Page 84 of Scandal Queen

“Don’t worry.” I kissed him back, pecking my words with my kisses. “We can sort it tomorrow. I’m sure there’s a morning after pill for your royal spermage.”

His eyes met mine, his lips curving just ever so slightly. “Yes, you and your issue with royal spermage.”

“I’m twenty-two and a mother of a six-year-old.”

“Twenty-three.”

“You know what I mean.”

“And I’m thirty, and the father of a six-year-old.” His words made my heart want to leap out of my chest and fly into the sky, floating with clouds and rainbows.

“Ollie. I think the royal wedding of scandal, and everything else we have going on is enough. I could do without being the first knocked up royal bride.”

His fingers slipped around my cheek. “I already plan for it to be the shortest royal engagement in the history of royal marriages.”

“Oh you do, do you?”

“Yes.” His burning statement stole my laughter. “Everything I want is in the four walls of this cottage.”

“Ollie, it’s not that easy. We have responsibilities. You do. Don’t push things too far, you’ve got nothing to prove to me.”

He met my gaze, his expression one of utter seriousness. “I will spend every day of my life proving I’m worthy of you.”

I went to tell him he had it wrong, that it was the other way around, but he stole my words with a kiss, and then another and then another, until eventually the sun dipped over the windowsill of a bedroom in our perfect cottage where I wanted us to hide forever.

When he tucked me into his side, holding me so tight I could feel his heart against my back, his hand slipped down my waist as he whispered, “I love that you and I could create something together.”

And how could argue with that? Because I knew without any doubt that together we were everything.

He pressed his last kiss, before sleep stole him away, into my neck, whispering, “Happy birthday.”

Twenty

I pushed the door open into the gloomy room. The air was stuffy and overly warm. Walking to the window I opened the curtains and shoved at a window.

Oliver and Daisy had been out for a while, Daisy being home now it was the Christmas break. The Range Rover had been missing when I’d finally woken from my gifted lie in.

After I’d spent about an hour looking at my diamonds, I figured it was probably time to do something useful.

Everything seemed achingly real in the cold light of day.

Someone wanted access to Daisy.

Oliver’s sister had a drug issue I hadn’t even properly accounted for—me the daughter of a drug addict. Anger coursed through me as I recognised how blind I’d been.

Oh and the future King of England had asked me to marry him. And his public were probably going to go bonkers.

There seemed a lot to process.

With the curtains open I turned for the bed.

“I’m sorry.” Isabella’s skin matched the white bedding.

“You should be. You scared the life out of your parents.”

Shaking my head, I stepped for the bed and perched on the mattress. The drip had been taken away and now Isabella just looked like she’d been sleeping off a bad hangover.

“I know. I’ve already been given a talking to.”