His Heir, Her Honor

by Catherine Mann

  A shadow smoked briefly through his eyes, something dark and perhaps angry even, but was gone before she could confirm her impression.

  If anyone deserved to be mad here, it was her. She wanted to shout her frustration. She was telling the father, whether he believed her or not. “Carlos, you aren’t listening to me. There is no one else,” she explained slowly, carefully, hoping he would hear the truth in her words even if it revealed her vulnerability in wanting only him. “There hasn’t been anyone other than you in eight months.”

  A frown furrowed his forehead, but his silence encouraged her to continue.

  “It is absolutely impossible for me to be pregnant with another man’s child. And believe me, I am pregnant.” Her voice shook for the first time. “I’ve seen the ultrasound. Our baby is alive and well.”

  The enormity of how much her life had changed so quickly threatened to overwhelm her. She’d always managed to tackle anything life threw her way, whether it be law school at Yale or standing up to a state supreme court judge.

  Never had the stakes felt more important than now as she fought for the tiny defenseless life inside her.

  Carlos’s eyes relayed sympathy and, even worse, a hint of pity. “You really believe this.”

  “And you really don’t.”

  Finally, she heard and accepted what he’d been saying since she first told him about the baby. She’d anticipated a number of reactions and prepared her rebuttals as carefully as any legal brief. However, she certainly hadn’t foreseen this turn of events. Obviously his doctors had been wrong in their diagnosis of Carlos, and his refusal to even consider the possibility, his insistance on believing she’d lied, cut her to the core.

  Disillusionment seeped through her veins like a chilly IV flooding through her system. Even though she’d assured herself she didn’t need him, she’d hoped for…something…anything more than this.

  Their kiss a few minutes earlier meant nothing to him. She meant nothing to him. And she needed to numb herself so he meant nothing to her.

  Lilah pulled in a steeling breath, a trick she’d learned early on to keep her cool when her insides threatened to bubble over with too much unruly emotion. “I’ve done my part by informing you. A paternity test after the baby is born will confirm I’m telling you the truth. And you’re going to feel like a royal jerk when you’re faced with the proof.”

  Determined to leave with her pride, Lilah held her head high as she fought back the urge to cry over how terribly the confrontation had gone. While she hadn’t expected exuberant cheers by any stretch, she’d hoped for acceptance, followed by stalwart emotional support as they agreed to spell out the practical details of bringing a child into the world. Carlos was a private, reserved man, but he’d always been quietly honorable. Even after his cold shoulder recently, she’d expected better from him than this.

  She closed the door with a quiet but firm click, wishing her aching heart was as easy to seal off.

  The click of the closing door echoed in his ears, along with the first hints of doubt.

  Carlos leaned back against his desk, staring at the space where Lilah had stood seconds before. She’d seemed so certain. In all the years they’d known each other, she’d been an honest woman—a boardroom shark in fighting for the hospital—but always frank and truthful. He admired that about her. For years, in fact, he’d used that admiration of her character to temper his more…primal response to her.

  What if…

  The possibility of actually being a father rocked his balance far more than the injuries that still caused him to limp to this day. He flattened his clammy palms against the legs of his green hospital scrubs.

  While he’d engaged in a number of careful affairs over the years, never had he let a woman truly break through his laser focus on his work. But Lilah was different. He was damn impressed by the way she fought for the hospital, stood up to million-dollar donors and politicians when it came to patients’ rights—hell, the way she faced down even him when he dug in his heels too deeply and lost focus on the bigger picture. She had a sharp mind and she wielded it artfully in her profession.

  Would she use those same skills against him even now if she thought it would benefit her child?

  His father had taught all three of his sons not to trust anyone, anytime. Everybody had a price, including the cousin who had sold out their escape plan. The queen, his mother, Beatriz Medina had died as a result of the ambush that ensued on their way out of San Rinaldo. Carlos had spent his teenage years undergoing surgeries to recover from the gunshot wounds. That he could walk at all was considered a miracle. Doctors told him to be grateful for that much, even if he would never have biological children.

