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‘My people need him to come home, Frankie. He is part of that myth—he is our future.’
Her eyes swept shut on a wave of desolation. ‘You speak of your people, and you speak of his destiny. These are the words of a king, not a father.’ She turned to face him. ‘How can you not care about him as your son? He is a little boy and for two and a half years he has existed and all you care about is his destiny to rule a country he hasn’t even heard of. You haven’t asked me a single thing about him!’
His eyes glittered at the truth of her accusation. ‘You think I am not burning to know every single detail about my son? You think I am not desperate to meet him and hold him to me, and look into his face and understand him? Of course I am. But first I must secure your understanding for what will happen next. We must move quickly if we are to control this.’
‘Control what?’
He expelled an impatient breath and his nostrils flared.
‘Our marriage.’
‘Marriage?’ She paled visibly. ‘I’m not marrying you!’
‘With respect, Frankie, that decision was taken out of our hands the minute you conceived Leo.’
‘That’s not how I see it.’
‘Then let me be clear: there is no reality where I will not be raising my son as my son and heir.’
‘Fine. Be his father. Even let him be the heir to your damned country—’
Matthias’s expression darkened.
‘But don’t think you can show up after three years and try to take over our lives. Whatever we shared that night, it was fleeting. Meaningless. Just like you said. And it’s over. You’re just some guy I frankly wish I’d never met.’
His cheekbones were slashed a dark red. ‘That may be the case, but we did meet. We slept together and now we have a son. And I cannot ignore that. We must marry, Frankie. Surely you can see it’s the only way?’
She drew in a shaking breath at the finality of that, and fear trembled inside her breast.
‘No.’
‘No?’ he repeated, and then laughed, a harsh sound of disbelief. ‘You cannot simply say “no” to me.’
‘Because you’re a king?’
His eyes narrowed watchfully. ‘Because I am his father, and I will fight you with every breath in my body to bring him home.’
‘He is home!’
‘He is the heir of Tolmirós and he belongs in the palace.’
‘With you?’
‘And you. You’ll be my wife, the Queen of a prosperous, happy country. It’s not like I’m asking you to give him up. Nor to move somewhere unpleasant. You wouldn’t even have to live with me—I have many palaces; you could choose which you wanted to reside in. Your life will be significantly improved.’
‘How can you say that? I’d be married to you.’
‘And?’
‘I hardly even know you!’ The words flew from her mouth and her body immediately contradicted them. Her body knew his well. So well. Even now, dressed as he was, she saw him naked. She saw his broad, muscular chest, his swarthy tan, his wide shoulders, and her insides slicked with moist heat as—out of nowhere—she remembered the way he’d possessed her utterly and completely.
‘We will get to know each other enough.’ He shrugged. ‘Enough to raise a family together, enough to be a good King and Queen.’
He spoke dispassionately, calmly, but the words he spoke, the images they made, filled her with a warm, tingling sense in her gut. ‘It’s that easy for you?’
‘I’ve never expected any differently.’
‘Wait a second. You told me tonight that you’re engaged. So what’s your fiancée going to say about this?’
