A Princess for the Marine - Signed Paperback

Chapter One: Zara

I stepped out of the cab and closed the door, eyes narrowing slightly at the house in front of me. This was the venue for the singles event? Wasn’t it a little ... small? Before I could turn around and confirm that the driver had brought me to the correct address, he drove away, leaving me alone on the sidewalk in front of what appeared to be a simple, one-story home.

The front door opened, and a ridiculously handsome man in a perfectly tailored black suit leaned against it to hold it open. He held a clipboard in his hands and nodded at me in greeting. Then he just stood there. Watching me. Waiting for me to approach him.

Looking from side to side to make sure he wasn’t holding the door for someone else, I adjusted the golden chain of my clutch and stepped forward.

“Good evening,” he said, nodding again. “Name?”

“Zara Astor,” I replied, watching his face for a sign that he recognized my name. Finding none, I relaxed a little. It was one of my favorite things about being in America so far. No one knew who I was.

He checked his list and marked the spot that was presumably next to my name. “Welcome.”

I swallowed, peeking through the door but only finding a dimly lit hallway. It was a good sign that my name had been on his list, but I couldn’t get over how ominous the entrance looked. This was a very unexpected venue for an event like this. Was this doorman handsome? Yes. Did he have a deliciously seductive tone of voice? Also, yes. But it was a wonder I could even hear him above the warning bells going off in my brain.

This might be the start of a horror film. I might be walking into a nefarious situation, and no one even knew where I was. At least, I didn’t think they knew, since I’d left my phone in the hotel room in the hopes that I wouldn’t be traced. Now I could be willingly walking into a trap in a cocktail dress and my best heels, all thanks to the hot guy they used as bait, strategically placed at the door.

The man raised one of his dark blond eyebrows at me, shifting his weight. “Is everything okay?”

“Well,” I said, turning at the sound of an approaching car. Two well-dressed women got out and approached us, waving at the gorgeous doorman before disappearing down the hallway. Judging by the way he marked his clipboard without having been told their names, he must already know them. A hint of a smile tugged the corner of his mouth up.

I cleared my throat and raised my chin. “Is this the singles mixer presented by First Comes Love?”

He tilted his head in that familiar way people do when they first hear my accent. Given Arnada’s proximity to Finland and Sweden, it was similar to their accents. But the slight variance came from the fact that our country was its own island in the Baltic Sea.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” he asked, blue eyes narrowed slightly.

“Quite far, actually.”

“Yeah, I can hear that. Where are you from?”

I hesitated. Should I tell him? Again, I was being hunted. The less he knew, the better. “Europe.”

He raised a brow at my vague answer, but apparently decided not to press me for more. “Well, uh, yes. This is the singles mixer presented by First Comes Love.”

“I see.” I looked through the door again, holding my clutch between my hands. “Do they normally host events in their homes as opposed to ballrooms or other event spaces?”

“This is an event space,” he replied. “No one lives here. They rent it for mixers because it’s right on the ocean. It’s got a pretty sweet ocean view. You’ll see.”

My head turned back toward the street to make sure I wasn’t being followed by the security detail I had been dodging all week, then I nodded at the man. “All right, then.”

He held out a hand to escort me through the doorway. “Watch your step.”

An electric current ran up my arm at his touch. As our eyes met, I sincerely hoped he was unaware of the dangers beyond this doorway if I really was walking into a trap. I would hate to think of him as a murderer. Delectable doorman was much better.

“Thank you,” I said, letting go of his hand and looking away from his crooked smile again. I was here to meet a wealthy American businessman to solve all of my problems, and if I spent any more time talking to this doorman—no matter how attractive he was—I would never accomplish that goal.

“You’re welcome,” he replied.

Turning, I smoothed my hands down my dress as I made my way down the dark hallway. When I made it to a break in the wall, I gasped as the whole ambiance changed in the room beyond it. As promised, this venue had a ‘pretty sweet view.’ The hallway opened up into a magnificent and bright, formal, entertaining space. White marble and teakwood covered most surfaces, and floor-to-ceiling windows gave an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean only footsteps away. All thoughts of heading to my death in a dingy basement were forgotten as I took in the lavish party below.

All right, I had made it. I was here. There was no going back now. I surveyed the room full of well-dressed singles from my position at the top of the stairs. Women in semi-formal attire laughed and sipped champagne, while men in a rainbow of suits mingled about. There was an air of excitement about the room, which I imagined made sense given the fact that they were all probably trying to make a great first impression, so they got a chance to make a second one.

