The Accidental Heir

by Susan Stephens

  Enough of this?

  Never.

  One night in a tent with Karl could never be enough. She was shrieking with pleasure and so close to the edge. When Karl took a firm hold of her hips in his big strong hands and drove into her, her mind emptied. Sensation ruled. She needed this. She needed him. She needed to let go again! Now!

  ‘Yes!’

  ‘Greedy,’ he murmured approvingly when she came apart in his arms again. And still she couldn’t stop herself undulating back and forth, and it wasn’t long before she was ready again.

  ‘So you’re not tired yet?’ Karl commented drily as he brushed kisses across her cheeks and eyelids.

  ‘No, I’m not,’ she assured him, arching her back to confirm this. ‘I don’t think I could ever tire of—’

  Her words were choked off as Karl began taking her again. No distractions. Sensation overload. She had to concentrate.

  ‘Then at least we have one thing in common,’ he said as she screamed in pleasure.

  Perhaps more than one thing, Karl thought the next day as Astrid took to polar exploration with the same enthusiasm she had shown for sex. She had milked him dry not once but many times last night. There had been no danger of them freezing in the night. Even if the water heater had failed, they still would have been in serious danger of overheating, and after spending a day on the tundra with Princess Astrid, he had been forced to revise his opinion of her completely. She was quite a woman. She had undergone survival training at university, Astrid had explained, where she had also gained degrees in geology and metallurgy. She insisted on meeting the indigenous people and through an interpreter had asked about their concerns, discussing these with him afterwards to see what she could do about them. She had spent time playing with the children and had surprised him when she had produced drawing equipment from her bag. It was sensible stuff, too: heavy-duty paper and thick wax crayons that wouldn’t let children down in the cold.

  ‘I was hoping to meet some children,’ she’d told him, her face glowing with the light of a woman who genuinely cared. ‘I want to thank you for those introductions, Karl.’

  They had moved on to view melting glaciers, where Astrid saw for herself the reasons for concern about the territories. They even found themselves close to a polar bear mother and her cubs when the matriarch heaved herself unexpectedly onto the ice. Astrid had remained completely still as he asked her to until this precious but dangerous group of predators walked on by. Following that extraordinary event Astrid had bombarded him with questions about the different species that might need protecting in her territories, prompting him to suggest that she get back in touch with her old friend Britt Skavanga, who was now heavily involved in conservation with her sisters at the Skavanga diamond mine. When she agreed to do this and he stared into her thoughtful face, he had felt a solid punch in his solar plexus. Astrid really was quite special, and for the first time he got an inkling of what a special princess she would make.

  But now his time with Astrid was almost at an end, and though this was the last thing he had expected when he set out on this trip, he only wished they had longer. He would have to broach the subject of leaving before they packed up to go.

  As it happened, Astrid raised the subject first. ‘This has been an amazing trip, Karl,’ she told him in a wistful tone, as if she could sense impending change. ‘I can’t thank you enough.’

  ‘You don’t need to thank me. And yes, it has,’ he agreed.

  ‘Will I be seeing you again?’ she asked casually, but he saw the truth in her eyes.

  ‘I’ve got a trip to make, but then? Who knows? Dammit! Do we have to do this?’

  ‘Do what?’ she asked as he grabbed hold of her and brought her in front of him.

  ‘Must we dance around each other—pretend we don’t care one way or the other if we never see each other again? The facts are these: I’m going to be away for three months on a trip I can’t cancel now, but of course I want to see you again. You know I do.’

  ‘Do I?’

  ‘You should.’ He kissed her deeply.

  ‘Who the hell knows where life will take us?’ he said, releasing her at last.

  This was true enough. His personal plans had been unformed before this trip, but one night with Astrid could never be enough for him, and he hoped she would play a part in any future plans he made.

  But would Astrid include him in her plans?

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Four months later...

  ‘Prince Karl is here to see you, Your Royal Highness.’

  ‘Wonderful!’ Astrid paled with excitement, regret and a whole explosion of feelings. If only she’d had the courage to tell Karl her news in any of their correspondence over the past few months. She never shrank from anything, but she found herself fearing how he would react.

  ‘Please show him in.’

  Instinctively, she ran a hand over her stomach. Her pregnancy wasn’t obvious yet, which would give her a chance to explain—

  ‘Karl.’

  Her heart lurched at the sight of him. She couldn’t stop her breath from quickening or her feet from flying across the floor as she ran to greet him. He had a physical presence that spoke to every pheromone in her body and a depth of character that spoke directly to her heart. He had been on another of his dangerous expeditions, and though they’d kept in touch, it was an indescribable relief to see him return safely. They had communicated by email while he’d been away—light-hearted exchanges that had most definitely not included the mention of an impending royal birth.

  She stopped abruptly in front of him. Remembering their respective positions in life, she collected herself and tucked her hands safely behind her back, when all she really wanted to do was throw her arms around him, come clean, share her news and welcome him back with all her heart. But there were people watching—as the ruler of this land she was never truly alone. There were servants walking back and forth bringing afternoon tea for them, and soldiers standing guard at the door. She would never be able to live a normal life again and there was no point thinking she could.

