“Eventually.”
Lily bit back a bitter laugh. “Oh yes, how lovely that would have been.”
Nico sliced a hand through the air, as if cutting through their conversation. “None of this is important now. What is important is that you still had no plan to inform me. Had you not found yourself detained here, I would never know of our son’s existence, would I?”
“No,” Lily said quietly, forcing herself to meet his gaze. It made her feel very small to admit that. Guilt pricked her with sharp little claws, slicing her stomach to ribbons. Maybe she’d been wrong, but she’d been trying to do the best she could for her child. In what universe would a prince like this one even care he’d fathered an illegitimate child?
Nico’s eyes hardened. “Trust me, cara, if there were another way, I would send you far from Montebianco and never see your deceitful face again. As it is, I think we shall have to make do with the situation, si?”
“I’m deceitful?” she said, her voice rising. “Me? What about you? Not only did you fail to tell me you were really a prince, but you also seem to have forgotten you were supposed to meet me in front of the cathedral—”
“I was called back to Montebianco unexpectedly,” he cut in, his voice rising to match hers. “I sent someone to inform you.”
“I didn’t get the message.”
His expression didn’t change. “You have only yourself to blame. When my man was unable to find you, I sent out inquiries. Had I known your real name was Margaret, I might have been able to contact you.”
Lily bit down on her bottom lip, surprised at how quickly she found herself on the verge of angry tears. She would not allow this man to affect her so strongly. Not now. It was too late to discuss what-ifs.
“I’ve always gone by my middle name. Why would I have told you my full name, as if you were a prospective employer or something?” She shook her head. Wasn’t it just the story of her life to have something so vital hinge on something as simple as a legal name? “I don’t want to be unhappy. I don’t think you want to be unhappy either. And if you force me to marry you, we will both be miserable. We’re completely unsuited for each other. You have to see this is true, right?”
“It’s too late for that,” he said harshly.
Lily tried to sound reasonable. “Why? You could still marry your princess and have children with her. And how can Danny be in line for the throne anyway? Don’t princes have to be born legitimate?”
Nico’s face was a stone mask. “In Montebianco, royal is royal.”
“I don’t want this for my child,” Lily insisted. “I want him to grow up normal.”
The wealth frightened her. And not only Nico’s wealth, but the atmosphere he lived in. How could Danny be anything but spoiled rotten if he grew up here? How could he become a decent young man, and not a womanizing playboy like the prince standing before her? It terrified her, the thought her boy would be lost to her once he arrived. And that he would become the kind of man she despised most of all.
Oh God, how could she be tied to a playboy prince for life? Because no matter that she was the only woman he’d ever gotten pregnant—and it must be true considering the lengths he was going to in order to keep her here—he was still the worst sort of player. Would she become just like her mother, desperate for one man’s affections and willing to put up with whatever he dished out just to be with him?
Worse, would Nico be a fair-weather father?
“He is our child, Lily. You have already tried to deprive him of his birthright with your selfishness.”
She blinked. Selfish? Was she? Was it possible?
“That’s not true,” she said. She sounded defensive to her own ears. And guilty. In protecting her baby, had she really been trying to keep him all to herself? Had she really been afraid Nico would take him away? Or had her motives been purely because she’d believed he was not the kind of man who could be a good father?
“You will do so no longer,” Nico continued. “Daniele is my son, and I will be his father in truth from this moment forward. If you expect to remain in his life, then you will stand before the authorities and agree to be my wife. That is your choice, Lily.”
“That’s not a choice,” she said, her throat aching with the effort to speak normally. “It’s a command.”
Nico’s gaze was unreadable. “Then perhaps we finally understand one another.”
Chapter Five
When Nico had said she needed a suitable wardrobe, Lily hadn’t realized he’d meant to fly her to Paris and visit couture shops that very afternoon. While they were winging their way to France, he’d finally let her call her boss and explain that she wouldn’t be back at work tomorrow as planned.
Hell, she wouldn’t be back at all it appeared, though she didn’t say that. Darrell was curious, but Lily had no words to explain what had happened. She assured him she was safe, said she would email him her impressions of Montebianco along with the photos she’d taken, and ended the call.
Then she looked over at Nico. He was typing on his laptop. “I need to use a computer,” she said firmly. “I have a job to finish.”
“All in good time, Lily.” He didn’t look up.
She tried to keep her cool as she explained. “The paper paid my way here and they expect me to finish the job. I can’t leave them high and dry.”
This time he did look at her. “Of course. But it can wait until we return to Montebianco, yes?”
“I’d prefer to work on it now.”
He closed the lid of his laptop. “Did you not keep notes on your computer?”
“Of course I did. But the police confiscated it.”
“It was turned over to me. You may have it back when we are in Montebianco. And then you may access your notes. Does this work for you?”
A current of frustration zapped her. “Does it work for me? What you really mean is that I don’t have a choice. Why not say so?”
He smiled, though it held no humor. “Your choice, cara, is to wait until we return to Montebianco or to use this laptop.” He looked at his watch and then glanced out the window. “However, you will need to work fast as we will be landing very shortly.”
Lily crossed her arms and looked away. She knew she’d been snappish, but she couldn’t apologize. Not after all he’d put her through the last few hours. When she didn’t say anything, he stowed the laptop. Twenty minutes later, they were on the ground and exiting the plane.
Once they entered Paris, her black mood lifted a little. Seeing the Eiffel Tower as they drove through the streets was exciting. She wanted to see everything, to spend hours exploring the sights she’d only read about, but Nico informed her they did not have time for touring.
Instead, she was ushered in and out of Prada, Versace, Louboutin, Dior, and Hermes—and those were only the names she remembered. She’d never seen such an array of expensive clothes and handbags in her life. Nor had she ever thought she’d own a single piece of clothing from any of them, never mind an entire wardrobe. It was overwhelming to see the bags and boxes piling up.
“Nico, this is ridiculous,” she finally said as they drove to the next shop on his list. “No one needs this much stuff.”