When she had arrived, she had been glad that she did. Her grandfather had been in the process of convincing everyone that she was going to marry Jean Pierre. In fact, several European newspapers were already saying it was a done deal. Eve had been able to set Warren Travers straight, and in the process, had actually become good friends with the new king.
Jean Pierre was quite a guy. He had taken over after his father had stepped down the year before, but he was already making changes within his island kingdom. He ruled with a firm hand, but also a fair one. His people loved him. Eve had confided in him about her pregnancy the week before, and she was glad she had. He encouraged her to talk about it, assured her that he would support her through whatever choices she made about her future.
As she began to get to know Jean Pierre, she found out that he had recently been spending time in London. Soon, she started to put pieces of the puzzle together, and when she had seen the end result, she had been unable to contain her hysterical laughter.
It seemed that the world was really quite small, after all. For Jean Pierre was actually the man in Quinn’s life. Or rather, he had been. When Quinn had found out about his supposed engagement, she had ended things between them. He had not made things easier, what with not getting in touch with Quinn when the story had first hit the stands.
Eve had nearly ripped his head off when she had found out that little tidbit of information. How dare he make her beloved Quinn suffer like that? Quinn was special, and she deserved special treatment. Jean Pierre had acted abominably when he hadn’t returned her calls and texts. Of course, Eve later found out that someone working for her grandfather had “misplaced” Jean Pierre’s cell phone.
But by the time it had been recovered, the damage had already been done. Quinn refused to speak to him. And when Eve had tried to explain the situation, she had gotten an earful for her troubles. It seemed the world knew that it was, in fact, Eve who was supposed to marry the new king of Thibaud. Quinn had torn into her stepsister like a wild thing.
“How dare you do this to my brother?” she had practically shouted at Eve over the phone. “Do you know how devastated he is right now? Do you even care? And as for that two-timing bastard, you can have him.” The tirade went on for long minutes after, but just when Quinn had calmed down enough for Eve to try to explain, her stepsister had simply hung up. When Eve had attempted to call back, she was sent to voice mail.
That had been last week. But now that Jean Pierre was less busy trying to undo the damage done by Warren Travers and his devious plan to marry his granddaughter off to the king, he was finally free to go to London. Eve knew that her friend was missing Quinn. He had confided in her that he hoped to make Quinn his queen.
“I have a better idea.” Eve pushed away her half-eaten toast.
Jean Pierre’s mocha eyes lit up, and he grinned as she continued to explain what her plan was. “Are you sure it will work?” he asked when she was finished.
Eve shrugged. “Fairly sure. Want to risk it?”
“Absolutely.”
sixteen
Garth arrived on Thibaud two days later. He was beyond angry with Eve for not having kept in touch with him, not to mention letting him know beforehand what was going on. But when she sat him down and explained the situation, he calmed down and quickly agreed to help out her and Jean Pierre.
A few times, her stepfather tried to bring up the subject of Sebastian, but Eve didn’t want to talk about him. She still hadn’t been able to reach a decision about the man who was the father of her child, but she knew she didn’t want any outside influence when making her decisions.
Cameron and Ami arrived soon afterward. They didn’t have a clue as to what was going on, but they were glad to take a break from planning their wedding. The couple was so happy together that Eve sometimes felt awkward in their company. She felt envious of what they had and wished she could have the same kind of happiness with Sebastian.
Early Saturday morning, Eve was busy helping decorate the palace gardens when she heard the angry clicking of heels on the stones of the veranda. She raised her head and smiled at her stepsister as she came into view. “Finally,” she murmured and started toward her.
Quinn glared down at her. With the heels of her boots adding to her already considerable height, she towered over Eve. “How could you?” she whispered.
Eve wrapped her arms around Quinn’s narrow waist. Quinn resisted, but Eve just gave her a warm smile. “I’m so glad to see you,” she murmured. “I love you.”
Quinn’s bottom lip trembled. “I love you too,” she mumbled. “But… You are breaking my heart. How can you marry him, knowing that I love…loved him?”
Eve raised a brow. “Who told you I was marrying him?” she asked gently.
“Daddy. He said I had to come be a part of Jean Pierre’s wedding.” She scrubbed at her tearstained cheeks. “And…and …”
Eve put her hand over her friend and stepsister’s mouth to hush her wobbly words. “But did he say that I was marrying Jean Pierre?”
Quinn frowned, seeming to think about that. “No…” She shook her head after a moment. “But…”
Eve grinned. “Come on. Let’s get you dressed. We don’t have much time.” She tugged the confused woman into the palace. “You need a shower, and then your hair has to be done.”
Quinn was quiet all through the next hour. There was a crew of stylists waiting to glam her up. Eve watched as she finished getting ready herself. Quinn’s caramel hair was piled up on her head and pinned into place with diamond hair clips. Her makeup made her face look hauntingly beautiful.
Finally, the stylists stepped back, and Eve stepped forward with Quinn’s dress. As Eve helped her step into it, the tears began to fall. “This isn’t real,” Quinn whispered. “I’m dreaming.”
