by Katie Knight
“I’m not going anywhere, princess,” he said, kissing her forehead.
“You’re not?” She looked up at him, frowning.
“Nope.” He hugged her tight. “I plan to stick around Prylea for as long as you’ll have me.”
“What about your SEAL team?” She reached up to trace her fingers along his jawline, her hazel eyes filled with wonder. “I thought that was your home, where you wanted to be, your family.”
Z gave in and kissed her lightly on the lips. “Not anymore, princess. You’re my home now. You and our son. The only place I want to be is with you, forever.”
“Oh,” she said, twining her arms around his neck and kissing him sweetly. Z pulled her tighter against him to deepen the kiss but stopped short at the sound of applause coming from the direction of the kitchen. They both slowly turned to find the lights and cameras now turned in their direction. Off to one side, Deacon stood beside a restrained Silvester, his friend grinning from ear to ear.
“Can we get a statement from you, Princess Esme?” one of the reporters called.
Es giggled and buried her face in the side of Z’s neck before clearing her throat and smiling prettily for the cameras. She’d been abducted and held hostage for hours, her hair mussed and her face tear-streaked, yet she managed to look like the queen she was despite it all. Z had never felt more proud of anyone in his life.
“Yes. I am fine, thanks to my heroic husband and his friend and all of the palace’s wonderful security guards. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go home and take a nice, hot bath then relax with my husband, whom I love very, very much.”
More cheers went up from the media as Z kissed his wife soundly.
“Any statement from you, Mr. Raybourn?” the female journalist asked.
“Only that I support the princess’s decision wholeheartedly. And that I too love her very, very much. We’ll see you all again on coronation day.”
With that Z stood with Es in his arms and carried her out the door and into their new future, together.
Chapter Thirty-One
One month later…
Z stood in the narthex of the great cathedral of Prylea, pacing back and forth as he communicated to the security teams on his Bluetooth. Technically, he was stepping away from his role as head of palace security to focus on his new role as royal consort to the queen mother of the country. Still, old habits die hard. His old commander always used to say that you could take a man out of the SEALs, but you couldn’t take the SEAL out of the man. In his case that was certainly true.
“Is everyone in position?” he said quietly, not wanting to cause a stir among the full house of guests there to witness Esme’s coronation. They’d postponed things until after Silvester’s trial, which had been pushed through the Prylean court system with surprising speed—especially given the holiday season. Still, with a new year starting and a new crown prince on the way, the people of the country were eager for a fresh start.
Before stepping down from his post, Z had carefully screened a new crop of guards and put into place a stringent training program that rivaled what he’d gone through in the Navy. If he wasn’t guarding Es himself, he damned sure wanted the best security force the world could offer. Under his eagle eye that’s exactly what he got.
From his vantage point at the end of the aisle, he could see Es near the front of the church, looking gorgeous in her white beaded dress and sumptuous red velvet robes all trimmed in ermine. She was stunning. She was smart and beautiful, and he still pinched himself every day to make sure all of this was real and that she was really his. That she loved him as much as he loved her. The design of her dress cleverly accentuated her ever-increasing baby bump, though her face shone with good health and the glow of impending motherhood.
They’d had no more complications with the pregnancy and with Silvester behind bars, convicted of both treason and terrorism, they no longer had to fear any more plots from him. They’d caught the mole in the security department too. Still, Z was suspicious by nature and didn’t plan to allow himself to rest when it came to the safety of his wife and child.
And they’d decided on a baby name. Douglas Zachary.
The fact he was included in there still made his heart swell with pride.
Maybe they’d call him Prince Dougie for short. Or not, considering the look Es had given him when he’d suggested it. Z snorted to himself.
“Dude,” Deacon called from inside the church area, where he and his family were sitting a few pews up. They’d flown in for the coronation ceremony and were currently guests at the palace. He’d invited his other SEAL team buddies, but unfortunately, they couldn’t make it due to another ops mission. Z sometimes missed the camaraderie of his SEAL days, but he never missed not knowing where he was going to be from one day to the next. He was infinitely happy to be by Es’s side, and that’s exactly where he intended to stay.
Deacon waved a hand over the front of himself then pointed at Z’s suit before giving him a thumbs-up. Z laughed and returned the gesture. Deacon’s little daughters waved at him, too, each sucking their thumbs while clutching one of the blankets Es had knitted for them in their other hand.
The archbishop came out and gave Z a nod and he whispered into his Bluetooth headset, “Ready.”
Moments later, the full orchestra seated in the balcony above broke into a triumphant march and Es began her slow walk down the aisle. Z was mesmerized. One day soon, she’d be walking toward him for their grand public wedding ceremony, but first she was walking toward her destiny as queen mother of Prylea. As it should be. He stepped back as she moved closer toward the altar, her smile radiant beneath all the pomp and circumstance and tradition and fanfare.
She glanced over at him and mouthed the words, “I love you.”
Z’s heart swelled to bursting and he mouthed back, “I love you too, my princess.”
