Page 7 of Royal Surrogate 2

“You must come for a proper reading sometime. My office is just past the bakery down the alley.” The old woman lifts a crooked finger to point in that direction. “You really must come for a full nineteen card reading. The cards are already speaking to me.”

“I’m sure they are,” I say, trying not to laugh. I pull a few bills from my wallet and hand them to the woman.

“Oh, no charge today,” she says, holding up her hands. “I insist, my lord. “You both come for a reading. Then?—”

“No,Iinsist, my lady,” I say, pushing the bills across her table. I lace my arm around Renae’s waist and lead her away. I’m not sure what it is about these card readers, but they certainly have a way of tricking people into believing them.

Renae is strangely quiet as we walk back toward the park.

“Did she tell you something bad? Something about the baby?” I ask, not that I believe any of that magical thinking. But if Renae does, it could certainly hamper things.

“No.” She shakes her head. “No. It was just…” She lets out a sigh. “That last card. The danger one.”

“The upside-down one.”

“Right. The upside-down one. You don’t think that… I don’t know. She was just so on the mark with the others. It was a little spooky.”

I stop walking and turn to face her, pulling her hands into mine. I can’t help but smile down at her. She’s brilliant—so intelligent and wise most of the time that it catches me off guard when she’s so naive. It makes something tingle in my chest—and it makes me want to protect her and hold her, and…

Maybe tell herI’mthe one hiding something from her?

No, I’m not hiding anything from her. I just need to make her see what’s in front of her. I didn’t force her into anything. She willingly chose to be here—she knowingly signed that contract. The fact that she didn’t read it through isn’t my fault.

It’s a lie. I know it is—I just need to make her fall in love with me so that she doesn’t care about contracts or anything else that might be forcing her to stay here.

But it isn’t that thought that makes me lean down to kiss her. No, it’s that protective instinct, the one that makes me want to hold her tight, to protect her from the people who would harm her—harm our child—that makes me brush my lips against hers.

Her eyes flutter closed, and she sighs when our mouths touch. For a moment, I think she’s mine. But only for a moment.

A second later, she seems to realize what we’re doing, and she takes a step back, pulling her hands from mine so quickly it’s as though she’s burned herself.

She swipes the back of her hand across her lips. “What are you doing?”

I look around us before looking back at her. “Kissing my wife?”

She rolls her eyes. “Only until this is over.” She gives her belly a pat.

The words make my stomach turn with guilt, but I say nothing.

“You can’t just go around doing that, Caspar.”

“Why not? Everyone knows we’re married.” Even as I say it, I know exactly the response I’m going to receive.

“Well, kissing is definitely not something we agreed to. Even if…” As her words drift off, I know she’s remembering our kiss this morning just as I am.

I slip my hand into hers again. “You know, Renae, if we have to endure each other’s company for the next little while, it might not be so bad if we enjoy it.”

“So now you want me to pretend to enjoy your company?” She looks up at me, and though she’s not smiling, I can see the twinkle of a grin in her eyes.

“Little owl, if you allow me, you’ll have no reason to pretend a thing.”

CHAPTER 7

Renae

I wish I could say I’m able to push that stupid card reading out of my mind, but it sticks with me for days after, living as a little knot of dread in my belly that I don’t let myself inspect too closely. I know better than to believe that sort of woo-woo stuff. In my normal life I’m all about books and facts and science, but I almost feel like a different person here in Montovia. And I don’t know how to shake the fear that last card ignited in me.

Something is wrong, my gut keeps telling me. There’s a hidden danger here, and the more I think about it, the more I realize what it must be—I’m developing feelings for Caspar.

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