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“I’m not cut out for deception.” She met his gaze with a hard stare of her own. Then it softened. “And you don’t deserve that. You’re a good man.”
Her ridiculously long hair fell about her shoulders. Her oddly shaped traditional dress didn’t hold together well without the sash. Those big eyes still brimmed with tears that glittered in her thick lashes. He fought a powerful urge to take her in his arms and comfort her.
Was he angry with her or at the unfortunate effect she had on him? She was just trying to do what everyone wanted of her. Tradition had shoved her between a rock and a hard place and he couldn’t help wondering which one he was. “I am glad you told me.”
“I couldn’t have lived with myself if I didn’t.” She held her neat chin high.
“Why would you put up with marrying a stranger in the first place? “
She looked away for a moment. “For Rahiri.” She looked back at him, expression serious. “And for your mom. You can see how happy everyone is to have you back.”
He shoved a hand through his hair and let out a bitter laugh. “So you have every reason to marry me except… me.”
Her cheeks darkened. “I’d have been proud to have you as my husband.”
AJ shook his head. “Proud. I’m not sure that’s entirely the sentiment I’d hope for in my wife, but it’s an interesting one.”
Lani swallowed, obviously embarrassed by her unsatisfactory response. “I am attracted to you.” Her shy whisper made a chuckle rise in his throat, and sent a jolt of lust to his groin.
“I’m grateful for that, at least.” He cocked his head. “I wouldn’t want to marry a woman who finds me repugnant.” He crossed his arms, trying to not be seduced by the rather dazed expression on her too-beautiful face. “So you were prepared to put up with me for the sake of Rahiri.”
She shrugged, and for the first time a sparkle of humor lit her eyes. “I figured I could handle it.”
“Your willingness to do your patriotic duty is impressive.” He couldn’t stop a smile hovering at the corners of his mouth. Then he remembered she’d intended to pretend her child was his. Her traditional dress concealed her shape. “How far along are you? “
Her face tightened. “Almost two months.”
“You conceived right before Vanu disappeared?”
She nodded. “That’s why I didn’t know I was pregnant.
When I felt ill, or tired, I just thought it was stress.”
“Vanu never knew about the baby.”
“No.” She held his gaze a little too boldly, as if she expected him to read something into that.
He wasn’t sure what to think. They’d been married for nearly five years, so why did she only become pregnant now? It was odd, unsettling. Too… convenient, somehow. “No one would have ever known it wasn’t my baby if you hadn’t told me.”
“I would have known.” Something glittered in her eyes. Determination, perhaps, or some of that steely strength hidden under her pretty exterior. Desire rose again inside him, a simmering flash of heat that warred with his anger at the deception.
“I appreciate your honesty.” He hesitated, thoughts weaving themselves in his brain even as warmth rose through his body. When he’d stated his intent to become king, he’d meant it. Tradition and honor now pumped through his heart along with his red blood cells. Suddenly it had seemed as if his whole life had led up to this night, when he assumed the responsibilities of leadership. He’d marshaled casts of hundreds, managed budgets and planned for contingencies. He knew how to deal with crises and manage difficult people and situations. The result, so far, had been about ninety minutes of entertainment for anyone who cared to watch, but as king of Rahiri he’d have the power to shape lives through investment in education and infrastructure.
Lani wasn’t the only reason he’d decided to stay. And now she wouldn’t be the reason he’d leave. “Maybe your little revelation doesn’t have to ruin everything.”
She blinked. “No?”
“Don’t play the innocent, now.” He laughed. “You know what I mean. We could still get married.”
Her cheeks reddened. “Even now that you know?”
“It’s a baby.” He shrugged. He could raise a child. What did it matter if it was his biological child or not? He’d never given much thought to family life, but the prospect held some appeal.
And he couldn’t deny that Lani held considerable appeal, too. Brave as well as beautiful, she’d risked everything to tell him the truth. Surely he could take a risk on a woman like that if it meant fulfilling the role everyone seemed so desperate for him to take on.
“I’m excited about having a baby.” Her face brightened. “I’ve been longing for one for years. It’s like a dream come true.” Her lips faltered. “Just at the wrong time.”
He wanted to ask why it had taken so long to conceive, but he held his tongue. Instead he said, “I’m not afraid of raising my brother’s baby.”
A dark shard of worry sliced into his mind. What if Vanu’s baby was like Vanu? He fought off the nasty thought.
AJ flexed the muscles in his back. They suddenly felt tight, maybe under the weight of so many expectations. “So the child would never know?”
“Things could get complicated because of royal succession.”
“I suppose we could tell him when he came of age, but I can see how it makes more sense to keep it quiet. When we decide it’s time for him to become king, I can quietly step aside.”
“Yes, then there’s no real need for him or anyone else to know.”
