Читать книгу Marrying His Majesty: Claimed: Secret Royal Son - Marion Lennox, Marion Lennox - Страница 16

SHE’D lied.

I care about my baby. That’s all. She’d known it was a lie before she’d uttered it but she wasn’t about to add her other… care.

Alex.

He looked appalled. It helped, she decided, that he looked appalled at what she’d gone through. When she let herself think about it, she was pretty appalled herself.

That he was horrified on her behalf… It did something to her insides. There was a warmth forming inside her—a glow that was starting to build.

She looked down at the bed, where he still sat holding Michales on his knee.

Her men.

Her family.

She’d never had family. Her mother had been entirely uninterested in her sickly daughter. Her father had been elderly when she was born and their relationship had been built on Lily’s role as carer. Mia simply didn’t want to be a part of her life.

But here… this man didn’t want her to care for him, she thought.

This man cared.

Um… no. He’d been horrified at an appalling story. Nothing more.

So don’t get your hopes up, she told herself severely.

Michales was starting to grizzle. After his swim and shower and feed he should be drifting into sleep.

So be a mother, she reminded herself sharply.

She lifted Michales from Alex’s arms, held him to her shoulder and rubbed his back.

He emitted one very satisfactory belch.

Alex’s brows hiked in amazement. ‘Is he supposed to do that?’

As an ice breaker it was great. The tension inside the room fizzled and died, and she found she could smile, too.

‘Better out than in, wouldn’t you say?’ She was laying Michales into his cot. He’d had a very busy day for a baby. A wedding, a reception, a first ever swim… He snuggled down, his eyes closing almost before he was tucked in.

She stood gazing down at him. When she looked up, Alex was standing beside her.

The tension zoomed in again.

‘What?’ she said, suddenly breathless.

‘You’re beautiful,’ he said on a note of discovery.

‘Yeah, dressed to kill.’ Jeans and T-shirt. Her standard uniform for life. She’d left the scarf off. Why bother?

‘Lily… ’

‘Let’s not,’ she managed.

‘Not what?’

‘Whatever you’re about to say. Like paying compliments. I don’t like it.’

‘You don’t like compliments?’

‘Mia gets the compliments. You want Mia? You need to line up behind a guy called Ben.’

‘You’re nothing like Mia.’

‘Well, there’s the truth. Can you excuse me? I need to unpack.’ She made to go past him but his hands caught her shoulders and held.

‘Lily, can we start again?’

‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘Wind the clock back,’ he said softly. ‘So we don’t have baggage between us.’

‘By baggage I guess you mean Michales.’

‘He’s very noisy baggage,’ he said and smiled as he glanced into the cot. ‘I doubt he fits the description. But in a way… he complicates things. Your illness complicates things. All sorts of things complicate… things.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Between you and me.’

‘There’s nothing… ’

‘You see, that’s where we differ.’ He moved so he had a hand on each arm. His hands were on her bare skin. They felt big and warm and sure. In his hold she suddenly felt… safe.

‘Alex, don’t,’ she murmured but still he held her, his eyes asking questions.

‘Don’t what?’

‘H-hold me.’

‘You don’t want to be held?’

‘I’m scared.’ It wasn’t true, but it was what she ought to feel. She should be running a mile. But she could give herself to him.

The idea was suddenly there, and it was so overwhelming that scared was the right description. To give herself to this man…

She’d married him, she thought, frantically trying to get her hormones under control. But to fall in love with him… To give her heart…

She already had.

Sensations were sweeping in from all sides.

And suddenly she was remembering how she’d felt during those last appalling months, as the tumour in her head had threatened to overwhelm her. She’d had times when she was dazed, confused, disoriented. The sensation of being out of control was terrifying.

Gazing at Alex now, that was how she felt. As if her body wasn’t her own. As if her head wasn’t her own.

‘Lily, what is it?’ He was gazing at her in concern. Something of what she was feeling must have shown in her face, for the grip of his hands changed. It was a subtle shift. Not a withdrawal exactly but… From the beginnings of passion, it had changed to a hold of comfort. ‘Lily, I won’t hurt you.’

‘I know you won’t.’ But here was a shift again. She didn’t want him to look like that. She didn’t want this man’s sympathy.

The night Michales had been conceived had been a night out of frame. She’d emerged from plain, frightened Lily to being someone else. She’d been seductive, wild and free.

It had been imaginary.

It had been fun.

The memory of that fun was with her now, like an itch building within. Goading her. Go on, Lily. You know you can be like that again. If you dare…

‘Alex, are you suggesting… that you want this marriage for real?’ she whispered.

‘What do you mean?’

