He knew she was angry with him for leaving like he had, but she should have been more understanding. He didn’t want to get as attached as he had, and she should have seen through what they were doing, too.
But who was he kidding? He pulled the cover of the tabloid out of his pocket and looked at the two of them dancing in the club. He’d saved it all this time and looked at it every now and then, remembering what that night had been like. It wasn’t his best picture, but he had to admit she looked amazing. It felt incredible just to be with her, and he never wanted to forget that. Or was it just a beautiful dream?
His phone chimed and he looked down, surprised he was able to get emails that high up. He rolled his eyes when he saw it was from William. Ever since they had been in the States, their relationship hadn’t been what it once was. Royce wasn’t planning on forgiving him for what he had done, and it was clear William didn’t plan on apologizing for any of it, either. He had been too tied up with coordinating some business deal or another that he was barely around. When he was, he was always wound up so tight that Royce didn’t want to interact with his once close friend.
They’d reached a professional understanding, and that was what their lives were going to be from now on. Since William had gotten into the habit of only bothering him when he really did need to get involved with something, he opened the email right away.
A picture of the necklace he had purchased Paige loaded on the screen, with a few lines beneath it:
Looks like you should have taken my advice about buying this thing for her. She’s gotten it back in auction already. What did I tell you? Women are all the same. She wanted your money, not to spend the rest of her life with you.
Call me when you land, we’ve got some other things we need to discuss.
Royce shook his head as he deleted the email. He had no intention of calling William as soon as he landed and he didn’t care if that pissed William off or not. He wasn’t the boss, Royce was, and Royce was going to get checked into his hotel and settled in before he dealt with more of his advisor’s drama and lectures.
Anything that William had to say could wait, and he was sure the world wouldn’t come to an end. But, as they continued to get closer to the ground, Royce couldn’t help but wonder about Paige.
Why was she selling the necklace? He had thought she would love it, considering their conversation about penguins and how she was adamant they were the best creatures on the planet. Not to mention, she clearly knew what it was worth or she wouldn’t have taken it down to the auction in the first place.
At the same time, he refused to believe anything William said about her was true. William had clearly known from the beginning that there was a connection between the two of them, or he wouldn’t have tried so hard to keep them apart. William didn’t know Paige like he did. He only saw her as some poor woman who thought she had a chance at making some money and fifteen minutes of fame.
Royce, however, had felt things with her that he’d never felt before. Even the sex with her was better than he’d ever experienced. Sure, there were others who might have had better technique, but the way she’d moved on him and under him—the way her eyelashes fluttered when she came, it was the most erotic thing he had ever experienced in his life.
He typed a text on his phone, but deleted it before sending it to her. He’d done that a thousand times already, but he just couldn’t bring himself to contact her. She’d made herself clear, and he wasn’t the kind of guy to beg. If she didn’t want to be with him, that was her choice. It might not make any sense, and it hurt like hell, but it was still her choice, and he was going to have to respect that.
As soon as he was within cell service, his phone buzzed, and he sighed, thinking it was William once again.
But, to his surprise, Paige’s name flashed on the screen. With his heart racing, he opened it.
Hey, sorry this is last minute, but can we meet after all?
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied.
Of course. I would like to see you.
He hit send and waited eagerly for the reply. It came almost instantly.
Great! When are you free? I’ll be around all day, and I’d like to do this as soon as possible.
He was confused. What did she want to do? But he wasn’t going to figure it out over text. He needed some time to get to the hotel and freshen up, then he’d be ready. But he wasn’t going to let her know that. He was calm and collected, and he was going to prove it to her.
I’ve got a meeting I’m just about to walk in to, but as soon as it’s over I’ll be free. It’ll be about an hour to an hour and a half. I’ll text you when I’m out.
He didn’t like lying to her, but he felt it was necessary. He had to maintain that he was in control. But once again, his heart skipped a beat when his phone buzzed as the reply came.
Okay, see you soon.
Chapter 26
“How the hell are all my clothes too tight already?” Paige muttered to herself as she yanked off another pair of jeans. It was the third outfit she had tried, but it was way too noticeable even when she paired it with a loose-fitting peasant top. She kicked the clothing to the side and rifled through what remained in her closet.
At last, she found a dress that was loose and flowing, draping over her body with enough body of its own to hide everything she wanted hidden.
“Finally,” she muttered as she grabbed her things and headed for the door. She spent the entire morning trying to figure out what she was going to say, but she still had nothing. She wanted to find some way to keep it low key, but she knew as soon as the words were out of her mouth he was going to think she was in it for the money. Perhaps he would even demand she take a test in front of him to make sure.
As she got closer to the coffee shop, she noticed there was a black car parked out front with little flags decorating the hood. It was drawing attention, but she knew it meant Royce was already there. She braced herself as she walked inside, unsure of what to expect.
Royce noticed her almost immediately, and Paige knew the look of joy on his face was genuine. Everything inside her melted, and she knew why she fell in love with him in the first place. This was going to send her straight back to square one if she wasn’t careful. She had to be on guard with her feelings.