  But she could still explain to Karl that thanks to him, she could keep the throne of Hammersvik safe from dangerous impostors whose only thought had been to destroy her country and ruin its people. The reciprocal agreement, struck between them while Karl was away, ensured he would always support her right to the throne as she endorsed his, but this new life would create an everlasting bond between them and their lands that no treaty would ever match.

  ‘Astrid...’

  The tone of Karl’s voice stopped her breath and she only now realised how tired he looked. She had never imagined Karl could look like this. He had shaved in haste, cutting himself in the process. His hair was shining and clean but still damp from the shower. And he had dressed without thought or care, in motorcycle boots and leathers. From that she might assume he was as eager to see her as she was to see him, but Karl’s eyes were deep pools of fury and disbelief.

  He knew.

  ‘What’s this?’ Astrid asked as he handed her a flat package secured with raffia string.

  ‘I have no idea,’ he said with a shrug. ‘It was outside the gate. What did you think it was, Princess?’ he asked coldly. ‘A demand for my stud fee?’

  Her world shattered in tiny pieces. He was angry about the one thing that brought her the most happiness in the world.

  Swinging around, she addressed the servants in the same tight voice. ‘Thank you all. I won’t need anything else. Please let it be known that I don’t wish to be disturbed for the next hour—’

  ‘An hour? Is that all the time you can spare me, Princess?’

  ‘Karl, please.’ She recoiled as if the contempt in his voice was a slap in the face. ‘Please, won’t you sit down?’ She glanced at the sofa.

  ‘I prefer to stand,
thank you.’ He ignored Astrid’s attempt to coax him across the room and remained as still as a coiled spring.

  ‘As you wish.’

  She would have said more, done more, fought her corner, at least, but the feeling came over her without warning, as it did every morning around this time of day. It would be a miracle if she didn’t have to rush off halfway through her explanation.

  ‘Karl, I’m sorry—’ Slamming her hand across her mouth, she made a dash for the door.

  Karl reached it in front of her and opened it so she could run straight through. He didn’t follow, but she could feel his withering disdain burning her back. He must have heard the rumours about the baby and then learned about the Royal Council demanding an heir. He must think she had duped him. And he hated her for it.

  She hated herself for not having the courage for that one time in her life when she really needed it.

  Splashing cold water on her face and wiping her mouth, she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror and finally calmed down. What had begun as an accidental pregnancy turned out to be a blessing in disguise. A baby. Her baby. Their baby. But could she make Karl see it that way? Would he believe her when she told him how much she wanted this child?

  She felt vulnerable now she was carrying a child. While she would usually fight her corner with vehemence, the idea of a baby slowly taking form inside her filled her with caution and a determination to protect that child with her life.

  He hadn’t planned on the words he would actually say. He’d stormed here feeling angry, feeling used, and then he’d seen Astrid and it had changed everything. They were having a baby, and with a child at stake all his slumbering emotions were engaged. He had been determined to leave Astrid in no doubt that if they were expecting, he would take a full part in raising that child. She couldn’t just use him as a stud and continue on as if their baby had nothing to do with him. And why had she tried to keep the news from him?

  She was trying to protect her unborn child, he realised with a start. She wasn’t sure if he would reject her and their baby. She didn’t know him. She didn’t know his instinct was to protect. His anger drained out of him all at once. He would never forget what had happened between them that night in the polar tent. Nor could he forget their light-hearted exchanges by email over these past few months—exchanges that had kept him going through the difficult trek. They’d kept him sane. Desperate to share his newfound feelings with Astrid, he suddenly realised she had been gone for quite some time. Where was she? He glanced at his watch. Was she okay?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  HE WAITED AS patiently as he could in his agitated state until it was clear that she would not be returning.

  No one got in his way when he went searching for Astrid. His emotions were at fever pitch and he could tell that the staff he passed could read the warning on his face. So many thoughts were going through his mind—Astrid infuriated him but she also excited him as no other woman ever had.

  When he tersely asked directions from a footman, he could tell by the concerned and suspicious tone of the man’s voice that Astrid was already winning the loyalty and love of her people. Despite the feelings coursing through him he was genuinely pleased for her. Astrid’s caring nature could only inspire and benefit all her people. With their support she could fight off all the impostors with fake claims on the throne without an angry word needing to be said.

  He finally reached the door to which he’d been directed and rapped on it. ‘Astrid? Let me in.’

  A hollow silence answered him. He swung round to see a maid passing with a pile of bedding in her arms. ‘Have you seen Princess Astrid?’

  ‘She’s in the nursery—’ The girl broke off and blushed scarlet as if she wished she hadn’t spoken.

  ‘It’s all right. I know. You’re not betraying a confidence,’ he reassured her. ‘Which way is the nursery?’

  The maid gave him directions and he strode purposefully through the chill of a dreary corridor. The rooms that resonated with the public’s historic perception of the monarchy and gave them confidence in their royal family had been simply but effectively restored, while Astrid seemed to have given no thought to her own comfort. Some of the bulbs in the overhead chandeliers were burnt out, and the old-fashioned radiators gave off no heat at all. He approached a door that he guessed must be the nursery—it had a rocking-horse handle.

