Page 58 of Bound

A vision that grew more intense from the blaze of a cobalt stare. Then the brilliance of an easy but sexy grin. Then the blinding sheen of light, playing along enormous, elegant muscles. Then a thousand more things that turned her blood to kerosene whirlpools and her mind a helpless buoy on those waves.

She rendered not a word of complaint.

Because the foam on those waves sparkled with so much hope. And she was ready to drown.

Maybe…

Just maybe…

She told herself not to care about finishing that. She reminded herself that hope had betrayed her before. That she was never going to be the progressive princess for her people that she had dreamed of, and trying to resolve that disappointment ended up in witnessing her father’s murder from two feet away.

No.

Not her father.

Louis LaBarre had not been a fraction of the father that Paipanne had always been—and still was being, up to this very moment. Guiding her with his conviction. Brightening her with his humor. Comforting her with his care.

Loving her unconditionally, despite that she possessed not a drop of his DNA.

Loving her mother with just as much devotion.

Showing her that if two people were truly dedicated to the challenge, life was not a daunting mountain. It was a triumph waiting to be scaled. Even through the dark parts. Even through the uncertainties. Even when hope itself was determined to kick them down.

But right now, after wiping her tears and thanking Paipanne with a fervent kiss on the cheek, she tucked hope as close as she could. She clung to every bright point of its star, guiding her steps down every flight of stairs to the commissary—and her heart back to the side of the man she was determined not to give up on.

Chapter Ten

“I am grateful for the gift of your time, Mr. Brickham. Especially in light of these…odd…circumstances.”

Evrest Cimarron’s stance, as diplomatic as his statement, was silhouetted by the gold sunbeams reflecting off the sea beyond Jayd’s balcony. Brick had no actual idea of what time it was, but it’d been at least a couple of hours since Twylah took away his lunch tray and urged him to fill the afternoon by getting some rest.

Factoring in the half hour he’d waited for the hives to abate from hearing “rest” for the hundredth time in three days—or less sarcastically speaking, to make sure Twylah had truly left him alone for a while—plus everything that had happened since he got here, it had to be nearing late afternoon.

Which didn’t give anyone a lot of time before nightfall.

When Carris and his shiny wonder force would probably get here.

Goddammit, he hoped the monarch made this quick. But also that the guy opted for the I-am-king-hear-me-roar mode for this instead of the what-exactly-are-you-doing-with-my-sister approach. Brick had much more experience with the former. As in having zilch knowledge of the latter. Subbies rarely showed up at the club with their siblings along for interview duty.

“Not a problem, though I think I still have you beat in the gratitude arena,” he responded. “Without the care of your medical team, I’d likely be a prime snack for the rainforest beasts by now.”

He deliberately didn’t mention the scalding hot waters of the foreign relations bath in which Arcadia was currently swimming. Good chance that recognition was occupying every other thought in the man’s head.

Brick only wished he wasn’t stressing about what occupied the other thoughts.

“I am glad they put you on the mend so quickly,” the man answered. “You are feeling better, I trust? To have found your way this far across the palais?”

A chuckle rumbled out of him. It felt as fake as it sounded. Goddammit, he was actually that nervous—and a dozen kicks into berating himself for the stupidity. Which was also wasted energy.

Brakes. Reverse gear. Now, motherfucker.

Spinning up some panic wasn’t an option right now. Good chance the Arcadians knew nothing about his not-so-elegant secret, since there was a good chance their medical systems couldn’t talk to any databases back home.

That was just dandy by him.

He’d be gone soon enough, and nobody here had to be the wiser. But that also meant keeping his shit together for the moment. Taking advantage of the benefit it presented: to show Evrest he’d been worth the risk. To prove to the man that he hadn’t gambled the integrity of his country on a senseless murderer.

Trouble was, he’d imagined this encounter differently. To exponential sums of the word.