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“I just met her,” Lacey insisted. “It’s not like we had an in-depth conversation.”
Hafiz shook his head. Her eyes shone with innocence, and yet he didn’t trust that the meeting was happenstance. She could have arranged to meet the sultana and dropped a few bombshells. He didn’t want to think of how many times those blue eyes possibly duped him in the past.
“I swear, I didn’t tell her anything.”
And yet, despite careful planning of keeping his family and private life separate, his mother managed to meet his mistress. “This is not happening,” he muttered. Being introduced to a mistress or concubine was considered a deep offense to the sultana. If the truth came out, he would pay the penalty for it. “You planned this, didn’t you?”
“Planned what? An introduction with your mother?” Lacey asked listlessly, as if the fight had evaporated from her. She looked out the window at the dusty city streets whizzing past them.
“You hinted at it when you first arrived here. How you wanted to meet my family. Then it turned into a bold request and finally a demand.”
Lacey rubbed her hands over her face and gave a deep sigh. “That was before I understood our relationship was completely forbidden. That I was somehow beneath you and not good enough to meet your family.”
Beneath him? Where did she get that idea? “I told you that it was complicated.”
“But you didn’t tell me that it was impossible.” She returned her attention to the window as if she couldn’t bear to look at him. “I should have known something was up when you didn’t introduce me to your friends. I was so naïve.”
“I have nothing to apologize for.”
She shook her head. “You brought me over here under false pretenses. I thought we were going to live together.”
Hafiz’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “I never made that offer. Us, together in the palace?” He shuddered at the thought. “We would have been cast out in seconds.”
“Obviously you and I had different ideas about being together. I didn’t think you would hide my existence from your family.”
“And when you realized that meeting them wasn’t going to happen, you decided to take matters into your own hands.”
“Like my introduction to your mother? What would be the point?” She turned to face him. “What do you think I did? Just walk up to her and say, ‘Hi, I’m Lacey. I’m Hafiz’s mistress and I hope to continue even after he’s married?’ Do you really think I’m capable of that?”
He stared at her with disbelieving horror as something close to panic clenched his stomach. “You would if you thought it would help.”
“Help?” She watched him with growing suspicion. “Help what?”
“To stop me from getting married.” She would eventually realize that he wasn’t going to stop it. He accepted that his future wasn’t going to be happy or loving. He had known that for the past decade.
“For the last time,” she said, her voice rising, “I was not trying to wreck your wedding. I am going against every instinct I have by not fighting for you.” She tilted her head back and rested it against the seat. “Is that what makes you so suspicious? You gave me up and thought I would fight for you. For us. Because I immediately backed off, I must be up to something?”
“You think I gave you up easily? That there was no thought involved, no hesitation? I had put off my marriage for as long as possible so I could be with you.”
“You put off your marriage so you could get a better deal,” Lacey said through clenched teeth. “Like getting another shot at becoming the crown prince. Then you couldn’t get rid of me fast enough.”
“Lacey, I am not your parents. Try not to compare me with them. I didn’t discard you to pursue my life’s ambition.”
Lacey’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Don’t bring my parents into this.”
“You think I’m abandoning you out of ambition just like your parents. You act as if my life is going to overflow with happiness and abundance once you’re out of my life. Do you think your parents had a better life without you?”
