Page 17 of Royally Knocked Up (Princes of Passion #1)

ENZO

“ D id you sleep at all?” Enzo asked Hailey.

He was worried about her. She looked unwell — pale, with dark circles under her eyes.

He had known something was wrong last night.

Since their time together had begun, they had always been able to forget their troubles in the pleasure of one another’s company.

But last night hadn’t been like that at all.

She had pushed him away. He had assumed there would be the usual joyful intimacy between them.

In fact, he had been counting on it, and the thought of it had helped him to get through the press conference.

But that hadn’t happened. Though she had allowed him into her bed, she had seemed a million miles away, and eventually Enzo had simply fallen asleep, assuming that she would too.

Now he wished he hadn’t done that. He felt as if he had abandoned her to her sleeplessness.

“I’m all right,” she said, but she was staring out the window at nothing at all.

“I can tell you’re not,” he told her. “I just wish you would tell me what’s the matter.”

She bit her lip. “Maybe in a couple of days,” she said. “Right now you need to focus on the coronation.”

That didn’t help. She had just confirmed that there was something wrong, and that she wasn’t going to talk to him about it.

But he couldn’t force the answer out of her. He put a hand on her shoulder. “What if I get you some coffee?”

“That would actually be amazing.” Then she frowned. “Or… could you make it tea?”

“I’ve never known you to drink tea.”

“I’m… in a mood for it today,” she said.

Enzo shrugged and went to make her a cup.

He wondered if she was sick. That would explain everything.

Maybe he could get in touch with his father and ask for her to be seen by the royal physician.

That would be a little unorthodox, but it would be a lot easier than trying to get her an appointment with a local doctor while she wasn’t in her home country.

And he didn’t hate the idea of introducing Hailey to his family.

Maybe she could attend the coronation as his guest. There wouldn’t be any need for his family to know that anything of a romantic nature had happened between them — he could introduce her as a coworker he had befriended. That would be enough.

Maybe their friendship really would be able to endure, even after she went back home. He badly hoped that it would.

There was a knock at the door.

Enzo frowned and looked at his watch. It wasn’t yet ten o’clock. Who would be trying to reach Hailey this early? It had to be her they were here for — no one knew that Enzo had stayed with her last night. Anyone who was looking for him would go to his home.

He opened the door —

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

It was his father’s driver, Romano, and he was looking at Enzo with an expression of such sympathy that for a moment Enzo was almost numb with fear. Something horrible must have happened. Someone was dead. He gripped the edge of the door hard, needing the support to keep him on his feet.

“I’ve been ordered to deliver you to the palace,” Romano said. “You’re to come with me at once.”

“What is this about?” Enzo asked faintly.

“Your father will explain everything when you see him.”

Meaning that his father was alive. Enzo relaxed marginally.

Then his mind caught up with him. “Wait a moment,” he said. “How did you know that I was here?”

“Your father will explain everything,” Romano said again. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I was told not to discuss it with you.”

“Let me just tell my friend I’m leaving.” Enzo knew there was no getting out of it. If he didn’t go with Romano willingly, his father would send the Secret Service to collect him, and that would be much more dramatic and unpleasant.

Romano cleared his throat. “Actually,” he said, “I’m to bring Ms. Jones with me as well.”

“What?” Enzo’s head spun. “How do you know who she is?”

“Your father told me to bring her along,” Romano said. “But I’m not to say any more than that, Your Highness. I’m sorry.”

Enzo released the door slowly, though he felt more unsteady than ever. His father knew who Hailey was? But how? How had he known that Enzo would be here with her?

And why did he want to see her?

Whatever this was about, Enzo knew that it couldn’t be good.

“Wait here,” he told Romano. “I’ll go and get her.”

The driver nodded. “I really am sorry, Your Highness,” he said quietly. “You know that I can’t go against my orders.”

“I know, Romano. I understand.” Romano would have given him the truth if he could have done so — Enzo felt fairly confident of that. But that wasn’t enough to help him out of his current predicament.

God, what is Hailey going to say to this? She’ll be stunned. I have to make sure she’s all right .

He went back to the bedroom. Hailey was sitting up in bed with her arms wrapped around her knees. It was a punch to the gut — in the shock of Romano’s arrival, Enzo had forgotten the fact that she had had a sleepless night.

“Hailey,” he said softly.

She looked up at him.

“I’m sorry. This is going to be alarming. But I promise everything is all right.”

“What’s going on?” She sat up straighter.

“You and I are being summoned to the palace.”

“But— what? I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I. I suppose my father must have had someone watching me. Someone must have reported that I came over here last night, and now my father wants to hear an explanation.” Enzo sighed.

