‘You say that now, but...’
Her hand still hung by her sides, and it only made that thing inside claw at him all the more. He had to make her understand.
‘Would you always see another child as more precious to you than Jamie?’
‘What?’ She tried to snatch herself back, but he wouldn’t let her. He kept that contact. Her cool forehead against his. ‘Of course not! That’s a horrible thing to say.’
‘Then why should I feel any differently about any child we might choose? Or, indeed, if we were lucky enough to have them choose us?’
‘It’s...it’s not the same,’ she managed.
But she didn’t look so convinced any more, and he wanted to punch the air in triumph. Kat was beginning to understand. She was his. They were meant to be.
‘I will never let you down, Kat. I promise you that you, and Jamie, and whoever else comes along will be part of our family. Equal in every way.’
‘But—’
‘No.’ He silenced her. ‘I came back to Seattle to try to make a home for Jamie and me. To try to find a way to connect with the son who I thought I knew, but it turned out I didn’t after all. I certainly didn’t know how to communicate with him. But then you appeared, and you taught me how. You made everything happen, but more than that you opened up my heart.’
‘I came here to try to heal after everything that had happened,’ she whispered, her eyes lifting to him even though neither of them had moved their heads.
And, at last, her arms lifted and her small palms rested lightly on his upper arms.
‘And have you? His voice sounded as raw as it felt.
‘So much so that I can barely even remember where the wounds were.’
It was possibly the most beautiful sentiment he’d ever heard.
When he lowered his head and kissed her, Kat forgot where they were, and who was around. She lost herself in the magic of the moment, the magic of Logan. The magic of Christmas.
It might have been an eternity before they resurfaced had Jamie—incredibly patient up until that moment—not decided to reinsert himself.
‘Daddy, you still haven’t given your present.’
‘Right.’ Logan pulled himself away, but to Kat’s intense relief—and the relief of her now shaky legs—he kept his arm tightly around her.
As if he didn’t want to let her go.
‘Time for my gift,’ he muttered, his voice thicker than usual.
She found she rather liked having that effect on him. Logan nodded back towards the dinosaur.
‘Turn it over.’
Dutifully, Kat tugged her gaze back down to the toy, but there was nothing obvious. She reached out to turn it over and found that her hands were inexplicably shaking, as if they sensed something her brain hadn’t yet worked out.
And then she saw it. Nestled over the back foot of the pterodactyl. A white-gold band. Her eyes snapped to Logan then back down, as her fingers fumbled to twist it around.
A stunning pear-shaped diamond winked back at her, and tiny diamonds were set into the shoulder of the band itself.
‘It’s...stunning,’ she breathed, once she could trust herself to speak. ‘But... I didn’t think...’
‘How could you not have thought?’ His voice was both a promise and a chastisement. ‘The simple truth is that I love you, Kat Steel. You stole our hearts—mine and my son’s. So what we want to know is if you’ll marry me.’
‘Us.’ Jamie poked his head up solemnly. ‘Will you be my mommy for real?’
‘Will you marry us, and be Jamie’s mommy?’ Logan asked with a laugh that was a smidgen too thick with emotion. ‘For real?’
It was almost Kat’s undoing.
For a long moment she let her hands rest on the toy, scarcely able to believe that what had started out as a move to Seattle to get away from the grief of losing the child she’d begun to think of her as her own had turned into her finding a family of her own.
Being the happiest she thought she’d ever felt in her entire life.
‘If you want to,’ Jamie added. And just for a moment his eyes clouded over with an uncertainty that Kat couldn’t bear to see.
‘I want to,’ she choked out, dropping on jelly-like knees to put herself face to face with the boy who loved her so much that he wanted her to be his mommy. He—they—wanted her to make it for ever. ‘How could I ever want anything more?’
When he threw his arms around her neck, squeezing so tightly that she’d thought she might die, she poured everything she could into hugging him back.
She had no idea how long they stayed like that, but eventually she felt his little hands disentangling them, his voice in her ear.
‘Then I think I’d like to play with my new toy, now, Mommy.’
And as she handed him the pterodactyl, she laughed at how, just like that, everything was right in his uncomplicated world.
Finally, she stood up again, her eyes locking with Logan’s, her hands moving instinctively to rest her palms on his solid, far-too-tempting chest.
‘I love you, too,’ she whispered. ‘I think I have done since almost the first moment we met. Since I saw you, so protective and loyal to the King, even if I didn’t know who he was then.’
‘He was duty. My pride. You—and Jamie—are my world. And I intend to make sure you feel that—every single day.’
‘I’ll hold you to that,’ she muttered, reaching up on her toes until her mouth was scant millimetres from his. ‘And I know you always keep your promises.’
‘Always,’ he confirmed. ‘Merry Christmas, Kat.’
‘Merry Christmas,’ she breathed as he lowered his mouth to claim hers.
The first kiss of the rest of their lives.
* * *
Welcome to the Royal Christmas at Seattle General quartet!
