“Kon didn’t either. Not really. He just wanted to get you and Dima together.”
“Are you serious?” It was the second time Emma had made such a claim, so Jenna thought maybe she was, but it was so out there.
“Well, yes. I mean it was obvious to everyone you two had a thing for each other.”
“My brother said the same.”
“See?” Emma said like that settled it.
“We have a lot of chemistry,” Jenna conceded.
“Oh, my gosh, are you admitting it? Nataliya owes me five bucks.”
“You bet on it?”
“She bet me that you would never allow yourself to admit what you were feeling toward Dima because he’s a prince.”
“You took the bet?” Nataliya had been right, and Jenna hadn’t actually ever planned to act on her overwhelming attraction to the youngest Merikov.
“Sure. I said that kind of sexual tension was going to explode sometime, and I bet it would happen before Prince Evengi’s campaign to marry off his youngest son bore any fruit.”
“Dima said he agreed to meet women his father introduced him to.”
“I’m glad that doesn’t bother you. You know it doesn’t mean anything. Sometimes with my father-in-law, it’s easier to just go along in the short run while holding out for your own plans in the long term.”
“It sounds like you made five bucks on me. I think you owe me a coffee.”
“But that’s the whole profit.”
Jenna laughed. Like the princess couldn’t afford to buy her coffee. “Get my coffee money from Prince Konstantin. He owes me.”
“That he does,” Emma said with fervent agreement.
A week ago, Jenna would have been happy to keep rehashing everything, but she had bigger fish to fry now. “How do you handle it?”
“What? Having an arrogant husband who thinks he knows best?” Emma asked wryly.
Jenna laughed as she was meant to, but it was funny. Prince Konstantin had met his match in Emma, just as his kingly brother had in Nataliya. Neither woman was a pushover, and neither man would be happy if they were.
“Having people around all the time,” Jenna explained her question. “Never being alone, even in your own home.”
“I won’t say it’s not that bad. When you weren’t raised to it like they were, it really is hard.”
“And?”
“And you have to decide if it’s worth it to you to change your life to be with someone who can’t change theirs.” Emma’s words made it clear she knew this was about more than Jenna admitting she was attracted to Dima.
“You don’t do all the compromising.” Jenna had seen Emma put her foot down about things that were important to her.
“No, of course not. Kon really struggled at first with my insistence on what I callfamily dinnersat least twice a week.”
“But he works really hard to be there for dinner.” Jenna had seen the prince in action, cutting off phone calls and taking meetings late so he could be there for dinner with his wife and two boys.
Nikolai and Nataliya did the same thing. Jenna had always assumed it was a family tradition, even for the Merikovs.
“You’ve probably noticed it is their family tradition, but for me family dinner means him and me cooking together in the kitchen, letting the boys help where they can and then sitting down to eat together as well.”
“He didn’t understand the need to cook together?” Jenna guessed.