‘I know it’s not love at first sight or anything like that,’ she said hurriedly. ‘But we’ve… we’ve got this attraction thing going.’

‘We do.’ He sounded puzzled, but laughter was replacing sympathy. Which was what she wanted—wasn’t it?

No. She wanted a serious discussion.

‘I’d prefer it if you didn’t laugh,’ she told him, and he schooled his expression to gravity.

‘Of course. I’m not laughing. So you’re saying we might be attracted to one another. I agree. So where might that be taking us?’

‘See, here’s the thing,’ she said, fighting for courage. But suddenly she was sure she was right. Mia wasn’t the only one who could fight for what she wanted, she thought. All her life she’d let events shape her course. Now… she had her life back. She had a beautiful baby, and before her was the most gorgeous prince in the known universe and he was her husband. Whatever the reason for the marriage, marriage it clearly was.

So here was the idea. What was the harm in asking for more?

‘When we made our wedding vows, did you mean any of them?’ she asked quickly, before any more qualms raised their heads.

‘You mean keeping me only unto you for as long as we both shall live?’ he asked, and the laughter in his eyes had suddenly gone. ‘Lily… ’

She hadn’t meant to get this serious; it was scary. ‘I didn’t mean that,’ she said hurriedly. ‘I wouldn’t ask that. For as long as we both shall live… This is only for a year. And you’ve known me for what—two minutes?’

‘I’ve known you for over a year.’

‘But in real time. Two days and a couple of meetings in between. Not enough to base a whole life on. But what I’m asking… ’ She faltered, fought to find the right words and then forced herself to say them. ‘It’s just the first bit. It’s the keeping yourself only unto me.’

‘Keeping myself faithful to you, do you mean?’

He had it. She nodded, relieved it was in the open. ‘That’s the one.’

‘Are you suggesting you might want to keep a couple of gigolos on the side while we’re married?’ It was said lightly but his gaze said this wasn’t a light question. His gaze was locked onto hers, as if he were trying to see inside her.

‘Of course I don’t,’ she said. Unconsciously her chin tilted again, assertive. Or trying to be assertive. Inside, she was jelly. ‘Alex, I’m willing to swear that for the whole time I’m married to you I will be faithful.’ Deep breath. Just ask, she told herself. Do it. And she did. ‘Will you do the same for me?’

And there was no hesitation at all. ‘I will,’ he said, and he might as well have said I do, there was such gravitas.

Her eyes widened. Just like that, she had his promise.

She didn’t know where to take it from here.

He was watching her, concerned now by her silence. ‘You don’t believe me?’

‘It’s just… you’re a royal prince, you could have anyone. I didn’t think you’d want to be… ’

‘Monogamous?’

‘That’s the one.’ She was practically stuttering. She felt as if she was tying herself in knots. ‘What makes you different?’

‘I wouldn’t mind seeing if it works,’ he said, so softly she thought at first she’d got it wrong. But the way he was looking at her said she had it exactly right.

I wouldn’t mind seeing if it works… That was an implication that he wanted something more than a marriage of convenience.

Don’t go there, she thought. She wasn’t ready. She wanted her freedom. Or she thought she did. Alex was… fabulous. But to be sucked into the royal goldfish bowl for ever…

Think about that later, she told herself. Later was truly scary. Think about here. Think about now.

Right here, right now, her prince was promising to be faithful. To her. While they were married.

Starting now?

‘You’re beautiful, Lily,’ he said softly. ‘You’ve had such a tough time… ’

‘See, that’s just what I don’t want you to think,’ she snapped, confusion fading. ‘That’s what I suddenly realised. Last time you took me to bed… did you do it because you felt sorry for me?’

‘Of course I didn’t.’

‘Then that’s what I’d like to revert to. I remember lying beside you and thinking it was magic. Thinking your body was scrumptious.’

‘Scrumptious,’ he said blankly and then he grinned. ‘I believe that’s what I thought about your body as well,’ he said and the laughter had slammed back.

Shared laughter… That was what had attracted her to him in the first place. A whole lot of other sensations had fallen into line behind that initial attraction—a body to die for, sensations like tenderness, passion and wonder. But laughter had come first and it was laughter that was a refuge here. If they could laugh… Scary emotions could be left for later.

She could be free later on. She could be free when she had to be free. For now… Maybe this was dumb, but his sympathy, his concern, had seemed to unlock something inside her that had never been touched. From swearing she wanted to keep her life for herself and for her son, suddenly she was thinking what if… what if…

‘So you’re promising to keep yourself only unto me all the time we’re married,’ she ventured.

‘I am.’ Flat. Definite. Absolute.

