Ways To Ruin A Royal Reputation (Mills & Boon Modern) (Signed, Sealed…Seduced, Book 1) by Dani Collins (best contemporary novels .TXT) 📕

her through to the bedroom in long strides. When he set her on the bed, he came down with her and framed her face. “I need you, Amy. You. Never leave me again.”

“Stay and fight?” she suggested on a shaken laugh.

“Sì.” He pressed his smile to hers and they didn’t talk again for a long time.

“Amy,” Bea murmured. She and Clare widened their eyes with awe as they entered Luca’s home several weeks later. Hers too, he kept insisting, but she was taking things slowish.

Not so slow that she didn’t introduce Luca by his new title as she drew her friends into the lounge.

“This is Luca. My fiancé.” She gave an exaggerated wave of her wrist to show off the ring. It was an oval ruby with a halo of diamonds on a simple gold band, not extravagant, but invaluable for its sentimental and historical significance. He had proposed properly the day she officially moved in with him. She’d been staying with him since he’d come to London so, even though it all happened very quickly, it felt right to make it official. She was beyond honored to be his future wife.

“Oh, my God! Congratulations.” Bea and Clare hugged her nearly to death and grew flustered when Luca accepted their congratulations by brushing away an offer to shake hands and embraced each of them.

“I’m delighted to meet you both. And I look forward to getting to know you better, but Amy’s been missing you. I’ll let you catch up.” He touched Amy’s arm. “I’ll tell my sister she can release the statement on our engagement.”

“Thank you.” Amy wrinkled her nose. She had asked him to wait on announcing it until she’d had the chance to tell her two best friends in person. “You spoil me.”

“Nothing less than you deserve, mi amore.” He set a kiss on her lips, nodded at the other two women and disappeared up the stairs.

Clare and Bea stood there with their mouths open.

“You’ve been busy,” Clare accused.

“Oh, please. You both have plenty of explaining to do about your own whereabouts these last weeks. Come.” Amy led them to where the wine and glasses were waiting. “Dish.”

EPILOGUE

“AND THE WINNER for Most Innovative Integrated Media Messaging goes to London Connection, for their Consent to Solar Power campaign on behalf of AR Green Solutions.”

Bea and Clare shot to their feet in excitement while Luca said a smug, “I knew it,” beside Amy. He rose to help her out of her chair.

Amy needed help. She was eight months pregnant going on eleven. She had been on the fence about attending this ceremony, but it was her last chance for a night out and a rare opportunity to catch up with her best friends.

Of course, when they had planned it, Amy hadn’t known she was pregnant again. It had been thrilling news to learn she was expecting their second child, but a surprise, considering it happened a mere twelve weeks after their daughter Zabrina had been born.

Despite how busy she was as a mother, Amy was keeping her hand in with London Connection. She had personally supervised the team who had come up with this promotion for the solar tiles Luca was producing with his partner Emiliano.

They were heading straight to Vallia in the morning, though. Sofia was not even engaged, let alone showing signs of producing the next ruler. This baby would be third in line for the throne after Luca and Zabrina. Everyone wanted this babyto be born there.

For the most part, Amy had been feeling good. Tired, but Luca was a hands-on father, and they had a nanny along with other staff who were always willing to cuddle a princess.

Even so, Amy leaned on Bea and Clare as they all went onto the dais. “Can you believe this is our life?” she asked them.

They were both beaming, all of them at the top of their individual worlds.

But as had always been their dynamic, both women gave Amy a little shove toward the microphone, letting her take the heat of the spotlight for all of them.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without these two wonderful women beside me and the brilliant men who conceived these panels, most especially my husband who didn’t dismiss me when I said ‘What if we show your workers asking Mother Nature for consent?’”

A ripple of laughter went through the room at the unusual campaign.

“I’m the one who said she was out of her mind,” Clare interjected, making Amy laugh because that was exactly what her friend had said, before assuring her she trusted her and encouraging her to go for it.

Something happened when Amy laughed, though. A release. She felt the flood of dampness and cringed with an agony of embarrassment.

“Ames?” Bea squeezed her arm. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“This is not a stunt for more publicity, I swear.” Amy shaded her eyes and looked for her husband who was already moving quickly toward her, an anxious expression on his face. “But I’m about to make a scene.”

“Amore, what’s wrong?”

“I’m so sorry, Luca. My water broke.”

As the whole room erupted, Luca gathered her into his side. “Of course, it did,” he said ruefully. “Never a dull moment. Do you know how much I love you for that?”

Her love for him was touch and go for the next few hours while she labored to bring their son into the world, but at dawn, when she woke to see him cradling their newborn, her feelings toward him defied words.

He barely looked any worse for wear despite the fact he’d been up all night. His love for her and their son glowed from his expression when he noticed she was awake.

“Do you know how much I love you?” she asked.

“I think I do,” he said, caressing her jaw and kissing her temple. “But tell me anyway.”

Coming next month

CINDERELLA’S NIGHT IN VENICE

Clare Connelly

As the car slowed to go over a speed hump, his fingers briefly fell to her