The Prince & the Pregnant Princess (12 page)

Her gaze slid from the plate overflowing with the fragrant pastry to a bright purple drink in a tall glass. Her stomach turned at the sight of it.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“A protein drink,” he said. “I found the recipe on the Internet last night. It has many of the essential nutrients both you and the baby need. There are also several ingredients, such as ginger, to ease any lingering morning sickness.”

“I felt fine until I took a look at that drink,” she muttered. “Does it have to be so purple?”

He looked offended. “The color is the best part.”

“Then you drink it.”

Instead of responding, he handed her the glass. She took a sip. It actually wasn’t so bad.

She was about to tell him so when he knelt by the side of the bed. Cleo nearly dropped her drink in surprise. But he wasn’t done stunning her for one morning.

Sadik
gently pulled down the covers until they rested on the tops of her thighs.

Then he tugged up her nightgown and placed both his hands on her bare belly.

His touch was gentle, his fingers warm. Afraid she would start to like this too much and pant like a dog, she took another sip of her drink.

“I have neglected our son,” he told her, glancing at her briefly before returning his attention to her stomach. “There is some disagreement as to whether he can hear and understand from the womb. As I know our child will be of a superior nature, I believe he knows when he is being addressed. As my firstborn son, there is much for him to know. I will save time by beginning his education now.”

Cleo couldn’t speak. She tried, but her lips wouldn’t move. As she watched,
Sadik
leaned close to her rounded stomach.

“Welcome, my son. Your mother and I eagerly await your delivery. But as it will be several months until you are with us, I want to use this time to tell you about your heritage, both of the land and the people. You are most fortunate to be born into the royal family of
Bahania
. You come from a long line of good and wise rulers.”

He cleared his throat. “The written history of
Bahania
goes back over two thousand years. While that is of some importance, the ruling family of your father first took control of the throne in the year 937. Before that, many nomadic tribes had fought for control of the land that is
Bahania
.”

Sadik
spoke easily of the history of his people and their land. Cleo sipped her drink and listened. She tried to stay detached, but it was impossible not to feel close to the man kneeling beside her bed. How was she supposed to resist him when he acted like this? She felt herself falling even more in love with him.

“Horses have always been important to the desert,” he continued. “There are those who say it is the camel that tamed the wildness, but it was the horse. We will discuss that tomorrow, my son.”

He kissed her belly, then pulled down her nightgown and drew up the covers.

She shook her head. “What if the baby is a girl?”

He dismissed her with a wave, then snatched one of the scones. “I am Prince
Sadik
of
Bahania
.”

“I keep telling you that the title isn’t really news. I’m just wondering what you’ll do if we have a girl.”

“We won’t,” he said with a confidence that made her want to both slug him and hold him so close that she could hear the beating of his heart.

She sighed. “I guess I already knew you were an arrogant prince the first time I met you.”

He grinned. “You were charmed.”

“Not exactly.”

He kissed her mouth, then walked toward the door. “You were charmed then, and you remain charmed.”

She couldn’t help laughing as he left.
Sadik
made her crazy. He made her a lot of things. But the bottom line was—the man did charm her. Darn him.

Cleo rose and showered, then dressed for her first day as a real, live princess.

With the exception of a light mist of rain falling, there seemed to be little difference between this day and the one before. Except for the ring, she thought staring at the sapphire engagement ring nestling against her gold wedding band.

There it was—proof that she and
Sadik
were really married. The palace was now her home.

Cleo couldn’t even think that sentence without wanting to run for cover. How on earth was she supposed to live it? “Don’t think about it now,” she said aloud.

Instead she headed for the living room where her boxes from her former life sat waiting for her. There were also several catalogs stacked on the coffee table.

She didn’t remember seeing them before, so someone must have brought them in.

She sat on the sofa and leafed through the various baby catalogs. There were cribs and changing tables, dressers, rocking chairs, linens, clothes and dozens of containers, toys and accessories about which she had no clue. The prices were also amazing, but then, the royal set probably didn’t do much shopping at discount stores.

She found a wallpaper catalog at the bottom of the pile and flipped through the pages, wondering if her child would prefer a motif of bunnies or bears. No doubt
Sadik
would press for a masculine theme. She would have to stand firm that there had to be at least a small chance that the baby would be a girl.

Before she could make a wallpaper decision, the phone rang. Her heart instantly jumped in her chest, making her feel both alive and very foolish. It wasn’t
Sadik
, she reminded herself, even as she wanted it to be him.

“Hello?”

