Wicked prince new orlean.., p.1
Wicked Prince (New Orleans Malones Book 3), page 1
WICKED PRINCE
LAYLAH ROBERTS
Laylah Roberts
Wicked Prince
© 2023, Laylah Roberts
Laylah.roberts@gmail.com
https://laylahroberts.com
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher.
Editing: Woncas Creative
Cover Design by: Allycat’s Creations
Photographer: Golden Czermak; FuriousFotog
Model: Nick Bennett
Created with Vellum
CONTENTS
Let’s keep in touch!
Books by Laylah Roberts
Trigger Warnings
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Epilogue
LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH!
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BOOKS BY LAYLAH ROBERTS
Doms of Decadence
Just for You, Sir
Forever Yours, Sir
For the Love of Sir
Sinfully Yours, Sir
Make me, Sir
A Taste of Sir
To Save Sir
Sir’s Redemption
Reveal Me, Sir
Crime Boss Daddies
Daddy’s Obsession
Papi’s Protection
Papi’s Savior
Montana Daddies
Daddy Bear
Daddy’s Little Darling
Daddy’s Naughty Darling Novella
Daddy’s Sweet Girl
Daddy’s Lost Love
A Montana Daddies Christmas
Daring Daddy
Warrior Daddy
Daddy’s Angel
Heal Me, Daddy
Daddy in Cowboy Boots
A Little Christmas Cheer (crossover with MC Daddies)
Sheriff Daddy
Her Daddies’ Saving Grace
Rogue Daddy
A Little Winter Wonderland
Daddy’s Sassy Sweetheart
Daddy Dominic
MC Daddies
Motorcycle Daddy
Hero Daddy
Protector Daddy
Untamed Daddy
Her Daddy’s Jewel
Fierce Daddy
Savage Daddy
Boss Daddy
Daddy Fox
A Snowy Little Christmas
Saving Daddy
Harem of Daddies
Ruled by her Daddies
Claimed by her Daddies
Stolen by her Daddies
Captured by her Daddies
Haven, Texas Series
Lila’s Loves
Laken’s Surrender
Saving Savannah
Molly’s Man
Saxon’s Soul
Mastered by Malone
How West Was Won
Cole’s Mistake
Jardin’s Gamble
Romanced by the Malones
Twice the Malone
Mending a Malone
Malone’s Heart
New Orleans Malones
Damaged Princess
Vengeful Commander
Wicked Prince
Men of Orion
Worlds Apart
Cavan Gang
Rectify
Redemption
Redemption Valley
Audra’s Awakening
Old-Fashioned Series
An Old-Fashioned Man
Two Old-Fashioned Men
Her Old-Fashioned Husband
Her Old-Fashioned Boss
His Old-Fashioned Love
An Old-Fashioned Christmas
Bad Boys of Wildeside
Wilde
Sinclair
Luke
Rawhide Ranch Holiday
A Cozy Little Christmas
A Little Easter Escapade
Standalones
Their Christmas Baby
Haley Chronicles
Ally and Jake
TRIGGER WARNINGS
This book contains assault, drugs and criminal activities.
PROLOGUE
Aston pushed herself until her lungs burned.
More! More!
Until the need for air consumed her.
Just a bit longer. You can do it!
Popping her head out of the water, she gasped for air. She rolled onto her back, trying to calm her breathing. She was probably pushing herself too far, but she needed her muscles to burn. She needed to tire herself out so that she might have a chance of quieting her mind and actually getting some sleep tonight.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten more than a few hours of sleep at a time. Too long ago.
When her breathing had slowed, she started swimming lengths of the pool.
Up. Down.
Until exhaustion made her sluggish and she didn’t think she could go any farther.
Finished, she grasped hold of the pool’s edge and drew herself up so her chest was out of the water and resting on the concrete.
A pair of bare feet settled in front of her face.
She stiffened.
It was ten at night and usually quiet in the pool at this time. Which was just the way she liked it.
“You know that you’re not actually supposed to swim until you nearly pass out, right?” a deep voice asked.
They were good-looking feet. Usually, feet were pretty ugly. Too bony or too hairy. Maybe they had dry heels or toe fungus or overgrown toe nails.
