After two months of a blissful honeymoon, they had returned to the palace in Vollenstadt just yesterday in time for Max to begin his partial succession. His father would remain the king and head of state, but Max would become the prince regent and take over his father’s responsibilities.
In anticipation of doing so, Max had taken time off from the bank and resigned as the CEO. He still wanted to be involved in the banking affairs to some degree, but he’d stated many times that his wife took priority and his country came next.
She leaned her head back on her pillow, hugged her arms around her chest, and released a happy sigh. Max made her feel like she was the most special person on earth. And in return, she’d tried to do the same with him.
The past weeks had been a delightful time of traveling around his country to his various estates, where they’d stayed afew days to a week before moving on to the next place. He had been the perfect tour guide, letting her experience everything his country had to offer. They had snowboarded, ice skated, sledded, taken moonlit gondola rides, danced all night at his favorite club, visited his family’s museums, had bonfires on snowy nights, and so much more.
He’d taken her on his private jet to Paris to buy her wedding gifts. Another day, they flew to London so that he could take her to his favorite restaurant there as well as buy her more jewelry and clothes.
They’d mostly stayed out of the spotlight and avoided the paparazzi. But on the few occasions they’d encountered reporters, they’d managed to make that fun as well.
As much as she’d enjoyed all the activities and getting to see his world and his country, her favorite days were when they stayed in bed all day, ate takeout, watched movies, and then kissed for hours.
Last night, when he’d held her tightly against him, he’d whispered in her ear how much he loved her. She’d whispered back that she wished they could stay like that in bed forever. He’d told her not to tempt him, and she’d told him she was mostly serious, and they’d laughed and kissed more.
Of course she missed her family and Colorado and the ranch. But a part of her knew she’d been destined for more than her life there, that she was a wild mustang that had needed to be set free to live her own life and roam wherever she pleased.
Thankfully, Karen had been willing to take over the event planner role part-time. And her best ambassador, Dwight, had been willing to fill in for the other half of the role until Tyler could hire someone else. She’d done her best to continue helping remotely, but the two hadn’t needed her help much.
Tomorrow she would meet with the queen to begin going over the new duties, and she was looking forward to working again, especially now that Max would be busy.
She was still getting used to the lavish lifestyle, attention, privileges, and the servants waiting upon her every need. But Max had been protective and patient, teaching her what was expected of her at every occasion.
Now, as she turned over to Max’s empty spot, she wished she could bring him back. Instead, her stomach roiled again. This time, the roiling didn’t stop. She barely made it to the toilet before she threw up.
As she sat back on her feet and wiped her mouth with a tissue, she could only think of her dad when he’d first taken ill from his cancer and how he’d had trouble with throwing up. What if she had cancer too?
Tears sprang to her eyes—unexpected and totally unnecessary tears. But in the next instant, she found herself practically sobbing over an illness that she didn’t have at the moment and probably would never have.
“Get a grip, Emberly,” she whispered as she pushed herself up and wiped her cheeks dry. Her stomach gurgled angrily with a need for food.
Why was she so emotional? Why was she getting sick? And why was she so hungry?
As soon as the last question flew through her mind, she stared at herself in the wide vanity mirror.
No, she couldn’t be.
Quickly, she calculated the passing of time and tried to remember the last time she’d had her period. She hadn’t had one since before she was married.
She placed a hand on her abdomen. She was pregnant. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind. She didn’t need apregnancy test. Didn’t need a doctor to tell her. She knew it deep in her bones.
A sweet, keen sense of joy overwhelmed her, and suddenly she was crying again, tears streaming down her cheeks, this time with happiness.
She needed to tell Max, but she didn’t want to disturb him during his first day. Although she wanted to text him to come back to the bedroom right away, she somehow made it through the morning. She had her lady’s maid discreetly bring her a pregnancy test and wasn’t surprised when the double lines showed up, confirming that she was having a baby.
As the noon hour approached, she finally couldn’t wait any longer to see Max and tell him the news. And of course kiss him again, because the few hours apart had been the longest she’d been away from him since arriving in Karltenberg.
She’d barely sent the text telling him she needed to see him when the door to their suites banged open and Max stepped in, clearly seeking her out without her beckoning. His eyes held a hunger that told her he’d missed her too. As he reached her, without a word, he picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his torso and her arms around his neck.
Their mouths immediately fused in a heated, almost frantic need for each other. His kiss told her everything she needed to know—that he’d missed her that morning just as much as she’d missed him, that he didn’t like being away from her, and that he loved her passionately.
He began to walk them backward toward the bed, kissing her with each step. When he bumped into the mattress, he turned and lowered her onto the bed while quickly covering her.
Before he could press fully against her, she broke the kiss, held up a hand, and stopped him. “Wait.” Her voice was breathless but contained a note of anticipation.
He halted, his fingers spread possessively over her hips.
“I need to tell you something,” she whispered.
