‘How do you know it’s unnecessary?’ She bristled. ‘There’s more than the obvious reason for taking the pill. If you must know, my cycle is problematic and the pill makes it easier for me to manage.’
‘But you’ve been staying here for the last few days. Did my men pack your pills?’
‘When they went through all my personal things?’ She was incensed. ‘No, they did not. Because I keep them with me.’ She marched to her bag and emptied it out on the table, snatching up the pack of tablets and thrusting it in his face. ‘Here’s your proof.’
She watched him. He just couldn’t help himself. He had to check, his eye quickly seeing the empty spots in the blister pack. They proved she’d been taking the medication regularly. He proved he didn’t trust her word.
‘You think I’d lie?’ she asked softly. ‘You think I’d try to take advantage of you?’
He hesitated.
She sucked in a breath. ‘I’m not her. You should know that.’
‘I just...’
‘No. No “just”, Giorgos. I’ve never lied to you. I’ve never tried to trick you. But you still can’t trust me.’
It hurt so much more than it should. Because she’d trusted him—utterly. And he’d treated her with such tenderness and respect. Her body, that was. But this was more than physical intimacy now. This was a threat to his future and now his true feelings were on display. He didn’t want her—not the same way she wanted him.
Suddenly she realised just how much trouble she was in. How much hurt she was seconds away from suffering.
‘I told you everything,’ he gritted. ‘How can you say I don’t trust you?’
‘You just proved it,’ she said quietly.
Would it have been so awful if she’d got pregnant? Obviously to him, yes. He’d wanted to get rid of that potential problem as quickly as possible because he didn’t care about her. But she...? She felt...
She paced, hiding her face as she realised just how deeply she’d fallen for him. How had she thought she could remain in control and safe? Because he was ultimately unattainable? That didn’t matter a jot—he’d still got to her. She’d become entranced. Even though he was bossy and decisive and so...so damn strong.
It’s just a crush.
He was her first—that was why she felt such a connection, right? But she knew just what a lie that was. It was like being hit by a bus—realising just how hard she’d fallen for him.
‘I do trust you,’ he said in a clipped voice. ‘But I should have stopped,’ he said quietly. ‘I should have used protection. My anger was misplaced. I was angry with myself.’
‘I should have stopped as well,’ she snapped back. ‘You don’t get to assume total responsibility for what happened. It was as much my fault as yours. I knew there was something different. I felt it.’
The darkness in his eyes deepened. ‘Did you like how it felt?’ he asked, ever so softly.
Somehow he’d crowded her. Somehow she was back against the wall and he was right there in front of her.
Her breathing quickened. ‘Yes...’
So close. He was so dear to her. And quickly they were back to this all-consuming intensity and desire. But now she knew there was nothing beneath that for him. She couldn’t let him close again. Not when he hadn’t even apologised for the real hurt—he didn’t even know what it was.
‘Stop, Giorgos.’
His jaw hardened. ‘Why?’
She glanced away from him. ‘I have to get back to work. So do you.’
‘I will see you in Palisades?’
She stopped breathing. He offered such temptation. But goosebumps lifted. ‘No.’
‘I’ll send for you,’ he said urgently. ‘No one will see the car under cover of darkness.’
She chilled at his plan. ‘And will I leave again a couple of hours later?’
‘Yes.’
A booty call?
‘No one will know,’ he added with arrogant assurance. ‘I’m sure we can manage it. I’d build a goddamn private tunnel from your place to the palace if I could.’
It was that important that no one knew he was sleeping with her?
‘Because I’m that much of a liability?’
He stiffened. ‘That wasn’t what I meant.’
She made herself breathe. Made herself remain strong for her own future—her own freedom. His acceptance of her in public had been only in her role as the black sheep of his new brother-in-law’s family. Not anything else. She wasn’t good enough for him to be seen with in a relationship. Clearly there was nothing worse than that idea for him.
Initially she’d been fine with their affair being conducted in secret—that had made total sense for them both. But that had been when it was a short-term fling—her lessons in sensuality. But for an ongoing arrangement? No.
‘I should go now,’ she said shakily. ‘I want to go now.’
‘Kassie—’
‘We’re over,’ she interrupted furiously. ‘It was only ever going to be these few days.’
That had been her decision. Her terms.
He didn’t move. ‘I don’t want this to be over.’
‘It has to be.’ She gritted her teeth.
He placed his hands on her shoulders. ‘Just a little longer.’
She quaked inside at his touch. ‘Just a little longer?’ She half-laughed, half-sobbed. ‘You can’t be serious. What do you want us to do—carry on an affair in secret? Or do I get to become your consort? Your concubine? Do I get to sit around and wait for you for ever and ever?’
‘You’re putting an overlay on this that doesn’t need to be there. You’re not your mother—’
‘That’s right. I’m not. I’ll never be a kept woman. I’ll never wait and wait...’
‘I’m not asking you to. I’m not offering false hope—’
‘You’re asking me to stall my future.’
He dragged in a harsh breath. ‘I’m asking you to stay in the present. To let this thing between us run its natural course.’
‘Its “natural course”?’ She laughed bitterly. ‘You mean run until you get sick of me.’
He paled. ‘Kassie—’
‘So I suspend everything and wait to meet you in secret?’
She knew marriage—love—was never going to happen. Not for her—not from him. He didn’t think she was worth public acceptance—not really.
‘Secrecy is to protect you. For your safety.’
‘So I don’t get judged in the press for being your mistress?’ she said scathingly. ‘More like so you don’t get judged for having a mistress,’ she snarled, so, so hurt. ‘What if I meet someone else?’
She saw the arrogant tilt of his chin at her suggestion.
‘What happens when you finally decide to step up to your burdensome royal duty and propose to the perfect Princess?’ she asked rawly. ‘What happens when you finally choose your wife? What happens to me then?’
He froze. ‘That’s not—’
‘You’re happy to waste my time until then?’
‘You don’t want this to be over any more than I do,’ he argued angrily, his fingers tightening on her skin.
‘I want what’s best for me. And that isn’t you.’
‘You said this was just sex,’ he taunted her, that wildness flashing in his eyes. ‘You said you had nothing to lose by being with me.’