Eve simply grinned and did up the many buttons on the back of the wedding dress. After the last one was in place, Eve pulled out the necklace that Jean Pierre had given her for Quinn to wear. “These were Jean Pierre’s mother’s. His father gave them to her on their wedding day, and now they belong to you.” The pearls hugged Quinn’s neck, while a diamond hung low just above her breasts.
Quinn turned to face Eve, tears glistening in her eyes. “I… This is a dream, right?”
Eve took a tissue and dabbed at the tears on Quinn’s cheek, fixing her makeup as she did so. “This is a dream come to life,” she told the older woman. “This is your wedding day.”
“But…” Her chin trembled. “He’s marrying you.”
“No. That was never going to happen, Quinn. My grandfather tried to manipulate it into happening, but it was never something that was going to be a reality. Jean Pierre loves you and would never settle for anything less than you as his wife.”
“Really?” she whispered.
“You have a choice to make—right here, right now. Do you want to marry Jean Pierre? If so, then I will take you to him. But if you don’t…”
“No, take me to him. Now! Please.”
***
Hours later, while everyone was enjoying the reception, Eve danced with the groom. Quinn was dancing with her father, radiating happiness. She couldn’t stop smiling, and every time Eve met her stepsister’s eyes, she mouthed “Thank you.”
Jean Pierre’s father was talking with Cameron, while Ami seemed caught up in a conversation with Jean Pierre’s cousins. The only one not happy was Warren Travers, who had been invited but only out of reluctance. The old man was still the ambassador—for the moment. His dreams of being Jean Pierre’s counselor were long gone. The man couldn’t be trusted with his ambitions so high. Jean Pierre had given him until the end of the summer to resign, to go out with some dignity as a show of respect for Eve. But truly, Eve couldn’t have cared less. She had only ever been a pawn to the old bastard.
Jean Pierre swung her around once, laughing joyously. “You did it! You have made me the happiest man alive.”
She giggled, holding on to his shoulders to keep h
erself steady as they continued to dance. “I’m glad that I could help make today special for the two of you.”
“Eve!”
Her head snapped around when she heard her name. Through all the excitement of the day, she hadn’t even thought of Sebastian. She had been so worried about Quinn and what her reaction to the wedding would be that he had been the last thing on her mind.
But there he stood, looking pale and unkempt in a wrinkled suit and hair that looked as if he had been running his fingers through it. Yet he was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen. Her heart stuttered in her chest, and she released Jean Pierre without even realizing it. “Bastian,” she whispered and took a step in his direction.
He was beside her within seconds, his hands clamped around her wrists. “I thought you loved me.” He shook his head, looking enraged. His hands hurt her wrists. “Do you hate me so much that you would really marry another man?”
“What…?” she whimpered when his grip tightened reflexively. “You’re hurting me.”
Instantly, his hold eased, but he didn’t release her. “You married him.” And she saw his eyes glitter with tears.
“No!” She pulled free from him and cupped his face. “I haven’t married anyone. Look around you, Sebastian. Open your eyes and look. Do I look like a bride to you?”
His eyes took in her peach-colored dress with flat heels, and then his gaze moved around the room until they fell on the woman in the big, princess-style wedding dress. “Quinn?” His sister waved at him with a happy smile on her face. Sebastian’s blue gaze returned to Eve. “Quinn married him?”
“Yes. Jean Pierre is in love with her… And I love you.”
It was as if his legs gave out on him. Suddenly, Sebastian was on his knees in front of her, his arms wrapped around her waist and his face buried in her stomach. He began to shudder, and Eve realized that he was sobbing. She pulled him closer. “Sebastian?” she whispered. “Sebastian, are you okay?”
“God, Eve. I think…” He sucked in a deep, shuddery breath. “I think I have died a million times since you left me. And then, when my father called yesterday to say that there was a wedding… I grabbed the first flight out, but there was bad weather and the plane had to land to wait it out. I knew I was going to be late, but I prayed…”
Eve dropped a gentle kiss on his lips. “Sebastian Savage prayed?”
“I love you, Eve. I love you so much. These last five weeks have been hell on earth for me. I need you, never want to be away from you again. Say you will marry me, Eve. Tell me that you are mine and that we will be together always.”
“Wh-What?” she gasped.
“There will be no more secrets. I swear I will never keep anything from you ever again. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Aria.” His arms tightened. “Marry me, Eve. Please, marry me.”
“You love me?” she whispered.
“With every ounce of my being, baby. You are my world. I love you.”
Around them, everyone seemed entranced as they watched the emotional scene unfold. Neither of them noticed anything, the world having disappeared around them. Eve felt tears pouring down her cheeks, her heart suddenly feeling complete in a way it had never felt before. “Yes, Sebastian. Yes, I will marry you.”
***
Much later as they both attempted to catch their breaths after hours of endless lovemaking, Eve lay content in Sebastian’s arms. They were both soaked with sweat, half asleep, but there were still things that needed to be said.
