Page 106 of A Royal Mistake
She shivered against him, a silent reminder that the water wasn’t getting any warmer. He grabbed the shampoo and lathered her hair, massaging her scalp gently. When he was done, she turned her back to the cold spray and rinsed. Soapy bubbles slid over her skin and though she was clean as a whistle, he wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to worship her body.
Using a sliver of the lemongrass soap she favored, he soaped up her body, dragging his fingers over every last inch of skin from the curve of her neck down to the tight muscles of her calves. Pippa hummed quietly as he worked, but when he rubbed suds over her nipples, she gave a throaty moan and shifted her hips toward him.
“You’re insatiable.” He slid the soap down over her belly and stroked her sex with it. To get her clean. Not to tease her. Much. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“Good.” She sighed and rocked her hips against him as he circled her clit. “Because my raging hormones are kind of your fault.”
“Because I’m so sexy?” He increased the pace of his strokes on the sensitive bundle of nerves. Although they’d just had sex, he could tell she was close. It wouldn’t be long before she climaxed again.
“That too,” she panted, rocking her hips against him with reckless abandon. “Oh, God. Don’t stop, Henry. I’m—”
Whatever she was going to say was lost in the throes of passion. Her eyes drifted shut, and she bit down on her full bottom lip as the orgasm claimed her body, hips bucking against his hand as she rode out the aftershocks.
After, they rinsed and shut off the water. He dried his wife, using the scant towel to soak up as much of the dampness as he could.
“You said my sexy mug was only one of the reasons for your raging hormones,” he reminded her. “What’s the other?”
So, maybe he was fishing for a compliment, but what the hell. What man didn’t want to hear his wife praise his sexual prowess?
Pippa studied him for a long moment, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.
Not exactly the reaction he was expecting.
Scheisse. Was it possible he wasn’t meeting her needs?
Impossible. They had an active sex life, and he was no selfish bastard. He always made sure Pippa came first.
“I’m— I’m pregnant,” she said, resting a hand over her flat stomach. “We’re going to have a baby.”
“A baby?” Bloody fucking hell. They had made a baby. They were going to be parents. Warmth exploded in his chest as the realization sank in.
“You know, a tiny human?” She flashed him a teasing smile.
Henry searched for the right thing to say, but came up short. Instead, he swept her up in a bruising kiss, pouring the overwhelming emotions into action because he had no words. No words to describe the sheer, unfettered joy that was so damn big it threatened to split him in two. Christ, he loved her. He hadn’t thought it was possible to love the woman any more than he already did, but he’d been wrong. She was his everything. And now she was the mother of his unborn child.
A child they’d made together, in love.
“I— This is incredible. Are you sure?” A thousand thoughts zipped through his brain and, for once, he wasn’t sure what to do. This hadn’t been part of the plan, but damn if it wasn’t the best news he’d ever received. “How did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Slow down, big guy.” She patted him on the chest. “Yes, I’m sure. The palace physician confirmed it before we left Valeria. I was waiting for the right time to tell you.”
Henry stepped back, pressing a hand to her belly.
“Should you be working in the field? What did the doctor say? Shouldn’t you be resting?”
Pippa rolled her eyes. “I’m pregnant, not helpless. It’s perfectly safe for me to continue working and travelling right through my second trimester. Don’t go getting all overbearing on me now.”
He nodded, though unconvinced. They’d save that discussion for another day.
“I can’t believe we’re going to have a baby.” He stared at her belly in awe as he spoke. “Hey little prince, I don’t know if you can hear me in there, but I’m going to be the best damn daddy in the world. I haven’t met you yet, but I already love you. Just like your mummy.”
Pippa arched a brow. “You realize our baby might be a princess, right?”
“Scheisse.” His heart stuttered, and he wasn’t too proud to acknowledge the deep-seated panic that gripped his chest at the prospect. “I know nothing about little girls. I grew up in a family of boys. Boys at the palace. Boys at school. I wouldn’t know the first thing about raising a daughter.”
Pippa laughed, her smile growing impossibly wider. “You’re a wonderful husband, Henry. And you’re going to be an amazing father, regardless of the baby’s gender.” She stretched up on her toes and kissed him, her lips soft and warm against his own. “As long as you don’t treat her like a crown jewel, I think we’ll be just fine.”
No, they’d be better than fine. He was going to spend the rest of his life with the woman of his dreams and together, they were building a family of their own. One that would be filled with love, laughter, and happily ever after. Just like the fairytale.
* * *