The Billionaire Princess Read Online Free PDF Page B

thought of seeing her again.  Since she'd walked out of his bedroom, he'd thought about her frequently.  That morning he'd forced himself to leave Hawaii before either she or Jake got up.  While part of him had wanted to stay as far away from her as possible, another part couldn't help but want to see her.
    Several times since then he'd picked up his phone, intent on calling her.  Unfortunately he couldn't come up with a good reason to do so.  The fundraiser was both a blessing and a curse.  It gave him the perfect excuse to see her.  At the same time though he feared what would happen when he did.
    Only one way to find out.   “Thanks for reminding me.  Yes, I plan on going.”
    Caroline's fingers moved over the tablet in her hand.  “Do you want to leave that morning or the day before?  Right now you have nothing scheduled for the day before.”
    “Tell Jim to be ready to fly the day before.”  A full day to adjust to the time difference between the West coast and the East coast would be useful.
    ***
    Sara accepted the glass of Pinot Noir from the waiter and took a sip while Mia Troy spoke.  Although the actress spent her days in Hollywood now, she had strong ties to New England.  Like Sara she'd been born there and had attended Harvard University for a short time before moving to California to pursue an acting career.  Since then she'd become a vocal political advocate supporting many politicians, including President Sherbrooke.
    “If I was going to be here longer, I'd say we should have a girls’ night out,” Mia said, sounding as if the idea had just come to her.
    Although she didn't intend to stay in Rhode Island long, the idea of a girls’ night out sounded nice.  She couldn't remember the last time she'd gone out with some girlfriends.  Part of the reason was her job.  During the senator's campaign, she'd kept her mind focused on getting him elected.  Now that he was in office, it was her responsibility to make sure everything ran smoothly and that he eventually got re-elected.  With all that, there wasn't a lot of time for socializing.
    Sara couldn't place all the blame for her nonexistent social life on her job though.  She had free time, but chose to avoid society.  Even before Phillip Young entered her life she'd known people sometimes associated with her only because of her last name.  Thanks to her relationship with Phillip though, that fact was branded on her mind and, as a result, she now distanced herself from people, both men and women.
    “I'm leaving in the morning, though,” Mia said.  “I'm expected in Rome on Saturday for the start of a new movie.”
    “Some other time maybe,” Sara said, her voice the right combination of disappointment and understanding.
    Not long after, Mia excused herself, leaving Sara alone for the first time all evening.  Since she had entered the ballroom hours earlier, she'd been surrounded by people.  Some she'd known for years, while others she'd only met after she started working with the senator.  And while she shouldn't feel alone in such a crowded room, she did. Put in the same situation a month earlier and she'd feel at ease.  Ready to mix and socialize with everyone there.   Politics was in her blood.  However, since her brother's wedding, she'd been thinking about the one thing both her brothers had but she didn't. Someone to love and who loved her in return regardless of anything else.
    Tonight's all about politics and money . Don't forget that.   And a big part of politics was socializing so right now she needed to do some of that.
    “I hoped to see you here tonight.”
    Sara froze in her tracks.  She hadn't heard his voice in more than two years, but she recognized it immediately.  Phillip.  Before turning around, she slowly counted to ten.  “I'm Senator Healy's chief of staff, so it’s expected.” She forced herself to use a courteous tone, even though more than anything she wanted to toss her drink in his