Falling for the Secret Prince
by Alison Roberts
Neurosurgeon’s Christmas to Remember
by Traci Douglass
The Bodyguard’s Christmas Proposal
by Charlotte Hawkes
The Princess’s Christmas Baby
by Louisa George
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The Princess’s Christmas Baby
by Louisa George
PROLOGUE
August
IT WAS HIS idea of hell.
When Lucas Beaufort had said to his best friend Domenico that if he ever needed any help with anything, just ask, he hadn’t meant he’d be free at the drop of a hat to babysit his friend’s reckless younger sister who made the papers for all the wrong reasons.
But there it was. Sometimes friendships required going above and beyond. He only hoped he’d manage to get through this weekend unscathed.
Which he highly doubted. Take one wilful and wayward, spoilt Princess...with a capital P. Literally. Add her ability to make trouble for herself wherever she went. Sprinkle in a rogue weekend in Seattle during which she was expecting to be entertained, and he knew—even though his cooking was generally woeful—that he had a recipe for utter disaster on his hands.
‘Hey, Captain Sensible!’ She flung herself at him as he opened the door to her loud hammering. ‘Long time no see.’
‘About ten years, give or take.’ And he’d hoped for longer, but there it was. He tried to extricate himself from her hug but she kind of held on. Captain Sensible, eh? Great. He guessed he probably deserved it. He wasn’t exactly known for his witty repartee. ‘Come in, Giada. Wel
come back to Seattle.’
She finally let go and grinned as he took a step outside to grab her suitcase and let her into his house. As they walked through to his living room she flung her floppy sunhat onto his sofa and slipped off her over-sized sunglasses. She was wearing a strappy, white sundress and...well, hell. She’d changed since he’d seen her last.
Whereas years ago she’d gone through a typical but lengthy rebellious, pale-skinned goth phase, with ripped jeans and black clothes totally unbefitting a royal, she was now a picture of glowing health—all tanned arms and legs with long shiny black hair that cascaded in waves over her shoulders. Her dark brown eyes glittered as she smiled and made him want to take a second look. Her mouth.
God...it was very bad that he was looking at his best friend’s sister’s mouth.
She also smelled exactly how he imagined her home, the Mediterranean island of Isola Verde, would smell: fresh, flowery, warm. Weird that he’d even notice.
‘Well, this is nice,’ she said as she ran to the huge picture window and took in the expansive view over Lake Washington. Her voice was sing-song and...happy. Which made him feel immediately wistful. Happy. Yeah. Half turning, she twisted to look at him. ‘No, not nice. It’s gorgeous here, Lucas. Thanks for putting me up... I mean...’ she laughed and made quote marks with her fingers ‘...putting up with me for the weekend.’
‘It’s not a problem.’ Although, judging by the fact he’d noticed her perfume and was taking another look at her pretty face, it could well turn into a problem. She was so off limits it wasn’t funny.
‘I promise I’ll be on my best behaviour, Lucas. Too bad Dom has to spend the weekend at some dull conference instead of showing his sister around the city he prefers to his beautiful island home.’ She whirled round to face him fully, her dress flaring out around her thighs.
Lucas looked. So sue him. ‘It’s fine. Um... What would you like to do?’
‘Swim first? Or a shower. But I’d prefer a swim if I can, just to have a good workout and stretch. I really need to freshen up after that flight.’
‘Sure thing. Lake or pool?’
‘Lake. There’s nothing better than swimming in nature, right? It reminds me of home.’ She let out a big sigh. A sigh he couldn’t read. ‘Oh, and call me Gigi. Everyone else does. You want to come for a dip?’
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d swum in the lake. Just the usual fifty laps of his pool each morning. Clinical. Routine.
The thought of his feet sinking into warm sand was definitely appealing. As was seeing more of those long shapely legs. She was a lot more attractive than he remembered. Softer too...none of that spiky aggression he remembered. None of the artifice, the heavy make-up she used to hide behind.
No...she wasn’t pretty, she was stunning. He was not going to think of her in a bathing suit. Or, God...a bikini. His body prickled in response.
So basically he needed a cold shower, not a swim with her. ‘I have work to do. The lake is at the end of the garden. It’s safe for swimming and the little beach is very private so you won’t be disturbed. When you get back we can make a plan for the rest of the weekend.’
‘Oh, come on, Lucas. It’s after six. You should have clocked off by now.’ She brushed against him as she breezed over to her suitcase and he felt the hairs on his arm stand to attention. ‘Surely you can spare an hour for a swim? Dom tells me you work too hard.’
‘You don’t get to be an emergency consultant by taking time off whenever you feel like it. Or by endless partying.’ Or getting onto the front pages by being drunk and messy on some celebrity’s yacht. Or crashing the stage at festivals. He decided not to mention her past antics, though; she’d clearly changed. Outwardly, anyway.
‘Ouch.’ She laughed. ‘I take it that was a jab at me and my sorry life to date?’
‘No.’ He wasn’t going to add to the mess he was starting to make here.
