The Prince's Secret Baby Read online

  “Oh, yes, just a little snag. Nothing to worry about. What lipstick is that? It’s gorgeous.”

  “It’s Cover Girl,” said the girl, conspiratorially. “I can’t really afford the expensive stuff.”

  “Oh, I used drugstore makeup all the time before companies started sending me samples.”

  “You’re so lucky.” Maybe the girl was younger, like sixteen. She still had that innocent sparkle. “I totally want to be you when I grow up. My sister got pregnant last year and now she has a baby and it’s really hard for her. She didn’t wait for Mr. Right.”

  “Oh.” Guilt and embarrassment seared through Serena like a hot knife. “Sometimes these things just happen. Who’s to say it’s not for the best?” She attempted a smile but could feel it failing so she took a hasty bite of her sandwich.

  “Maybe you’re right. My mom’s really mad at her, though. And I’m not allowed to even date anyone.”

  “No harm in waiting,” she said with a wink. “I didn’t date anyone until I was in college. There’s no sense in racking up a lot of mileage dating different boys. It really is better to wait for someone perfect for you.”

  Is my nose growing? She half wanted to check it in her compact mirror.

  “Howard sounds so sweet. I love that he buys little gifts for you.”

  Serena stiffened. He’d only bought her a gift once—a little inlaid box to keep her paper clips in. She’d just been so shocked and pleased that she’d talked about it a lot. It was the type of little detail her followers loved. “That kind of thing isn’t really important.”

  The girl leaned in and blew the steam off her coffee. “What is the most important thing to look for in a relationship?”

  “I suppose I should say that you’d better read my book and find out.” Serena couldn’t lie to her. “But the truth is it’s probably different for everyone. Relationships are a crapshoot. I suppose you just have to jump in and hope for the best.”

  “Well, I’m going to download your book and read every word so I can turn out just like you.”

  Maybe it was nerves. Or too much stress. Or the pregnancy hormones running rampant in her system. For one horrible second Serena wasn’t sure whether she was going to laugh or cry, and the next moment she burst out laughing so hard she thought she might bust a gut.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I have no idea.”

  At her radio interview, the host asked her—by name—about Howard. Had she really used his name so much in the book? That seemed like a terrible idea from where she was sitting right now. By the end of the interview she was battling tears again, and she hoped no one could hear it in her voice.

  She hustled out of the studio building as fast as she could, terrified someone would kindly ask her out to dinner and she’d have to wrap herself in more lies.

  If the book didn’t hit the list this week, it likely wasn’t going to. If it did, she could heave a sigh of relief. Either way she could finally get the truth off her chest and get on with her life.

  Ping! The sound of a text arriving made her jump as she stepped out of the elevator into the lobby. It was from Sandro. She hadn’t typed his name into her contacts—that felt too risky—but she recognized his number. Call me.

  Really? He couldn’t preface his demand with a hint of what he wanted? She knew he was with Maya. They must have arrived in New York. Maybe they were relaxing with some cocktails and he wanted to have a chuckle over how awkward that situation was in the green room earlier.

  She couldn’t call him now. She was in public. She pushed out through the revolving door and tried to remember what her rental car looked like, let alone where she had parked it.

  Then her phone started ringing. She picked it up to forward the call to voice mail so she didn’t have to hear it ring six times but stopped when she saw that it was her mom calling. Guilt soaking through her, she answered the call. “Hi, Mom!”

  “Honey, I heard you on the radio! You sounded so calm. Just like a professional.”

  Whoa, the show must have gone coast to coast if her mom heard it all the way in Virginia. She didn’t even know it was national. “Thanks, Mom. It was all an act. I was terrified.” At least that was true.

  “We haven’t seen you and Howard in ages. I know you’re both busy, but we miss you.”

  Ouch. Could she really keep lying to her mom?

  The sinking feeling in her gut gave her the answer. “Mom, there’s something I need to tell you.” She glanced about to see if anyone was in earshot.

