Page 58 of The Royal Pregnancy Test

Even as relief washed through him, he could see the fear in her eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into his arms, ignoring it.

‘Juno, I’m overjoyed,’ he said.

Her eyes widened. The flush of stunned pleasure on her cheeks when he put her back on her feet made his heart stutter.

‘Really, you’re not angry?’

‘Why would I be angry? We are to be parents. And Severene will have an heir. We must be married as soon as possible,’ he said. He held her waist, the smile he knew was plastered all over his face echoing in his heart as her gaze met his, still uncertain, still wary. He touched her chin. ‘Don’t look so worried, this is excellent news,’ he said, the possibilities suddenly endless.

He hadn’t considered such an outcome, but now it all seemed so obvious.

‘I will release a press statement first thing tomorrow. I expect there will be something of a diplomatic incident when we reveal the truth of your identity—and my chief of staff will have a cow when he realises he is going to have to arrange a state wedding in a matter of weeks ins

tead of months. But when they hear about the child...’ He pressed his palm to her flat stomach, marvelling at the thought of the child that already grew inside her. His child.

He wondered feverishly when she would start to show, when he would be able to feel his child kick.

‘They will be overjoyed,’ he said, stroking her stomach. ‘There is no better press for the monarchy than a royal baby. Really, I could not have hoped for a better outcome. Once we have—’

‘Stop, Leo.’ Her hands covered his on her stomach. And he was forced to raise his head. What he saw shocked him. The flush of pleasure was gone from her face to be replaced by sadness, and pain, the same grinding pain he had seen the previous evening—when he had been forced to tell her the truth, about what he could give her, and what he could not.

‘We can’t... We can’t be married. You must understand that?’

‘What?’ The word came out on a broken huff of breath.

Surely he could not have heard that right? She was refusing him? Now? Why?

‘Because nothing has changed,’ she said.

‘Everything has changed,’ he said. ‘You are having the royal heir, Juno. The future King or Queen of Severene. Surely you can see there is no other option now but for us to be married, so I can offer you and our child the full protection of the Crown.’

She stepped back, and his hand dropped from her stomach. ‘It’s not a king or a queen. Or an heir. It’s just a baby. Our baby.’

‘And as such it has a birthright,’ he snapped, the anger surging to protect him from the pain. She didn’t want him? When she had professed to love him? ‘A birthright I will not allow you to deny.’

‘What are you saying...?’ She pressed a hand to her forehead, her distress so clear at the prospect it only hurt him more. ‘That you’ll take this baby away from me if I refuse to marry you?’

‘Of course not,’ he said. She was twisting his words, twisting everything around, making him into a villain, when he was simply trying to do what was right, for her and his child. ‘But that doesn’t alter the fact this child is the heir to the Severene throne. You might wish to shirk your duty and pretend you can be free from responsibility, but that isn’t an option any more.’ Frustration and fury rose up inside him, but beneath it lurked the empty space in his stomach, which told him without duty, he was nothing.

The pregnancy had forced his hand, and hers—and if she couldn’t see that he would have to show her.

‘Is that all this means to you? Duty? I don’t want that for me or my child,’ she said frantically. ‘You told me yesterday you could never love me, can’t you see that—’

‘Stop it.’ He gripped her arm, dragged her back to him. ‘Stop being so damn selfish,’ he said, his fear now almost as huge as his fury. ‘You’re talking nonsense. Naïve romantic nonsense. This isn’t about that any more.’

‘Please, Leo, let me go,’ she said, her voice breaking on the word.

He dropped her arm, the sheen of moisture in her eyes like a bolt to his heart. He thrust his fingers through his hair.

‘Please, could you leave me alone, while I get dressed and pack?’ she said, her voice so small and exhausted the bolt twisted.

He hesitated. He wanted to push the point, wanted more than anything to make her see how foolish she was being, but she still looked so fragile, so wary, he knew now was not the time. She was still in shock from the result of the pregnancy test. She needed time to come to terms with the reality of what this all meant. She was being rash and unpredictable and impulsive. Perhaps the pregnancy hormones were already affecting her reasoning? Who knew? This did not have to be decided right here and right now.

So he nodded. And tried to force himself to relax. Now was not the time to demand and insist. He could do that later, if he had to.

What he wanted to do was pick her up and cradle her against his chest. Make love to her again the way he had last night. But that would have to wait too.

---