Page 27 of Royal Baby Maker

Drawing myself up, I faced Corriane. The last time I'd seen him he'd been sprawled on a restaurant floor, furious with me and Bishop. Would he sneer at me? Mock me while everyone looked on?

I prepared myself for what to say in return. But then he wrapped his arms around me, hugging me like we were old friends.

Baffled, I looked at Bishop over his shoulder. The prince shrugged, though I could see the veins in the backs of his hands throbbing; he'd been ready to take Corriane down if he started trouble.

Not entirely sure hewasn'tstarting something, I pulled out of the hug. “Hi?” I asked stupidly.

His grin was brighter than the chandeliers above us. He gripped my upper arms, gazing down at my belly. “Look at you! You're stunning, my goodness. Bishop, how can you let her walk in these heels? Tsk!”

Bishop and I shared a look. “Corriane,” he said, “It's nice to see you smiling. I didn't expect you to be here, honestly.”

“Because of our little fiasco?” Chuckling, he let me go and reached into his pocket. There was no weapon, just his phone. He scrolled through it as he spoke. “I should apologize for that night. I acted like a real jackass.”

No argument there,I thought with a tiny smile.

Turning the phone so I could see it, he showed me a photo of a beautiful woman. She was smiling at the camera. In her hand was a wineglass, the other sat half full on the table in front of her. “Is that your fiancée?” I asked, blinking.

“An angel, yes?” Grinning ear to ear, he showed the picture to Bishop. “The gift from your mother. She gave us wine glasses inscribed with the day Lavon and I had our first date. I remember she'd told me how shehatedwine. I was determined to change that, so I took her to my favorite winery. It was a wonderful time.” He paused, then added, “Good memory, your mother.”

“She does have that,” Bishop said softly. He was unsure what was going on; always looking for danger. I appreciated that, but I didn't think Corriane was tricking us somehow. He looked... happy. Especially when he stared at the photo of his fiancée.

Shaking himself back to the present, he nodded at me. “You were right, you know. It shouldn't have taken something as simple as some wine glasses to remind me, and yet... well.” He shrugged helplessly. “Lavon is my jewel. I love her, and if I'd gone to a strip club that night, I'd have ruined everything. Thank you both for stopping me.”

If I doubted his confession, I couldn't doubt the raw regret in his frown. Corriane had gone from thinking I was trash to... respecting me. I clasped his hands with all the affection I had in me. “It's nothing. Anytime you need me to chuck a box at you, I'll be there.”

He laughed hard, grabbing Bishop to give him a playful shake. “See? Such fire! Your baby will be a wild thing, be ready for it.”

“I will be,” Bishop said. The muscles in his neck had finally relaxed.

Corriane walked off, and as he did, I took the opportunity to scan the crowd again. Some people still scowled, but not all of them. There was wonderment in some faces—interest. Corriane was a powerful emissary, his approval of our relationship was a signal flare to everyone else that we weren't joking around.

“Huh.”

“What?” Bishop asked.

Grabbing another tiny pie off the table, I finished it in one bite. Making him wait while I chewed was satisfying. “I was just thinking that maybe this could work out.”

Looping a piece of my hair around his finger, he tugged. “Oh,” he whispered in my ear. “You only just realized that?”

Kissing him quickly on the cheek, I dodged away as fast as I could. My pregnancy didn't slow me down a ton, but I was aware of it. “I'm going to get some air, this many people plus my hugeness is making me too warm. Be right back.”

****

Idropped onto theledge that surrounded the mudroom where people could leave their coats. It was quiet; cool, thanks to an open window, and empty because everyone was partying. “Damn heels,” I groaned, taking one off so I could massage my foot.

“Oh, you poor thing,” a voice said behind me. I turned in time to see Iris. She was dressed in a gold sequin dress, straps coiling from her shoes up to her knees. Sinking down beside me, she flashed me a pitying look. “Pregnancy is hard on you, huh?”

Looking side to side, amazed she was speaking so sweetly to me, I balked. “Um... I guess so.”

“Here, do you need a tissue? A mint?” She was digging into her expensive looking purse. “Tell me how you're doing.”

Okay, now I was super lost. This girl wasnotmy friend. “Why are you trying to be nice?”

Her false eyelashes flapped like wings. “Oh my gosh! How can I not be nice to you? You're bursting with that baby. Things can't be easy for you right now. But at least you're brave. It takes guts to stand in front ofallthose people, parading your illegitimate baby-belly around.”

There it was. How could someone so pretty say something so ugly? “Bishop is going to marry me.” I hadn't said it out loud until now. When I did, a flutter spun through my body, flipping like a fish in a pond.We're going to get married.Would that make me a princess, a queen? I didn't care; just being his wife would be enough.

Covering her mouth, she laughed in rapid short bursts. It reminded me of someone with the hiccups. “You're so stupid. What did you do, trick him? Tell him you were on birth control when you weren't? Girls like you, using men to get yourself out of shitty situations, piss me off.”

---