  “What, honey?”

  “Howard and I broke up.” She half whispered it, afraid that someone from the radio station would overhear. Then she held her breath.

  “What?” Her mom sounded poleaxed. As well she might, when her daughter was out pimping a book about her relationship with him.

  Where was her damn car? It was a silver Toyota. Or maybe a Nissan. She glanced at the key. A Honda, then. She marched down a long row of cars, looking for it. Half the cars were silver sedans just like it.

  “I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m so embarrassed to be out promoting a book about finding true love when I’m back being single again.”

  Single and pregnant.

  She wasn’t going to mention that part. Not yet.

  “Oh, no.” Her mom sounded pained. Now she’d have to tell all her friends that her daughter wasn’t getting married after all. “What happened?”

  “He changed his mind.”

  “Maybe he’ll change it back?”

  “I wouldn’t want him to. He obviously doesn’t love me.” Her voice sounded as flat as her spirit. “Maybe he never did and I was kidding myself all along.”

  “Men sometimes get cold feet. Maybe you were overdoing it with the wedding planning. That can make guys nervous, especially if it’s all really expensive.”

  She knew her mom thought her New York lifestyle extravagant. And she hadn’t told her mom how much money—an insane amount by any normal standard—she’d borrowed to buy her apartment.

  “I wasn’t being a bridezilla, Mom. Or at least I don’t think I was.” Since it was her “job” to get worked up about details and share them with her followers, maybe she had gone a bit overboard.

  “Perhaps your dad could talk to him.”

  Her chest tightened at the thought that her mom wanted to salvage the relationship that badly. “It’s too late, Mom. It’s actually been a few weeks since we broke up. He’s seeing someone else.”

  “Oh, goodness. My poor baby. Why don’t you fly down here and let me pamper you for a few days?”

  Emotion welled in Serena’s chest, and for a moment she yearned to do just that. “I’m on this book tour. The radio show you heard was part of it. I have a few more days of interviews. Please don’t tell anyone I broke up with Howard. Not just yet. I can hardly promote a book about finding Mr. Right when I’m still single.”

  And pregnant. The thought smacked her again.

  “I see what you mean. Estelle does flap her lips a lot. And Diane too. I’ll keep quiet about it until you tell me. And I’ll tell your dad to do the same.”

  “Okay.” Of course her mom would tell her dad. It crushed her that her father would know she’d struck out in the man department. Her dad was a big, strong, quiet man who probably hadn’t been a huge fan of Howard’s fast-talking-lawyer style but who’d done his best to befriend him in a man-to-man fashion and to welcome him into the family.

  What on earth would her dad think of Sandro?

  Her thoughts had run away with her, and she lost track of the conversation. “What did you say?”

  “If it’s been a few weeks, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  “I just needed to lick my wounds alone for a bit.” Finally, she found the car and climbed in. “And it happened right before Christmas. I couldn’t face that many people when I was feeling down.”

  “So what did you do at Christmas? I thought you spent it with Howard.”

  “I rented a ho
use in the Georgia sea islands.”

  “That’s where your great-grandpa was born. You’re lucky you didn’t get caught in that freak Christmas storm.”

  “I did get caught in the storm.” And she’d been caught in another whirlwind too—Sandro. “It was more exciting than I had anticipated.”

  “Thank goodness you’re okay.”

  Am I okay? She wasn’t sure. “I’m glad you heard my radio interview. I’ve got to go. I need to drive back to my hotel.”

  “I understand, honey. And come visit once your book tour is done. I’ll make your favorite, pot roast.”

  “Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.” She hung up the phone, feeling both better and worse. Talking to her mom had soothed her, but she felt terrible that she couldn’t bring herself to mention her pregnancy. She knew her mom wouldn’t be quite so understanding about the baby. She’d grown up with a million stern lectures on waiting until marriage. Par for the course when your father was a pastor.