End of The SEAL’s Contract Baby
Blurb
Benjamin Steele just wanted to go on a well-earned vacation in Alaska. But instead he finds himself on a flight with Megan Foster, the one woman he’d ever loved. When their plane goes down in a fiery crash, Benjamin finds himself acting as protector to Megan and her little charge, Logan. Making matters worse, he quickly realizes someone is out there trying to kill one of them. The Navy SEAL wasn’t looking for romance, but it’s hard not to think about such things when Megan is near him. As they work together to escape danger, Ben feels unwanted stirrings in a heart he’d nearly forgotten he had.
As Logan’s nanny, Megan knows two things—she needs to get Logan safely back to his parents, and Ben is the best bet she has. Though he’d left her heartbroken years before, she trusts that he can protect them both. What she doesn’t realize is that Ben is a different man than the one who abandoned her, and it’s impossible to ignore the chemistry burning between them. As the danger increases and those hunting them draw ever closer, she’s finding it more difficult to resist his quiet strength. But will he still be around to protect her when they’re safe? Or will old habits kick in and leave her heartbroken once again?
Chapter One
Benjamin Steele rolled his shoulders and tried to relax as he paced the airport gate. His upcoming flight from Anchorage to Fairbanks had him on edge. Flying didn't bother him as long as he was the person in the cockpit, the one making the decisions. Something about putting his life in a complete stranger’s hands, even for the brief flight to his buddy’s place for a much-needed fishing vacation, just didn’t sit well.
He checked his watch and paced back and forth in front of the floor to ceiling windows that showcased the sprawling Alaska Range, a fortress of snowy peaks and unforgiving terrain. Land that was beautiful but also deadly if you ventured into the wilderness unprepared. Of course, as a Navy SEAL, he prided himself on being prepared for any danger that might come his way. He was great in a crisis—but terrible at sitting around with nothing to do. He pressed his fingers to the back of his neck, kneading the dull ache puls
ing under his skin.
He needed to chill and focus on the destination—not the journey to get there. A screech and little footsteps pounded down the hall, and he turned just as a freckled-faced toddler slammed into his leg.
The boy looked up, flashed a shy, gap-toothed grin, and whispered “Sowwy.”
Ben sighed and looked around for the parent. There was only a handful of people at the gate: an elderly couple passing the time with a book apiece, a teenager bopping to the beat from a pair of bright red headphones, and a businessman with a briefcase at his feet and a cellphone to his ear. No one seemed in the least bit concerned for a missing child. Ben released a pent-up breath and crouched down to eye level. He wasn’t good with kids. Only one of his teammates had children, and on the rare occasion he visited the house, he never could seem to engage with them.
He released a pent-up breath, still scanning the crowd for a caregiver. "Where's your mom, kid?"
“I dunno.” He shrugged his shoulders, not seeming bothered in the least. An impish grin was still plastered to his face. That, at least, was a relief. Ben had no clue what he’d do if the kid started bawling. Instead, the boy seemed much more interested in examining Ben. “What’s dis?”
Ben froze as the kid stepped closer and touched his face. “You have a boo-boo.” The boy poked his tiny finger at an old shrapnel scar that snaked down his chin. “Don’t be sad. I have superhero Band-aids.” He smiled brightly, as though he was quite pleased with himself for thinking of the idea.
“Ah…It feels fine, but thanks. Let’s find whoever lost you.” He started to rise, then sank back down when the boy’s lip quivered.
“Lost?” His voice trembled and he glanced around with frantic eyes. When he turned back to look at Ben, his chin wobbled, and a fat tear escaped the corner of his eye. Damn it. Ben shouldn’t have said the word—it was like he’d broken some kind of spell and abruptly forced the kid realize his parents weren’t around.
The boy bit his bottom lip, shoulders shaking. “Meggy. Meggy!” he wailed.
Ben scanned the area, waiting to see if someone rushed forward at the sound of the cries…but no one came. Great. Just what the needed—a toddler on the verge of an apocalyptic meltdown with no caregiver in sight. “Whoa, whoa. Just calm down a sec. We’ll figure this out and find your…Meggy.” Whoever the hell that was. Maybe it was some weird way of saying Mama?
Some of the tension in the back of his neck dissipated when he saw a young woman sprinting through the gate, directly toward them, arms piled with luggage. There was something familiar about the long legs and slender build, the way she moved with natural grace despite the awkward amount of baggage she held. With each step the woman took, though, his chest constricted more, sealing off his breath with a painful gasp of recognition. She seemed utterly unaware of who he was as she fell to her knees in front of the boy.
“Oh, thank goodness. Logan, you know better than to leave my side.” She cupped the kid’s chubby cheeks and kissed his forehead a few times in quick succession. “Are you okay?”
The boy nodded solemnly and tucked himself against her side. Then, Megan Foster’s hazel eyes connected with his for the first time in eight years. In an instant, shock and recognition swept over her face, and her eyes widened.
Eyes that he’d gotten lost in the moment he’d met her at the University of California at Berkeley where he’d been studying on a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship.
Eyes that would fill with passion when he kissed the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck or settled between her thighs.
Eyes that had darkened with hurt and a clear sense of betrayal the last time he’d seen her—the time he’d left her behind.
