Page 5 of Impossible Heir for the King

‘But why had they decided to use it?’ She frowned. ‘Do you think it was deliberate?’

‘That’s not your concern. Rest assured there was only the one sample so this can never happen again, but we must deal with the situation before us now.’ The stark expression in his eyes sent a shaft of foreboding through her. ‘I brought you here to do a pregnancy test so we can be sure this error hasn’t resulted in a more permanent complication,’ he said grimly.

Maia didn’t move. She was unable to believe that what she’d thought was a routine smear test had actually been a syringe full of the king’s semen. And now she might... She might...

No. It was beyond mortifying that she’d not evenknownwhat that clinician had actually been doing. But it had been her first ever smear test and she’d not exactly been watching. She’d been so embarrassed to be exposed like that to someone she didn’t know she’d stared the other way. She’d not asked the woman any questions because she’d been too shy. She’d been building up the courage to do that with the doctor. But when the woman had left the room Maia’s father had called to demand she return to the boat immediately as they’d had an unexpected booking. He’d been furious she’d left in the first place. She’d fled—assuming she’d get notified of any abnormal results. But she certainly hadn’t expected something likethis.

‘It’s not possible,’ she muttered. Surely she would know? But she hadn’t knownanything. She was more than naive, she was ignorant and never had it hurt more that her mother had abandoned her. She’d never had the sex talk. She’d never been told anything—she’d had to figure it out herself and frankly, her sporadic internet searches had been somewhat unreliable. ‘There’s no way I would have gotten pregnant from that...’

‘It is very, very unlikely, but itispossible,’ Niko said. ‘So we simply need to rule it out. Get that negative test and I’ll ensure you’re back on your boat within the hour.’

She went very still. ‘But if it isn’t negative...?’

There was a brief hesitation before he brought back that beautiful smile. ‘If that happens, we’ll work that out then. But it is unlikely.’

But Maia wasn’t overly reassured because now she thought about the fatigue that had been bothering her the last few weeks. The stench of the coffee grounds. The irregularity of her monthly cycle was nothing new but what if...? And she’d thought the slight tightness of her trousers was from sampling too many of her pastries recently. Because she’d craved the croissants more and more. Just plain. And what about the unusual bout of seasickness she’d experienced only last week when she was more likely to get land-sick than seasick?

She felt terribly ill right now.

‘I have a doctor waiting,’ Niko added firmly. ‘You simply need to provide a sample.’

She stared at him blankly.

‘You’ll understand that this is of the utmost concern. I am theking, Maia.’

She heard the edge as he underlined that word. His power. And he assumed she was his subject, didn’t he? But she was Maia Flynn and she lived beyond the borders of anyone’s world—half shadowed, not participating wholly anywhere. They skated into international waters while her father ran his not-quite-legal business dealings and high-stakes gambling cruises.

Maia had become skilled to secure her own safety—learning to cook from the grizzled French chef who’d been her best friend and better guardian to her than any other. But in doing so she’d cemented her own imprisonment because her father hadn’t allowed her to leave the boat since. She created the things his clients liked for free. Chef Stefan had lost his job and she still felt guilty for being the reason when he’d only ever been kind to her.

‘There’s a restroom through that door,’ Niko added crisply. ‘Everything you need is in there.’

She had no choice to comply. And there was far more than she needed in the bathroom—it was full of unopened luxury toiletries that would delight even the most demanding guest. The lone medical sample container on the counter was incongruous. And terrifying. When she emerged a few minutes later an impassive man wearing a white coat was waiting for her. Awkwardly she gave him the container and he immediately fussed over a small side table where King Niko now stood.

The doctor turned to explain the process. ‘Two lines will appear on a positive result—’

‘Doctor, please leave us.’ Niko abruptly dismissed him.

Maia turned. The beautiful man now looked every inch the ruthless mercenary who’d kidnapped her in the first place. His wild displeasure was menacing.

She darted a glance behind him and saw the white plastic stick on the table. Lines had already appeared in that little window.Twolines. Devastation barrelled into her. She was pregnant.

‘It can’t be right,’ she mumbled hopelessly. ‘It justcan’tbe right.’

The doctor passed her and she thought she saw compassion briefly flicker in his face before he melted from the room.

‘Amongst other things a DNA test will now have to be performed.’

She stared, all the more confused.‘Why?’

‘To ensure that the baby is mine, not some other man’s.’

Her jaw dropped. For a long moment their gazes meshed. His eyes narrowed and she heard his sharp intake of breath. She made herself glance away, more humiliated than ever. She was horribly aware of heat scorching her whole body. There’d been no man.Ever. But some instinct warned her not to reveal that to him. She needed to act as if she had some sort of street cred. And she needed to scrape together some kind of control in this rapidly deteriorating situation.

‘Of course,’ she muttered belatedly. ‘I will agree to that.’

Incredulity flared in his eyes at her reply. ‘You will? I’m so glad.’ He studied her for another moment. ‘The doctor will do a full physical examination and talk with you. We need to ensure this is something you can safely manage.’

‘Safely?’

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