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Alix was looking at her intently and Leila cursed herself for having drawn his attention. She felt defensive and, worse, self-conscious.
‘Apparently it’s common to lose weight when you’re first pregnant.’
Alix’s voice was gruff. ‘We’ll arrange for you to see the royal doctor as soon as you’re settled. We need to organise your prenatal care.’
Leila was surprised at the vehemence in Alix’s voice and had to figure that all this meant so much more to him than the fact of a baby. She and the baby now represented stability for the island’s future.
She frowned then, thinking of something else. ‘How did they find out?’
Alix was grim. ‘I told you—they had that picture of us in the street and they sat on it, wanting to know more about you. Also, as I had just been crowned King again, they knew there was potentially a much bigger story in the offing. They were keeping an eye on you, Leila. We think someone went through your bins and found the home pregnancy tests you did.’
Leila instantly felt nauseous and put a hand to her mouth. She shot up out of her chair and made it to the bathroom in time to be sick. She knew it wasn’t necessarily what Alix had just said—her bouts of nausea hit her at different moments of the night and day.
To her embarrassment, when she straightened up in the small bathroom she saw Alix reflected in the mirror, looking concerned. No doubt concerned for her cargo.
Weakly she said, ‘I’m fine—it’s normal.’
‘You look as pale as a ghost. Lie down and rest, Leila. You’ll need it.’
Alix went out into the bedroom and pulled back the covers. Leila kicked off her shoes and avoided his eye as she sat down. Then she thought of something else and looked up at him, panicked. ‘What about my shop?’
Alix was grim. ‘We can arrange for someone to manage it in the short term. It’ll probably be for the best if you sell it. You’ll be busy with your duties as Queen and as a mother.’
Furious anger raced through Leila’s blood, galvanising her to stand, all weariness gone. ‘How dare you presume to take my livelihood away from me just like that?’ She snapped her fingers.
‘Leila, look—’
‘No, you look.’ Leila stabbed a finger towards Alix, the full tumult of the day catching up with her. ‘That business is my own family legacy. It’s a vocation, making perfumes, and I will not be giving it up. If you insist otherwise then I won’t hesitate to leave Isle Saint Croix on the first return flight out.’
She folded her arms tight across her chest.
‘Or are you telling me that you’ll incarcerate me like some feudal overlord? I’m sure the tabloids would love to hear about that!’
Alix’s mouth was a thin line, and a muscle jumped in his jaw. Finally he said, ‘Fine. We’ll discuss how you can incorporate it into your life.’
And just as suddenly as the anger had come, it faded away, leaving her bone-weary again. Leila sat down on the side of the bed. Alix stood in her vision, huge and immovable.
Leila lay down and curled away from where he stood, eyes shut tight. Maybe when she woke up this would all be a bad dream...?
* * *
Alix stood looking down at the woman on the bed, seeing how her breath evened out and her muscles grew slacker. Her back was to him and that only compounded the frustration still rushing through his system. He knew he’d been out of line to suggest that Leila sell her business, but he found it hard not to operate from some base place when she was in front of him.
He’d noticed the minutely perceptible thickening of her waist. Her hand had rested there just now, as if to protect the child within. And suddenly an almost dizzying sense of protectiveness rose up within him.
He thought of those paparazzi hounding Leila, and recalled that when Andres had shown him the news footage, his primary instinct had been to get to her and keep her safe more than to confront her about the pregnancy.
It made him feel exposed.
Alix finally backed away from the bed and out of the room. When he sat down again he asked for a shot of whisky from the hovering attendant.
He swirled the dark amber liquid in the heavy crystal glass for a long moment. He’d always thought that having a child would be something he’d feel quite clinical about. Not entirely unemotional, of course. He would be as loving as he could be. But how could he be something he knew nothing of? A loving parent?
Alix had only ever really loved one person: his brother. And the pain he’d felt when his brother had been murdered had nearly killed him too. He would never forget that raw chasm of rage and grief. And he never wanted to feel it again.
Except now his gut was churning with dark emotions that felt far too close to the bone.
When he’d first contemplated making Leila his Queen it had felt like a relatively uncomplicated decision. He liked her. Liked talking to her, spending time with her. Liked that he’d been her first lover. Just that memory alone was enough to have Alix’s body hardening.
