Page 12 of The Prince's Secret Daughter
“Then she is a member of the royal family. She is Princess Angela. I am acknowledging her paternity and, as such, she is my daughter and the title conveys to all of my…our…children.”
Helen couldn’t deal with the “all of our” part of that statement. It implied that they would be having more children. She just needed to get through tonight, and then she could figure out everything else. Tomorrow.
“Raj, she’s just a little girl.”
“Yes. Aroyallittle girl.”
“But…!”
Chapter 7
Impatient now, Raj gripped Helen’s upper arms, pulling her closer and ducking down to look directly into her eyes. “Helen, I need you to understand. I know that you’ve had a difficult day and it’s relatively late for you, but Angela, and you, need to be protected.” Raj was reminded of his brother’s frantic actions to get his twin sons and Tila to the palace where they would be protected. At the time, Raj had scoffed at the way his brother had literally kidnapped the trio.
Damn, Joran, and their oldest brother, Sheik Khal, were going to laugh at Raj’s situation. Khal had been relieved when things had worked out so well with Joran and Tila. There had been an unspoken command for Raj to not repeat Joran’s mistake.
Oh, things were going to be interesting when he contacted his brothers to admit that the exact same thing had happened to him.
Focusing on the present, Raj sighed.
“I know that…I left abruptly last time.” He squeezed her upper arms. “And I can explain, but I doubt the reasons for my departure will make you feel better. Right now, I need you to know that your safety and Angela’s are my first priority. I need you and Angela here, where my guards can protect you.” He didn’t mention that he wanted her in Lativa where he could protect her and his daughter at the palace. Right now, he just needed Helen and Angela safe. Just for tonight.
Her eyes widened as the import of his words slowly sank in. Her lips barely moved when she asked, “You really think that someone might try to hurt Angela?”
No, he doubted that anyone was currently trying to hurt their daughter. But he didn’t trust anyone, and he definitely didn’t trust either of the Grishoms. They’d drugged several people, tried to drug him, and blackmailed Helen into trying to seduce him…who knows what they would be willing to do to get this deal settled.
“I think that your employers are going to try to hurt you, maybe even discredit you, after what happened this morning. Which means I think that they will come after you somehow, maybe even try to hurt you. And they have already threatened Angela once. Wemusttake proper precautions. ”
Helen bit her lip; it was the first sign of vulnerability that he’d seen in her today. It was endearing and a massive gut punch since he knew that she was a strong and fiercely independent woman. Seeing her so worried made his chest ache in ways he’d never felt before.
“Fine,” she said and Raj released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “We’ll stay here tonight.”
“Thank you,” he whispered and kissed her forehead. At that first touch, he froze as a jolt surged through him. He pulled back, looking down at her to gauge her reaction. He stared into her eyes for what felt like an eternity. The world seemed to vanish, and they were teetering on the edge of something profound.
Their eyes met in a silent exchange, speaking volumes without a single word. In that intense moment, he saw areflection of his own desires reflected back at him, a raw, unbridled passion burning brightly within her gaze. It was a revelation, a recognition of shared longing that left him breathless.
But for now, he pulled back, releasing her. “We’ll tell her together.”
“Fine,” Helen replied and turned. As he watched, a shiver went down her spine and Raj smiled. Thankfully, she had her back to him so she didn’t see his triumphant expression. She’d only agreed to stay tonight, but that was a start.
Tomorrow, he’d figure out how to convince her to come back to Lativa. Forever.
Chapter 8
“Can I have pancakes?”
Raj turned, startled to find a tiny girl standing in the doorway, wearing pink pajamas and holding the ear of a…he wasn’t sure what stuffed animal dangled by his daughter’s side.
“Pancakes?” he asked, feeling that shock of amazement at seeing her all over again. This was his daughter! By some miracle, this adorable human being was created during…! Perhaps he shouldn’t think about those wild nights in Helen’s arms. Not while he was wearing only a pair of loose shorts and no shirt. He’d just come up from the hotel’s gym, having worked out with two of his guards. He was sweaty, but energized, ready to tackle whatever came at him today.
Except for a tiny human being.
Angela was a mystery that he was delighted to investigate.
She looked around with an adorable expression of determination. “I want pancakes for breakfast.” She looked around again, then settled on his face. “You’re not wearing a shirt. Can I take off my shirt?”
“NO!” he snapped, horrified at the idea. Raj quickly looked around, and found his shirt draped over the back of a nearby sofa. He grabbed it and quickly pulled it over his head. When he could see her again, he knelt down in front of her to look into her eyes. Eyes that were startlingly similar to his own.
“Did your momma say you could have pancakes?” he asked, suspicious because of her belligerent tone.
