The Bossy Prince (Rugged and Royal #3) - Lili Valente Page 0,48
Vulnerable? Exposed?”
I press my lips together and glare harder, but Nick only smiles.
“It’s all right,” he says. “I feel those things, too. It really would be better for everyone if I could stop wanting to kiss you every moment of every day.”
“Not every moment,” I counter. “Sometimes, I drive you crazy.”
“You do,” he says, leaning closer. He kisses my cheek sweetly, sending a strange, melting sensation through my chest as he adds in a softer voice, “But in the best way. Now, go get dressed. We need to buy a less indecent bathing suit before we go swimming in public, and I’m starving, too. If I can’t have you for breakfast, I should at least get French toast.”
My lips quirk. “French toast is a poor substitute.”
“You’re telling me,” he agrees.
I laugh, feeling lighter. Still sexually frustrated—and frustrated with myself for wanting things I shouldn’t—but yet…happy.
Just happy.
And not in the mood to push happiness away.
Chapter Sixteen
From the texts of Alexandra “Zan” Rochat
and Elizabeth “Lizzy” Rochat
Zan: Hey there, preggers. How are you feeling?
Lizzy: Much better. Mom and Dad went home this morning. Now, I can vomit in peace without Mother rushing off to report the color and texture of my sickness to anyone who will listen. That includes my mother-in-law, the butler, the cleaning staff, the cook, and the poor college boy Jeffrey hired to help refinish the shelves in the library.
Zan: Ouch. Well, on the bright side, the kid is probably newly committed to having safe sex.
Lizzy: Oh, for sure. James isn’t getting anywhere near a girl without wearing a condom. Maybe two or three. How about you? How’s work? I hate that they made you go back before the new year. As far as I’m concerned, that’s cruel and unusual punishment. You need at least a week off to recover from the first week off.
Zan: Actually…that’s why I’m texting. I just got off the phone with Sabrina, and we agreed it wasn’t right to keep this latest development from you. It’s a violation of the Triplet Code.
Lizzy: Oh, no. Not the Triplet Code. What are you two up to now? We’re supposed to be stepping away from the madness. Sabrina is happy with Andrew, Jeffrey’s happy with me, the Von Bergens have forgiven us for the twin swap last summer, and you and Nick made it through an entire holiday without killing each other. It’s time to quit with the scandal while we’re ahead.
Zan: Said the girl who tossed her cookies in front of the press.
Lizzy: Well, I couldn’t very well help that. It was unavoidable.
Zan: Really? So birth control was unavailable to you and Jeffrey? Or did the condom fail? Because there ARE things you can do to postpone pregnancy until after the wedding, Elizabeth. Not that I care, but the “Royal Baby out of Wedlock” thing has been the lead story in the gossip rags all week.
Lizzy: Okay, fine. That part wasn’t unavoidable. I may have urgently needed to bang Jeffrey in the library one night when the condoms were all the way upstairs in our bedroom. I may have also been positive that I wasn’t in a fertile window and everything would be fine, but…
Zan: Never underestimate the fertile window.
Lizzy: So true. Learned that lesson the hard way.
Zan: But you’re happy, right? About the baby? I mean, aside from the vomiting and the tabloid idiocy?
Lizzy: Oh, yes. Deliriously happy. *smiley face emoji* *sparkling star emoji* *unicorn emoji* Magically, fantastically, awesomely happy. And Jeffrey is, too. We both want a big family. We were planning to start trying right after the wedding anyway. This is just a dream coming true a little early, and I’m not about to complain about that.
Zan: I’m so happy to hear it.
Lizzy: And I’m happy that you’re happy! But I’m NOT going to be happy pretty soon, am I? Not if there’s been a violation of the Triplet Code. Should I go tackle Sabrina and make her tell me all the dirty details? She’s right downstairs, and you know she caves almost immediately under pressure.
Zan: No, this is my secret to tell. To confess, rather. I, um… I may not have gone back to work after Christmas.
Lizzy: You MAY not have gone back? How exactly does that work, Zan? Are there alternate realities involved? Has space-time become more malleable while I’ve been distracted by morning sickness?
Zan: Fine. I DIDN’T go back to work. Or to Switzerland.
Lizzy: Then where did you go? If you’re at Disneyland Paris without Sabrina and me, I will have