The woman standing in front of him once had the power to steal his heart. That was why he'd done what any self-preserving man would—run like hell. His skin prickled as he recalled the day he'd realized how serious their relationship had grown. She’d suggested moving in together—had talked about what their future might be. He’d panicked, and had immediately applied for the SEAL program to escape their relationship.
And yet despite everything he’d done to separate himself from her, picturing her lovely face was what had gotten him through the hellish training that had molded him into the powerful force he'd become.
He’d left her, the one woman he’d ever loved, because life had taught him at an early age that the people you cared about would disappear when the going got tough, or when a better opportunity presented itself. The only way to protect yourself was to leave first, before you got too attached. And that was exactly what he’d done.
“Ben…” Her voice was a little breathless. Was it from the frantic run, or was her pulse pounding as his was over the impromptu reunion? “What are you doing here?”
He raked his hand through his hair. It had gotten a bit too long over the last few missions. “I have a week of leave, and I’m meeting up with a buddy at his family’s fishing retreat for some ice fishing.”
“I’m hungry, Meggy,” the toddler softly demanded.
"Okay, honey. Let's get ourselves to the gate and then we'll find you a snack." She brushed the hair away from his forehead and stood up, preparing to leave with the boy—with her son. He didn’t know why the kid called her by her first name instead of Mama, but the love between her and the child was clear. This was her family—the family Ben couldn’t have given her. The family she’d created with someone else. She didn't wear a ring, but that didn't mean anything nowadays. The kid alone was proof that there was someone in her life. No one seemed to be coming to join the pair, but maybe the guy was in the bathroom, or maybe Megan and her son were flying to meet her husband.
There was a pang in Ben's heart. She'd wanted to build a life with him, and he'd walked away. A heaviness settled over his limbs, but he schooled his expression. He had no right to be jealous of the man who had claimed her. No reason to imagine the boy she tenderly nurtured might've been his if things had gone differently. "I promised him a bagel and cream cheese—his kryptonite." Megan offered Ben a shy smile, and his heart responded with a dull thud. He rubbed his chest and tried to tell himself it was nothing but heartburn from too much coffee that morning. It wasn’t—couldn’t be—anything else. Maybe he had loved her once, but love didn’t last. It made you vulnerable and then shattered your soul when the person you cared for inevitably left and there was no way he was feeling that now. He couldn’t be.
“Well, let me help you then.” He should let them walk away, turn and go to his own gate, and forget he ever ran into Megan. Something compelled him to reach for the mini Paw Patrol suitcase though, and the realization that he wanted to be in her presence just a little bit longer was a swift kick to his solar plexus. Guilt over how he’d left, and the desire to know everything she’d done with her life in the time since, had him picking up the carry-on that would barely come under the size limitations, then a bulging black suitcase. He easily threw the carry-on duffle over his shoulder and took the other luggage with his left hand. He’d walk them to their gate, ensure they were settled, and then move on. Even though he had no right to feel the ugly jealously that was currently swarming inside his chest, he didn’t want to meet the lucky bastard who got to hold her close at night. Not when he could keenly recall how perfectly she’d fit against him.
"I wouldn't want to stand between a kid and his favorite snack." There was hesitation in her eyes.
“Are you waiting on anyone?” God, that sounded pathetic—but relief crashed over him when she shook her head. He didn’t want to be awkwardly introduced to her significant other.
Maybe her boyfriend or husband was in the picture, but it was becoming increasingly unlikely that he was traveling with them. She certainly didn’t seem to give his question a second thought as she hoisted the boy up and started to follow Ben. Had she met someone in college after he’d left? Fallen in love with a coworker when she entered the workforce? Whoever she was with better treat her right and recognize how
special she was. This guy needed to treat her better than Ben had. Even if it was for the best, he still regretted leaving her the way he did.
“I can carry that stuff, Ben. Really, I do it all the time.”
“Let me give your arms a rest, then. Besides, they already look pretty full to me,” he said nodding toward the kid. He didn’t like what her words alluded to—that maybe Logan’s father wasn’t very helpful. Didn’t matter that Megan was strong and capable, a man should never let a woman shoulder all the load without trying to help. He clenched his jaw and easily maneuvered them through a small crowd, purposely walking between Megan and the other travelers to shield her and the child from being touched or bumped. The least he could do was help them to their gate. The way he’d walked away from her eight years ago still left an empty hole in his gut, and he’d never forget the devastation in her eyes when he told her he not only wasn’t ready to move in with her, but he’d enlisted to get away. She’d deserved better.
“What gate are you headed to?”
“B7.” She tossed her hair away from her face in one fluid motion. He’d always had a fascination with her hair; it was neither blonde nor brown but waves of dark gold that fell down her shoulders and down her back. “Flight seventy-fifty to Fairbanks.”
“No kidding," he mused. Part of him was thrilled to find out she was on the same flight as him. The other part wished they'd never bumped into one another because old, uncomfortable feelings were twisting and tangling in his stomach, making him wish for things that were even more impossible now than they’d been almost a decade ago. "That's where I'm going, too.”
“This is so weird. Such a strange coincidence,” she laughed it off, but her eyes spoke to deeper emotions going on inside.
