The Pregnant Princess

The Pregnant Princess
Anne Marie Winston

They shared a forbidden night of blazing passion…identities unknown. Now, months later, a precious secret growing in her womb, Princess Elizabeth Wyndham had come to the States to find the father of her child….Prince Raphael Thorton preferred hard hats over crowns, the Arizona desert over an island kingdom. And Rafe, the title he favored, had vowed never to marry royalty or to subject his child to the rigorous upbringing he'd endured. But that was before one unforgettable princess reentered his life–and changed his views about vows…and bringing up baby!

HEAR YE! HEAR YE! HIS MAJESTY, THE KING, ANNOUNCES THE MARRIAGE MERGER (AND IMPENDING PARENTHOOD) OF ELIZABETH, PRINCESS OF WYNBOROUGH, AND RAPHAEL, PRINCE OF THORTONBURG

LET IT BE KNOWN that passionate

Princess Elizabeth fell for her noble lover,

identity unknown. But this strong-willed

woman refused to settle for shotgun

vows to secure her secret baby’s

legitimacy. She wanted the fairy tale….

LET IT BE KNOWN that heir-apparent-turned-apparent-

construction-company-CEO

Raphael “Rafe” Thorton has claimed the

remaining Wynborough princess as his bride,

solidifying the relationship between the two

island nations…and perhaps mending his own

relationship with his dad, the Grand Duke?

All of Wynborough—and Thortonburg—

celebrate these latest nuptials. But what’s this

we hear about a shocking royal revelation…?

Dear Reader,

Please join us in celebrating Silhouette’s 20th anniversary in 2000! We promise to deliver—all year—passionate, powerful, provocative love stories from your favorite Desire authors!

This January, look for bestselling author Leanne Banks’s first MAN OF THE MONTH with Her Forever Man. Watch sparks fly when irresistibly rugged ranch owner Brock Logan comes face-to-face with his new partner, the fiery Felicity Chambeau, in the first book of Leanne’s brand-new miniseries LONE STAR FAMILIES: THE LOGANS.

Desire is pleased to continue the Silhouette cross-line continuity ROYALLY WED with The Pregnant Princess by favorite author Anne Marie Winston. After a night of torrid passion with a stranger, a beautiful princess ends up pregnant…and seeks out the father of her child.

Elizabeth Bevarly returns to Desire with her immensely popular miniseries FROM HERE TO MATERNITY with Dr. Mommy, about a couple reunited by a baby left on a doorstep. Hard Lovin’ Man, another of Peggy Moreland’s TEXAS BRIDES, captures the intensity of falling in love when a cowgirl gives her heart to a sweet-talkin’, hard-lovin’ hunk. Cathleen Galitz delivers a compelling marriage-of-convenience tale in The Cowboy Takes a Bride, in the series THE BRIDAL BID. And Sheri WhiteFeather offers another provocative Native American hero in Skyler Hawk: Lone Brave.

Help us celebrate 20 years of great romantic fiction from Silhouette by indulging yourself with all six delectably sensual Desire titles each and every month during this special year!

Enjoy!

Joan Marlow Golan

Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire

The Pregnant Princess

Anne Marie Winston

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

For Sandy,

sister of my heart

ANNE MARIE WINSTON

has believed in happy endings all her life. Having the opportunity to share them with her readers gives her great joy. Anne Marie enjoys figure skating and working in the gardens of her south-central Pennsylvania home.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Epilogue

One

God, it was hot. Rafe Thorton ran a hand through his thick black hair and pulled his sunglasses down over his eyes. Arizona might be a great place for a guy employed year-round in construction, but he could do without the heat. It was only late January and the temperature today had reached the mid-eighties.

Rafe took a long pull of the water he’d just bought, then swung away from the cool interior of the convenience store into the heat of the afternoon. Juggling the bottle, he stripped off his T-shirt and swiped it across his chest, absently smiling at two women whose eyes widened in appreciation as they passed him. He glanced at the newspaper box on the sidewalk outside the store—and stopped midstride.

Wynborough Princess Dedicates Hospice.