But the coming baby wasn’t the only headline news. The fashion press went mad about Sofi´a’s dress, calling it “ultrachic maternity wear” every design house would be duplicating by week’s end.
After pouring through the masses of coverage the PR person gave her on her tablet, Sofi´a lifted her head, dazed. Finally she was a hit. Just in time for her and Nik’s relationship to implode.
* * *
Nik walked out of the National Assembly as early evening fell, the political and military support of the international community behind him. If Carnelia acted against Akathinia, the world would respond. But Nik knew it wouldn’t come to that. Not after the consensus of today made the news. Not after Idas realized his games were over.
He stopped to speak to the scrum of media waiting outside the Assembly. His PR person intercepted him on his way to the podium. “The news of the royal baby has gone viral. It’s everywhere.”
Tell him something he couldn’t have predicted. He wasn’t thrilled with himself for his impulsive move, aware his need to lay claim to Sofi´a could backfire badly on him if the media chose to focus on a royal baby rather than his country’s political issues. But it was done now.
“Tell me some of the coverage has included the summit.”
His PR person nodded, a smile curving her lips. “One of the big news channels was interviewing a pundit on the announcement. He joked Carnelia could hardly touch Akathinia now with a royal baby on the way. Sacrilegious, he called it. The clip was picked up everywhere.”
His mouth slackened. “You’re joking.”
“I would not joke about something like that, Your Highness. Your fiancée is also being hailed as the next savior of fashion. They loved her dress.”
That pulled a smile from him. Sofi´a had such high hopes for her maternity line but she wouldn’t admit one of them.
He did the scrum alongside the superpower leaders, then headed back to the palace to change before the dinner and dance scheduled for that evening. The meeting had run long, which meant he had just enough time to change into formal wear before he and Sofi´a left for predinner cocktails in the palace ballroom.
His fiancée was standing in their dressing room putting a necklace on when he walked in. Her back was to him, her voluptuous body covered by a black, ankle-length gown that hugged every delectable curve. It left her entire back bare, the drape of the dress swooping to almost her waist.
It was one of the dresses from her sketches. She looked devastating.
Sofi´a glanced over her shoulder, necklace in hand, a frustrated look on her face. “I can’t get this. Can you?”
He walked toward her and took the necklace, draping it around her slim neck and fastening it easily. When he was done, she went to move away. He closed his fingers around her upper arms, holding her there. “The dress looks amazing.”
She kept her gaze focused straight ahead. “Nik—”
He dropped his mouth to her smooth, bare shoulder, inhaling the heady scent of her spicy perfume. “I told you I wouldn’t let you go today because I can’t let you go, Sofi´a. I need you here by my side, helping me navigate my way through this. Only with you do I feel at peace.”
She froze, so motionless, so still, he tightened his hands around her shoulders and turned her around. Her big, dark eyes were full of apprehension and a misery that kicked him in the chest.
She pressed her hands to her cheeks. “I can’t—I need more, Nik. It’s not enough for you to need me, to want me, because you can turn it off and on like a switch and it breaks my heart every time you retreat.”
“I know. Lypamai. I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “You make me feel things that terrify me. That challenge everything I thought I knew about myself. About what I am capable of. And still I want you, because what I once was, I’m not anymore. I don’t want that solitary existence. I want you.”
Her eyes were glued to his. “What feelings are you referring to?”
He reached for her hand and curled his fingers around hers. “You were right when you said I knew you were in love with me and that I used it against you. I was scared of the emotion I had for you, afraid of what giving in to my feelings would do to my ability to make critical decisions. So I told myself a partnership was better for us. So I could deliver on my promise to protect you, to take care of you. But then my feelings got involved and I hurt you. I didn’t think I could offer you what you needed, so I backed off.”
He shook his head. “I should have known it was never going to work. My feelings for you were too strong. It’s why I hadn’t broken things off with you in New York. Because I was beginning to care.”