by Lynn, Sophia
Sarah’s number as a received call from nearly two weeks ago. It showed the call had been over three minutes in length. It had been answered, and someone had spoken to her. Right behind it, another call from her that had been declined.
His lips parted. Impossible. He hadn’t answered the call, nor spoken to her, nor ever declined her call. So…who had?
His pulse raced again as he tried to recall what he’d been doing on the date she had called. And then it hit him; it was the afternoon he’d left for Switzerland and left his phone in his office. He’d gone back to get it, and found Asher with it, taking messages. So many people had called after Sarah it would have easily gotten buried in the call list, with him none the wiser. Until now.
Nostrils flaring, he called Asher.
“William—”
“Did she leave a message with you?”
There was a tense pause. “Did who leave a message, sir?”
“Sarah Jones. Did she leave a message with you when you spoke with her for exactly three minutes and ten seconds two weeks ago?”
“I’ve spoken with so many people that I can’t recall—”
William almost threw the phone. He rarely experienced true rage, but it pumped through him now. “Asher!”
There was an annoyed sound, then a soft puff of air as if William’s questioning was highly inconvenient. “Yes,” he burst out. “Yes, she left a message, but I assure you that it’s not worth your time.”
William felt the pulse in his temples going double-time. He wanted to rip Asher apart with his bare hands and throw him into the ocean. Grinding his jaw, he took a breath and slowly enunciated each word.
“What did she say?”
Asher cleared his throat with another tense pause. “She said it was…important for you to call her back as soon as you were free.”
He was going to kill him. Slowly. Painfully. “And you didn’t think to tell me?”
“Your Highness…”
“You didn’t think to tell me?”
“No. I chose not to tell you. Sir.”
William growled into the phone. “You’re officially relieved of all royal duties, do you understand? Effective immediately. You’ll turn in your official cell phone and all keys to Florence right now. You may retain your quarters in the palace. I’ll decide for how long as soon as I return.”
He hung up before Asher could utter another traitorous word. The bastard! God only knew what was so important that she needed to speak to him. And now she probably thought he didn’t care enough to find out what it was, that he’d ghosted her. He’d let her down without even knowing it. Damn! He’d bruised her soft heart, broken some of her trust in him. Could he fix this?
Calling one of his uncles, William turned over Asher’s position to him and tightened up a few loose details. And then he sat back in the limo with one all-consuming realization.
He wasn’t going to see Sarah just to see if she was well.
He was going because he loved her.
Chapter Twelve
Sarah
“Would you like to see your baby?”
Sarah’s face tingled at the question. Her belly was bare, cool air giving her a chill. Or maybe it was the doctor’s words; she wasn’t sure. She whipped a look at Betty who gave a double thumbs up.
Swallowing hard, she nodded. “Okay, yes.”
The doctor smiled and pulled a small ultrasound machine over to the bedside. So far, the appointment had been pretty simple. Lots of questions, some lab work. An exam. And now the moment every mother-to-be waited for.
“You’re pretty early into your pregnancy, so the baby won’t look like, well, a baby quite yet. You’ll see a sac and where your baby is growing inside it, but there won’t be a lot of features yet.”
She nodded, not sure she was ready for features. Not sure she was ready for any of it. Betty scooted her chair closer and took Sarah’s hand as the doctor squirted some gel onto Sarah’s flat belly and pressed a wand there. An image popped up on the ultrasound screen, but it looked like grainy, black and white nonsense. After a few moments, the doctor began clicking on the keyboard.
“Okay, here’s the sac I was telling you about.” She pointed to an eggplant-shaped image on the screen. Inside it was a small, oblong shape. “And that, my dear, is your baby.”
Talk about surreal. Nothing looked the way she thought it would. “It looks like my thumb.”
Betty laughed. “It kind of does look like a thumb.”
Suddenly, the image bounced, and Sarah jumped, too. “What’s happening?”
The doctor didn’t even try and hide her amused smile. “Nothing. Your baby is just getting comfortable. You can’t feel his or her movements yet, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a little dance party going on. Look, here.” She pointed to a small protrusion on the shadow. “That’s the start of an arm.”
Sarah had never felt so in awe of anything in her life. The unrecognizable shape on the screen was her baby. Soon, he or she would have William’s nose, maybe his strong chin, or her eyes. Would their child be tall like William, or have her blonde hair? She’d been so busy focusing on her career that a family, a child, had never once factored into her immediate plans. She’d longed for love of course, but this? This had been years away in her plans.
It really was true that best laid plans didn’t go the way you expected.
It dawned on her that soon, she’d have to tell her boss that she was expecting. Would it change things? She was finally getting the journalist chops she’d worked so hard for. Trying not to think too hard about what might go wrong, Sarah finished up at the doctor’s office and took Betty to a café close to the clinic for lunch.
Sarah was suddenly starving. She wolfed down a salad and half a loaf of French bread. Looking up, she saw Betty’s impressed raise of her eyebrows.
“Wish I could eat like that. Are you growing a lumberjack in there? What’s happening?”
