The Not So Secret Baby (2 page)

The ‘it’ in question was very much a reality, and Izzy would have been a liar to say she hadn’t contemplated an abortion. She was pro choice and believed a woman had a right to do whatever she chose to with her own body.

Chapter Two

“Hello, my name is Izzy Mack. I live in Cairns, Australia. You probably don’t remember me.”

Sinyn smiled. Visions of a gloriously buxom and generous body, a beautiful smile with lips that teased and sucked at his dick until he came drifted into his mind. Some women were unforgettable. The memory of soft, panting laughter as he plunged deep and hard inside her, wishing never to leave the warm, inviting embrace of her body, came back to him.

“Oh I remember.” Sinyn had been reliving that night in Australia for weeks now. He had passed through Cairns after attending trade meetings on behalf of his principality Inis Daire in Sydney. Old Katie, the local seer, had decreed him go to the tropical city. It hadn’t been on his agenda, but the seer had been insistent. And few on Inis Daire went against her when it came to her sight or predictions for the future. And it had been the best night of his life. While Sinyn had given Izzy his business card on the hope she might call him one day, he never dreamed the Australian woman would do so.

The rushed-out words hit him like a sledgehammer. It was Donnelly history repeating.
Pregnant. My baby. Future. I must see Izzy again.

“I’m not after money. I just thought you should know and well, stuff.”

The confusion in her voice was sweet and told him what he wanted to know. This was just as big a shock to her as it was to him. Over the past three hundred years, it wasn’t the slightest bit unusual for the Donnelly men to have many, legitimate and illegitimate. They loved women. They made no secret of it. They usually married the ones they got pregnant. “What’s your address?”

“Why?”

That she sounded suspicious indicated to Sinyn that she meant what she said. Izzy wasn’t looking for money from him. “I need to organize transport for you to Inis Daire.”

“Woman, you’re carrying my child.” Sinyn didn’t doubt that for a second. Old Katie, the ancient Seer of Inis Daire, had once told him a woman from across the sea would change his life. “We need to talk.”

His mouth tightened into a hard line. “Are you going to have an abortion?” Sinyn believed that women had the rights over their body and the use of it. But his child not living? It wasn’t an option he would contemplate.

“No, but—”

He breathed out a relieved sigh. “No buts, Izzy Mack. Come to Inis Daire. We need to talk.”

Chapter Three

Inis Daire airport was a thin landing strip that made Izzy nervous when she first looked down and saw it. When she climbed into the small, well-appointed airplane at Shannon airport bearing the crest of Inis Daire on the outside, Izzy again wondered what she was doing thousands of miles from home. It was cold and wet and winter clothes were not something she wore much back in Cairns. When the plane made a perfect touchdown, she pulled herself mentally together, brushed her hair, and applied lipstick ready for her reunion with Sinyn. But he wasn’t there. The rush of disappointment made her wonder. It wasn’t like they were going to do anything but discuss the logistics of bringing up a baby.

“It’s Magistrate’s day,” informed the driver, who introduced himself as Seamus, took her bag, and led her to the sleek, black Jaguar. “The prince sits and listens to crimes and complaints every Wednesday.” He settled her inside the car. “We do things a little differently on Inis Daire.” Seamus climbed in beside her. “We have done so for four hundred years since our ancestors crowned the first Donnelly prince and broke away from the troubles in Ireland when they declared they would follow neither side but live in peace on their own island. We have our own laws and ways of dealing with people. We answer to no one but the Donnelly Princes.”

Izzy was intrigued. She had never heard of Inis Daire before Sinyn crossed her path. The only principality she had heard of was Monaco. “So your ancestors quit the mainland and came here?” What would this island have been like back then?

“They were hard years, miss. Many died. Those who survived were strong and resilient and refused to give in. The prince’s kin kept the people alive on sheer guts and determination.”

It was a world so unlike her own. This was no tropical haven of beaches and heat. This was a place of thin, twisting roads, lush green fields, and people who waved at you without knowing who you were. The houses were predominately stone. Presumably hewn out from the grey, rocky mountains that ringed the island.

“Old Katie foretold the next Donnelly bride would come across the sea with a babe inside.” Seamus winked at her. “Besides, that’s why the Donnelly men get married.”

“By knocking up women?”
Marry? Me? I don’t think so.

Great. An old duck who was the local witch
.

Seamus smiled at Izzy. “The Donnelly’s have been happy and productive doing it the same way for three hundred years. Nothing changes much here.”

* * * *

Izzy’s breath caught when she saw Sinyn. He was waiting in the driveway as they pulled up from the twenty minute drive. As he walked towards her, tall and proud with his long blonde hair tied at his nape, she thought he did indeed look like the lord of the manor.

