Chapter 19
“Good morning,” Marianna greeted Amit nervously as she stepped out of the bedroom where she’d spent a restless night tossing and turning. She hoped that she didn’t look as worn out as she felt.
“Good morning,” Amit replied, setting the tablet down. She suspected he’d been reading the international news and wondered what was happening in the world. Most mornings, she surveyed the top news articles from several different countries, then dug down into the stories that had been buried. Usually, those were the topics that government officials didn’t want their populace to know about.
It was one of the reasons that social media was such a hot topic. There were numerous social media influencers who reported on stories that local authorities didn’t want brought to the public’s attention.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“Starving, actually,” she agreed eagerly. She’d found another pair of leggings, this pair in navy blue with a pale, blue sweater to go with it waiting for her when she arose. She didn’t have anything with which to pull her hair up, so she’d left it cascading down her back.
“What would you like for breakfast?” he asked, pouring her a cup of coffee. “I don’t know how you take your coffee,” he continued, pushing a tray filled with cream, sugar, and sweetener closer to her.
“Black is fine,” she told him, sitting down in the chair opposite him and accepting the steaming mug. She blew gently on it, feeling oddly self-conscious this morning. The sunshine filling the breakfast area felt very intimate for some reason.
Or maybe she was just feeling self-conscious because she’d spent the night thinking about him touching her, making love to her, doing all of those delicious-sounding things that she’d read about in books over the years.
Hiding behind her coffee cup, she glanced down at the empty plate. “What do you normally like for breakfast?”
He shrugged. “I usually just ask the chef to make something for me. I like surprises in the morning.”
Marianna nodded slowly, horrified at the idea.
“And you?”
She shrugged and sipped her coffee. “I usually have oatmeal, chia seeds, and whatever fruit is available.” When he lifted a quizzical eyebrow, she expanded, “I was only sixteen when Mother died. It was a painful time to lose her.” She grimaced and sighed. “I suppose there really isn’t a good time to lose one’s parent.” She spun her coffee mug slightly. “I guess I became a bit obsessed about health and fitness afterwards.”
“It’s paid off,” he replied, his eyes moving over her figure. “You’re clearly a very…healthy…woman.”
Marianna wasn’t sure if she should be flattered by his comment or offended.
He must have read her expression because he added, “That’s a compliment, by the way.”
Marianna relaxed, and sipped her coffee again. She even managed a soft chuckle. “Thank you.”
“How did your mother pass away?”
“She died from cancer.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been awful for you.”
“It was,” she replied. “It was doubly hard because I didn’t really know anything about my father except that he wasn’t from France. He would pop in every once in a while to inspect me, but I didn’t ever have a chance to know him.” She looked down slightly, then continued, “I had always thought that I was a French citizen. So when my mother’s lawyer informed me that my oldest brother, half-brother, was now my guardian, I was furious.” She bit her lip. “I admit I was a bit of a brat when I first met my brothers.”
He chuckled. “I think that’s allowed, since your entire life changed overnight.” He offered a crooked smile. “I doubt Khal was overly sensitive to your emotional needs at the time.”
She laughed, shaking her head at the memories of her first impressions. “He was a tyrant!” Her smile softened. “At least, that was my opinion at the time. I quickly discovered that there were many bad people out in the world who would try to hurt or use me.” She grimaced. “My father, apparently Khal’s father as well, was extremely wealthy, but a bit of a bastard to my mother. She was his second wife and didn’t want to live the life of a restricted woman in Lativa.”
“Are women in Lativa restricted?”
Marianna shrugged. “Khal has never restricted my activities in any way, other than to ensure my safety.”
“And how’s that working out for you?” he asked with a growl.
Marianna realized he didn’t think Khal was caring for her effectively. But she couldn’t allow him to think that. Yesterday was entirely her fault. Well, it was the kidnapper’s fault, actually.
“Yesterday, I was out riding, and rode too far from my security detail,” she admitted. “I hadn’t realized that I’d gone so far until I’d reached the edge of the palace property.”
His gaze sharpened with her admission. “Why were you so far from your bodyguards?”
Marianna eyed him for a moment, then admitted softly, “I wanted space to think.”
He waited for her to explain, but before she could work up the courage, he realized he could fill in the details. “You were captured the day after I kissed you.” He waited for her to confirm the statement. When she continued to stare into her coffee, he continued. “You were flustered and confused by the kiss. Am I right, Mari?” he asked.
Marianna was warmed by the way he shortened her name. It felt nice, almost like a private thing between them.
“Yes,” she whispered, then stiffened her crumbling determination. “I admit that I’m still confused,” she told him, standing up and walking away from the table to give herself some room. She turned and looked at him, wrapping her arms around herself. “I need to be clear, Amit. I’m still…hurt…by what you said years ago.”
He frowned in confusion. “What did I say years ago?”
She pressed her lips together, staring down at her feet. When she looked up at him, she hoped he couldn’t see the tears filling her eyes. “It was the first time we’d met. Your father sent you to Lativa to…” She paused again, blinking and turning away from him. “Your father sent you to speak with Khal about…” she swallowed hard past the lump in her throat.
“Trading you for the babies,” he supplied, standing up and walking toward the window with angry, frustrated strides. After pacing for a moment, he stuffed his hands into his pockets.
She looked at him again, hoping he couldn’t see the pain that continued to eat at her. “Correct.” She took a deep breath, then let the air out slowly. “I know you were doing your father’s bidding. However, I felt–”
“I wasn’t,” he interjected.
Startled, Marianna looked up at him. “You weren’t…what?”
He ran a hand through his hair, then shoved it back into his pocket. “I wasn’t doing my father’s bidding,” he grumped out. With a huff, he squared his shoulders and looked at her. “I wasn’t doing my father’s bidding, Mari,” he repeated. “I saw you and…well, you were so beautiful and…!” He stopped and turned away from her.
Mari stared at his back, at the tension that tightened his shoulders. “You made that up?”
He sighed and turned to face her once more. “Yeah. I made up the trade suggestion. I had been sent there to discuss something else entirely. But when you walked into the room…I couldn’t remember what the hell I was supposed to discuss with your brother.”
Well, that was a little more flattering than being traded like chattel, she thought. Still, there was something more he wasn’t telling her. She could see it in the way he clenched his jaw, the muscles flexing tightly. Mari wanted to demand that he tell her the rest, but she sensed that he was done admitting to his past…uh…failures.
He probably wouldn’t classify that moment as a failure, but she certainly did. And she was eager to find out what exactly he’d been sent to discuss with Khal. Intrigued, she tilted her head slightly. What was he hiding?
Oh, this was definitely a mystery she was eager to unravel! No one loved research more than she did. The thrill of the hunt sped her heart rate. Stepping forward, she dropped her hands.
“So, what’s next?” she asked.