Page 123

‘I’ve made this choice.’

‘Really?’ She itched to ease the tension emanating from his stance. ‘You’ve had who you have to become branded on you from birth.’

‘I’ll admit I avoided that responsibility for a while.’ He cleared his throat. ‘I was part-time prince, but this is what I want. I am now the King.’

And was there really no room for her in the equation? No part she could play? She swallowed. ‘What if you want a few moments of feel-good escape?’

His jaw tightened and he turned to the window. ‘A king can still have consorts, but my affairs will be more discreet than they were before.’

She stilled as a fireball of acid burst in her stomach. He could consider other women? ‘What about the fact that you’re married to me?’

‘It won’t take long to end that,’ he growled. ‘Which was always the plan.’

Originally yes, but not as soon as this. And surely not now things between them had changed. They had changed.

‘I’ll be too busy for anything for a long time and I certainly won’t marry again,’ he added.

Because he wanted to go back to his assortment of lovers? As if that made her feel better. Furious words filled her throat so fast they got stuck there.

‘Nor will I have heirs. That’ll be for Erik to handle. But there’ll certainly be no more crown princes tormented by bones in the dark. Erik would never do that.’

‘Nor would you. You would never, ever do that!’

He whirled back to face her. ‘You need to go and pack. I need to prepare.’

No. He wasn’t getting rid of her that easily. She stepped forward. ‘This is all your plan—you’ve not asked what I want.’

‘You want safety and security, the independence and freedom to do your own thing.’

‘What if what I want has changed?’ She moved forward while he backed up to the window. ‘What if I want to be married to a man who I can be myself around? Who supports me—who not only wants to hear what I have to say, but also encourages me to say it loudly? What if I want to spend the rest of my life doing all the things with him? To ride the highs and the lows, to swim and laugh, maybe even have a family? What if that is the kingdom that I want to build and protect?’

His knuckles were whiter than the kid gloves he clenched between them. ‘You should have that.’

‘What if I want that with you?’

‘Stop, Tilly.’

‘I thought you weren’t afraid of anything I might have to say,’ she whispered. ‘You said I could ask anything.’

‘And you can,’ he said tightly, jerking one glove on. ‘But just because you ask, doesn’t mean you always get. No one always gets what they want. Not everything.’

‘I’m in love with you, Alex.’

‘Two weeks ago you hated me. It’s just chemistry.’ His gaze skittered to the side of her. ‘You haven’t had a chance to know anything for sure. You’ve never met anyone—’

‘I’ll never want anyone but you.’

He swallowed. ‘Tilly—’

‘You’re doing this because it’s what I once wanted, but you won’t believe what I want now?’ she questioned, frustration flaring. ‘You won’t listen no matter what I say or do?’ She hated that he dismissed her words when she was finally speaking. Why was he so determined to shut her down? ‘You think you’re that unlovable?’

He closed his eyes briefly. ‘Maybe, Tilly. What if I get angry? What if I feel that rage?’

‘It’s okay to be angry. You feel it. Acknowledge it. Find a safe way to express it and it’ll pass—’

‘It never passes!’ he hissed.

‘Then get help,’ she said. ‘So much for no judgement—you judge yourself too harshly and you try to handle everything alone when no one can do that.’