What did six months of wedded bliss look like? I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. This. It looked like this.

I ran my hands over my growing belly. Cor was supposed to be home any minute. He texted from the airport as soon as the jet landed.

My hair was glossy and thick. I layered it over my shoulders. I wore a low-cut shirt. I couldn’t believe how full my breasts were now. Cor loved them like this. In fact, he loved everything about my pregnant body.

I heard the front door close and smiled, knowing he was here. I walked from the living room to greet him.

“I missed you.” He pulled me into his arms.

“We missed you too.”

His hands rubbed over my belly. “My son missed my singing, didn’t he?”

I laughed. “You call it singing, but the rest of us have names for it.”

He frowned.

I tugged on his hand, coaxing him into the living room. The fireplace was roaring. I loved the beach in the winter. It had a sense of mystery that intrigued me. I could still take walks and find shells. It was still peaceful and quiet. And the beauty of the ocean changed every day. I loved it here.

“I want to hear about Juliette. How is she? What’s going on at the palace? You had to hear something juicy.”

He shook his head. “I haven’t seen my wife in a week.” He bent to kiss my neck. “You can hear about my sister later.”

I giggled. “Did you bring me the orange treats? You know I’ve been craving them and I can’t find them anywhere in the States.”

He sighed. “Wait a second.” He walked to the foyer. Kurtis was hauling suitcases in the house. Cor rummaged through one and withdrew a paper bag with a purple ribbon the top.

“You got them.”

He nodded. “It took a royal decree, but here you go.”

“It did not.” I put the bag on the table. It was hard to decide what I wanted more: my husband or the special orangey chocolates I had craved.

I took one look at the man in front of me and the choice was clear. I did my best to wrap my arms around him. I bit my lip. The baby bump kept me at a slight distance.

“You are sexier every time I see you,” he growled, kissing my throat. “I missed your body, baby.”

The front door closed and I heard Kurtis set the alarm for the night.

“The house is ours,” I whispered.

He brushed a kiss over my lips. “Is it?”

I nodded. “The staff is gone for the night and Adaline is at Sophia’s. I might have a surprise for you.”

His eyebrows arched. “Really?”

I lead him to the fireplace. His eyes widened.

“What do you think?”

He smiled. “I think I’m about to have the best homecoming I’ve ever had.”

We lowered to the pallet of pillows and blankets I had made on the floor. Our wedding picture hung in a canvas over the fireplace. Right over the spot where Cor and I were going to make our own kind of fire.

I glanced at the people in that canvas. By definition we had a royal wedding because my husband was royal, but by anyone else’s standards it was simple. It was the day I became a princess. I wore a diamond tiara and carried the royal staff, but we left out all the other protocols. I wanted to be his wife. I was the mother of his son. I was going to raise a prince, who would one day be a magnificent shifter. If the world wanted pictures and videos, they could hunt for them all they wanted. The press wasn’t invited. Invitations weren’t sent. It was as private as a wedding could be. It was perfect.

We made our own path. It started with a kiss. It led to a love that was all-consuming and whole. We didn’t follow the rules. We didn’t stay inside the lines. I had always lived my life that way. It wasn’t until I had Cor that I realized there weren’t rules for love.

There wasn’t a playbook or a fix-it manual. It couldn’t be spun to fit into a headline, or managed into a schedule that worked for everyone else. Love never worked that way.

Our baby was proof. Adaline was proof.

Cor kissed me, tangling our tongues, sucking at the corners of my mouth. I sighed. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

He smiled. “Not as glad as I am.”

I moaned as his hands roamed my body.

“Were you sad to leave Galona?” I whispered.

He stared at me. “No. I wasn’t.”

“Not even a little bit?”

He traced my bottom lip with his thumb. “I’ll never be sad to leave the crown if I’m headed to you.”

“That is incredibly sweet and sexy.”

He pushed his thumb to my tongue and I began to suck and nibble.

“Not as sexy as you,” he growled. He cupped my cheek. “I missed you Mrs. Marquis.”

I looked in his eyes. “Show me,” I taunted.

He laughed. “Be patient my dirty princess. We’re just getting started.”

He crashed his lips into mine and there was nothing in the world we wanted more than each other.

* * *