The Prince's Secret Baby (A Baby for the Prince Book 1) Read online

  Maggie squeezed his hand. “I’ve known since we met that you are a kind, honorable, good man. I didn’t give up on you.”

  Raffaele smiled. “I’m not sure if we should start over or pretend these last twenty-one months didn’t happen.”

  Maggie gave him a wry look. “Given who’s in the next room, I don’t think we can pretend they didn’t happen.”

  Raffaele chuckled. “Fair enough.”

  “But I don’t want to start over, either,” Maggie said. “Can we pick up where we left off?”

  Raffaele was about to reply, but just then, Maggie yawned, and he tugged at her hand.

  “Yes, we can. But right now, that means we pick up this conversation in the morning and you go get some sleep.”

  She opened her mouth to say something, but Raffaele held up a hand.

  “Let me clean up here, and keep an ear out for Mardi. When she wakes up, I’ll be here.”

  Maggie couldn’t do anything but nod. “Honestly, a good night’s sleep is the best Christmas present I could get.”

  “Then go and sleep. Don’t worry about anything.”

  He stood as she did, and Maggie leaned forward to give him a hug.

  “Thank you, Raffa. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Maggie was asleep almost before her eyes closed. When she woke up in the morning, she stretched in bed, enjoying another minute of calm before she had to go out and deal with the world. Then, she got out of bed, changed into something a little festive for her daughter’s first Christmas morning, and went into the living room.

  The sight that met her eyes made her stop dead in her tracks. There was a small, beautifully decorated tree in the corner, lights on the window, and Christmas music playing softly. It looked like a Christmas card had come to life in her living room.

  She could smell coffee and something baking, too, so she went into the kitchen. Raffaele was standing there singing a Christmas song softly to Mardi, who was sound asleep in his arms.

  Maggie couldn’t help herself. This right here—the man she loved holding their daughter—made her so happy. Through tears, she said, “Merry Christmas.”

  Raffaele’s head turned to look at her, moving carefully so as not to disturb the baby. His smile sent a thrill through Maggie. “Merry Christmas.”

  Maggie made up her mind and moved quickly. She rapidly took the few steps to Raffaele and stood on her toes to kiss him deeply, holding onto to his arm to steady herself. He leaned into her, mindful of Mardi, and kissed her back. When she broke the kiss, she laid a hand on his cheek.

  “I love you. I’ve loved you since the first time we kissed, and I’ve known it since I got on the plane to come home.”

  Raffaele rested his forehead against hers.

  “I love you, too. I have since you tucked a little mask into the flowers on my birthday cake, just so I would have something that was special for me.”

  Maggie tucked herself under his arm and wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her and their daughter, and it was perfect.

  Chapter 25

  Maggie

  Maggie couldn’t stop smiling. Mardi loved playing with her Christmas stocking, and Raffaele kept dancing with her around the living room to Christmas music. He’d taken care of everything that morning, and insisted Maggie just enjoy Mardi’s first birthday.

  After all the presents were opened and the coffee was gone, Maggie realized she needed to get moving. She looked at Raffaele.

  “I’m cooking Christmas dinner at my parents’. Will you come with me? I’d like for you to meet them.”

  Raffaele looked back at her seriously. “You’re sure?”

  Maggie said, “We’re picking up where we left off, right?”

  Raffaele nodded.

  “And where we left off was headed for this,” she looked pointedly around the room at the scene of perfect domesticity. “Right?”

  Raffaele took her hands. “Right. I’ve known for a long time that I wanted a life and a family with you.”

  Maggie smiled. “Me, too. So, we skipped a bunch of stuff in the middle. We’ll work it out. Together.”

  Raffaele wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her to whirl her around as Mardi looked on and giggled.

  He stopped and kissed her breathless, then said softly in agreement, “Together.”

  Two hours later, Maggie stood in a kitchen filled with laughter, music, and food. Maggie’s parents had embraced Raffaele—in Maggie’s mother’s case, literally. When she’d introduced Raffaele, Jeanette had flung her arms around the father of her grandchild and hugged him tightly.

  While Maggie and her mother started the meal, Joseph took Raffaele out to the garage where he was working on a woodworking project for Jeanette. When Raffaele came back inside, he was chattering happily with her father. It was clear the two would get along swimmingly, and Maggie grinned at them—the two most important men in her life.

  Mardi was babbling happily in her highchair and held out her arms as Raffaele approached.

  “Papa!” she said clearly.

  Raffaele looked up sharply at Maggie, and Maggie looked back, a slow grin appearing across her face.

  “Did she just…” Raffaele looked back at his daughter, who clapped her hands once and held out her arms again.

  “Papa!”

  Raffaele picked her up and held her tightly. “That’s right, Mardi!”

  Maggie grinned. “Hmmm, seems like we’ve got a daddy’s girl. Guess she’s got you wrapped around her little finger.”

  Raffaele crossed the room and kissed the woman he loved. “Just like her mother.”

