The Way to a Man's Heart

By Ann Marie James

FROM EXCITING AUTHOR OF LGBT+ ROMANCE ANN MARIE JAMES

Book one in the Kingdom of Corazn series

The heart wants what the heart wants...

Christian Diaz grew up as the best friend and unofficial bodyguard to the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Corazn. After an incident left him questioning his place in the castle, Christian joined the military and didn't return for ten long years.

Now he's been assigned to the castle as Royal Military Liaison to investigate the source of some recent threats against the crown. The annual Midsummer's Ball is the perfect place for the anti-monarchy group to make their next move, so that's where Christian will be too. If it gives him a chance to reconnect with his friends in the castle and make a play for the man he has compared all others to, it's even better.

Max Ramirez is now the head chef for the castle. He started as a sous chef at age twenty when Christian was just an awkward teen. Now that Christian's back at the castle, all grown up and interested in Max, the chef is determined not to let an opportunity with Christian pass him by.

When someone tries to sabotage the Midsummer's Ball, Max and Christian need to work together to track down the people determined to make this event their last.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pride Publishing
• Release date: Jun 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781839431364

Book preview

Pride Publishing books by Ann Marie James

Everyone’s Mechanic

Chasing the Dream

Fearing the Dream

Kingdom of Corazón

WAY TO A MAN’S HEART

ANN MARIE JAMES

Way to a Man’s Heart

ISBN # 978-1-83943-136-4

©Copyright Ann Marie James 2021

Cover Art by Erin Dameron-Hill ©Copyright June 2021

Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Pride Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Pride Publishing.

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The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2021 by Pride Publishing, United Kingdom.

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Book one in the

Kingdom of Corazón series

The heart wants what the heart wants…

Christian Diaz grew up as the best friend and unofficial bodyguard to the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Corazón. After an incident left him questioning his place in the castle, Christian joined the military and didn’t return for ten long years.

Now he’s been assigned to the castle as Royal Military Liaison to investigate the source of some recent threats against the crown. The annual Midsummer’s Ball is the perfect place for the anti-monarchy group to make their next move, so that’s where Christian will be too. If it gives him a chance to reconnect with his friends in the castle and make a play for the man he has compared all others to, it’s even better.

Max Ramirez is now the head chef for the castle. He started as a sous chef at age twenty when Christian was just an awkward teen. Now that Christian’s back at the castle, all grown up and interested in Max, the chef is determined not to let an opportunity with Christian pass him by.

When someone tries to sabotage the Midsummer’s Ball, Max and Christian need to work together to track down the people determined to make this event their last.

Dedication

A great big thank you goes to my family for all of their support.

Special thanks to Sue Brown for her encouragement on this story.

Trademark Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Harvard: Massachusetts General Court

Coke: Coca-Cola Corporation

Sprite: Coca-Cola Corporation

Batman: DC Comics General Partnership

Hansel and Gretel: Brothers Grimm

The Justice League: DC Comics General Partnership

Chapter One

The royal family of the Kingdom of Corazón greeted their guests for the Midsummers Ball as Christian watched. He ran a hand down the front of his dress military uniform to straighten it while he waited for his turn to be announced. This was his first formal duty as the newly appointed Royal Military Liaison, and he needed to make sure he looked his best. He shifted his feet to find some relief for his ankle, which was still sore from him standing for a long time. His last mission had not gone to plan, and a broken ankle had been the result. Although the cast had come off a couple of weeks prior, it still wasn’t one hundred percent.

Royal Military Liaison Lieutenant Diaz, the herald announced. Christian caught the eye of Crown Prince Sebastian toward the end of the greeting line and his best friend’s eyes widened in surprise before his face lit up with happiness at seeing him. As the only child of the Castle Commander, Christian had grown up here, but he’d been in the service away from the castle for ten years. At thirty, Christian was the same age as Crown Prince Sebastian. They had been best friends from the time they had been in diapers, and even though Christian and the prince still got together when their schedules allowed, it wasn’t the same as seeing and being with him every day. Christian had missed him fiercely.

The royal children of the kingdom were usually paired with a young playmate from the age of about ten. Christian had started earlier than age ten as Sebastian’s companion, since he was always with him anyway. As Castle Commander, his father was the head of the guard slash castle security. He’d taken the companion idea a step further and trained Christian to be as good as he could be in martial arts and marksmanship. In his father’s eyes, Christian was to act as another line of defense for the Crown Prince. While Christian had not carried a gun—that was the role of the actual bodyguards—he was trained in case he ever had to use one.