  Could he trust Lilah?

  As much as he trusted anyone, which wasn’t much. God forbid the press should get a hold of this tidbit before he settled the issue. He needed to provide Lilah with concrete proof while keeping matters quiet.

  First step, arrange to have the lab run a sperm count test. As much as he balked at the invasion of his privacy, the current results would end this once and for all.

  The pesky “what if” smoked through his mind again, the possibility that through some inexplicable miracle her kid turned out to be his after all. Then, he needed to keep Lilah close at hand until the baby could be tested.

  Because if against all odds she carried a Medina, nothing would stop him from claiming his child.

  Suddenly weary to her toes, Lilah sagged against the closed door. The reception area outside Carlos’s office echoed with emptiness, thank goodness. But there was no telling how much longer before his secretary, Wanda, returned to her desk. Her computer already scrolled a screen saver photo of her dozen grinning grandchildren at the Port Defiance Zoo.

  Lilah squeezed her eyes closed. The memory of her argument with Carlos rang in her ears. Her belly churned with nausea, unusual for this late in the day. She still battled morning sickness and, no question, upset emotions made it worse. She curved a hand protectively over her stomach, the baby bump barely discernable so early in the pregnancy. Carlos hadn’t even noticed when he’d pulled her camisole from her waistband. But she could feel the changes in her body, the swollen tenderness of her breasts, a heightened sense of smell and an insatiable nightly craving for marinated artichokes, a food she had previously hated. While circumstances were far from perfect, she loved her baby with a fierceness that still overwhelmed her at times.

  A lock of hair slithered over her cheek and she realized her French twist must be wrecked from Carlos’s hands as they’d kissed in his office. Her nipples tingled in lingering awareness of just how fast and high he could stoke desire inside her. She plucked pins from her hair and let the rest slide free around her shoulders, not as professional as she preferred at work, but no doubt better than the sexed-up mess she’d been seconds ago.

  For her child’s sake, she needed to think rationally rather than with her emotions—or her welling hormones. Carlos obviously believed he was sterile and had only her word that the baby was his. While she wanted to think four years of friendship would have convinced him of her trustworthiness, that clearly wasn’t the case. He was a reserved and private man by nature. His aloofness—hell, his inaccessibility—the past months let her know their friendship wasn’t as deep as she’d believed. That she’d been forced to chase him down in the shower to tell him…

  Releasing another trapped breath, she refused to get wound up again. She needed to take a step back from him and wait. Time would prove his paternity.

  Content she’d regained even ground, Lilah straightened just as the door to the hall opened. She tucked the handful of bobby pins into her jacket pocket and smoothed a hand over her hair to clear any signs of her clench from Wanda’s perceptive eyes. There was a reason they called Lilah “The Iron Lady” around this place, and she intended to keep her reputation intact.

  The door opened wider, revealing…not Wanda. Lilah tensed for a second, concerned about the press infiltrating
the multiple layers of security she’d put in place. Then she recognized one of their newer radiologists, Nancy Wolcott. Her lab coat sported multiple decorative buttons on the lapel. Nancy had once relayed she wore the nonregulation “flair” to put her younger patients at ease. She must be working on the surgical case Carlos was so concerned about.

  “Hello, Nancy.” Thank heaven her voice stayed steady. “Dr. Medina and I just finished our meeting. I’m sure he will be anxious to hear an update on his young Afghani patient from this afternoon’s surgery.”

  “Oh, I’m not on that case.” Smiling hesitantly, the willowy brunette straightened a light-up shamrock pin. “Actually, I’m here on a personal note.”

  Unease feathered over her. “A personal note?”

  “I’m here to meet him for dinner. It’s after hours, so no worries about an administrative sanction. I’m not on the hospital’s clock right now.” She shrugged out of her lab coat and draped it over her arm.