  When they were all seated around the table, Raffaele cleared his throat and raised his glass.

  “While I’ve always looked forward to the time I would have a family of my own, I never realized that it would mean this much to me. Finding out I’m a father is the best Christmas present I’ve ever received, next to being part of Maggie’s life.”

  He looked at his daughter. “Happy birthday, Mardi. I’m so happy I’m your father.”

  The rest of the family toasted and sang happy birthday to the youngest family member, and Maggie held Raffaele’s hand as they began the rest of their lives together.

  The End

  What does the future hold for Maggie, Raffaele and their baby?

  Subscribers to my mailing list get a bonus epilogue absolutely FREE

  CLICK HERE TO GET IT

  The Prince’s ASAP Baby

  Holly Rayner

  Time for a tease!

  Next up, I’ve included the first few chapters of The Prince’s ASAP Baby, the next in my series, A Baby For The Prince

  I hope you enjoy!

  Copyright 2017 by Holly Rayner

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the explicit written permission of the author.

  All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.

  Chapter One

  It was Friday night in Brooklyn, and Eva Nightingale had just finished her shift at Gustavo’s Coffee Shoppe. She’d spent her long, tedious day pandering to the requests of coffee-loving hipsters who, in her expert opinion, needed to take up home brewing rather than spending so much cash on mediocre drinks.

  It didn’t help that Eva wasn’t much of a coffee drinker herself. If given the choice, she’d rather waitress at a nice restaurant. But this was her reality, and she was thoroughly stuck in it.

  “Have a good night, Eva,” her manager said as she walked out from behind the counter. “We’ll see you next week.”

  Eva shrugged her shoulders and shuffled toward the staff room.

 
; “Yeah. See ya, Chris.”

  Her halfhearted goodbye was hardly enough to convince Chris that she liked, or even appreciated, her job. She figured it didn’t matter much. He’d only hired her because he thought she was attractive. That much was clear from her first interview, when he’d spent more time ogling her than he did taking notes on the hiring form.

  Eva didn’t understand it, but she wasn’t going to turn down a perfectly reasonable job opportunity—those were few and far between, these days.

  She’d only been working at Gustavo’s for a few months, and already Chris had asked her out three or four times. Each time, she shut him down. But she was starting to run out of family emergencies, study sessions, and extracurricular commitments. Eventually, Chris would start asking questions. It wouldn’t be long before her stories fell apart. She wasn’t even in college anymore. Once he knew the truth, that she’d been avoiding him and lying to him, he’d conveniently start to notice that she wasn’t the greatest barista after all.

  Then, it would be goodbye, independence and hello, unemployment line.

  She couldn’t let that happen. Not when she still had some control over it.

  Eva knew she’d have to go out with Chris at least once or twice if she wanted to keep her job. It would be different if she was attentive, or even halfway positive, at work. Then, she would have a case for wrongful termination. But she spent the majority of her shifts moping around the shop, doing as little as possible and hoping no one would care enough to speak up. She wasn’t the kind of employee worth saving, and she knew it.

  When she reached the staff room, Eva pulled off her uniform and changed into the simple black dress she’d brought.

  Stuffing her polo shirt and coffee-smelling pants into a plastic shopping bag, she removed a rather large purse from her assigned locker. She’d brought the purse on purpose, hoping to shove the uniform inside and conceal her barista identity for a few hours.

  On ordinary days, Eva left her uniform at work. But this wasn’t an ordinary day. It was laundry day, and she couldn’t afford to miss another week. She only had so many copies of the same red polo and black pants.

  Eva changed shoes, grabbed her bag, and left the staff room. Chris was still standing behind the counter when she emerged, smiling as he cleaned. He was getting ready to close the shop.

  Closing was the worst. She considered offering to help, but the idea quickly dissipated. Chris would wonder why she wasn’t rushing home to get ready for her three-day study session—an obligation she’d invented to avoid weekend shifts altogether.

  She’d almost reached the exit when Chris called out to her.

  “Hey, Eva! Can we talk for a minute?”

  Eva sighed and turned back. She didn’t move away from the door.

  “What’s up?”

  Her voice was stale, and Chris looked disconcerted for a moment. His consistent smile faltered. Eva felt sorry for him. He was a good looking guy, and pleasant enough, but too cheerful and optimistic for her taste. She was waiting for someone more independent and interesting. It just wasn’t a good fit. She wished that he could see that without being told. Besides, the last thing on Eva’s mind was a boyfriend.

  “I’d like to take you out sometime,” he said.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but Chris wasn’t finished.

  “I know you’ve been avoiding me,” he said. “If you don’t want to go, just say the word. I won’t ask again. I’m not going to harass you over it.”

  Eva looked down at the floor. This was a crappy start to her weekend. Should she continue to be dodgy, or should she be honest? Chris sounded sincere enough.

  She decided to go with complete honesty.