“I’m so hungry, like all of a sudden. Maybe that means the nausea will stop now.”
“Yeah, good luck with that.”
Sarah’s phone rang. With a start, she pulled it from her pocket, her pulse picking up in hope. She always had hope. But it was a number she didn’t recognize. Probably another telemarketer. With a frown, she declined the call and put the phone on the table.
Betty covered her hand with her own. “Why don’t you call him, Sarah?”
“Why, so he can reject me? His silence is enough for me, Bets. I need to move forward, and that’ll be harder if I have to actually hear him say he’s moved on.”
Her friend gave a sympathetic frown. “So you’ve decided not to tell him about the baby?”
No, she hadn’t decided. It hurt too much to think about, and she was already well off her game trying to deal with pregnancy hormones. “I’ve decided not to decide right now.”
“That’s smart,” Betty said as she plucked a tomato off Sarah’s plate. “Now pass over the rest of that bread.”
An hour later, Sarah dropped Betty off at her apartment with a grateful wave and pulled away from the curb to head home.
Surviving her first OB appointment without crumbling into tears had been much easier with her friend at her side. She’d had some bloodwork done, learned about what to expect her first trimester with the nurse, had a checkup with the obstetrician, and at the end…an ultrasound.
The little black and white pictures were tucked carefully inside her bag. Her baby was big enough to look like a little bean that she was assured would look more baby-like at her next visit. It was all so surreal! Yet as unbelievable as it still was, she’d come to an almost comfortable realization that she was going to have a baby, and like Betty had said, she’d find her new normal and raise her child.
Being strong and facing up to this new reality hadn’t made skipping over the “father’s information” section on her OB intake forms any easier. She’d left it all blank, and when the nurse had asked her if she’d like to fill anything in, Sarah had
declined. She could imagine the look on the nurse’s face if she’d told the truth. Because it was totally normal to put down “King of Brixton” in the father’s spot. No, it was better this way. She wouldn’t have to worry about doing things her way if William didn’t know, nor worry about the media running her across the coals if the truth leaked. He didn’t want her, plain and simple. There was no way she could drag an innocent child into it.
She stopped at the grocery store for some necessities and took a few minutes to browse down the baby aisle. There were a million choices for diapers and wipes and formula. After a couple of minutes, she abandoned the aisle. It was all too overwhelming. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to become consumed with her pregnancy and start slacking at work. No way could she let that happen. She’d worked too hard. Since her article on Brixton’s water program had gone live, she’d been given increased opportunities at Future, as well as job offers from competing magazines. As of yesterday, she’d had six invitations to interview for media businesses all over California, and another that totally shocked her: for Brixton’s leading news station. She’d never had so many options in her career, and she didn’t want to screw it up now.
Getting back into her car, she was grateful for easy traffic as she made her way home. She was exhausted after a long day at the office and the emotions of her appointment. Putting on her blinker to turn onto her street, she realized someone was parked in front of her apartment. Getting closer, her heart flipped as she spied a sleek black Audi parked there, another car just like it slightly ahead of the first. A man stood there in a dark suit and sunglasses, his legs parted wide and hands crossed in front of him. What was going on? She pulled in behind the car, uneasy and second guessing her choice. Something big could be going on and—
The passenger door opened, and a tall man in a commanding gray suit stepped out. His glorious body straightened as he smoothed his tie. The breath rushed out of her. She’d know him anywhere. William! Sarah threw her car into park and pocketed the keys with numb fingers. William. He was here. Her lower lip trembled as she caught his gaze through her windshield. He stood there, the man in black moving closer—his bodyguard, she realized now—Williams’ eyes imploring her to get out. She grabbed her bag and cracked the door, unsure if her legs would even hold her. Her brain drank up his image, her body warming as her heart raced and raced. How she’d missed him!
What was he doing here?
Sarah crossed her arms over herself and walked toward him. William took steps to meet her, stopping inches from her. Her lips parted, but the words wouldn’t come. He stood there in silence too, just looking as if he were soaking her up. Which was ridiculous. He’d ignored her for so long, made his intentions to walk away completely clear. Finally, he ran a hand over his mouth, and a beautiful smile formed there. She had the strongest urge to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him.
Taking a step back, she tried desperately to compose herself, but it wasn’t easy.
“Will you give me a few moments of your time, in private?”
He’d come all this way, and her heart ached with joy. How could she ever turn him away? “Of course.”
Afraid of her own emotions, Sarah dug out her keys and walked past him and into the building. The bodyguard started to follow them, but William waved him off. Cars went by on the busy street. How long until someone recognized him and she had paparazzi outside her door? There’d be no way to keep things to herself if that happened. Hurrying now, she turned the lock, let them both in, and when she turned to shut the door, she was suddenly in his arms, his strong, warm body wrapping around her like a dream.
After the initial shock wore off, she slipped her arms around him too and held him close. The scent of his deep cologne washed over her, bringing her mind and body to life for the first time in weeks.
“Please don’t hate me, Sarah. Please, let me explain. I’ve missed you so much.”
