Page 39 of The Royally Broke Billionaire
“Of course, Your Highness,” Piper tried to tone down her excitement, even though she couldn’t seem to wipe the thrilled smile from her face.
Her expression softening, the queen added, “It won’t all be drudgery, of course. I’ll make sure we have time to sneak upstairs to the nursery to snuggle your sweet baby whenever we need some stress relief.”
“Soon, we’ll have more babies to cuddle,” Piper reminded her with a grin.
The queen beamed at the other woman as she placed her palm flat on her swelling stomach. In a faraway, yet happy voice, she answered, “Indeed.”
38
Piper felt like she was floating on clouds after she retrieved Liam from the castle nursery and carried him back to their happy little cottage in the woods. Having a real job at the palace made her feel like a vital, helpful resource to her beloved island.
Things had worked out for her and Liam more wonderfully than she could have ever imagined. The only thing that could make her life even better would be to finalize her budding relationship with one handsome royal steward.
As if she had summoned him, merely by thinking of him, Piper was thrilled to discover that Finn was sitting at the wooden picnic table in front of their tiny abodes.
She slowed her pace as she wondered if he might be disappointed in her over the mix-up with Liam’s paternity. She knew he practically worshiped the king, and there was no denying that her arrival and the king’s near miss with impeachment had caused the royal family a great deal of unnecessary stress. She fervently hoped he didn’t blame her or believe her part in the High Council’s shenanigans was in any way intentional.
Although her steps had slowed practically to a crawl, she eventually reached him. His expression was unreadable, so she greeted him tentatively. “Hi.”
“Hello to you and this handsome boy.” Finn reached out to tickle under Liam’s chin. The baby responded with excited feet kicks.
The royal steward’s gaze towards Liam was filled with adoration and what Piper hoped was love, but his reaction to her was utterly unreadable.
He asked her politely, “Do you have a moment to sit down and chat with me?”
Unsure of her voice, Piper merely nodded in answer as she swung her legs over the bench to sit down with him at the picnic table. Without even having to consciously think about it, she situated Liam and began bouncing him lightly with her knee. The baby grinned as if he was riding the greatest roller coaster in the world.
When the silence lingered between them, Piper began to fear that whatever Finn planned to say wasn’t going to be pleasant. Needing to have a chance to defend herself before he made a decision about their potential for a future as a couple, she dove in.
“I know the whole fiasco with Liam’s paternity makes me look really bad, but I want you to know that I’m not a floozy. I loved Drew. The one-time fling I had with Sebastian was merely my ill-advised attempt to try to recreate the feeling of being with Drew because I missed him so much. That isn’t the kind of thing I would ever do, under normal circumstances.”
At Finn’s nod, she quickly continued, afraid that if she didn’t say it all now she might chicken out later. “It might seem difficult to believe, but when I found out I was pregnant, I never even dared to hope that Liam might be Drew’s. I was in a dark place––bitter and resentful that Drew had been taken from this world too soon––until this sweet baby was born and needed me to snap out of my funk in order to take care of him.”
“With the terrible luck that had been haunting my life, I just naturally assumed that Liam was a result of that night with Sebastian.” She paused her speech to look into Finn’s eyes. She hoped he could read the sincerity within her gaze when she continued. “Please, you have to believe I would never have come here if I didn’t truly believe that the king was Liam’s biological father.”
Finn’s expression was unreadable when he finally spoke. “You’d be surprised how many people show up here trying to glean favors from the royal family. Some want money, and others crave power. They try tactics varying from sweet-talking to coercion, but they all have one thing in common.”
He inserted a dramatic pause. Wanting to know the commonality––as well as if he thought she was one of these people––but not wanting to interrupt him, Piper raised questioning brows in Finn’s direction.
Evidently deciding he had held her in suspense long enough, Finn finally went on. “They’re selfish. They all want something for themselves, to make their own lives better.”
Piper still wasn’t certain if he believed her to be this type of greedy opportunist, so she waited silently for his opinion of her motives.
The breath whooshed out of her in a relieved sigh when he said, “That’s how I know your intentions were pure in coming here… You never once asked for anything for yourself. All you wanted was to make sure Liam got what you believed he was entitled to claim. You fought for your son, not for any selfish desires of your own. In my book, that’s admirable.”
Awkwardness threatened to overwhelm Piper when she felt Finn’s adoring gaze washing over her like warm sunshine on a balmy day. She didn’t feel worthy of his admiration, but there was no way she was going to turn it down.
She stared out over the sea beyond the island’s perimeter. In a dreamy voice, she said, “The beautiful view from this side of the island is unbeatable.”
“You should see it from where I’m sitting,” Finn told her, his gaze never wavering from her.
She knew, without turning, that there was a forest of tall trees at her back. Her cheeks heated and her pulse pounded loudly in her head as she realized that he was clearly talking about her.
When he reached across the table to brush a stray lock of hair back from her face, she tilted her head into his caress. That simple touch left a chill of delightful tingles in its wake.
Finn’s voice sounded croaky when he asked, “Were you disappointed when the billionaire left?”
“Not at all,” she answered him honestly, her gaze as unwavering as his. Her voice took on a breathy tone when she revealed, “I’m only interested in one man.”
