The Prince's Pregnant Challenge (The Royals of Monaco, #2)

by Leslie North

  Chapter 3

  9 months ago

  Liane was enjoying lunch with her sisters on a Saturday afternoon. She felt so relaxed just hanging out with them. It was even better because the weather was just right. It was warm and there was a cool breeze. It was the first Saturday Liane had off in months.

  “Macee, slow down and eat properly,” Francesca scolded. Macee frowned at her sister and carried on eating. Liane smiled.

  “Leave her alone,” Liane said.

  Francesca shook her head. “How have you been enjoying riding?” she asked her sister.

  “Just fine.”

  “What is the matter?” Macee could instantly tell that there was something bothering her.

  “Jean Pierre,” Liane said with distaste. She took a sip of her drink. Macee and Francesca looked at each other.

  “What about him?” Francesca asked.

  “He's an arrogant man who does not deserve us speaking about him. Let us speak about something else.”

  Mrs LeBlanc walked out of the house and headed to where her daughters were sitting. Macee pulled a face. “Our mother looks like she is on a mission,” she said. Francesca and Liane turned as she approached them and joined them at the table.

  “I have good news for you,” Mrs LeBlanc said to Liane. “Macee eat properly!” she added as she looked at her youngest daughter eating in an unladylike manner. Macee rolled her eyes. She was really getting sick of her mother and sister commenting on her every move. If it was not her eating, it was what she wore or how she walked.

  “What is it mother?” Liane asked.

  “We have been invited to the palace for dinner on Tuesday.”

  Francesca gasped. “To meet with the Crown Prince, I assume?” she asked with excitement.

  Liane gave half a smile. She had not seen him in a very long time. Maybe if they met, she would have some feelings towards him, but at that moment, she felt nothing.

  “Yes.”

  “Can we come?”

  “No.”

  Francesca's face dropped. She could count the number of times she had been to the palace on one hand. She loved the palace and wished that she could go more often, but her mother always found reasons for her not to go.

  “I will find you something suitable to wear,” Mrs LeBlanc said. Macee snorted.

  “I am sure she can pick out her own clothes,” Macee said.

  “What do you know?”

  “Please, do not start,” Liane said. Her mother and sister were always at odds. They disagreed about everything. Mrs LeBlanc wanted her daughter to be a lot more ladylike, but Macee did not listen. She did not want to be a pawn in her mother's scheme to attain power and status.

  ***

  Liane slipped on the dress her mother had purchased for her. It was a peach-coloured sleeveless dress, which accentuated her breasts and had wide pleats around the skirt, which touched her knees. She wore low heels, a pearl necklace and matching earrings.

  When they arrived at the palace, a maid greeted them before escorting them to the dining room. They were served cold beverages whilst they waited for the royal family to arrive.

  Prince Louis walked into the room with his mother. He was dressed in a white shirt and grey trousers. Just as they were about to sit down, Jean Pierre walked into the room. Liane wanted to frown but she held it together. Jean Pierre on the other hand looked surprised to see her.

  “Cousin, this is Liane, my fiancée,” Prince Louis introduced Liane to Jean Pierre.

  “We have met,” Liane said.

  “Really?”

  “Yes, at the country club but I was unaware that we are to be family soon,” Jean Pierre said. He moved closer to Liane. “Mademoiselle,” he said before he kissed her on both cheeks. Liane suppressed a frown and forced a smile instead.

  “Excuse us,” Prince Louis said, as he left the room to speak with Jean Pierre privately. The two were quite close and Liane could not understand why. They were so different. The Prince always adhered to his duties; he was well mannered and never had scandals in the news. While he too was arrogant, he was not as bad as Jean Pierre was.

  When the prince returned, he sat down opposite Liane. “I feel better knowing that you and Jean Pierre attend the same country club,” Prince Louis said to Liane as he unfolded his napkin.

  “Why is that?” she asked. She certainly did not feel better.

  “There will be someone to come to your rescue should you need assistance.”

