“How do you eat that disgusting stuff,” his mother grumbled from behind him. “And we must continue—”
“Yes, we must continue.” He turned and gave her a firm look that silently warned her that this conversation would not continue within range of ears that might gossip.
His mother gave a swift nod and looked away. He was about to turn to open a cabinet when his gaze landed elsewhere.
A chef, clearly on his lunch break, was staring at an open laptop. It was the image on the screen that froze Kostas’s blood.
He abandoned the sandwich idea and moved toward the chef instead. “What is that you’re reading?”
The man’s eyes widened. “I apologize, Your Majesty. I’m on my lunch and didn’t mean to—”
“Nothing to apologize for,” he said absently and crouched down to look closer at the image. “What website is this?”
“Just a trashy gossip site, Your Majesty. It’s all nonsense really.”
There were two photos, one a professional photograph of a large, clearly wealthy and influential family, and Eva was in it. The second photo was an image of her alone. A headshot that you’d find a business woman using.
If the images alone hadn’t drawn his attention, the headline would have. His heart dropped to the floor and he struggled to breathe.
Evelynn Fairchild is pregnant! But who’s the father?
Chapter 17
“A scandal among the Fairchild girls is hardly news.”
The droll statement from his mother had him stiffening and swinging his hard gaze to her.
“You know this family?”
Surprise flickered in her eyes. “Of course. They are hard to miss.”
“Who are they?” he ground out.
Pregnant. The article was claiming Eva was pregnant.
His mother pursed her lips. “Well, I consider them to be like a mashup of the Kennedys and Kardashians. They’re old money and quite well known in New York. The father is a senator, the mother a socialite, and the daughters are notorious for misbehaving.”
“Oh, but not this one, Your Highness,” the chef protested quickly with animation. “Evelynn is never in the limelight; she’s got an impeccable reputation. Which is why I clicked on the article, because I cannot believe it.”
Kostas was having a hard time believing anything at this moment.
Eva was not just some weekend beach bunny partying in the Hamptons—she was Evelynn Fairchild. The Fairchild name was beginning to register in his memory a bit more.
Pregnant.
He couldn’t think about how she had deliberately hidden her identity from him. There was another, larger concern. Was it possible that their one-night together had resulted in a pregnancy? Could the child be his?
His mother touched his shoulder. “Kostas, do you know this girl?”
He ignored the question and tried to scroll down through the story. “Does the article say how far along she is? Or if the pregnancy has even been confirmed?”
The chef shook his head. “No, Your Majesty.”
“Oh my god,” his mother whispered. “Kostas, you didn’t.”
“Sorry, Mama, but on the chance that I did, I’ll need to fly to New York immediately.” He spun on his heels, his blood pounding and his muscles taut as he strode back out of the kitchen. “Prepare my private jet.”
“Oh God. Why would you do this, Lilly?” Eva shut her laptop and pressed her fingertips to her throbbing temple. She sat cross-legged on her bed with her sister hovering nearby. “Why would you ever think it was a good idea to leak my pregnancy to the media? It hasn’t even been a week since I found out.”
Lilly shook her head, looking only slightly chagrined. “Because I knew you wouldn’t tell the prince—sorry, he’s the king now—about the baby, and I hoped by leaking it he’d see the story.”
Eva’s chest tightened as the panic swelled into full-blown alarm. While she’d confessed to her family about the pregnancy, she’d refused to name the father. She hadn’t told anyone except Annalise about sleeping with the prince, and her sister had sworn to keep that a secret.
“The king?” Eva asked slowly, trying to stay calm. “What about him?”
“The game’s up, sis. I heard you and Anna talking, and I suspected you hooked up with Kostas after you two left the party together.” Lilly gave her an overly confident look that befitted her eighteen-year-old self.
She was impulsive and unapologetic, having no idea what sort of consequences could result from her actions.
Eva rocked back on her heels as dismay washed over her. Panic thrummed just beneath the surface. “Oh, Lilly, what have you done…”
“What needed to be done.”
“You were out of line.”
She now knew why Kostas had left so suddenly the morning after they made love. The entire world had known within hours as the news broke. Two members of the royal family of Mykorini—the king and crown prince—had been killed in a devastating earthquake.
Horrified and knowing he must be grieving, she’d sent a letter of condolence. She hadn’t known what else to say, to do. He’d never replied, and she hadn’t really expected him to. He probably hadn’t even read it.
They’d had a night of passion, but also a night of conversation. The one talk she remembered most was his confession about not wanting to be a royal. How he was simply the spare to the heir. Now fate, and irony at it’s sordid worst, had placed him on the throne.
And from what she’d deciphered from the media, he was close to getting married.
Her sister’s decision to out Eva’s pregnancy, however, had more implications than just Kostas.
“I could lose my job over this,” Eva whispered. “They hired me knowing I was the Fairchild girl who avoided scandals. That my reputation was sparkling.” She shook her head. “The company is highly esteemed. My clientele highly conservative. They hate this kind of thing, Lilly. They won’t tolerate it.”
