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He was the clearest, brightest part of my heart. The most indelible light in my soul.
The best thing that had ever happened to me.
Thoughts I forced myself to stow, as the crowd fell into sudden silence. Another peek, and I saw why. Evrest had stepped to the podium, arms raised in stately welcome. Holy shit. The serene and commanding thing certainly ran in the DNA. The man was, from his head to his toes, every inch a king—
Surpassed in hotness only by his youngest brother.
To be fair, all the Cimarron men were stunning tonight, clad in the modernized brocade doublets befitting their status, paired with tailored black trousers tucked into gleaming Hessian boots. But Ardent, Evrest, and Samsyn came nowhere close to filling their regal wear like Shiraz. He was beauty and masculinity, elegance but confidence, serenity meshed with strength. As his long fingers rested against his black-clad thighs, my mind surged with a parade of items around which they’d wrap perfectly. The stem of a wine glass. The hilt of a sword. Both my erect nipples.
My breath snagged painfully.
Not just because of the fantasy.
Because the second it slammed me, it slammed him.
No. It was a thorough coincidence, even a careless slip, that I’d been so fixated on him, my head had risen beyond the “just peeking” position—and that in the same second he’d looked up, burning his stare at the very spot I crouched in.
Total coincidence. Nothing more.
And everything more.
As our gazes latched. Held. Connected.
Grieved.
Even then, I couldn’t stop looking. Despite the pain…perhaps because of it. Needing the jolt, to remind me of the reality. It hadn’t all been just a fantasy. It had all really happened.
He’dreally happened.
I’d fallen for him this hard.
We were forced back to reality when Evrest’s voice flowed out through the loud speakers.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the foreign press, my fellow Arcadian Court and High Council, and of course, my honored guests of island citizenry…karsivoir en Arcadia.”
A milder spatter of applause had the king pausing and smiling.
And again, Shiraz lifting…and staring.
“Those words are the highest welcome of our land,” Evrest went on, “extended to all of you, as our honored guests at the Palais Arcadia this evening—a night in which we rededicate ourselves to putting aside the challenges of our past, to celebrate the shining hope of our future. I am happy to announce that the first step of that future commences construction in two days: a new, modern air terminal, supporting our new, operational plane tarmac.”
He lifted his voice on the last syllable, to compete with the motorized roar suddenly splitting the sky. Everyone looked up, breaking into exhilarated yells once more, as the Cimarron Cessna dipped over the lawn, the crew members tossing handfuls of shiny confetti.
The crowd cheered louder.
Red and gold danced on the air.
I saw only cobalt blue, pierced into me once more. For minutes this time. Long, wonderful, agonizing minutes.
When the confetti finally settled, Evrest continued.
“It is a bright future—but not one without lessons we have learned from the past—most importantly, that we are part of the world’s community now. With that community, we must also respect and revere our national security. We can no longer expect the western world to do it for us,”—the king straightened and jerked back his shoulders—“which is why we shall go to the western world to teach us.”
An audible murmur sprinkled through the crowd along with the dissipating confetti. I focused on the puzzled faces below as an excuse not to acknowledge the one already staring at mine. Again.
“I have spoken with the leaders of several major countries, the United States and Great Britain included, about clearing select members of the Arcadian armed forces to join their special operations teams, to learn better ways of protecting our beautiful land in hands-on training situations. This process will take approximately six to eight months, and only involve select members of our military.” Evrest cocked a brow toward the cameras and reporters, pressing in for dramatic effect as they live-fed the announcement to the world. “I promise you all a formal press conference tomorrow morning, with more details forthcoming then—but tonight, we are focused on celebrating our future. On all the new, incredible things in that future.”
He reached backward then, beckoning for Camellia. A nod brought Brooke to her feet, dragging a grumbling Samsyn with her. Obviously, the big warrior enjoyed the spotlight as much as he would a root canal.
