Leah Ashton - Nine Month Countdown

‘Ivy, what’s going on?’

She’d been staring unseeing down at her fingers, which she’d been wrapping and unwrapping around the stem of her champagne glass.

She took a breath. The deepest breath she could remember taking.

Then she lifted her gaze and met his.

Even in the moody bar lighting she now finally had enough light to see the colour of his eyes. Hazel. They were lovely eyes, sexy eyes, but right now they were hard and unyielding.

Yes, he’d worked out that this night wasn’t going to pan out the way he’d planned.

‘Angus—I’m pregnant.’

Dear Reader Dear Reader Title Page About the Author Dedication ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN FOURTEEN FIFTEEN EPILOGUE Extract Copyright

I started writing Ivy and Angus’s story just after my daughter turned one. The most amazing—and exhausting!—year of my life had come to an end, and I was finally writing again.

It’s probably no surprise that a baby popped into this story! But Ivy’s story is very different from mine. Ivy certainly hasn’t planned her pregnancy. In fact Ivy falls pregnant at exactly the worst possible moment in her career. For Ivy, her career is everything—so it’s as if her whole world has collapsed around her. Plus she also has to deal with a gorgeous, charming soldier who just won’t go away!

I now know first-hand how life-changing children are—in a way I never comprehended before. But what would it be like to share such a life-changing experience with a practical stranger? That question is where Ivy and Angus’s story begins, and I just had to keep writing until this unlikely couple made it to their happy-ever-after.

I hope you enjoy Ivy and Angus’s story!

Leah

PS I’ll let you in on a secret—I often name my heroines using baby names I love but that my husband vetoed. I still think Ivy is a beautiful name!

Nine Month Countdown

Leah Ashton

www.millsandboon.co.uk

An unashamed fan of all things happily-ever-after, LEAH ASHTONhas been a lifelong reader of romance. Writing came a little bit later—although in hindsight she’s been dreaming up stories for as long as she can remember. Sadly, the most popular boy in school never did suddenly fall head over heels in love with her …

Now she lives in Perth, Western Australia, with her own real-life hero, two gorgeous dogs and the world’s smartest cat. By day she works in IT-land; by night she considers herself incredibly lucky to be writing the type of books she loves to read and to have the opportunity to share her own characters’ happily-ever-afters with readers.

You can visit Leah at www.leah-ashton.com

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For Regan—

who thinks all my heroes are based on him, but they’re not.

You’re my hero, though, baby.

I’m having so much fun

sharing my happy-ever-after with you.

Contents

Cover

Introduction ‘Ivy, what’s going on?’ She’d been staring unseeing down at her fingers, which she’d been wrapping and unwrapping around the stem of her champagne glass. She took a breath. The deepest breath she could remember taking. Then she lifted her gaze and met his. Even in the moody bar lighting she now finally had enough light to see the colour of his eyes. Hazel. They were lovely eyes, sexy eyes, but right now they were hard and unyielding. Yes, he’d worked out that this night wasn’t going to pan out the way he’d planned. ‘Angus—I’m pregnant.’

Dear Reader Dear Reader Dear Reader Title Page About the Author Dedication ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN FOURTEEN FIFTEEN EPILOGUE Extract Copyright I started writing Ivy and Angus’s story just after my daughter turned one. The most amazing—and exhausting!—year of my life had come to an end, and I was finally writing again. It’s probably no surprise that a baby popped into this story! But Ivy’s story is very different from mine. Ivy certainly hasn’t planned her pregnancy. In fact Ivy falls pregnant at exactly the worst possible moment in her career. For Ivy, her career is everything—so it’s as if her whole world has collapsed around her. Plus she also has to deal with a gorgeous, charming soldier who just won’t go away! I now know first-hand how life-changing children are—in a way I never comprehended before. But what would it be like to share such a life-changing experience with a practical stranger? That question is where Ivy and Angus’s story begins, and I just had to keep writing until this unlikely couple made it to their happy-ever-after. I hope you enjoy Ivy and Angus’s story! Leah PS I’ll let you in on a secret—I often name my heroines using baby names I love but that my husband vetoed. I still think Ivy is a beautiful name!

Title Page Nine Month Countdown Leah Ashton www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author An unashamed fan of all things happily-ever-after, LEAH ASHTON has been a lifelong reader of romance. Writing came a little bit later—although in hindsight she’s been dreaming up stories for as long as she can remember. Sadly, the most popular boy in school never did suddenly fall head over heels in love with her … Now she lives in Perth, Western Australia, with her own real-life hero, two gorgeous dogs and the world’s smartest cat. By day she works in IT-land; by night she considers herself incredibly lucky to be writing the type of books she loves to read and to have the opportunity to share her own characters’ happily-ever-afters with readers. You can visit Leah at www.leah-ashton.com

Dedication For Regan— who thinks all my heroes are based on him, but they’re not. You’re my hero, though, baby. I’m having so much fun sharing my happy-ever-after with you.

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

ONE

It had started exactly eleven steps down the aisle.

Ivy knew this, because she’d been counting.

Step, together one. Step, together two.

Generally the counting happened when she could feel the famous Molyneux temper bubbling away inside her. Or on the rare occasions she was nervous—although she couldn’t remember the last time that had been. But today, it was neither of those things. The bride—her sister April—was the one who should be feeling anxious. Marriage wasn’t something Ivy could see herself doing any time soon. She dated, occasionally, but never anything serious. Right now, her focus was on her work, and the family business, and everything else took a back seat. Because in Ivy’s experience relationships had an irritating habit of leaching into everything. And when it came to her career, well—anything that could damage that was just not acceptable.

But anyway... She’d been walking down the aisle, happily aware that the crowd seated in rows of white wooden chairs were peering around her for a glimpse of the bride, when she’d felt it. At exactly step eleven.