Married for His Secret Heir by Jennifer Faye

Author:Jennifer Faye
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-08-04T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE HEAVILY TINTED town car eased out of the palace gates.

It appeared the paparazzi was off chasing another story.

Elena breathed a sigh of relief.

But that was just the first hurdle. They still had to conduct a secret wedding. Just the thought of exchanging I dos with Luca made her stomach quiver. When she was a teenager, she’d imagined that one day they might marry. But that was when she was still young and foolish. After all, he was an earl, one day to become a duke, and at the time she’d been a nobody. Why would he have ever considered marrying her?

It wasn’t until much later in life that she realized all of Luca’s grumbling and resentment about the institution of marriage wasn’t just a smoke screen to keep her at bay. He really meant it. She’d felt sorry for him. She couldn’t imagine living such a lonely life and never allowing anyone to get close.

And now she was dooming herself to a loveless marriage. She banished the thought as soon as it came to her. There was no backing out now. Luca had made a flurry of phone calls. The arrangements were in motion.

Elena pressed a hand to her abdomen, thinking about their unborn child. At least their son or daughter would now be legitimate. They wouldn’t be excluded and press their nose to the glass to see all the dressed-up people at the formal dinners and balls. That thought was what kept her quiet as the black town car ushered them through the streets of Bellacitta.

They’d already stopped at the jewelry store, the courthouse and the dress shop, and now they were headed to a little chapel just outside the city—a place where they would have the privacy to say their vows without the paparazzi lurking about.

She nervously played with Luca’s ring that was still on her ring finger. She remembered when he’d received the ring from his father. He’d been thirteen. His father had told him that he was growing into a man and this was his future—his destiny.

She had been awed not only by the beautiful ring with the intricate crest, but also the fact that Luca had a destiny to fulfill. She didn’t have any such thing. Her family was ordinary, and she’d always longed to be extraordinary. And she’d almost done it. She had been on her way to having one of the most famous faces in the world.

But now she was pregnant. Her future as a model was over. Sure, she could lose the weight. Maybe she could avoid stretch marks. But even if she could regain the same figure—and that was a big if—she would have lost her traction in the business. Her slot would be filled by younger, more glamorous girls. She would forever be playing catch-up, and in the process, her child would only get bits and pieces of her time.

“What has you so quiet?” Luca asked as he leaned back against the black leather upholstery.

“Just thinking how far we’ve come since you received this ring from your father.

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