Page 50 of Secret Heir

“I’m not hiding anything!” But her voice cracks on the last word, and I know for a fact she’s lying.

“Fine.” I let go of her and step back. “Keep lying. But we both know you saw something tonight that scared you.”

I turn to leave, heading for the door that connects our suites—a concealed entrance I had built into the wall that she doesn’t know about. Or didn’t know about until now.

“What are you doing?” Her voice is sharp behind me.

I press the hidden latch and the section of wall swings open, revealing the passage to my bedroom. “Going to my room.”

“There’s a door there?” She’s staring at the opening with a mixture of shock and fury. “You’ve had access to my suite this whole time?”

“Yes.” I don’t apologize.

“I thought you—” She stops, her face flushing. “You bastard. You’ve been spying on me?”

“No.” I meet her eyes. “The door stays locked from your side unless you open it. I’ve never used it without your knowledge.”

“Except right now!”

“Right now you’re being impossible, and I’m tired of fighting with you.” I step through the opening. “Lock it if you want. I don’t care.”

“Maksim—”

But I’m already walking away, letting the door swing closed behind me. Let her be angry. Let her rage about the door and my secrets while she keeps her own locked away.

I make it three steps into my room before I hear the door slam open behind me.

“Don’t you dare walk away from me!” Aria is there, fury radiating off her in waves. “You don’t get to interrogate me and then just leave!”

“Then talk to me!” I turn on her. “Tell me why you looked at Alexander like he was going to kill you. Tell me what you’re so goddamn afraid of. Tell me something real for once instead of feeding me lies!”

“I can’t!” The words are anguished. “Don’t you understand? I can’t tell you!”

Oh for fuck’s sake, not this again. “Why not?”

“Because if I do, you’ll—” She stops herself, pressing her hands to her face. “I can’t. I just can’t.”

I stare at her, this woman who drives me insane, who won’t trust me but fucks me almost every night. She’s the mother of my child and the keeper of secrets that are slowly destroying us both.

“Then what are we doing?” My voice is quieter now, and I feel exhausted. “What is this, Aria? We fight. We fuck. What is this for?”

“I don’t know.” Her hands drop, and I can see tears on her face. “I don’t know anymore.”

We stand there in the doorway, the passage between our rooms open, neither of us willing to close it or cross through.

Then she moves.

She crosses the distance between us and kisses me with a desperation I haven’t felt from her before. This isn’t anger or rage channeled into passion. This is something else.

I should push her away and demand answers before I let her touch me again.

But I’m only human. And she’s in my arms, kissing me like I’m the only thing keeping her from falling apart.

I kiss her back just as desperately, my hands tangling in her hair. We stumble backward into my room, and I kick the door closed behind us, sealing us in together.

“Maksim.” My name is a gasp against my lips. “Please. I need⁠—”

“Yes.” And I do. I can feel it in the way she’s trembling, how her fingers are digging into my shoulders.