  No, she had to get through this thing one day at a time and she’d done enough for today. Now she just needed to catch her flight back to New York and crash because tomorrow she was appearing on a New York morning show, then had to head out to Chicago for a radio show that evening and another morning show the next day.

  She’d call Sandro tomorrow.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Sandro paced back and forth in his New York apartment. There was only one woman he wanted and needed—Serena. And he couldn’t have Serena with Maya still in the picture.

  He took Maya out to dinner at a quiet sushi restaurant and told her he needed some space.

  Her famous violet eyes flashed. “You need some space?” She leaned into the table and hissed. “What kind of garbage cliché is that? I’m in the public eye. You can’t just dump me!”

  “We’ve known each other less than a month, Maya. It’s not like I’m breaking off a long relationship here.” He spoke calmly and tried to sound compassionate when all he could think about was getting out of here and going to see Serena.

  “You’ve flown on a plane with me—twice! The press got pictures both times. We’re practically a one-name couple right now.”

  “A what?”

  “You know…Mayandro. Or Sandaya.”

  Sandro stared for a second, then laughed. “Don’t those relationships always end in an acrimonious breakup?”

  To his surprise, tears filled her eyes and suddenly he felt like a cad. He hadn’t thought of their relationship as anything other than an enjoyable fling, perhaps partly because she was so famous and busy. “You’re going to tell the press it’s over,” she breathed.

  “I have no intention of talking to any papers. They can believe and print what they like. I live my life without giving them a single moment of my attention.”

  “Easy enough when you’re a prince.” A solitary tear rolled down her cheek, glittering like a diamond. “I’m just another pretty girl from the Midwest, and the press are a great part of the reason I have a career at all.”

  “You are a very talented actress.” In fact he suspected she was working her gift right now. “You have a great career ahead of you.”

  She gazed at him, eyes sparkling with tears. “Could you do something for me, Sandro? There’s an event I really need you to come to. It’s a premiere tomorrow night.”

  “What? Your film already premiered.”

  “It’s not for my film. It’s for Angelina Jolie’s new movie. I promise I won’t ask again, but it’s too late for me to find another date and I can’t just show up alone.” Two bright tears flowed over her cheeks.

  “Okay,” he said grimly. “Tomorrow night. But I want to be completely clear that I am coming as your friend, not as your lover.”

  She let the tears fall, and they dripped onto her skimpy camisole. “Why, Sandro? Why are you breaking up with me? I thought we were good together.”

  He sighed. Again he felt like a jerk. They did get along well, though she was a bit too intense and demanding for his liking. “There’s someone else. Someone I knew from before.”

  Maya’s eyes narrowed. “I bet she’s pregnant.”

  Sandro startled. “What makes you think that?”

  “Why else would someone get back together with an ex?”

  “Any number of reasons.”

  “But just from your expression I can see I hit on the right one.”

  “I can’t say anything. It’s a private matter.”

  “So this really has nothing to do with me.” Her eyes had dried and suddenly looked very focused.

  “Not really, no.”

  “I’ve got to go.” She stood up suddenly and grabbed her tiny purse. “I’ll pick you up at your place tomorrow night. Don’t forget.” Then she leaned in, and before he could think of a way to prevent it, she’d laid a cool kiss on his lips.

  Her trademark fruity scent hung in his nostrils as she marched for the door.

  He heaved a sigh of relief and signaled for the waiter. Now he could go see Serena with a clear conscience.

  Serena had taken a taxi back from the airport, picked up Lucky from her neighbor and was now curled up with Lucky on the sofa reading What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

  She was just cringing at the part about hemorrhoids when her phone rang and made her jump. The doorman in the foyer of her building. “Mr. Leone downstairs for you.”

  Sandro? She didn’t want to make a scene by turning him away. “Please send him up.”

  Heart pounding she tucked her ereader under the sofa cushion, and ran around straightening up the place.

