“I’m the luckiest man in the world.” Vasco lifted his glass. “I live in the best country, I’m married to the kindest, loveliest woman and I have a wonderful son. Who could ask for more?”
Stella wanted to laugh. Even if they did ask for more, Vasco had that, too, starting with the fountain of champagne. The crowd cheered and the guests flocked around them with congratulations. Champagne poured late into the night and the guests enjoyed a feast of Montmajor specialties and hours of rousing traditional dances. By the time the guests finally trickled away to their beds, Stella was exhausted.
“I think you might have to carry me upstairs.”
Vasco seemed tireless, as usual. “I’d be delighted.”
“I may even have to actually sleep tonight.” She raised a brow.
“Sleep?” Vasco whisked her off her feet. The train had been removed from her dress shortly after the toast, but she still wore about an acre of frothy taffeta that threatened to swallow him. “Sleep can be such a waste of time.”
He lowered his lips to hers, and stirred a sudden rush of energy with his kiss. “Okay, maybe you have a point there,” she gasped, when he finally pulled his mouth away. “I feel strangely invigorated.” A funny thought occurred to her. “Wouldn’t it be something if our second child was conceived on our wedding night?”
Vasco’s eyes met hers, wide with surprise. “A second child?”
“Why not? Nicky would enjoy having a playmate.” A tiny flame of fear licked inside her. Did he not want more children? They hadn’t discussed it at all, and of course Vasco had never intended to have Nicky. Still, he seemed to enjoy fatherhood.
His expression turned thoughtful. Still holding her in his arms he strode for the stairs. He carried her into his old bedroom, which now truly was their room, and closed the door. They’d slept here since the night he proposed and brought her back to the castle. Her clothes had been moved into the large wardrobes that day, Nicky’s things and child-safe bed were moved into one of the adjoining chambers, and there was no more talk of trysts in the round tower.
He laid her gently on the grand four-poster bed and tugged at the fastenings on her elegant dress. “You’re so right. Tonight would be the perfect time to make Nicky’s little brother or sister.” A warm twinkle in his eyes warred with his serious expression. She wriggled slightly as he eased the bodice of her dress down past her waist.
She tugged at his cravat, then realized she needed to take out the gold pin that held it in place. It was hard removing all this crisp formal clothing when you were addled by lust and exhaustion. Probably in the old days they had servants standing around the bed to help.
“What are you laughing at?” Vasco’s eyes crinkled into a smile.
“Just wondering if we’ll get all these clothes off before dawn.”
He pretended to tear at her fancy bra with his teeth. “We can always resort to scissors.”
When she finally got his buttons undone she sighed at the sight of his hard, bronzed torso. Vasco really was hers, to have and to hold. Since she’d come back to the palace with the ring on her finger, their lovemaking had a whole new dimension. Gone were the nagging worries that she was making a huge mistake sleeping with her son’s father.
And now they truly were married. She pressed her cheek to his chest, enjoying the strong beat of his heart. For a long time she thought she’d never know the joy of joining her life with another person. She’d achieved it in part when she had Nicky, but marrying Vasco made her life complete. They were a real family now, an inseparable unit. For the first time she could remember, she felt safe and protected, able to relax and enjoy the present without harboring doubts and fears about an uncertain future.
She gasped as Vasco pushed his fingers inside her delicate panties. Hot and wet, she shuddered against his touch. She’d never known her body could enjoy so many different sensations. There seemed to be no limit to the new feelings and emotions that crowded her mind since they became engaged. She could love Vasco, adore and enjoy him, without wondering what tomorrow would bring.
She wriggled under his sensual touch, suddenly aching to feel him inside her, to move with him and lose herself in the fevered intensity of the moment.
She reached for his erection and guided him in, and he let out a shuddering groan as he sank deep inside her. A wave of relief swept over her as it had every time since she’d come back. For those few brief but agonizing days at Castell Blanc she thought she’d never know this sensation again. She knew it would never be the same with anyone else after Vasco. He was a tornado that tore into her life and left it changed forever. Without him the aftermath would have been drab and lonely, but with him…
She arched her back and took him deeper still, then climbed over him and guided him into a fast rhythm. She felt no sense of self-consciousness making love with Vasco, just pure pleasure. He rose and fell with her, holding her close and kissing her face when she leaned forward, then flipping her under him and pinning her to the bed while he tormented her with his tongue and hands.
“Which would you prefer, a boy or a girl?” He whispered, at one intensely pleasurable moment.
Stella hugged him tight. “I don’t care at all. I never did.”
“I never even knew I wanted children.” Vasco kissed her, holding her tight. “I didn’t even think I wanted a wife. Thank heaven I found you.”
They played in bed for hours, bringing each other to climax, pulling back, then starting over, in a rapturous exploration of their bodies and free-spirited baring of their souls. Somehow knowing that they could do this every night for the rest of their lives didn’t diminish their hunger to enjoy each moment.
By the time dawn peeked in around the curtains they lay snoozing in each other’s arms. “How long until we know if Nicky will have a new sibling soon?” Vasco’s deep voice tickled her ear.
