Corrupted by the Prince

By Shelli Stevens

On the heels of his worse scandal yet, Prince Kostas of Mykorini decides to keep a low profile at his American beach home in the Hamptons. Taking a lover isn’t part of his plan until he meets Eva. Evelynn Fairchild knows she should be wary of the bad boy prince, especially when she’s considered the levelheaded one in her high profile family. But one earth shattering kiss makes her wonder if she should ditch her virginity status in what surely will be a one-night stand.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shelli Stevens
• Release date: Jul 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311305848

Shelli Stevens

Shelli is a New York Times Bestselling Author who read her first romance novel when she snatched it off her mother’s bookshelf at the age of eleven. One taste and she was forever hooked. It wasn’t until many years later that she decided to pursue writing stories of her own. By then she acknowledged the voices in her head didn’t make her crazy, they made her a writer.Shelli currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her daughter where she writes various genres of romance. She’s a compulsive volunteer, and has been known to spontaneously burst into song.

Book preview

Corrupted by the Prince

By

Shelli Stevens

Published by Shelli Stevens

Copyright © 2015 by Shelli Stevens

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at [e-mail]

All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination. www.shellistevens.com

Acknowledgments

Thank you to my beta readers Jo and Danielle, and to my fantastic editor/niece Megan. Also a big thanks to my parents and in-laws for helping babysit my newborn while I wrote this, and to my hubby and tween for your love and support too. And, as always, thank you to my amazing readers for picking up my books.

Chapter 1

Kostas stood on the shores of the Atlantic, his bare feet sinking into the soft, fine sand as he cast another glance at the woman reading a book a hundred feet or so away.

While she wasn’t the only woman on the beach, she was the only one he’d noticed. And maybe she truly stuck out because she seemed to be the only one who hadn’t noticed him.

She was different from the clusters of loud women in tiny bikinis scattered about the exclusive beach in the Hamptons.

This one sat alone, a one-piece swimsuit that was reminiscent of the pinup style from the 1950s clung to the subtle curves on her body. She wore a wide brim straw hat and large, oversized sunglasses.

As if sensing his gaze on her, she glanced his way. Her head ducked back down so fast the hat slid off, spilling the blondish-red hair that had once been pinned up about her shoulders.

Clearly flustered now, she set down her book and struggled to fix her hair under the hat again.

Amused, intrigued, and deciding he may as well give his two bodyguards a rest from nearly an hour of trailing him down the beach, Kostas made his way to her.

While she didn’t look his way again, clearly she saw him in her peripheral vision, because her mouth tightened and her movements became jerkier.

Do you mind if I join you? It wasn’t much of a request as Kostas sat down in the sand beside her.

With arms still raised, and fingered tangled in strands of hair, she stilled and kept her gaze straight ahead.

Has the rest of the beach filled up? The sarcasm was barely veiled.

Unfortunately, it has. He released a low, rumbling laugh and continued to watch her as she resumed fixing her hair.

The position of her arms plumped up pale breasts that peeked discreetly over the dark green material of her suit.

His blood pounded quicker and he experienced a twinge of annoyance. There were women on this beach showing far more flesh than this woman was, so it was a bit ridiculous to become excited from just a hint of soft cleavage from this one.

He averted his gaze and glanced back at the dark blue of the Atlantic instead.

While the beach was hardly empty, it was much quieter and less crowded than other beaches in the Hamptons. Then again, this one was more exclusive, where many of the residents were old money, or if not, the guests of them.

Do you surf? He observed some of the beach goers carrying boards, and then the handful that sat atop them in the waves.

No. The word was laced with annoyance and left no indication that she wished to continue the conversation.

He glanced back at her and found she’d finished putting her hair up. She held her book again, expertly blocking him from her gaze.

Being blatantly ignored was a rather unique experience for him. Instead of growing uncomfortable, though, he became more amused and intrigued.

I’ve surfed once or twice, he continued conversationally, leaning back in the sand, bracing his upper body on his elbows. But I much prefer swimming than riding a board. I am not so, how do you say it, gifted with balance.

When she didn’t reply he glanced over at her once more. Her gaze was focused on the book, but the way she stared at it, without blinking, he knew she didn’t see the print on the page.

Under his gaze, her cheeks grew pink and her fingers tightened around the novel. Finally she set it down in her lap and gave a heavy sigh. She lifted her chin and met his gaze head on.

Why have you singled me out?

Pardon? Momentarily thrown off balance by the rare color of her eyes, a mix of green and blue, he almost forgot what she’d asked him.

There are hundreds of girls on this beach who would probably trip over themselves to talk to you. But let me assure you, I am not one of them.

He couldn’t help but allow a slow smile.

Perhaps not yet. But she would be.

Chapter 2

Okay, maybe a little part of that last comment had been a lie. This man was deliciously handsome.

Despite that traitorous thought in her head, Eva made sure the expression on her face betrayed none of her emotions.

Tall. Dark. Handsome. He was a cliché to boot. Add in that accent—where on earth was it from?—and yes, he likely had women falling at his feet.

Why he’d chosen to hit on her was a bit of a mystery though. On a beach full of rich, perfect, bikini-flaunting socialites, she was pretty much invisible. Or at least she’d counted on that standard when she’d come down to read earlier.

You’re quite lovely, to start. And there was something about you.

His admission pulled her back from her thoughts, and as she cast a guarded glance his way she suspected he’d been torn on making that acknowledgment aloud.

A trio of women walked by, chatting and blatantly staring at the man next to her. One must’ve made eye contact because she gave a sultry smile and tossed her hair.

There’s ‘something about’ a lot of the women on this beach. Eva only issued the dry reply once the women were out of earshot.

Perhaps. But after awhile, they all seem the same. He shrugged and stared out at the water. Forgive me, I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. What is your name?

She narrowed her eyes, wondering if he was serious and truly had no idea who she was, or if he was just riling her—as he seemed to have been doing from the moment he sat down.

Eva.

A pleasure to meet you, Eva. I’m Kostas.

Fortunately, there’d been no recognition in his eyes when she’d said her name, just curiosity. Thankfully she’d at least used her nickname instead of replying with her full name, Evelynn.

It wasn’t that she had a giant ego and thought the world should be aware that she was a Fairchild. She knew very well that being the middle child between her four beautiful sisters, meant she was the one who tended to be left in the shadows.

It’s nice to meet you, Kostas. Manners dictated she reply, though she’d hardly call it a pleasure to meet his acquaintance.

Kostas.

Was it a Greek name? Something about him and the name sounded vaguely familiar. But then they were in the Hamptons and it wasn’t surprising to come across people with some sort of celebrity status or ties to old money.

You look quite perturbed. I promise I haven’t sat down with the intent of luring you into bed or anything of the sorts. It’s just that I’ve been out walking for the past hour and wanted to sit for a moment.

Luring her into bed? Was he trying to be funny? And lucky me, you chose to sit here.

He gave that slow smile again that revealed perfect, white teeth and had her pulse quickening.

Yes. There was something about you.

Was he really using that banal phrase again? And what is that, Kostas? Because I’m not wearing a tiny bikini and I didn’t flirt with you on the beach?

He laughed, and the sound was rich and deep and so wonderfully masculine. So self-assured.

Yes, perhaps that is part of it. Though I don’t believe a bikini would’ve been anymore provocative than the swim costume you have on.

Well she had to give him points for being honest, though she doubted his comment about her swim ‘costume’. She’d chosen it because it covered more skin than a bikini.

He nodded to her book. What are you reading?