  ‘For goodness’ sake, Astrid,’ he thundered, opening the door. ‘The least you owe your unborn child is to ensure that its mother doesn’t freeze to death—’

  The words jammed on his lips. Astrid was crying. And not in the showy, shoulder-shaking way he’d seen some women do, but silently. She was at the far side of the room, kneeling beside a cot she had dressed in palest peach in readiness for the arrival of their baby.

  ‘It isn’t an it,’ she flashed back at him. ‘We’re having a little girl.’

  This was news to him. The most wonderful news. His thoughts stalled. All the anger inside him turned to wonder. He was going to be the father of a little girl? His mind rushed forward to their baby’s first Christmas—a celebration that would be totally meaningless without all of them together as a family. ‘Do you mind if I come in?’ he asked gently.

  ‘Be my guest,’ she said with a sniffle.

  And now he saw the gift he’d brought Astrid from her people open on the floor in front of her. ‘May I see?’

  She shrugged, refusing to look at him.

  He came to stand behind her, but he wasn’t looking at the drawing. Astrid filled his eyes. Her bowed form, the soft vulnerability of the back of her neck, her slender arms and shoulders, her silken hair falling across her face—all of it touched him. She looked like a broken doll. She had no one and he didn’t know why he hadn’t seen that before. Astrid had courageously taken on a job that would have daunted most people with little or no help from anyone. That hadn’t stopped her from swiftly making improvements in Hammersvik with only the love of her country and its people to spur her on.

  He wanted her more than ever. But he wanted more than a physical relationship with Astrid. He wanted all of her—all the crazy bits, too. His feelings for Astrid hadn’t diminished over the months they’d been apart; they’d grown. What had started out as a few passionate nights huddled together for warmth in the Arctic followed by light-hearted correspondence while he’d been away had slowly deepened into an unbreakable bond. Was he going to let Astrid’s natural caution where their child was concerned spoil that? Or was he going to rejoice in the fact that she demonstrated every trait a child could wish for in its mother?

  Wordlessly, she pushed the drawing towards him.

  It was crude and colourful and had obviously been drawn by a very young hand. There were three stick figures—two big, one tiny. The two big figures had crowns on their heads, and they both had one stick arm around a baby.

  CHAPTER NINE

  SITTING ON THE floor with a good space between them, he leaned his back against the rails of the cot. ‘Why did you think you have to do this alone?’

  ‘Karl, for goodness’ sake,’ Astrid exclaimed, making him smile as she exhibited all the old spirit. ‘Do you know how many single parents there are in this world?’

  He caught hold of her as she went to get up. His grip was light but non-negotiable. ‘Don’t pull away from me, Astrid.’ They both knew he didn’t mean it in only the literal sense, and slowly she relaxed and sank down to the floor again.

  ‘What do you want to say to me, Karl?’

  None of the things he had come here to say, that was for sure. ‘We are where we are,’ he began, out of his depth for once.

  ‘And where I very much want to be,’ she flashed, tensing at his poor choice of words.

  ‘Relax, Astrid. I was going to say, and where we both very much want to be. We’re both adults. We both know what happe
ned in that polar tent.’

  ‘But you—’

  ‘Took precautions?’ he suggested wryly when her face crumpled. ‘There are always risks. We knew that, too.’

  She ground her jaw as if coming to a decision. ‘You must think I did something underhand because of the Royal Council insisting I must have a child.’

  ‘Saving your country but not yourself? Even if that was your motive, am I supposed to think less of you? And I didn’t notice any hesitation on my part in the polar tent, so making a baby is a wonderful bonus, as far as I’m concerned.’

  ‘So you’re not angry?’

  ‘Why would I be? Like everyone else you help, Astrid, this little girl is lucky to have you. Rumours have reached me about the improvements you’re making in Hammersvik, and I’ve heard the way people talk about you. You’re transformative, Astrid. You’ve touched their hearts.’

  How could she have forgotten how devastatingly wonderful he was? How could she have locked herself away in her head like this? She should have known those frank grey eyes would melt her heart, and that amazing body and that hot-as-hell mouth would make her want him all over again. How could baby-head have affected her so badly that she hadn’t seen that Karl deserved the truth as soon as she knew it? ‘But I should have told you—’

  Karl held up his hand to silence her. ‘And now I know,’ he said. ‘And when I talk about you not having to do this alone, I’m not just talking about our baby, Astrid. I’m talking about the mutual benefits our countries can gain from each other’s skills. I’m talking about a treaty of cooperation. I’m talking about a union between Hammersvik and Thorberg...’

  He was talking about everything except love between one man and one woman, Astrid thought as Karl continued on. How could she have let him slip away? How could she have been so single-minded, so defensive, so lacking in self-confidence that she had started something she didn’t have the courage to finish? How could she live with herself, having won Karl’s interest, his humour, his friendship—and, goddammit, his unbelievably perfect body and unsurpassable sexual skills—only to carry on as if men like Prince Karl Thorberg walked into her life every day?