“An unwed pregnant woman?” Lilly scoffed. “This is the twenty-first century, Eva. I think we’re beyond that by now.”
Lilly didn’t understand. She was too young. The story had broken late last night on the gossip sites, and already Eva had woken to a voicemail from her employer stating that they needed to talk.
The sudden knock on the door had both women glancing up.
“Come in,” Lilly called out.
Eva cringed, not wanting anyone to see her like this. Un-showered, in her pajamas, eyes red from crying.
The door opened and their mother poked her head in. “Everyone still alive?”
“For the moment.” Eva gave a wan smile.
“Good. I had to make sure you hadn’t killed your sister for spilling the beans.”
“It’s tempting.”
Lilly laughed and squeezed her hand. “You’ll thank me some day.”
The hell she would.
“You need to eat something,” their mother murmured.
“The thought of food makes me nauseous.”
“I know, but you need to eat. It’ll help with the nausea. I’ll be back in a moment with some toast and green tea.”
She left the bedroom before Eva could protest.
“I’m sorry if you don’t agree with what I did, Eva.” Lilly sighed and leaned down to hug her. “I know you hate me a little, and it’s understandable, but I really think it’s for the best.”
I really think you ought to leave before I smash this pillow over your head. Eva clenched her teeth to avoid saying the words.
“Besides, who wouldn’t want a king for a brother-in-law? Anyway, I need to get ready for brunch with my friends. Love you!”
Her sister made her way out of the room, clearly oblivious to the disaster her actions had left in their wake.
King for a brother-in-law? Right. As if that was going to happen.
“Oh, that was fast.” She heard the startled words from her sister in the hallway, and then the apartment fell silent again.
The door open
ed, and Eva glanced up, ready to face the small breakfast her mother was forcing on her.
The blood drained from her head at the sight in front of her. He stood in the doorway, his large body swallowing up space as his flinty gaze landed on her.
That was fast.
Lilly hadn’t been referring to their mother, but Kostas.
Chapter 18
“They have these things called phones. You could’ve just called.” She attempted humor, but her voice shook.
“It was easier to fly to New York than to try and track you down.”
She wanted to argue about how ridiculous that statement was, but unfortunately it sounded like something her father would say as well.
Despite the shock at seeing him, concern for everything he was going through had her saying softly, “I’m so sorry about your father and brother, Kostas.”
She didn’t think it was possible, but his expression hardened further. There was very little emotion coming from him.
“Thank you.” He closed the door, then turned to cross the room to her. Without preamble, he demanded, “Is the baby mine?”
Clearly he’d seen the story on the gossip sites.
“Yes.” Her heart slammed into her ribcage. Denying it was pointless. He’d eventually find out.
His nostrils flared and he sat down on the edge of the bed. “I won’t let you you abort it.”
“Look, maybe I’m not a saint—obviously, since I slept with you—but Catholic blood runs deep in my family. Aborting a child is not, and never will be, an option for me. I’m keeping it.”
He gave a small nod.
“When were you going to tell me?”
She looked away, because she didn’t know the answer to that. If he hadn’t discovered it on his own, she wasn’t sure she would have.
The door clicked open and Lilly poked her head into the room.
“Oh, by the way, Kostas, I meant to tell you. Eva was a virgin when you slept with her.”
Eva’s face flamed with mortified heat. “So help me God, I’m going to staple your mouth shut, Lilly!”
But her sister had already ducked back out of the room.
Kostas sat frozen for what seemed like minutes. Not a muscle moved in his body. His brows were drawn together over wide eyes, and his lips were parted in dismay.
Finally, he blinked. Then blinked again.
“Kostas,” she began warily.
“I don’t want to hear another word.” His tone was icy and curt. “Pack your bags and be prepared to leave for Mykorini within two hours.”
Anger swelled. “Are you kidding me? Enough with the orders already, Kostas.”
“Enough with the lies!”
Her pulse tripped and she wanted to argue, but it was difficult to. There had been situations where she could’ve been more forthcoming. But that didn’t mean she had to jump when he said to.
She lifted her chin. “Look, I have a job—”
“Actually, you do not.” He paused. “You should’ve received notification by now.”
The voicemail from her boss. Her heart rose into her throat.
“You had me fired?”
“I put in your resignation. Now please go and pack your things, Evelynn, or I will do it for you.”
Oh dear God. He couldn’t be serious.
“You can’t just do this. You can’t fire me. Can’t tell me to fly with you to Mykorini. That’s ridiculous.” She inched away from him. “You can’t order me around and expect me to obey. Don’t you know who my family is?”
Yes, it was a shallow card, but she was playing it. Panic had taken hold and every muscle in her body was taut with the instinct to flee.
He paused, and a cold smile formed on his lips. “I do. And surely you must know who I am by now, glykia mou.”
A stab of helplessness hit. “You’re not the same man from our night together.”
“No, Eva, I am no longer that man. I am now the King of Mykorini.” He paused and caressed her cheek, his voice soft and firm. “And within a few weeks, you will be my queen, because the child within your womb is my heir.”
