“Not incompatible,” came the whisper. “Maybe I’m not explaining myself very well.”
He snorted. “You think? Why don’t you just come straight out and say what’s on your mind?”
She held up her hand. “Okay. What I’m trying to say is that I think we should get married.”
He opened his eyes wide, and he suspected his mouth had followed suit.
“Ela! You never cease to amaze me. One minute you’re talking—in a very luke-warm way, I have to say—about how compatible we are, and the next you’re saying we should get married. How did you jump from one to the other?”
“Logic.”
“Logic?”
She looked positively nervous now, as if she wanted him to rescue her from the mess she’d made of the conversation. Well, he was too riled up to give her a helping hand back into the sanity of his world.
“Yes, logic. Xander. We are no longer enemies. Would you agree?”
He nodded. “Yes,” he said slowly.
“Good. We agree on that, at least. You don’t even get on my nerves any more,” she said, with a disarming grin.
“And you don’t get on my nerves any more.”
Her grin dropped and her face becoming momentarily frosty. He smiled and she became frostier.
“I don’t see how I could get on your nerves,” she said.
“You brought up the subject.”
The frostiness melted and she nodded. “I suppose I did. Yes, we can talk to each other now without wanting to kill each other. I think that’s as good a basis for marriage as anything else.“
If it hadn’t been for her naive smile he would have thrown a jug of water over her.
“And you think that not wanting to kill each other is a good reason to marry?”
She shrugged. “Of course, why not?” She threw her hands open in an expansive gesture. “After all, our countries will be stronger together than apart. The infrastructure project won’t have any of the pitfalls and problems if we are united.”
He narrowed his eyes. “We will still be two separate countries.”
“Yes, but we are the same people essentially. It’s just in my country we are still in touch with our culture.”
His face darkened a little. “Meaning we are not?”
She shrugged. “Not exactly.” She sighed. “I simply mean that your… “ She hesitated while she carefully selected the right word. Xander couldn’t help wondering what the words were that she was rejecting. “Yourfocushas been on the economy. By marrying we would unite our countries—not formally—but in practice to be the best of both worlds. Both countries would have all the advantages increased commerce would bring. But the traditional life of your people and mine will continue. If we stand as one we can ensure that this happens.”
His arms were still crossed. He felt his frown was a permanent fixture. “That was quite some speech.”
“Xander, don’t you see? You’re single, I’m single, we… like each other, and I enjoyed making love with you. So…”
“So, you think we should marry based on those things.”
“Yes, that’s right. You would, of course, remain King of Sharq Havilah, and I would—”
“Of course—” he interjected.
She nodded in agreement. “Of course, remain Queen of Tawazun. We would spend half the time in each country, but in this day and age there’s nothing to prevent us from continuing to work away from our countries.”
He put his hands on his hips. “You appear to have it all worked out.”