She looked away as if searching to escape and turned to walk away. He wasn’t about to let that happen. It was now or never. He had to get that box ticked so he could proceed with his plans.
“Well, I hope you believe me when I tell you I love you.”
Even to his ears, the words didn’t sound convincing—nothing like the films. Convincing or not, Gabrielle stopped in her tracks. She turned her head to look at him, brow knitted, her mouth open. “What?” The word sounded strangely strangled.
He cleared his throat. “I love you.” Again, it didn’t sound like he’d imagined it would. He, who rarely was aware of people, was now conscious of looks being shot his way. He wanted this wound up. He shifted onto his other leg. “So… what do you think?” He winced inside of himself—he never sounded needy, but it appeared he was now.
She turned to face him. It was she who appeared unaware now of onlookers. “What do I think? I think you’re saying words that you believe I’d like to hear. That’s what I think.”
He sighed with impatience as he heard his name called by his vizier. He turned to see him approaching along with King Amir and King Roshan. His time was running out. He turned back to Gabrielle and stepped closer to her so that only she could hear now.
“I’m saying what I feel.”
“Really? It doesn’t sound like that’s what you feel.”
“I don’t know what I’m meant to sound like, but take it from me, that’s what I feel. All right?”
“All right?” she repeated back to him. Or was she repeating it? Perhaps she was confirming that everything was, indeed, all right.
“Isn’t it?” he asked.
“Isn’t it what?”
“All right? The fact that I love you. I assume you still love me, so that sorts everything.”
She drew in a deep sigh. “You’re incredible.”
He narrowed his eyes. “The way you said that it doesn’t sound like a good thing.” He held up his hand to stop his vizier’s impatient voice.
“Zavian!” she said, shaking her head.
“Your Majesty,” butted in the vizier. “People are waiting to see you.”
“Right,” he said. “Right,” he said to Gabrielle. “I have to go. But I want you to know that I’ve done what you said. I’ve considered the matter and concluded that you’re right. I love you.”
“There you go again.”
“I’m repeating,” he said clearly, “because you aren’t responding to me as I anticipated.”
She glanced at the vizier, who was giving her a black look. “You should go. You’re expected elsewhere.”
He drew her closer. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me you understand. I love you. Three words you wanted, and I’ve given them to you. I assume that they’re not unwelcome.” He raised an imperious eyebrow. He couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“Go, Zavian. We can talk about this later.”
“No. I need to know now whether what I’ve said is sufficient for you to marry me.”
She shook her head but smiled at the same time. True, it was a hard-to-read kind of a smile, but Zavian instinctively read it as a reassuring smile. He’d given her what she wanted. He relaxed his grip on her hand with relief.
“Good,” he said. “I must go now. But there is nothing now to fear, Gabrielle. All will be well.”
He raised a hand in greeting to the two kings who stood with amused smiles by the entrance, awaiting him. There was nothing to fear, he repeated to himself as he walked away from her, remembering her small smile. She’d said that words were of no importance on their own, and that you had to trust the person themselves. She trusted him. Of that, he was certain. Therefore all would be well. His plan could continue.
As Gabrielle watchedZavian greet the two kings who made up the ancient kingdom of Havilah, she shook her head, bemused and frustrated. How could he believe that him telling her he loved her like that changed anything? She knew what he’d done. He’d added the “love thing” to his bullet point list and now considered it had been ticked. Well, he needed to do a whole lot more than tell her. He needed toshowher he loved her because until he did, she wouldn’t believe that he’d allowed the walls around his heart to fall, wouldn’t believe that they could have a life together.
She wished she could disappear into the night, into the shadows of her suite of rooms. But she had her duties to perform that night. Just one evening and the next few days and then she could leave, away from the temptations and jeering reminders of a life that might have been hers.
Sheikh Amir lookedat Zavian thoughtfully. “What’s going on, Zavian? I haven’t seen you this jumpy since we were teenagers, and you had your eye on that girl.”