  Oh, God, Lilah really didn’t like where this conversation was headed, and the timing couldn’t have been worse. She should have seen this coming. Carlos had never been lacking for dates before his Medina identity became public. He was a hunky, wealthy doctor, after all. Albeit a workaholic, temperamental doc. Women were swarming him now that he’d tacked prince onto his list of attributes.

  She scrambled for something to say and a way to get out. Fast. “No one can fault your dedication. I know well how many days you’ve worked longer shifts when we needed you. Now if you’ll excuse me—”

  The younger woman stopped her with a light touch to the arm. “I should explain. Carlos—Dr. Medina—and I have been going out for the past few weeks. We’ve been careful to keep it under wraps.” She adjusted one of the dozen frames on Wanda’s desk. “He really hates how intrusive the media can be, so we’re waiting for the perfect time for a controlled press release.”

  No worries about steeling a breath. Nancy Wolcott had knocked Lilah into next year without even trying. Carlos, of course, hadn’t said a word about it.

  And they’d been dating for weeks, not days, not a onetime outing over coffee. But a relationship that needed a freaking press release.

  Lilah bit back bile. “I hadn’t heard.”

  “I wanted to keep it quiet, too. I know he has a reputation for keeping relationships light but I think this might be headed somewhere.” Nancy laughed nervously, seemingly oblivious to the fact she was gushing. “Perhaps he kept his distance before, back when he had to maintain his royal background. But now that everything’s out in the open about his Medina name, he’s free to pursue anyone he wants.”

  Hearing the infatuation in Nancy’s voice, Lilah wanted to hate her, to dismiss her like the royalty groupies who’d come out of the woodwork lately. She longed to find fault in someone who’d captured Carlos’s interest when a night of sex with her hadn’t moved him in even a passing way.

  And yet she couldn’t be catty. Nancy didn’t know about that night with Carlos. No one did.

  Furthermore, of every unattached female on staff, this one seemed least likely to be a gold digger or fame seeker. As a part of her job, Lilah knew the history of each employee. Nancy Wolcott was a nice person who very obviously had stars in her eyes over the new man in her life. Who could blame her?

  Perhaps a woman who already had Carlos’s child swimming around in utero.

  A cold ache gelling inside her, Lilah tuned in to the rest of Nancy’s lovelorn ramblings.

  “I know I’m probably jumping the gun here, but he’s such a gorgeous, moody man. A woman can’t help but want to touch those inner depths.” Nancy pressed a hand to her heart, her eyes fluttering closed as she inhaled.

  Lilah wanted to give the woman a good swift kick in her unrealistic expectations about Carlos Medina. Even when he’d dated in the past, she’d seen how emotionally detached the man could be, something that hadn’t changed one bit since the whole “son of a deposed monarch” revelation.

  Not that she was surprised. There was no such thing as a fairy-tale ending. Libraries labeled it fiction for a reason. She’d seen firsthand with her parents how quickly love soured, how easy it was for a woman to turn into a pathetic moony-eyed doormat.

  Her father had used his job as a Hollywood agent to seduce countless wannabe starlets. To this day his wife—Lilah’s mother—did her level best to ignore the indiscretions that messed with her perception of happily ever after with her hunky, rich dream man. On occasion, the bimbo of the month set her eyes on a ring or got angry when the contracts didn’t flow in and would confront the Mrs., forcing her to face her husband’s infidelities.

  A fight would ensue. Tears would flow. He would offer up jewelry or a romantic getaway to “reconnect” and all would be forgiven until the next time when they repeated the same dysfunctional cycle all over again—leaving Lilah with two drawers jam-packed full of tourist T-shirts brought home by her lovey-dovey parents. In fact, her parents were on one of their make-up cruises now, and once they returned she would have to tell them about the baby.

  About Carlos?

  Listening to Nancy detail her evening with Carlos at the symphony, Lilah had to accept that the woman wasn’t blowing anything out of proportion. He really had asked her out on honest-to-God dates. Not that Lilah had entertained dreams of such with him. But damn it, they had slept together. They had been friends before that. And while he wasn’t the warm fuzzy kind, she deserved better from him than the way he’d treated her since their one-night stand.