But these feet . . . well, they were kind of sexy.
Then the feet disappeared, and the guy sat next to her. So now she was staring at a thigh, and if she moved her head a bit, some abs.
Holy heck.
Who could sit like that and not have a bit of a fat roll? This guy was fit.
You need to move, Aston.
She shouldn’t be lying here like this, half dead on the side of the pool. It wasn’t safe. This guy could do anything to her. She was as helpless as a babe.
Fuck.
Stupid.
She’d been living in New Orleans for two months now and had let her guard down. She’d started feeling safe.
But Aston knew better than anyone that she should never be careless with her safety.
And so she pushed away from the edge, staring up at the man looking down at her.
Fuck.
How was it possible for someone to be this gorgeous? She likely looked like a wreck. Her normally pale-blonde had been dyed a dark brown. Nothing that would stand out, she wanted to blend in. She also colored her eyebrows. And she knew that the color didn’t suit her complexion. So she looked pale and wrung out.
But it didn’t matter. She wasn’t here to draw attention to herself. All she wanted was to blend in. To be unnoticed.
So why the heck was this gorgeous man coming over to talk to her?
His dark hair was longer on the top and shaved around the sides. He had a sleeve of tattoos down his right arm and over his right pec. She knew this because all he was wearing was a pair of navy blue swimming trunks.
His facial hair was short, which only added to his appeal. Which was nuts because she’d never been attracted to men with facial hair before.
Have you ever been attracted to any men before?
No. Which is what made these feelings even more disturbing.
She needed to get out of the pool.
She just had to find the energy.
“Would you like me to wait so you can get your phone?” he asked.
Huh?
“So you can take a photo.” A wicked grin lit up his face and his eyes danced.
What was so amusing? Was he . . . laughing at her?
She could feel her defensiveness rising. She hated being the butt of the joke. Her brothers had done that to her constantly.
And they’d been mean about it.
She knew her skin was too thin, that she was likely reading too much into it, but she couldn’t help the small sting of hurt.
“And why
“Ow. Ouch.” Instead of looking insulted, his grin widened as he held a hand to his chest. “That hurts. And here I thought you were checking me out.”
She totally had been, but she’d never admit it.
“I just zoned out and you happened to be in my line of sight.”
His eyes narrowed as he grew serious. She tensed. Aston was starting to get cold, but she didn’t want to leave the pool with him sitting there.
She didn’t need to give him more ammo to laugh at her.
Not all men are like your brothers and their friends.
She knew that. Deep down.
But she was utterly drained and her defenses were down.
This was why she never swum to the point of exhaustion when there were other people around. She couldn’t keep her guard up in this state.
“This isn’t a good time for you to swim,” he told her.
What?
Who was he to tell her when she could swim?
“This facility is open twenty-four-hours, and I’ve paid my dues just like you. I can swim here whenever I like.”
Was it just because he wanted the pool to himself? Well, tough.
His eyebrows rose at her tone. Yeah, she knew she could come across as standoffish, but keeping people from getting close was safer.
For them and for her.
“So you really think that swimming on your own at night until you’re clearly exhausted is a smart idea?”
Wait, he was warning her from swimming here at night because it wasn’t safe for her?
She frowned. When was the last time anyone had cared about her safety? Sure, her father had kept her safe, but only because it was in his best interests.
She’d been an asset. If she’d been a liability, well . . . she hated to think of where she’d have ended up.
“Are you threatening me?” she asked.
His eyes widened. Then, to her shock, he threw his head back and laughed.
This guy was off his rocker.
“Me? Sweetness, no. I don’t make it a habit to attack defenseless women.”
“I’m not defenseless,” she muttered, thinking of the Mace in her handbag. Which was in her locker . . . at least a hundred feet away, in the changing rooms.
Crap.
Maybe he had a point.
He stood and stretched, and yep, her gaze was caught on those abs. And he had those slashes by his hips which drew her gaze to his swimming shorts and the bulge she was certain she could see.
Get your mind out of the gutter, Aston!
“You sure you don’t want me to wait here while you get your phone, sweetness?”
“No,” she gritted out. Darn it. How had she gotten caught staring again?
This was insane. She never looked at men like this.
