“You have every right to fire me—I deserve it. But if you insist on keeping me, I think it’s best if we keep our relationship professional and try to move on. That means no rehashing the mistakes I made. I can’t have you throwing them in my face.”
The longer she spoke, the stronger her voice got. The woman who’d emotionally professed her love for him just moments earlier had transformed back into the businesslike assistant he’d always known. Who was the real Kate?
Was she the loving, passionate woman back at the beach house? Was she the take-charge assistant, or was she the conniving woman who’d ruthlessly insinuated herself into his life when he’d been weak?
“I agree that from here on out, we’ll keep our relationship strictly professional.”
Luc prayed like hell he was telling the truth. He needed to keep his head on straight, focus on securing the title and not think about how much he’d fallen for his assistant.
* * *
Well, that plan to keep things professional was about to get blown apart.
Kate closed her eyes, gripped the stick and willed the results to be different.
Peeking through one eyelid, she still saw the two pink lines glaring back at her. If they had been on a billboard or neon sign they couldn’t have been any more eye-catching... She couldn’t look anywhere else.
And no matter how long she stared at it, the results were still going to be the same. Positive.
Something between a moan and a cry escaped her as she came to her feet. Staring at herself in the vanity mirror, Kate didn’t know what she expected to see. She didn’t look any different, but in the past three minutes the course of her entire life had been altered.
Now what should she do? She was pregnant with Luc’s baby and the man practically loathed her, unless she was writing a speech for him or running interference for some engagement he didn’t want to attend.
There was no getting around this. She’d been on the pill since she was a teen, to keep her cycle regular, but they hadn’t used a condom the times they’d been intimate, and birth control wasn’t fail-safe...obviously.
There was only one answer. She’d promised Luc she’d never lie to him again, and she certainly wasn’t going to start off by keeping this baby a secret.
Laying the test stick on the back of the vanity, Kate washed her hands and stepped out of the restroom. She wanted to find Luc now. This couldn’t wait, because the nerves in her stomach were threatening to overtake her. She had to find him.
At this point in the day, she honestly had no idea what he was doing, but she did know he was working from home. If she stopped to think, she could figure out his schedule—she had created it. But her mind wasn’t in work mode right now and she couldn’t process anything other than the fact she was having a baby with a man she loved...a man who could hardly look at her. She was on the verge of freaking out.
Her lies had not only killed the trust Luc had for her, now the whirlwind of secrets had formed a new life...literally.
Kate’s hand slid over her stomach as she made her way out of her office and into the wide hallway. She smiled as she passed one of the maids, but her smile faded the second she reached Luc’s office door. In just moments, both their lives and the future of this country would be changed forever.
She was carrying an heir.
Kate rested her forehead against the smooth wood and closed her eyes. The sooner she told Luc, the sooner they could start figuring out what to do. Summoning all the strength she possessed, she tapped on his office door, cursing her shaking hands. She heard familiar voices on the other side. Apparently, he was having a private meeting with his parents. Still, this couldn’t wait.
Yes, they were the king and queen. Yes, Kate was being rude by interrupting. But she didn’t care.
Fisting her hand, she knocked louder and longer, until the door jerked open to an angry-looking Luc. His jaw clenched, his lips thinned, and once he saw her, his eyes narrowed.
“Kate? We’re in the middle of something.”
Pushing by him, she offered a shaky smile to his parents, who sat with their eyes locked on her. “I’m sorry, but this can’t wait.”
Ana Silva rose to her feet and crossed the room. Kate swallowed as her heart started beating faster. She was going to be sick. The overwhelming urge to pass out or throw up all over the Persian rug had nothing to do with the pregnancy.
“Darling, you’re trembling,” Ana said. “Come, sit down.”
“We’re in the middle of something,” Luc repeated.
Luc’s father stood, gesturing toward the chair he’d just vacated. “Here, Kate.”
Luc muttered a string of Portuguese slang.
“I’m sorry,” Kate muttered. “I didn’t mean to cause a scene. I just need a few minutes with Luc.”
His parents exchanged a look and Kate noticed Luc standing off to the side, arms crossed, jaw still clenched. He wasn’t happy. Too bad she was about to drop another bomb on his life. Would he be even angrier at her? Most likely, but hiding the pregnancy wasn’t an option.
Kate closed her eyes as she rested her elbows on her knees and dropped her head into her hands. Luc’s parents muttered something to him and moments later Kate heard the office door click shut.
“What the hell is this all about?” Luc demanded.
Kate pushed her hair away from her face as she looked up. He was leaning against the edge of his desk, ankles crossed, palms resting on either side of his slim hips. Wearing dark designer jeans and a fitted black T-shirt, he didn’t look like a member of the royal family, but he still exuded power. It was the stare, the unyielding body language, that told her she needed to get on with her speech...one she hadn’t rehearsed at all.
“I...” Kate shook her head, came to her feet. No way could she remain still; her body was too shaky, too wound up to stay seated.
“Just say it.”
Luc’s harsh words cut through her. Kate stopped pacing, turned and gazed at him. “I’m pregnant.”