Chapter 19
Kostas checked the time again, saw that it was nearly ten in the morning, and continued to pace the floor of the sunroom.
Eva had been asleep since they’d arrived last night. He refused to wake her, preferring instead to let her rouse on her own.
The flight to Mykorini hadn’t been kind to her. It seemed that the pregnancy nausea she was suffering from had intensified on the plane. She’d even gotten sick at one point, which had left him feeling like a complete bastard for insisting she come with him.
He wouldn’t take all the blame, though. Her mother had pressured Eva to go with him as well, insisting that she think of her father’s career in the Senate. He was already facing enough controversy from the behavior of his other daughters.
So Eva had reluctantly agreed to accompany him to Mykorini, but that was as far as her compliance had gone. She’d completely shut down any further discussion of marriage.
Now that she was here, however, he knew it wouldn’t be long before she came around on that subject.
At the sound of footsteps, he glanced up to see one of the kitchen staff walking down the hall with a tray of food.
Kostas quickly intervened. “Who is that for?”
“The guest in your room, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you, I will deliver it to her.” He took the tray from the young man and made his way to the bedchamber.
Eva must’ve woken and used the phone next to his bed to call down to the kitchen. He’d left a list of extensions there for her so she could reach people throughout the castle.
After a curt knock to announce his presence, he entered the room.
Eva sat on the bed, legs folded beneath her bottom, as she sipped from the glass of water he’d left her with last night.
When she spotted him, she slowly lowered the glass to the bedside table.
“How are you feeling?”
“Oh, you know, like I’m in the first-trimester hell of pregnancy and just got whisked halfway around the world so I can get pressured into marrying a king.” She gave a sardonic smile.
He was glad she could find humor in some of this, because he was failing to do so. “I’m sorry. I can see about what you can take for the nausea—”
“Thank you, but no. It’s tolerable right now, and I’d rather not take medication and expose the baby to it if I don’t have to.”
“Understood.” He set the tray of food on the bed beside her. “I’m glad to see that you are eating, however.”
“I didn’t request much, but I know I need to put something in my stomach.” She lifted a slice of toast from a plate that also held a poached egg.
Despite how she might feel, she looked lovely. The blue satin pajamas she wore clung to her slender frame, and her hair was down and tousled around her shoulders.
He couldn’t help thinking about the night they’d made love, and how she been similarly disheveled. How apparently he had been her first. The realization that he was the only one to have made love to her was both intoxicating and unsettling.
She must’ve known what she was getting into by choosing to give her virginity to someone with a reputation like him.
She took another bite of toast and lowered her gaze. “You look as if you’re biting your tongue. What is it you want to say, Kostas?”
“All right,” he said softly, “Why didn’t you tell me you were a virgin?”
There was a pause, then, “Because it wasn’t relevant. I had made the decision to sleep with you, and I didn’t want my level of experience to interfere with that choice.”
“I disagree. I find it quite relevant.” He shook his head. “I would’ve taken things slower. Made sure you were properly prepared.”
Though, if he was truthful with himself, he might not have made love to her at all.
“There was no need to have done anything differently,” she said sof
tly, “the experience was wonderful. However, I’m still trying to understand how I got pregnant when we used a condom.”
“I take full responsibility for that.” He sighed. “I made that ill-thought-out choice to open the package with my teeth and I’m afraid I must’ve punctured the condom in the process.”
She paused in the midst of eating her cracker and shook her head. “I can’t really think about your answer too deeply, because I can’t decide if it makes me want to laugh or cry.”
“Please don’t cry.”
“Why am I here, Kostas? I realize you are fully invested in this, now that you know about the baby, but surely we can work out some kind of custody arrangement.”
A wash of cold ran through him, and irritation that she would continue to try and withhold his child even partially. He wanted this baby, more than he ever would have predicted.
The moment she’d confirmed the baby was his, he’d become fiercely protective. He wanted it, and he wanted Eva. The two belonged to him now, and soon she would realize that.
“I’m afraid that is not a possibility. As I told you previously, this child is my heir. I am not some casual Joe off the street who would have no issue with potentially sharing custody,” he said firmly. “This child is mine and he will be raised here, with his father and mother, the king and queen of Mykorini.”
She sat down her cracker and met his gaze without flinching. “One: We do not even know if the baby is a boy. Two: You haven’t even asked me to marry you. It was essentially an order.”
He bit back a curse and then patiently asked, “Will you marry me?”
“Oh wow. The romance in this all is mind-blowing.” She gave a humorless laugh. “What kind of marriage would we have? We don’t love each other—we barely know each other!”
“Love is irrelevant—to use the term you seem fond of, and often romance is too. It often doesn’t come into play when royalty weds. But this situation is quite convenient, actually. My reputation has never been sterling, but yours has. And your presence in my life—at my side—will offer reassurance and stability to my people.”
Corrupted by the Prince (A is for Alpha Book 5) Page 7