Penniless And Secretly Pregnant - Jennie Lucas Page 0,66

ear, soft as breath. “And you’re going to tell me.”

He felt her shiver beneath his touch. He ran his hands over the blush-colored silk, softly over her shoulders, to her back, to her full breasts...

Her very full breasts.

He blinked, then pulled back, his eyes wide as he searched his wife’s gaze. “Are you... You’re not...”

“Not pregnant? I’m not.”

He exhaled, shocked by his own disappointment. He hadn’t even been thinking about trying for another baby, not yet. After all, Livvy was only seven months old. Was he really ready for another baby in the house?

More mayhem. More chaos. More love.

Yes, Leonidas realized. Yes, he was. He wanted another baby. Or six. A large family, big enough for a football team—that sounded perfect.

But there was no rush. He’d just keep putting in the practice, intensely and passionately, every night in bed. A smile traced the edges of his lips. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.

“It’s all right,” he said huskily, lowering his head toward hers. “We’ll keep trying...”

Daisy put her hand on his chest, stopping him before he could kiss her.

“I’m not,” her green eyes twinkled, “not pregnant.”

His forehead furrowed as he searched her gaze. Then he sucked in his breath. “Not not pregnant?”

Daisy ducked her head, her smile suddenly shy. “It must have happened at Christmas. Maybe Christmas Eve. That time under the tree...”

“Agape mou,” he said, dazzled with joy. Taking her in his arms, he kissed his wife passionately at the kitchen table. As he held her, he wondered what he’d done to deserve such happiness.

Then the dog door thudded loudly, and suddenly there was a large wet hairy dog between them, shaking water and snow all over the room, and their baby girl gurgled with laughter. As Daisy pulled back from her husband’s embrace, her eyes danced as she laughed, too.

And Leonidas knew their joy would last forever. Their lives wouldn’t be all laughter, for sure. But they’d build their future together, day by day, through snow and sun, rain and roses.

It would never be perfect. But it would be happy.

Just like him. Once, he’d been lost. He’d been broken. But Daisy had loved him anyway. He’d learned the meaning of love from the woman who, in spite of his flaws, had given him her precious heart.

Coming next month

CLAIMING HIS BOLLYWOOD CINDERELLA

Tara Pammi

The scent of her hit him first. A subtle blend of jasmine and her that he’d remember for the rest of his life. And equate with honesty and irreverence and passion and laughter. There was a joy about this woman, despite her insecurities and vulnerabilities, that he found almost magical.

The mask she wore was black satin with elaborate gold threading at the edges and was woven tightly into her hair, leaving just enough of her beautiful dark brown eyes visible. The bridge of her small nose was revealed as was the slice of her cheekbones. For a few seconds, Vikram had the overwhelming urge to tear it off. He wanted to see her face. Not because he wanted to find out her identity.

He wanted to see her face because he wanted to know this woman. He wanted to know everything about her. He wanted… With a rueful shake of his head, he pushed away the urge. It was more than clear that men had only ever disappointed her. He was damned if he was going to be counted as one of them. He wanted to be different in her memory.

When she remembered him after tonight, he wanted her to smile. He wanted her to crave more of him. Just as he would crave more of her. He knew this before their lips even touched. And he would find a way to discover her identity. He was just as sure of that too.

Her mouth was completely uncovered. Her lipstick was mostly gone leaving a faint pink smudge that he wanted to lick away with his tongue.

She held the edge of her silk dress with one hand and as she’d lifted it to move, he got a flash of a thigh. Soft and smooth and silky. It was like receiving a jolt of electricity, with every inch he discovered of this woman. The dress swooped low in the front, baring the upper curves of her breasts in a tantalizing display.

And then there she was, within touching distance. Sitting with her legs folded beneath her, looking straight into his eyes. One arm held the sofa while the other smoothed repeatedly over the slight curve of her belly. She was nervous and he found it both endearing and incredibly arousing. She wanted to please herself. And him. And he’d never wanted more for a woman to discover pleasure with him.

Her warm breath hit him somewhere between his mouth and jaw in silky strokes that resonated with his heartbeat. This close, he could see the tiny scar on the other corner of her mouth.

“Are you going to do anything?” she asked after a couple of seconds, sounding completely put out.

He wanted to laugh and tug that pouty lower lip with his teeth. Instead he forced himself to take a breath. He was never going to smell jasmine and not think of her ever again. “It’s your kiss, darling. You take it.”

CLAIMING HIS BOLLYWOOD CINDERELLA

Tara Pammi

Available next month

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