“And he won’t be traumatized by finding out as an adult. It does make more sense.” AJ rubbed his temples, which throbbed slightly. In one evening he’d decided to change his whole life and embrace a new one—now suddenly he’d taken on fatherhood, too. A curse fell from his lips.
“What?” Lani looked alarmed.
“I’m suddenly on the brink of being a father, and I never even got to enjoy your naked body. That seems a real shame.”
Lani blushed. “Sorry I ruined everything.”
“You did the right thing. There’ll be plenty of time to catch up later—with no tears, I hope.” He paused and studied her face. “If we do get married, that is.”
Doubt still swirled in his mind and heart. Everything had happened so quickly, and with such deadly finality. Each decision he made seemed a matter of life and death.
“I’m not going to pressure you into anything.” Lani spoke softly, gazing off to one side. “I never wanted to. It’s your decision, and now you have all the facts.”
AJ took in a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. “I committed myself to Rahiri tonight, and to you, and I stand by my decision.” Conviction filled his heart. “Your courage in choosing to tell the truth gives me every reason to trust you as my wife.”
Lani blinked, obviously embarrassed by his words. Her cheeks still shone like roses.
“But you really are far too beautiful for your own good.” He managed a snarl as he said it.
Lani shrugged and shot him a wry smile. “That’s what my aunt Freda used to say. She said girls like me end up in trouble.”
“And you did.” She looked startled, eyes suddenly wider. “By joining the Rahiian royal family, I mean. Life in the palace isn’t all eating bonbons and being fanned by faithful servants.”
“No, there are the big parties, the long banquets. It’s exhausting.” A smile brightened her eyes for the first time since her revelation.
“Lucky thing we’re both young and strong enough to handle it.” AJ found his hands once again itching to reach out to her. “Maybe we can make a go of this marriage thing. Heck, we might even enjoy it.”
Her eyes shone in the dim light of the bedroom. AJ picked up one of the hands dangling at her side, and pressed its softness between his palms. “The more I get to know you, the more I like you.”
She bit her lip. “And I like you, too. That’s why I couldn’t lie to you.”
He frowned. “The big question is whether we can lie to everyone else.”
“For some reason that doesn’t bother me.” Lani’s smooth brow furrowed slightly. “It’s no one else’s business where our child comes from. It’s between you and me that the truth is important.”
AJ stared at her. “You know, that makes perfect sense. If we’re married, it’s our child. Vanu’s gone and he’s not coming back, so he’s not being cheated out of anything. We’ll raise the baby as ours, with all the love and affection we’d shower on any child we have.”
Lani’s hand stiffened. She bit her lip, then peered into his eyes. “I just had a thought. What if we do have more children and you find yourself wanting the oldest child that really is yours to inherit the throne instead? Things could get complicated.”
AJ stared at her for a moment, trying to understand her dilemma, then he laughed. “I’m not an Egyptian pharoah with a desire to dominate the world. I will certainly not start interfering in matters of succession other than by bowing out for the next person to take over.”
Lani’s smile returned. “I had to ask, but I believe you. You don’t seem like that type.”
Though Vanu would have been. The unpleasant thought pierced the warm mist of happiness that had drifted back into the room.
AJ picked up Lani’s hand and kissed it, trying to dispel the image of Vanu that hovered suddenly in his consciousness. Would his cruel older brother haunt him for the rest of his days as he raised his child?
Lani’s hands, so soft and scented like lilies, filled his senses. She sighed as he pressed his lips to them.
No. Vanu could not cast darkness over his life from beyond the grave. He was dead and gone, in the past, and AJ would let him stay there. He and Lani would make a bright future for themselves and their child.
He lowered her hands and looked into her eyes. Mysteries glistened in their golden depths. He didn’t know where this marriage would lead them, but the adventure invited him to climb aboard. He kissed her softly, his lips just brushing hers.
Lani tilted her chin, pressing her mouth to his as her lashes lowered. AJ wound his arms around her slim back, holding her close. Tension fled his muscles as he let himself sink into her softness. She sighed and writhed gently against him, her passion natural and soft, not like earlier when she’d seemed—desperate.
He let his fingers roam lower, to cup her firm backside and caress her long, elegant thighs. Fantasies of having those thighs wrapped around him heated his blood. Lani’s fingers dived into his hair and slid under his collar, making his skin hum with arousal. He could feel her nipples tighten under her dress, and he knew she was aroused, too.
His fingers prickled with the desire to peel off her silk gown and bare her golden skin, but a powerful instinct deep in his gut told him to wait. He pulled back a few inches and smoothed her dress. Her belly quivered slightly beneath his touch.
Lani was recently widowed, pregnant and obviously alarmed and confused by the strange dilemma she’d found herself in. This evening’s events were enough to give anyone whiplash, and he didn’t want to rush headlong into steamy sex—Well, he did, but that would only make the situation even more explosive and unpredictable.