  “I know you hired me because you think something might happen between us,” Eva said. “But I don’t think it’s a good fit. You’re a great guy, and I’m flattered that you’ve taken an interest in me. It’s just that you don’t really know anything about me. This isn’t easy to admit, but I haven’t been honest with you.”

  Chris looked concerned.

  “What do you mean?”

  She sighed.

  “I’m not in school anymore,” Eva said. “I dropped out six months ago. That’s why I needed this job in the first place. I live in this awful studio apartment and I need to pay rent. This job isn’t some part-time thing for the school year. This is my income. It’s pathetic and hard and I’m just not looking for a love interest right now.”

  There was a moment of silence. Chris took a breath.

  “Oh,” he said.

  “That’s it?”

  “Honestly, I’m relieved,” he said, the smile slowly returning to his face. “I thought you were going to tell me you’re married.”

  Eva laughed.

  “Nope,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not married. But I’m going through a lot right now. I’m sorry if I seem grumpy at work. And I hope you don’t fire me for it. I’m adjusting. This job is all I have.”

  “Eva,” Chris said. “I’m not going to fire you.”

  He stepped out from behind the counter and walked over to her.

  “I appreciate you being honest with me,” he said. “And I’ll do what I can to help you adjust. Would that be all right?”

  Eva nodded.

  “Okay,” Chris said. “I’ll see you next week.”

  “See you then,” Eva affirmed.

  She pushed open the door and walked onto the sidewalk outside Gustavo’s. As it shut behind her, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. At least she wasn’t living a lie at work anymore.

  Eva began walking toward the nearest subway station. It was ten blocks away, a sizable hike in her heels, but she felt cool and confident. For the first time in six months, she felt that she was capable of handling herself without the help of her parents or her friends—all of whom she’d lost when she’d decided to leave Columbia.

  She shook off the thought. There was nothing like bad memories to kill a good mood.

  Still, the longer Eva walked, the harder it became to maintain her positivity. She was going home to nothing but a studio apartment and a pile of laundry. The nearest laundromat would be open late, but finishing her chores early would mean two whole days of silence until her shift on Monday morning.

  It wasn’t like she could afford cable or Wi-Fi. Her cell phone data plan was laughable; not even enough for a few episodes of her favorite show. All she had to entertain herself was a stack of free magazines. She’d been making plans to shop for leisure reading at a used bookstore in Manhattan, but she couldn’t bring herself to go into the city alone.

  Now that Chris knew the truth, she could pick up extra shifts at work to fill her time. But the thought depressed her even further. Did she really have nothing better to do with her life? That had been the reason she’d avoided opening, closing, and weekend shifts. Underneath it all, she wanted her life to revolve around more than a coffee shop.

  Still, it was time to face reality. And, according to reality, she had bills to pay.

  “You look like you could use a pick-me-up,” a man’s voice said from behind her. It was kind, not intimidating, but Eva was startled all the same.

  She turned to find a young man wearing a white apron. There was a name tag pinned to his chest, informing her that his name was Calvin. He clearly worked somewhere nearby. The cigarette in his hand suggested that he was taking a smoke break. Eva was intrigued.

  “You aren’t wrong about that,” she replied.

  “What if I told you I could help?”

  Eva raised an eyebrow.

  “How do you plan on doing that?”

  “I’m an assistant chef at Oasis,” Calvin said, gesturing to the building directly behind him. Through the front windows, Eva could see there were at least fifty people inside, chatting and laughing and drinking.

  She recognized the bar. She passed by it twice on weekdays.

  Oasis was an exclusive venue with a rooftop terrace and a renowned dinner menu. This wasn’t
a place where people came to get wasted. This was a place where the financial bucks of Wall Street came to kick back with their all-too-rich buddies.

  Usually, when Eva passed it, the building was dead silent. She hardly ever worked the evening shift at Gustavo’s, especially on Fridays. She’d never seen it the way it was now—filled to the brim with people in suits and cocktail dresses. She longed for one night with them.

  Calvin continued.

  “It isn’t easy to get in, but I think you could use a night off.”

  Eva stared into the bar, then looked in the direction of the subway station. She thought about the tips she’d earned during her shift and wondered if they’d be enough for a couple of drinks. She figured they probably were, even if the drinks were expensive.

  Still, she wasn’t sure. What if she did something stupid and embarrassed herself? What if she stood out from the crowd like a sore thumb? She didn’t think her ego could take another hit.

  Weighing her options, she figured a night of the high life would be better than a night at the laundromat, embarrassment or not. No one had to know who she was. She wasn’t looking to take anyone home.

  Eva was skeptical, though, of Calvin’s intentions.

  “No strings attached?” she asked. “You just let me inside and go back to work?”

  Calvin laughed.

  “Lady,” he said. “I bat for the other team. No strings attached.”

  She smiled.

  “Eva,” she said. “My name is Eva. And I’m in.”

  Calvin nodded, dropped his cigarette on the ground, and smothered it with his shoe.

  “Let’s go, then,” he said, offering an arm. Eva took it.

  Calvin led her through the front door and into a different world.