United by Their Royal Baby

by Therese Beharrie

  Xavier had no choice but to trust him. And if he was honest with himself, he had no reason not to believe him. Zacchaeus had been upright in their dealings since he’d made contact, and Xavier believed the reason he hadn’t done so earlier was complicated, as he’d told them.

  But until he reaffirmed Kirtida’s place in the Alliance of the Three Isles, as all new kings were required to do, Xavier would be wary. Especially as the man had insisted on marrying his sister first.

  ‘We’ve already announced the engagement, Xavier,’ Nalini reminded him.

  ‘Engagements can be broken.’

  ‘Yes, they can.’ He saw something in her eyes that had him wondering what he didn’t know, but it was gone so quickly he thought he’d imagined it. ‘But our kingdoms—both of them—’ she smiled at Leyna ‘—have responded positively to this. It’s a sign of a renewed alliance and, along with your engagement, soothes concerns.’

  ‘But he hasn’t signed the documents yet,’ Xavier told her.

  ‘Which is why I’m going to live on Kirtida under the guise of planning this wedding.’

  After they’d told her what they’d decided regarding Zacchaeus, Nalini had called the King of Kirtida just as she’d told Xavier she would. When she’d returned, she’d told Xavier of this plan. It had worried him even more, but he knew that that worry would probably never cease.

  But, as she’d reminded him, she was a grown woman and she could make her own decisions. And she’d made this one.

  ‘I’ll find out whether his intention of signing the documents on our wedding day is true.’

  ‘It will be after all the details of the Protection clause are hammered out, too,’ Leyna added.

  ‘But still before yours,’ Nalini replied. ‘Our marriage is slightly more urgent if we take politics into consideration.’

  ‘Oh, definitely,’ Leyna replied smoothly, though he could see the amusement in her eyes. They hadn’t told anyone about their pregnancy, both agreeing that it would be better not to disrupt the peace that had settled in their kingdoms once their people had heard about Nalini’s engagement. Besides, it felt good keeping that news to themselves as their little secret.

  ‘It’ll be exciting,’ Nalini said now. ‘My own little adventure.’

  ‘I thought you’d learnt your lesson about adventures.’

  Her eyes flashed and though he wasn’t happy referring to the time she’d left the castle as a teenager on an ‘adventure’ and had had to be rescued by the castle’s guards, he needed her to be careful.

  ‘You’re no fun, Xavier,’ she replied lightly, not taking him on for bringing it up. Now he knew she was nervous. But he didn’t have time to ask her about it when his private secretary knocked on the door and told them Zacchaeus was on his way up.

  ‘Last chance,’ Xavier told Nalini. Her eyes had gone serious again, and she offered him a small smile before shaking her head.

  ‘It’s for Mattan, Xavier. That’s enough for me.’

  She straightened her shoulders and faced the door. Pride surged in him, and he couldn’t place whether it was as a brother or as a king. Nalini was strong, he thought. She had learnt her lesson, and it had made her even stronger. She would take care of herself. And though he would still worry, he clung to that.

  Zacchaeus was wearing all black when he entered, and Xavier felt a flash of annoyance. Was he trying to intimidate them? Why would he need to? He should have made more of an effort to make Nalini feel comfortable, Xavier thought, frowning.

  He felt a hand slip into his then, and looked down into Leyna’s eyes. Immediately some of the tension seeped from him, and he squeezed her hand. Together, they faced Zacchaeus.

  ‘I’m glad you’ve agreed to this,’ Zacchaeus said, his eyes revealing none of his emotion. He’d been speaking to Leyna and Xavier, but Nalini answered him.

  ‘Actually, I was the one who agreed to it. You’re marrying me, remember?’

  Xavier watched something spark in Zacchaeus’ eyes, but he didn’t know if it was appreciation or annoyance. Again, he reminded himself that his sister could handle herself. Hadn’t she just proved she was more than capable in a few words? This had been her decision. And it would be her decision whether she wanted to see it through, too.

  Nalini hugged Leyna and whispered something into her ear that made Leyna’s eyes glisten. Then his sister pulled back and hugged him.

  ‘Call me,’ he told her in a low voice. ‘Call me whenever you need me.’

  ‘I will,’ she responded, her voice thick with emotion. But when she pulled back, her face was clear.

  ‘Let’s go,’ Nalini said to Zacchaeus, but he frowned.

  ‘Don’t you want to say goodbye to your mother and grandmother?’

  ‘I already have,’ she answered. ‘So let’s get to it.’

  Zacchaeus seemed taken aback for a moment, but he nodded to Leyna and Xavier and then they were gone.

  Silence covered the room for minutes after they left. Leyna moved from his side to face him, sliding her hands around his waist and resting her head on his chest. Despite the emotion of having his sister leave with a man he still didn’t know if he could trust, Xavier couldn’t help the warmth spreading through him.

