I pressed my lips to hers, kissed her hard, and then pulled away, resting my forehead against hers. “We’ll figure it out together. I have some of the best people in the business when it comes to figuring out tricky scenarios. And your family is pretty damn smart, too.” There was a pointed cough, and I turned, pushing London behind me.
She pushed at me and laughed. “You don’t need to protect me here. It’s just my brother.”
The King of Alden walked from behind a tree and raised a brow.
“While I do enjoy the fact that you’re so protective you’d put yourself in front of my sister, I don’t know if I need you guys to make out like that in public.”
“We’re hardly in public. These are my private gardens.”
“So private that you didn’t even notice me here?”
“That won’t be a mistake I make again,” I bit out through gritted teeth.
The King of Alden nodded and chuckled. “Good. As for the issues regarding the royal line?” the King asked, shaking his head. “I’ve got a plan. Just don’t fuck this up between the two of you.”
“Roman,” London began, but he shook his head.
“Don’t. I’ve got it handled, just like I said I would. Live your life, London. Live it the way you’ve always wanted but have never been able to. I’m your big brother. I’ll always protect you.” He paused and looked at me. “You just do the same thing, or I’ll end you.”
“Understood.” I said, at the same time London shouted, “Roman!”
I laughed and pulled London close. “Let him protect you. And let me do the same.”
“My God, it’s like you guys don’t understand I can walk on two feet.”
“Oh, we do, but we still get to be the big growly men,” the king said before he walked away with a purposeful stride.
I had no idea what he was about to do, but I had a feeling it might rock the country of Alden for years to come.
I turned to London and let out a breath.
“So now what?” I asked.
“I don’t know. But I guess we’d better figure it out.”
As I leaned into her and took her mouth with mine, I knew we were far from figuring out our futures, far from finding our paths.
But we had taken a step, and we had found our way to each other.
And that, I supposed, was the point of a future. Even if it scared the hell out of me.
Chapter 21
London
Always expect the unexpected.
* * *
1 Month Later
* * *
I let out a long breath.
“Okay. Here goes nothing.”
“I feel like I’m going to throw up,” Kannon said from behind me, and I glared over my shoulder.
“You just held my hair back after I threw up. Am I going to have to do the same for you?”
“You’re welcome to try, princess.”
I smiled at that, even though I was still slightly nauseated. The idea of him calling me princess wasn’t so bad anymore.
It just gave me hope, made me feel loved and warm. I must be losing my mind.
“I can’t believe we’re bonding over vomit,” I said. “Not very romantic.”
Kannon shrugged. “You agreed to be mine. That means you don’t get the romance.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure, whatever you say. You’re totally not romantic.”
“I’m not. I will not rely on social norms where I have to suddenly be a romantic duke or any of that shit.”
“You are not a duke, Kannon. Far from it.”
“Well I don’t know now; Duke Kannon sounds pretty good. Or maybe another title. Knight? Oh nice, Knight Kannon.”
“You turned down my brother when he offered to knight you, so don’t get sad that you’re not one now. Though it does have a ring to it.”
Kannon just shook his head. “Are we really going to not look down at this moment and just keep talking about trivial things that mean nothing? Because I can continue to do that. I can also bring Sparrow in, and she can talk your ear off while we forget what we’re supposed to be thinking about.”
“Maybe you should do that. Maybe we should forget any of this is happening and just go out to the family dinner and not know.”
Kannon turned me around so that I was facing him, and he cupped my cheek, brushing his lips along mine.
“Darling, princess of mine, I love you. Whatever happens, I’m here. We started this journey a little off, and we both know it. But we’re here. We’re finding our way. I love you. And if what we think is about to happen happens, then we’ll deal with it together.”
“I just don’t know if I’m ready.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready either. But I think whoever says that they’re ready is just full of themselves.”
“Oh that’s so sweet.” I moaned, getting a little lightheaded.
Kannon sat me down on the lid of the toilet and brushed my hair back from my face.
“You need me to hold your hair back again?” he asked, worry in his tone. He was always worried when I got lightheaded these days. I had a feeling he was going to get a whole lot worse if what happened next truly changed everything.
“Look at it, Kannon. You tell me.” I kept my eyes closed, afraid I was going to throw up.
Again.
Keeping my eyes tightly shut, I handed over the stick and was grateful when Kannon took it from me.
“Okay, here we go in three, two, one.”
My eyes were shut, so I didn’t know if he reacted. He was just so damn silent. He was far too good at that.
“Kannon? Talk to me.”
“Open your eyes, babe.”
I shook my head. “Nope. Not going to do it.”
“Really? This is the line you’re going to draw in the sand right now?” he asked, deadpan.
“Just tell me.”
“Okay, how about I tell you this. It turns out that little law of your country isn’t going to matter, because you are about to provide an heir.”
