To Kiss a King (Kings of California #11)(41)
Author: Maureen Child

Garrett stopped and glared at him. “What the hell am I supposed to do?”

“You know what I think you should do. Question is, what are you going to do?”

“If I knew that,” he muttered darkly, “I’d be doing it.”

“Well then, maybe this will help you decide,” Griffin said and pulled the morning paper out from under a stack of files. “Wasn’t going to show you this—but maybe you should see it after all.”

“What?” Garrett took the paper, glanced at the picture on the front page and felt his heart stop.

Front and center, there was a photo of Alex, dressed in a flowing gown and a crown, holding on to the arm of an impossibly handsome man in a tux, wearing a damn sash across his chest that was loaded down with medals. The tagline above the photo screamed, Royal Engagement In The Wind?

“Oh, hell no,” Garrett muttered.

“Looks to me like you’d better go get your woman back before it’s too late,” Griffin said, clearly amused at Garrett’s reaction.

Garrett’s vision fogged at the edges until all he could see was Alex’s face staring up at him from the paper. He was about to really lose her. Permanently. Unless he took a chance.

Clutching the newspaper tight in one fist, Garrett grabbed the returned package and said, “Call the airport for me. Have one of the King Jets fueled up and ready to go when I get there.”

Griffin was laughing as he made the call, but Garrett was already gone.

“Where is he?” Garrett stormed past the footman at the door to the castle and stomped loudly across the marble flooring. His head turned as if on a swivel as he scanned every hallway for signs of the king.

“If you’ll follow me,” the butler said, “his majesty is in the library.”

Garrett hadn’t slept in nearly twenty-four hours. He felt ragged and pushed to the edge of his endurance, but damned if he was going to wait another minute to talk to Alex’s father. He’d gotten past the palace guards on the strength of his having done work for the crown before. But getting an audience with the king this easily was a plus.

The air smelled of roses and beeswax, and Garrett took a deep breath to steady himself for the coming confrontation. The sound of his footsteps as he followed after his guide rang out hollowly in the air, thudding like a heartbeat. He had a plan, of course. Wasn’t much of one, but he’d use whatever he could. Alex was here, somewhere, and no matter what happened between him and the king in the next few minutes, he wasn’t leaving until he spoke to her.

He stepped into the library and the butler left him with the king. The room was imposing, as it was meant to be. Dark paneling, bloodred leather furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the sea. The man standing before a crackling fire was just as imposing. King Gregory was tall, muscular and the gray in his hair only made him look more formidable.

“Garrett, this is a surprise.”

About to be an even bigger one, he thought and cut right to the chase. “Your majesty, Alex can’t marry Duke Henrik.”

“Is that right?” One eyebrow lifted.

Hell, Garrett couldn’t believe the man would allow Alex near the duke. A quick online search had been enough to show Garrett that the man was more known for his string of women than for any work done in the House of Lords. Well, the king might be okay with that, but damned if Garrett would let Alex end up with someone who didn’t deserve her.

“How is this any of your business, Garrett?”

“It’s my business because there’s a good chance Alex is pregnant with my child.”

Risky move, he told himself, since there was no way Alex was pregnant. But it was the one sure way he knew to delay any kind of wedding but for the one Garrett now wanted more than anything.

The king’s face went red. “You—”

“Pregnant?”

Garrett whirled around at the deep voice behind him and was just in time to watch Alex’s older brother Prince Christopher’s fist collide with his face. Pain exploded inside his head, but he ducked before the prince could land another one.

Then he threw a fast right himself and watched the prince stagger backward. The other man recovered quickly and came at Garrett again, still furious.

The king was shouting, “Pregnant? Pregnant?”

Two more men ran into the room. They took in the scene at a glance and immediately joined their older brother in the fray.

“Perfect,” Garrett muttered, turning a slow circle so he could keep an eye on all three of them. Seemed he wasn’t going to come out of this without a few bruises. But he’d give as good as he got, too.

He blocked another blow, threw a punch himself and smiled when the youngest of the princes was laid out flat on his back. The king pushed past one of his sons and threw a punch of his own that Garrett managed to avoid. He wasn’t about to hit a king, either, so he focused on protecting himself and doing a lot of dodging.

As Garrett avoided another blow, he yelled, “Just let me talk to Alex and we can straighten this out.”

“You stay away from my sister.” This from the prince pushing up from the floor.

“No one is talking to anyone until I have some answers,” the king shouted again.

“Why is everyone yelling?” Alex called into the mix.

Garrett turned at the sound of her voice and Christopher landed another solid jab on his jaw. “Damn it!”

Hands clapped loudly, followed by a sharp, feminine command. “Stop this at once! Christopher, no more fighting. Help Henry off the floor, and Jonathon, get your father some water.”

The king was sputtering in rage, but everyone else moved to follow the queen’s orders. Everyone but Alex. She just stood there in the doorway, staring at him as if she’d never seen him before. Her hair was tidy, her elegant dress and tasteful jewelry made her seem unapproachable. But somewhere beneath that cool exterior was his Alex. And Garrett wasn’t leaving until he’d had a chance to reach her.

The capper for Garrett, though, was seeing the damn duke standing right behind her. That settled everything. No way in hell was Garrett letting his woman go. And she was his. Had been from that first day at Disneyland.

“Who’s pregnant?” Alex demanded.

“Apparently, you are,” Christopher told her.

“I’m what?” She fired a furious look on Garrett and he just glared right back.

“I said you could be.”

“Pregnant?” Henrik repeated from behind her. “You’re pregnant? I’ll be leaving.”