Her Billionaire Prince (Part Two): Her Billionaire Prince, #2

By K.L. Zales

This is the second part of Her Billionaire Prince.

Cindy has just made the discovery that she may have very well had an encounter with her hot, royal boss Justin Tzovsky before, and he might have no idea about the truth. There's only one way to know for sure, and that's to get closer to Justin. He's showing the signs that he's into her—but he also harbors some dark secrets that could destroy him. Can Cindy risk everything to save her prince?

• Language: English
• Publisher: K.L. Zales
• Release date: Nov 9, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386303299

Book preview

Her Billionaire Prince

PART TWO

By K.L. Zales

Copyright 2017 by K.L. Zales

Chapter One

Cindy's heart stopped.

Well, not literally, but she felt like it came close. She pulled Mr. Tzovsky's degree out of the box and held it up to the light. It had a glass covering over it along with a dark frame that was distinguished and royal. It fitted her hot boss, the lost Prince of Marietta.

It did not fit her at all, or the fact that she just might have had sex with him on the most magical night of her life.

Cindy reread it. A Masters in Computer Science awarded to Justin Philip Tzovsky. The costumed prince at Karina's party had introduced himself as Phil and never showed her his face. He had said it would complicate things. In fact, both of them had kept their faces hidden during their encounter as part of Phil's deal, whether by masks or by darkness.

Could Justin be Phil?

Cindy checked the door and listened for anyone who might be coming up the hallway. It seemed to be quiet on the top floor. Then again, the elevator wasn't working. Justin had gallantly rescued her from the stuck lift this morning and then kissed her as if they had concluded an amazing adventure. Justin had hinted at more to come.

She put away the degree, afraid that if her boss found her looking at it, things would implode. Not that he cared that she was in his office, of course. Cindy was supposed to grab her cooling coffee from here and relax for a bit as if being stuck in the elevator had scarred her for life. Instead, she had wound up here.

Justin had gone downstairs to check on something, anyway.

Cindy's stomach turned into a tight knot as she walked back into her connected office, closing the door on Justin's. She remembered the coffee and went back in, weaving around the moving boxes filled with other possible secrets. Cindy wasn't sure how to feel. A whole storm of things raged through her, confused and jostling for a place.

Justin couldn't be Phil.

But it was possible.

If he was Phil, why hadn't he come back to search for her?

He had asked her to return as she was running away, trying to get to her job on time.

But maybe he had to leave the next day and couldn't meet her.

Cindy had run off before giving him her number, after all.

But if Justin wanted to know more about the girl he had made love to in the garden, he would have visited her house when he came back here to start the new Gobbly headquarters. He hadn't yet.

Cindy sat down at her desk and slapped her palm against the grainy, polished wood. She was over thinking this. There was no proof that Justin was, in fact, the same Phil she had been thinking about for the past two months. It wasn't like Philip was an uncommon name, first or middle.

But the more she sipped her cold coffee and stared at the fireplace, the more likely it seemed. Phil had taken care not to let his real identity slip. The CEO of Gobbly needed all the protection he could get.

Cindy took another sip of her coffee and squeezed the Styrofoam cup so hard that coffee burst from the lid, spilling all over her lap. She cursed and rose from the chair, watching as the light brown liquid dripped all over the floor.

She was not having a good day.

Cindy searched for a paper towel and found a roll in the storage room. The door remained closed. Seeing Mr. Tzovsky right now, even after he had kissed her, might set her over the edge.

How would she bring this up to him?

Cindy ran into the bathroom and cleaned the coffee up. First the elevator grease, and now this. Maybe she looked like a fry cook versus a mechanic. After ten more minutes of improvised stain removal, she fired up her computer, eager to turn her focus to something else. Justin's kiss still lingered on her lips, the gentle pressure threatening to stay for the rest of the day. Did he know? Why hadn't he told her, in that case?

Justin knew that Cindy would be angry for his not coming back.

Shaking her head, she watched Windows go through its startup sequence. Cindy tapped her mouse and eyed each of the desktop icons. The office remained silent except for the fake fire crackling on the opposite wall, which was something Cindy found appropriate. It would have been easier to let Phil slip her mind. She wished that she hadn't found the degree in Justin's office.

Fat chance he's Phil, she whispered to herself. She opened the antivirus program and started a scan. Cindy wished he had given her something to do while he ran downstairs. It could be a coincidence. She had studied statistics enough to know that they happened often. She would chalk it up to that. It was much easier.

Footsteps approached from below, and she heard the maintenance door open. Someone walked through the second door and into the hallway. Cindy prayed for Mr. Tzovsky to keep walking into his office, to not cut through here, but someone knocked on her door.

Cindy got up to answer it, palms sweating.

It wasn't Justin on the other side, but a young, dark man that she recognized as the one who had dodged behind Justin to avoid Cindy's spilling coffee. He gave her a friendly smile and Cindy made sure she had cleaned up her blouse and slacks. There was still a dark water spot, of course, but at least she didn't look like someone who had crawled out of a mud cave.

I'm Jamal, the man said. I'm Justin's assistant. I don't think I've met you yet.

I'm Cindy. She shook his hand. He seemed friendly enough. So you're the one who's been moving all these boxes.

Jamal flexed his biceps and smiled. Cindy laughed.

Sorry I'm covered in water, she said.

Hey, you had to get the elevator grease off, he said.

So people noticed.

The man didn't drop his smile. Hey. You have the most exciting story in Gobbly's history so far, except for possibly Mr. Tzovsky.

Aren't the two of you friends? Cindy asked. Had Jamal been at Karina's party? There had been so many strange faces there that she couldn't remember. Costumes had been the rule, too. Phil had mentioned that he had a buddy there. You have to address him by his last name?

Jamal looked at her like she was asking a strange question. Why do you ask that?

Cindy swallowed, holding down a blush. She could extract some information here. Otherwise, theories would torment her all day and get in the way of work. Well, you guys seem to get along pretty well from what I've seen. I can tell that you're friends.

We do talk about business decisions, Jamal said. I might be officially the PA, but I also take part in a lot of the behind the scenes part of the business. Mr. Tzovsky and I hang together outside of work.

So you're buddies.

Well, yes. We've been in this company since the beginning.

Jamal was vague. Cindy opened her mouth to ask if that included Halloween parties, but she couldn't get up the courage, even after getting stuck in an elevator and climbing down a fifty-foot ladder to the ground below. Then she remembered something. Didn't you open Gobbly with Mr. Tzovsky?

Jamal smiled. I did, he said.

Then why don't you get more credit? Cindy asked.

Well, he's the prince. The media focuses more on him, Jamal said. You understand how that works.

That's stupid, Cindy said. Phil had mentioned that a buddy of his was at the party, too. You should get just as much recognition as he does.

I didn't graduate from college at such an early age, Jamal said. I became friends with Justin when we were finishing our degrees. He wanted to start his own company, so I jumped, too.

You should be vice president, then.

Jamal laughed. Maybe someday, he said. It's easier for me to take the role of the PA right now.

Cindy's theory was coming together. How do you like Camry?

Oh, it's a great town, Jamal said.

Have you ever visited before?

I've been here a couple of times, Jamal said.

A shiver raced over Cindy's skin. She was walking a fine line here. Any family here, or were you just here for the college parties? she asked, forcing herself to smile. Her mouth went dry.

I'm getting a little old for those, but sometimes you have to have fun. It helps to blow off some steam. Jamal leaned against the opposite wall.

Cindy had to fight to keep her expression neutral. If she