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Aria woke up to see Tai staring down at her. Or was it Zander? Or had Zander only existed in a steamy dream? “Tai?”
“Zander,” he corrected. “Tai is in the shower. I need to talk to you before he comes back.”
She nodded, then pulled the sheet around her and sat up. “The link I feel with you is stronger than I feel with Tai,” she said, her voice laced with guilt. “Even so,” she rushed on to say, “I won’t leave him.” Her gaze locked with Zander’s. “Please don’t make me,” she implored. “You said yourself that it was good that he spoke up for himself and—”
He covered her lips with his finger, stilling her words.
“I don’t intend to make you.” He stroked her cheek with his index finger, arousing every nerve-ending along the way. “You’re wrong that you feel the link stronger with me.”
She stared at him, dumbfounded, unable to believe he was denying their link. Her heart clenched. It was one thing for her to decide to stay with Tai. It was quite another for her true soul-mate to deny her effect on him. How could he so casually shrug off what they had?
Yet another person who didn’t feel she was worth fighting for.
“How can you say that?” she demanded. “You felt it too. I know you did.”
His hands slid over her shoulders. Gentle. Reassuring. “Yes, I did.”
As she stared into his soft gray eyes, she felt the pain of rejection slip away. That insecurity didn’t suit her anymore. It was an old habit she decided to drop, right here, right now. Tai had fought for her. He’d loved her enough to endanger his relationship with his brother. And his king.
The king who sat before her right now. The king who’d made love to her not long ago.
She pulled the sheet tighter around herself. “So you will let Tai and me get married.”
“Yes, if you still want to after I explain.”
“What’s going on?”
Aria froze as she heard Tai’s voice.
Tai walked toward the bed, a white towel loosely wrapped around his waist.
“Your tanash’ae is an amazing woman, Tai.” Zander locked gazes with her, his silver-gray pupils holding her attention with hypnotic force.
Tai rubbed his hair briskly with a towel. “Don’t I know it.”
“She gave up being queen for you.”
“She never did like the idea of pairing up with you.”
“Maybe not before…”
Tai froze, then slowly lowered the towel from his head. “What do you mean by that?” Tai’s words came out slow and tight.
Aria glanced from one to the other. What was Zander trying to do?
“When Aria and I first kissed, she felt a stronger link than she had with you.”
Tai’s eyes narrowed. “Are you saying—?”
“No, I’m not saying I’m taking your woman. But I need to tell you that you are not her tanash’ae.”
Aria felt a part of her die inside. How could he hurt his brother like that?
Tai’s hands slashed sideways. “No way, Zander. You aren’t going to convince me of that. If this is another test—”
“Not a test. She isn’t my tanash’ae, either.”
“What the heghat are you saying?”
