Free A Royal Holiday (Royals of Valleria #5) by Marianne Knightly Page A

innocently.
     
    “You know what.”
     
    Her back arched into his talented hands and she sighed. “There’s nothing to tell.”
     
    “Nothing?”
     
    “I’m not pregnant, Alex.”
     
    Something cracked inside him; after a moment, he realized it had been hope. Could you feel disappointment for what never was in the first place? “You’re sure?”
     
    “I’m sure. Charlie thought up the ploy to distract the press. There were enough people following us today that we knew word would make it around eventually.”
     
    “Charlie thought of that? I assumed it had been you.”
     
    Rebecca shook her head while Alex massaged her neck. “She was really helpful today, and not just with that idea. She helped me see things in a different light.”
     
    “Oh? Like what?”
     
    Rebecca turned and wrapped her arms around Alex, who let go of the cloth and hugged her in return. “She’s used to dealing with this sort of situation, since Nate has quite a past. She just gave me a different perspective on things.”
     
    “And now you feel better about things?”
     
    “As well as can be expected.” She cupped his face with her wet hands. “I never doubted you or us; you know that, right?”
     
    “Of course. I just don’t like to see you hurting and, with this situation, I did hurt you.”
     
    Rebecca shook her head. “Not intentionally. There’s a difference.”
     
    “You’re right, but I still feel terrible about it.”
     
    Rebecca cocked her head to the side. “There’s something else you should feel terrible about.”
     
    Alex gave her a wary look. “What?”
     
    “Why didn’t you tell me that a man asked Cat out on a date right in front of you?”
     
    “Oh.” Alex blinked, not at all expecting the accusation. “I didn’t mean to keep it from you.”
     
    “Didn’t you? Total honesty, Alex,” she said, repeating the vow they’d made to each other.
     
    Alex sighed. “Yes, all right. I didn’t tell you. I was kind of hoping they’d call off the date before the ball arrived.”
     
    “Why?”
     
    “Because Mama’s got some ridiculous notion in her head that Cat needs to get married, and I’m afraid Cat will do something stupid.”
     
    “Like what? It’s only a date.”
     
    “But they might get married, just to keep Mama at bay.”
     
    “Cat would never do that.” Rebecca didn’t add that Cat would, however, date and maybe even become engaged to someone to appease her mother.
     
    “Listen, if you want to fight about this, can we do it later? I have my very sexy fiancée, naked and wet, plastered against me, and I’d rather not discuss my sister or mother while in this position.”
     
    Rebecca smiled. “Poor baby. Did you have something else you’d like to talk about?”
     
    He pulled her mouth to his and began to distract her from any discussion whatsoever.
     

Chapter 6
     
    Family dinner was in full swing when Marcello entered the dining room. Before taking his seat by Grace, he went over to Alex and leaned down to his ear.
     
    “We need to talk, right after dinner.”
     
    Alex nodded but gave Marcello a quizzical look. Marcello simply shook his head; he didn’t want to discuss the issue further with so many ears nearby.
     
    Marcello gave his mother and grandmother a kiss on their cheeks, then gave one to Grace before he sat down beside her. A plate of delicate fish appeared before him and he began to dig into the food.
     
    “Hungry?” Grace asked as she placed one of her slim hands on his thigh. “Did you skip lunch again?”
     
    He nodded; caught up in work, he often skipped lunch, though he didn’t mean to.
     
    “What’s going on? I got worried when I didn’t hear from you this afternoon.”
     
    Marcello lifted her hand from his thigh and gave it a soft kiss. “I’m sorry, fair Grace. I didn’t mean to make you worry.” He leaned in to whisper in her ear; to the others it would simply look like two lovers sharing a secret. “Something’s come up