The Accidental Heir Read Online Free PDF Page B

swiftly making improvements in Hammersvik with only the love of her country and its people to spur her on.
    He wanted her more than ever. But he wanted more than a physical relationship with Astrid. He wanted all of her—all the crazy bits, too. His feelings for Astrid hadn’t diminished over the months they’d been apart; they’d grown. What had started out as a few passionate nights huddled together for warmth in the Arctic followed by light-hearted correspondence while he’d been away had slowly deepened into an unbreakable bond. Was he going to let Astrid’s natural caution where their child was concerned spoil that? Or was he going to rejoice in the fact that she demonstrated every trait a child could wish for in its mother?
    Wordlessly, she pushed the drawing towards him.
    It was crude and colourful and had obviously been drawn by a very young hand. There were three stick figures—two big, one tiny. The two big figures had crowns on their heads, and they both had one stick arm around a baby.

CHAPTER NINE
    S ITTING ON THE floor with a good space between them, he leaned his back against the rails of the cot. ‘Why did you think you have to do this alone?’
    ‘Karl, for goodness’ sake,’ Astrid exclaimed, making him smile as she exhibited all the old spirit. ‘Do you know how many single parents there are in this world?’
    He caught hold of her as she went to get up. His grip was light but non-negotiable. ‘Don’t pull away from me, Astrid.’ They both knew he didn’t mean it in only the literal sense, and slowly she relaxed and sank down to the floor again.
    ‘What do you want to say to me, Karl?’
    None of the things he had come here to say, that was for sure. ‘We are where we are,’ he began, out of his depth for once.
    ‘And where I very much want to be,’ she flashed, tensing at his poor choice of words.
    ‘Relax, Astrid. I was going to say, and where we both very much want to be. We’re both adults. We both know what happened in that polar tent.’
    ‘But you—’
    ‘Took precautions?’ he suggested wryly when her face crumpled. ‘There are always risks. We knew that, too.’
    She ground her jaw as if coming to a decision. ‘You must think I did something underhand because of the Royal Council insisting I must have a child.’
    ‘Saving your country but not yourself? Even if that was your motive, am I supposed to think less of you? And I didn’t notice any hesitation on my part in the polar tent, so making a baby is a wonderful bonus, as far as I’m concerned.’
    ‘So you’re not angry?’
    ‘Why would I be? Like everyone else you help, Astrid, this little girl is lucky to have you. Rumours have reached me about the improvements you’re making in Hammersvik, and I’ve heard the way people talk about you. You’re transformative, Astrid. You’ve touched their hearts.’
    How could she have forgotten how devastatingly wonderful he was? How could she have locked herself away in her head like this? She should have known those frank grey eyes would melt her heart, and that amazing body and that hot-as-hell mouth would make her want him all over again. How could baby-head have affected her so badly that she hadn’t seen that Karl deserved the truth as soon as she knew it? ‘But I should have told you—’
    Karl held up his hand to silence her. ‘And now I know,’ he said. ‘And when I talk about you not having to do this alone, I’m not just talking about our baby, Astrid. I’m talking about the mutual benefits our countries can gain from each other’s skills. I’m talking about a treaty of cooperation. I’m talking about a union between Hammersvik and Thorberg...’
    He was talking about everything except love between one man and one woman, Astrid thought as Karl continued on. How could she have let him slip away? How could she have been so single-minded, so defensive, so lacking in self-confidence that she had started something she didn’t have the courage to