child, and I have a responsibility towards both of you that I fully intend to honour.’
He thought again of how she had deceived him, and was swamped by another wave of bitter
anger. ‘When were you going to tell me? Or weren’t you going to bother? It would have been
difficult, I suppose, when you had lied about your identity,’ he added scathingly.
Kitty flushed and hung her head. ‘I haven’t known what to do these past few weeks,’ she
admitted huskily.
Nikos gave her a savage glance. ‘While you were trying to decide, I was doing my best to find
you. I made enquiries at the palace, but when I was told there was no employee here called Rina
I contacted all the catering companies on Aristo. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that
nobody had ever heard of you,’ he drawled acidly. He paused, his dark brows lowered in a
slashing frown. ‘So tell me, Rina , do you often masquerade as a servant, or did you deliberately set out to make a fool of me?’
‘I didn’t…’ Kitty bit her lip when she caught the glittering anger in his eyes. ‘You have every
right to be angry,’ she admitted honestly.
‘Well, that’s good to know—’ his voice dripped with sarcasm ‘—because I’m livid—
YourHighness . Hell!’ He swung away from her and raked a hand through his hair, ‘I don’t even know your name. Are you Rina, or Katarina?’
‘I’m Kitty,’ Kitty said quickly. ‘It was my father’s nickname for me when I was a little girl, and
it stuck.’ She risked another glance at him and felt her stomach dip. He was even more gorgeous
than she remembered. In a pale grey suit and blue shirt he looked remote and forbidding, every
inch the sophisticated, urbane businessman who was at the top of his game. He had been in her
mind constantly since he had made love to her on the night of the ball, and now she could not
prevent herself from staring at him and greedily absorbing his stunning looks.
‘I didn’t trick you intentionally. You mistook me for a servant at the ball and it seemed easier to
go along with it. Be honest, would you have believed me if I’d told you my real identity?’ she
demanded when he glared at her. ‘Everyone at the ball compared me unfavourably with my sister
Liss, and they were right, I didn’t look like a glamorous princess, I looked like the frumpy
waitress you believed me to be. When we met on the beach later that night I was amazed when
you said you found me attractive. You made me feel beautiful, even though I know I’m not,’ she
said bleakly, ‘and I wanted to carry on being sexy Rina, rather than drab Kitty.’
‘And having fooled me that you were Rina the waitress, you decided that it was a good
opportunity to lose your virginity to an experienced man rather than a fumbling boy?’ Nikos
reminded her of her words when he had discovered her innocence, no hint of softening on his
hard face. ‘You are an heir to the crown of Aristo— what the hellwere you thinking of?’ he
exploded furiously.
‘It was a moment of madness,’ Kitty defended herself. She moved her hand instinctively to her
stomach, thinking of the tiny life that was growing inside her. ‘I never dreamed that it would
have such catastrophic consequences.’
‘But it did, and now we must deal with those consequences,’ Nikos told her bluntly. He paused
and in the tense silence Kitty felt the same sickening dread that had filled her when, despite her
fear of heights, she had volunteered to do a bungee jump for charity and had crouched at the top
of the platform one hundred and fifty feet above the ground, preparing to launch herself over the#p#分页标题#e#
edge.
‘The only possible solution is for us to marry.’
There was no other alternative, Nikos acknowledged silently as he watched Kitty’s mouth fall
open in an expression of utter shock. He had vowed never to marry again, but if he wanted this
child—and he did, unquestionably—then he would have to sacrifice his freedom and take a
woman who had proved herself to be untrustworthy as his bride. ‘It may not be ideal,’ he
snapped when Kitty shook her head frantically. ‘Believe me, the situation is not what I would
have chosen, either. But I have promised Sebastian that I will do my duty by you.’
The room suddenly seemed to be spinning—or was it her? Kitty collapsed back against the
cushions. ‘The idea is ridiculous,’ she said faintly, repelled by the word ‘duty’.
‘Are you saying you have a better suggestion?’ Nikos strolled over to the sofa and stared down