Page 36 of Pregnant at the Palace Altar

His gaze grew intense, and a tingling warmth crept through her body. Last night had been beautiful. He would scoff at such a word, she knew, but ithadbeen. It had made her feel like they really could...do this marriage thing. This family thing.

Oh, he’d throw more walls up, this she knew. It was what he was best at, but maybe she had enough resilience in her to break them all down. She thought about this as she finished her breakfast, sitting back in her chair and licking her lips once more. She watched his reaction very closely.

“We shall go for a swim,” he said, somewhat abruptly.

“Weshall?”

“You said you enjoyed swimming back in Seir.”

“Yes.” And she’d been determined to enjoy a swim here, but she hadn’t expected him to voluntarily accompany her.

“I have obtained a swimsuit for you, and some sunscreen. We should go before the heat of the afternoon.” He motioned at the bedroom behind them. “Everything is laid out for you.”

She did wish to swim, and if he was going to join her, all the better. So she went back inside and found a beautiful maternity suit in a pretty shade of purple, a broad hat for the sun, and a cover-up, along with sandals. His staff had thought of everything.

When she rejoined him, he too was dressed for the beach. He said nothing, but his gaze raked over her. She tried very hard not to smile. There was something incredibly enjoyable and freeing about simply accepting that she wanted him. And he wanted her, even as she lumbered down to the beach.

A section had already been set up for them with chairs and umbrellas, a little container of waters, juices and snacks. Someone had thought of everything.

Katerina looked at her husband. He was gazing at the sea, an inscrutable expression on his face.

He had come here with his family as a child, and she imagined he was trying very hard not to remember that. She couldn’t help but wonder if heshouldremember. Still, she let him have his moment and she stepped into the surf. The water was cool but nice as the sun was already beating down on them.

It was strange to be in the ocean again. It had been a long time—years really—and she’d never been pregnant before, so this was a first. Her balance was different, that was for sure, and still she waded out. She felt lighter, buoyant somehow. Like she had back in those old, almost carefree summers when she’d been able to escape her mother and swim out all her feelings in the surf.

She didn’t know for how long she swam, only that it was the first bit of quiet and calm—both around her and inside of her—that she’d had in a very long time. It made space for all sorts of thoughts and feelings, all centered around the man who was now her husband.

Forever.

He might not have wanted a wife or children, but he was not a man who would turn his back on them now that he had them. This was it, and—

Strong hands clasped her at the waist. “You should not be out so far.”

She eyed Diamandis as he took hold of her. His expression was stern, his grip strong. Water dripped from his short, dark hair. How he managed to still look like a king in swim shorts in the middle of an ocean was beyond her.

“I am a strong swimmer, Diamandis.”

“I do not care. It is not safe. Particularly in your condition.”

“You mean being pregnant with your children?”

His stern frown turned disapproving. “Yes,” he said tightly. “And as you are my wife, and they are my children, I will ensure you are all safe.”

She did not reply to this. She had never questioned whether she would be safe with Diamandis because she had always known she would be. Just as she knew, in this moment, that he saw a long-ago night when he’d lost so much. She didn’t want him to have to remember that on this pretty day at the beach.

She changed the subject. “What else do you know about me?”

His gaze sharpened, as he was brought from the past to the present. “What do you mean?”

“You know where I grew up, and it made me realize I never really thought of the advantage you have. You would have run a background check on me. Talked to my references. You probably know things about me that even I don’t. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been cleared to work so closely with you.”

“I know where you went to school, your degree, your grades. What scholarships you received, and how quickly you paid your loans back. I know your work history. Would you like me to recite it for you like some kind of test?”

She shook her head, amused at the impatient tone of his voice. He was humoring her and he wasn’t happy about it. “What about things that wouldn’t be found in an employee report?”

His gaze was all disapproval. “I do not understand this conversation, Katerina.”

“I am simply curious. Should our union ever be called into question.” She smiled, though this had nothing to do with anyone questioning him. “What would you tell people in order to prove that we have a marriage—?” She could not bring herself to addborn of love. The words got lodged in her throat. “Arealmarriage.”

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