The Prince's Secret Baby Read online

  Rule only said, “Excuse me, no comment,” and kept walking fast.

  That was when Joseph appeared. He must have grabbed the guy with the microphone, because the man stumbled and fell back, out of their path.

  Rule forged on. They reached the elevators and one rolled open as if on cue. He pulled her in there, pushed the button for the fifth floor and the doors slid shut.

  “Whew,” she said, laughing a little. “Looks like we’re safe.”

  He just looked grim. “I should have known they would spot us.” A moment later, the doors slid open wide. They got off and a group of men in business suits got on. Rule had her hand again. They were headed for the breezeway. Halfway across it, Joseph caught up with them. “Is it handled?” Rule asked low.

  “Too many cameras.” Joseph spoke softly, but his face looked carved in stone. “And they refused to deal, anyway. They got away with the shots they took.”

  Rule swore under his breath and pulled her onward.

  On the High Sierra side, they took an elevator up to their floor. When the elevator stopped and the door opened, Joseph stuck his head out first. “We’re clear,” he said and signaled them out.

  They walked at a brisk clip down the hallway to their suite. Rule had the key ready. He swiped it through the slot and they were in as Joseph entered the room next door.

  The suite was silent. Trev had been put to bed hours ago and Lani must have retreated to her room. She’d left the light in the suite’s granite-tiled foyer on for them.

  Sydney sagged against the door. “Wow. That was exciting.”

  Rule braced a hand by her head and bent to kiss her—a hard, passionate kiss that slowly turned tender. When he pulled away, he whispered, “I’m sorry…”

  “Whatever for? I had a great time.”

  “I knew it was unwise, to take you out on the casino floor and then stay there for hours. We were bound to be spotted.”

  She touched the side of his face, brushed the backs of her fingers along the silky, beautifully trimmed hair at his temples. “It’s not the end of the world, is it, if our pictures end up in some tabloid somewhere?”

  “In my family, we prefer to control the message.”

  “Meaning?”

  “I was hoping we could keep our marriage private for the next few weeks, until I had you with me in Montedoro. From there, a discreet and carefully worded announcement could be made. And pictures could be taken by the palace photographer to send to the press, pictures of our choosing.”

  “What? A candid shot of you and me racing down a hallway with our mouths hanging open in surprise isn’t discreet enough for you?”

  He laughed then. But his eyes were troubled. “No, it’s not.”

  She smoothed his lapel, straightened his collar. “Well, no matter how bad it is, just remember how much fun we had. As far as I’m concerned, I had so much fun, it’s worth a few ugly pictures in some scandal sheet. Plus, I won almost two thousand dollars, about which I am beyond thrilled. I never win anything. But all I have to do is marry you, and suddenly it’s like I’ve got a four-leaf clover tattooed on my forehead.”

  He was looking at her in that way again. The lovely, sexy way. The way that set small fluttery creatures loose in her stomach and had her feeling distinctly sultry lower down. “There is no four-leaf clover on your forehead.” He kissed the spot where it might have been.

  “Oh, it’s there,” she said softly, breathlessly. “You just can’t see it. I was clever that way. I insisted on an invisible tattoo.”

  “Wait. I think I see it, after all.” He breathed the words against her skin. And then he kissed his way down between her brows, trailing that wonderful mouth along the top of her nose. He nipped her lips once and then kissed her chin. “And I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

  “Oh, I did.” Her voice was now more breath than sound. “I really did… .”

  He covered her mouth with his again. Luckily, she had the door at her back to lean against. She stayed upright even though her knees had gone deliciously wobbly. And as it turned out, she didn’t need to hold herself upright much longer anyway. Still kissing her, he scooped her up in his arms carried her through the open archway to the central room of the suite.

  The busman had kept his promise. On the dining table, she saw the large cake box, her veil and bouquet and also Rule’s boutonniere. She smiled against his lips as he turned and carried her through the open door to their room, where the lamp by the bed had been left on low. Also, on a long table against the wall, a pair of crystal flutes flanked an ice bucket holding a bottle of champagne. The covers on the king-size bed were turned invitingly down.

  She stretched out an arm to push the door shut behind them. Rule carried her to the side of the wide bed and set her down on her feet. They shared another kiss, one that went on for a lovely, endless space of time.

  When he lifted his head, he guided her around so her back was to him. She read his intention and smoothed her hair to the side. He lowered the zipper at the back of her dress.

  She took it from there, easing her arms free, pushing the dress down. Stepping out of it, she bent and picked it up and carried it to the bedside chair, where she took time to lay it down gently, to smooth the white folds.

  “Come back here,” he said, his voice rough with wanting.

  “In a moment…” She sent him a teasing glance over her shoulder as she returned to the door long enough to engage the privacy lock. From there, she went to the dressing table on the far side of the room. She took off her shoes, her bra, her white lace panties and pearl earrings. And after that, she removed the single strand of pearls her grandmother had given her and the blue lace garter provided by the bridal boutique. Finally, wearing nothing but a tender smile, she faced him again. “Your turn.”