“Royce! It’s good to see you!” she said with a smile as she walked up to him. They embraced and sat down.
“I’m so glad you came,” he said with a grin. “I’ve thought about you a lot since I left.”
“I’m glad I was able to catch you. I wasn’t sure if you were going to be full of meetings this time or not,” she replied.
“I’ll always be able to make time for you,” he told her with a smile. She blushed, hating herself for it as it spread over her face. He laughed.
“Clearly someone hasn’t forgotten about me, either,” he teased.
“I’ve missed you, I can give you that much,” she said, a little too playfully. Shit, she had to take a step back or she’d get too caught up in her feelings.
“If that’s all I’m going to get, I’ll take it,” he replied.
“I just want to know, why did you leave so suddenly? Why did William have to be the one to tell me you were going?” she asked, biting her lip. She knew she shouldn’t be prying, but she wanted answers. His face fell.
“There’s a lot that you have to do when you’re a duke, and I honestly couldn’t find the time, even though I really wanted to. I know that’s a terrible excuse, but my phone was off for all the meetings and by the time I would have had the chance, I knew you would have felt like an afterthought. So I had him do it right away, so you would know,” he explained. “I hope he was nice about it.”
“He was nice enough for William. But I always wondered why you just didn’t text or something,” she replied.
“Even after I turned my phone back on, I honestly couldn’t find the words. It was so hard to leave you here, I didn’t want to say goodbye. It meant that it was over. That all
that we had was over, and I didn’t want to think about it like that.” Royce reached over and put his hands on top of Paige’s. She melted inside once more, and another smile crossed her face traitorously. It was so easy to talk to him, even about things that had hurt her.
They continued to chat, and Paige hardly noticed the time slipping away. Before she even realized it, an entire hour had passed and she still hadn’t told him about the pregnancy. As always, they were talking about anything and everything, and she just couldn’t find a way to bring it up. Suddenly, his phone chimed, and he looked at it with dismay on his face.
“I’m sorry, I’ve got to get going. I did schedule myself pretty tight this time since I didn’t know if you were going to be free or not,” he said. Paige’s heart sank. She didn’t want him to go, and now would be the worst time to tell him she was pregnant.
“Can I take you out tonight?” he asked suddenly. “I just want to have a little more time with you, and I’m not sure how long I’m going to stay in the States or even come back.”
Her heart skipped a beat, though her immediate reaction was to turn him down.
“I’m not sure I want to be out in public this time with the paparazzi chasing after you. Can we do something private?” she asked, and a smile spread across his face.
“That sounds like heaven to me,” he said. “I’m free around six if you are.”
“Text me with what you want to do and where, and I’ll be there,” she said as she rose to leave.
“Don’t worry, I’ll send you a car so you get there easily enough. Looking forward to it already.” Royce surprised her, suddenly leaning forward and planting a kiss on her cheek.
“Me too,” she said, fighting the blush she knew was coming. She turned and walked out of the coffee shop quickly, vowing she was going to come through with her promise and tell him about the baby that night.
Chapter 27
Royce set the last of the food on the table, pleased with how everything looked. He’d ordered food from the best restaurant he could find nearby, and everything was perfect. The clock chimed six, and before he knew it, there was a knock at his door.
“Wow, you look incredible,” he said as he welcomed Paige into his penthouse. He took a step forward, clearly wanting to kiss her again, but she stopped him, putting her hand on his chest as he got close.
“Before we do anything else, I have something I need to tell you,” she said, biting her lip nervously. He looked at her, clearly puzzled, but Paige wasn’t going to let herself back out of it this time.
She took his hand and led him to the couch. She faced him, taking a deep breath.
“I don’t know an easy way to say this, but…Royce, I’m pregnant. But I’ve got documents here for you to sign that’s going to allow you to walk away and not give me anything. I want to have this baby, but I don’t want any of your money, I promise. You don’t even have to be involved—honestly, maybe it’s even better if you’re not, since you have a country to run, and I don’t want to get in the way. But just know that you have zero obligations to be a part of this, so you can just sign this contract, and everything will be sorted. ” She said all this very quickly in nervousness as she pulled open her purse and showed him the colored files.
Royce looked at her in shock for a moment, then he looked back down at the files in silence. Mutely, he starts thumbing through them.
“I know I should have said something sooner, but I couldn’t find the words,” she said, trying to fill the awkward, painful silence. “I hope you aren’t mad.”
Royce cleared his voice. “Did William have anything to do with this?” he asked his voice slightly hoarse as he looked at her with raised eyebrows. Paige opened her mouth to answer, then closed it again. She looked down at the ground and nodded.
“Is this what you want?” he asked, putting his hand under her chin and forcing her to look into his eyes. Paige hesitated, then she nodded again.
“If it’s what you truly want, then I’ll sign,” Royce said gently. “But if this is William speaking for you, I need to know.”
Paige said nothing and Royce grabbed a pen. His hand hovered over the line for a moment, then he set it down on the table.
