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Hannah winced at her sister’s candour. ‘Nobody’s going to find out, are they?’ she said with a confidence she didn’t quite feel as she picked up her mug and sipped from it. But the loud ringing of her phone suddenly broke into the uneasy silence and her heart gave a sudden clench as she glanced down at the number before accepting the call. With a rapidly escalating heartbeat, she listened to the voice at the other end and when she’d cut the connection, she looked into Tamsyn’s eyes and tried to keep the tremble of fear from her voice. ‘That was HR,’ she said unsteadily. ‘And they want to see me immediately.’
* * *
Kulal knocked on a door which was exactly the same as all the others on both sides of the narrow corridor, unprepared for the tiny redheaded figure who flew at him when it was opened.
‘You bastard!’ she declared, curling her hands into small fists. ‘How dare you?’
He honestly thought she might be about to hit him and was wondering whether to summon the female bodyguard he’d had the presence of mind to bring and who was standing just along the corridor, when he saw Hannah appear behind the redhead.
‘Tamsyn,’ she said, her voice sounding unnaturally calm. ‘That kind of talk isn’t going to help.’
The redhead didn’t budge. ‘Says who?’
‘I do. And now I’d like you to go home because I need to talk to Kulal.’
‘You think I’m leaving you alone? With him?’
For the first time, Kulal spoke, realising who the little spitfire must be. ‘And if I give you my word that I have your sister’s welfare at heart?’
The redhead tilted her chin to fix him with a spitting emerald gaze which was so unlike the cool blue of Hannah’s eyes. ‘I wouldn’t trust your word just as far as I could throw it and I’m not going anywhere!’ she declared.
But several minutes later, after repeated assurances from Hannah that she would ring her once ‘he’ had gone, Tamsyn Wilson departed with another furious shake of her red curls and Kulal was left alone with Hannah.
He looked at her. Her face was pale and her eyes were angry, but there was a dignity about her, too. Something almost noble about her demeanour, which had the peculiar effect of making Kulal want to take her in his arms and cradle her, but instinct told him not to dare. She didn’t look particularly surprised to see him—her expression was one of resignation. But there was certainly no pleasure or delight on her face and he wasn’t used to being given such a lukewarm reception.
‘Hello, Hannah,’ he said.
Hannah took her time before answering him.
How strange to see the Sheikh of Zahristan standing on the doorstep of her humble staff quarters despite the fact that today he wasn’t dressed in the flowing robes and headdress which had made him look so imperious on their last meeting. His immaculate suit was unashamedly cosmopolitan and only the hard planes of his face and distinctive hawk-like features spoke of his particular royal heritage. Her heart was pounding and although she tried to tell herself that the rapid beat was caused by apprehension, she knew that wasn’t entirely true. Because her breasts were tingling and there was a tug, low in her belly, which spoke of feelings which were a long way from anger. How was it possible to feel attracted to someone, when they were trying to treat you like an inconvenient object who needed to be moved out of the wa
y as quickly as possible?
Well, he might be a king and she might be a chambermaid, but he would only walk all over her if she let him. So don’t let him. She tilted her chin. ‘Why are you here, Kulal?’
His gaze was steady. ‘Don’t you think we have some business to discuss?’
‘I thought we’d said everything which needed saying.’
‘Please, Hannah.’
Was it hearing him say a word she suspected he didn’t use very often which made her relent? ‘You’d better come in,’ she said ungraciously, turning her back on him and retreating into the small room.
‘Thanks,’ he said and followed her inside.
‘Please don’t thank me, Kulal. It’s not something I particularly want to do,’ she said, watching as he closed the door. ‘I just didn’t want to have a difficult confrontation in the corridor, with the other staff listening. Though of course I’m no longer a member of staff,’ she added. ‘Since I’ve just been sacked—for which apparently I have you to thank.’ Some of her coolness began to evaporate. ‘Couldn’t you accept the fact I’d refused your insulting offer to buy my baby?’ she demanded, her voice rising as she thought of her blameless work record besmirched by an arrogant piece of manoeuvring by the Sheikh. ‘Did the King decide he had to try to get his own way, no matter what? Was that why you got straight on the phone to the owner of the Granchester, just because he happens to be a mate of yours? I can’t believe you actually rang Zac Constantinides to tell him you’d had sex with me—the woman in Human Resources was practically shaking with rage!’
‘I saw no alternative,’ Kulal answered calmly. ‘You made it clear your intention to continue working as a chambermaid and there was no way I could allow that to happen.’
‘Why not?’
‘Why not?’ Kulal glanced around the small room with a look of genuine consternation, taking in the cramped dimensions and the institutional red-and-white sign which pointed to the fire escape. ‘Because you are carrying my child! A child who will be a prince or princess of Zahristan. What were you thinking was going to happen, Hannah? That you would carry on making beds and cleaning up after guests until you became too cumbersome to continue? And then what? Perhaps you were planning to bring the royal heir back here and place him or her in a crib while you continued to service the rooms?’
She was grinding her teeth together like a little animal. ‘I would have managed,’ she said fiercely. ‘I have always managed in the past.’
In any other circumstances, Kulal might have coldly drawn her attention to the fact that she was only just about managing, but once again instinct told him to tread carefully because he could see the flicker of fear in her eyes, which she was desperately trying to hide. ‘When is the baby due?’ he questioned, trying to remember the word which Zac’s wife, Emma, had used. A word Kulal had said many times before, of course—but never in this particular context. ‘Are you...showing yet?’
This question seemed to annoy her. ‘Not yet. I’m only just over twelve weeks and I could have managed to keep it secret for a few weeks more, if you hadn’t blurted it out and...’ She stared at him and an exasperated sigh escaped her lips. ‘Why have you come here today, Kulal? To gloat?’
