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“I am very sorry. It was not intentional.” His right hand slipped down and around to press against her stomach, guiding her body back toward his.
“I never thought it was.” She was just a one-night stand that wouldn’t go away and his apology didn’t change that, but she’d still liked hearing it. “Please let go of me.”
She couldn’t blame him for not wanting to spend time with her, but his touch brought her emotions too close to the surface. And that was something she couldn’t deal with.
His lips brushed against her temple. “I want nothing more than to spend the afternoon with you.”
“Right.”
He gently but firmly turned her to face him. If she could believe the evidence of her eyes, his expression showed turmoil equal to Liyah’s. And this time, he was doing nothing to hide it.
It shouldn’t matter, but it did. Forcing her gaze straight ahead, she opened her mouth to demand again he let her go, but she could not make the words come out.
She wanted this closeness.
He sighed, his hands rubbing in circles on Liyah’s back. “I have spent the past two days putting out fires Tahira’s elopement sparked. We have two border countries offering a similar alliance, accepting either one of which would lead to a dangerous political imbalance and almost certain aggression on the part of the other.”
Did he even realize he was still touching Liyah?
“Tahira’s country should be offering reparations along with the previously agreed-upon treaty, but her uncle’s current strategy is to lay blame for her defection at my door.”
Liyah had stubbornly kept her gaze on his chest, but she had to see what he was feeling about that. She raised her head, their gazes clashing immediately.
A volatile mix of emotions poured through her, needing the smallest spark to send them burning sky-high.
Longing. Love. Desire. Need. Pain. And worry.
Because he had major stress lines around his beautiful brown eyes.
Of its own volition, her hand lifted to smooth away those lines. “Sounds tense.”
“That’s one word for it. I have others that aren’t acceptable in mixed company.”
“Is it going to be okay?” Was he going to be all right?
“Yes, because there is no other option.”
“Are you going to marry someone from those other two countries?”
“No.”
“What about Tahira’s country. Maybe she’s got a sister? A cousin?”
He shook his head. “Right now the idea of a politically motivated match is leaving a very bad taste in my mouth.”
“That makes sense.” Liyah did her best to ignore her heart’s leap at his pronouncement.
“So, with all of this to occupy my thoughts, you’d think there was no room for anything else.”
“You don’t have to make excuses for not seeing me. Your mother is kind, but she’s wrong. You don’t owe me anything.” Maybe if Liyah kept saying it, he’d realize she believed it.
No matter how much the truth hurt.
“I wasn’t trying to excuse myself. I was admitting that even with everything else on my mind right now, I cannot stop thinking about you, craving you.”
“You mean sex.” Disappointing, but not unexpected. And it wasn’t as if she’d say no. Surely he had to realize that.
“That’s definitely part of it, but I want to take you sightseeing.”