“It’s humiliating that he involves himself in my business like this.

You shouldn’t have to answer to anyone for what we’ve been doing.

We haven’t done anything wrong or scandalous.

Please know that I won’t let him take it out on you. ”

“No— I don’t— It’s all right.” She looked as if she was about to cry, though, and Enzo couldn’t help feeling that it wasn’t all right at all.

They rode to the palace in near silence.

Enzo badly wanted to say something to Hailey, but he didn’t know where to begin. He wanted to reassure her that whatever his father had to say to them wouldn’t be that bad. She must be intimidated by going to meet a king.

But every time he looked over at her, he found her staring out the window of the car, away from him.

Was she angry with him? Did she blame him for the fact that she was going to have to endure what was coming?

If she did feel that way, he couldn’t fault her for it.

It was his fault that this was happening the way it was, and he wished he could have spared her from it.

He was going to have a word with his father later, he decided.

Dragging him in for a lecture was one thing, but forcing everyone he came into contact with to stand before the king… it was just going too far.

He expected Romano to drop them off in front of the palace — it wasn’t as if he didn’t know his way around — but to his surprise, Romano got out and transferred the car to a valet. “I’m supposed to take you into the throne room,” he said in response to Enzo’s questioning gaze.

“I know where the throne room is, Romano.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” But Romano gave no sign of being willing to stand down, and after a moment, Enzo let out a sigh and nodded.

He looked over at Hailey. “At least you get a chance to see the palace while you’re here,” he said, offering up a smile.

She didn’t return it. She bit her lip, meeting his gaze for several moments, and then looked away.

Enzo felt horrible. She was so miserable at the thought of what was to come. For half a moment, he considered sending her away and walking into the throne room alone — but if his father really wanted her here, he could have her brought back. There would be nothing Enzo could do about that.

He reached out and took her hand.

She looked at him.

“It’s all right,” he said, guessing what she must be thinking. “If he’s going to pull us in like this, we’re not going to hide. I’ll tell him the truth, that we’ve been involved with each other.”

“Enzo…”

“It’s going to be fine.”

He led the way into the throne room. He could feel her reluctance, and he wished he knew what to do about it — but the best he could do was to face this with her.

His father sat at the head of the room. He was sitting in the throne itself, which was new to Enzo. He frowned. He had believed his father wouldn’t take that seat until after the coronation. There must be some reason he had chosen to sit there now.

“Father,” he said.

His father did not speak.

Instead, he pulled out a tabloid magazine and threw it down on the floor at Enzo’s feet.

Enzo looked down at the magazine and then back up at his father, who gestured to it. Bending down, Enzo picked it up.

It had been folded open to a page that featured a photo — of Hailey.

He frowned and looked up at his father. “What is this?”

“Read it.”

He turned the page.

King’s Youngest Son Has Secret Love Child With Unknown American!

Enzo stared at the headline.

Then he looked up at his father. “What the hell is this all about?”

“I think you had better tell me,” his father said frostily.

“I have no idea. I don’t know what this is. Someone is making up lies.”

“Are you having an affair with this woman?” his father demanded.

“It’s not an affair .”

“So you are!”

“Father, we’ve spent time together,” Enzo said, feeling irritated beyond measure. “You surely can’t object to me spending time in the company of a young woman. I assure you, she’s perfectly respectable. We worked together at La Fantasia.”

“I know who she is,” his father said.

“You had her investigated already? My God, father, you have no shame.”

“I’m not the one who’s overstepped here, Enzo.”

“I haven’t done anything to warrant this sort of behavior. And this article is a lie. It’s an obvious lie. I can’t believe something like this seriously. You owe Hailey here an apology.”

“Ms. Jones,” Enzo’s father said, “if this is a lie, I would like to hear that from you, please.”

Enzo handed the magazine to Hailey.

She didn’t take it. She stared at the headline, unmoving, clearly shocked so badly that she couldn’t bring herself to react.

Enzo put a hand on her shoulder, aching with guilt that she had been exposed to this.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “You shouldn’t have to deal with this.

I’ll find the reporter responsible and we’ll have him removed from his job for it.

But just tell my father the truth, and you and I will be able to leave. ”

A tear slipped down her cheek.

“Hailey, it’s all right,” he murmured. “I promise you, I’ll take care of this.”

She shook her head. “It’s not that. I…” She drew a deep, shuddering breath. “I’m so sorry, Enzo. I was going to tell you. I didn’t want you to find out this way. I would never have wanted that. But… it’s true. I’m pregnant.”

She turned away, and Enzo felt as if his heart had come to a stop.