had a cool day, and I shivered as I felt the wind cut through my suit coat. The building before me looked like one of those boutique hotels, sandwiched between building three times the size of it. My uncle was fuming as he walked ahead, the guards following closely behind me. I was used to the crowding. A royal member of the family was never without guards.

  We entered the lobby, and the noise came to a standstill, all eyes on my raging uncle and the group that traveled with me wherever I went. Thank god, I hadn’t brought the publicist as well. The guards drew enough attention.

  I watched as a harried looking woman approached my uncle, wincing as I realized she probably was supposed to be the welcome party. She wasn’t going to last more than a few seconds with him.

  “Welcome to The Bismarck,” she said with a smile. “I’m.”

  “I don’t fucking care who you are,” Uncle Fredo exploded. “What kind of establishment is this? A motel?”

  I watched as she cringed at first, panic flaring in her eyes. I was intrigued to know how she was going to handle him and was surprised when she straightened her shoulders, standing her ground. “I’m Carrie, one of the assistant managers here at The Bismarck and we are very excited to have someone of your caliber here at our fine hotel. If you follow me, I will show you to your suite.”

  I suppressed my laughter as I watched my uncle’s mouth open and close, finding it hard to form words to this woman. All my life he had always been the one in control, yet this woman was refusing to bend to his will.

  I was intrigued.

  Chapter 3: Carrie

  I hated them immediately.

  I knew I would, the days of having to prepare for their outlandish requests and extra required security on the floor they would be staying on draining every last bit of my energy. The late nights I had pulled at the hotel had ground on my nerves, falling into bed just to get up and start all over again early the next morning. By the time I had been informed that our ‘special’ guest had arrived, I was already waiting for the moment they would be walking out.

  What hadn’t helped was that my manager had been pulled away at the last minute, leaving me to cater to them during their stay. For the next few days, I was to be at their beck and call.

  Great, exactly what I wanted to do.

  And now, this guy was fuming at me because we were a charming boutique hotel and not one of the major chains? That wasn’t my fault. I didn’t book the hotel.

  I led them to the elevator and moved aside as the yelling man and a tall, gorgeous looking guy with the clearest blue eyes I had ever seen entered. He had to be the prince. His expression was impassive as he entered the elevator, flanked by two burly looking men who could have come out of a TV series with their dark glasses and ear pieces. A truckload of guys just like them had already arrived hours ago, sweeping the floor and the rest of the hotel way before the prince got here.

  I drew in a breath and stepped foot into the elevator before the overweight guy pointed at me, shaking his head. “No,” he said, wagging his finger. “You will not ride in the same space as his majesty.”

  I narrowed my gaze. “We have only one elevator.”

  “Uncle,” the prince started, his expression one of boredom now.

  “No Erik,” the man continued, giving me a stare. “She will take
the stairs.”

  The prince went to open his mouth again, and I held up my hand. “It’s fine. I will meet you up on the fifth floor.”

  He glared at me but said nothing as I stepped out of the elevator, waiting until they closed the doors before sprinting to the stairs behind the elevator shaft. Thank god, I had worn my comfortable flats today.

  By the time I reached the fifth floor, I was gasping for breath, feeling the sweat roll down my back uncomfortably. The group was waiting outside the elevator, the uncle and the prince in a heated conversation as I approached, falling silent as they both glared at me. I wanted to stick out my tongue, give them the finger and tell them where they could go, but instead, I forced a smile. “Right this way.”

  Not caring if they followed, I led the group down the hall to a set of double doors, using my card to open the lock. “This is the Park Avenue suite. All of your requests have been handled.”

  I heard a snort as I stepped aside and allowed the group to walk in, eyeing the prince as he walked past. He looked like the stuck-up snob I expected to see.

  “This is ghastly,” the uncle muttered as he looked about our best suite. I loved the Park Avenue suite, decorated with furniture and art from local New York shops. The room was draped in the colors of slate blue and gray, reminiscent of the buildings along the famous avenue. The view wasn’t the greatest, but if one looked, they could see the ball in Time Square.

  I doubted that would impress this group.

  “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to let me know,” I said through gritted teeth as the prince walked toward the towering windows.

  “Does it smell like this all the time?”

  I looked over at the uncle, whose permanent pissed off look had grown worse by the moment. “Excuse me?”

  He waved his hand in the air. “This, this smell! Do you not smell it?”

  Of course, I didn’t, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. Actually, I didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t be offensive to the man. “I apologize. The suite was just recently cleaned.”