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  My phone rings from where it’s sitting on my bathroom counter and I sigh. It’s my day off, and after cleaning house and going for a run, all I want to do is enjoy a warm soak in my tub with a good book and a cup of tea. I reach up from the tub and grab my phone, turning it on speaker as I answer.

  “Hello?”

  “Please hold for Queen Gemma,” a prim voice says. My heart lurches. Bugger, what did I do wrong?

  “Hello? Mila, are you there?” Gemma’s voice comes over the line, a little frustrated.

  “I’m here, Your Majesty.”

  “Oh, good. I don’t know why they insist on connecting calls for me like I’m some idiot who can’t figure out a phone.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, no.” Relief courses through me. “I’m just hoping you’ll join me for dinner tonight. I’ve a favor to ask.”

  “Yes. I certainly can do that. I have something I need to discuss with you as well.”

  My belly flutters with nerves, but I’ve got to tell her about the baby. I’ll need time off, time to recover, to figure out how all this is going to work.

  “Wonderful. I’ll see you tonight at six.”

  I hang up after offering a polite goodbye and sink down under the water.

  Hours later, I’m standing in front of the palace doors, waiting to be formally introduced. I’m an official guest tonight, not an employee. My black dress is fitted enough to show my very slight baby bump and the red heels I opted for feel out-of-place now. I’d hoped for confidence, instead I’m nervous.

  “You look stunning.” Alexander’s rasp in my ear has me turning quickly and losing my balance. I fall into his arms with a surprised gasp. “Careful, princess. I don’t want to have to take you to the hospital until our little one arrives.”

  My chest squeezes. Our little one.

  He doesn’t release me until I’m steady on my feet. “Thank you,” I say, tucking my hair behind my ear. “You startled me.”

  “I’m sorry. For all of it. For being so presumptuous, for assuming you’d want a marriage out of this, for everything.”

  “It’s not ideal. I definitely wasn’t planning to have a baby.”

  He reaches out tentatively and palaces his palm over my belly. “Neither was I. But, there’s no going back.” There’s a glint in his eye that I can’t place. “And I don’t want to.”

  I nod and stare at him with wonder. “Why did you have to be a prince?”

  “I don’t have to be.”

  I frown. “What?”

  “I’m not leaving Corline. I’ve already spoken with my brother, William. He’s king of Darstel now that our father passed away.”

  Excitement builds in my belly. “You…but aren’t you second in line?”

  “I am, but George is only four minutes younger than me. Should something happen, he’ll gladly take my place.”

  “I can’t ask you to do that for me.”

  “You have no choice in the matter. I’ll do what needs to be done, and I’m not going back to Darstel until you and our child are with me.” He takes my hand and raises a brow. “You can come with me in whichever capacity you choose. Wife, girlfriend, or friend. Though I know which one I’d rather.”

  “I’m not marrying you.”

  “And you don’t have to, but I would like you to consider…sharing a home with me until the baby arrives.” When I balk, he holds up a hand. “We can have separate bedrooms, but whatever comes of our relationship, our child deserves to have parents who can at least be friendly—if not be in love.”

  I think of my tiny apartment, my nosey neighbor, and the thought of being alone for the next few months as I experience pregnancy. “Fine, but I won’t fall for you.”

  He grins. “You say that now, but over the next few months, you’re going to fall desperately in love with me. I promise.”

  * * *

  Alexander

  “All set, princess?” I ask, watching Mila place the last of her clothing in the dresser drawers. It didn’t take me long to get set up with a place to live. I do have a certain level of clout, being royalty and all. Now, though, it all seems real. Mila is here, with me, and she’s not throwing in the towel straight away.

  “Looks like it. This place is a lot nicer than mine.”

  “I can’t believe Ryder and Gemma know where you’ve been living and they haven’t given you a raise.”

  “It’s not that bad.” She blushes.

  “It’s a shoebox, and it smells like your neighbor’s cooking.” I drag a hand across my jaw and rein in my distaste.

  “I haven’t exactly told them. It’s not that they don’t pay me well. I’m saving for a house.”

  A soft purring vibrates from the bed and my gaze cuts to the other roommate I’ve acquired. Gus, her cat, sits dead center, staring me down like he owns the bloody place. “And then there’s you. I suppose I should thank you for keeping her company?”

  He continues to purr while Mila lets out a lighthearted giggle. “I really like it when you talk to my kitty like that.”

  Her words are like a lightning bolt of lust straight through me. “What?”

  “Oh,” she gasps. “I didn’t…not like that.”

  I smirk. “Freudian slip?”

  “Stop it, Alexander.”

  Shrugging, I reach out and stroke my palm over Gus’ soft fur. “Do you like it when I pet your kitty?”

  She swallows hard and her cheeks burn bright pink. “Yes.”

  I clench my teeth and fight the need to touch her, to take her in my arms and hold her against me while my lips claim hers. She’s not ready, and I want to do this right. Before our baby is born, she’ll be mine.