“Princess Cleo, this is Marie. I’m one of the head housekeepers here in the palace. I’m calling to find out your preference for cleaning the suite. I can send a staff member whenever you would like. The time can be flexible or set on a regular schedule. Also, I’ve spoken with the main kitchen. They asked me to remind you that you are always welcome to order in a private dinner, if that would be more to your liking.” Humor and friendliness filled Marie’s voice.

“This is your honeymoon, after all.”

Cleo didn’t know what to think. “Um, I guess dinner in the suite would be great.”

“Shall I have the head chef phone, or would you prefer to contact him at your convenience?”

As she didn’t have a clue as to what to order for dinner, or even what was available, Cleo figured she’d better do some research first. “I’ll, ah, call myself.”

“Very well. What about the cleaning?”

“Can we pass on that today? I’ll decide on the best time and get back to you in the morning.”

“As you wish. Please feel free to call on me for any request. It is our pleasure to serve you, Princess Cleo.”

“Thanks.”

She hung up the phone, feeling as disconcerted as if she’d just had a long chat with aliens. This couldn’t possibly be her world. It was insane. It was royalty.

Obviously, the palace was a well-oiled machine. She would have to stay out of the ever-moving cogs so she didn’t get caught in the mechanism.

Cleo tossed down the catalog and crossed to the window. The sky and water were gray in the rain. She pressed her fingers against the pristine glass and wondered what on earth she was doing here. Did she really think she could fit in as if she belonged? Her? She was absolutely the last person on the planet who should have married into a royal family.

She turned and stared at the cardboard boxes stacked in the corner. She knew what she would find when she opened them. Old tattered stuffed animals and books bought at a secondhand store. There would be clothes she would never wear again and a few pictures. Minor remnants of a very small life.

She had always thought it would be more. That somehow she could make herself matter. But that didn’t seem to have happened. Now she was
Sadik’s
wife and soon to be her child’s mother. She seemed to have lost herself along the way.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. This time her heartbeat remained calm.
Sadik
would never request permission to enter his own rooms.

She rose and opened the front door. A young woman stood holding a vase of flowers. She handed them to Cleo, gave a half curtsy, then left.

Cleo stared after her, more bemused by the curtsy than curious about the flowers. Were people really going to do that to her now? It would make life unbearable. She made a mental note to call Marie and discuss it with her, then carried the flowers into the living room and set them in the center of the table. After admiring the fragrant blossoms, she reached for the small card tucked among the leaves.

“You are welcome to join me for a late-morning tea.”

The note was signed by King Hassan. Cleo glanced at the clock. It was nearly eleven. She figured she’d better hustle her butt over to the business section of the palace—it was unlikely the king of
Bahania
had issued the invitation on a whim.

Five minutes later the king’s male secretary escorted her into Hassan’s private office. A tea cart stood at the ready, and the king sat on one of the sofas. He glanced up when she entered and set his report next to him. Then he rose and walked toward her, both arms extended.

“Welcome, my daughter,” he said as he embraced her and kissed her on both cheeks. “This is your first day as a member of the royal family. What do you think so far?”

“I’m still numb,” she admitted as he motioned for her to take a seat by the cart. She assumed that was a not-so-subtle hint that she was expected to pour.

She had to nudge a dozing calico out of the way before she could plop down.

“Soon you’ll be bustling around the palace as if you have lived here all your life.”

She patted her round stomach. “I’m getting too big to be bustling anytime soon.

Maybe after the baby is born.” She reached for the teapot and poured the tea into two delicate cups. The china had an oriental pattern and she didn’t doubt that they were from an antique set with a long history.

“Now that I live here, I guess I’m going to have to learn something about the country,” she said, then shook her head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it to come out that way. I’m actually very interested in
Bahania
.”

“There are many wonderful books in the palace library,” the king said helpfully as she passed him his tea. “Or I could have one of our national historians come by and give you lessons.”

She held up both her hands. “I think I’ll pass on the private tutoring. Anything I need to learn, I can find out myself, either by reading or even visiting a museum.”

“As you wish,” the king said. “I would suggest you begin by touring the city.

There are many beautiful and historic sites.” He frowned. “While a
Bahanian
driver’s license will be obtained for you, I would ask that you not venture out on your own until you are familiar with our roads. I will have a driver assigned to you.”

Cleo wasn’t sure she wanted to be escorted, but the king’s comments about getting to know the city made sense. The last thing she needed was to get lost.

“I appreciate that,” she told him.

He smiled. “We all wish for your happiness.” Hassan hesitated. “I know that the circumstances of your marriage were not what you had hoped they would be, however I am convinced that you and
Sadik
can be happy together.”

