Praise for Fiona McArthur:
‘McArthur does full justice to an intensely emotional scene of the delivery of a stillborn baby,
one that marks a turning point in both the characters’ outlooks. The entire story is liberally spiced with drama, heartfelt emotion and just a touch of humour.’ —RT Book Reviews on SURVIVAL GUIDE TO DATING YOUR BOSS
His thumb stroked the pulse on the underside of her wrist. ‘Dine with me. Tonight.’
‘No.’ She tugged in slow motion, as if already unsure whether she wanted release or not.
‘Tomorrow?’ He stared into deepening violet and between them the fire flickered and stirred, and the wraith encircled them both.
‘I’m working.’ Almost a whisper.
He stroked her wrist again. ‘Then it must be tonight.’
Huskily. Another brush of her tongue over her lips. ‘What part of no don’t you understand?’
But for Kiki it was too late. Too, too late. He’d touched her.
His hand held her wrist, his skin was on hers, and the two receptors were communicating, entwining like their own matrix of reality. The warmth crept up her body, wrapped around her in tendrils of mist, and in slow motion he drew her forward as subconsciously she swayed like a reed towards him.
His other hand came up and tenderly he brushed the hair out of her eyes. ‘You have grown even more beautiful.’
With worship his fingers slid across her cheek and along her jaw as his mouth came down, and she could do nothing but turn her face into his palm and then upwards. To wait.
As he had with their first kiss he took her breath, inhaled her soul as she did his, and the world—the sometimes comical, sometimes cruel world—disappeared.
Dear Reader
I’ve always wanted to write about a dashing prince, a fairytale royal wedding and a heroine who deserves to live happily ever after.
Monaco made a big impression on me when I was lucky enough to visit last year, and I was always going to have elements of the romanticism and glamour of that fabulous tiny principality in my story. Then there is the mythology of Greece …
Which brings us to the island of Aspelicus.
Prince Stefano Mykonides has never met anyone like Dr Kiki Fender … An unexpectedly torrid love affair in far-off Australia was not kind to them when they first met … but, goodness me, do sparks fly the second time around!
So we have a cruise ship, a fabulous Mediterranean setting, medical adventure on the high seas—and then the world seems to crash for our newspaper-shy prince and his unwilling Dr Kiki.
I really do hope you enjoy visiting my fairytale countries and their romance-challenged royalty as much as I loved writing their story.
Warmest wishes
Fiona xx
Find me at www.fionamcarthur.com
About the Author
A mother to five sons, FIONA McARTHUR is an Australian midwife who loves to write. Medical Romance™ gives Fiona the scope to write about all the wonderful aspects of adventure, romance, medicine and midwifery that she feels so passionate about—as well as an excuse to travel! Now that her boys are older, Fiona and her husband, Ian, are off to meet new people, see new places, and have wonderful adventures. Fiona’s website is at www.fionamcarthur.com
The Prince
Who Charmed Her
Fiona McArthur
Dedicated to my prince, Ian. xxx
Also by Fiona McArthur:
A DOCTOR, A FLING AND WEDDING RING SYDNEY HARBOUR HOSPITAL:
MARCO’S TEMPTATION** FALLING FOR THE SHEIKH SHE SHOULDN’T SURVIVAL GUIDE TO DATING YOUR BOSS HARRY ST CLAIR: ROGUE OR DOCTOR? MIDWIFE, MOTHER … ITALIAN’S WIFE* MIDWIFE IN THE FAMILY WAY* MIDWIFE IN A MILLION
*Lyrebird Lake Maternity **Sydney Harbour Hospital
These books are also available in eBook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk
CHAPTER ONE
DR KIKI FENDER gazed across the blue of the Mediterranean to distant houses that clung like pastel limpets onto the cliffs of Italy and breathed in the beauty of the day.
It wasn’t something she’d done when she’d first boarded the ship, but it was easier now as she listened to the delight of the newly embarked passengers.
These first few hours sailing along the Italian coast was her favourite time. But duty called so she brushed the hair out of her eyes and turned towards the hospital below. Four months of shipboard life had brought the purpose back into her life and she was so grateful for that.
Her smile slipped when she remembered it was only five days until the date she’d so looked forward to would be behind her, and then it would get even easier.
One deck down, Prince Stefano Adolphi Phillipe Augustus Mykonides tried not to think of the worst-case scenario as he rolled the unconscious wife of his brother into the recovery position. With immense relief he noted the blue of her lips improve slightly as her airway cleared.
He’d hoped Theros could stay out of trouble this week, on his wife’s birthday holiday, but it seemed it wasn’t so. With a sigh, the eldest son of Prince Paulo of Aspelicus, a tiny but wealthy principality in the Mediterranean Sea, knew it was his fault his brother had done something else stupid.
When he looked up at Theros his brother was as helpless as ever, his handsome face twisted in distress. ‘Get the ship’s hospital on the phone. Tell them it’s an emergency,’ Stefano said.
Theros’s mouth worked silently, like a child’s, and he looked shocked and incredulous as his wife began to turn blue again.
Stefano lowered his voice to a stern order. ‘Now! Tell them it’s a reaction to latex. To bring adrenalin.’ He said the words slowly and enunciated clearly.
Theros blinked and stumbled to his feet as Stefano began to strip Marla of her skintight rubber playsuit, cursing under his breath as her breathing became even more laboured, but thankful that at least Theros had had the good sense to call him in time.
His concern lay in removing the offending clothing as fast as possible—before his sister-in-law stopped breathing. Not an easy job—which he gathered should have been half the fun. What he would have given for a scalpel …
Ten doors away Dr Kiki Fender jogged down the hallway to the largest suites, running over in her head what she knew about latex allergies. In truth Kiki was the on-call doctor for crew—not passengers—and she hoped her boss would follow quickly in case the patient was in extremis.
She’d hate to lose a patient on departure day, and royalty at that—very