“You’re avoiding me,” he said.
Alright. He went for the throat. My turn.
“You’re lying to me.”
His eyes flashed with anger. “And you think the way to solve this issue is to stay away?”
“I needed time to think.”
“And?”
I fished my keys out of my purse and walked up the steps. “And I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
He held the door open for me and followed me inside. Once the door shut, I felt like all the air was sucked out of the room. Caelan had presence. He was a storm in human form, and I was a piece of debris caught in the rain. Every time he was around, I felt like this, like I was swept up in him.
And I wondered if I was losing a little bit of myself in the process.
“You haven’t denied it,” I said.
“You seemed pretty sure.” He made no move toward me, only stood there like a stone, watching me with those burnished golden eyes.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Since you’re still not denying it, I must be right.”
“And if I am?”
My throat went dry. He sounded so callous. “I’d ask why? I thought we were moving past all of that.”
“I can’t tell you.”
I snorted, but I was not amused. “You won’t tell me.”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Caelan, even if I was sworn to a blood oath or a binding, I would find a way to tell you what was going on so I didn’t have to lie to you. We promised each other no more lies.”
His eyes faded to their normal stormy gray blue. “Evie.” He took a step toward me and reached his hand out. “I’m hopelessly in love with you, and I can’t tell you because I am sworn to secrecy.”
“By my father.”
He blinked, which was answer enough.
“And it has to do with Thalia.”
He gripped me by my upper arms and swept his lips over mine, the heat of his kiss wiping away all my hesitations and reservations. I lost my mind when he touched me, became a wanton female. All I wanted was him and me, together against the world.
Caelan pressed his forehead against mine. “Marry me, Evie. Marry me and I’ll be able to tell you everything.”
I blinked up at him. A tiny voice in the back of my head wondered if he was being manipulative, wondered if this was hisway of worming his way deeper into my soul, then I admonished myself for the thought. This was Caelan. He’d always been honest with me about how he felt, and this wasn’t the first time he’d asked me to marry him.
He’d asked multiple times before he knew who I was and before I figured out the Fae King was my father. Caelan wanted me. He didn’t want the crown.
The words bubbled from my throat before I could stop them. “Yes.”
Caelan stilled. “What?”
“Yes. I’ll marry you.”
He sucked in a shocked breath, his hands sliding down my body to grip my hips. “Yes.” A little laugh escaped him. “You finally said yes.”