“About a month. It was an agonizing wait to find out if I was pregnant with him the first time. And the conception wasn’t nearly as enjoyable.”
“I’m not even going to ask how that happened, since I know I wasn’t there in person.” He stroked her cheek. “I should have been.”
“We would never have met if it hadn’t been for Westlake Cryobank.” Stella grew thoughtful. “Instead of suing them for giving out my information I should send them flowers.”
“Thank heavens for corruptible employees.” Vasco grinned.
“You did pay someone off, didn’t you?” They hadn’t talked about it once. Somehow it was off-limits, too sensitive. Now that they were married, however, no topic seemed too touchy.
“Of course. Wouldn’t you?”
She laughed. “No, probably not. But then I’m not a European monarch.”
“Yes, you are.” His steady gray gaze sparkled with humor.
Stella blinked. “You’re right. How extremely weird.”
“Queen Stella.” He kissed her on the mouth. “Of Montmajor.”
She shivered slightly. How strange. That’s who she really was now. And her son—their son—was Prince Nicholas of Montmajor. It seemed a very dramatic title for a little boy who still loved to mash Cheerios with his fingers. “I suppose I’ll get used to it eventually.” She ran her fingers into his hair, then along his stubble-roughened cheekbone. “You’ve been married a whole day, almost. Is it as dreadful as you thought?”
His dimples appeared and he squeezed her with his strong, warm arms. “So far, so good. I think that since we broke with royal tradition by conceiving a child together before we even met, it’s safe to say everything else will be different, and wonderful.”
“I agree. And we’d better try to get a few minutes of sleep before our son wakes up.”
Epilogue
One year and eight months later
“Blow, sweetie, blow!” Aunt Lilli held little Francesca up in front of her cake.
Stella laughed. “She doesn’t understand. I bet she can extinguish the candles with her drool, though.” She leaned forward to help blow out t
he single candle flickering amidst the shiny frosted decorations. They all sat around a big wooden table in the palace gardens, afternoon sun warming their glasses of fruit punch and sparkling over the silver cutlery.
Stella and Vasco had been thrilled to find out that they were indeed pregnant within the first month of their marriage. When little Francesca emerged a month before they expected, they realized that in fact she might have been conceived even before the wedding, though no one could be sure as Francesca was quite petite and it wasn’t so unusual for a baby to be born a month early. Unlike Nicky she had silky dark hair, but she did have those big, gray eyes that marked her unmistakably as a Montoya.
She waved her chubby arms and her plump fingers danced dangerously near the elaborate icing. “I think she wants a slice.” Vasco picked up the knife and handed it to Nicky. Now almost three, he took great pride in being an older brother and helping his baby sister.
“I’ll cut her a big one, since it’s her birthday.” Guided by Vasco, Nicky plunged the knife into the rose-covered frosting with gusto. “And then I’ll cut myself an even bigger one, because I’m older.” He looked up with a toothy grin.
“What about us? We’re even older.” Vasco ruffled Nicky’s blond hair.
“I think that means you have to save the biggest pieces of all for your aunties.” Aunt Mari clapped her hands. “We’re so old we don’t even remember how many birthdays we’ve had.”
Stella found it hard to remember how she’d coped without a large extended family to help. She still spent time every day working with the books in the library, and she and Mari had started to catalog the books, making several intriguing discoveries along the way. Her duties as queen were pretty light. Being a monarch in Montmajor mostly consisted of holding large parties and inviting everyone for miles around. Nice work if you could get it.
Vasco passed out the slices of cake, then lifted his glass. “A toast to our little princess.” Francesca waved her sippy cup around with flair, giggling and slapping her other palm on the table. “Who will never have to leave Montmajor unless she wants to.”
His words surprised Stella for a moment, then she remembered the strange ancient law that had driven Vasco from his homeland when he was still a boy.
“It’s good to travel and see the world.” Aunt Frida waved a forkful of cake in the air. “I spent three years touring Africa when I was in my twenties. And I ran a catering company in Paris for a while, too.” The aunts—who did seem to have lived for several centuries—were constantly surprising her with their life stories. “But you always want to come back home to Montmajor.”
“There’s nowhere as peaceful,” agreed Aunt Lilli.
“Or as beautiful,” sighed Aunt Mari.
“Or with such good food,” exclaimed Nicky, through a mouthful of cake.
“I have to agree.” Stella smiled. “Though I think it’s the people that make it so special. I don’t know of anywhere on earth that’s so quick to welcome strangers and make them feel like they’ve always lived here.”
Vasco slid his arm around her waist. “Every now and then we have to venture into the outside world and find some more special people to come live here.” He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek—which still tingled with excitement like it was the first time.
She sighed and smiled at her husband, and their growing extended family. “I’m glad you found us.”
ISBN: 978-1-4592-0928-2
CLAIMING HIS ROYAL HEIR
Copyright © 2011 by Jennifer Lewis
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3K9, Canada.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
For questions and comments about the quality of this book please contact us at [email protected].
® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
www.Harlequin.com
*The Hardcastle Progeny
†Royal Rebels
Claiming His Royal Heir Page 15
