Page 14 of Pregnant at the Palace Altar

The bed was safely between them. She needed that safety or she might—

No, she could not give in to him again, not when she had so much to lose. She could not let this flutter turn into the twirling, desperate hold of need.

She had learned her lesson. She could not forget it.

“Then allow me to speak ill of her for you because itdoesmatter. She is a gold digger. A narcissist. And I have been as far beneath her notice as possible since I flat-out refused to sneak her into any of your events so she could mix and mingle with what few men of power she hasn’t yet slept with or attempted to.”

“I do not see what this has to do with you.”

“How can younotsee? You are a king.”

“Yes,” he agreed, taking a few steps toward the end of the bed. “And as king, it is quite easy for me to keep your mother as far out of your life as you wish.”

What might her life have been ifanyonehad been able to keep Ghavriella Floros as far away from her life as she wished.

But Katerina could not change the past. Or who her mother was. She could only focus on extricating herself from this mess before it was announced. Before she was married.

Before you give in. Again.

“If you had gone to your council before any of this had happened and proposed me as your future queen, not one of them would have given you their support.”

He lifted a shoulder as he came around to her side of the bed. She was now trapped, between bed and wall. “I would never seek the council’s approval for my future wife.Iam the one who has to live with her.” His gaze moved over her then, and she saw all the things she should ignore. Should fight.

Interest.

Desire.

Need.

She did not understand how, when she felt as unwieldly as an elephant, this kind of heat could bloom within her. How she could burn at all for a man—let alonethisman, who infuriated her beyond reason. Whom she had run from, because he could be far too cold when he wanted to be.

But she could imagine it all too clearly. His hands, his mouth. The way he had made her feel that night—as though she was lit up from within. How she had shattered, beautifully. There had been no coldness then. Only heat. Only them.

She could not fall for this again. It was a lie. A trick. A temptation meant to ruin them both, maybe. And she didn’t wish that for either of them. She couldn’t risk it for her children.

You are already pregnant. What more harm can be done?

She blinked at that unbidden thought. And when she lifted her gaze from Diamandis’s mouth to his eyes, she felt as though he’d read her thoughts. Down to that one.

It was as though they were tied by that thought, brought increasingly closer against their wills. Some magnetic pull that would ruin them both.

And she struggled to care. Just like that night.

“Katerina,” he said, and she must have misheard the gravel in his voice because he kept talking about his plans. “The plans are in motion. You will be my wife and Kalyva’s queen.” He moved forward and took her hands in his. “Trust me. I will take care of all your many concerns.”

She hated that she did trust him. That for all these years she had gotten to know the man under the armor and had come to care for that man. But how she felt didn’t matter. It couldn’t. Not when she had two children to consider.

“The royal doctor will check you out today to make certain you are healthy and well enough to deal with crowds and wedding preparations. We will not do anything to risk your health or the children’s. I am led to understand that twin pregnancies can be difficult.”

“My doctor also cautioned me in regard to that, but so far I have had a very routine pregnancy,” she said, knowing she should pull her hands away. Knowing she should put more distance between them.

But he was closer somehow. Toe to toe, his head bent toward hers so that when he spoke, his breath danced across her cheek. She wanted to lean. She wanted to forget everything—this was his power, and no matter how she knew he would use it against her, no matter how strong she was,thiswas the thing she could not best, could not escape, could not survive.

“This is excellent news.”

“Why?” she asked breathlessly. Stupidly. What was she doing here? Surely he wasn’t going to—

But his mouth crashed to hers, exactly as it had done that night—fierce, cunning, and confident that she would not resist.

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