  He held the woman he loved in his arms. They would have a child—be a family—in just over eight months. Their kingdoms were safe, and his sister’s actions would ensure that if the time came when that wouldn’t be the case, the Alliance would face it together. And though his feelings about Erika were still complicated, he felt as though he’d got some closure. Though he would worry about Nalini, he had to trust that she could handle herself.

  Taking all of it into consideration, Xavier couldn’t deny that his life was better than it had been in years.

  ‘She’ll be okay,’ Leyna said, breaking the silence.

  ‘I know.’

  ‘She has her bodyguards, too, so she’ll be safe.’

  ‘I know that, too.’

  ‘She’s putting her kingdom first, Xavier.’ Leyna leaned back. ‘It’s the same decision we made weeks ago. Perhaps even nobler because she didn’t have ulterior motives.’

  ‘I know.’ But she’d got him to smile. And then he sighed. ‘I’ll worry.’

  ‘I know.’ She mirrored the grave tone he’d uttered the words in.

  His lips curved again. ‘Are you mocking me?’

  ‘Never,’ she said solemnly, and then walked to take a seat on his couch and patted the seat next to her.

  But he shook his head. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

  She frowned. ‘Sitting down?’

  ‘You can’t sit down, Leyna.’

  He walked to the couch and scooped her into his arms. He’d discovered he liked the feeling of carrying her. It was a tiny way of showing her that he could, and would—and not just physically. Even when she made sounds of annoyance, as she did now.

  ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘We have somewhere to be.’

  ‘And you couldn’t have let me walk there?’

  ‘I could have,’ he said, and carried her through the door. ‘But it wouldn’t have been nearly as fun.’

  She gave him a look that had him smiling, but she asked, ‘Where are we going?’

  ‘I owe you something.’

  ‘If you don’t tell me, you’re going to owe me a lot more—’ She cut off when he walked outside into the castle’s garden. Though he’d felt fairly confident when he’d made the arrangements, he held his breath, waiting to see her reaction.

  He’d filled a gazebo with flowers. White roses and pink lilies—her favourite—spilled over the sides, creating an image he’d hoped would be romantic. He set her down on a path of white and pink petals, leading down to the front of the gazebo.

  Too nervous to wait any longer, he pulled her in and began to sway with her t
hough there was no music. He felt her heart thud against his chest—though it could have been his, he thought, considering what he was about to do.

  ‘What...what is all this?’

  ‘Don’t you know?’ he asked, and twirled her around before pulling her close again.

  ‘It looks romantic.’

  He laughed. ‘It’s supposed to be.’

  ‘Are you trying to soften me up, Xavier?’ she asked in a mock stern voice.

  ‘Is it working?’

  She rolled her eyes, and then laughed breathily. ‘You know it is.’

  ‘Good.’

  They swayed a bit longer and he leaned back to see her eyes closed, a small smile on her face. It was time, he thought, and drew back, taking her hands in his.

  ‘Do you remember what you said to me when I gave you this ring?’ He lifted the hand that wore the engagement ring and brought it to her lips.

  ‘That you shouldn’t hand it to me like it was a mint?’

  He chuckled. ‘Yes, that. You also asked me whether I had it made for our fake engagement. I didn’t,’ he admitted. ‘I had it made for the real one, ten years ago.’

  He watched as she opened and closed her mouth a few times, and then she whispered, ‘Before?’

  ‘Long before. It was actually after one of our days at the beach. I was complaining about my family, as usual, and you were comforting me about it. As usual,’ they said together, and smiled at each other. His nerves disappeared. ‘And I remember thinking that I’d have the ring made so that when you were ready—when you would finally let me tell you I loved you—I would be ready, too.’

  She bit her lip and blinked a few times, quickly.

  ‘Are you—’

  ‘No, you will not ask me whether I’m crying,’ she interrupted him. ‘You don’t get to make me pregnant and then question what happens when I am.’

  ‘Technically, that’s true, but—’

  ‘Whose fault is that?’ she asked wryly. ‘I’ve told you—’

  ‘And I’ve told you that I want to wait.’ He interrupted her this time. ‘I want to give you rose petals and champagne. Non-alcoholic, of course. On our wedding night.’

  ‘It isn’t such a big deal.’

  ‘It is, to me. And you know it is for you, too.’ He tilted her chin up so she could look up at him. ‘You waited for me, Leyna. I’m going to make sure we do it the way we were supposed to. The way you wanted us to.’

  She shook her head, but he saw a tear roll down her face. ‘I regret telling you that.’

  ‘I don’t,’ he said, and kissed her forehead. ‘I love knowing that you’re mine. Only mine.’

  ‘And now I really regret telling you that.’

  He laughed, and wiggled the ring off her finger. ‘The real reason we’re here is because I owe you a proposal, Leyna.’ He got down on one knee and offered the ring to her as he was supposed to have done ten years ago. ‘I wouldn’t recommend political turmoil to anyone, but I have to say it worked out really well for us.’

