Page 201 of Diamond Kisses

The front door opened downstairs.

The energy in the gorgeous gatehouse that we’d accepted as a gift from Q—but insisted on paying rent for—instantly filled with love.

My skin prickled with it. My heart fluttered with it.

ILY AKA ‘THE NIGHTMARE’:I’ve got to go. See you in ten minutes or so?

PETE AKA ‘THE GOOD GUY’:Definitely. I’m looking forward to seeing his face when he figures out he’s gonna have a daughter.

ILY AKA ‘THE NIGHTMARE’:Oh God. Don’t even joke. He won’t handle having a daughter. He’ll slaughter every man he ever sees—good or bad.

PETE AKA ‘THE GOOD GUY’:I just laughed so hard the driver swerved. Hey, Ily?

ILY AKA ‘THE NIGHTMARE’:Yeah?

PETE AKA ‘THE GOOD GUY’:If I asked to bring a guest next time…would that be okay?

ILY AKA ‘THE NIGHTMARE’:Ahhhhh!!!!! Are you saying what I think you’re saying?

PETE AKA ‘THE GOOD GUY’::) :)– that’s my face. See it smiling?

ILY AKA ‘THE NIGHTMARE’:You met someone?

Henri’s heavy footfalls sounded on the stairs.

PETE AKA ‘THE GOOD GUY’:I met someone.

The landing creaked with its weathered floorboards as Henri passed the guest room where I stood by the window. He headed into our room on autopilot. When he didn’t find me there, his rich delicious voice rose. “Ily?”

ILY AKA ‘THE NIGHTMARE’:We are so speaking about this when you get here. Tell the driver to go faster.

Throwing my phone onto the ridiculous mountain of cushions, I almost floated toward my husband-to-be.

The woollen string around my finger had frayed within the first few days.

We hadn’t told anyone that we’d officially gotten engaged. It was our little secret until we had time to plan a wedding and say the vows we’d already said each night we fell into each other’s arms.

However, this might hurry along those plans.

I felt a little dizzy at the thought of telling him.

How silly we’d both been.

Irresponsible really.

I blamed happiness for making me forget. But a small part of me wondered if fate had played a small role.

As Henri stepped over the threshold of the guest room and found me framed in sunshine, his handsome face lost its harsh, hollow angles as his grey eyes turned into molten pools of silver. “There you are. Everything ready for our guest?”

I nodded. My mouth suddenly dry.

My fingers linked over my belly, shielding the surprise, trying my best to figure out how to tell him. Even armed with new words and helpful cues that I’d learned from my online psychology course, I had no idea where to begin.

“I, eh…I have something to tell you.”

For a moment, shadows cloaked him. Blackness claimed him. He stalked around the room as if searching for a threat, but then his eyebrows knotted as his gaze landed on my linked fingers.

And…fate prevented me from having to say anything, after all.

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