  Liane forced a smile as she picked up her cutlery. During dinner, there was of course much talk of politics. Once a week, Charles educated Liane on popular political subjects and made sure she was up to date on all current events. Liane was able to engage in a discussion with them but it was of no interest to her.

  Her mother took the opportunity to praise Liane to the queen. She never missed the chance to praise her to anyone who would listen.

  “She has definitely blossomed into a fine young lady,” the queen said with a smile. She clearly approved of Liane.

  “You are too kind, your majesty,” Mrs LeBlanc replied.

  “You have completed your higher education, am I correct?” the queen asked Liane.

  Liane picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth before she replied. “Yes, I completed a degree in History.”

  “That is impressive.”

  “Which is your preferred century?” Prince Louis asked her.

  “The sixteenth century, your highness,” Liane replied.

  “Why is that?”

  “I found the tale of Mary Queen of Scots very intriguing.”

  After dinner, at the suggestion of the queen, Prince Louis and Liane continued their talk outside. “Her demise was rather sad though,” Liane said. “A queen killed for treason. It is such a shame.”

  “It is a shame indeed.”

  “I favoured Henry the Eighth,” Jean Pierre said. He was sitting outside when they walked up.

  “Why is that?” Prince Louis asked with a smile. It did not surprise Liane that Jean Pierre would like Henry the Eighth. Any man with fidelity issues would favour him.

  “He was a wise man.”

  “With six wives,” Liane replied.

  “When a man is widowed, is it not okay for him to take another wife?”

  “Not when he is responsible for their deaths.”

  “His marriage to his first wife was annulled. She died after and he had nothing to do with it.”

  “Annulment,” Liane said sardonically. “That was the political term for it. It was really just a divorce because he wished to marry his mistress,” she added.

  Prince Louis stood there amused as he watched Jean Pierre and Liane debate. They both seemed so passionate and intent on proving that their side was the correct choice. He could understand Liane’s interest, but why was Jean Pierre so passionate to the point of being argumentative?

  “Anne Boleyn did not bed the king until they had wed,” Jean Pierre said.

  “She was still his mistress and he took another when she was queen,” Liane replied.

  “As King, he had the right to have mistresses.”

  “As a man of honour, he should not have had mistresses.”

  Jean Pierre laughed. “He was not the first king to seek solace elsewhere,” he said.

  “It was not solace that he was looking for and he bedded far too many women.” It is not that Liane did not know that kings always had mistresses, concubines and harems. It was the fact that she disliked Jean Pierre. It did not surprise her at all that he was a fan of Henry the Eighth. He seemed to like the fact that he had six wives and could have any woman he wanted, instead of praising the work he did as a monarch.

  Prince Louis laughed. “I dare say that I must call a stalemate on this debate.”

  Chapter 4

  8 months ago

  It was the country club's one hundred year anniversary and they were hosting a party in celebration. Liane was not planning to attend, but Tracey showed up and insisted that she
come with her. Refusing to take no for an answer, she opened Liane's closet.

  “There are a million clothes in here and yet there is nothing suitable for you to wear,” Tracey said to Liane. Most of her clothes were for formal events.

  “That is a sign that I should not be attending this event,” Liane said as she shrugged her shoulders.

  “Nonsense, we can find something somewhere in here,” Tracey replied as she pulled clothes out. With a “ta da,” she stepped out holding a red cocktail dress. “Where have you been hiding this one?” she asked as she held it up to the mirror. “Put it on.”

  Digging in her bag, Tracey pulled out a pair of Louboutins. “It’s a good thing we wear the same shoe size, because I knew that you wouldn’t have anything appropriate.” As Liane slipped on the shoes and looked in the mirror, she had to admit that she looked good. Instead of wearing her hair pinned up, Tracey had brushed it out so it draped around her shoulders, dropping below mid-back. Tracey added a bit of blush to accentuate her lovely bone structure that she never showed off and a touch of sparkle to her ears with a pair of diamond earrings and she was ready to go.

  They arrived at the country club and were ushered over to the outdoor venue where the party was being held. There was a DJ, a dance floor, several cabanas for lounging and a bar.

