Princess's Secret Baby(52)

                ‘I’m just saying it’s good that for once you’re behaving.’

                ‘I always behaved. I was the perfect son for eighteen years...’

                ‘And then an absolute disgrace for the next decade.’

                ‘Ah, but it was fun,’ James said, taking a slug of sparkling water and wondering what the hell had possessed him to give up booze for the next six months.

                They limped through dinner with only one highlight.

                Leila did mind her manners with his parents, but James suppressed a smile when she called one of the maids over and told her to re-serve her meal but this time without meat.

                ‘Is she a vegetarian?’ Emily frowned. ‘James, you could have at least warned us.’

                ‘No, I’m not a vegetarian,’ Leila said. ‘It’s not James’s fault—I just don’t like the way the cook prepared the meat tonight.’

                Yes, he grinned, but as he sat at the table and James saw the zoned-out expression of his mother as she topped up her wine glass, he thought of Leila, forced to be with someone she didn’t want to be with. He loathed the absolute charade that his parents’ marriage was and all because neither had the guts to get out.

                Leila had the guts.

                Was he forcing her into this?

                No, James decided as dessert was served. For he respected Leila and cared for her and he was doing this for the sake of their child.

                Still, a night with his family meant that any seeds of doubt as to what he was doing to Leila got a very thorough soaking.

                He wanted out of there; he wanted back to his sham of a relationship with Leila because it felt a lot better than his parents’ home.

                Even before his hastily drained coffee cup had hit the china saucer James was standing.

                ‘We’re going to go.’

                ‘Already...’

                ‘Leila gets tired,’ James said.

                ‘Don’t use me as an excuse again,’ Leila warned as they drove back to the hotel, but James ignored her and so she said it again when they were back in their suite.

                ‘I said, don’t use me or the baby as an excuse, just because your father is a vile...’

                ‘Oh, please,’ James interrupted, ‘surely there has to be at least one perk to having a pregnant fiancée, and if it means I get out of dinner with my family early, I’m going to use it.’

                ‘Oh, so that’s the only perk, is it?’

                ‘Well, it’s certainly not...’ James stopped but not in time, and Leila soon worked out what he’d been about to say.

                ‘So much for dating me,’ Leila said. ‘So much for taking our time.’

                She huffed off to the bathroom and removed her make-up and when she came out James had undressed and was in bed.

                She pulled back the sheet and climbed in and lay there bristling.

                ‘Sorry about that,’ James said. ‘They just bring out the bastard in me.’