Tears fell down her cheeks, wetting the fabric of his expensive suit where she pressed her face to his chest. For a long moment, she couldn’t speak. It was all too much. His embrace tightened as she sobbed and struggled to compose herself. She’d never been so emotional in her life! Hormones, she supposed. Oh, God. He was here…and she’d have to tell him!
William gently pulled away from her and tipped her chin up. He thumbed the tears from her cheeks, his expression pained. He was so handsome, it took her breath away. The connection was consuming her, yet she was wary of letting herself fall for it again. This could all turn out very badly, and now more than ever, she had a lot on the line. Pulling away from him, she took a few steps to create distance and crossed her arms over her breasts. His expression fell, but she wouldn’t let herself feel guilty for protecting her heart. His arms around her had shaken her to the core.
“What are you doing here?” she finally managed to say.
William’s brow knitted, his hands going wide. “I’ve been calling, and when you didn’t answer, I got worried. And then I realized what had happened, and I don’t blame you for being angry with me.”
“What do you mean?”
The long lines of his hard body were rigid, his shoulders tense beneath his silver-gray dress coat. She longed to feel the muscles he kept hidden beneath, to see the exquisite form of his torso hugged in his white button-down. His voice went soft, a stark contrast to the rigidity of his posture. He raked a hand through his hair, his eyes tormented and ripping at her resolve.
“I never meant to be so long without contacting you, Sarah. That was my mistake from the very beginning. There was a workers’ union strike, and then I was called to Sweden to negotiate a crumbling trade agreement. It’s not an excuse, I know. But then you called, and Asher spoke to you. He never gave me the message, and your call got buried beneath a hundred others. I had no idea you’d ever called.”
Her heart dropped. She knew she shouldn’t have trusted that arrogant prick, Asher!
He ran a hand down her hair. “I thought maybe you’d decided to move on, and it was easiest to let it happen than to talk to me about it.”
She shook her head. “No. No! I thought… I mean, we’d been keeping in touch, and then when I needed you the most, you ghosted me. I thought he’d told you the importance of my message, that I needed to speak to you immediately, and you’d…just let it go.”
He shook his head, his eyes sorrowful. “Do you really think of me as that kind of man?”
She spread her arms wide and shrugged. It was the hormones making her irrational and not thinking clearly. “I didn’t know what to think, William. You’re a very important man, and I’m just a reporter you had a short fling with. I’m very easy to replace.”
“No, Sarah.” He took her upper arms gently in his hands. His eyes bore into hers, and she had a sudden flashback of laughing with him at the quaint restaurant on the palace grounds. Of walking hand in hand on the beach. She recalled the way he’d looked at her, as if she were the most fascinating person in his world. He touched her as if she were the only woman he’d ever held close. “You’re absolutely irreplaceable. I would never leave you like that. Never.”
Her eyes stung as a fresh batch of tears began to fall. William drew her closer, and she allowed it because she couldn’t resist him. Not before, not now. Not ever.
“How can you say that? We had one week together, not nearly enough for you to feel that way.”
“It only took me moments to know that you’re the woman I want.” His thumb swept across her cheek. “I want you to be mine, Sarah.”
William’s hand slipped into hers as he threaded their fingers together. A familiar warmth pumped through her as she scrambled for something to say. “I…want that, too.” How could she tell him that he already had her heart? That she already belonged to him? Words didn’t seem like enough.
He took her other hand and held them both against his heart. “Will you tell me why you called that day?”
“I’m scared to tell you.”
Concern buri
ed deep in his eyes, turning them a denim blue. “There’s nothing you could tell me that will change the way I feel about you.”
Taking a steadying breath, she mulled it over for exactly a second before knowing that this was the time to tell him. He was right here in front of her, one hand holding hers tightly, professing his feelings for her. If there ever was a time to break the news, this was it.
Wiping her face with the heel of her hand, she turned away from him to retrieve her bag and reach into the little satin pocket inside that housed the precious pictures. Withdrawing the ultrasound pictures, she paused a moment before handing them to him. His brow fell in confusion. And then a slow realization spread across his face.
“I’m pregnant with your child.”
He gingerly touched the pictures as if he couldn’t quite believe it. He didn’t say anything, turning partially away as he studied the images. Her heart fell, a protective wall starting to build.
“I called to tell you so we could make a decision. I don’t expect you to be happy about this, or even involved, but I thought I owed it to you to let you know.”
He spun. “Not involved?”
She took another step back, expecting the worst. “All I’m saying is that I know this is a shock, and I don’t blame you if it’s too much. I mean, I’m still not over the shock of this, and we’re not, you know, an official couple even, so I get it. I get it if you walk and never look back.”
She was rambling, but she couldn’t stop herself. She didn’t know what she was expecting from him. Nothing good, probably. Even though their miscommunication had been Asher’s doing, this baby was between William and her. And it was up to him if he was going to walk, or if he was going to be accepting.
With him in front of her, larger than life, she silently prayed he’d at least have some contact with his child. He didn’t say anything, just looked at the pictures again. A smile spread across his face, his eyes lighting. And suddenly, she was in his arms again, his lips pressing to her forehead.