Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Oh. My. God. What do I say to that?
I wiggle my fingers for the ginger ale so I can hide my heated face behind it.
Wolf moves around the bed and props himself up on the headboard, stretching his long legs out on the top of the coverlet next to me.
I lean back and breathe, trying to calm my body’s freakout. Weird things are happening inside of me and I’m pretty damned certain that this is not airsickness. “Sorry, I’m not good company.”
“Just rest. I’ll watch over you.”
I squeeze my eyes shut as an ache spears through my heart. I’ll watch over you. No one’s ever said that to me before.
If I let myself think too much about the way he said I do, I just know tears will leak out of my eyes. I’ll never have the pleasure of having a man like Wolf really saying ‘I do’ to me.
I was born into a life that’s far too complicated. But for the next few hours, I’m safe. Watched over. And it feels so good.
I curl onto my side, letting the comfort of my temporary savior’s nearness sink in. “You know, I can’t believe I didn’t think about getting married.”
“Explain this situation to me. With marriage, you are free from your father?”
“Archaic sounding, isn’t it? It’s not exactly like it seems at the surface. But as his daughter, I’m bound by tradition to abide by his rules until I’m married. It’s a stupid outdated idea. I’ve been trying to get it changed forever.”
I yawn and nestle deeper into the plush bed and blanket.
He’s quiet for a long time and sleep starts to soften my tense muscles.
“Why are you living in the States?”
I sigh as the weight of it all presses me down into the bed. “I have dual citizenship. My mother was American. I was born in the United States. Anyway…” I yawn again.
“It all started because I wanted to find my own way. To make my own money. Then I realized that I needed to get my grandmother away from the conflict that’s coming.
My father’s about to do something that’s going to destroy relations with the citizens.
Nan needs to be safe in her last years. My father’s stirring a political hornet’s nest. Every day there are articles in the paper about him. Not good articles.”
I’m not sure if I’m dreaming, but a gentle hand strokes across my hair, tucks the blanket more tightly around me.
“I’m so sleepy.” I yawn like a cat and stretch below the blanket.
For a minute I wonder if I took a sleeping pill and didn’t know it.
” Oh well. Whatever this is, it’s wonderful compared to hurling the whole flight.
I smile into the warm darkness that’s cocooning me.
“So grateful for you coming to my rescue. My very own knight…”