But it would be hard not to look. He was ripped, cute, sexy, and confident.
He oozed sex appeal.
Unlike her. She was frumpy and uninteresting.
You really need to leave. Right. Now.
“You should get yourself tested,” she told him as she gripped the side of the pool to heave herself out.
In hindsight, she really should have swum over to the ladder.
But that’s why hindsight was a pain in the ass.
“Tested for what?” he asked as she attempted to haul herself out.
Shoot. Her arms gave way.
“You’re having delusions.”
He smiled. “And you’ve got some drool going on . . . right . . . here.” He reached out and touched the corner of her mouth, just as she attempted to heave herself out of the pool again.
Her head smacked right into his, sending him falling back on his ass.
“Shit,” he muttered.
“Oh my God! Ouch! What is your head made of? Concrete?” she cried as she slipped back into the water, rubbing at her head.
“Right back at you, sweetness.”
“You’re the one who bent down when I was clearly trying to get out of the pool.”
He removed his hand from his head, which already had a red patch forming on it. Guilt filled her tummy.
Oops.
She really hadn’t meant to hurt him. It’d just been unfortunate timing.
“So this is my fault?” he asked.
She wanted to say yes. She really did. But she was trying her best not to lie. Or to make anyone else feel bad. She hated doing that.
“No, it was mine. Are you all right?” she asked in concern.
He gave her a surprised look. “Not your fault, sweetness. Just an accident.”
Shoot. Now, she felt even worse because he was being nice. How fair was it that he looked like sex on two legs and he was genuinely nice?
This was bad. Very bad.
“Here, let me help you out.” He held out both hands, but she backed away, shaking her head.
No. Nope. Aston didn’t trust herself to touch this man and not self-combust or something.
And yes, she knew she was being ridiculous. But she couldn’t help it.
He sighed. “Just come here.”
“No. I’m fine. I have this.” She moved to the ladder and started climbing out, only for her hand to slip, her energy completely zapped.
Fuck. Was she going to have to swim to the other end of the pool? To where the ramp was?
This was too embarrassing.
Then he was there, offering her a hand again. And she knew that she couldn’t refuse without looking like a complete idiot.
So she reached up and took it. And yep, it was as bad as she thought. A tingle of awareness moved through her. His hand was warm and dry. His grip firm but not punishing.
And he hauled her out of the water like she weighed nothing.
Which wasn’t the case. Once she was standing next to him, she realized he was taller than she’d first thought. Around six feet, since he towered over her own five feet five.
“Thanks.”
She shivered and walked quickly over to grab her towel, which she’d left on a bench. She wrapped it around herself. Without looking at him, she muttered her goodbye.
“Bye, Rainbow,” he called out. “I’ll be seeing you later.”
Rainbow? Why the hell would he call her that?
And seeing her soon? Yeah. That wasn’t going to happen. She’d just have to come even later at night to the pool or really early in the morning.
Relax. This is a chance encounter.
You’re never going to see this guy again.
1
She was going to be late.
Aston hated being late. Everything in her life was scheduled. She had plenty of reminders set on her phone to keep her on track so things like this didn’t happen.
But she hadn’t accounted for the water in the shower suddenly going cold, meaning she’d had to finish washing her hair in the kitchen sink.
Then, not only did her hairdryer die halfway through blow-drying her hair, but her coffee machine had failed to switch on.
She still had forty minutes to get to work, which was actually plenty. But she liked to always be early. And with her luck this morning, the bus would be late or break down.
Juggling her coffee mug and handbag in one hand, she hit the button for the elevator.
Come on. Come on.
She’d wasted precious moments searching for her coffee travel mug, only to realize she’d lent it to Mr. Logan a few months ago. She needed to add buying a new one to her to-do list.
Finally, the elevator arrived and she picked up the large basket at her feet and got in. Her boss had asked her to bake some blueberry muffins for his meeting today. Which was no hassle.
Wasn’t like she had anything else to do.
She was also carrying some mending she’d agreed to do for Mrs. Janssen, one of her neighbor. The older woman didn’t have much disposable income and was going blind, so she couldn’t do her own sewing anymore. Although Aston thought it would be way easier just to buy some new socks, the other woman wouldn’t hear of it.