Before joining them, I wanted to take a moment to revel in the fact that absolutely no one cared I was here. No eyes were scrutinizing me from head to toe. No mouths were hidden behind hands as they whispered about me. No eager men stood at the foot of the stairs, hoping to be the first one to ask me to dance. I was just another ordinarily beautiful woman in a sea of other ordinarily beautiful women. It was all I had ever wanted. And I loved it.

In fact, even walking from the car to the door was a treat. Normally, there would have been a crowd of spectators awaiting my arrival. How they always seemed to know where I was going to show up was beyond me. My guards would have to hold their arms out and shield me, not enough so that I couldn’t reach out and shake a few hands, but enough to make sure no one tried to grab me. It never ceased to amaze me how many people actually thought that was acceptable behavior.

Yes, my life in America promised to be very different from the one I had back home. If I got my way, I could come and go as I please with no one caring to take a second look at me. The very idea of that had me buzzing with excitement, so I couldn’t wait to get downstairs to initiate the first part of my grand plan to make it happen.

“Psst.”

I jumped, placing a hand over my heart as I found the dashing doorman standing at the edge of the hall, just out of sight from the crowd. “You startled me.”

“Sorry,” he said with a laugh. Then he held up a bejeweled pin. “I think you dropped this.”

My hand flew to the updo I had attempted in my long red hair, and sure enough, a pin was missing. Back home, I had a team of people who did my hair and makeup before a big event. Applying makeup seemed to be something of a talent of mine, but my hair was a completely different story. My stylists back home were wizards with curling wands, as far as I was concerned.

“Thank you,” I said, stepping away from the stairs and coming back into the hallway with him. I took the pin from his outstretched hand and raised my arms, realizing almost immediately that I did not have the skills to get this right without a mirror.

Before I could ask him where the bathroom was, he held his hand out once again. “May I?”

I bit my lip as my eyes scanned his sincere expression. Would that be weird? Did I dare to let a stranger fix my hair when I didn’t even know his name? As strange as it could be, he had offered, after all. And Americans were typically more casual by nature, weren’t they? Perhaps I was overthinking it. Besides, I was eager to get to the party. 

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” I asked.

“Not at all. I have a sister.”

Something inside me warmed at that. “Older sister or younger sister?”

“She’s younger.”

I grinned. “I have an older brother.”

“Oh, yeah? So that means you’re a total pain in somebody’s butt then, huh?”

I thought about how my brother must feel about me right now and could barely contain my smirk. “I can promise you that.”

“Yeah, you look like trouble.”

Handing him the pin, I turned to put my back to him. I felt him step closer, heat radiating up my neck at his nearness. Then his hands were on my hair as he worked the pin into my attempt at an updo. When he was finished, he stepped back and I turned to face him, my breath coming out in an uneven burst.

“All set,” he said with a disarming quirk of his lips.

“Thank you, again,” I said with a nod, adjusting my purse strap on my shoulder. “I suppose I should get down there.”

He checked his watch. “You probably should. You were pretty late.”

My eyes whipped to his. “I wasn’t that late.”

“It started at five.”

“What time is it now?”

“A quarter after.”

I raised my chin. “That is not late.”

“In my world, fifteen minutes early is on time and on time is late. But hey, you’re the one here to find a date, not me. So unless you want all of the good ones to be taken, you should probably get after it.”

I felt a small smile tug my mouth upward as I looked at him. “I would not want that.”

“Nope. Enjoy your night, Zara.” With that, he tucked his hands in his pockets and turned back for the door without another word. I stood there for a moment, nearly dumbstruck. If I wasn’t mistaken, that might’ve been the first time a man had used my given name in as long as I could remember. The sound of it on his lips echoed in my ears as I turned away.

❤️ Runaway Princess

❤️ Bodyguard Romance

❤️ Military Hero

❤️ Romantic Comedy

❤️ Fish Out of Water

❤️ Deaf Representation (Hero’s sister)

❤️ Small-Town Vibes

First Comes Love

📚 A Match for the Marine - Dex & Amy

📚 A Blind Date for the Marine - Mateo & Claire

📚 A Princess for the Marine - Huck & Zara

📚 A Royal Christmas for the Marine - Theo & Maya

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A fantastic story!

"Charming, beautifully written, and hopelessly romantic. The connection between Zara & Huck is so strong & they are unable to deny it. This is the perfect escape, the perfect fairy tale, and the perfect romantic comedy. It's sweet, wholesome and lighthearted but heartwarming and full of emotion, making for a low angst, uplifting read. You need to read this book (as well as all of Jess’s other wonderful books.) You won’t be disappointed."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This military + royalty romance isn't cliche!

"This sweet, closed-door romance features a Marine and a princess without being cliche. Again, it's another winner from Jess Mastorakos!"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Charming Story

"Funny and sweet tale about a spare Royal heir who wants to be so much more - A children's physician."