Page 63 of Snowbound and Royally Forbidden

True enough, once her cuts and bruises had been thoroughly tended to and her blood tests came back with no adverse effects, Lotte took his hand. Valenti’s breath caught at the near-celestial happiness in her eyes.

‘Is there anything else, doctor?’ she asked without taking her eyes off him.

The petite female doctor looked up from her notes, her professional demeanour slipping into a wide smile.

‘Oh yes. Your Highness, Miss Lillegard, please allow me to be the first to congratulate you both. You’re going to be parents.’

Valenti was on his knees, attempting to withstand the unrelenting waves of happiness drowning him when his brothers and their wives walked in.

Still dumbfounded, he allowed Lotte, the love of his life and the mother of his unborn child, to give them the news.

He kept swallowing, his eyes riveted on her, only her, as his brothers clasped his shoulders and enthusiastically gave their own congratulations.

‘I feel like a toast about wild oats and mommy issues is called for right about now,’ Teo muttered.

‘No,hermano. It isn’t. It really, truly is not,’ Azar groaned.

They all broke into laughter.

And as Valenti finally rose to gather his heart into his arms, he knew the life of suffering and guilt was behind him.

Only love existed in his future with Lotte.