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“The head of security needs to be on my phone when the coronation ends, or you will all be facing more than a lost job.” I didn’t wait to see their reactions before I marched out of the office and made my way to the nearest conference room.
Loni moved to stand on the left of the door, and I realized Michel had been following me when he took up the position on the right.
Knowing they would make sure we were undisturbed, I carried my love inside and kicked the door shut.
“Coronation?” she squeaked.
I glanced down at her and frowned when I saw the deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face. “Yes, my—”
“Holy crap!” she exclaimed, wiggling in my arms to get down. “Am I holding it up? Oh, Dani. You idiot,” she moaned. “How did I not notice the tux? You look so handsome. So…regal.” Then she burst into tears.
Shaking my head in exasperation, I held her even tighter and walked over to the table. I kicked a chair out with my foot and took a seat, settling her across my lap, then took her hands in mine, rubbing to warm them up.
“Don’t worry about that, princesse.”
“How can I not worry about it, Tristan? I’m terrified. But I love you enough to”—she gulped and cringed—“be queen. After I heard Philippe tell you he was abdicating, I thought I loved you enough to let you go. I imagined how I would feel if it were my family, and I knew once you came home you would remember how much you love your country and decide to become king. But I just can’t let you go. I need to be with you. Especially now that…”
She trailed off as her eyes went wide and round, her mouth forming a little O.
“Now that what, Dani?” I growled. I’d get to the other stuff she’d mentioned, but first, I wanted her to admit it. To tell me I was gonna be a daddy.
“I’m…” She sniffed and dropped her gaze to my chest. “I’m pregnant.”
“It’s about fucking time,” I grunted before I took her mouth in a deep kiss. She tasted of vanilla and woman, and it turned my manhood to stone.
“What?” she asked with a puzzled expression when our lips parted.
There was no room for half-truths or secrets between us anymore. I wouldn’t risk another misunderstanding. “Loni told me about your OB-GYN appointment.”
Dani gasped and rolled her eyes. “Such a tattletale.”
“She didn’t want to lose her job,” I defended.
“That’s fair,” she admitted grumpily. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I wanted you to tell me. And I was nervous to let you see the depth of my obsession with you. The truth is, princesse, you bring out something in me…I need you. Need to know where you are and who you’re with so I know you are safe. I need to own your heart, as well as your body. I’m unhinged for you, princesse. The thought of another man anywhere near you makes me homicidal. I’m a possessive, jealous, controlling bastard. But I will treat you like a queen and love you more than anyone ever could.”
“I…I love you so much, Tristan. I love who you are, all of you, and I would never want you to change.” She stared into my eyes, her blue orbs filled with trepidation. “But I am terrified. What if I suck at it?”
“At what, princesse?”
“Being queen,” she whispered as if someone might hear her telling me a great secret.
Laughter rumbled in my chest, and I gave her a quick, hard kiss, before sitting back and smiling. “You don’t have to worry about that, princesse. I tried to tell you before. This is not my coronation.”
“It’s not?” She looked adorably confused, and I cupped her cheeks, wiping away her tears with my thumbs.
“No, baby. I never wanted to be king. I love my life in New York, especially the one I’m building with you”—I put my hand on her belly and grinned—“and our little bébé. Phillipe and I both abdicated.”
“But…then, who is being crowned today?” She gasped. “Please don’t tell me you let the Beauchenes take over!”
I chuckled at how fucking adorable she was. “Naughty girl, princesse. You heard enough to hear about them, but not the part where I told my brother I would never be king? Or that we realized our sister was the rightful heir, and we needed to come home to figure out how to make that happen?”
Dani’s cheeks turned red, and she ducked her head. “I may have freaked out after Philippe said you would be a great king.”
“That’s what you get for eavesdropping,” I teased. “It took much longer than I’d expected, but we finally managed to get the law changed. But if the Beauchenes contest it, it could tie things up for a long fucking time. So we’re crowning her now. If they make a fuss, she’ll already be the queen, and there is nothing they can do about it.”
