Hollywood Prince (Hollywood Royalty 3)

“She’s home,” he says. “I just can’t stop trying to knock her up.” He shrugs, and I just laugh.

“I know that problem,” I say, and Erin gasps, looking at me. “It’s like a challenge.”

She shakes her head, and Tyler tells me he is going to see me in there. He walks the red carpet and poses for pictures but doesn’t stop to talk to any of the reporters. “Shall we?” Erin says, and I grab her hand in mine, and we walk the red carpet. She tells me which reporters to stop and talk to. She still works for Hillcrest but only for me. It was a compromise we both agreed to. I didn’t want her to work, and she didn’t want to stop working. In the end, we both win.

“Carter,” the male reporter greets me. “Great seeing you.” I nod at him. “What do you think about the buzz going around that this role is going to have you winning the Oscar?”

I shake my head. “I try not to get swept up in all the social media rumors. I already have the best award waiting for me at home,” I say, mentioning Annabella.

What a difference a year makes. This time last year, I was a shell of a man living an empty life, and then one day, in a blink of an eye, it changed, and I wouldn’t trade it for all the money in the world. I would give all this up just to go home to my girls at night. I bring Erin’s hand up to my lips, and she smiles at me. You could give me all the awards in the world and call my name to the stage a million times over and nothing can take the place of that smile. Nothing can take the place of being proud to be by her side, proud to be Annabella’s dad. But most of all, proud of the man she made me become.

Epilogue Two

Erin

Six months later

“Is she okay?” I ask my husband, who comes into our bedroom, and I hear my daughter in the monitor calling him.

“Da da da da da da.” I shake my head and look at him. He’s beaming, and it’s not just because he is sweeping through all the award shows. No, he’s beaming because our daughter’s first words were da da.

“I have to get ready.” He comes to me and kisses my neck. “I wish we could skip tonight,” he says, and I shake my head. “We could order Chinese.” He tries to get me to change my mind, but there is no way in hell I’m letting him get out of the Academy Awards when he’s up for best actor in a motion picture. The day the nominations were announced, we were going on a night of not sleeping. Annabella was teething, and I swear he looked like someone was stabbing him each time she cried.

“I am going in the guest room to get ready,” I tell him, and he looks at me. “Or else you’ll destroy my hair.”

“I can restrain myself, you know.” He pulls his shorts down, and I see his cock is already semi-hard just waiting for the word. I shake my head. “Go get ready.” I point at the shower and walk out of the room. Stopping in the nursery, I see my mother on the floor with our baby girl as she drools.

“She is so in love with her father, it’s scary,” my mother says, and she leans forward and kisses Annabella’s neck, causing her to shriek. “Go get dressed.”

I walk to the guest room and see the gown hanging on the hanger. I look at the rose gold gown and touch the beading. It’s his big night, and I am so proud of him. I drop the robe and then slip into the chiffon gown. “Mom!” I shout for her, and she comes in with Annabella in her arms. “I need you to zip me.” She just smiles, putting Annabella down, and then comes over and zips me in. The gown molds every curve and drops down between my breasts. It goes tight until my knees and then hangs down to the floor.

“The train is amazing,” my mother says of the train that starts at my shoulders and then hangs down.

“Do I look the part?” I ask her, turning and taking myself in. I pinned one side of my hair up and then let the rest fall down in curls.

“Babe.” I hear Carter call me, and I pick up my girl, and she smiles at me, showing me her two teeth.

I walk out of the room, the swishing of the gown all around me, and I see my husband looking handsome in his black velour tux. “Da da da,” Annabella says when she sees him, and when I’m close enough, she tries to pitch herself forward.