And what a manor—or maybe castle? The home was enormous. Huge pieces of grey rock interlocked to create a solid fortress which looked like it had weathered many a fierce storm. There had to be at least twenty, maybe thirty, rooms. “Imagine cleaning that,” she murmured to herself.

Sinyn opened the car door and held out his hand. “Hello, sweetheart.”

On hearing the beautiful Irish lilt of Sinyn’s voice, her knees shook and she staggered towards him. When he caught her up in his arms and held her close, Izzy thought back again to the tropical night when she first met him. She looked up into his eyes. The gentle warmth made her blink. “I—er, I’m just tired. It was a long trip?”
Lordy, you’re beautiful
.

“You’re home now.”

Okay. I have to set him straight on what I want and believe
. Izzy had no plans to be seduced by the charm of the man and his home. “I’m here for a reason. I plan to go back home to Australia. This is
not
my home, Sinyn.” Though standing as she was in his arms made her feel safer than she had in years.

It was only when she heard the applause did she realize twenty or so people were scattered around them, all smiling as they watched. As Sinyn carried her over the threshold, everyone clapped again.

“You’re going to give yourself a hernia.” Izzy was no featherweight. Injuring a prince that everyone appeared to love indicated she wouldn’t be loved much for it. But Sinyn ignored Izzy’s protests and carried her up the staircase and down a hall until he stopped for a moment and kicked open the door of a bedroom that appeared to be every imaginable shade of blue. Once inside he placed her feet on the thickly woven carpet and started to strip her clothes off. “Hang on! We’re supposed to be talking.”

Sinyn chuckled, stopping momentarily to shut the door. “I was going to have a sedate chat with you downstairs over tea but the urge to see you naked overwhelmed me.” His hands went back to her blouse and made short work of her buttons. “Besides, you’re a woman, you can multi-task.”

“Sinyn!” Izzy slapped at his hands but it did no good. He clearly had practice stripping women. He was fast and efficient. She was naked before she had time to think.

He placed his hand on her bare belly. ”Ours.”

The look in his possessive eyes made her shiver.
Oh boy, I’m in trouble here
. Izzy tried to back away from him. Naked she was vulnerable to his touch and her own crazy hormones. “Look, prince, while I’m pleased you want to acknowledge the baby—” She jumped when his hand slid down to her pussy. “Don’t do that.” Izzy was surprised at how breathless her words sounded.

“Why? Because you like it yet you want to deny yourself pleasure ‘cause you think we should be sensible and discuss the baby?” Sinyn stepped back from her. “Aye, we’ll discuss the baby.” He started stripping off his own clothes. “But first I have this overwhelming need to be inside you once more.” He threw his shirt to the floor.

“I—er, it was a long flight and um—” Izzy faltered as his trousers fell to his ankles and his dick stood firm and hard. She gulped.
Oh, I remember you
. “People will wonder what we’re doing.”

“Let ‘em.” He came to stand before her. “Besides they all know about the baby.”

“Word gets ‘round. Besides, they expect it of a Donnelly man.” Sinyn stepped in so his body touched hers. “Hello, sweetheart.”

Hot cock pushed against her stomach. She loved the feel of it touching her skin. Her gaze lifted to his. “I can’t think when you’re naked.” Izzy had planned to be calm, rational, and practical on her reunion with him. She stepped backwards, her legs hitting the bed. “Sinyn—”

The first thrust shook Izzy to the core. She had been expecting it, but not. She had been wet since she saw him, yet never did Izzy imagine they would be naked so fast let alone ever be with him again.

“Oh Sinyn—” There was no point fighting it. Rationality had flown out the door the minute she met him in Cairns. Good girls did not fuck strangers. Good girls did not get pregnant on one-night stands.

Her hips lifted to accommodate the length of him as he pushed further inside. The fierce pressure and heat overwhelmed her. Izzy wrapped her arms and legs around his body and gave into the heat of the man.

“That’s it, sweetheart. Give in to what you feel.” Sinyn’s mouth met hers and they kissed with a hungry passion.

Chapter Four

“So,” Sinyn began as lifted his mouth from her clit, his face wet with her juices, and looked at Izzy. She was breathless and flushed from coming over and over. Her thighs were sticky with his cum and her skin red from his mouth and teeth. Maybe it was boasting to say he was good at sex.
But I am
. Sinyn knew what women liked and he made very sure any lover he took enjoyed as much pleasure as possible.

Sinyn covered her body with his and rolled them onto their sides. He didn’t need the longevity of a long acquaintanceship to know this was the woman for him. Sexually? They were explosive together. The baby? A bonus. The rest? It would come. Would the people of Inis Daire think him mad for rushing in? No, those on the island followed the beliefs of their ancestors who first settled there. Life was about taking chances and following gut instinct. He smiled down at Izzy’s pink face and kiss-swollen lips.
She is beautiful. She is mine
. It would be fun to find out more about his bride-to-be. Old Katie was right. His future had been in Cairns.