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‘Ah,’ he said. ‘Yes.’
‘You let me speak Russian up by the watch tower.’ His tie came off and then his snowy white shirt. The view of the valleys and crests of his chest was impressive but she refused to be distracted by pleasures of the flesh.
‘In my defence, I really did just want to hear you speak the language. I even gave you a book to read from. You were the one who went off the page.’
‘You said we had no secrets left.’
‘And we don’t,’ he said as he unbuckled his belt.
‘Trousers stay on,’ she commanded. ‘I’m not falling for that old trick ever again.’
‘I’m very tired,’ he said next.
‘Coward.’
‘And overwrought,’ he continued doggedly. ‘My sister just returned from the dead.’
‘Say it again.’
‘My sister just—oomph!’
Her shoe had connected with his crotch. Granted, it wasn’t attached to her foot, but who needed a karate black belt when she had a good throwing arm and exceptionally good aim?
‘That was below the belt,’ he said.
‘I have been very patient with you,’ she began. ‘I have put up with your autocratic ways and your tendency not to share your thoughts and feelings unless naked or pressed. I have given up my career and embraced a whole new world for you. I have born you a daughter. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, and you know it. Now say it again.’
‘I was going to have candles set out all around the room,’ he said, but his eyes were alight with unholy appreciation. ‘And jewellery, lots and lots of jewellery. A tiara.’
‘I do like tiaras,’ she said and picked up her other shoe and spun it until the stiletto heel faced him. ‘I’m waiting.’
‘Would you like to hear it in Russian or in French?’
She let fly with a grin and watched him double over when struck.
‘King,’ he wheezed. ‘Crown jewels.’
‘Still waiting,’ she said.
‘I love you.’ He said it in French and she sniffed. It wasn’t his mother tongue and it certainly wasn’t hers.
‘Again.’
‘I love you.’ He said it in Russian and that was much better. The words spoke to her heart but did they come from his?
‘Again.’
‘I love you. Beyond words, I will always love you.’ He said it in his own tongue, and this time she believed him.
A deep peace settled in her heart. Claudia wasn’t the only one who’d finally come home. ‘I love you too. But you already knew that.’
‘I’m really glad you’re out of shoes,’ he said. ‘Nor am I as tired as I was before. I love endorphins.’
They were alone in his bedroom, and his eyes held a promise she was never going to get tired of seeing. ‘Would you like me to give you something to do?’ she asked.
‘Yes.’
Playful Cas was back. The one who filled her heart to overflowing. ‘Would you like to take the rest of your clothes off?’
‘Why, yes.’ Just a man, when all was said and done. A man who’d offered her his heart. ‘I’d like that a lot.’
EPILOGUE
Two weeks later…
ANASTASIA DOUGLAS, FUTURE wife of King Casimir of Byzenmaach, was dressing for a ball. She wasn’t doing it alone. A small would-be duchess oversaw the production, and Ana’s future sister-in-law was getting dressed in the room too. Ana didn’t know who was more nervous about the upcoming introduction to Byzenmaach society, her or Claudia, but there was comfort to be had from company and Ana wasn’t about to say no to it.
Tailors had worked around the clock for a week in order to get the gowns ready to wear. Ana’s creation was ivory silk with a beaded pearl bodice that was a slightly darker shade of ivory than the fabric. The gown was backless and the pearls curved up and over her curves to wrap lovingly around her neck in a high collar. Her hair had been styled by experts and her pearl earrings were upstaged only by the delicate pearl and diamond strands woven through her hair. The only other piece of jewellery she wore was a ring on her engagement finger. It was big, it was pink, and it had once belonged to Casimir’s grandmother. It was a statement of intent.