  “Time to mingle,” Tracey said as Liane reluctantly followed. Many people greeted them, especially Liane, who was constantly asked about the crown prince. They told her how lucky she was to be engaged to him as they asked to take pictures with her.

  “This is not my idea of fun,” Liane said to Tracey. She hated how people never bothered to get to know her when they met her. They immediately started discussing her engagement to the prince. Tracey rubbed her shoulder.

  “Comes with the territory my dear, so get used to it.”

  A waiter approached them with a tray of champagne. Liane took one and drank half the glass in one gulp. Tracey stared at her, “Slow down lady, we just got here.” Liane drank the rest of her champagne and took another before the waiter walked away. She went to sit inside a cabana while Tracey went off in search of a suitor.

  Liane saw Jean Pierre walk in with his entourage. He had a swagger to his step as the women turned to admire him. His smiled indicated that he knew the effect he had on those watching him and was enjoying the attention. Liane just drank her champagne and looked away. One of the guests came to sit with her.

  “You look lonely,” he said to her, as he sat down next to her. Liane could tell that he’d already had a bit too much to drink, as his leg rubbed up against hers.

  Deciding to put some distance between them, she slid over. “I am just fine,” she replied with half a smile.

  “I’m Jake,” the man introduced himself. As he put his hand out to shake, he spilled some of his drink on his pants. He tried to brush it off as Liane closed her eyes and prayed that he would go away.

  “Hello, Jake,” she replied, as she was suddenly wishing that she had not chosen to sit alone.

  “May I have your name?”

  “Liane, as in Liane LeBlanc, the future crown princess of Monaco,” a familiar deep voice said from behind him. Liane turned her head to see Jean Pierre standing there. She frowned. She had not asked for his help and she certainly did not need it. She had everything under control. Or at least she would have.

  Jake looked at Liane wide-eyed. “Oh, excuse me.” He stood up clumsily, as he spilled the remainder of his drink and left.

  “I was handling the situation myself,” Liane said to him, as she took a sip of her champagne.

  “Not from where I was standing. He was about to jump all over you,” he replied sarcastically.

  “I’m sure you would know,” she replied under her breath.

  “What?”

  “Why are you here?” There was something about Jean Pierre that made Liane’s blood boil.

  “Why is it that you are sitting alone?”

  “I like it that way.”

  Jean Pierre took Liane's glass and sipped her champagne. Her mouth hung open, as she stared at him in disbelief. First, he took her horse and now he was snatching her champagne glass from her.

  “Close your mouth dear, it is not pretty,” Jean Pierre said before he took another large sip and handed her an almost empty glass. He walked off leaving her speechless. Liane threw the glass on the floor shattering it. His arrogance made her temperature rise. She groaned as she stood up and went to find Tracey.

  ***

  She finally found her talking with one of the guests who was dressed in a well-tailored suit. Tracey rubbed his arm as she laughed at a joke that was not even funny. Liane shook her head.

  “I need to speak with you,” Liane said to Tracey.

  “Now?” Tracey asked.

  Liane looked at the man Tracey was speaking to. “I will only be a minute. Please do not go anywhere, I promise to return her to you,” she said to him and dragged Tracey away.

  “What is it?” Tracey asked.

  “How long are we going to stay here?” Liane asked.

  Tracey narrowed her gaze at her. “What happened?”

  “Jean Pierre happened.”

  “He's here?” Tracey was immediately filled with excitement.

  “Yes, unfortunately.”

  “Fine, just let me get this man's number,” Tracey said and returned to him. Liane took another champagne glass and went inside the building to wander around while she waited for her friend.

  She found a secluded spot with no one around and more importantly, no cameras. She decided to sit down and put her feet up. She pulled out her phone and ended up playing games. She was bored out of her mind and simply wanted to go home. Hearing footsteps, she looked up to see Jean Pierre approaching her. “Are you everywhere?” she asked as she stood up.

  “Why the hostility?” he asked.

  “Never mind, I was just leaving.”

