Princess's Nine-Month Secret

‘Not here.’ She glanced around the bathroom. ‘Someone’s liable to come in, and I can’t cope with another snide remark.’

His frown of concern deepened into a positive scowl. ‘So someone did say something to you. One of those women?’

‘Not to me,’ Halina clarified, and felt the tightening of tears in her throat. The snippy, bitchy comments she’d overheard while in the bathroom stall had wounded her deeply, more than she cared to admit to Rico, because even though he wanted to know she knew he wouldn’t understand. Not completely.

‘Tell me,’ he demanded. ‘Tell me what they said.’

‘Why, so you can punch them?’ She let out a hiccupping laugh. ‘I will tell you, but can we please go somewhere private?’

‘Fine.’ He slid his phone out of his pocket and quickly texted a message. ‘The limo will meet us out front in five minutes.’

‘We’re leaving?’

‘Do you really want to go back in to the party?’

‘No, but I thought you would. This charity is important to you.’

He shrugged. ‘Your well-being matters more.’

Which both touched her and made her feel guilty. She really had failed him this evening. Feeling miserable on so many levels, Halina followed Rico out of the bathroom. He took her arm as he strode away from the party so that Halina had to take quick, mincing steps in her tightly fitted evening gown and tottering heels to keep up with him.

‘Rico, wait! I can’t walk so fast. These shoes are killing me.’

‘Sorry.’ He glanced at her, contrite. ‘I just wanted to get you away from here.’

The limo was waiting for them outside the hotel, and Rico opened the door before ushering Halina inside. She slipped into the luxurious leather interior with a sigh of relief. Every p

art of her ached.

‘Are you in pain?’ Rico asked, catching her wince, and Halina managed a laugh.

‘No, I’m just not used to these stilettos. They kill my feet.’

‘Take them off, then.’ Before she could do so he reached down, undid the straps of her shoes and slipped them off her feet. Halina let out a gusty sigh of relief, then gave a little gasp of surprise when Rico took her feet and drew them up to his lap. When his thumbs began to massage powerful circles on their soles she wriggled with pleasure and couldn’t keep a moan of delight from escaping her.

‘Oh, my goodness, that feels fantastic.’

Rico laughed softly. ‘I can tell.’

He reached over and tucked one of the throw pillows adorning the limo’s seats behind her head. ‘There. Now tell me what happened at the party.’

Halina’s eyes fluttered closed as she surrendered to Rico’s tender ministrations, his fingers continuing to work their magic on her aching feet. ‘It wasn’t such a big deal. I’m sorry I made it so.’

‘That’s for me to say, not you. What happened, Halina?’

She sighed and then wriggled again with pleasure as Rico’s hands moved up to her ankles, his thumbs tracing the delicate bones.

‘I was in one of the bathroom stalls and some women came in. They started talking about me—and you.’

His fingers stilled for only a second before he continued with the slow, rhythmic circles. ‘And what did they say?’

‘They knew I was pregnant. I don’t know how...’

‘You put your hand on your belly during our engagement announcement and then you asked for sparkling water.’

‘Oh.’ Now she felt stupid. ‘Well, that explains it, then,’ she said with an attempt at a laugh.

‘I don’t mind people knowing, Halina,’ Rico said, his voice low and sure. ‘I will never mind. You’re going to be my wife and you’re carrying my child.’