Page 25 of Pregnant at the Palace Altar

It had put him in a foul mood—which had already been accomplished by Katerina breakfasting before him, taking lunch in her rooms, and basically avoiding him.

He wanted to believe it was because she didn’t trust herself to keep her hands off him after her ridiculous decision to keep things professional, but he wasn’t so conceited. He knew it was more than that.

But then again, he wasn’t so humble as to think the heat between them hadnothingto do with it.

He reached her rooms and opened the doors to the grand sitting room. She was seated at a table in front of a large, ornate mirror. She had two women with her whom he did not recognize, and Stelios, a royal aide who usually worked in event planning.

“Oh, hello, Diamandis,” Katerina said casually as her assorted attendants curtsied and bowed as Katerina should also have done. “You’ll have to forgive me for not hopping to my feet, I’m feeling quite large today,” she said, as if reading the disapproval he’d attempted to keep off his face.

Before he could respond, she pointed to Stelios. “Stelios has just accepted the position as my assistant.”

“A fine choice,” Diamandis said, with a slight nod to Stelios. He would have preferred her to haveaskedpermission rather thanmadesuch decisions, but a queen had to have some autonomy—or so his mother had always said.

Diamandis was just not used to sharing any of the power or control that came with his position.

“Would you all give us a moment of privacy?” he asked of the staff.

More curtsies, bows, quick murmurs ofOf course, Your Majestyechoed through the room, and then the staff slipped away as if they’d never been there.

“I think I will be quite irritated if your assistant ends up being better than mine,” Diamandis said in an effort to be pleasant so he could give her the ring before he was tempted to pick an argument out of bad temper.

“You should have chosen Stelios for yourself.”

“I was a bit concerned that working so closely with his husband might distract him from the tasks at hand.”

Katerina shrugged. Smugly, he thought. “It will be your loss for not trusting him and Christos.”

She attempted to get out of the chair, but clearly had not been facetious earlier when she had said that she was struggling today.

He helped her to her feet, and then because his attraction to her was a magnet he had not yet learned how to fend off, did not drop her hands. He kept her there, close enough to catch the scent of her delicate perfume.

She did not quite meet his gaze as she stood very still, looking at a spot behind him on the wall. She did not attempt to wrench her hands free. She just stood there and waited.

He should give her the ring, but instead, he dropped her hands in irritation.

“I am almost ready,” she said, turning to a little table and picking up a pair of earrings. She studied herself in the full-length mirror as she attached one.

She wore a simple, casual dress that she might have worn when she was his assistant—complete with sensible flat shoes that had to be for comfort rather than any kind of fashion statement. But the dress was the kind of soft, stretchy material that hugged the swell of her stomach.

He had to step back toward the door as he was afraid he would reach out and touch her, demand of her what she had already refused.

“The meeting about titles should be interesting, but it got me thinking that there are some gaps in my knowledge regarding the history of the Agonas reign.”

“You can always utilize the family library or Zandra’s tutor if there’s something you wish to know.”

“I don’t think the tutor can help me with this subject,” she said. She turned to the mirror and fastened her other earing. She studied her reflection, then turned very slowly to look at him with an expression he couldn’t read. “What happened the night of the coup?”

The blood in his veins turned to ice. He didn’tmeanto take a step back, but found himself closer to the door than he had been all the same. He had to work very hard to make certain his voice was commanding and not...affected. “Why would you ask me this?”

“I am to be queen. I think I should have a slightly better understanding of the events than dry facts taught in history books. Even Zandra doesn’t know what really happened, and she was there.”

“The history books will tell you all there is to know.” All anyone ever needed to know. Hewishedit were all he knew.

“The fact you won’t speak of it makes me believe thereismore to know.”

He did not retreat any farther, did not allow himself to clasp his hands behind his back as he wished. He simply stood still and stared her down.

She did not blink. She didn’t so much as nod her head in deference. There was a certain kind of warmth in her expression. It reminded him of the look in her eye that had led him down the dangerous path that had ultimately brought them to this moment.

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