  He made a low sound in his throat, his gaze moving over her, hot and possessive. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

  The room had a walk-in closet. He entered it and came back out a moment later. Returning to the side of the bed, he laid two wrapped condoms on the nightstand.

  She told him softly, “We won’t need those.”

  Something flared in his eyes—triumph? Joy? But then he stood very still. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “We both want more children. I’m thinking there’s no time like the present to get going on that.”

  “Sydney O’Shea Bravo-Calabretti,” he said. “You amaze me.”

  She did like the sound of her name, her new name, on his lips. And she had no doubts. None whatsoever. She told him so. “I know what I want now, Rule. I want you. I want a family, with you and Trev. And I’m greedy. I want more babies. I honestly do.”

  He took a step toward her.

  She put up a hand. “Your clothes. All of them. Please.”

  He didn’t argue. He undressed. He did it swiftly, with no wasted motion, tossing the beautifully tailored articles of clothing carelessly aside as he removed them. His body was so fine and strong. Just looking at him stole her breath.

  When he had everything off, she went to him. She lifted her arms to him and he drew her close. Nothing so fine as that, to be held in his powerful arms, to feel the heat and hardness of him all around her.

  He smoothed her hair, caressed her back with a long stroke of his tender hand. “I think I’m the happiest man in the world tonight.”

  She tipped her head up to him. “I’m glad. So glad…”

  He kissed her and she thought how she would never, ever get enough of his kisses. That with him, she’d finally found everything she’d almost let herself forget that she’d been looking for.

  She pulled him down onto the bed with her and gave herself up to his touch, to the magic of his lips on her skin.

  He kissed her everywhere, each secret hollow, each curve, even the backs of her knees and the crooks of her elbows. He kissed her breasts, slowly and thoroughly, and then he moved lower. He kissed all her secret places, until she cried out and went over the edge, clutchin
g his dark head, moaning his name.

  She was still sighing in sweet satisfaction when he slid up her body again. All at once, he was there, right where she wanted him most. She wrapped her arms around him, so tightly. And he came into her, gliding smoothly home. Her body was as open to him as her mind and her heart. She accepted him eagerly, the aftershocks of her climax still pulsing through her. And when he filled her, she let out a soft cry of joyous abandon.

  Did it get any better than this?

  She didn’t see how it could. Somehow, she’d finally found the man she wanted for a lifetime—or rather, he had found her.

  There was nothing, ever, that could tear them apart.

  * * *

  Rule wasn’t sure what woke him.

  A general sense of unease, he supposed. He turned to look at the woman sleeping beside him. The lamp was off and the room in darkness. Still, he could hear her shallow, even breathing. So peaceful. Content. He could make out her shadowed features, just barely. A soft smile curved her mouth.

  She pleased him. Greatly. In so many ways.

  No, she wasn’t going to be happy with him when she found out the truth. But she was a very intelligent woman. And there was real chemistry between them. Surely, when the time came, she would forgive him for his deception. He would rationally explain why he’d done what he had done. She would see that, even if he hadn’t been strictly honest with her, it had all worked out perfectly anyway. She wanted to be with him and he wanted her and the boy. They could work through it and move on.

  He wanted to touch her. To kiss her. To make love to her again. When he was touching her, he could forget that he’d married her without telling her everything.

  But no. He wouldn’t disturb her. Let her have a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.

  Settling onto his back, he stared into the darkness, not happy with himself, wondering why he had become so obsessive over this problem. His obsession served no one. It was going to be a long time before he told her the truth, anyway. Maybe he never would.

  In the past twenty-four hours or so, he’d found himself thinking that there was no real reason she ever had to know… .

  Except that he’d always considered himself an honest man. And it gnawed at his idea of his own character and his firm belief in fair play, to have this lie between them.

  Which was thoroughly ironic, the more he considered it. He’d chosen the lie when he realized he wanted her for his wife. He’d seen it as the only sure way to his goal. So he supposed that meant his idea of himself as an honest man was only another lie.

  And damned if he wasn’t giving himself a headache, going around and around about this in his mind, when he was set on his course and there was no going back now.

  He heard a faint buzzing sound: the cell phone in his trouser pocket, flung across that nearby chair.

  Slowly, carefully, so as not to wake her, he eased back the covers and brought his feet to the floor. By then, the phone had stopped buzzing. He collected it from the trousers and tiptoed to the room’s bath, where he checked to see who had called.

  His father.

  The voice mail signal beeped. He called to pick up the message.

  His father’s voice said “Rule. Call me on this line as soon as you get this. We need to touch base on the subject of Liliana.”

  Lili. What now?

  With the nine-hour time difference, it would be around noon in Montedoro, which made it as good a time to call as any.

  But not from the bathroom, where Sydney might wake up and walk in on him.

  So he returned to the dark bedroom, where his bride was still sleeping the untroubled slumber of the blameless. He found his briefs and his trousers and put them back on. He tiptoed to the door and pulled it slowly open. The hinges played along and didn’t squeak. He slipped through and closed it soundlessly behind him.

  The suite had a balcony. He went out there, into the warm desert night, and closed the slider behind him.

  His father answered on the first ring. “I understand congratulations are in order?”

