Constance sat curled up on her bed, staring at nothing. Waiting. She tried to tell herself she wasn’t waiting, but she was. Kai would have gotten the paperwork yesterday. Constance knew it was already essentially over, but when the papers of resignation were signed, their relationship would officially be through.
It was a good thing. Constance kept telling herself that. When the papers came back, she could take off her clothes and move back to the other side with her fellow odalisques. She could begin the process of forgetting about Kai and all the things she almost had in his arms. When she got back into the swing of things, everything would be okay.
She glanced up as one of the servants came to the door. “Miss Constance, there is a man here to see you. Downstairs. Would you care to come down?”
Kai. Just like that, she was petrified. What would she do? What would she say? She’d hoped against hope that he might care enough to come, but now that he had, she felt panicked. The formally dressed servant waited patiently, not reacting to the fact that she was sitting there like an idiot wringing her hands. She knew she ought to send the servant back with the message that she didn’t want to see him...
But instead she was on her feet, out the door and down the hall, following behind the servant’s swishing coattails. She almost stepped on the back of his heels, she was so anxious to walk faster, to get there--
The servant opened the door to Bastien’s office. Her eyes swept the room in search of Kai only to discover...Mason Cooke.
“Constance, you have a visitor,” Bastien said. “If you like, I’ll send him away.”
Mason raised his eyebrows just an iota. She read the plea there. He looked nothing like the last time she’d seen him. He was shaved, impeccably dressed in a button down shirt and khakis. Constance gave Bastien a nod of endorsement, and with one last look at the both of them, he left and closed the door.
Mason looked at her, relief clearly written on his face. “Thank you.”
Constance went around the other side of Bastien’s desk. She took a sheaf of his fussy linen paper and jotted down, For what?
“For not hating me, for one thing. You don’t hate me, do you?”
Constance regarded him for a moment, remembering their last time together. I don’t hate you. But I meant what I said to you that day. I can’t be your odalisque.
“Constance, I’m so sorry. That day…the way I acted... It was inexcusable. And I know you can’t be my odalisque. I was in a crazy place to even think about it. My marriage was over, I was lonely, I felt hounded, and I just...” He twisted his hands together. “I just wasn’t thinking right. And Kai… Jesus.”
Have you talked to him? Constance asked.
“No. But Satya says...”
Mason’s voice drifted off, as if he didn’t want to say more. You talked to Satya? Constance wrote to prompt him.
Mason shrugged. “I don’t have many other friends right now. She wanted to know why you left, and Kai wouldn’t tell her. Why did you leave?”
Constance shook her head. I didn’t leave. He sent me away.
Mason looked horrified. “Because of me? God, Constance, I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t just you. It was a lot of stuff.
Mason fell silent, biting a finger. Constance finally wrote, Is that the only reason you came? To apologize? To be forgiven?
He took a deep breath and blew it out. “I came to make amends. I came because I did a really awful thing, and now I have to do a really good one. I came here to convince you to go back to my friend.”
There’s no point, she wrote. He doesn’t want me back. If he did, he would be here instead of you.
“Satya told me he’s really miserable. She’s worried about him.”
I’ll only make things worse.
Mason narrowed his eyes at her. “In what way?” He tapped the paper. “Tell me.”
Don’t get snippy with me, she scrawled. Whatever I write, you’ll just argue with it.
“Yes, I will. Because I happen to think the two of you belong together. He’s in love with you, you know. And you’re in love with him. Before you try to deny it,” he warned, holding up a hand, “remember, I saw your face when you came to the door. When you thought I was Kai waiting in here.”
Constance blinked, flicking at the edge of the paper. He needs a hearing wife. Someone well-mannered and poised.
“Bullshit.”
To attend all those charities and things he does. Those parties.
“We don’t have scatter parties that often,” Mason protested. “And he wouldn’t make you do them if you didn’t want to.”
She gave him a withering look. I meant the business and charity parties.
Mason shrugged. “He wouldn’t make you do those either.”
He wants children. He needs someone who would be a good mom.
“Now who’s making excuses? You don’t know any of that for sure. You don’t know what he’d be willing to give up out of love for you, especially with all he’d be gaining. Listen, just come back with me. Talk to him.”
There’s nothing to talk about! she wrote angrily. I’m the wrong person for him to be in love with.
“Ah, but you know,” said Mason, wagging his finger, “that’s not your decision to make. Kai gets to decide who he loves. Not you. And you know who you love, Constance. You can deny what you’re feeling, but that won’t make it go away.”
Oh God. It was so true. If she wasn’t so chick
enshit, she’d admit he was right. She’d go back with him to Los Angeles and at least take a stab at things with Kai. There had to be some slim chance things would work out between them. 1% chance? 5% chance? She was mentally calculating the odds when Mason jumped up out of his chair. A blur of bronze skin and dark hair passed by her, hands outstretched for Mason’s throat.
Constance shook off her shock and tugged at Kai’s arm. Bastien ran in, a couple of burly footmen behind him. They hauled Kai away from Mason. “He just stormed in, Constance, Mr. Cooke,” said Bastien. “I’m sorry.”
Kai was looking from Constance to Mason and back again like he couldn’t decide who to murder first. “This isn’t what it looks like,” Mason said.
“Oh, really?” snapped Kai. “Because it looks like you’re still trying to acquire my fucking odalisque.”
Constance stepped in front of Kai to get his attention. “He’s not here for that,” she signed. “Mason came here to convince me to come back to you.”
All the bluster seemed to go out of Kai then. The men let him go. Constance couldn’t take her eyes off him, standing there, breathing hard and opening and closing his fists. He looked like some glorious avenger without a battle to fight. Or maybe he did have a battle to fight. Mason said something to him and then smiled at Constance. Bastien ushered everyone out until Kai and Constance were alone.
She waited to see what he was going to say, but instead he pulled a ragged sheet of paper out of his wallet. He unfolded it and slid it across the desk. “I found this in the saray.”
She read the words, the truths she’d written about what she felt in her heart. Constance let the paper drop and gazed into his eyes. “I’m sorry. I only did what I thought was best. I never wanted to hurt you.” Her hands dragged under the weight of all she had to explain. “I’m so afraid of upheaval,” she signed slowly, begging him to understand. “Violent feelings. Dependence on someone. Love. I’m afraid of falling in love and having my heart broken. Or worse. That’s a lot of the reason I became an odalisque.”