Royal Secrets (The Hidden Kingdom Romances Book 1) Read online

  Royal Secrets

  The Hidden Kingdom Romances #1

  Cami Checketts

  Copyright

  Royal Secrets: Hidden Kingdom Romances #1

  Copyright © 2021 by Cami Checketts

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

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  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Royal Security

  Also by Cami Checketts

  About the Author

  Romancing the Castle

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  Chapter One

  Julia Adams stepped out into the lamplit street in front of the quaint cottage she was staying in and started into a jog. She could hear the waves past the thick hedge on her right. Hopefully she could pop through the tropical wall and out onto the beach soon. It was four a.m. and still pitch-black outside, but her internal clock was all messed up. She had spent over twenty-four hours in airplanes or airports, the last four in a puddle jumper with only her and the pilot, a handsome man named Treck who had an easy smile.

  After an effective argument on her part, he’d confessed his connections to the hidden island of Magna’s royal family. The confession had made Julia even more excited to meet the elusive and supposedly beautiful people. Treck kept her entertained with stories of his and the second royal son’s exploits. It sounded like Prince Bodi Magnum had quite the inventive mind. At least the stories had kept her distracted as they flew over teal-colored ocean and she prayed the rattling, bouncing airplane would make it.

  She’d landed after dark. A beautiful young lady, Zara Lancelot—apparently the royal family’s assistant—had been waiting for her. She had taken Julia straight to the cottage that was only a few minutes from the castle and the other royal residences. Julia had seen the towering castle lights, the steeples of a church, and some town lights, but it had been too late for a tour. She couldn’t wait to witness the exquisite kingdom with her own eyes.

  Prince Bodi Magnum had contacted her brother’s marketing agency and asked for a top executive to help him create and market trips to the island of Magna, known to the world as the Hidden Kingdom because of how private and secluded it was. The prince already had ideas such as a medieval jousting tournament and fair, beach and mountain exploration, and the charm of an entire country set in the past. Julia had begged until Justin had finally acquiesced and given her the job.

  Now she was here and ready to explore despite the early hour. A run on the beach and a long shower and she’d be ready to evaluate and advise Prince Bodi. It was so magical here. She’d caught glimpses of the towering, well-lit castle and the old-fashioned lamps lighting the streets as the rickety plane had landed. Those same lamps now lit her way, but she really wanted to be on that beach. She could hear the waves rolling in now. Any minute now, she’d find an opening in the hedge. Would the sand be soft or hard-packed? A few pictures she’d found online that had leaked from the island showed lush mountain ranges, a gorgeous royal city, and farms and ranches scattered over the rest of the island.

  Julia increased her pace as the pounding of the waves on the sand grew louder and her excitement mounted. She finally found a break in the hedgerow and darted through it onto the dark beach. She was blinded for a second by the lack of lamplight on this side of the hedge. She ran smack into a wall—a moving wall.

  A wall of flesh and muscle.

  “Oomph,” she gasped as she rebounded toward the ground.

  A hard body fell with her onto the sand. Warm, strong arms wrapped around her as the person rolled quickly and took the brunt of the impact. It was a matter of seconds before they settled in the sand. Julia was stunned, but she dimly realized she was cocooned in a man’s arms. Her heart raced and her stomach gave a little lurch. Something about this man holding her was both stimulating and comforting.

  “Are you all right?” a cultured, smooth voice asked.

  “Um … I think so. Did I take you out?”

  The man chuckled easily. Julia’s eyes adjusted to the dim moonlight and she was gifted with the sight of a handsome face, all manly lines, with thick dark brows and penetrating dark eyes. “I think I may have taken you out. I saw a shadow dart out of the hedge, but I reacted too slowly. Forgive me.”

  “Sure.” Julia tried to move, but he held her so tightly that she couldn’t squirm free. Part of her didn’t want to be free, but she didn’t know this man and she shouldn’t want to languish in his arms. “Um … excuse me.”

  “Oh! Forgive me again.” He released his hold on her and jumped to his feet, bending to help her up. His hands remained on her elbows, tracing warmth through her flesh. He stared at her. “You’re an outsider?”

  She backed up a step and his hands fell away. Losing his warm touch was regrettable, but she wondered about his tone. Did he not like outsiders? Was he going to take her up to the volcano and sacrifice her for not fitting in? Nobody knew much about Magna, but it was rumored that the Hidden Kingdom had some archaic traditions. She’d heard that the island’s inhabitants were graced with olive skin and dark hair and eyes. Her red hair and blue eyes would definitely stand out.

  “How’d you guess?” She forced a bright tone and prayed he wasn’t the druid guardian of the beach, intent on keeping outsiders from invading his peaceful island.

  She needed to stop reading fantasy books.

  A smile crinkled his cheeks, creating nice laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. “I’ve never seen a redhead anywhere but on the television screen.”