  Clearing my throat, I mutter, “Good. I’ll just…see to dinner.”

  Things go on like this, tense and playful, for the better part of two weeks. All the while, her belly gets rounder and we change from strangers to friends. Our routine evolves from awkward avoidance into a comfortable coexistence—except for my near constant state of arousal. It’s the easiest and most wonderful thing to be around her.

  Tonight we’re on the couch, her feet on my thighs as we binge the newest season of The Great British Baking Show on Netflix. I keep tickling her instep, making her squirm and giggle during the most intense parts of the competition.

  “Stop it! I want to see wh—” She stops mid sentence and her eyes go wide. “Oh, my God.”

  Alarm shoots through me. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

  “No. The baby. Oh wow, the baby is moving.”

  She presses my palm to her small bump and we wait together, but I don’t feel it when she tells me the baby moved again. Disappointment colors her features, but I shake my head. “It’s too soon for movement to be felt from the outside.”

  “How do you know that?”

  I shrug. “I read the baby books.”

  Sitting up, she takes my face between her hands and plants a kiss on my mouth. It’s soft and tender, but before she can pull away, my arms are around her, holding her tight. She sighs and gives in, melting into the kiss.

  “Fuck, I’ve wanted to do that for so long, Mila.”

  She moans and claws at my shirt. “Me too. I want you so bad. It’s been torture.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “We’re taking it slow. I didn’t want to let lust win out over—”

  “Love?”

  “Something like that.”

  I press my forehead to hers and force myself to calm my racing heart. “Why are you so guarded?”

  “I don’t…I’ve never thought love was possible for me. Not after the way I saw it destroy my dad.”

  Backing away, I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and wait for her to continue.

  “When I was five my mum died. She was hit by a car on her way home from work.”

  I don’t speak, even when she pauses. This is her story, and she needs to tell it without interference.

  “It ruined my dad. He love
d her so much and he never really got over her. I lost him too. He started drinking, probably to dull the pain, and eventually he met a woman and married her. But she was horrible to me, and by the time he drank himself to death, I was living in the attic, barely a member of our family any longer. As soon as I was eighteen, my step-mother made me leave the house. She said she didn’t want a reminder of the whore my father was in love with living under her roof.”

  Pure anger builds in my chest as tears pool in her beautiful eyes. “I’m so sorry you never had an example of how good love can be.” Then I pull her close and press a kiss to her lips. “But I’ve been falling in love with you since we met, and I promise, if you give me the chance, I’ll show you exactly how being loved should make you feel.”

  Chapter Seven

  Mila

  My palms are sweating as I stand before the king and queen. They both look at me, concern in their gazes.

  “Mila, what’s the matter?” Gemma asks.

  “I…I have some news that’s going to be rather…surprising.”

  She grins. “You’re pregnant.”

  “What?” Ryder’s shocked question comes out at the same time as my gasp of surprise.

  “How did you know?” I rest my palm on my belly.

  “I’ve been there. Besides, you’re terrible at hiding it. But I didn’t know you were seeing anyone. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Ryder looks pensive as though he’s puzzling something out.

  I toy with the bracelet on my wrist and try to figure out how to explain my predicament to them. “It’s rather complicated.”

  “You mean, the fact that you’re pregnant with the secret lovechild of my cousin, Alexander? That kind of complicated?” Ryder’s arms are crossed over his chest and he looks quite stern.

  My stomach drops as Gemma’s sharp intake of breath fills the room. “What? How can you know that, Ryder?” she asks. “There’s no way Mila would have kept that from me.”

  “Did he tell you?” I don’t look at Gemma because I don’t want to see the betrayal in her eyes.

  “Not in so many words.” Ryder stands and comes over to me, putting his hand on my shoulder. “Come, have a seat. You shouldn’t be on your feet.”

  Gemma joins me on the leather couch and Ryder takes a seat in one of the old wingback chairs across from us. “Explain yourself, Ryder,” Gemma says.

  “I only put it all together when you told me about the lost earring. Alexander told me about meeting the woman of his dreams at the wedding party. He showed me the earring he’d been carrying around in his pocket. Then, when I found out it was Mila, I…well, I might’ve set Alex up at the christening.”

  “Why would you do that?” I ask, heart in my throat. “He wants to marry me because of the baby.”

  “And how is that a bad thing? Besides, I’m sure he wants to marry you for a much deeper reason than the fact he got you pregnant.” Ryder grins. “I’ve never seen Alex so smitten. He was half in love with you the night after the wedding.”

  “It doesn’t matter if we love each other. He’s got a duty to his country. His life is wrapped up in obligations and his crown. I could never ask him to give all that up for me.”

  “And you won’t ever have to.” Alexander’s voice fills the room from the open French doors. He strides in, long legs eating up the distance between us. “I’ve spoken to my brother William. He has agreed to allow us to marry, whenever you choose to have me, Mila.”

