“You’re right. I don’t want to hear about this.” I tore my gaze from him and looked away, smile forgotten. I couldn’t pretend to be okay listening to his night with another woman.
“You were the girl.” He brought his hand to my face again and turned it to his. “You left before morning but you’d told me your villa was next door, so I went looking the minute I realized you were gone. You’d already left for the States. Etienne was driving you to the airport, but your father was home. He refused to give me your information. He said I was a disgrace and he couldn’t believe his daughter would ever be with the likes of me.”
“He said that?” I stopped dancing and lowered my hand from his shoulder.
“It was why I didn’t tell you from the first moment I saw you again that I recognized you. That I looked for you.”
“Why would he want to hide me from you?”
“I was a playboy.” He shrugged. “It was what he saw when he saw me. Summer after summer.”
“I don’t want to think about that. What about the child? Is it true you got a woman pregnant and didn’t own up to it?” I asked. It had always been just a rumor, but now I wasn’t so sure. When he didn’t answer right away, I shimmied my body until he dropped his arm from the small of my back and let me pull away completely.
“Can we talk about this outside of this room?”
I froze and looked around for the first time and saw the photographers, the people looking at us and whispering, magnified by all of the mirrors around us, and the panic I thought I’d left behind when the sex video with my ex went away started creeping in. I wasn’t sure if Elias saw it or not, but he grabbed my hand and escorted me out of the Hall of Mirrors and into the room across the hall.
“Are you okay?” he asked once he’d closed the door behind us, took off the floor-length red royal shawl around him, setting it down on the chair beside the door.
I watched as he removed the huge crown on his head and set it down on the chair as well, wondering if he was supposed to be doing that, but not caring enough to ask. I took a deep breath and looked around. The room was huge, dripping opulence. Definitely not the place to take someone who doesn’t want to be overwhelmed. As I walked around, in awe of everything, I forgot why we were even in here and what had led us to leave that room, but just as suddenly, I stopped walking and remembered.
“No, I’m not okay.” I turned around and faced him. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“I didn’t. I’ve always been careful with who I had sex with and I never slept with any of the locals. Only you.” He ran a hand through his already brushed back hair. “I swear on everything, Addie. I’ve never fathered a child by anyone.”
“So it’s just a rumor?”
“Of course. What kind of man do you think I am not to claim my own child, regardless of the consequences?”
“I believe you.” I exhaled heavily after a moment. “I’m sorry. I’ve just had quite the evening.”
“I have more for you to process.” Elias walked over to me slowly, closing the distance between us. “And I hope you don’t walk away from me this time.”
“What?” My heart pounded. Was it about the wedding? Was it about the mistress thing because having him this close after not having him at all would make it that much more difficult to say no to that.
“I broke off the engagement to Emily.”
“What?”
“I won’t be marrying her.” He brought a hand out and held one of mine. “I want to be with you.”
“But I’m not a royal.” I frowned.
“I’m the king now, Addie. I make my own rules.” His lips turned up slightly. “Will you do this with me?”
“I . . . ”
“I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m asking you to just try this out. I know it’s a lot to ask and there will be a lot for you to give up if you decide you’re in it for the long run, so think of this as . . . me courting you. The way I should have this entire summer.” His thumb ran along the back of my hand. “Please?”
“Who am I to deny my king?” I whispered, a small smile touching my lips.
Elias’s eyes lit up as he laughed. “Really? You’ll try?”
“I’ll try.” I couldn’t help the way my smile widened. Seeing him this happy was everything.
“Thank you.” He grinned, bringing his hands to my face, and pulled me into a kiss.
“So, is this where you’re sleeping now?” I asked, pulling away and looking around again.