My eyes shot open, and I nearly fell off the toilet seat. Kannon dropped the pregnancy stick, and it clattered, echoing in the large bathroom as he dropped to his knees in front of me, leaning in closer.
He kissed me, and I leaned into him, needing him.
“I love you so much,” he whispered.
“Always,” I gasped.
Then he tugged me into the shower, and I fell for him all over again.
Afterward, both of us somewhat sated, I watched the man I loved stand behind me in the mirror as he fixed his tie and I put in my earrings.
“We’re going to be parents.”
“The phrase holy shit comes to mind,” he said.
“I guess so.”
“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes on mine in the mirror.
“I don’t know. We always knew it was a possibility, especially when I started getting sick recently.”
“True, but it did happen out of nowhere. And it is early.”
“I know. But I love you, and we’re going to figure this out. Even if we did things a little bit out of order.”
“Out of order works. We don’t want to be conventional, do we, princess?” he asked, then he leaned down and kissed my bare shoulder.
We weren’t engaged; we weren’t married. But it would happen. Probably sooner rather than later because an illegitimate heir to the throne, even if they would be further down the line than any of Roman’s future children, wouldn’t be great.
So if Kannon didn’t get on one knee soon, I would have to be the one who did so. But that was fine. Like he said, we liked being unconventional, even if we were sometimes set in those truly conventional ways.
“Do we tell your family?” he asked.
“Normally I would say it’s far too early, but with Roman and Breck and Wilder working so hard on finding a loophole, maybe we should. I don’t think we can wait.” I paused, looking at Kannon again.
“What is it?” he asked, his voic
e solemn.
“I know this isn’t what you signed up for.”
“Princess, it’s exactly what I signed up for.”
I snorted, shaking my head, far more emotional than I had been before.
I’d have liked to blame it on the hormones, but I had a feeling it had more to do with the shock of my aunt trying to kill me, and finding Kannon, and everything happening all at once.
It was hard to wrap my head around everything, and I was still working on it.
And now there was one more thing rocking my whole world.
I put my hand over my belly and sighed. This little baby would change everything, and I was already in love with them.
Far more than I thought possible.
“We’ll tell your brothers tonight,” Kannon said. “And that will be the last of their input.”
That made me throw my head back and laugh, and I leaned into Kannon’s touch.
“Oh, you’re so cute if you think that’s actually what’s going to happen. If you think my brothers give you the stink eye now for daring to touch their precious little princess baby sister? Oh, it’s going to get so bad when they learn I’m pregnant.”
“They’re going to wrap you up in cotton wool. You do know that, right?.”
I cringed. “You’re right. I guess we need to tell them and then run away together.” I grinned, and Kannon gave me a wide smile.
“Where do you want to run away to, princess?” he asked, his voice a low deep purr.
It sent shivers down my back, and though we had already sated ourselves in the shower, I wanted another round.
Maybe I could blame it on the hormones, but no, it was all Kannon.
“Anywhere you want to go. As long as I’m with you and I have my camera, it makes no difference to me. We’ll figure it out.”
“I’m still not letting you take pictures of me naked,” Kannon said, and I burst out laughing.
“That was in your head. I’m not the one who offered.”
“So now you don’t want to take pictures of me naked?” Kannon asked as he helped me off my stool.
“You’re a menace.”
“I’m your menace,” Kannon said.
“Okay, let’s go tell my brothers.”
“And let the true menace begin.”
I smiled, knowing I was in perfectly good hands. Not just Kannon’s, but mine.
We made our way through the palace toward the family dining room where my brothers would be.
We were having some of Kannon’s team over, as well as a few of my brothers’ friends.
But first, it would just be my three brothers, because we were starting early.
It was time we figured out how to make it in this new dynamic of ours without our Aunt Rebecca, knowing that her deep betrayal would sting for years to come.
I would never get over what she had done, knowing I had put my trust in the wrong person, but I would learn to find who I needed to be again. And now, I wouldn’t have to do it alone. I would have Kannon, my brothers, Rian, and all my friends. I didn’t need Rebecca.
And I could move past that point in my life. Eventually.
My brothers were all in the dining room, each holding a glass of wine or liquor of some sort in their hands.
They were glaring at one another before Breck burst out laughing, Roman shook his head, and Wilder rolled his eyes.
I loved them so much.
They were overbearing, overprotective, and would be until the end of my days, but they were family. And now I had a family of my own.
“There she is,” Breck said. “Took you long enough.” He glared over at Kannon. “You know, she used to be on time for everything. Now she’s late all the time.”
I bristled. “You guys were horribly early. It’s like you decided to meet up before the scheduled time. Did you?”
Roman shook his head before the others could speak. “It was by chance. However, I did get to tell them something that concerns you.”
“What?” I asked, a sense of foreboding sliding over me.
“I heard back from the Council of Lords.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but Roman continued quickly.