  Gemma smiles and rests her palm lightly on my arm. “He’s giving you an out,” she murmurs. “Don’t be an idiot. Give the man your hand.”

  She’s right. I have fallen hopelessly in love with Alexander over the last few weeks with him. I know it’ll only grow from here. He’s my forever. My prince. And I’ve got the chance to keep him.

  Standing, I take his hands. “But your crown? Your title?”

  He shakes his head. “That means nothing if I don’t have you.”

  “I love you,” I whisper.

  “Thank fuck. I love you too.” His palm glides over my middle. “And this little one. I’ll be forever thankful for him…or her.”

  “You should be thankful for me,” Gemma interjects. “I was the one who put her in that dress.”

  We all laugh, but the mood in the room shifts and Gemma and Ryder take their leave. I’m alone with my prince and I’m desperate to find out one more thing.

  “Are you expecting me to marry you now?”

  He shrugs. “Are you hoping to be a princess?”

  “Not especially.” My answer is light and easy. I could live my life without a title forever and never feel sad. “But I’m hoping you’ll keep calling me your princess.”

  “You’ll always be my princess. But I do hope one day you’ll be my wife as well.”

  I kiss him then, right there in the middle of the throne room. “I will. I’ll be your wife, your love, and your princess.”

  Epilogue

  Alexander

  “Mila, what’s taking so long, darling?” I call to my wife from the bedroom. A low groan comes from her dressing room sending alarm shooting through me. “Mila?”

  I rush to her where I find her standing with one hand on her swollen belly and the other in her hair. “I can’t find my bloody earring.”

  I let out a sigh of relief. “You can’t do that to me this late in your pregnancy. I thought you’d gone into labor.”

  She laughs. “No, not yet. If these two are anything like their older sister, they’ll be ten days late and breech.”

  I pull her close and run my palm over her belly. I love how she looks carrying my children. Our daughter Saffron is a two-year-old terror, but she’s spending the weekend with my mum as Mila and I celebrate the anniversary of our first meeting. She’s in red, I’m in a tux, and we’re headed out for a night together. But tonight is different, because my Mila is carrying our twins and although she wants to pretend she’s fine, I know different.

  “Darling, your earring is right there.”

  She closes her eyes and I watch her belly tense. Another moan falls from her. “No. I can’t be in labor. I’m not ready yet.”

  I undo my tie and take off my jacket, tossing it on the chaise lounge at the back of the walk-in dressing room. “Come on, princess. Turn round and let’s get this dress off.”

  She does as I ask and I can’t help but kiss the tender spot where her neck and shoulder meet. She moans in pleasure this time as I carefully unzip her gown. “I’m sure I’m fine.”

  “I’m sure you are too, but I’d feel much better if we stayed in tonight. I’ll run you a bath and we can do what we should’ve done on our first date.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Fall in love.”

  “But I’m already in love with you.”

  “And I with you. But the beautiful part about love is, there are many opportunities to fall for the same person. For example,” I whisper, trailing my fingers over the tops of her breasts. “When I saw you in the church courtyard, I tumbled from a superficial seedling of love to a deeper layer of intimate need for you.”

  Her belly constricts with my hand over the taut skin, and she breathes deeply, riding it out like the strong woman she is.

  “And at our wedding, when you walked so fearlessly down the aisle with our baby in your belly for the world to see, the roots of my love grew deeper and stronger.”

  I kiss her earlobe and hold her tight. “And when you brought Saffron into the world and nearly broke my hand while you did, my love became a tree, tall and protective.”

  “If I wasn’t in labor right now, I’d tell you to shut up and fuck me already,” she says on a tight whisper.

  My cock is aching for her, but I know now’s not the time. Besides, we have our entire lives to enjoy each other and as long as she’s mine, I have everything I could ever need.

  She lets out a soft cry of surprise and I look down to see her waters have broken all over the marble floor. “Well, there goes the bath
idea.”

  I chuckle. “All right, princess. I’ll call the hospital and tell them to prepare for a royal delivery.”

  “Just call us a car, Prince Alexander. No need for the press to meet us there. You know if you tell the hospital, word will get out, and all of Darstel will be awaiting the newest additions to the royal family.”

  I grin. She doesn’t call my by my title often, but she’s correct. After William signed a royal decree declaring that the royal family of Darstel can choose any partner they see fit to marry, I kept my title and Mila got one of her own. Although, she corrects anyone who calls her a princess.

  Anyone, except for me.

  Contemporary Romance

  Until the Stars Fade Get this FREE by joining my Facebook Group: Loraine Lovers

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  The Virgin’s Royal Guard

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  The Virgin’s Fake Fiancé

  Rescuing His Virgin

  His Hollywood Virgin

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  His Wicked Witch

  Santa’s Coming

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  Resolution: Baby Fever

  The Golden Beach Series

  Restoration

  Renovation

  Foundation

  Resonance

  Redemption

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