Pregnant with a Royal Baby!

She pulled her hand away.

“In that case, most of your options still apply. Except Dom wouldn’t suffer the negative press of being unable to persuade you to marry him.”

“I could return to the United States.”

Sally laughed. “If, after years of being influential in education, of being someone known to the entire world, someone impacting the world, you still want to go back, then, yes.”

Ginny smiled. Something about the way Sally kept highlighting the good part about staying in the country told her there was a catch, and she knew it had to have something to do with her child. “But the baby would go with me?”

Sally rose from the desk and walked to the front where she leaned against it. Her voice was soft, gentle. “Yes. As I’d said, that is an option. But it will require heightened security and teachers for home schooling unless you can find a private school that passes our tests. Then every time there was a ceremony, a formal dinner, a holiday, he’d have to be flown home.” She shifted against the desk. “Ideally, our future ruler should be raised here. In the palace. It just makes things easier.”

“Right.”

Dominic faced her. “Our child needs to be acclimated into the life of a royal. Not rigidly, but to realize all monarchs and leaders are people, too. Countries are made up of people. Troubles are borne by people. Ruling is about people.”

Caught in the gaze of his dark, dark eyes, she remembered why she’d fallen so hard for him the night she met him. He always knew the right thing to say.

Even if it was a modification of the truth.

Yesterday, he’d been smart enough to let her believe returning home would be possible, when in reality it sounded as if it would be very hard on their child.

He hadn’t out and out lied. In fact, if the option really was available for her to return to the United States, then he hadn’t lied at all. But he was counting on her love for their baby to help her to see that returning home might be an option but it was a poor one.

She couldn’t decide if he was manipulating her or trusting her, but after eighteen years of a bullying, manipulative father, that misstep made her stomach roil.

She rose. “You know what? I’m a bit tired. I think I should go back to the room.”

He bounced to his feet. “Of course.”

She faced Sally. “I’ll need some help with etiquette. I know the basics but the specifics are way beyond what a high school guidance counselor needs to know. Even if I decide not to marry Dominic, I have an entire week here and I don’t want to embarrass him.”

Sally grabbed her calendar. “I’ll make appointments for you.”

“Just let me know when to be where.”

Dominic laughed. “The teachers will come to our apartment. You’re not just a guest of a prince. You’re pregnant. We want to take care of you.”

She ignored his laugh. Ignored the smile on his face. Ignored that he was solicitous about her pregnancy. Her dad had been exceptional at being sweet, being charming, when it suited him. She didn’t want to think Dominic was like her dad, but the facts were out there plain and simple. He’d told her a half-truth the day before.

Still, she could deal with this. She was unfortunately good at dealing with people who told her half-truths.

She straightened her shoulders. “That’s fine. I’m happy to have the sessions in your apartment.”

She held her head high as she walked out of Sally’s office, but her stomach churned.

Why was she even considering marrying a man who was a manipulator like her father?

CHAPTER THREE

DOMINIC HAD TO run to catch up to her. “What was that all about?”

“What?”

“Your sudden need to leave as if Sally had done something wrong.”

“It wasn’t Sally.” She turned on him. “You led me to believe I could go home.”

“The option is yours.”

“Oh, sure, if I want to make our child’s life a miserable succession of plane rides between Texas and Xaviera.”

Not waiting for a reply, she raced to the elevator, punched the button and was inside before Dom had wrapped his head around what she’d said. He jumped into the plush car two seconds before the door would have closed.

“I’m sorry if the truth offends you.”

She turned on him again, poking her index finger into his chest. “The truth? You told me half the truth, so I would get false hope. When the situation looked totally impossible, you held out the offer of being able to return home. Now that I’m adjusting to you, to your family and to people bowing to you, I’m told the option exists, but, oh, by the way, it will make your child’s life suck.”