Cleo took a sip of tea rather than answer. She didn’t think her royal father-in-law would like her response.

“You would find the transition easier if you made a life for yourself,” he continued. “
Sadik
thinks you will be content to be a mother, but I sense you will need more. What are your interests, Cleo?
Bahania
has much to recommend itself.”

She appreciated the show of support and interest, although she found the question a challenge. “I don’t have any specific interests. I’ve never been a hobby and craft person and I don’t play a musical instrument.”

“What is the one thing you have always wanted to do and has so far eluded you?”

That was a no-brainer, she thought glumly. “I know that Zara is the smart one in the family,” she said. “However, I always regretted not going to college when I had the chance. When I was in high school, I didn’t study much. The classes were just something I had to endure. Now I think I could really enjoy learning about things.”

He set his tea on the table in front of them and spread his arms open wide. “Why don’t you try it and see what you think? I’ll make an appointment with the president of the university. You can go to see the campus this afternoon.”

Cleo felt as if she’d stepped onto a rapidly moving conveyor belt. “I don’t need to meet with the university president,” she said quickly. “Can’t I just walk around the campus, then maybe apply like a regular student?”

“Child, you are many wonderful things, but you are not a regular anything. Not anymore. You are Princess Cleo of
Bahania
.” He smiled. “Don’t worry. You will grow into the title.”

Not in this lifetime, she thought, more afraid of her marriage now than she had been before walking into the room. It was one thing to worry about whether or not her husband loved her. It was another to have to deal with the reality of being an actual princess. There were responsibilities and expectations she hadn’t considered.

“I’m beginning to think you are all going to regret inviting me to join the team,” she muttered.

The king shook his head. “I suspect that in a few months we are all going to wonder how we survived without you.”

Cleo hoped that was true…especially for
Sadik
.

That evening Cleo found herself surprisingly cheerful. She actually felt anticipation at the thought of seeing
Sadik
, and when he let himself into the suite, she hurried to greet him.

“I had the best day,” she said happily. “At first I thought it was going to be pretty miserable because it’s raining and I’m not a huge fan of rain. Plus there’s nothing for me to do around here, but things picked up. What about for you?”

Instead of answering, he simply stared at her. She glanced down at the front of her loose-fitting dress to see if she’d spilled something.

“What?” she asked, suddenly feeling awkward.

They were standing less than two feet apart and, as of yesterday, they were officially a married couple. Was he expecting her to hug him or kiss him? Asking about his day was sort of
wifelike
, after all.

“You do not seem unhappy,” he said at last.

“I’m not.”

“I have not seen you any other way since I found out you were pregnant. I did not know if you had forgotten how to smile.”

She couldn’t tell if he was teasing or not. She sighed. “I know I’ve been a little crabby and difficult. I didn’t mean to be. It’s just…” She hesitated.

Was there any way to explain how her life had been taken away from her? As
Sadik
had been the one doing the taking, and as he had yet to show the tiniest bit of remorse, she didn’t think he would exactly jump to see her side of things.

“I know how to smile,” she said, trying for a light tone of voice. “Know any good knock-knock jokes?”

He put his arm around her, as he led her to the sofa. “Not really. Are you hungry? Maria said you had ordered dinner in tonight. Do you wish them to serve right away?”

“I can wait.”

She sat next to him, angled toward him. She couldn’t seem to reconcile the fact that they were really married. So this was their first
postworkday
husband-and-wife conversation. Should she offer to get his slippers?

“Did Marie simply inform you of my decision about dinner or did she make sure it was all right with you?” Cleo held up her hand. “I’m not trying to make trouble on our first night, I’m simply trying to figure out where things stand.”

“I had reason to speak with her about something else,” he said easily. “At that time I asked her if she’d spoken with you yet, and she informed me that she had.” His handsome face tightened slightly. “I have been most unfair to you, Cleo.”

She felt as if she could have been knocked over with, if not a feather, then at least a very light object. A thousand snippy responses came to mind, some of them even humorous. But as
Sadik
was actually admitting fault in something, she thought she should try to take the moral high ground.

“Ah, in what way?” she asked casually, pretending interest in a loose thread in her skirt hem.

“We did not discuss a honeymoon.”

She hadn’t had time to imagine what his response might be, but she doubted she would ever have come up with that.

“You’re right.” A honeymoon? Did she need the stress? Not that he hadn’t been sweet to think of it. “That’s okay. I’m pretty pregnant, and I don’t know what travel restrictions I would have.”