With a nod to the herald, Christian stepped forward to greet the Queen of the Kingdom of Corazón. Queen Tania reached out both hands to Christian, and he clasped them and raised them to his lips while bowing over them. My Queen… It is a pleasure to see you. You haven’t changed a bit.

Lieutenant Diaz, it is a pleasure to see you as well. Ten years is way too long. We have missed you.

I apologize for the lengthy absence, Your Highness. I needed a change, but I am assigned here for the foreseeable future, so you will have time to get sick of me again.

So my husband has told me. I am excited to have you home, although in a different capacity as the Royal Military Liaison. I look forward to catching up.

As do I.

The queen turned a stern eye on her eldest daughter, who was standing to her right. Princess Zia, isn’t it wonderful that Christian will be back with us for a while?

Christian tried to mask his sneer as his gaze went to Zia, who was not at all happy this evening. Of course, she wouldn’t be, since she wasn’t the center of attention. She wasn’t a very nice person and never had been. She was also part of the reason he’d left and joined the military. What she did… No, he wasn’t going to think about it. It was in the past. He was stronger and even more deadly now. It was time for him to face his demons. The military had finished the training his father had started, turning him into a true weapon. At twenty-eight, Christian had hoped Zia would have grown up and stopped being so self-absorbed, but the affliction seemed to have gotten worse instead of better in the time Christian had been away.

Christian gave Princess Zia a shallow bow. Princess Zia. That was all he could manage. He wasn’t going to lie and say he’d missed her.

Princess Zia tossed back her hair and gave him her haughtiest look. Mr. Diaz.

It’s Lieutenant Diaz, actually, Your Highness. Christian didn’t wait for her to respond, instead turning to greet the king of the Kingdom of Corazón. A striking man, even in his fifties, King Raul Hart exuded a sense of calm authority that Christian had always admired, making him seem larger than life. King Raul. Christian bowed low in front of the man. When he straightened, Christian was shocked to realize that he was now taller than the king. When they had met briefly the day before, the king had been busy on a phone call and had just waved him into his office and into a chair. Christian had experienced another surprise growth spurt after he had joined the military at age twenty and was now six-three, but he hadn’t realized that made him taller than the king.

Hello again, Royal Military Liaison Lieutenant Diaz. The king’s eyes twinkled at him as he ignored protocol and pulled Christian into a hug. I didn’t get a chance to do that when we met yesterday. I wanted to correct that error.

Yes, sir. Christian returned the hug before stepping back and offering him a crisp salute. Lieutenant Diaz reporting for duty, sir.

As you were, Lieutenant. Now I think there’s someone here who can’t wait to greet you. It was hard keeping this a secret from him.

I know. I talked to him earlier, and I almost spilled the beans.

Christian moved down the line and tried to keep a stern expression on his face as he saluted before grinning at one of his best friends. Crown Prince.

Why didn’t you tell me you were being assigned to the castle as Royal Military Liaison?

I thought you would like the surprise of it. It just happened a few days ago. Christian once more ran a hand down the front of his military uniform. First mission, the Midsummer’s Ball. It’s a very tough assignment.

Well, I’m glad you’re here. I can’t wait to see more of you, and as a bonus, now I won’t have to drive to visit you.

Christian scoffed. Like it’s that far to the base or my house from here.

When I was used to you being always at my side, it’s too far.

It’s been ten years, Bas.

Too far. Too long.

Yes, Your Highness. Christian couldn’t help the eye roll at the end. It was good to be back with friends.

Prince Sebastian just grinned in response.

My turn. My turn.

Christian turned his head to the left to see Princess Katarina waving him down the line. Princess Katarina, it is a pleasure to see you again.

I am so excited you made it and that we will get to see more of you.

Me too, Your Highness.

He leaned forward to kiss her cheek and she took the opportunity to whisper in his ear.

I think you have broken our Head Chef.

What? Christian pulled back so he could look in her eyes, as if that would somehow make what she’d said make sense.

He is standing over by the hors d’oeuvres table and has been staring at you since you were announced. Katarina giggled. He looks like someone has struck him.

Christian shook his head at her, although his heart sped up at the thought of seeing his old crush, but he tried not to show that her words had affected him. "I will leave you to