‘So… ’ She swallowed. ‘If we’re to be faithful… ’

‘Mmm.’

‘And if we’re to be… chaste… as well, then we might have a very monastic type of year in front of us.’

‘I’d make a very bad monk,’ he said promptly, laughter returning. He seemed to be willing to go where she was leading. More than willing. ‘I don’t think a tonsure would suit me.’

She looked up at his thick black curls. She tried to imagine what he’d look like with a neat ring of hair and a bald crown.

She chuckled.

‘Not a sexy look,’ he said, smiling his agreement, and she smiled back at him. And wham! Here they came again. Hormones and hormones and more hormones.

But there were things to be said—things that must be said if those hormones were allowed to hold sway.

‘If… if we were to sleep together we’d need to take a lot more precautions than last time,’ she managed, trying not to sound as breathless as she felt.

‘I’ve changed my brand of condom.’

She blinked. He was smiling. He was with her and beyond.

Two could play at that game. ‘I’ve taken precautions, too,’ she said, and watched his eyes crease into surprise and appreciation—and then darken to something more.

‘You’ve taken precautions,’ he said softly.

‘That’s what I said.’

‘You’ve taken precautions already?’

‘Seeing as I was getting married. Seeing as I didn’t trust myself.’ Seeing also as she hadn’t trusted him not to demand his conjugal rights. She’d never dreamed the advance could come from her.

‘I see.’ His hands took hers, gripping warmly, strongly, surely, and the laughter was back again. Laughter and something deeper. ‘So let me get this right. You’re in my house on your wedding night—our wedding night—you look so lovely I can’t believe it and you tell me you came prepared.’

‘That’s not necessarily an invitation,’ she managed, but of course it was. And he was playing her game.

‘It’d be a prince without chivalry who thought it was,’ he said and he tugged her closer. ‘But if it was a prince who was to issue the invitation… ’

‘What… what sort of invitation?’ she managed.

‘A very proper invitation,’ he whispered. His mouth was against her hair. She could feel his breath. It was unbelievably erotic. Unbelievably sexy. ‘Something like: His Majesty, Prince Alexandros Kostantinos Mykonis, Crown Prince of Sappheiros, requests the pleasure of the company of Her Majesty, Princess Lily Mykonis… ’

‘Princess… ’ It was practically a squeak. She swallowed. ‘Um… princess?’

‘That’s what you are as my wife,’ he said into her hair. ‘Whereas Mia is now Queen of nowhere, as the Kingdom of Diamas no longer exists. She’s about to get a very legal letter telling her she has no further right to use the title.’

She gazed at Alex—at her husband—in awe. Thinking of Mia’s reaction.

‘I think you’re wonderful,’ she said before she could help herself, and the world stood still.

His eyes darkened once more. She saw passion flare and burn. ‘So this invitation I’m thinking of issuing… ’ he murmured.

‘When?’ she asked, still breathless, but no longer worrying about an irrelevant thing like breathing.

‘I’m getting to that,’ he said reprovingly. ‘Patience, my love. Official invites take time. I need to melt the wax for the seal… Oh, I’ll have to find some wax. You don’t happen to have a candle about you?’

‘I don’t believe I do. And I certainly don’t have time to search for one.’

‘You don’t?’

‘Not the way I’m feeling.’

‘So… ’ His hold tightened. ‘If I were to send this invitation without an official seal… If I were to request an RSVP by return post… ’

‘You might get it faster than you expected.’

‘Really?’

‘Really,’ she whispered. ‘Right about… now.’

‘Now?’ His hands were in the small of her back, tugging her closer, closer. ‘Now, my love?’

‘Maybe,’ she whispered.

‘And what might this RSVP say?’

‘Ooh,’ she whispered. ‘I’d have to think about it.’

‘Think fast.’

She thought fast. She could think without breathing. ‘I guess it’d say something along the lines of: Her Majesty, Princess Lily Sophia Mykonis, is delighted to receive the very gracious invitation of said prince and accepts with pleasure.’

‘Does she just.’ She could feel his pleasure. She could feel his heat. The world outside had ceased to exist. There was only each other.

How had they done it? How had they turned a sedate domestic scene—feeding her baby—into passion, just like that?

But there was no mistaking what had happened. Her knees felt distinctly wobbly, but there was no longer a need for them to stay firm. Alex was sweeping her up into his arms, holding her against him, his dark eyes possessing her, loving her, wanting her.

Her prince.

‘About place and time… ’ he murmured.

‘Subject to negotiation, wouldn’t you say?’

‘Okay, let’s negotiate. First factor—time. Is now okay with you?’