  He smiled when she giggled. It was a happy sound that he knew he wanted to hear for the rest of his life. ‘I’m glad we got this second chance at a life together. That our dreams of having a family, having each other and ruling have finally come true. So, to make it all official... Will you marry me, my Queen?’

  There were no tears when she said yes, and he slid the ring onto her hand and kissed her, before pulling back and narrowing his eyes.

  ‘Why aren’t you crying?’

  ‘Because I’m stronger than my hormones,’ she teased, and then sobered. ‘Because I want to remember this moment—that picture of you on your knee—for the rest of our lives together, and it wouldn’t have been clear if I’d cried.’

  He stared at her, and then laughed as he pulled her in. ‘You’re incredible, you know that?’

  ‘Yes.’ She smiled.

  ‘And you’re going to marry me.’

  ‘Well, you did ask nicely...’

  He smiled at her, and then shook his head. ‘I won’t take my second chance with you for granted, Leyna. I’m going to spend my life giving you everything you deserve.’

  She rested her hand on his cheek. ‘You’ve already given me more than I could imagine. I love you.’

  ‘I love you, too,’ he answered, and sealed the promise—their dream come true—with a kiss.

  * * * * *

  Look out for the next royal romance story in the CONVENIENTLY WED, ROYALLY BOUND duet

  FALLING FOR HIS CONVENIENT QUEEN

  Coming soon!

  If you enjoyed this story check out these other great reads from Therese Beharrie

  THE MILLIONAIRE’S REDEMPTION

  A MARRIAGE WORTH SAVING

  THE TYCOON’S RELUCTANT CINDERELLA

  All available now!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE ITALIAN BILLIONAIRE’S NEW YEAR BRIDE by Scarlet Wilson.

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  The Italian Billionaire’s New Year Bride

  by Scarlet Wilson

  CHAPTER ONE

  THE SHRILL RING of the phone invaded her dream just as she was about to save the world with Hugh Jackman. Phoebe stuck her hand out from under the snuggly white duvet and blindly felt around the bedside table as her brain tried to orientate her to time and day. She’d just been about to remove Hugh’s shirt...all in the name of saving the world, of course.

  After a few fumbles, she finally found the phone and pulled it under the duvet next to her ear. “Phoebe Gates.” She winced. The phone was cold, much like the air outside her duvet. New York had spent the last few days covered in a snowstorm and her boiler was behaving like a temperamental teenager.

  “Ms. Gates, how would you like to earn a quarter of a million dollars?”

  The voice was smooth. Italian. Rich and deep with a timbre she didn’t recognize. It was like being smothered in melted chocolate.

  “Wh...what?” She snuggled further down under the duvet. Maybe she was still sleeping. Maybe this was all just part of the dream.

  “I said how would you like to earn a quarter of a million dollars?”

  Phoebe frowned and rolled onto her back. “That would be wonderful.”

  “Are you free?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Are you free for the next month?”

  Her brain started to shift gear. “Hey, wait a minute. You’re one of those creepy callers, aren’t you? Well,
you picked the wrong girl. There’s no way—”

  “Ms. Gates,” the voice interrupted her with a hint of impatience but Phoebe had finally started to wake up.

  “Well, if you’re not a creepy caller you’re one of those scam artists. Don’t tell me—you just need the details of my checking account and you’ll get the money right to me.”

  She pushed herself up in the bed, wincing at the bright white light everywhere. Snow just seemed to reflect snow. “Do you know what day it is?” She turned to her clock, “And what time it is?” She ran her fingers through her thick tangled curls. Thank goodness there was no mirror around. She was definitely the “before” of some kind of wonder conditioner commercial. “It’s Boxing Day. It’s eight a.m. Haven’t you heard of the word Christmas?”

  There was a loud impatient sigh at the other end of the phone. “Ms. Gates, are you available in the next few weeks or not?”

  She was definitely waking up now. Arrogant. He’d invaded the best dream in the world, ruined her lazy morning and he thought he could be snarky?

  “That depends entirely who I’m talking to and what you’re talking about. You haven’t seemed to introduce yourself. In my world, we call those bad manners.”

  Silence at the end of the phone. Good. Maybe Hugh Jackman was still waiting for her.

  “Apologies, Ms. Gates. You’re right. My grandmother is currently spinning in her grave and slapping the back of my head.”

  This time there was almost an edge of humor in his voice.

  “Matteo Bianchi. I have a house—two houses in fact—that I need some work done on. I need them dressed and ready to sell in a few weeks.”

  Work. This really was work. But she couldn’t help herself. “And you had to phone me at eight a.m. on Boxing Day morning?”

  “Christmas Day is over. I don’t like to waste time. Are you available, or not?”

  He was getting snarky again. Phoebe shifted position in her bed and looked out at the falling snow. She’d planned on going to the sales. But braving the snow, as well as the chaos of the crowded shops, was slipping further down her list of priorities.