  The balcony had a café table and a couple of chairs. He dropped into one of them. “Thank you. I’m a very happy man.”

  “How is the boy?”

  “Trevor is…a revelation to me. More than I ever might have wished for. Wait till you see him.”

  “I’m looking forward to that. When will you bring them home to us?”

  “Sydney needs a month, she says. I’ll come home ahead for a week or so and take care of my commitments there, and then return to help her through the transition.”

  “I heard that you had a little run-in with the press.”

  Rule didn’t ask how his father knew. Joseph could have turned in a report—or the information could have come from any number of other sources. “Yes. They got away with pictures. And they put it together—Sydney’s white dress, her engagement diamond and wedding band.”

  “So I understand. It won’t take the story long to end up in the tabloids.”

  “I know.” Rule felt infinitely weary thinking of that.

  “Liliana is still here, still our guest at the palace. She has no idea that you’ve already married someone else.”

  “I know,” Rule said again. He got up, stood at the iron railing, stared down at the resort pool, at the eerie glow the pool lights made, shining up through the water, at the rows of empty lounge chairs.

  “Your mother is waiting to hear from you. She’s always thought of you as the most considerate and dependable of her children.”

  “I’ve disappointed her.”

  “She’ll get over it.” His father’s voice was gentler now.

  “I’m trusting you to keep my secret,” he reminded his father.

  “I haven’t told anyone, not even your mother.” His father sighed.

  “I should have spoken to Lili first, I know, for the sake of our long friendship—and in consideration of Montedoro’s sometimes strained relationship with Leo.” King Leo was Lili’s hot-tempered, doting father. “But it was awkward, since I had made no proposal to her. How exactly was I to go about telling her that I wouldn’t be proposing? Also there was the timing of it. As soon as I finally met Sydney and made my decision, I felt it was imperative to move forward, to attain my goal before leaving the States.”

  “You are so certain about this woman you have married, this woman you have only just met?”

  “Yes,” Rule said firmly. “I am.”

  “You wanted to marry her, for herself? Not simply for the child. You feel she is…right for you?”

  “Yes. I did. I do.”

  “Yet you don’t feel confident enough of her trust in you to tell her the basic truth of the situation?”

  Rule winced. His father had cut a little too close to the bone with that one. He said, “I made a choice. I’m willing to live with the consequences.”

  His father was silent. Rule braced himself for criticism, for a very much deserved lecture on the price a man pays for tempting fate, for doing foolish, thoughtless, irresponsible things and telling himself he’s breaking free, that he’s trying to help others.

  More than three years ago, Rule had let his hunger for something he didn’t even understand win out over his good sense. And now, when he’d finally found what he was looking for, he’d lied to secure the prize he sought. And he was continuing to lie… .

  But then his father only said, “Fair enough, then. I see your dilemma. And I sympathize. But still, it’s only right that you explain yourself to Liliana, face-to-face, as soon as possible. She should hear it from you first. She’s an innocent in all this.”

  “I agree. I was planning to return on Tuesday, but I’ll try to get away Monday…I mean, today.”

  “Do your best.”

  Rule promised he would and they said goodbye.

  He turned to go inside and saw Sydney, her hair tangled from sleep, her green eyes shadowed, full of questions. Wearing one of the white terrycloth robes provided by the resort, she sto
od watching him through the sliding glass door.

  Chapter Eight

  He’d been facing away from the suite, he reminded himself. And speaking in low tones. She couldn’t have heard the conversation through the thick glass of the door.

  Tamping down his anxiety that she might have overheard something incriminating after all, he pulled the door open and murmured regretfully, “I woke you… .”

  “No. The absence of you. That’s what woke me.” She took his hand, pulled him into the suite and slid the door shut. After that, she stood gazing up at him, and he had that feeling he so often had with her, the feeling he’d just described to his father. The feeling of rightness, that he was with her, that he had finally dared to approach her, to claim her. Too bad the sense of rightness was liberally mixed with dread at the way-too-possible negative outcome of the dangerous game he played. “Is there something wrong?” She searched his face.

  He still had her hand in his, so he pulled her back to their room. Once he had her inside, he shut and locked the door.

  “Rule, what?”

  He framed her sweet, proud face between his hands. He loved her wide mouth, her nose that was perhaps a little too large for her face. A nose that made her look interesting and commanding, a nose that demanded a man take her seriously. One lie, he had already told her. A huge lie of omission. All else must be the absolute truth. “You’re going to be angry with me… .”

  “You’re scaring me. Just tell me what’s going on. Please.”

  He caught her hand again, took her to the bed, sat her down and then sat beside her. “That was my father, on the phone. He asked me to come back to Montedoro today. He thinks I should talk to Liliana, that I owe her an explanation, that I should be the one to tell her that any proposal she might have been expecting is not forthcoming, that I’m already married.”

  She pulled her hand from his and drove right to the point. “And what do you think, Rule?”

  “I think my father is right.”

  She speared her fingers through her night-mussed hair, scraping it back off her forehead. He wanted to reach for her, but he didn’t dare. “Princess Lili is still waiting, I take it, for you to ask her to marry you?”