Page 58 of The Prince's Castaway Baby

“Well, I can see that now. But in case you don’t remember, we didn’t exactly part on good terms.”

She chuckles, then takes my hand, sending a hot shot of electricity up my arm. “Jens,” she says softly, and it makes me smile to hear her use my old nickname. “I have something I need to tell you.”

“You’re not dying, are you?”

She laughs again. “Exactly the opposite in fact. I’m pregnant.”

“Oh, congratulations. Who’s the…” I trail off as the answer dawns on me. “Who’s the father?” I ask again, tentatively.

She bites her lip, and I remember exactly what attracted me to her in the first place. “You are.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“But it was just one night. You said you were on birth control.”

“It’s not perfect. I mean, obviously it’s not. How do you think we got ourselves into this situation?”

“We?”

“You don’t have to be involved. God knows I would understand if you didn’t want to be. But… if you did want to, then… yes,we.”

“No,” I say, and her face falls in confusion. I groan at my own stupidity. “No, notno. But no! Of course I want to be in this baby’s life. I don’t care what my parents say. I think I’ve proved that I’m old enough to be able to make my own decisions now. And we don’t have to rush into anything, but we probably should be married before you have the baby.”

“Whoa!” She throws up her hands to stop me. “I’m not ready for that just yet.”

“Oh, God, sorry. Ugh, this is all coming out wrong. What I mean is yes. I want to be the father. I want to be with you. We can go as slow as you want. I don’t care who says what. I just want you in my life. Billie, Ineedyou in my life.”

She swallows hard, her tears rolling down her face. I have no idea what she’s about to do.

Then she just smiles. “I think I love you, Jensen.”

“Good,” I breathe, “because I think I love you too.”

“You’re not going to run this time, are you? You’re not going to leave us just because things get tough?”

“No,” I say forcefully. “I swear it. This is for life. If you’ll let me be, I’m yours for life.”

She doesn’t say anything else to that.

All she does is lean in to kiss me hard, and as our lips meet, I know I’ve found my own slice of paradise.

EPILOGUE

TWO YEARS LATER: BILLIE

“Maybe we should call,” says Jensen, rolling over to face me.

We’re lying on the beach on Isla Mostaza. It was kind of a joke to come here for our anniversary last year, but it looks like it’s going to turn into a kind of a tradition.

I don’t really have a problem with that, though. After all, this island was where it all began. This island gave me the love of my life.

Both of them, actually. I love Jensen more and more with every passing day, but he shares my heart with our daughter, our beautiful baby Hannah. She has her father’s eyes and my nose and the cutest laugh you’ve ever heard. She’s my whole world.

“They’ll be fine,” I say, shaking my head. “Stop fussing.”

“I’m not fussing,” he says. “I’m just worried, is all.”

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