The Heir_Billionaire Royal

by Sophia Summers

  He looked at his watch, “Well? Are you ready?”

  She turned in a circle, laughing. “My room comes with clothes.”

  “You look beautiful, as always, and just right for dinner.” He sidled up next to her and whispered in her ear, “But don’t lose that sexy blue thing you had on earlier. Mmm.”

  She gasped. “You saw?”

  “Of course. You walked by and all the staff, several of my brothers and of course I myself, were watching for as long as we dared.

  She felt her cheeks heat. She’d had no idea.

  They made their way down the hallway, and her happiness grew. Spending time with Nick still seemed like such a dream.

  They stopped outside a set of ornate double doors. “Nick, this is stunning. Everything is lovely.”

  His eyes held a new intensity. “It is easy for me to see you here, as if you have always been walking these halls.”

  She swallowed, the importance of the moment rising inside her. “I feel as if I’m coming home.”

  “But there’s one thing.”

  A sliver of worry festered. And she waited.

  “I love hearing you call me Nick, but…”

  She held up a hand. “Say no more. Nick in private, Your Royal Highness in public.” She lifted an eyebrow, teasing.

  “Or simply, Nico.”

  As he opened the door, she whispered out of the corner of her mouth. “I’m curious about tonight.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows. “You should be.”

  They entered the room, and everyone stood except his mother. He nodded to them all, and Jo smiled. The table held all his immediate family, his sister whom she had not met, each of his brothers, her father, Sierra and Julian. And his mother.

  Everyone smiled with warm and inviting expressions of welcome except his mother. Her smile seemed a bit forced, but the woman was certainly experiencing no small amount of stress and sorrow. Jo’s heart went out to her.

  Sitting down next to Prince Nico, her Nick, at the head of the table, Jo felt a huge level of satisfaction. And completeness. The land, Nick, his family, it had all become a part of her. Inexplicably, she mentally fought the idea of ever having to leave.

  Midway through the second course, one of the many staff members came in with a whispered message to the Queen. Her eyes filled with tears, and she indicated that he should tell the group.

  Nick reached for Jo’s hand, and she squeezed it, tears filling her own eyes.

  The man cleared his throat and read, “We wish to inform you that the King, Francisco, has just awoken from his coma and is asking for all the family to come to him immediately.”

  Joy filled her. Nick stood and pulled her to her feet, hugging her, tears of relief on both their faces. The brothers clapped each other on the back. Everyone hugged everyone else in the room, even the Queen. She patted Jo’s shoulder. Then Nick said, “Let us be off then. We mustn’t keep our king waiting,” his relief even more obvious.

  They piled into two limos, her father opting to stay home with the nurse, and Sierra and Julian weren’t really invited, but Nick grabbed hold of Jo’s hand and dragged her along, no question. Again, that sense of completion and belonging filled her and she was grateful to be able to come, though a bit nervous about what the king might think.

  They arrived and joined him in his spacious hospital room. His bed tilted up, he appeared to be totally exhausted. He beckoned they come forward with a weak movement in one hand.

  When he spoke, everyone stepped closer. Jo held her breath so that she could hear his raspy voice.

  “Thank you, my dears, for coming.” He paused, closing his eyes. “Of all my possessions, you are my most precious.” His eyes travelled over the group and then stopped on Jo.

  She smiled, trying to pour love and support from her expression.

  “You must be Jo.”

  She nodded.

  A look passed between father and son, and then the king nodded.

  Nick squeezed her hand.

  “I almost left this world, they tell me.”

  They stepped closer as his voice became quieter. “In order that I can stay longer with my loved ones, I need to rest. I will be giving most of my responsibilities to you, Nico. And will spend the rest of my days enjoying my family. I love you each so very dearly.” Tears fell down his cheeks, and his wife reached for his hand.

  She sat on the bed beside him, not taking her gaze off his face. “It’s OK, rest, dear. You have six capable sons. And Nico is ready. Rest.”

  He nodded. Jo thought he had fallen asleep until his eyes flickered open again. He gestured for her and Nick to come forward. “If this is what you have chosen, make your love beautiful. Your strong union will bless and guide our nation. It is not just Nico or just Jo but the two of you as one that will make the difference.”

  Love. Union. Words she felt with Nick, but they had never discussed anything serious between them. A great peace filled her. Curious, she turned to Nick, but his face was full of questions and a small amount of concern as he searched Jo’s face. She raised a hand to the side of his face, tried to show her love with her eyes, and nodded.

  Nico cleared his throat. “Jo, I was going to talk about this with you tonight. But here, at my father’s bedside, with my family all around seems an even better idea.”

  She felt her eyes widen, and the intensity of the moment settled around her. She swallowed.

  “I finally became the man I need to be while spending time with you. Your strength of character, your selfless love for your father and others, the very way you view the world have made me into the king Torren needs. Coming back, with all the reminders of my old ways around me, and dealing with their consequences, with the responsibilities of the king resting more fully on me, the only things that kept me going were thoughts of you. That phone call. All of it. I love you, Jo.”

  Her heart filled. “I love you too, Nick. I mean, Nico.” She looked around. Everyone’s faces were smiling and supportive. “Somehow I feel that this, all of this, is right where I need to be. And I love your beautiful nation.”

  “I am pleased to hear you say that. Because…” He reached into his pocket and got down on one knee. “I have something to ask you.”

  She gasped. So soon? She searched her heart. She wanted this. Was she insane? The peace remained. She looked into his dear face and saw the love and loyalty that she needed.

  “Will you, Jo Finley, marry me and accept with our union all the responsibilities of monarch, Queen of Torren?”

  She looked to his father, he nodded, a happy crease around his eyes. She looked to his mother, and her eyes held tears, happy tears. Each of the brothers grinned. Then she turned back to Nick. “I love you, Nico. With all my heart. I will do whatever it takes to serve this land as my own and to be your wife.”

  He leapt to his feet and swung her around. Then he eyed the group before turning his back on them all. He held her face in both palms and then gently, fervently pressed his lips to hers. “Thank you,” he whispered, his lips caressing. “Tonight is still on.”

  She giggled and whispered back, “I’ll be there.”

  19

  Nico still wanted everything to be perfect, even though he had already proposed, even though she knew what was happening. He just needed the fun.

  He checked and double-checked with the staff until they started using different hallways so as not to encounter him. But at last it was ten PM.

  He knocked on her door. When she opened it, her beauty shook him. Her hair piled on her head, ringlets surrounding her face, her dress, snug, a brilliant aqua. Her eyes sparkling at him in their vivid green depths. And her face couldn’t control her excitement. She skipped in place. “Are you ready?”

  “Am I ever.” They practically ran through the halls, Nico not explaining precisely the plan until they began to hear a loud bass beat.

  She turned to him and squealed. “Come on!” She followed the sound. Nico thrilled at her response and she pushed open
the doors.

  The room was filled with people who cheered. The music volume increased, and Nico and Jo raced to the center of the floor.

  “This!’’ she shouted and spun in a circle. “This is exactly what I need.”

  As he swept her into his arms, thinking of all that would be required of them in the coming years, he knew that one key to helping them through all that was to come were moments like these. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  He slowed her down for just a moment, pulling her up against the length of him. “One thing I can promise—many more nights like this one. Now kiss me, Jo.”

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