Page 48 of The King's Secret Baby

The door creaks open, and Hailey steps inside. Her face is drawn, her eyes shadowed with exhaustion. “Luca, can we talk?”

I gesture to the chair across from me. “Of course. Is everything all right?”

She sinks into the seat, her hands fidgeting in her lap. “No, not really.”

Her voice wavers, and she takes a deep breath before continuing. “I know we’re not a couple, but we’re going to be parents together. I just… I feel like we’re not spending any time together, like we’re not building any sort of bond before the baby comes.”

Her words shake me, because they’re true. I’ve been so consumed with the preparations for the coronation that I haven’t stopped to consider how Hailey might be feeling. The realization that she’s been hurting, that I’ve been neglecting her, makes my chest ache.

“I’m so sorry,” I say softly, reaching across the desk to take her hand. “I’ve been so caught up in everything that I haven’t been there for you. That’s unacceptable.”

She looks up at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I’m scared, Luca. This is all so overwhelming, and I feel like I’m going through it alone.”

I squeeze her hand, my heart clenching at the pain in her voice. “You’re not alone. I’m here, and I promise I’m going to do better. We’re in this together, and I want our child to have parents who have a strong relationship, even if it’s not a… romantic one.”

Hailey nods, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”

I clear my throat, my mind a swirl of thoughts and emotions competing for my attention. It’s been hard, but I’ve been doing everything I can to remind myself that things must stay platonic between us — no matter that it would be extremely easy to slip into a heated, passionate romance.

She’s living in the palace, her room just a wing away from mine… and we’re already having a child together…. Plus she’s absolutely amazing, everything I could ever want in a woman.

So, why not? the little devil on my shoulder asks.

Because it would create more problems than peace, the angel on my other shoulder reminds me.

Everyone would find out about us soon enough, and it would be chaos. If we’re not together, then people will assume that Hailey’s child is another man’s.

Another man’s.

The thought sends hot jealousy racing through me, which is ridiculous, I know. One day, Hailey will surely move on and date. It will probably be better that way — a great cover for what has transpired between the two of us.

Yet that doesn’t change the fact that thinking about her with another man makes my hands curl into fists.

“I should let you get back to work,” she says, gesturing to the papers scattered across my desk.

I shake my head. “The work can wait. Let’s take a break, just the two of us.”

Her eyebrows rise. “Really?”

“Yes.” I fold my hands on my lap, keeping them as far as possible from my work. “What would you like us to do together?”

Her gaze drifts to the window. “Well, I would love to go to the beach…”

I suck in a sharp breath. “Hailey…”

“But I know that you don’t want me leaving the palace grounds. Not now, anyway.”

I feel my lips purse. It doesn’t give me any pleasure to keep her contained here. “It’s only a matter of precaution. An important one.”

She doesn’t react to that, and I wonder if she really doesn’t care or if she’s tired of hating me. Maybe sheshouldhate me. I’m the man who got her pregnant, who is demanding that she change everything in her life to fit my unusual circumstances.

“How about a picnic?” she says. “In the gardens. It’s a beautiful day.”

The suggestion eases some of the tension in my belly. Now, a picnic in the gardens is perfectly manageable. Welcome, too. I’ve been far too long in this stuffy office.

I quickly make some arrangements, clearing my schedule for the rest of the afternoon. Within the hour, a picnic basket is delivered to my office, filled with an assortment of finger sandwiches, fresh fruit, and sparkling lemonade.

I lead Hailey out to the palace gardens, the warm sun filtering through the trees. We walk in comfortable silence until we reach a secluded nook surrounded by fragrant blooms and the gentle babbling of a nearby fountain.

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