  She peered through the peephole on her door and watched the elevator doors open and Sandro step out.

  He towered in the hallway, blocking the light from the ceiling. She cursed at the way her body responded to his broad, steady form on her threshold.

  Serena ushered him inside, resisting the urge to yank him out of the public area. When she’d closed the door behind him, heart pounding, she turned to face him. “How did you know where I lived?”

  Lucky jumped up and down at his feet, and Sandro bent to pet him. “I make it my business to know about everything that’s important to me.” He ruffled Lucky’s ears, and her little dog wiggled with pleasure. “I see that someone remembers me.”

  “He’s friendly to everyone.” She spoke coolly, unnerved that he’d shown up with no invitation or warning. And that his presence had such an unsettling effect on her. “Why are you here?”

  “You didn’t return my text this afternoon so I thought I’d better come in person.” His dark eyes were serious. “I just broke up with Maya. I told her I couldn’t be with her anymore because there was someone else more important to me.”

  Serena stared in disbelief. “Did you tell her I was pregnant?”

  Sandro looked a little sheepish and for a moment she got ready to be mad. “Uh…no.”

  Serena let out a tiny sigh of relief. “Good. It needs to be a secret. I don’t want to tell anyone until at least three months are over.”

  “Not even your family?”

  Serena crossed her arms ever her chest, which reminded her that once again she was wearing her least flattering pajamas. “I did tell my mom that I broke up with Howard.”

  “But you didn’t tell her about me.” Sandro lifted his brow.

  “No. Why would I?” Serena had no idea what to say. “There is nothing happening between us.”

  “Except that we’re having a baby together.” Sandro leveled a steady gaze at her. “You can’t pretend it isn’t happening.”

  “I’m not pretending anything. I’m just trying to take it one day at a time. It’s all a bit too much for me right now.”

  He stepped forward and took her hands in his. She could feel her hand shaking, but his fingers around hers were warm and steady. “You’re not doing this alone,” he said softly. His eyes were kind. “I’m here with you. We’re going to do this together.”

  Serena blanked as emotions swirled around her. His wo
rds sounded too good to be true. She didn’t trust them. “We barely know each other. The man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with just walked away from me without a backward glance. How can I trust you? I don’t trust anyone right now. Not even myself.”

  “I don’t blame you.” Sandro tilted his head slightly. “All I know is that the universe thrust us together and I’m supposed to be here with you right now.”

  “Your confidence is inspiring.” Serena inhaled a ragged breath. “But I’m exhausted from visiting studios and putting on a brave face and pretending to be someone who I used to think I was. I’m not even sure who I am anymore.”

  “Come, sit down.” Sandro ushered her toward the sofa.

  “Shouldn’t I be saying that? This is my apartment.”

  Sandro laughed. “My friends do say I tend to make myself at home a little too easily.” Serena sat down very slowly on the sofa as if it might suddenly be pulled out from underneath her. She really had no idea what was going to happen most of the time lately. Was Sandro—the prince—really suggesting that he wanted a romantic relationship with her? It didn’t seem likely. Especially not while she was wearing these blue-and-green flannel pajamas with red-and-white-striped socks.

  “Why are you laughing?” He peered at her with those captivating dark eyes that sent a jolt of electricity through her every time he glanced at her.

  “I was just thinking about how you can’t resist me because of my sexy clothing.” She indicated her attire.

  He lifted a brow slightly. “I know what’s under them.”

  Her body heated under her baggy pj’s as memories of the pleasure they’d shared rushed over her.

  Then she remembered the baby. “I’m pregnant. I don’t feel at all sexy.” She was lying. Well, not entirely. She hadn’t felt even a hint of desire for anything—except sleep—all week. Until Sandro showed up.

  Sandro frowned. “Everything happened so fast because of the strange situation with the storm and the blackout. In a way I wish it hadn’t unfolded so quickly. I would have liked to get to know you better first, then perhaps you wouldn’t be so wary right now.”