Free Honor-Bound Groom by Yvonne Lindsay

continuation of the del Castillo bloodline she and Alex must make love at the time when her body was at its most fertile, and to ensure the correct timing, her menstrual cycle was to be monitored. Even the details of the clinic she would be monitored by were in the agreement.
    Loren let the papers slide from suddenly nerveless fingers.
    The legalese twirled around in her mind, sentences fragmenting before joining back together. Did this mean that she and Alex would only make love when she was ovulating? That was, what? A span of a few days at most in each month. And what if she got pregnant? Would he still share her bed, still make love with her as a husband did with his wife? Or would her job have been done, leaving him free to go back into Giselle’s arms?
    Just what kind of marriage was she entering?

Five
    L oren heard the knock at the door to her suite and wondered if perhaps her maid had forgotten something. She’d only just sent her away, preferring to spend these last few moments before her wedding alone. She picked up her voluminous skirts and went to open the door.
    â€œGiselle!” Loren stepped back, startled to see the blonde there. She let her skirts settle back down to the carpet beneath her, the ivory French taffeta giving a distinctive rustle.
    â€œMy, don’t you look every inch the fairy-tale princess,” Giselle remarked, coming into the sitting room.
    Loren tolerated the woman’s scrutiny of the dress that was the fulfillment of all her childhood dreams. Yes, she did feel like a fairy-tale princess in the strapless gown. Somehow the words from Giselle’s glossy red lips made the idea more of an insult than a compliment.
    â€œWas there something you wanted?” Loren asked coolly.
    â€œNo, Alex asked me to come up and check on you. He thought you might benefit from some female company since your mother isn’t here.”
    Loren bit back the retort that immediately sprang to her lips. She would not fight, not with anyone, on her wedding day.
    â€œThat’s lovely of him. But as you can see, I’m fine, thank you.”
    She waited for Giselle to leave but instead she settled herself on one of the couches. Loren had to admit, she looked beautiful. The woman certainly knew how to make the most of her features. The dress she wore would have looked vampish on anyone else, but on Giselle it was elegantly sensual.
    â€œYou know, I have to hand it to you. I thought you’d have given up by now,” Giselle said. “Given up?”
    â€œWell, how many women would have signed that prenuptial agreement, for a start? I know I certainly wouldn’t.”
    â€œPerhaps you would if you loved your fiancé enough,” Loren commented quietly. “As I do.”
    Giselle waved her hand as if dismissing Loren’s words, the very gesture making Loren’s spine stiffen in irritation. She’d wanted this time alone to reflect on her coming marriage, and particularly on the terms of the prenuptial agreement that Giselle had mentioned. Clearly, the blonde knew all about it, and that fact rankled with Loren. It should have been a private matter. One between her and Alex alone.
    This past week had been such a whirl of activity with a museum opening to attend along with severalcharity functions, all of which gave her a taste for what her duties would be like as a del Castillo bride. She and Alex, while together for much of their waking moments, had barely had a moment alone to talk. Whenever she’d tried to bring the subject of the prenuptial document up, Alex had brushed it off until later. Now, today, was about as late as it could get and Loren was still unsure of where she stood on the agreement she’d eventually signed.
    â€œWell, whatever,” Giselle continued, oblivious to Loren’s obvious displeasure in her company. “You’ve really gone above and beyond the call of duty. It’s either incredibly naive of you to stick with