Page 27 of Baby Daddy Protector

“We won’t let it. Silvester might have his supporters, but I’ve got a lot of people on my side, too. The PR team won’t let you make a fool of yourself because that would reflect badly on me and they love me.” Es winked. “Just do what they say and wear what they tell you to and everything will work out, I promise.”

Three hours later, I felt even more unsure than I had earlier that afternoon. I’d been groomed and combed and styled and felt incredibly uncomfortable in a gray wool double-breasted Armani suit. I longed for my traditional black and white but had the sickening feeling those days were long gone.

The guy from earlier walked by and gave a loud wolf whistle before shoving a small blue velvet box into my hand. Confused, I opened it to see a delicate diamond and ruby ring, with a large deep-red center stone surrounded by shimmering white diamonds on a gold band.

“Where did this come from?” I asked.

“The king,” the guy said. “It belonged to Princess Esme’s mother. After she passed away, the king wore it on a chain around his neck in remembrance of his beloved wife. Isn’t that the sweetest story you’ve ever heard?”

I swallowed hard, resisting the urge to tug my tie loose and undo a button or two. The reality of the situation settled upon me, heavy as a boulder. This was really happening. Not just the interview, but the proposal, the future marriage, the future kid. Yes, I’d signed the contract and agreed to the deal. And yes, I’d gotten Es pregnant, but until just now, the gravity of it all hadn’t really registered. Our situation had been private—just ours. Now we were going to share it with the rest of the world. And the rest of the world demanded a level of glitz and glamor I just wasn’t sure I could provide.

As I stared down into that small blue box with the glittering ring inside, it became clear that this was more than a simple wedding. I was no gem expert, but I’d hazard to guess this ring was worth more than everything I owned. It had to be really old, too, maybe centuries old. I wondered how many previous Prylean princesses might have worn it and under what circumstances they’d married. Love matches were the exception in royal circles, at least from what I’d read, so Es’s choice to marry for practicality rather than love wasn’t that unusual in her circles, no matter how odd it felt to me sometimes. Then again, most days I still felt like an outsider looking in at all the political intrigue and publicity that Es seemed to take in stride. I might be her bodyguard and protector, but when it came to this stuff, she was definitely my guardian.

I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders before heading to the room they’d set up for the interview. Es was already in there, her stylist buzzing around her, doing last-minute touch-ups. I didn’t want to disappoint her, not now. Not tonight. So I raised my chin and put on a brave smile.

“You look lovely, princess,” I said, leaning in to sneak a kiss on her cheek while the stylist was working on the other side of Es’s face. “A bit pale though. Do you need anything? I’ve got mints and crackers and even a few chocolates in my pocket. I can run upstairs and get your pills, too, if you need them.”

“I’m good.” She patted my hand. “What’s that in your hand?”

“Oh.” I opened the box, showing her what the king had sent. “They told me it belonged to your mother.”

She sniffled and blinked hard. “It did. Wow. I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was a little girl, but I never expected it to happen quite like this.”

A pang of disappointment shot through me at the sad note in her voice. “I’m sorry, princess. You probably pictured yourself with some tall, dark, diplomatic guy who would know all the right things to say and do in these situations.”

Es placed a finger against my lips and my whole body tingled with awareness. The warmth in her pretty hazel eyes made my chest squeeze with affection. “No. I pictured myself with a man who was smart and loyal and trustworthy. You’re perfect for the job.” She held out her left hand to me, waiting. With more confidence than I felt, I slipped the ring on her finger. Her eyes met mine, and we had just a second to share the experience of being truly engaged.

“Okay,” the production manager said. “Places, everyone. We go live in sixty seconds.”

Es and I were escorted over to a beige silk divan and seated side by side, her hand clenched in mine and her smile serene as she stared directly ahead into the camera. I tried to mimic her serenity at least on the outside.

The production manager held up his hand and counted down with his fingers. “Live in five, four, three, two…Go!”

During the interview, the reporter rattled on and Es answered question after question. I nodded when it seemed appropriate, did my best to respond to questions put to me, and kept my smile plastered in place. Later, I couldn’t have told anyone what was said, or even what I did. By the time we were finished, people patted me on the back and even the guy who’d dressed me seemed impressed with how I’d done.

My attention, however, was focused solely on Es. She’d been my rock throughout the whole interview, my anchor in a sea of uncertainty. That thought should have unsettled me, but for some reason, it only made me feel closer to her. Sure, none of this was real. But the sense of security I felt in her presence was no joke. It reminded me a bit of how I’d felt with my mom. It was a welcome memory.

“I think I learned more about you in those sixty minutes than you’ve told me the entire time we’ve been together,” she said afterward as she toed off her shoes then sighed in relief. “We’ll talk more later, after I change out of these things. I’m eager to know more.”

NINETEEN

Later that night, after the production crews had moved out of the townhouse and things were quiet again, I sat snuggled in my favorite flannel PJs on the loveseat in the living room. Z had changed out of his fancy suit as well, into gray sweatpants and a worn T-shirt with the Navy logo across the front.

“You did a good job tonight,” I said as he returned from the kitchen with two mugs of hot cocoa and a big bowl of popcorn. He handed me a mug then took the seat beside me, placing the bowl of popcorn between us. As lusty as I’d been the previous evening, tonight I was just too tired to have sex. Another side effect of the hormones. They seemed to zap my energy. I placed a protective hand on the slight bulge of my abdomen. Still, it would all be worth it to hold my healthy baby in my arms. I picked up the remote from the table beside me and handed it to Z. “Here, pick us out something good to watch on Netflix.”

Z clicked on the TV then scrolled through the selections. He’d voiced no objections about our abstinence tonight, for which I was beyond grateful. We’d never explicitly said exactly how often we’d be having sex in our faux relationship, but it had been implied after I’d jumped him in the basement last night that our trysts would still continue even though I’d successfully conceived.

“You want something funny or sad or scary?” he asked around a mouth of popcorn.

“Let’s try funny. Don’t think my stomach can handle gore tonight.”

“Are you all right, princess?” he asked, glancing sideways at me. “I can run and get your pills if you want.”

“No, no. I’m fine.” At his dubious look, I smiled. “Really. I just want to spend a quiet night in and relax, with you.”

His slow grin made my heart squeeze with joy. “Sounds divine, princess.”

We settled on a new made-for-Netflix rom-com about kids in a California high school running a kissing contest. It was light and sweet and just the thing I needed to get my mind off everything else going on.

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