“I overreacted,” she murmured. “I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?” Maybe if she hadn’t been so unsettled over finding out about the baby, she wouldn’t have reacted so drastically. Now she regretted the weeks that she spent torturing them both over something so stupid.
Sebastian kissed the top of her head. “I should have called you the second it happened. It was all my fault. My only excuse is that in that moment I realized how much I love you, and I was shocked at my own stupidity for not having realized it sooner.”
She blinked back the tears that his words brought. She would never get tired of hearing him say he loved her. For too long, she had feared he would never say them, never feel for her what she felt for him. And now that she knew he did indeed love her, she was overcome with the joy of it.
But there was still one more thing they had to talk about.
Eve sat up and straddled his lean waist. As soon as her legs slid along his, his erection snapped to attention, ready for another round. “I thought you were tired,” he murmured, his eyes glazed again with passion.
Her own body was waking up, wanting to play once more with its mate. “I need to tell you something…” She broke off, breaking his gaze and swallowing hard. This was more difficult than she realized.
Sebastian caught her hands and brought them to his lips, kissing each finger lovingly. “Tell me,” he encouraged.
“I…” What if he didn’t want children? What if he hated the thought of having children with her?
His eyes darkened. “Eve, baby, you’re starting to scare me. Just tell me so that I can fix whatever it is and we can get back to devouring each other.”
“You can’t fix this. It isn’t something that can be fixed.” She sighed and mentally pulled up her big-girl panties. “I’m pregnant. I saw the doctor the day… That day …”
“Pregnant?” He sat up, his hands cradling her as if she were something fragile all of a sudden. “Are you okay? We were pretty rough just now. Did I hurt you?”
She gave him a reassuring smile. His concern for her melted the ice that had gripped her just moments before. “I’m fine. My morning sickness has finally reared its head, but I’m learning to deal with it.”
There was pure wonder in his eyes. “When are you due?”
“August. I have some pictures from my first appointment. Actually, I need to get back to New York so I can see Dr. Madison. Will you come with me when I go for my appointment? She said that we can hear the heartbeat on the monitor.” She wanted him to be a part of everything that happened with her pregnancy from then on.
“Of course. I can’t wait.” He kissed her lips tenderly. “So… Maybe we should have a wedding sooner rather than later?”
“Something small is all I want.” Eve caught his lips, forcing a deeper embrace. “Can we just have my priest come to the house and marry us?”
“If that is what you really want. I only want you to be happy.” His fingers tangled in her hair.
“Being here in your arms, knowing that you love me… I couldn’t be happier if I tried.”
“Me neither, baby. Me neither.”
Erin
All rights reserved © Anna Henson 2012/Terri Anne Browning 2017
This is a work of fiction. Any characters, names, places or incidents are used solely as a fictitious nature based on the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to or mention of persons, places, organizations, or other incidents is completely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any other means without permission from the Publisher.
Table of Contents
Erin: One
Erin: Two
Erin: Three
Erin: Four
Erin: Five
Erin: Six
Erin: Seven
Erin: Eight
Erin: Nine
Erin: Ten
Erin: Eleven
Erin: Twelve
Erin: Thirteen
Erin: Fourteen
Erin: Epilogue
one
It’s going to be a long and emotional vacation.
Those were the words that kept repeating themselves in the back of my head. Along with the knowledge that I had to be crazy even to have thought of coming back to the one place I had promised myself I would never, not ever, go back to. It was emotional suicide.
But at least I won’t be alone…
Yeah, that was the only saving grace. I wasn’t going alone on this trip. I had the best thi
ng to ever happened to me sitting in the back seat, singing along with the blaring stereo. She knew every word to the Taylor Swift song, and boy did she sing with attitude. Shaking her dark head, her big blue eyes alight with pure happiness only a child could feel. I grinned and adjusted my rearview mirror so I could sneak a better look at my five-year-old daughter. The only thing I have ever done right in my twenty-three years.
There was just a little bit of ketchup in the corner of her mouth from lunch. She had on a Taylor Swift T-shirt that we had picked out at the singer’s concert the month before. Lord, but my daughter was beautiful. Sophie blew me a kiss when she saw I was spying on her but otherwise kept on singing.
The black Cadillac SUV was vibrating with the bass of the song, but that was the way Sophie liked it. Loud and proud, that was Sophie Grace. Of course, that was how I preferred it too, but not just because of my love for anything and everything music. It let me shut out the rest of the world so I could focus on my problems.
So many problems…
Blowing a kiss in return, I switched my attention back to the road before me. Having just driven five hours, I was nearly home. At least, to the house I had called home for the majority of my life. It was where I had found a family that loved me. Where I had fallen in love for the first and last time. It was the place where I’d had my heart broken over a man who didn’t deserve me…
Clenching my jaw so hard that it began to ache, I hit repeat on the stereo before Sophie could even ask. We had been listening to the same song for nearly half an hour, but I didn’t care. My wants came in a poor second to those of my precious girl.
“Thank you, Mommy,” she called from the back seat before she started belting out the lyrics once again.