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"You do know we're still being watched," he observed.
Eliana glanced back toward the terrace. "Isn't there somewhere we can go?" she asked.
He thought for a moment, and then said. "Follow me."
She stood still and tilted her head. "Where are you taking me?"
"There's a gazebo on the other side of the palace. We can be alone there," he explained.
"I'm not sure I want to be alone with you," she snapped and folded her arms.
He smiled patiently. "Must we do this again?"
She narrowed her eyes. "I thought this is what we do, Kadeem. It's what we've done since this whole crazy business started."
"Argue all the time?" he said sharply. "I've been getting bored with all of that. Haven't you?"
She shook her head. "It's what we agreed, isn't it?"
He nodded and took a step closer to her. She didn't move, but just steadily watched him advance toward her.
"This time, it would be better if we speak without anyone overhearing us," he said.
"Why is this time any different?" she demanded.
He sighed. "I know what you were going to say in there," he stated.
"And you had to stop me."
He nodded. "I did. Because it was for the best.
She scoffed. "The best? For who?"
Kadeem drew in a deep breath. "This isn't the time, Ellie. You know that."
"Don't call me that," she said sharply.
He lowered his head slightly and looked at her from beneath furrowed brows. "Okay. I won't call you by that name." He gestured with his hand. "Now, can we go to the gazebo?"
She strode quickly past him, lifting her chin proudly and averting her eyes from him. How very royal, he told himself.
As he started to catch up with her, he recalled that this was how it had been with her for most of the time they'd spent together. Right from the very first dates.
From the moment of those early dates, the deliciously attractive, but feisty and very spoiled, Princess had defied him at every turn. And, she had gradually and inexorably burrowed her way into his heart.
But it had all been one way traffic. One night, Eliana had made her intentions clear to Kadeem. She had no intention of going through with the arrangement. She'd suggested that she and Kadeem ensure that it would all come to nothing. And the way she wanted to do that was make sure that every time they were in public together, every time they were with family and friends, it was to be made absolutely clear that she and Kadeem did not get along with each other.
At first he had been shocked by her proposal. Knowing it was going to be difficult to create the impression of animosity, he had objected. Especially since he found her so attractive. The last thing he wanted was to be unpleasant to her.
She had threatened to simply return to her country. Kadeem told himself that if that happened, there could be serious fallout. For everyone. Even a diplomatic incident.
Faced with that possibility, Kadeem knew the only way to keep Eliana close to him, for the time being, was to agree to the deception. If it succeeded, Eliana obviously believed it would free her from the threat of marriage to Kadeem. And in the meantime, Kadeem would get the chance he so desperately wanted. To keep Eliana close to him.
So, they had made an agreement. For the next few weeks, they'd be anything but the perfect couple. And, for the last couple of weeks, every time they'd been together, and with others around, they had tried to act coldly toward each other. They had faked disagreements. They had refused to kiss or show any intimacy. That last one had driven Kadeem almost to the point of insanity on more than one occasion.
And it would have all gone the way Eliana had wanted it to. But for one complication.
All of the fake disagreements; all of the coldness; all of the resistance had resulted in a very surprising and unexpected outcome. At least for Kadeem.
