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He lifted his espresso to his lips and took a sip. “It fascinates me that you will not take a compliment.”
“While it fascinates me that you’re so determined to give them.” She lifted a shoulder. “I don’t need to be complimented by you, Zeus. The fact of the matter is that if I were choosing husbands, I would not choose you, either.”
“I’m devastated. And you are still trapped. My condolences on the life of hardship that awaits you here.”
But she’d settled into her chair, despite his sardonic tone. And was clearly leaning into this topic. “You’re selfish. Your behavior is atrocious. That’s on a good day. As far as anyone can tell, the main purpose of your existence appears to be racking up as many sexual encounters as you can and flaunting them in the tabloids.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
Nina sighed. “As far as I’m aware, marriages like these survive because certain understandings are put in place from the start.”
She was more correct than she knew, but Zeus did not let himself react. He bit back the automatic response that leaped in him. And waited until he was calm enough to shrug.
With all expected indolence.
“I cannot say I have concerned myself overmuch with the state of marriages, royal or otherwise,” he said.
Across from him, Nina shifted in her chair. “I know that Isabeau had every intention of continuing her usual exploits while married to you. She talked about it all the time. All she needed to do was pop out an heir and then, duty done, she could return to doing what she truly enjoyed. The expectation was that you would do the same. And that neither of you would care.”
“And am I to expect the same understanding with you?” he asked. “Or are you worried that’s what I want?”
He forced himself to sound bored when he was...not. He unclenched his jaw. And his fist. And did not allow himself to contemplate this woman with other lovers. The very idea made everything in him...burn.
Not that Nina noticed.
“Oh, no, you misunderstand,” she said airily. “I already know my part.”
Everything in Zeus went still. Dangerously still.
Alarmingly still, even. Had he been paying attention to anything but her, he might have heeded those alarms.
“I beg your pardon. Do you have some lover you feel you cannot give up?”
Because if she did, he would rip the man apart. And then the world.
He opted not to ask himself why he, who had always professed he could not begin to understand the notion of jealousy or possession, felt both here. To a disturbing degree.
“It’s not aboutme,” Nina said, frowning at him. “It’s for you. I want you to go out there and do whatever it is you do so that I don’t have to worry about it.”
There was no answer she could have given that would have stunned him more.
“So you don’t...have toworryabout it?” He could do little more than blink in astonishment.
She nodded enthusiastically. “It’s a perfect solution. I’m sure your sexual demands are very... Well.Demanding.And I certainly couldn’t keep up with all that.” Nina waved a hand. “You should go out there and keep spreading it around, the way you always have. You have my blessing.”
And that strange temper kicked through him all over again. Laced through with what he could only assume was outrage that this woman who would be his wife was offering him carte blanche to carry on as if he were to remain single.
It felt blistering. Life-altering.
Yet the strangest part was, he knew that what she was suggesting should have thrilled him. Zeus had never been any particular fan of monogamy. He had often advanced the theory that it didn’t truly exist. That it was only fear masquerading as all the pledging of troths and other such horrors.
He should have been delighted with this, and yet he was not.
Not at all.
“This way, everyone’s happy,” she was saying brightly.Happily.“You can do what you do best. And I—”
“What is it, pray, that you do best?” Zeus growled. “I shudder to think.”
