“I found out you were still alive. I came right away, Mia. I came for you.”
Not quite as good as Kyle Reese coming across time for Sarah Connor in the first
“There was a picture in the newspaper,” he said. “President Jensen’s sixtieth birthday, I believe. You know the president of the United States?”
Mia knew exactly what picture he was talking about. It had been taken at a private party for the president. President Jensen had picked up Mia’s son and tossed the boy in the air. The photo showed him as he caught the boy. They were both laughing, with Mia standing just behind them, clapping at their fun.
The picture had been on the front page of
“Yes, well, that just sort of happened. The president’s daughter was threatened and she came here to hide out. She and Joe fell in love. When they got married, we all became relatives.”
She shook her head. If Rafael had seen that picture, he’d also seen Danny.
“What have you been doing?” he asked. “I know you left the agency. You would not have had your picture in the paper if you had not.”
“What? Oh, right. No press photos of operatives. I quit as soon as I got back to the States. After you died, after I thought you died, I couldn’t do it anymore. I came home and tried to make peace with everything.”
“Did you?”
No. She’d fallen apart-a new experience for her. She’d grown up confident and ready to rule the world. But something had happened in the short weeks she’d spent pretending to be an American looking for adventure.
“I thought you were the bad guy,” she told him, still furious that she’d been lied to. “I thought I was betraying my country by falling for you.”
He stepped toward her. “Mia, do not distress yourself.”
What was she supposed to do? Be happy? “If I can’t believe who you were, how can I believe who you are?”
“Perhaps you don’t have to. Perhaps we could start at the beginning. Meet now.” He held out his right hand. “Good morning. I am Rafael, Crown Prince of Calandria. And you are?”
She sighed. “Sorry, no. That isn’t going to work. We can’t just start over. There’s too much messy past between us. Too many years.”
“So I should not have come? You are not happy to see me?”
“I’m…” Annoyed, confused, furious, shocked. “I’m not really a morning person.”
“Of course. You want me to leave.”
He turned, as if prepared to walk to his limo and disappear from her life. Only she wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.
“Wait,” she said. “I…What do I call you? Prince Rafael? Your highness?”
“Rafael is fine.”
“All right. Rafael. This is happening so quickly. I don’t know what to think or believe. I need a little time. We have to talk. I’m still not clear on why you’re here.”
“To see you.”
Was that all? “If you saw the picture, then you saw Danny.”
He frowned slightly. “The boy? The child of one of your sisters.”
Mia clutched her coffee. It was true that the caption hadn’t identified the child in the picture, or her for that matter.
She didn’t know if Rafael was telling the truth. She’d long since learned to be wary of the men she brought into her life. They were usually snakes. Diego had been no exception, but was Rafael different?
Did it matter? Either way, she had to tell him. He deserved to know.
“Danny is my son,” she said, doing her best to keep her voice even. “And yours.”
Rafael timed his reaction carefully. To show too much shock would be to put Mia on her guard. To show not enough would mark him as an indifferent father.
“My son?” he asked as he took a step back. “What are you saying?”
“I was pregnant when I left Calandria. Only a week or so along. I didn’t know, obviously. When I came home, I was pretty broken up about everything. Finding out I was pregnant saved me.”
He saw the pain in her eyes as she spoke and knew he had no reason not to believe her. Besides, he and Mia hadn’t been lovers for more than a couple of weeks before the sting had ended.
“I had no idea,” he said, willing his expression toward disbelief. “You had a child? Your government kept that from me as well?”
“I’m not sure they knew,” she told him. “I quit and came home. That was the end of my relationship with the agency. Unlike in the movies, they didn’t spend a lot of time begging me to return to my old job.”
“Someone should have told me,” he growled, not having to fake the anger he felt. What Mia didn’t know was that it was directed at himself. He’d been the one who hadn’t bothered to follow up with her. To make sure there were no consequences of their time together. For the past four years his son, his
“I would have, except I thought you were dead,” she said sharply, then sighed. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be crabby. This is all so much. Too much. I don’t know what Danny’s going to think. All his life, I told him his father died before he was born.” She looked at him. “You’re not questioning your paternity. I’m not lying, but you’ll probably want to check this all out. It would be a big deal for any guy, but I’m guessing an even bigger one for a prince.”
She was telling the truth. Before sneaking into Mia’s room, he’d visited the boy. The child had slept soundly and it had been easy to check the small of his back. There, just to the left of his spine, was the small star-shaped birthmark all the men in his family possessed. The child was his, but better to play along and pretend to not be sure.
“I have never doubted your integrity,” he said. “But under the circumstances proof will be necessary. I’m sure we can arrange for a DNA test of some kind.”
“Circumstances?” she repeated. “You mean the one where you’re a prince and heir to a throne and I’m just some commoner from California?”
“I would not describe you thus,” he said, moving close and taking her hand in his. Her skin was warm and he enjoyed the contact.
Five years ago he’d claimed Mia as his own because it had pleased him to do so. Now he would claim her for other reasons, but the task would still be most pleasant.
“Great,” she murmured, then took a sip of her coffee as she carefully pulled free of his touch. “Let me recap. You might be Diego, and hey, an heir to the Calandria throne. You’re also not dead. In the short time we were together five years ago, I managed to get pregnant, because that’s just how my luck goes. Now you’re back and we’re parents together. Did I miss anything?”
He remembered the first time he’d met her. Even then he’d been unable to decide which he admired more-her spirit or her beauty. His dilemma had not changed.
“Those seem to be the salient points,” he said.
“Great. I need more coffee.”
She took a step and stumbled on the uneven ground. He reached for her, grabbing her arm and holding her upright. She reached for him with her free hand-to steady herself, he was sure-which left them standing very close.
He found himself staring into her brown eyes. He could feel the warmth and enticing curves of her body. Her mouth called to him. Whatever else might or might not have happened with Mia, he had always wanted her. Apparently time apart hadn’t changed that fact. How convenient.
“Mia,” he whispered.
“Don’t even think about it,” she told him, but she didn’t move away.
“Why would I think when action is so much more pleasurable?” he asked as he lowered his mouth to hers.
Her breath caught. She stiffened but stayed in his arms.
Then a loud voice cut through the morning and broke the mood completely.
