‘My mother was holding the fort when I arrived.’
‘Milly is a terrific social asset,’ Willow agreed, thinking of the mother-in-law she had never expected to have and her warm relationship with her and Jai’s stepfather, Steven, a quiet, retiring older man with a delightful sense of humour.
Over the past two years, their family circle had expanded exponentially, but it was a comfortable and caring expansion, which both of them valued. Jai had dealt with his disillusionment over the father he had once idolised and moved on to develop a strong, deep bond with the mother he had been denied in childhood. He had also become acquainted with his maternal grandfather, the current Duke, who was almost ninety years old. Jai did think, though, that it was sad that his mother had never had another child and that he had no siblings, only stepbrothers and a stepsister, whom they only saw at occasional family events.
Even so, his aunt, Jivika, and her husband were regular visitors, along with various other, more distant relatives. Indeed, Jai and Willow had so many invitations out that they had to pick and choose which they could attend and sometimes it was a relief to return to the tranquillity of the Lake Palace, where life was a little less hectic and they could spend more time together as a couple.
Willow had become broody once Hari outgrew the nursery and turned into a leaping, bounding bundle of energy, no longer content to be cuddled for longer than ten seconds, unless of course he was ill or overtired. She had conceived quickly, and her second pregnancy was proving much easier than the first. She thought that was very probably because she was much less stressed this time and was able to rest whenever she liked.
‘You’re spoilt rotten!’ Shelley had teased her on her last visit to Chandrapur. She was able to see her best friend regularly now because Shelley had more holiday leave in her new job managing a small boutique hotel, which belonged to Jai’s cousins. In any case, Willow and Jai spent every spring and summer in London in addition to returning there every year to enjoy a special Christmas at the town house. And when Hari started school, they would be in London even more because Jai did not want his son to board as he had done until he was old enough to make that choice for himself.
And Shelley had spoken the truth, Willow acknowledged with quiet satisfaction, because Jai did spoil her and he did make her very, very happy. He also built up her confidence where her father had continually taken her down. Only weeks ago, she had made her first public speech on behalf of the homeless charity she had chosen as closest to her heart from the many supported by the Singh Foundation. Jai’s words of praise had made her heart sing and nobody would ever have guessed by his demeanour that he had listened to her rehearse that same speech ten times over.
Now, meeting the arctic-blue intensity of his loving gaze, Willow had everything she’d ever wanted and much that she had not even dared to dream of having, because Jai loved her and their son as much as he loved being part of a family.
‘I am crazy about you,’ he husked as they descended the stairs to the noisy hubbub of their chattering guests. ‘I counted the days until I could come home, and home is always where you are, soniyaa.’
‘I love you too,’ she whispered dreamily as his hand engulfed hers, and she whipped round where she stood to claim his sensual mouth for herself again. ‘And on your birthday promise we’ll have a private party for two.’
‘We’re having a very private party for two when everyone’s gone home tonight,’ Jai assured her, soft and low, running a slow, caressing hand down over her taut spine, making her quiver...
* * *
If you fell in love with Indian Prince’s Hidden Son you’re sure to adore these other stories by Lynne Graham!
The Italian Demands His Heirs
The Sheikh Crowns His Virgin
His Cinderella’s One-Night Heir
The Greek’s Surprise Christmas Bride
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Keep reading for an excerpt from The Greek’s One-Night Heir by Natalie Anderson.
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The Greek’s One-Night Heir
by Natalie Anderson
CHAPTER ONE
‘YOU SHOULD BE resting, not worrying about me.’ Theo Savas paced across the theatre foyer, working to keep his concern inaudible. He’d lived with his grandfather since he was ten and this was the first time in the last twenty years the old man had directly referenced something so personal. Revoking this rule wasn’t just unsettling, it was unsafe. ‘You’ve just come through a major operation—’
‘And that’s given me the opportunity to think. It’s time, Theodoros. Your birthday is only a few weeks away.’
The lights above Theo flickered, signalling it was time for guests to take their seats, but he couldn’t end this call without steering Dimitri back to unconcerned calm.
‘Are you suggesting I’m getting old?’ His joke was weak but he’d try anything to defuse his grandfather’s escalating anxiety. Except anxiety was infectious and the vibes coming through the phone were making Theo’s own muscles tense. That was in addition to the latent strain of the actual topic. ‘There’s plenty of time—’
‘At this rate I’ll never meet my great-grandchildren—’
‘You’re not about to die,’ Theo interrupted. He’d ensured Dimitri had been seen by the best specialists and they’d insisted that with quality rest Dimitri should recover well. ‘You’ve years left in you.’
‘I’m serious. You need to settle down...’
‘And I will,’ Theo reassured him softly and rolled his shoulders.
He ached to resist Dimitri’s attempt to add yet another burden of responsibility, yet he couldn’t brush him off.
Distantly he watched the ushers guide the last arriving theatregoers towards the doors. He needed to move if he was going to make it in there. He stepped forward but a whirlwind of a woman swept in front of him, cutting him off. The tall, slender tornado didn’t stop to say sorry, indeed she didn’t even see him screech to a halt to stop himself smacking into her. She just kept searching her cavernous handbag while racing towards the usher.
‘How about Eleni Doukas? She’s beautiful.’
Theo inwardly shuddered. Was Dimitri suggesting a woman for him?
‘Don’t you like very beautiful women?’ Dimitri added.
Theo bit back a grimace. Sure, he liked women—beauty being only one of their attractions. But most women he met wanted vastly more than what he was prepared to give.
‘Or Angelica.’ His grandfather offered another contender for his consideration. ‘She would be suitable. You’ve not seen her in years.’
Theo had reasons for that. Ironically they were the exact reasons his grandfather would probably welcome. Cultured, well-educated, perfectly connected Angelica had made it clear she’d accept marriage and produce four children while turning a blind eye to extra-marital affairs. But Theo would never be unfaithful and he’d never accept infidelity from his wife either. He knew too well the blisters, welts and scars that such affairs inflicted. The fact was that while Angelica had offered herself as the ultimate convenient wife, while it was the sort of arrangement Theo ought to accept, and while it was certainly what those in his milieu expected him to accept, the prospect of any matrimonial arrangement at all appalled him.
But Dimitri didn’t need to know that.