Even though Caius would be there, at least. The public appeared to be ready to forgive his lack of royal bloodline. And he would know what she was going through.
But the one person who she would really want to see there wouldn’t be anywhere near Sadat. Ares. She hated him all over again in that moment for making her fall for him. For making her wish for his solid presence. For his beautiful body. The way he made her feel. The way he saw her.
But of course she didn’t hate him at all. She loved him. The bastard.
Chapter Twelve
Ten days later…
THE STREETS OFNew York were too busy. Loud. Jarring. Ares had done his best to re-acclimatise since his return but the place he’d called home for years now felt like an alien planet.
Had it always been so grimy? So grey? So…closed in with tall buildings? Everyone seemed so much in a rush. So desperate. No one smiled.
A few days before when Ares had been leaving his office building after his final meeting, he’d smiled at his security guy. Who hadn’t smiled back. Ares had realised he was smiling like a loon, in some attempt to be polite, ornice, and the man had been frowning at him as if he had two heads. ‘You OK, Mr Drakos?’
Ares had promptly broken out in a cold sweat. What the hell was wrong with him? Smiling at people and expecting the same in return? He was in a city where that could be considered slightly homicidal behaviour. He’d once been a fully signed up member of the make-no-eye-contact, unsmiling public.
Before he’d mether. So now he was scowling as he pushed open the doors to his offices. He’d just taken a meeting with a new client in a hotel downtown and had walked all the way back, feeling too restless to sit in a car or take the subway.
He barely noticed the same security guard behind the desk, too busy fighting off memories and images.
He kept seeing Cassie disappear into the back of the SUV, the door closing behind her. The reality that he would never see her again, except on a TV screen or perhaps somehow through Caius, was like a burr under his skin. He’d had a dream the night before, of watching her get married to some faceless chinless prince. Beaming at him. Confetti. Kissing him.
Ares had woken in a sweat, heart pounding. He did smile now as the elevator carried him up to the penthouse office but it was grim. It was small comfort that nightmares of boats had been replaced with nightmares of Cassie with another man.
He got to his office—empty because his staff had long finished for the day. It was late. But he was still too restless to go back to his empty apartment nearby. It was on evenings like this he would have sought out the company of someone like Caius, but Caius was in Sadat, because the coronation was happening any day now.
Everything seemed to circle back to Cassie.
He could call up a woman. Sex. Surely that would alleviate this building sense of panic?
But the thought of a woman who wasn’t Cassie…made his insides churn. Irritated with himself and his inability to just…settle back into his life, Ares poured himself a slug of whiskey and turned on the TV.
A news channel came on and as if the universe was intent on punishing him, or torturing him, it showed images of Sadat Sur Mer and the reporter was gushing about the excitement of the upcoming coronation as images of Cassie proliferated in the background.
Cassie as a baby, then as a small cherubic child, and a slightly gawky teenager with braces and now… His heart ached. As a beautiful young woman ready to step into her own power. And what power that was. She was magnificent.
Then an image of a man came on the screen. Some blond pretty man. With a toothy smile. Ares turned up the volume as the reporter said breathlessly, ‘Prince Stefan has been invited to the pre-coronation ball tomorrow night. It’s widely rumoured that after the coronation there will be an announcement of nuptials…’
Ares muted the sound, unable to listen to any more. He could see that man and Cassie together. They’d make a photogenic couple. They’d have even more photogenic kids. Royal kids.
Something hot roared to life inside Ares, deep down, rising up. Jealousy. No. More than jealousy.She was his.Not that insipid man’s. She’d told him she loved him.
Desperation replaced the panic. He couldn’t let this just…happen. He needed to see her. Look in her eyes. See the moment when she’d show regret for what she’d said because she couldn’t have possibly meant it. And then maybe he could walk away and feel some peace. Well, not peace, he’d never feel that again, but some measure of being able to get on with his life. If he knew for sure that she didn’t want him.
Ares’s heart pounded at the thought that he might look into her eyes and see something else entirely.
He should leave her be. But it was too late. She’d melted something inside him. Rewired him. Made him want…connection. A chance to strive for another kind of existence. Happiness.Love.He knew he loved her. He’d known it as soon as her happiness had become paramount to him.
Before he could overthink it, Ares dug out his phone and dialled his assistant, issuing instructions. After a few minutes his assistant said, ‘Sorry, boss, it looks like tomorrow is the earliest I can get you out of here.’
Ares cursed. It would have to do. ‘Book it.’ On his way back out of his office building Ares stopped in his tracks by the security guard’s desk. The man looked up. Ares said, ‘You know, it wouldn’t kill you to smile once in a while.’ And then he walked out. Smiling.
Cassie’s face hurt from smiling so much. She’d never felt less like smiling in her life. And her hand ached from greeting all of the dignitaries. And her feet ached in the high heels.
She was in full crown princess uniform in her midnight-blue silk dress with voluminous silk skirts overlaid with tulle. The strapless bodice was boned, tucking her in and allowing only an acceptable amount of cleavage. Family heirloom jewels, sapphires and diamonds, glinted at her ears, neck and wrist.
She wore a white sash across her dress, adorned with ceremonial ribbons and brooches to signify her country’s glorious military history and its independence.
