Pregnant with a Royal Baby!

She stopped and pivoted to face him. “Oh, my gosh! I never thought of it that way. For the next five months I can eat on camera.”

“Subjects will love seeing you eat on camera.”

She rubbed her hands together with glee. “Bring on the steaks.”

He opened the apartment door and led her into the echoing foyer. “Should I tell them to give you two from now on?”

She inclined her head. “Might not want to start big. I should work my way up to the second steak.”

They entered the elevator. As it descended she slid her arm through his. The door opened and they made their way to his father’s quarters, where her mother was holding court. He thought it odd for the real royal, his dad, to be letting Ginny’s mom monopolize the conversation. Still, he walked into a room to the sound of his brother laughing and his dad trying to hide a laugh.

“Mother, please tell me you’re not telling off-color jokes.”

Rose gasped at the sound of her daughter’s voice. When she turned and saw the same thing Dom had seen that evening—the slight evidence of a baby bump—her eyes misted. She raced over and put her hands on Ginny’s tummy.

“Oh, my gosh.”

As she had with him, Ginny groaned. “Great. Just great. Everybody’s going to notice.”

“Subjects are eagerly waiting for this,” Dom’s father said, sounding happier than Dom had ever heard him.

“That’s what I told her.” He nodded to the bartender to get him a Scotch but stopped midnod and shook his head. He didn’t need a drink. Didn’t want a drink. Not out of respect for her sensitivity because of her dad’s alcoholism. But out of a sense of unity. This child was both of theirs, but technically she was doing all the work, all the sacrificing. He walked to the bar, got two orange juices in beautiful crystal and handed one to Ginny.

Alex laughed. “You’re drinking orange juice?”

He glanced at his brother’s double Scotch. “Maybe I’d like to have a clear head in case we go to war?”

“Bah. War!” The king batted a hand. “That miserable old sheikh who’s been threatening had better watch his mouth.”

Ginny spun to face him. “A sheikh’s been threatening?”

“Rattling his saber.” Dom took a sip of his orange juice.

She stepped back, tugging on his sleeve for him to join her out of the conversation circle. “Is that what the orange juice is about?”

He looked at the glass, then at her and decided to come clean. “No, as my dad said, the sheikh is just being an idiot. I realize you’re doing all the heavy lifting with this pregnancy. I thought I’d show a little unity, if only in spirit.”

“Oh.” She kissed his cheek. “Now, there’s something you should tell the press.”

“Are you kidding?”

“No. If they like baby bumps, they’ll love hearing that you’re sacrificing your Scotch.”

“This sacrifice isn’t permanent. It’s only for tonight.”

“Still, it’s charming.”

“Oh, please. It took me decades to lose the Prince Charming title. I’d rather not go there again.” He pointed at his brother. “Alex lives with it now.”

“Still...” She sucked in a breath and caught his gaze. “Thank you.”

He displayed the glass. “It’s a little thing. Not much really.” Yet he could see it meant a lot to her, and knowing that gave him a funny feeling inside. Add that to his ability to see her baby bump every time she shifted or moved and he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her.

His father led them to the ballroom, where they entered to a trumpet blast. After an hour in a receiving line, he noticed Ginny looked a little tired and was glad when they walked to the dais. His father made a toast. As minister of finance, he gave a longer toast.

The press was escorted out as dinner was served and, relieved, Dom sat back. Watching Ginny dig into her pork chops with raspberry sauce served with mashed potatoes and julienned steamed carrots, he laughed.

“You’re going to be finished before I get three bites into mine.”

“Everyone said pregnancy would make me hungry all the time. They should have said ravenous.”

He chuckled.

She eyed his dish. “You got a bigger serving than I did.”

“Wanna switch plates?”

She sighed. “No.”

“Seriously. I’ll save some. If you’re still hungry you can have it.”

“I’m gonna get big as a house.”

“In front of the whole world,” he agreed good-naturedly. But when she was done eating, he slid a piece of his pork to her plate. “I don’t want you to faint from hunger while we’re dancing.”