“That is all well, but I should have considered how things would appear.”

Her tiny bubble of happiness burst with an audible pop. “Great. So you don’t actually care about going away with me. You just don’t want the neighbors talking.”

“That is not what I said.”

“It’s exactly what you said, and I think it’s pretty ratty of you. This whole marriage was your idea, and if you’re unhappy now, you only have yourself to blame.”

He sighed the sigh of the long-suffering, then gathered her close. No matter how good it felt to be held in his arms, and how warm his body was next to hers, she refused to either relax or be impressed.

“All right,” he conceded. “I phrased my thoughts badly. I don’t want to start gossip that would ultimately hurt you. In addition I would enjoy going away with you. But your concern about the health of our son does you credit. Perhaps after he is born we will take a belated honeymoon.”

She made a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat. She didn’t want
Sadik
thinking he was getting off that easy.

“Speaking of doctors,” she said, disentangling herself before she did something stupid like start melting, “I have an appointment with one tomorrow. And I’ve arranged to have all my medical records transferred.”

He released her immediately and walked to the phone. “What time is your appointment?”

“Eleven.”

“Good.” He dialed four numbers, then waited. When the phone was answered, he identified himself, then ordered his secretary to clear his appointments from ten-thirty until one.

“You don’t have to do this,” Cleo said when he’d hung up. “I’m perfectly capable of going by myself.”

“I do not doubt that, however I wish to speak with the doctor. I am interested in everything about your pregnancy, your health and the health of our son.”

“Again I point out that we could be having a girl.”

He didn’t even acknowledge her statement. Instead he returned to the sofa.

“There is something else we must discuss,” he said, sitting next to her.

“Initially I simply made arrangements myself. However, I reconsidered. Your temperament is not as yielding as I would desire.”

“If you’re trying to say I’m stubborn, that’s hardly news. Otherwise, what are we talking about?”

“You are Princess Cleo, now,” he said. “And my wife.” Surprisingly, his expression softened. “I find everything about you beautiful and desirable.”

“I know,” she murmured. “I have to admit, it’s your best quality.”

He smiled. “It is time you dressed the part.”

Cleo was neither shocked nor hurt by his words. She’d known she was going to have to change her dressing ways, and soon. Being pregnant might complicate the transformation from mere mortal to actual princess, but it didn’t change it.

“So you’re saying there are stores that specialize in dressing today’s modern, pregnant princess?”

“Yes.”

“Who would have known?”

“I will have my secretary give you the name and number if you would prefer to set up your own appointment. The boutique owner will, of course, come to the palace.”

“Of course.”

Cleo rose and crossed to the window. The rain had stopped for the afternoon but had returned with the sunset.

“It’s really exciting,” she said without turning around. “I mean the thought of getting all new clothes and being well dressed in designer stuff.”

Sadik
watched her closely. “You do not appear happy.”

She shrugged. “I remember the first time I was here with Zara. We were given fabulous dresses to wear to a state dinner. I thought it was a great game, but Zara didn’t agree with me. I guess the difference was that I was going home and she wasn’t. For her the situation was very real.”

“As it is real for you now?”

She nodded slowly. “I’m really grateful and everything, it’s just I never planned to be a princess.”

“You survived your first day. Speaking of which, you never told me what you did to occupy your time. I believe your actual words were that you had ‘the best time.’ Tell me what made it so.”

Cleo hesitated. She wasn’t sure she wanted to share her new find with
Sadik
.

What if he didn’t think she could do it? Not that his opinion mattered, she reminded herself. She might not be as prepared as she would like, but she was willing to work hard. So much of life’s successes were about showing up and being willing to do the work.

“I went to the university,” she said, gazing at the floor rather than at
Sadik
.

“The king suggested a tour of the city, and part of that was through the grounds of the university.”

Her enthusiasm grew as she remembered the tall, old buildings blending with modern structures. There had been treasures everywhere she looked. Small gardens tucked into courtyards, fountains, benches for reading and studying.

“I walked around and then I went inside. The library is amazing. This very nice man took me on a tour and showed me ancient manuscripts dating back over a thousand years. Sabrina’s really into that stuff, so I guess she would already know about it, but I thought it was amazing. I also—”

Sadik
stood and glared at her. “You drove through the city on your own, then went to the university and spoke with a man who is not a member of this family?”

There was no mistaking his outrage. Cleo bristled as she put her hands on her hips—what she could feel of them, what with being five months pregnant—and glared right back.

“First of all, I was not alone on my tour. I was taken around by a driver.

