Page 14 of Impossible Heir for the King

She stared back up at him, provoked into pushing him back however she could. ‘What makes you certain you’re the father all of a sudden? I thought you weren’t getting the test results—’

‘I know you’re a virgin, Maia.’

The statement stunned her. She stared up at him awash with shock, then anger, then such overwhelming embarrassment that she couldn’t speak.

His expression changed. ‘The doctor examined you yesterday, remember?’ he asked—his voice slightly more gentle, slightly husky.

‘But that was for—’ The horror of her total humiliation hit. She hadn’t realised that the doctor would have been able to tell or that he would have even considered to look for such a thing. She’d thought that physical exam had been to assess the pregnancy, not her personalstatus...

It was such a horrible violation of her privacy. And she was so stupidly naive and clueless on all these things. She burned, blinking rapidly even though her eyes were dry. Her mother flashed into her mind and Maia’s fury bloomed brighter still. She wasn’t only hurt that her mother had abandoned her but angry because Maia had been left so ignorant as a result. And for that doctor to have told the king something that was so personal, so private, so awkward—

‘You’ve really been enjoying yourself at my expense, haven’t you?’ She gasped.

‘Not at all,’ Niko answered directly, his unapologetic gaze fixed upon her. ‘It was a tangential discovery, Maia. He wasn’t deliberately investigating that aspect of your...life.’ For a moment he actually looked awkward. ‘Given that discovery though, he opted not to perform the DNA test. Especially because he said you’d suffered abnormal pain for a long time. He said that was why you sought treatment that day.’ He paused. ‘But you’d not tried to get help for it earlier.’

He paused again but Maia simply couldn’t speak. It hadn’t been easy when she lived on the boat so much. That appointment had been a cancellation. She’d thought she’d beenlucky.

‘While the DNA test will still be done at some point, we both already know the result. He and I agree there is no need to subject you to further testing at this stage.’

Was she supposed to begratefulfor that? Because she wasn’t. She just wanted to curl into a ball and hide.

‘The doctor considers it vital that you get rest for this stage of your pregnancy,’ he added.

‘And the doctor didn’t consider telling any of this personal information to me directly?’ she asked acidly.

‘He would have today if you hadn’t run away.’

She gritted her teeth in annoyance. ‘But he had no scruples about breaking patient confidentiality and tellingyoualready.’

‘Because I am the king and these areexceptionalcircumstances. I want only what’s best for both you and the baby.’ He drew a sharp breath. ‘Stress is not what’s best.’ He looked at her. ‘Running away is not what’s best.’ He turned and went to the wheel.

‘And only you know what is best?’ She followed him furiously. ‘Only you can decide?’

He lifted his chin in a mirror of her defiance. ‘Am I such an ogre, Maia?’

She honestly didn’t know. But she couldn’t cede all power so soon. ‘I feel uncomfortable about how much you seem to know about me. I feel like you’ve had people pry into my personal life.’

‘That’s not entirely true. My most trusted security man is the only one to have made inquiries. Then it is only the medical centre and the doctor. I am trying to protect your privacy as best I can. That is why I removed you from the boat in the way that I did.’

‘It leaves me feeling violated. Nothing is mine.’

‘Your thoughts are your own.’ His eyes flashed. ‘Your body too.’

‘Is that so?’ She stared at him mutinously. ‘You’re saying I can go anywhere and do anything?’

His jaw clamped. ‘I meant in an intimate capacity. You don’t need to fear anything from me. I know you think I’m some kind of player but—’

‘I get it.’ Her petulant ego didn’t need to hear yet another time about how little he was attracted to her. She was safe from any sexual attention from him. Fine. Great.

‘Right, so you seem to think you know a lot about me too, correct?’ he said. ‘People pry into my personal life all the time. I’m saying I understand the discomfort of that sensation.’

‘You’re the king, it comes with the job.’

‘Yes,’ he said soberly. ‘It does. This isn’t whateitherof us wanted. You need time to process the situation. You need rest. You need to be safe.’

Safe fromwhatexactly?

‘So now you’re taking me where—to some kind of prison?’ she asked sarcastically.

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