  She definitely deserved better than what she’d experienced in his office a few short minutes ago.

  Nancy eyed his door warily. “I hope he’s not in a bad mood after your confrontation.”

  Shock jolted her already ragged nerves. Nancy couldn’t possibly know about the baby. Had someone been outside the door listening? Wanda, perhaps?

  As she calmed down enough to look at Nancy’s curious face, she realized the woman was just that—curious. She wasn’t shocked or mad, none of the reactions that would be normal if she’d heard rumors that her new “boyfriend” had fathered a child with someone else. “I assume you’re referring to the incident in the men’s locker room.”

  “I’m sorry.” Nancy pulled up straighter, fidgeting with her logo buttons until they were all cockeyed. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t mean to be so chatty.”

  Lilah eased between her and the exit. “I’m truly curious how you heard this quickly. Please, be frank.”

  Nancy winced. “I heard in the cafeteria. The buzz is pretty intense as people try to figure out what he did to make you that angry. Bets are being taken for possible reasons.”

  “And what would those guesses be?”

  She nibbled her lip, hesitating for a moment before continuing warily. “Most think you’re upset because he blew off that board meeting earlier this week. Others wonder if you’re freaking out over him taking on too many pro bono cases. For what it’s worth, my money’s on the latter. He’s such a bighearted man under that gruff exterior.”

  Lilah gripped the bobby pins in her pocket so tight they would probably leave holes in her fingers. “Hope you didn’t bet the bank on that because you’ll lose your life’s savings.”

  If the hospital rumor mill was already churning over one confrontation—granted, a pretty theatrical one—she hated to think how soon her own personal life would be fodder for cafeteria gossip. Good God, she would have to be so much more careful to protect her child’s privacy. For the first time it really sunk in that she was carrying a royal child, a person who would be dogged by the press for a lifetime.

  Would the news of her child fit on the same press release as Carlos’s new girlfriend?

  Panic roiled. So much for her decision to opt for an even-keeled “wait and see” attitude. She’d been fooling herself. Her visceral reaction to this woman made it clear too many emotions were involved already.

  She needed to keep on fighting rather than letting him roll over her. She would
not let her child be hurt by Carlos. She would shield this precious life as best she could from the pain of a father’s neglect.

  The click of a turning doorknob snapped her attention back to the reception area a second before Carlos’s office door opened, the man of the hour filling the frame with his broad shoulders. A flash of surprise raced across his dark eyes.

  Anger, frustration and, hell yes, hurt chased through her. Quickly, she stifled the urge to vent the steam building inside her. She’d already made a large enough scene for one day, and she didn’t intend to let Carlos know just how deeply he’d wounded her.

  That didn’t mean she had to balk at making him squirm.

  Lilah flicked her loose hair, hair mussed by him during their out-of-control kisses, over her shoulder. “Hello again, Dr. Medina. I was just talking to your new girlfriend.”

  Three

  The shots just kept coming today.

  Carlos looked from one woman to the other. How much had Lilah said before he interrupted? Apparently not much since Nancy appeared blessedly oblivious. She was a nice person he’d gone out with a couple of times in hopes of erasing Lilah from his memory.

  Nancy was everything he wanted in his personal life. She was intelligent, witty, with common interests and made no demands on his emotions. She should have been perfect for him, except she left him cold. Rather than helping him move on from that colossal mistake, the presence of his “girlfriend” reminded him of just how much every woman paled alongside Lilah.

  He’d been planning to break things off with Nancy tonight, even before today’s shocking revelation. Continuing to see her when he had unresolved issues with Lilah wasn’t fair. Damn shame he hadn’t spoken to Nancy a day earlier.

  The new radiologist looked from Carlos to Lilah and back again, confusion stamped on her face. “I don’t mean to interrupt if you two need to talk business. I can always come back later for our dinner date.”