He brushed her hair from front to back and fanned it out across her shoulders. “You saved me, Harlow. Even before we were mated. The moment you suggested I could try. The moment you saw in me what could be and not what was, was the moment I had hope for myself.” His voice had grown soft. “So, no. I never expected to mate, especially not with someone like you.”
She turned in his arms, took the brush from his hand, and set it on the counter. “Someone like me?”
“Goddess, woman, you have to be blind and deaf not to know that every man in the kingdom thinks you’re an incomparable beauty. I’ll never be worthy of you. I was never good enough. I got lucky that by some precious twist of fate, you fell in love with me.”
She grabbed his face, touched her forehead to his. “Marius, only you would think it was lucky that a girl from the Swilton district, with a blacklisted family and barely two spencies to her name, would be his mate.”
“Let’s settle on we’re both lucky. Come. I’m starving.” He turned her by the shoulders and guided her from the bathroom.
“I should probably go. I’m supposed to work at the Silver Sunset tonight.” She reached for her dress.
“I’m glad Roosevelt followed through.”
“Hmm?” She looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, that’s right. I never had a chance to tell you… Roosevelt told me that it was Adradys who blacklisted you and your family. Said he’d make it difficult for anyone who associated with you. The doormaker’s rich. No one wanted to piss him off, but apparently a little pressure from the palace was enough to make Roosevelt think again.”
“That bastard!” Harlow had known Marius had helped get her the job, but she had no idea Adradys was behind their difficulty finding work. She’d thought it was simply loyalty to the crown.
“I was surprised how far Adradys was willing to go out of jealousy.”
She scoffed. “He’s not a man used to taking no for an answer.” She pulled the dress over her head and had to catch her breath when Marius growled.
With a hard tug, Marius pulled her chest-to-chest with him. He was hard again and looking at her like he wanted to fuck the memory of Adradys right out of her. She wasn’t opposed to the idea.
“Thank you for helping me find work and for being the best mate a woman could want.” She brushed her lips against his.
“There’s one thing you can do to show me how grateful you are.”
“What?”
He cradled her jaw in his palm, dusted his thumb across her lip. “Marry me, Harlow. Show the world you’re mine.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Later that day, Harlow burst into her family home, her inner fire glowing bright. She’d never felt more alive or more optimistic about the future. Not even when they were rich and living in Firedrake. Back then, she had her needs met, she hadn’t wanted for anything, but she wasn’t happy. Not like this. Before, she wouldn’t have been able to visualize the contentment she felt at this moment.
Her father rushed into the room and stopped short. “Oh, thank the Mountain.” He rounded the table and pulled her into his arms. “Your mother and I worried something had happened to you. We haven’t seen you in days.”
Lemetria appeared from the kitchen. “Praise the Mountain. I hoped you were with…” She eyed Darium as if she wanted badly to tell him what she knew. “That man we spoke about, but I wasn’t sure! I’ve been so worried.”
“It’s okay, Mom. We can tell Dad now. It is done.”
“Tell Dad what?” Darium looked between them.
“I am mated,” Harlow said. “And engaged.”
“Finally!” her mother said.
“To whom?” her father added.
“To Marius.” She beamed and pressed her hands over her heart. “I love him, Daddy. More than anything.”
“Marius from…?” He gestured vaguely in the direction of the palace.
Lemetria was practically jumping up and down with excitement beside him.
Harlow grinned. “That’s the one. He asked me to marry him this morning. We’re going to have a royal wedding.”