He stared at her for several moments without saying a word. Then suddenly, he burst out laughing, and straightened.
“Nice try, Kate.” His expression sobered. “That’s already been used on me.”
“What?”
His words took a moment to sink in. He didn’t believe her. Of course he wouldn’t. Why should he? He’d been played for a fool by his ex-fiancée, who tried the pregnancy trap, and Kate had also lied to him.
“Luc, I’m not lying,” she reiterated. “I have the test in my office bathroom. I need to call Dr. Couchot to confirm with a blood test, though.”
Something dark clouded Luc’s eyes. “You did this on purpose.”
Fury rose to the surface, pushing through the nerves. No matter how much she loved him, no matter how much she wished he would see her as a woman worthy of his love and trust, Kate refused to stand here and be degraded and blamed for something they’d both taken part in.
“I think it was you who came to me,” she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. “You think I wanted a child with a man who doesn’t love me? I made a mistake by lying to you, but I’m not pathetic and I’m not trying to trap you. I promised I would always be honest with you, and I just found out about this myself ten minutes ago. So lose the ego. I don’t want to snag you that much.”
Kate turned to go and managed to get across the room with her hand on the doorknob before Luc grabbed her arm and spun her back around. Leaning flat against the door, trapped between the wood and Luc’s hard body, she stared up into those eyes that could make a woman forget all her problems...almost. Even the great Prince Lucas Silva wasn’t that powerful.
“You think you can drop that bomb and then just walk out?” he demanded. “We’re not done here.”
“We both need to process this before we say anything we might regret.” Though they’d already said plenty to cause damaging scars. “I just need... I need to think this through, Luc.”
His eyes widened. “What’s there
to think through? You’re having my child. I will be part of his or her life.”
A sliver of relief coursed through her. “I would never deny you the chance to be with your child.”
Tears welled up, the familiar burn in her throat formed and Kate cursed herself. She absolutely hated crying, hated the predicament she was in, but hated even more that she was pulling in an innocent child.
“I’m scared,” she whispered, closing her eyes.
She jerked when Luc’s hand slid over her cheek. Focusing back on him, she saw something in his eyes she hadn’t expected...fear. Obviously, she wasn’t the only one with insecurities.
“No matter what happened prior to this moment, I won’t leave you alone with a baby.” He dropped his hand, but didn’t step back. “Our baby.”
When he stood so close, smelling so amazingly familiar and feeling so sexy against her, Kate couldn’t think straight. She wished she didn’t still want him, wished she’d never lied to him to begin with. And she truly wished something as beautiful as creating a life with the man she loved hadn’t been tainted because of her lies.
“I don’t want our baby to suffer from my actions,” she told him. “I want to be able to work with you on this, and I know the timing—”
She cut herself off with a sad laugh. “Sorry. There would be no good timing,” she corrected. “I just meant with the throne, your birthday and all of that on your mind, I didn’t mean to add to your stress, but you needed to know.”
When he said nothing, Kate carefully turned. There was no way to avoid rubbing up against him, because he’d barely moved since he’d trapped her against the door.
Luc’s hands came up to cup her shoulders as he moved in behind her.
“Who are you, Kate?” he whispered.
Her head dropped against the wood as she tried to ignore all of the ways her body responded to his. Tried and failed miserably.
“Are you the efficient assistant? The woman who stands up for me to the public? Are you the woman who lied to me for selfish reasons? Or are you the woman who claims to love me and who’s now carrying my child?”
Drawing in a shaky breath, Kate glanced over her shoulder just enough to catch his gaze. “I’m all of them.”
“Part of me hates you for what you did.” Luc’s eyes darted down to her lips. “I wish I still didn’t want you so damn much.”
Breath caught in Kate’s throat as Luc pushed away and stalked back to his desk. He kept his back to her, as if that revelation had cost him dearly. She had no doubt he hadn’t meant to let that slip, and as much as she wanted to revel in his obvious discomfort over the fact that he wanted her, Kate had to put this baby first, above all else.
Even the fact that her own heart was still beating for only one man.
Fourteen
He hadn’t planned on taking Kate to Greece for his best friend’s wedding, but once she had opened her heart to him and bared her soul, Luc wasn’t able to deny the fact that he still wanted her.
Plans were taking root in his mind and he was going to have to take action. Perhaps he could have Kate, the crown and his child without ever putting his heart on the line where she was concerned. Surely she’d stay for the sake of their child. Why not make it official, so he could keep the title that was rightfully his?
But if he wanted to sway her into marriage, he needed to start convincing her, or she’d never say yes.
No, he hadn’t forgiven her for lying, but she was pregnant, confirmed by Dr. Couchot, and Luc knew the child was his. The plan forming in his mind was anything but nice, but he couldn’t back down. Too much was at stake.
Luc glanced across the aisle to where Kate had reclined her seat and was curled onto her side, with her hand beneath her cheek. She’d been exhausted when they’d left that morning, and he’d nearly told her to stay behind, but he knew she was just as stubborn as him and wouldn’t listen. Either the baby was making her more tired than usual or she wasn’t sleeping because of the stress. Knowing her, it was probably both.