Someone the king approves of, so don’t even go there. Second, I spoke with the senior librarian at the university library. I didn’t dance naked through the halls of a prison.”

“You are my wife,” he announced, as if that explained anything.

She couldn’t believe it. She’d thought that
Sadik
might make fun of her for thinking she could get her degree in something, but they couldn’t even get that far in the conversation. He was hung up on the fact that she’d spoken with a strange man.

“You need to join the rest of the world in this century,” she told her husband of one day. “Here’s a news flash—the time of the harem is over. You can’t keep your women locked up anymore. We have gained the right to move around and—” she placed the back of her hand against her forehead and sighed dramatically “—we can even think for ourselves.”

He frowned. “Cleo, I do not find this humorous.”

“I’ll bet you don’t. But here’s another news flash. I don’t care what you think on this subject. Because my touring the library was just the beginning of it.

Hang on to your shorts, Your Highness. I might be married to you and having our baby in a few months, but I’m not willing to be tied down to this palace. I plan to go out and do something with my life.”

Sadik
looked as if she’d slapped him with a wet fish. “What exactly are you talking about?”

Each word was clipped shorter than a buzz cut on a new military recruit.

“I’m going to start attending classes. I want to get my college degree.” She leaned toward him and set her jaw. “Don’t try to stop me on this,
Sadik
. I’m more stubborn than you could begin to imagine.”

She’d obviously caught him completely off guard. He didn’t speak, didn’t do anything but stare at her. Finally he shook his head and turned away.

“I forbid it.”

Figures. “The least you could do is not be predictable,” she said to his back.

“Forbid away. I’m still going to do it.”

He spun toward her, his expression outraged. “You are my wife and will be the mother of my son. That is enough for any woman.”

“It’s not for me. If you’d thought you were marrying some ‘yes woman’ who didn’t have a single opinion in her empty head, you couldn’t be more wrong. You may be my husband, but you’re not my lord and master. I suggest you get over it.”

Sadik
didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t surprised by Cleo’s defiance. She had been difficult from the beginning. What did surprise him was her description of the empty-headed female who didn’t have an opinion in her head. Unfairly, he’d instantly thought about
Kamra
.

Sadik
stiffened. He would not have such disrespectful thoughts of
Kamra
. She had been perfection itself—always deferring to him, never questioning his judgment, always seeking his approval.

A small yet traitorous voice in his head whispered that, with time,
Kamra’s
devotion might have been tiresome. At least Cleo would always be challenging.

He clenched his hands into fists. He did not want to be challenged. His late fiancée had been the most perfect of women. Losing her had been the greatest tragedy of his life. He had no right to question that.

“I will speak to the president of the university,” he told her. “After that you will not be attending any classes.”

“No, you won’t,” she said softly, despite the fire in her eyes. “Because that would mean admitting you have a problem with your wife, and we both know you don’t want to do that. You’re going to have to control me yourself,
Sadik
. Which isn’t going to happen, so you’re going to have to get over it.”

He could feel the heat from her body. Her short blond hair was in its usual spiky disarray. While the style wasn’t traditional, on Cleo it looked delightful. He stared into her dark-blue eyes, then lowered his gaze to her full mouth. Even now, when she defied him, he wanted her. He might have given his heart to
Kamra
, but he wanted Cleo more than he had ever wanted any woman in his life. With a certainty he did not want to acknowledge, he knew that he would always want her, until his dying breath.

He reached for her and pulled her close. Before she could protest and pull away, he pressed his mouth to hers in a demanding kiss.

Surprise was on his side. She instantly softened against him, obviously unable to resist the passion between them. Her arms came around his neck, and her body nestled against his. He felt her full breasts press against his chest and her round belly pushing against him. Her body had changed in the past few weeks.

Every day he could see the differences as her pregnancy progressed. He remembered touching her stomach that morning, as he had spoken with their child.

But instead of remembering the words, or the healthy movements of their son, he was suddenly able to recall the sweet smell of her skin and how soft and smooth she’d been.

He wanted her.

Cleo found herself getting lost in the feel of
Sadik’s
mouth against her own.

The man knew how to kiss. He focused all of his amazing
laserlike
attention on the act of making love, and he loved slowly and with a thoroughness that left her satisfied beyond measure.

Even the simple act of kissing took on more meaning when it was with him. He explored her lips with his, then licked the seam. Before she could part to admit him—or, more embarrassing, beg him to deepen the kiss—he nibbled on her sensitive lower lip. The tiny love bites made her shiver in anticipation.