“I went into those first few meetings with you always waiting you to show your true colors. But after a while, I began to understand. You were different than the men I’d known in my life. Not perfect, certainly. Abrupt and aloof and…cold, at times. But you had a goal—to see your kingdom and your sister survive your father. And to be nothing like him. And when I realized that, I began to trust you.”
Alexandre stopped—not quite abruptly, but the stop wasn’t smooth either. “We should return. You do not want to overdo it.”
“A walk is hardly overdoing anything.” But she let him lead her back inside. Up to their wing. She could feel the stiffness enter his body, like knots tying in slow succession—tighter and tighter, until he stopped at her door.
He opened his mouth, no doubt to dismiss her. To find some excuse to put her off.
But this was the deal.
She opened the door to her set of rooms, curled her other hand in his sleeve so she could pull him in behind her.
He could have stopped. He was certainly bigger and stronger than her, but he didn’t pull back. Still, he looked uncomfortable as she closed the door behind him. Like he didn’t want to be here.
But here he was. He hadagreedto this.
In the past, whenever he’d arrived for one of theirappointments, it was usually late. She was usually already in bed…waiting, waiting, waiting. She’d always let him set the tone, and he’d always set it…carefully.
Seen to her pleasure, his. It had been enjoyable, but it had not been like that day in his office because they had both known what it was about. Not pleasure. Not enjoyment. Not intimacy.
An heir.
This was different. It would be different. This was them—beyond their roles and their masks. Though, he would try to hold tight to his.
She faced him now, in the entry of her rooms. He stood stiffly. But stiff wouldn’t do.
So she wrapped her arms around his neck. His expression was cool, but she knew she just needed to learn where to look. He wasnotpassionless. He wasnotunaffected. She would find the signal somewhere in him.
But right now, she would keep talking. She would talk and talk and talk. Let all those scary truths inside of her out until he saw her, until he trusted her enough to show himself. His true self.
“I was terrified of our wedding night,” she said, reveling in the feel of pressing her soft body to his hard one.
“Ines.”
It was a warning, but she was done heeding his warnings. “But you were gentle and kind. You promised you would do everything in your power not to hurt me, and I believed you. Because you had shown me nothing but kindness.”
“Yes, kind. I am kind. I get the picture.”
She laughed at the disgust in his voice. Because he was so many things aside from kind, but that was what had allowed her to find someeasein this marriage in the beginning. “I was so relieved. You could have been anything.” She moved to her toes, pressed a light kiss to his mouth. “Cruel.” She kissed his chin. “Abusive.” The corner of his mouth. “Arrogant and cutting.” She kissed him on the mouth, deeper this time, and his arms came around her. “Dismissive. Horrible. You could have smelled like rotted fish.”
“I am aking, Ines.”
She smiled against his mouth. “You were a prince at the time, and I’m quite sure both could smell awful if they’ve a mind to. But you don’t. And didn’t. You were somethinggood, and I promised myself in that moment that no matter what difficulties we faced, I would be grateful for that.”
His hold tightened for a moment, and not in any kind of sensual way. “So grateful you ran away?” he demanded gruffly. A little flare of temper in his eyes.
The edge in him thrilled her. She knew how hard he worked to keep that temper hidden. That she could bring it out meant something.
It simplyhadto mean something.
“The thing is you can’t live your life being grateful for crumbs. This is something I only began to realize when I saw there is more out there to have, more than just roles and games and being someone else’s pawn. I came to realize I wanted so much more than the crumbs.”
“You are aqueen, Ines.”
“Yes, I am your queen.” She stepped back, trying not to grin when it clearly took him a minute to realize he needed to release her. When he did, she reached for the hem of her dress. It was a soft, stretchy fabric, easily pulled up and over her head.
His eyes raked over her as she dropped the dress to the floor, though he stayed stiff and still and where he was. A statue. A crown.
But underneath that beat the heart of aman. She wanted to show it to him. Again and again and again, until she got through to him. It would take time. He’d spent years building these walls. Hardening his heart. Protecting himself just as much as he protected everyone else.