He’d cursed himself every which way after she’d left his office a few days ago. He’d hated how his heart had flipped when she’d whispered her fears. Damn it, he didn’t want his heart to be affected by this woman. There was no space in his life for such things. He had a title to secure, and now he had an heir to think about. Kate couldn’t fall under the category of things he cared about, because if he allowed that, then she would have the upper hand. Wanting her physically was difficult enough to have to deal with each time she was near.
His mind kept wandering back to how right it had felt when they’d been playing house. He’d gladly dismissed his family’s rule about fraternizing with staff. He would have done anything for her. He’d never felt so connected to a woman in all his life.
Kate embodied sex appeal, that was a given. It had been what had drawn him to her when she’d first come to work for him. He vaguely recalled the little girl, and later on the teen, who used to hang around the palace with her parents.
Then when the time came that he’d needed an assistant and Kate had been recommended, he’d jumped at the chance, because her family knew his so well and he knew she’d be a trustworthy candidate. Plus her references and academics had been superb.
Yet somehow, over the course of a professional relationship that had started out with an attraction, and involved his messy engagement to another woman, Luc’s life had spiraled spectacularly out of control.
The irony that he’d gone from a fiancée with a fake pregnancy to a poser fiancée with a real pregnancy was not lost on him. He was a walking tabloid and fodder for the press. Thankfully, Kate was in charge of press releases, and no doubt she’d come up with something amazingly brilliant once they were ready to go public.
Kate stirred in her sleep, letting out a soft moan. The simple sound hit his gut with a swift punch of lust he couldn’t ignore. He’d heard those moans in his ear as she’d wrapped her body around his. He’d felt the whisper of breath on his skin that accompanied her sighs.
But no matter how compatible they were in the bedroom, no matter how much he still ached for her on a level he’d never admit aloud, Luc wouldn’t, couldn’t, allow himself to be pulled into whatever spell Kate had over him.
Even if he would let his guard down and shove the royal rule aside and see a staff member personally, Kate had killed any chance of him ever trusting her fully. So she could sit across from him and make all the noises she wanted; he was ignoring them.
Too bad his body hadn’t received that memo, because certain parts of him couldn’t forget the intimacy they’d shared.
Luc needed to focus on the brilliant plot he’d started forming. Would she be angry when he approached her with the solution? Yes. Did he care? No. He was plenty angry still, but he wanted her, wanted the crown and refused to allow his heart to become vulnerable again.
The phone near Luc’s seat rang and the pilot informed him they’d be landing within a half hour. Once Luc hung up, he crossed the space and sank down in the plush white leather chair next to Kate. He hated waking her up. Not that he was worried about disturbing her sleep; he was more concerned with the fact he’d have to touch her, have to see her blinking back to reality as she sat there, looking all rumpled and sexy.
As if she was ever not appealing. But he couldn’t be blinded by lust and sexual chemistry. He didn’t need a bed partner, no matter what his body told him. Making love with her was how he’d gotten entangled in this web to begin with.
“Kate.”
He purposely said her name loudly, so she’d wake without him having to lay a hand on her. She let out a soft snore and Luc gritted his teeth and called her name again.
Still nothing.
Who was he kidding? It didn’t matter if he touched her or not. He wanted her, his body responded to her as it had to no other woman and she was carrying his child. As if he needed another reason to be physically pulled toward her. Knowing she was carrying his child was beyond sexy. There was somet
hing so primal about knowing Kate sat there with their baby safely inside her body.
Even when Alana had said she was expecting, Luc hadn’t felt this much of a tug on his heart. He’d had an instant protective instinct toward the child, but he’d never felt a bond with Alana.
Damn it, he couldn’t afford a tug on his heart or some invisible bond. Kate wasn’t trustworthy. Regardless, he didn’t need her trust for his plan to work. He didn’t need anything from her, because he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Marrying Kate was the only solution. As much as he hated to give in to his country’s archaic rule, it was the only way to come out of this situation on top. Some marriages were based on far less than sexual chemistry and they worked just fine.
The fact remained that he still wanted her something fierce. He wanted her with an intensity that scared him, but he had to risk his heart, his sanity, in order to get what he wanted.
Luc reached around, pulled on her seat belt and fastened it with a click. Just as he was about to move away and fasten his own, Kate jerked awake. Sleepy eyes locked onto his and he realized his mistake. He’d leaned in too close, so close he was only inches from her face, and his hand hovered over her abdomen.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice husky from sleep.
“Preparing you for landing.”
Why hadn’t he eased back, and why was he staring at her lips?
“You can’t look at me like that, Luc,” she whispered. “You don’t even like me.”
Something clenched in his gut. Something harsher, more intense than lust.
He was a damn tolo. Fool. That was the only explanation for having these reactions after what she’d done to him. He needed to focus on the plan, the throne, the baby. Everything else—including his lustful feelings—would have to be put aside.
A Royal Amnesia Scandal Page 12