‘I don’t believe I have any pressing appointments.’

‘Excellent.’ His dark eyes gleamed. ‘Place?’

‘Maybe not here,’ she said, somewhat reluctantly.

‘We might corrupt our son,’ he said, and those two words… our son… were so sexy that her insides felt quivery along with her knees. All of her felt quivery.

‘See that adjoining door?’ he murmured, and she looked up and saw the door and her eyes widened.

‘You don’t mean… ’

‘I do mean.’ He was laughing again. She loved it when he laughed.

‘You had this planned!’

‘I did not,’ he said, wounded. ‘But, as a good father, I thought I might be expected to take a turn at night duty. I thought if I was to lie awake at night listening for my son then I’d need to be near. Really near. So I allocated you this apartment.’

‘You’re saying your bed is right through that door?’

‘Right through that door. If it’s grand enough for you.’

‘I can make do,’ she said serenely. ‘But I don’t mind a bit of glitz. The last time I… The last time we made love, I believe you were sleeping at the castle. Under a chandelier, if I remember correctly.’

‘I was there as my uncle’s heir,’ he said. ‘He liked glitz. He also expected me to act as his deputy, so I was on duty.’

‘But you’re not on duty now.’

‘I’m delegating responsibility to my son.’ He grinned. ‘I like the idea of delegating. If there’s armed insurrection before the morning, Michales is responsible for waking me up and ringing the newspapers.’

She choked.

‘I love it when you laugh,’ he whispered and it was so much what she was thinking that she gasped.

‘What?’ he demanded.

‘I guess… laughter from you is a real turn-on as well,’ she admitted.

‘You like it when I laugh?’

‘I love it when you laugh.’

‘So we should find ourselves a good piece of slapstick on television?’

‘We could,’ she said cautiously.

‘But I can think of something better,’ he growled and he walked across and kicked the door open. It wasn’t even properly closed, Lily thought, and she couldn’t figure whether she was shocked or delighted.

But then she thought again. Definitely delighted. For Alex was carrying her across to his bed and laying her on the counterpane as if she were the most exquisite thing he’d ever touched.

‘I’m sorry there’s no chandelier,’ he whispered.

‘I can cope. As long as there’s laughter,’ she said, breathless again. When he looked like that…

It was still too soon, the sane part of her brain whispered. Sense said she needed to taste freedom first.

But not now. Not when the rest of her brain was disagreeing. Not as he was tugging his shirt free, baring his chest, making her gasp…

‘Laughter,’ he said, agreeing. Smiling and smiling. ‘Okay, my love, here we go. Two sausages in a pan. One turns to the other and says, “Gee, it’s hot in here.” What does the other one say?’

He was loving her with his eyes. He was smiling down at her with that wicked, laughing smile—and he was waiting for an answer to his dumb riddle. ‘I don’t know,’ she whispered, choking with laughter and something else entirely. ‘What does the other one say?’

‘“Bless my soul, it’s a talking sausage!”’ he said, and he grinned like a seven-year-old cracking his first riddle. It was so ridiculous she found herself laughing with him.

While hungering for him with every nerve in her body.

And then he was beside her on the bed, lifting her T-shirt over her head. Unclipping her bra.

‘But it’s not just the sausage who’s hot,’ he whispered, laughter fading, his strong, skilful fingers moving to cup her breasts. ‘Lily, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world. You give yourself to me and I can’t believe that you do. I’ll never let you forget it. But now, my love… Now is for us. Now is for laughter. Now is for loving. And if we try very hard… ’ He closed his eyes and she had a feeling he was taking a mighty step forward. ‘Now might just end up being forever.’

Only forever had a habit of being not as long as expected.

In Athens, a plane was landing. A private jet. A woman emerged. She stood on the tarmac and surveyed the scene before her. Deeply displeased.

There was no one to meet her. Olivia had needed to barter with her daughter to get this flight. Mia had grudgingly arranged for Ben’s plane to bring her here. The negotiations had made her seethe. While her daughters lived in splendour, she had to fend for herself.

Okay, maybe she would have done the same if she’d been her daughters’ age, she conceded. Maybe she had. But for Lily to forget she was her mother… Not even to invite her to her wedding…

Some things were unconscionable. Sometimes a gentle reminder was needed.

Or a big one.

She made her way into the terminal, went through Customs—like a mere mortal, she thought savagely—and then thought of what to do next.

A private plane to Sappheiros was out of the question. Unless…

Unless the press came to the party. Which they would. She simply had to open her mouth and tell them who she was.

Mother of the Queen. Mother of the Crown Princess.

She’d done very well for her girls.

She now intended Lily to acknowledge it.