  Liane was about to walk off, but he blocked her path. He could not figure out why she hated him so much. Most women were dying to be with him. So what was with her? They stood there for a moment looking at each other. “You are in my way,” Liane said to him.

  “What is it about me that angers you so much?” he asked.

  “The fact that I am trying to leave and you are in my way, for one. Your arrogance for another. The fact that you take without asking and assume that it will be ok. The way people fall all over you and you let them. You’re infuriating.” Liane’s voice trailed off. She hadn’t meant to go off on him like that, but he seemed to bring out the worst in her.

  He did not respond to her, as they stood there looking at each other. His grey gaze was so intense that she started feeling uncomfortable.

  “I need to go,” she said. She had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  “Then go,” he replied. He took in her soft features. She really was very pretty, especially with her hair down. He could understand why his cousin found her attractive. With her heels on, the top of her head reached his nose and he found that he liked her height. Most of the women he dated were considerably shorter than he was.

  “You are in my way,” this time her tone was much softer. Jean Pierre focused on her lips as she spoke. He suddenly wanted to kiss them. She is your cousin's fiancée, a voice screamed inside his head but he found himself lowering his head and pressing a kiss to her lips. They were so soft and inviting that he couldn’t resist kissing her. Liane pulled back and slapped him.

  He blinked a few times as he rubbed his cheek. Well, that was a first for him. No woman had ever slapped him before and it really stung. Glaring at him, she was too shocked to speak. What was he doing? He had no business kissing her but his lips felt good. Really good. She couldn’t believe that she was thinking about kissing him. That she wanted to kiss him. She grabbed his face and pulled him closer to her as she kissed him back. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against him as he deepened the kiss.

  “We should not be doing
this,” Liane said between breaths.

  “I know,” Jean Pierre replied but they carried on kissing as he caressed her back.

  Chapter 5

  Liane's brain told her to stop kissing Jean Pierre and walk away but her body had other plans. She had only been kissing him for a few seconds and she was already on fire. He knew what he was doing as she felt her legs turn to rubber.

  Everything seemed to move so quickly. One minute he was kissing her, the next he had his hand between her legs and was cupping her mound. Liane had never been touched there before and she moaned as she felt her body tingle in places. The feeling was undeniably great, as she found herself pushing against his hand, wanting more.

  Walking her backwards, Liane bumped up against the sofa, as she found herself tumbling back onto it. Following her down, he supported himself above her as he kissed her neck. His hand slid slowly down her side as he rubbed her hip and thigh. Finding the hem of her dress, he lifted it up to her waist. Without pausing, his hand continued to roam over her body, igniting her as she squirmed beneath him. Liane felt his arousal pressing against her leg and reached her hand out to touch it out of curiosity. She gasped at how hard it was. Jean Pierre looked down and unzipped his trousers. Liane gasped when she saw the size of him. While she readily admitted that she was inexperienced, surely it was not meant to be that big. Reaching out again, she ran her fingers along his length. The skin was so smooth and soft.

  Jean Pierre reached for a leg band on her panties as he pulled it to the side. “Already so wet,” he said to her.

  “Shut up,” Liane said as she continued to stroke him. She didn’t need to hear him boasting already about how he turned her on so quickly. Now was not the time to hear him talk.

  He rubbed his fingers along her slit, as she continued to squirm beneath him. When he touched her clit, she thought that she might explode as she closed her eyes to the pleasure he was creating. Sliding one finger inside, he gently began to move it in and out, as he rubbed her clit with his thumb. All thoughts were rapidly disappearing as Liane held tight to his arms and rocked her hips up in time to his gentle thrust. Pulling his finger out, he positioned himself, as he entered her slowly. The sudden pressure and brief pain had her opening her eyes to look at him in surprise, but it was quickly forgotten as he began making long strokes deep inside her. She let out a small moan and held onto him tighter as her insides were tingling all over. He slowly built up momentum and speed as Liane lifted her hips to meet each thrust. Reaching down, he rubbed her clit as Liane gasped in pleasure.