Page 126 of Modern Romance January 2025 1-4

He gestured to one of the sofas, waited until she’d sat down, then took a seat in the armchair opposite. She couldn’t help but notice the length of his legs, the strength and command conveyed by his masculine pose, and her heart rate went up despite her best efforts.

‘Okay, let’s talk.’ His voice held a command.

‘I have a baby. But what comes next?’

He leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees. ‘That would depend on you.’

‘Me?’

‘What do you want?’

She expelled a deep breath. She couldn’t tell him her deepest fear—that she might die in delivery—but she could look for assurances in other ways. All that mattered was that her baby would be okay, no matter what. ‘Well, I don’t know you, Sebastian. And what I do know—’ She hesitated.

‘You don’t like.’

She nodded a little awkwardly. ‘But we’re talking about having a baby. That’s huge. It’s a lifelong commitment and I need to know that we’re on the same page. That we would want the same things.’

‘I would defer to your judgement in whatever areas mattered most to you.’

‘That sounds like you’re just trying not to pick a fight.’

‘I’m trying to be reasonable.’

‘You need a baby that badly, huh?’

He dipped his head in silent concession.

‘Okay. So, here’s the deal. If we’re going to do this, I need something from you first.’

He arched a brow, his expression otherwise taut. ‘Go on.’

‘I need us to get to know one another.’

He made a sound that was halfway between a laugh and a groan. ‘Is that all?’

‘I’m serious.’ Either they’d end up raising the baby together, or he’d end up as a single father. Either way, she needed to know him, and know that she could trust him, before she committed. ‘This is a deal-breaker.’ She leaned forward a little. ‘What do you think?’

What did he think?

He thought it was an entirely reasonable suggestion, so there was no explanation for the way he wanted to argue with her. Why shouldn’t they get to know one another? She was right. They were talking about creating a life, a child, and one way or another, if they had a baby together, they’d need to be in each other’s lives.

Having vague but traumatic memories of his parents’ arguments, he knew that finding a way to work together made sense. But he didn’t like it, because he didn’t like her. He didn’t like her role in the king’s life, didn’t like her loyalty to him. What if they got to know one another and this animosity deepened?

Then wasn’t that better to know now, before they conceived a child?

Only, he needed this child—enough to put almost everything else out of his mind. Whilst he’d raised the question of divorce, to do so—and remarry—would take time, and what Sebastian needed was an heir as quickly as he could produce one. Never again would he allow insecurity to hang over his head, nor his mother’s. They belonged in Cavalonia, and if the only way to ensure that was to have a baby with the woman the king had chosen to be Sebastian’s wife, then that’s what he’d do.

It would still be Rosie’s choice. Of course it would be—he wasn’t comfortable with anything else. But what if he made the idea of having a baby with him too appealing to decline? He knew she was attracted to him; their physical chemistry had been a welcome surprise to them both. So why not capitalise on that? Perhaps the desire they’d shared would do the heavy lifting and help make up her mind.

Suddenly, the idea of seducing Rosie until she couldn’t wait to say yes to a baby overtook every other thought.

‘Fine,’ he said with a slight narrowing of his eyes and a firm commitment to this course of action. ‘Let’s get to know each other. We’ll take a week, and at the end of it, we’ll tell the king our decision.’

CHAPTER FIVE

ROSIEHADPRESUMEDhe meant a week of coffee dates, or private lunches. A week of short but important conversations, filled with the kind of information exchange a longer acquaintance would have naturally shaken out.

She hadnotexpected the car that had arrived at the palace that morning, nor the hastily communicated explanation from Laurena: ‘His Highness is taking you away for the week. No, I don’t know where. I’ve packed a range of things to cover all eventualities. He did say there would be no risk of press intrusion.’

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