He needed to be strong for both of them. “I’ll sleep here in your bed tonight.” She blinked at him, those golden eyes still wary. “But we won’t make love.”
Her cheeks flushed. Relief or disappointment? It didn’t matter. Or maybe it was the word love—so strange and inappropriate under the forced circumstances that pushed them together.
When he made love to Lani for the first time it would be right. He had the rest of his life to enjoy his bride, and for tonight he’d put her needs before his own.
“You sleep on this side.” He pulled back the covers. She climbed in, still in her dress. “And I’ll sleep on the other.”
Six (#ulink_d9e2f520-efd5-5503-a7f6-f4a2eba0a912)
Lani managed a few hours of fitful sleep. It was hard to relax when your life kept changing so drastically from minute to minute, let alone next to a man who stirred your senses and scrambled your thoughts. AJ had gone to the gym early, as usual, and she showered and changed in her own room, with growing anxiety. Her mother-in-law had no idea she’d told AJ about the baby, or that the revelation had almost sent him packing and she didn’t relish telling her.
At the breakfast table, Priia beamed, half-hidden behind a stack of newspapers from around the region. “Front-page story in every one!”
Lani glanced at the Aipu Clarion. The story directly beneath the announcement of Rahiri’s new king declared that a newborn goat on a neighboring island had shown evidence of magic powers. “Are we on the front of the New York Times?”
Priia waved her hand dismissively, which caused her gold bracelets to jangle. “They probably haven’t even woken up yet. Besides, those big papers prefer bad news to happy news like ours.” She leaned in, eyes wide. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine.” Lani spooned some pineapple onto her plate.
“Not too exhausted after last night?” She winked her mascara-encrusted lashes.
Lani gulped and lowered her voice to a whisper. “I told AJ about the baby.”
“What?” Priia’s shriek pierced the air. She spun around and looked relieved that no servants were nearby. She grasped Lani’s hand. “Why?”
“It was too big a thing to lie to my future husband about.” She sat close to Priia. “He was shocked at first, but glad that I’d told him.”
Manicured fingernails dug into her skin. “He’s still willing to go ahead with the marriage?”
Lani nodded. “He seemed okay with it after we talked.”
Priia let out a huge sigh and released her grip on Lani’s wrist. “Thank heavens! Oh, my goodness. You were brave. Or crazy, I’m not sure which.” She fluffed her hair. “Of course, I’m not surprised that he was still willing to do the right thing.”
Tension cramped Lani’s muscles. Everything was so complicated. “He’s agreed to keep the baby’s parentage quiet so that he can become king.”
“Perfect.” Priia rose to her feet. “Better than I could have hoped for. You truly are a gift, my dear.” She kissed Lani’s cheeks and swept from the room.
Lani was eating a piece of melon when AJ walked in, a guarded expression on his face. “I’m not sure if I had a night of violent and colorful dreams or if I made a lot of very bold promises last night.”
“The evidence is in the papers.” She pointed to the stack. “If it’s on the covers of The Napau Inquirer, then it must be true.” The cover photo of them both, snapped right after his announcement, showed the look of surprise and terror on her face. Hopefully people would take it for delight.
AJ raised a brow, then frowned. “King AJ. It doesn’t really roll off the tongue, does it? “
She laughed. “I don’t know why not. Half the names in Rahiri are barely pronounceable. And as king, you get to make the rules, anyway.”
“There’s a comforting thought.”
A waiter whisked in with AJ’s favorite breakfast—two slices of French toast with crispy bacon—and another stack of papers.
AJ grabbed a magazine off the top. “Made The Hollywood Reporter. ‘Dragon Chaser Helmer Catches a Crown.’ Makes it sound a bit like a Frisbee, doesn’t it?” he said as he sank into a chair. “Oddly enough, the crown’s sitting pretty easy on my head this morning.” He tilted his head and peered at her with those seductive dark eyes. “That may have to do with the lovely lady that comes along with it.”
She felt her face heat as a smile crept across her face. At least they hadn’t actually made love last night. That would have definitely been too much too soon. Her attraction to him was alarming under the circumstances.
AJ’s phone rang. “Ugh, not again. I’ve been besieged by phone calls since before dawn. Mostly from people who work with me. They’re all afraid they’ll be out of a job.”
He took the call, reassuring someone that he had every intention of completing his next movie, but he couldn’t talk details right now.
Lani poured him some tea and waited until he put the phone away. “Tell them they’ll just have to move to Rahiri.”
“Yeah. Maybe I’ll open a studio here, get all those bigwig execs to fly to me rather than the other way around.”
“Your mom’s always trying to pump the tourism industry here.”
“What tourism industry?”
“True, but maybe this is Rahiri’s big chance to finally land on the world map. Direct flights from London and Paris, five-star hotels, celebrity guests.” She winked.
