Just not today.
James really didn’t want to see himself leaving the club with yet another glossy blonde.
What was her name?
Certainly it wasn’t Leila, because when this morning he’d inadvertently called her that, it had earned him a slap to the cheek.
Christ.
He’d tried to ski his way out of it, tried to screw his way out of it, but still every morning he woke hard for Leila.
Every night was an attempt to relive that one.
Not just the sex, although it was a lot about the sex. Still he kept remembering the moment she had walked into the bar.
His ex, who had gone to the press with his stories, had taken months just to get some salacious tidbits out of him. He’d spoken so readily with Leila.
She hadn’t with him though, James remembered.
He’d been used; James knew that much.
He could have been anyone.
Rather than think about it James opened up the paper and took another sip of coffee as he turned to the business section.
Then something caught his eye and he almost spat out his coffee.
There was Leila, dressed in finery, her head and mouth covered, but it was certainly her, for he would never forget those eyes.
And there, looking far less than regal, was a very tacky shot of himself and some blonde making out at the bar.
All this he took in as he sat there, his mind choosing to linger on the images than focus on the headline, but then not even James could ignore what was written.
Princess Leila Al-Ahmar of Surhaadi was three months pregnant and, according to extremely reliable sources, the father was none other than James Chatsfield.
He looked at the caption beneath the image of himself and a woman.
James Chatsfield celebrating the happy news!
It never even entered his head that he might not be the father.
Oh, she’d used him that night, all right.
He picked up his phone and scrolled through it and called The Harrington, his temper mounting as, thanks to their bloody discretion, they still refused to even confirm or deny if Leila was staying there.
‘Put me through now,’ James shouted to the receptionist. ‘I know that she’s staying there, and I don’t care if it’s the middle of the bloody night—you will put me through now.’
But again he was politely reminded of The Harrington’s policy on guest confidentiality and it dawned on James that she possibly wasn’t there. He looked back at the newspaper and acknowledged that this might not be some library image the paper had produced. She could be back in Surhaadi now.
Pregnant with his child.
His phone rang and James saw that it was Spencer but he ignored it; he did not need a lecture from his brother right now.
He needed to know how to deal with Leila and so he called Manu in Dubai, the only person he could think of who might be able to help. ‘What do you know about Surhaadi, about their royals?’
‘Not a lot, but I’d guess that right now you wouldn’t be their favourite person,’ Manu tartly answered. ‘She’s a royal princess, James, from an extremely conservative country. I would imagine they’ll close ranks around her and she won’t be seen in public from this point on. I certainly wouldn’t be holding my breath for an invitation to dinner to get to know the grandparents. What the hell were you thinking?’
‘I wasn’t thinking,’ James snapped. ‘Leila was the one doing that.’ James was quite certain of it now.
‘You’re saying she set out to trap you...’ Manu gave an incredulous laugh. ‘I don’t think she needs money to support her child.’
‘It wasn’t about money,’ James said, remembering her walking into the bar that night. ‘I could have been anyone...’
‘Poor James,’ Manu mocked him. They didn’t get on, they never had. Manu thoroughly disapproved of his ways. ‘I’m sure there are many women applauding the fact that you’re getting a taste of how it feels to be used.’
‘I think she did this to get out of some marriage...’
‘Very possibly.’
‘What rights would I have?’
‘Rights!’ Manu gave another incredulous laugh. ‘You lost any right to a fair hearing from them long ago, James. The best I can suggest is that you attempt to sort things out with Leila before she returns there.’
‘She’s not gone back?’
‘Apparently she’s still at The Harrington,’ Manu said. ‘I just came off the phone with Spencer. He’s freaking out.’
‘I know,’ James said, ‘he’s trying to get through to me now.’ He rang off and took the call from Spencer.
‘This is a PR nightmare!’ Spencer shouted. ‘Have you any idea the damage that this is causing?’