Eileen Dreyer | Read an Excerpt from THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA

About THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA

Moritanian Crown Princess Cassandra leads a fairy-tale existence. Some consider her the most spoiled woman in Europe. Then she is kidnapped.

Retired spy Paul Phillips is a self-made man more at home with flying bullets and
fast cars than champagne and caviar. Then he finds Crown Princess Cassandra.

Now speeding through Europe, the pair are ducking enemies and each other. But as sparks fly, they wonder if they might be driving toward a fairy tale ending.

Read the Excerpt

Startled, Cassandra looked up to find Paul standing in the doorway, his naked body
gilded in the gold of lamplight and the silver of moonlight. He held a tray in his
hand. Cassandra wanted to tell him not to move, to stay there where she could enjoy
just the sight of him. Instead she sat up and scooted over to make room for him.

"The ultimate in decadence," he announced, sliding in under the sheets and settling
the tray on his lap. "Oreos and milk. Once you taste this, you'll never crave caviar
again."

"That," she retorted dryly, "I'll have to see."

Cassandra reached over to pick up a cookie, but Paul smacked her hand. "This has to
be done correctly. There's a certain ritual."

Cassandra lifted an eyebrow. "Like a Japanese tea ceremony?"

Paul grinned. "Better. Now, observe."

He made great show of pouring two glasses of milk from the pitcher and handing
Cassandra hers. Then, setting the pitcher aside, he set the plate of cookies between
them.

“There are many opinions on the proper way to eat an Oreo,” he said. “But I only two
to be worth consideration.”

“But how can I make an informed decision unless I try them all?”

“Later. Because once you try this, you will agree with me. Now,” he instructed.
“Address your cookie.

She giggled again, nodding to the plate. "Hello, cookie."


Paul scowled. "You know what I mean."

He picked up his glass of milk and a cookie and held them out as examples. Cassandra
followed suit.

"Now then," he said. "The dip. Follow my lead."

So saying, he dipped the cookie in the milk and took a small bite. Cassandra did the
same. Then she smiled. The taste was as delightful as the texture. Soft chocolate
and vanilla cream.

"Now take a sip of milk to cleanse the palate."

She followed the ritual until the cookie was gone. All that did was make her want
more. No wonder Paul said that these were so wonderful. They were. It amazed her
that she'd never tried one before.

"Ready for the next method?"

"But I like that one," she protested, ready to dip another.

"This next one," he continued, barring her way to the cookies, "is considered the
connoisseur's choice. A much more subtle approach. Take cookie in hand."

She did. The milk was set on the table for the moment. It was all Cassandra could do
to keep from giggling afresh. Never in her life would she have thought that she
would be celebrating the loss of her virginity with cookies and milk. Suddenly it
seemed the only way.

About Eileen Dreyer

New York Times bestselling, RWA Hall of Fame author Eileen Dreyer has published 31 romance novels in most genres, 8 medical forensic suspenses, and 10 short stories.

2015 sees Eileen enjoying critical acclaim for her foray into historical romance,
the Drake’s Rakes series, which Eileen labels as Regency Romantic Adventure that
follows a group of Regency aristocrats who are willing to sacrifice everything to
keep their country safe. She is also working on her first nonfiction book, TRAVELS
WITH DAVE, about a journey she's been taking with a friend's ashes.

A retired trauma nurse, Eileen lives in her native St. Louis with her husband,
children, and
large and noisy Irish family, of which she is the reluctant matriarch. She has
animals but refuses to subject them to the limelight.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog