by Ella Brooke
Mateo stared at her wide-eyed. It took him several minutes before he could come up with any kind of response.
“I really don’t know you.”
“No. You don’t. But I wouldn’t threaten Hanna,” Ariana said. “I really like her.”
“Good God, you royals is cray,” Davide said.
“I cannot disagree with that.” Mateo took another long moment to assess the girl before him. This situation they’d been put in really had been the most untenable, most unforgiving nonsense. That he had gone along with it was worse. Even Ariana’s insane plans, trying to surreptitiously undermine their alliance so that both of them could have a real relationship, were better than simply lying down and letting tradition walk all over them.
“I believe you,” Mateo said. “I can’t imagine anyone would come up with a story like that and then leave out the part where they took a secret video to threaten Hanna with.”
“I- I can talk to the king and queen,” she peeped. “I’ll explain what I did. And that it’s my fault.”
Mateo held up a hand. “Don’t do anything yet. Our families are miles away.”
Hanna looked small and wan in the bed. Her hair spilled out over the pillows propped behind her, and she stared out the window, her expression tired and annoyed. Mateo stepped into the room and lingered in the doorway. It was hard to see the IV sticking out of her arm, and the monitor attached to her. But it beeped amiably, telling him that she was indeed all right, and under care. This scare was a wake-up call in more ways than one. He’d been treating this thing between them too casually, when his heart knew that it was anything but.
“Darling?” he whispered.
Hanna turned her head. “Hey.”
“Sam said it was okay to come see you now. Things have been pretty crazy.” Mateo shook his head.
Hanna rested her hands in her lap. “I’m fine, though. They told you that, didn’t they?”
“They did, and I’m glad. Although I wish my behavior hadn’t played a part in you ending up here.”
“It was just stress.” Her fingers fidgeted.
“Stress from work, stress from having to hide our relationship, stress from worrying about our relationship, stress about the baby, stress from watching me lose my temper…” Mateo sat by her bed and took her hand.
“Okay. Maybe you contributed a little. But the doctors think I should be keeping an eye on my blood pressure anyway.” She quirked her mouth to the side. “I’m not going to be able to go back to Artigua with you until the baby is born. No flights. Not even a hop to New Orleans.”
“That sounds like a good plan. A nice buffer between us and the royals, for now.” Mateo caressed her cheek. “I may have to go back, though.”
Hanna’s eyes widened in alarm, but then she looked down and nodded. “Oh. Yeah, I understand.”
“I need to take care of some things, and it can’t be done over the phone, or video call. I promise, I’ll be back. And when I’m back, I’ll be there every day to take care of you.”
Mateo stroked her hair. Part of him wistfully wished that his child could be miniature version of her. A small, ash blonde girl full of life and earthiness and precious, all too rare empathy.
“I’ll miss you,” she said. “You and your drama.”
“I forgot that you were the one who was supposed to be dramatic and emotional.”
Hanna leaned her head into his hand and sighed. “When you get back, I’ll unleash some drama. We have to keep ourselves entertained somehow.”
Mateo chuckled.
“I’ll probably be mostly recovered by then, anyway. I’ll be out of the hospital in a day or so, too. They’re just observing me now.”
“That’s very good to hear. I was hoping you’d be home in bed, with your friends taking care of you when I took off.” Mateo took a beat before squeezing her hand and turning to meet her eyes. “I appreciate that you’ve somehow forgiven me, without my even asking.”
“Forgiven you?”
“You weren’t so pleased by how I handled the situation with Rico and Ariana, and you said that we really needed to be honest with each other. You shouldn’t have let me off the hook so easily. If I am honest, I know that I love you so much that I cannot imagine my life without you. I will not, at any point, or under any circumstances, be marrying Ariana.”
He knelt, still holding her hand. Hanna’s mouth dropped open, and she sat up.
“I want to marry you. If you’ll have me.”
Hanna covered her mouth and tears sprang to her eyes. For a few moments, she could say nothing, but soon, she was nodding rapidly. She reached for him, and he wrapped his arms around her.
“God, it’s so much, so soon,” she said. “But I was hoping, I mean I didn’t dare to hope, but a girl doesn’t dream of meeting the man of her dreams so they can sneak around in hotel rooms.”
“Not at all. And it’s not so soon. I’ve known you six months. It’s more than Ariana and I had when we got engaged.”
“That’s a poor example, and you know it.” Hanna reached up and grabbed the front of his shirt.
He leaned over her and kissed her lips. They were a bit dry, but still soft and inviting. He would take whatever kisses he could before his long trip. Her hands went possessively to the side of his face as she deepened the kiss. His tongue slid against hers, and he wanted nothing more than to push the monitor away from her and properly celebrate their engagement.
But he wouldn’t. Mateo pulled back so he could look into her eyes as he caressed her face. He had work to do, groundwork to lay as he prepared for their life together. She had transformed him. The least he could do was defend her to his parents.
Nine hours. Even with his family’s private jet, it was a long, long trip. Mateo had been ignoring the calls and messages from his family, and he had been able to do so in part because the trip was so damn long that none of them had wanted to simply hop over to the States and set him straight. It had been his primary defense throughout most of his twenties. When he wanted to avoid them, he’d make a trip somewhere that was a hassle to get to.
Now he was deliberately walking into the lion’s den.
Ariana and Rico had tried to be subtle on the plane. Mateo wished they’d get their own, but he also understood that his mother had been demanding to see his fiancée as well. The queen was eager to get wedding plans underway, now Hanna was halfway through her pregnancy. That would set the wedding roughly two years after the baby was born. Their customs really were very bizarre. It was one thing to know it as someone who had grown up in that culture, but it was quite another to try to explain them to outsiders.
For the most part, however, Mateo ignored Ariana and Rico, other than to advise them to let him handle this. Rico’s eye had swelled up nicely, which Mateo was a little proud of. They hadn’t been close, but Mateo had known him long enough that he would’ve expected a bit more openness from Rico about the situation. Thus, he had little guilt about clocking the man after catching he and Ariana about to have sex on their sofa. It hadn’t been about jealousy; he didn’t have any claim on Ariana, really. It was pride.
And this trip home, in varying degrees, was about reclaiming his.
Mateo didn’t rest long after leaving the plane. Immediately upon landing, he sent a message to his parents that he wished to see the both of them. He managed to shower and get a few cups of coffee before a page came to let him know the king and queen were waiting for him in their sitting room.
Casual. Or at least the veneer of it.
Mateo went directly. It had been quite a while since he’d even seen his father, so when he entered the room, he’d expected to feel a bit nervous. There was none, however. Just the determination to speak his mind.
His father seemed grayer than he had been when Mateo had last seen him. King Tommaso sat, taking his tea in a large reading chair some distance from where Maria was perched on the sofa. Mateo walked up to them and remained standing.
“Father, Mother,” he s
aid with a slightly formal bow.
Tommaso raised a broad brow. “So formal today. Has it been that long? Did someone take the place of my son the dilettante?”
Mateo fought to keep his expression neutral. “I returned home for this meeting because what I need to say cannot be said over messages, and because our surrogate Hanna, cannot come back to Artigua until my child has been born.”
“For goodness sake!” Maria said. “I knew she was trouble. She’s going to try to keep that child, you mark my words! We’ll have to pay through the nose.”
“Her doctors have forbidden air travel until then. Unless you suggest we take a boat, she’s staying put,” Mateo replied tersely.
“That seems reasonable,” Tommaso said, cutting off further argument from his wife. “But you didn’t come with medical news. And Ariana isn’t with you.”
Mateo sighed. He began to launch into it, but his father gestured for him to sit. He’d rather not, but there was no point in being rude. At least not until he’d spoken his mind. He sat in the chair nearest his father, where he could see both his parents.
“I thought it would interest you to know that Ariana’s parents, at the time of your arrangement with them, knew quite well that another man had proposed to her,” Mateo said, delivering the news flatly.
Maria came to life with rage, immediately cursing the De Burges. Tommaso tilted his head and frowned at Mateo.
“That in itself isn’t much of a deterrent. They’ve made their promises, and the pregnancy is well underway,” Tommaso said.
“True, but I think stealing another man’s bride shows less honor than upholding our contract as is,” Mateo ventured. “And there is no honor in marrying a woman against her will. We have dedicated customs, but we aren’t savages.”
Maria’s expressions soured. “What do you mean? You must be married, Mateo. We have made arrangements with her family!”
“I have spoken with Ariana, and she intends to tell her parents they must keep up their end of the arrangement, since it will be her child next in line for the throne regardless.”
Tommaso nodded. “That seems reasonable. Should they agree, I have no problem with that. I had no love for her parents to begin with, let alone after this deception.” He waited. “However, you will have to marry within a few years of the baby being born. “
“I understand.” Mateo swallowed. “Things being what they are, and given the arrangement will still be intact, I plan to marry Hanna Cohen.”
Maria stared at him. “What? Who is that? You cannot marry some random woman we’ve never met.”
“You’ve met her, and she is carrying my child,” Mateo said firmly. “I can and I will marry her.”
Tommaso’s impassive expression suddenly grew stern. “You plan to marry the surrogate you hired to carry your heir?”
“Is that not appropriate?” Mateo argued. “We’ve been using parenthood as a measure to test relationships before marriage for generations now.”
“A foreigner?” Maria cried. “A commoner!”
“An amazing woman. And what does it matter if I marry a foreigner? I can’t make any other connections with my marriage beyond what we’ve already set up with the De Burges.” Mateo sat straight-backed and met each of his parents in the eye. “I am not asking for permission, although it would alleviate Hanna’s stress considerably if you approve. I will marry her, and she and I will raise this child. She, Ariana, and I have already decided this. Ariana agrees; she never wanted children, knowing she couldn’t have them.” Mateo rose. “You cannot at once censure me for not being serious enough and then deny the life I choose when I become so. If you can accept our relationship, Hanna and I will visit as soon as it is tenable for her and the baby. We can have a proper wedding here and come visit for summers.”
“Mateo Gabriel Di Larreo!” Maria cried.