  “Sheltered life, eh?” She tossed her long red ponytail. As a child, she’d hated the attention she received because of her coloring, but she didn’t mind it now. It helped that her hair had darkened to a deep reddish brown over the years. “What do you think?”

  His eyes trailed over her and warmed her all the way through. “It’s beautiful,” he murmured. “May I?”

  “May you what?”

  “Touch your hair.”

  She blinked at him. “I don’t think we’re that friendly,” she said, though a large part of her longed to give him permission to touch her hair, her hand, or maybe wrap her up in his arms again. Her eyes had fully adjusted now, and she liked the lean lines of his arms revealed in his short-sleeved shirt.

  He chuckled and said, “Forgive me. What brings you to Magna, Miss Red?”

  She arched an eyebrow. Something in his eyes said he knew exactly who she was and why she was here, but he obviously wanted to tease her. “You’ve never met an outsider before, eh?”

  “Not one as beautiful as you.”

  She wanted to accept his compliment, but his nickname from before still stung. “Well, here’s a tip. Us outsiders don’t like being made fun of for the color of our hair.”

  He gave her an alluring smirk that made her lean closer without intending to. “Even though we are ‘not that friendly,’ I should explain that I wasn’t making fun of you but giving a compliment. You are undoubtedly the most beautiful and exotic woman I’ve ever seen.”

  Her dark-red hair garnered attention in America, but nobody had ever said she was “beautiful and exotic.” She wanted to giggle like a teenager, but instead she said, “Nope, sorry. We are not friendly enough for you to give me an empty compliment.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and jogged around him and along the sandy beach. It was soft sand and slow going.

  He caught up with her easily. “I hope I have the chance to become ‘friendly’ with you on your visit to our beautiful island.” She couldn’t place his smooth accent, probably because she’d never heard it before, but she loved the way he talked.

  “Is this your personal island?” she asked, trying to discern his expression in the dim light, but it was harder now that they were moving.

  He smiled, but his answer gave nothing away. “All Magnites feel this is their personal island. We’re very proud of our beautiful country and our heritage.”

  “I see. And what are you doing jogging so early in the morning?”

  “Patrolling for redheaded intruders.”

  She stared at him, hit a rock with her foot, and would have gone down if he hadn’t reached out to steady her. His touch brought fire to her arm and she wasn’t sure she was ready to be attracted to some local who was either teasing her or was a military sentinel of some sort. Gently tugging her arm free, she walked instead of trying to run in the thick sand. He slowed to keep pace with her.

  “You’re teasing me,” she decided. “You don’t actually patrol for intruders.”

  “I am teasing you,” he admitted. “We have military boats who patrol for intruders. The closest island is a hundred and eighty two miles away, so
it’s rare we get curious teenagers coming by.”

  “Why are Magnites so private?” she asked. Some lights appeared to their left on the beach, another small cottage with warm light spilling from the windows.

  “Magna used to be one of the wealthiest nations in the world because of the gold mined for hundreds of years from our mountains. In years past, we had to fight hard to protect our wealth and our people’s independence and privacy. The gold has been gone for over twenty years now. We are still a fiercely proud people, but we lack the currency or military power to back it up. We have very little to trade because of our isolation and lack of shipping ability, but we are mostly self-sufficient due to our mild climate and hard-working people.”

  “That might be why I’m here,” she mused. She’d had no idea Magna might be in financial trouble. “Prince Bodi asked me to come …” Her voice trailed off as he glanced sharply at her and she realized the prince might not appreciate her spilling her purpose or ideas to some handsome guy on the beach.

  “Prince Bodi asked you to come?” he prompted.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know if I’m at liberty to say.”

  He gave her a slight smile. “We are ‘not that friendly,’ eh?”

  She laughed, grateful he seemed so easy going. She probably should’ve been more leery on the beach alone in the pre-dawn hours, but this well-built man seemed protective, intriguing, and well-mannered. “No, we are not.” They walked in silence for a few steps, and she saw some faint pinpricks of light up on a mountain peak. She couldn’t wait for the sun to rise. Maybe she could get a tour of the island before her real work began. “Do you know Prince Bodi?”

  “Very well.” His voice was confident; he didn’t seem intimidated by the prince at all. Was he military, truly patrolling for intruders? Maybe he reported straight to the prince and would inform him that his new marketing associate was loose-lipped.

  “What’s he like?” Treck had given her all kinds of stories and insight, but he was the prince’s closest friend, in his words, so his opinion might be skewed. She’d like to hear from another local what the second royal son was like.

  “He’s incredible—kind, hard-working, smart, charming, handsome.” He glanced askance at her, his eyes dancing with humor.

  “Are you sure you didn’t just describe yourself?” she dead-panned.

  He roared at that. “I suppose all those characteristics could apply to me as well.” He sobered. “Truthfully, Bodi’s a good man and a good friend. I think you’ll enjoy working with him on … whatever you’re doing.”