“What are you doing?” Paige asked in surprise. “Do you need to read over it once more?”
“No,” Royce said, shaking his head. “No, no. This is just…this feels wrong, don’t you think? A fucking contract? For our baby?”
“Royce,” Paige said in a small voice, “this-this is just for the best—”
“No, it isn’t, Paige,” he said, standing up abruptly. “We didn’t even get to discuss this, to really let it sink in. That’s my baby, too. What if I want to be involved? What if I don’t want to walk away?”
“B-but you’re going to be the duke,” Paige stuttered, “you can’t have a bast—”
“Don’t say it,” Royce warned. He sat back down again, taking her hands in his warm, steady ones. “Paige, if you want to have this baby, I will be here for you. I will take responsibility, not because I have to, but because I want to. And our child will be loved. By both of us. There is no way in hell anyone will be calling it a bastard child.”
“But there are rules, aren’t there? Your parents won’t allow it,” Paige protested.
“Damn it, Paige, signing this contract might be what everyone thinks is the right thing to do, but it’s not what I want. I can’t sign these papers. Don’t you get it? I love you with all my heart, Paige. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. The last thing I want to do is sign something that says I’m going to walk away and never see you or this child again. My child,” he said, almost pleading with her. Paige looked at him with surprise clearly written on her face, and her eyes started to fill with tears.
“In fact, the only paper I want to sign with you is a marriage license,” Royce said with a hopeful smile. He got up, threw the papers into the fire, and took her in his arms. He didn’t hesitate this time, pressing his lips to hers with a passion. There were tears running down her cheeks, and Paige closed her eyes as he put his hands on either side of her face, his mouth running over hers.
He slid his tongue between her lips, massaging her mouth and teasing her. She bit his lower lip and pulled gently back, letting go and smiling at him. It was all the encouragement he needed. He took her in his arms once more, pushing her gently toward the bed.
Paige liked to be rough in the bedroom, but she knew she had to take care of the baby now. Though she was still early on in her pregnancy, she wasn’t going to do anything that could be too hard on the child. He was on top of her on the bed, his hand running slowly up her leg. He slid it beneath her dress and pushed her panties aside, inserting his fingers into her.
She moaned as she leaned back on the bed, her hands on the side of his face now, kissing him with a passion. She slowly dragged her hands down his chest, feeling every inch of his hot, firm skin. They stopped at the zipper of his pants, and she briefly broke the kiss.
“Please,” she breathed. He pulled his fingers out of her and quickly unzipped his pants. He removed his boxers and pulled up her dress, pushing his cock against her.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he mumbled into her ear. “I can’t wait to make you my wife.”
“I can’t wait to be your wife,” she breathed. She arched herself against the bed, pressing herself onto him, begging for him to come inside her. Slowly, Royce eased his dick into her pussy, stopping only when his full length was inside her. She gasped as he entered her, then smiled, moving her hips to the same movement of his.
Royce thrust into her, faster and faster, and watched with satisfaction as her climax overtook her body, rushing through her being and sending waves of pleasure over her. She continued to move with him, enjoying every sensation that washed through her, looking into his eyes as the last of her orgasm subsided.
He wasn’t far behind. Once Paige was satisfied, he put his hands on her hips and started thrusting into her harder and faste
r than before, his cock sliding its full length with each new thrust. She moved with him once more, urging him to cum inside her.
“Oh, Royce, I need to feel you, I need you,” she gasped. Royce thrusted twice more when his cock jumped inside her, and he moaned with pleasure as he emptied his full load into her pussy. Their chests heaved in unison for a moment, Royce still deep inside her, letting his cock slowly grow soft.
“I love you,” he breathed.
“I love you, too,” she whispered. He smiled, putting his hand on the side of her face. She closed her eyes as he leaned forward, kissing her tenderly. Royce knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but he didn’t care. She was the love of his life, and the woman he wanted to marry.
The world could have its rules, but he was going to have his bride. And nothing and no one was going to change that.
Chapter 28
Royce raised his eyebrows in confusion. He had just received a cryptic text from William, whom he still hadn’t seen since he landed.
Check your inbox, was the only thing William sent. Usually there was a preamble to whatever he wanted to discuss, but this time there was nothing.
Royce opened his laptop and found William’s most recent email. Opening it, he frowned. A short message was included with a few attached photos.
Five million dollars tonight or these get leaked. No questions.
“What the fuck,” he muttered. “This has to be a joke.”
He opened the photos and saw that there were two from the first night he and Paige had had sex, the ones William had shown him to prove a point. It turns out he hadn’t deleted them. The next three photos were scans of the contract that Paige had given him. Of course William would have a copy.
“Fuck,” he cursed. What the hell was William doing? His mind was spinning and he couldn’t make sense of anything that was going on.
“What’s wrong?” Paige approached him with only a towel, her hair still wet from her shower. She sat down next to him as he showed her the email and photos.
Relentless: A Royal Secret Baby Romance (The Alabaster Club) Page 9