Page 32 of Pregnant With His Majesty's Heir

Did she think he didn’t want that?

He’d lost his family, not once but twice. First as a baby when his parents had died in an accident and then more recently with the deaths of his aunt, uncle and cousin. At least Aurélie had family, even if they weren’t close.

He had no one. He’d try to care for Ilsa. But, despite their mutual respect, he doubted there’d ever be a deep connection.

That wasn’t Aurélie’s fault. They were in an impossible situation. One of them had to lose. Yet that didn’t stop the hollow ache of emptiness.

‘It’s probably just as well.’ His voice emerged like gravel from his constricted throat. ‘I don’t know anything about babies.’

But he could learn. It surprised him how much he wanted to learn. How much, as the days passed and the baby’s existence became more real, he looked forward to being part of its life.

He forced a lighter tone. ‘When he’s older he can visit.’

But was that any way to build a relationship? Occasional visits when the child was old enough to travel? Surely the parental bond began earlier. Didn’t he owe it to his baby to be there from the beginning?

Lucien dragged his fingers through his hair, torn by conflicting emotions. The need to respect her wishes versus the need to act, to stop Aurélie from making what felt like a huge mistake.

‘You might change your mind about that. Once you’re married...’ she paused ‘...visits from an illegitimate child could be an embarrassment.’

Lucien didn’t pause to think. He took a single long pace that brought him right into her personal space, his hands gripping her slender arms through soft cotton sleeves.

‘Don’t eventhinkof going there!’ He dragged in a deep breath then realised his error when the scent of lilacs filtered to his brain. He recalled that delicious perfume from his night in her bed. ‘If you think I’d let public opinion keep me from my child you’re totally wrong. Do you understand?’

His fingers tightened on her arms and he leaned closer, needing to be sure there were no doubts about this. ‘I won’t have you pretending you know how I feel about this baby, or deciding I don’t want to see it.’ Lucien heard the grim note in his voice and sucked in a deep breath.

‘I will be part of this child’s life from the beginning. Get used to it, Aurélie. Don’t try to fob me off or pretend to anyone ever,especiallyto our child, that I don’t care.’

His jaw ached with tension and his heart thundered high against his ribs.

He didn’t like what she’d decided. He wanted to force her hand. But he couldn’t let her set up barriers between him and their child.

‘I’d never do that.’ Her eyes looked huge as she tilted her face up. ‘Honestly.’ Her palm pressed to her chest as if her heart beat hard like his. ‘If you really want to be involved—’

‘I do. How many times do I have to say it?’

Her lips flattened and her earnest gaze searched his. ‘There’s a difference between your legitimate, adopted heir and an illegitimate—’

‘Don’t!’ he snarled, control slipping. ‘Don’t label our child that way. Especially as you’re the one making it so.’ He would have adopted their baby, made it legitimate. Lucien saw her eyes widen and snagged a deep breath. ‘I will love this child whether it has my name or not.’

He might have been born into a family with a proud royal lineage, but a person was a person, their value not limited by lines on a paper.

The knowledge that Aurélie, and no doubt others, expected him to treat this child differently struck his pride and his budding paternal instincts.

‘I’m sorry.’ Her hand lifted to splay against his shirt front. Lucien felt instant warmth as if her touch imprinted a brand on his flesh. Heat sank deep within him, past flesh to bones. ‘I know you care.’ She paused and when she spoke again he had to bend his head to catch her words. ‘My emotions are all over the place and trying to decide what to do for the best has been so tough.’

She blinked and Lucien saw her eyes glisten, over-bright. Her bottom lip trembled before she clamped it with pearly teeth.

A curious sensation rose within him. Tenderness and a compulsion to shield her.

He reached out and brushed back a curl of burnished hair that had escaped her ponytail. It was silky smooth and he found his hand anchoring in her hair instead of letting go.

‘It will work out, you’ll see,’ he murmured, as much to himself as her. ‘Between us this child will be loved and well cared for.’

She nodded and offered him a trusting smile of piercing sweetness.

Lucien’s breath caught. Everything stilled as he looked deep into Aurélie’s eyes. The world narrowed to nothing but her and him, this moment, and the craving he battled to contain.

His fingers tightened around satiny hair. The weight of her palm on his chest seemed heavier by the moment. He needed to step back, he knew that, but knowing and acting were separate things. Especially with the addictive scent of spring flowers and warm woman teasing his nostrils.

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