Page 46 of His Impossible Heir

“We’re here,” Tito announced, his voice softer now. He parked the SUV facing an elevator.

Amanda was trying not to hyperventilate without much success. Unconsciously, her hand drifted protectively over her stomach. Tito noticed her gesture, and half turned toward her as she whipped her hand away.

With wide, startled eyes, he examined her more carefully. “Are you…?” he started to ask, but the elevator doors opened and he stopped, watching as Daniesh and more guards stepped out.

Tito stepped out of the vehicle as Daniesh nearly ripped the door on her side off its hinges. Then with gentler hands, he reached in and pulled her into his arms.

“Amanda!” he rasped, his arms tightening around her.

Amanda gave up fighting back tears. It had been so long since she’d felt Daniesh’s strong, powerful arms around her! She couldn’t let him go! Not again! Leaving him in Paris had been hard enough! She wrapped her arms around his neck, and sobbed against his chest.

“What the hell are you doing!” he demanded moments later, pulling back as he gripped her upper arms, bending down to look into her eyes. “Amanda!”

Amanda was bone tired and her stomach didn’t feel very good. “Could I…get a cup of water, please?” she asked, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

Daniesh looked into the eyes of the woman he’d been desperately missing for the past several months. He couldn’t stand the thought of letting her go for even a moment, but she looked as if she might drop where she stood. There were dark circles under her eyes and she’d lost too much weight. He looked her over, torn between joy at seeing her and worry. That’s when he realized that her breasts hadn’t lost any weight. Hell, they were…huge! Magnificently huge!

But before he could process that fact, she slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide and she looked around desperately until she found a garbage can. Racing over to it, she tumbled forward, bracing her hands on either side of the garbage can as she…threw up?

Was she just tired? Had the flight been too long?

Several moments later, someone put a glass of ice water in his hand. Daniesh walked over to her and stroked her back. Amanda flinched and he quickly pulled back. “What’s going on, love?” he asked, his voice soft and soothing.

“Pregnant,” she groaned, then threw up again.

Pregnant. He stood there, poleaxed. Still clutching the glass of water while the woman he’d missed so badly threw up into a well-used garbage can. It took him several more minutes to understand exactly what that word meant.

Pregnant.

That’s when the anger rolled over him.

“Perhaps you should come with me,” he said, trying not to weaken when she lifted her head, looking at him with those deep, green eyes of hers.

He handed her the glass of water and she downed it. Then smiled weakly at the guard who stepped closer to take the empty glass.

“Where to?” she asked, wiping her sweaty forehead, then delicately wiping the corners of her mouth.

Daniesh turned and walked back into the elevator, not bothering to see if she followed him. He felt so enraged, so…betrayed…that he couldn’t think properly.

His Amanda, the woman he’d been dreaming about for months, had slept with another man! She was pregnant with another man’s child! Damn it! He’d left her so that she could do exactly that, but, why had she come to him? Why not her new lover?

Amanda was a passionate, sensuous woman. Why wouldn’t she seek pleasure after leaving him?

She stepped into the elevator, her shoulders hunched. She looked…dejected!

Damn it, he didn’t want to feel anything for her! She’d done exactly what he’d wanted her to do. So why was he so angry?

Because he still wanted her!

“Why have you lost so much weight?” he snarled. “It can’t be good for your baby to have lost that much weight!”

Amanda flinched at his harsh tone.

“You’re…right.”

There was a long, uncomfortable stretch of silence as they rode the elevator up to the main level of the palace. He wanted her gone! Standing here, breathing in the sweet, delicious scent of her, was making his head spin! And knowing she was pregnant…!

The doors opened and, because she was in front of him, he had to wait for her to step out first.

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