“You’re not getting on a boat, Regina. You’re five months pregnant.”
She could feel her brows pinch as confusion settled in the deep V between them.
“As far as I know, there’s no travel ban on five-months-pregnant women on ferries.”
He pressed his hands flat against his desk. “I don’t want you on the damn ferry.”
The sharpness of his tone cut through her. Aléx didn’t make a habit of raising his voice. As a king, he believed wholeheartedly that being ill-tempered could compromise his ability to serve his people. Which was why she couldn’t figure out for the life of her just who this man was and just who the hell he thought he was talking to.
“I’m not one of your subjects. Don’t talk to me like that. My sister is having her baby, and I’m not missing it. Either you findme a way off this island, or I will. Either way, I’m not missing this.”
He blinked, took a breath and allowed some of the tension in his body to bleed out.
“I apologize. I was out of line. I’m just concerned for your safety.”
She shook her head.
“Regina, be reasonable.”
She folded her arms and tilted her head as she stared at him.
“I know you didn’t just fix your lips to insinuate this baby—” she pointed to her bump “—is making me irrational?”
The sharp cut of her eyes must’ve been enough to convey he was taking his life in his own hands, because he straightened and held his hands up.
“I’m simply saying I just don’t feel safe with you on the ferry. I’m an expectant father. Forgive me for being worried about you and our child.”
She took in the tight lines around his eyes and mouth. Hewasscared.
What the hell for?
She stepped closer to him, walking around his desk and taking his hand in hers, placing it on the top of her belly.
“We are fine. I understand you’re overprotective of us. But I have to get to my sister. It’s either the boat or the helicopter. I thought you’d say hell no to the helicopter, so I assumed the ferry would be acceptable. I need to get to my sister now, and I’m going to make that happen however I must.”
He nodded, dropping his head in both contrition and agreement.
“The helicopter will be ready to take us in fifteen minutes.”
She gave him a cautious smile as she attempted to step away. He pulled her into him, surrounding her in his warmth as he wrapped his big body around hers.
“You and this baby are everything to me, Regina. Everything. Forgive me for crossing the line.”
She slipped her arms around his waist, sensing that he needed her strength in this moment. Something was going on with him. Something that had been happening since she’d seen him coming out of that room. There was no proof of a correlation there. But she was determined to find out if there was. First, however, she needed to get to her sister’s side. Everything else would have to wait until later.
“Look at Auntie’s baby.”
Aléx watched his wife holding the new Nyeusian heir. Princess Shadae, daughter of Queen Reigna and King Jasiri of the House of Adebesi, was a beautiful cherub with a head full of dark curls, and she had his wife completely wrapped around her finger.
Regina radiated with joy that shone through the room like a floodlight. The sight of her holding that baby made him ache for the moment she’d do the same with their child in another four months.
Jasiri walked over to Regina, holding his hands out as Regina leaned down to get one last snuggle from the princess.
Jasiri was well over six feet, like Aléx, and just as broad as him too. The sight of this hulking man cradling his daughter like a fragile piece of glass soothed something in Aléx. The ache that had dogged him for five years was still there. But in this moment, its tentacles didn’t squeeze him with the same strength they regularly did.
“Cousin, would you like to hold her?”
His head told him to say no. He shouldn’t intrude on this wonderful moment with the new princess.