‘Well, I’m grateful you’ve taken this weekend off for me. Really, I am.’ Despite his unforgivably negative tone her smile was warm and did something to his gut. ‘But it’s fine. Stay here and do your work. Maybe we could go out for a meal or something later. I’d like to pick your brains about the Isola Verde hospital project I’m working on. If you have the time.’
Where was the flake he had known? ‘What hospital project?’
‘You’re busy. Honestly, it can wait. But the swim can’t. I’m too hot and sticky to think straight. I’ll go get changed.’ She picked up her bag, shoulders sagging just a little. ‘Which room should I use?’
‘I’ll show you.’ He was drawn back to look at her eyes. Wide and dark and deep with an understanding, a knowledge of difficult times. Of pride too. And now they glittered as she smiled and he got a glimpse of the old rebellious Giada. But she was much more than the ditzy party girl she had once been. He took her bag and walked her through to the guest room. ‘And you’ll be okay at the lake?’
She nodded. ‘Absolutely. No problem. I’m quite used to entertaining myself.’
Her smile might have been warm but she blinked too fast and he just knew she was pretending to be fine when she wasn’t.
‘You head on down. I’ll just be five minutes and then I’ll join you.’
The smile of gratitude she gave him made his gut do somersaults. Which should have been enough warning.
And he should have listened.
* * *
Gigi hadn’t remembered Lucas being so grumpy. Or so gorgeous. Maybe she hadn’t been looking too closely all those years ago when she’d met him at some dull hospital party, and she certainly hadn’t been interested in any of her brother’s boring friends, choosing to find her own entertainment elsewhere.
But Lucas Beaufort was next level stunning with his dark blond hair and piercing green eyes. Just wow. And just her luck he was her brother’s best friend and therefore totally and utterly out of bounds.
And now she was stuck with him for three days.
The water was soothing and coolly refreshing. She thrashed through her strokes until she was breathless and her limbs sore. Exercise had become her salve instead of the partying she’d once used to escape her life.
Take that, Captain Sensible. People changed.
He hadn’t directly mentioned her past, but she was familiar with the look of judgement. Hell, she’d had it every single day of her life from her papa. She hoped Lucas didn’t put her in the same box everyone else did, but it was a badge she’d earned many times over.
She was different now. If only people could believe it.
Tired, but definitely less stressed, she trod water, turning in a slow circle to take in the view of the city’s high rises in one direction, the endless horizon in another, Denny-Blaine Park and... Oddio!
Lucas wasn’t just gorgeous, he was a freaking hunk on legs, wading into the water towards her, not quite deep enough for his muscular thighs to be submerged. She traced up with her eyes...then swallowed. My, oh, my.
What was under those aqua-blue shorts?
She dragged her gaze higher, past the hard wall of a six, no...an eight pack, past broad shoulders to his proud jaw and unsmiling mouth.
She watched as he dived through the gentle waves and swam towards her with fast, easy strokes.
He is not hot. He is not hot.
Lucas rose up in front of her, flicking water from his hair. Little droplets clung to his impossibly long eyelashes, framing searching green eyes.
‘You okay, Giada? It’s quite deep out here.’
She’d forgotten he was English before she’d arrived, although his accent was very definitely infused with a Pacific Northwest twang since he’d been here almost as long as Dom had. ‘It’s Gigi. Yes. I’m fine. Isola Verde is an island, I swim a lot.’
‘All the same, maybe we should go where it’s shallower.’ He stretched his arms out and her gaze was drawn to
the toned biceps. The sprinkling of hair on his tanned chest. The stubble on his jaw. Those serious eyes.
What would it take to make him smile? How would he look if he did? And why did she want him to? She was only here for a couple of days and then she’d be back home, overseeing the final touches to her beloved hospital. Trying to be a better person.
Admiring a man’s body was all well and good but it wasn’t as if she could take anything any further. Especially not with Lucas. Brother’s best friend. Inhabitant of Seattle...thousands of miles away from Isola Verde where her future lay. Her papa had always told her she dated unsuitable men and that she should set her sights on someone from one of the European royal families.
Boring.
She stole another look at this unsuitable man’s broad shoulders, those full, kissable lips, that little trail of dark hair arrowing down to his shorts. Her imagination caught her low in her belly.
Just how sensible would Captain Sensible be in bed?
She dived under the water and tried to use the bracing cold to wash the very inappropriate and surprisingly sexy thoughts from her brain. Which was a mistake. Because down here she could see his legs, the ripples of his belly, his shorts...
When she broke the surface again he was frowning. ‘You were down there so long I thought you were drowning or something.’
She laughed. ‘I like to live dangerously.’
‘So I’ve heard.’ Of course he had. Everyone knew everything about her. Or almost, at least. He shook his head, clearly unimpressed. ‘Can you imagine what Dom would do to me if I allowed you to get into trouble out here?’
‘Depends on the trouble.’ She laughed again, mischievously, watching the double meaning sink into his brain and the shock register in his eyes. Okay, so maybe she hadn’t quite mastered all her spontaneity. And the cold water treatment clearly hadn’t worked.
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