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But that had been three hours ago now. Three hours as he had watched her preparing the last of the arrangements for Ana’s party. Dealing with the guests, coordinating the surprise, greeting everyone… And he’d waited for her to drag him to one side to tell him the news. And she hadn’t.

Not only that, but once he’d calmed down enough to think straight, he’d realised that she must have known about the pregnancy when she’d come to the bodega to meet him for lunch eight hours ago now… And again, she’d said nothing.

He’d been watching her so closely in the past hour, unable to stop himself from touching her, running his hands over the space where their child was already growing, while willing all his fears to subside. But now as he watched her glance down and tug her bottom lip beneath her teeth, the panic which had been building like a summer storm threatened to consume him. And forced him to ask himself the question he had been trying not to ask for three hours.

What if she wasn’t as overjoyed about this news as he was?

Their life had been wonderful, exciting, so full of fun and love in the past ten months. But it had also been chaotic, insanely busy and overwhelming. She had built a career for herself at the bodega, built a home for his family in thecastillo, become his wife and hisduquesa, forced into the public eye, while deftly handling the media attention which he had always hated with charm and grace.

He knew she loved him. He would never doubt that. But maybe she was not ready for this development. Maybe she was exhausted by all the changes. And what right did he have to push this on her, when she had already taken on so much for him?

But what the hell would he do if she didn’t want to keep his child? When he wanted so much to see her body grow round with his baby, to see her nurture it, to see her become an amazing mother…

They had changed the narrative of their family’s history, from tragedy to triumph, with their love. But it had been exhausting as well as exhilarating at times. He understood that.

But as he watched her struggle, he felt the rush of love consume him all over again.

They had built this marriage on honesty. On trust as well as love. And they would get through this moment like so many others. He had to believe that.

Tucking a knuckle under her chin, he lifted her face until that translucent blue-green gaze connected with his.

‘Cerys…’ he said, skimming his thumb over her bottom lip, chewed raw now. ‘Is there something you wish to tell me?’

She blinked slowly, the pink flush galloping up her neck, but the naked hope in her eyes had every one of his fears dissolving as the giddy rush of joy forced him to lock his knees again.

‘You… You know?’ she whispered. ‘How do you know?’

He grinned.Dios, this woman… How could he adore her any more?

‘Five minutes spent digging through the bathroom trash…’ He huffed, trying to sound indignant but getting overjoyed instead. ‘Why exactly do you use so many tissues, by the way?’

Her gaze lit up with the innocent joy he loved.

‘You’re not upset?’ she asked, even though she had to be able to see his answer, because it felt as if his whole body was lit up too.

‘About the fact that you are having my baby?’ His gaze dipped and he pressed his hand to her belly, to caress the spot where their son or daughter was probably already the size of a pea. ‘No… I am ecstatic.’

He dipped his head to capture her sob of relief on his lips in a reverent kiss. But then he reached around her waist to pull her tightly against him, the heat surging as it always did, alongside the joy, and whispered in her ear, ‘Your tissue addiction, though, is a problem we may need to remedy.’

She was still laughing as he carried her up to their bedroom to show her exactly how much he worshipped and adored her… And how much he would love all the children he hoped to give her one day.

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