Page 52 of Impossible Heir for the King

‘Will have my name. Will be my heir. But will be free to make their own choices when they’re old enough.’

He wanted whathethought was best for her. Because in his way he did care. But not in the way she wanted. She wanted him to care so much that he’d beunableto let her go. She’d never been wanted just for herself and she still wasn’t. She wanted him to hold her and keep her. Always. And it wassucha stupid, impossible fantasy, but she couldn’t get it out of her head. Because last night had beensoamazing. ‘And that’s just it for us? We’re over?’

He stiffened.

‘Why won’t you compromise?’ she asked. ‘Why isn’t this enough?’

Couldn’t they make this work just as it was?

‘I’m sorry, Maia—’

‘I don’t want you to feel sorry for me,’ she snapped, her voice raw with emotion. ‘I want you toloveme!’

He stared at her. Silenced.

‘But you know what? I feel sorry for you. You can’t be honest, can you? You can’t admit anything deeply personal. You won’t let yourself be vulnerable. Because you’ve been hurt.’ His heart had been broken by his parents. ‘All those women you dated? You said yourself they were safe choices. But that was becauseyounever had to invest emotionally. You took what you wanted. Fun, frolics. A few laughs. Little more. Yourheartwas never at risk. You literally had nothing to lose. It was shallow and fun. But you could walk away at any time and you did. But youcan’twalk away from me, Niko.’ She stared at him. ‘And now you can’t cope with me. So you’resendingme away instead.’

‘It’s not that I can’t cope with you.’

‘No?’ She rose and walked towards him. ‘Isn’t that exactly what this is?’

‘I don’t want you to be hurt. You’ve had enough pain.’

‘We’ve all been hurt, Niko. Everyone gets scared. But you have to be brave to get the good things. They don’t just come to you. They don’t just happen.’

He shook his head at her.

‘I know your mum struggled.’ She looked him directly in the eye. ‘And I know you feel things deeply. You’re a highly sensitive person, Niko.’

He was frozen. Staring at her.

‘Soyoudon’t take personal risks. You said you wanted to protect me. And this baby. But you’re really only protecting yourself. This distance you want is like a shield.’ She stared up at him. ‘You don’t want to have to be responsible for someone else’s happiness. You don’t have to do anything to make me or this baby happy. All you have to do is open up and let me in.’

She paused. Waiting. Hoping.

But he didn’t answer.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

‘SHE’SLANDEDSAFELY,’ Pax informed Niko from the doorway.

Niko nodded, not looking up from the paperwork he’d been struggling to process for the last two hours. ‘You have someone watching over her?’

‘From a distance, yes. She was adamant she didn’t want a minder.’

Niko gritted his teeth. He could just imagine her irritation but he was determined that she would be safe there in the Australian coastal city. She would be able to explore all she wanted, at least for a little, before the baby was born. She could have some freedom while he figured out a better future for her. Distance was the best course of action right now.

It would be hard not to have his child on the islands full-time, but this child needed their mother and Maia wanted to give them everything she’d not had. Niko would not stand in the way of that. He’d had the good fortune of having a mother’s love and he wanted his child to know that too. Eventually he’d devise a visitation and an education plan so the child would understand its heritage...he would make this work.

He realised Pax was still standing in the doorway and he glanced up questioningly. Pax’s expression was even more impassive than usual.

‘What is it?’ he asked, suddenly wary. ‘Is something wrong?’

After a beat Pax stepped forward and closed the door behind him. ‘There is a problem in Monrayne.’

‘Monrayne?’ Niko stood immediately. ‘What is it? Pax?’

‘I have to go.’ Pax removed the sunglasses from his face, revealing the jagged scar above his left eyelid and his ice blue eyes. ‘I realise this is unfortunate timing.’

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