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      “Alexandros, listen to me. Your father’s words to me were true.”

      Alex’s eyes darkened. “What are you talking about?”

      “The night he died—Aegeus said—he said I was wrong for you. That if I loved you, I had to leave you. He said—”

      “Was that why he wanted to see you?” Alex’s tone was harsh. “To tell you to go away?”

      “No. Yes. It was more than that. He said he wanted the best for you.”

      “You are the best for me, glyka mou.”

      “Also—also, I think he knew something about the diamond. I think—I think he had something to do with switching the fake for the real one.”

      “I don’t care about that diamond right now,” Alex said fiercely. “All that matters is us. What we feel for each other, the life we’ll create together… What?”

      Maria was laughing. Or maybe she was crying. He couldn’t tell; he only knew that something in what he’d just said had affected her.

      And then, he knew.

      Slowly, he clasped her shoulders. Held her just far enough away so he could look at her from head to toe. She looked different. Her face was fuller. So were her breasts. And, under her denim work-apron, he could see the delicate but clear convexity of her belly.

      It all came together. Her nausea. Her exhaustion. And now, these physical changes that made her even more beautiful.

      “Maria.” He could feel the smile starting to stretch across his lips. “Maria, my heart, my soul, are you pregnant?”

      She stared at him. She could lie. She could say, no, of course not…

      “Yes,” she said softly.

      Alex grinned. Then he gathered her in his arms and rained kisses on her face.

      “Pregnant,” he said, as if he were the first man in the world ever to hear such news. “My God, sweetheart, we’re pregnant!” He held her inches from him, his eyes searching hers. “Say the words, Maria. Tell me that you love me as I love you, and that you will do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

      Maria thought of how far they had come, of a time her Alexandros would have demanded to know if he was really the father of the baby in her womb. She thought of how he had crossed the ocean to claim her. She thought of King Aegeus’s warning, and how cold and empty the life he’d foreseen for his son now seemed.

      “Alexandros,” she said, because if life wasn’t worth risks, what was the point? “Alexandros. I love you. And it is you who do me honor, my beloved, by asking me to marry you.”

      Alex gave her a solemn look. “Is that,” he said carefully, “a yes?”

      Maria laughed, though she was crying again, this time tears of joy that streamed down her face.

      “Yes,” she said, “yes, yes, yes!”

      Her Alexandros kissed her. Then he kicked the door shut, swept her into his arms, and carried her to the bed.

      We chatted to Sandra Marton about the world of THE ROYAL HOUSE OF KAREDES. Here are her insights!

       Would you prefer to live on Aristo or Calista? What appeals to you most about either island?

      The two islands are both fascinating, but I would much prefer to live on Aristo. I love the contrast between the sophistication of Ellos and the wildly beautiful cliffs that wind above the Bay of Appollonia, the gentle climate, the white sand beaches kissed by the sea. My husband and I took a wonderful trip to Greece a few months ago; all the time we were on the island of Santorini, I kept thinking how easily beautiful Santorini could be Aristo.

      What did you enjoy about writing about THE ROYAL HOUSE OF KAREDES?

      I was very fortunate to write the launch book for the series. That gave me the chance to give substance to Aristo and to the Karedes family. Breathing life into Aegeus and Tia, the princes and princesses was great fun. I especially loved creating my hero, Alexandros. I’ve always thought the lives of royals must be hard, all that balancing of personal needs with public demands, and here I had the chance to show some of the inner conflicts that are part of a royal’s existence. I loved creating Maria, too. Because I was born and raised in New York, I was able to give her a background with at least some similarities to mine. Like Maria, I attended its schools. I went to university there. My first job was in the part of Manhattan where I put Maria’s loft and, believe me, her feelings on riding a crowded subway car were a mirror of my own.

       How did you find writing as part of a continuity?

      It was great fun but also a challenge. I had to be sure to introduce my secondary characters in ways that wouldn’t be a problem for the other authors, and to describe places (the palace, for example) so that the other authors could “see” it as clearly as I did. I’ve always loved writing my own miniseries because I love the scope and depth a writer gets from dealing with ongoing characters and intertwining plots. Writing BILLIONAIRE PRINCE, PREGNANT MISTRESS gave me that same feeling.

       When you are writing, what is your typical day?

      Hmm. Let’s see. The maid draws my bath, brings me my morning coffee… Oh, if only! Seriously, my working day isn’t a glamorous one. I get up anywhere from six to seven-thirty, shower, put on what I think of as my summer outfit (shorts, T-shirt, thong sandals) or my winter garb (jeans, T-shirt, sneakers), head down to the kitchen where my husband, bless him, is generally already brewing the coffee. Breakfast is toast and coffee with the morning news playing in the background. Then I give my husband a kiss, head for my office, turn on my computer, play a few rounds of Spider Solitaire—it’s addictive—and settle in to work. I take a break somewhere between noon and one o’clock. My husband’s office is upstairs and he comes down and joins me for lunch. Then it’s back to work until he calls me on the intercom and reminds me—by then, I’m lost in what I’m writing—that it’s time for a glass of wine. Depending on my mood, I’ll either put together an easy meal—not much cooking goes on when I’m working!—or he’ll grill something on the deck, or we’ll go out somewhere local for supper. After that, I generally curl up beside him on the sofa to read, catch the eleven o’clock news, and then stagger off to bed.

       Where do you get your inspiration for the characters that you write?

      I’m an inveterate people-watcher. Plop me down in a café in New York or San Francisco, Paris or Athens, and I’m content. I’m very aware of people’s body language and facial expressions. Those things communicate a lot to me. Many of my characters have come to life through my observations of complete strangers who have no idea I’m taking mental notes! Friends sometimes think I’ve based my characters on them. I never do. If I know someone well, I can’t see them as anything but themselves, if that makes sense.

       What did you like most about your hero and heroine in this continuity?

      I love creating Presents heroes, men who are strong and loving, protective and powerful, and maybe just a little bit arrogant. Alexandros is all those things. He’s also a man accustomed to not showing his feelings. I find that, always, a special challenge for a heroine. And my Maria is, I think, the perfect woman for Alexandros. She’s independent, spirited and tough in the best possible meaning of the word. She, too, has learned to keep her emotions in check. That’s why the passion they discover in each other’s arms is so exciting. It changes them, forces them to examine their own true needs, their own true desires. Fate has created Alex and Maria for each other. For me, that fierce sense of destiny is what Presents, passion and enduring love are all about.

       What would be the best—and worst—thing about being part of a royal dynasty?

      The best would probably be the good one can do as a royal. The worst would surely be the public exposure demanded of royals. I tried to convey

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