“If you cannot accept our relationship, I’ll be returning to Louisiana to live out my life there. I’m a middling artist, but a sharp businessman. I can ensure my family has a good life either way.” He offered his parents another bow. “But I would rather we choose the former route. I would like for my child to spend time here and know Artigua.”
Mateo waited as he watched their faces. His mother’s continued to change, first angry, then concerned, and then angry again. His father’s, as always, was difficult to read. Mateo stood firm, waiting for their answer.
Chapter Fourteen
Hanna
Spending a week in bed was incredibly annoying. It was made less so because Hanna’s friends were taking turns trying to keep her entertained. Davide came with entertaining bar stories and a chess set. Maris came with wedding magazines and a binder. Blaine brought books for her to read and some chocolates, though he said he couldn’t stay, as he was covering the store. Sam drifted in and out, making sure she had everything she needed, and when he had time, watching YouTube videos with her on her iPad.
It had been trying, but a good reminder of the support she had. She’d kept a lot from them. No wonder her body had reacted to all that stress. In the past, Hanna had always told them everything.
She had been off bed rest for two days when Sam came into the room, looking particularly unsettled. He sat beside her.
“What’s going on?”
“I finally got through those security videos. And I know who sent you that video.”
“You do?” Hanna had been buttoning up a shirt, and her hands stilled. “What’s that look, Sam? Is it someone we know?”
Sam let out a slow breath. “Blaine did it. I talked to him, and he has nothing useful to say for himself. I just cannot believe him,” Sam said in rush.
Somehow, Hanna wasn’t surprised. “I believe him. He’s been acting strangely for months. I think he just wanted Mateo to go away.”
“That is a pitiful excuse.”
“I’m not excusing him. I’m explaining. I think he feels threatened by Mateo being here.” Hanna shrugged. “He’s never been very mature.”
“So, what do we do?” Sam leaned back on his palms. “I don’t think I can be in the same room with him without punching him.”
“Then you should probably avoid that,” Hanna said wryly. “His folks seem like the kind to sue.”
“You have a better idea?”
“Buy him out of the business in exchange for not pressing charges.” Hanna’s voice sounded calm, but she was shaking just a little.
Sam noticed and swept an arm round her. “Look at you being the grown-up in the room.”
“I kind of have to be, if you’re gonna go around punching people.” Hanna raised a brow. “I think Mateo is a bad influence on you.”
Sam chuckled. “Maybe he is.”
Hanna leaned in for a hug, hanging on for far too long, but Sam didn’t let go until she pulled back.
“How’s the kid?” he asked.
Hanna took Sam’s hand and placed it on the side of her belly. His eyes went round at the flicker of a kick.
“She says hi, Uncle Sam.”
Hanna found herself at a loose end. She couldn’t go back to work yet, not at the wheel or teaching classes. She really couldn’t be standing around the art house for hours doing front end retail. Realizing she needed to plan for the baby eventually coming, she set herself to making lists of what they would need for the baby and signing up for a birthing class. She had done none of those things so far. That would’ve been admitting she would be handing her baby over to Mateo and Ariana and watching them leave.
Her days involved rooibos tea, visits from her friends, lists and plans, and deep breathing exercises. When she was lucky, she and Mateo were able to get on video chat with each other, though she knew it was very late for him when he called her.
The afternoon he walked through her door, Hanna was in the middle of meditating, sitting on a pillow in the middle of the floor, and she looked up to see him standing behind her, with flowers in hand.
“Mateo!”
She tried to leap up, but now si
x months pregnant, her belly denied her any such sudden movements. He came to her side, smiling widely, and knelt on the floor as he kissed her.
“How do you get more and more beautiful every time I see you?” Mateo asked.
“I think your baby is exerting her magic powers on me,” Hanna joked. Then, she covered her mouth.
“Her? It’s a girl?!” Mateo dropped onto the pillow beside her and touched her belly.
Hanna pulled up her loose shirt, and he cradled her belly with both hands.
“Uh-huh,” she said. “I was going to give you the option to be surprised, but I forgot. I had the appointment, and I’ve been so wrapped up in planning. I just wanted to know. Not that we’re going to paint everything pink—”
“Excuse you, this is my unicorn baby. I’m painting everything pink and purple. And covered in glitter.”
“So, we’re going to have Maris and Davide decorate the nursery?”
Mateo laughed and kissed her again. They fell back on the large floor pillow, and Hanna felt happiness bubbling up inside her.
“How did everything go? Are your parents still on board? And Ariana signed everything?” she asked.
“Everyone signed the papers. It’s hard to say no to the king and queen, especially when you’ve been lying. The De Burges are not entirely happy but satisfied. Crazy Aunt Ariana ran out and married Rico practically before the ink dried.”
“Aunt Ariana?”
“She’s sweet. If insane. And it was her egg. I told her she can come visit.” Mateo shrugged. “I didn’t think it could hurt too much, considering this child is going to be surrounded by artists her whole life. Ariana won’t be unsupervised with the baby.”
“Fair enough.” Hanna flopped back on the pillow. “So, everything is settled. You’re here. With me?”
“We have to go back eventually, but for now, yes. Just you and me.” Mateo moved down and kissed the rise of her belly. “And our perfect baby girl.”