“It’s over. The royal line will remain the same. Children will come when they come. If they do. But we will not be forced into anything.”
I met Roman’s gaze, elation and something else twisting inside me. Something had happened, something I didn’t know. Something that had passed between my brothers.
“What did you give up, Roman?” I asked, my voice quiet.
He just gave me a tight smile and shook his head. “Nothing that wasn’t easily given,” he said softly.
“Can you take it back?” I blurted, and Kannon squeezed my hand.
“Why would we want to?” Roman asked softly. Almost too softly.
“We’re pregnant. We’re having a baby.”
Wilder took a step back, while Breck just blinked and burst out laughing.
But I saw the look on Roman’s face.
The look of shock and something else. His jaw tensed ever so slightly, but then he smiled, and his eyes filled with some emotion I couldn’t read.
Something had happened, and I didn’t know what to do.
But instead of saying anything, he set his drink down, took three strides closer to me, and cupped my face.
“My baby sister’s having a baby of her own. Congratulations.” Then he kissed my forehead and looked up at Kannon. “I’ll kill you if you hurt her.”
“We know where to hide the bodies,” Wilder said.
“And I’m good at driving a getaway car,” Breck added.
“Really? This is what you’re going to talk about over our announcement?” I asked, exasperated.
“They’re your brothers; it’s what I expected,” Kannon said. Then my brothers hugged me and congratulated Kannon while giving him a dirty look.
Yes, an engagement would have to come soon, but not tonight. Tonight I was with my family and Kannon, and the baby growing in my womb.
I had never known if I was ready to be a mother, and now I would only have a few more months to figure it out.
But in the end, I had Kannon, and I was so excited to see what would happen.
I’d found my happiness, and not just with Kannon, not just in the future of our child.
But in who I could be and who I could rely on.
I was the Princess of Alden, the love of Kannon’s life. I was London Waterford. And I was happy.
Epilogue
Sparrow
Always a commoner. Never a Princess.
Just how I like it.
* * *
For a while, I honestly hadn’t thought the two lovebirds in front of me would be able to get their shit together.
As I watched Kannon and London waltz across the ballroom, I couldn’t help but get the warm fuzzies. Not that I was particularly one for warm fuzzy feelings, but if anyone deserved that kind of love, it was Kannon. And London. True to her word, she had made him grovel. Which I was all about. She was good for him and kept him on his toes.
The best thing about their union was that it meant that Kannon Security was going international. Kannon wanted to open offices in Alden, and eventually, Paris. Which meant more staff. It also meant I was required to train said staff, meaning more travel for me.
I didn’t hate that one bit. Some thought that perhaps Kannon would become lead security for the royal family, and that might occur later, but for now, it was all about compromise and finding what worked for the two of them. London was moving to Los Angeles where we were based. LA could serve just as well as a launching point for photography assignments as Alden could, and I was thrilled to have her close. We’d get to hang out more, and I’d have estrogen in my life again. And since Rian was often in LA for work, I’d get some quality girl time. Not quite as much hanging out with the boys at the weekly poker game. I hadn’t realized until we’d been hanging out recently that I’d desperately missed girl ti
me.
I glanced around the ballroom, looking for Rian to say goodnight. The ceremony had been the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, held in the gardens surrounded by flowers and overlooking the ocean. And the reception was the kind of fun you read about in magazines. Champagne flowed, and they had one of the hottest DJs from the Ibiza circuits do their reception. Not that Kannon had any idea who he was, but he’d been a present from Rian, who refused to have bad, boring music at the reception.
However, my feet were killing me. And though the doctor had cleared me for duty, I still had to take it easy. My side was healing well, but every now and then, if I overdid it or stood too long, I got fatigued.
When I found Rian, she was surrounded by a group of people, each and every one of them enthralled by the actress. And honestly, it was difficult not to be. With her deep brown skin and her brilliant white smile, her coiling curls that flowed and bounced down her back, full lips, wide almond-shaped eyes, and the kind of cheekbones most people paid their plastic surgeons for, she was stunning. But she was also warm and open and gregarious.
I also noticed how Roman, London’s oldest brother and the King of Alden, stared at her. He was doing it surreptitiously too. He would steal a quick glance, frown at her, and then turn back to his conversation. But every time she laughed, he’d look in her direction and scowl.
What the hell was going on there? I knew Rian and London had been friends for a while, so maybe the two had a history I wasn’t aware of. I’d met Roman and one of her other brothers, Wilder. Wilder was stern and glowered even more than Roman did, but I liked them both. The other one, Breck, I hadn’t seen yet. I’d come in just in time for the rehearsal, and he’d had an assignment away from the party. So I’d probably see him at the family brunch in the morning. All of London’s brothers were that sort of aristocratic drop-dead gorgeous type. You could tell they were brothers with their sharp jawlines and patrician noses. And also their eyes, the set of them, with those thick lashes. They were brothers, all right.
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