  “Thank you. I’d better … get my run in and get ready for the day.”

  “Is this where you’re intoning I should run back the other direction?”

  She didn’t want him to, but it wasn’t smart to encourage him. He was attractive and appealing, but she wasn’t here to meet a man. She was here to work, and maybe help this country more than she’d imagined. She loved the idea of rescuing them from financial doom. Julia Adams riding up on her white steed, saving the kingdom and the handsome prince. She smiled to herself. Just being on this incredible island made her imagine she was in a fairy tale.

  “Does that smile mean you don’t want me to run away?”

  “I like to run alone,” she insisted, though truthfully she would like more time with this handsome, intriguing man. The island was small enough that she was sure to see him again.

  “I know when it’s time to make an exit.” He saluted her and turned the other direction. “Goodbye, Miss Red. It was a pleasure meeting your beautiful self this beautiful morning.”

  She turned and faced him instead of jogging away as she should. “The pleasure was all mine, oh druid guardian of the beach—or what should I call you?”

  “Druid guardian of the beach is fine, but my friends call me PB.”

  “Peanut butter?”

  He chuckled. “Yes, ma’am. Do you like peanut butter?”

  “It depends if it’s creamy or chunky.”

  His smile deepened those laugh lines that she liked. “Definitely creamy. I’m smooth and charming and definitely creamy.”

  Her stomach somersaulted again. She wished the sun was up so she could see exactly how deep brown those eyes were. “Too bad. I prefer chunky.”

  She whirled and ran off down the beach as his laughter floated in the air behind her. She smiled to herself. She wouldn’t soon forget their conversation; what a warm and intriguing welcome to the country of Magna. She hoped she’d see PB again.

  Chapter Two

  Prince Bodi Magnum paced in one of the castle’s smaller meeting rooms. It was seven-fifty-nine a.m. and his meeting with Miss Julia Adams was scheduled for eight. The redhead he’d run into on the beach would be in for a surprise when she met him again.

  Miss Red—or rather Adams—had seemed excited for their meeting. He prayed she was the start to an answer to their financial woes. The start to allowing tourists onto their island and changing their way of life. His father and Uncle Zoltan wouldn’t like it and some of the islanders might resist, especially the extremists who lived in the mountain villages. He shuddered to think how they’d react. His cousin, Kingston, who ran the military wouldn’t appreciate Bodi starting an uprising, but most of the islanders were reasonable and wanted progress. They knew the island had to go forward and stop living in the past. They also needed medicine, vaccines, eyeglasses, and many technological advances they couldn’t import without hard currency. Not to mention the fact that their educational system was falling behind. His brother Quinn supported his ideas. That was enough for Bodi to take the plunge.

  His mind drifted back to the redhead he’d collided with on his early-morning run. The woman had been beautiful and soft yet strong when he held her in his arms. He’d liked her teasing, slightly-sarcastic personality. He could spend a lot more time teasing with her. He’d never felt such an instant connection and attraction to a woman. He was slated to marry Dr. Grace Johannson, a family friend and the island’s doctor who had recently returned from medical school in America. Arranged marriages had been retired as an archaic tradition almost fifty years ago, but the royal family still had certain expectations to meet. They were expected to marry someone who was well-educated and definitely not an outsider. Bodi liked Grace. They were good friends. But he’d never felt fire course through his abdomen from simply touching her or the insatiable desire to be around her and see what she would say next.

  He needed to stop worrying about his romantic notions toward the intriguing redhead and focus on why Quinn had given him approval to invite Miss Adams to the island without their father or uncle’s approval. The kingdom was in trouble. The world was shrinking and expanding at the same time and Magna was falling further behind.

  The door swung open. Bodi started forward with a grin on his face, hand outstretched, ready to meet Miss Red and tease with her again. Would she be upset that he hadn’t owned up to who he was this morning?

  “Hey, bro.” Quinn strode into the room. “What’s with the excited grin and the outstretched hand?”

  “I have a meeting here this morning. You need to leave.”

  “Ooh, a meeting,” Quinn teased, knowing exactly who Bodi was meeting with. Sometimes his brother acted like he was eighteen instead of thirty, a child rather than the man next in line for the throne. “Must be really important. Are you meeting the beautiful Dr. Johannson? Maybe she could give you some tips on increasing your strength so you can actually beat me next time we joust.”

  Bodi rolled his eyes. Quinn had never beaten him in the joust and neither of them had ever beaten their younger brother Alaric or cousin Kingston, their military leaders. Luckily, all of them could beat Darian, Kingston’s younger brother, the hilarious punk. They were as close to their cousins as their own brothers and sisters, everyone doting on his youngest sister Belle and Kingston’s youngest sister Constance. Everyone bowed to his sister Adelaide, next in age to him and bossy as any sister should be. And everyone was secretly leery of Leia, Constance’s twin and the sharpest-tongued girl on any island.