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Authors: Jennie Lucas
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her chest lifting beneath her snug, thin top with every pant of her breath. “Let me go!”
He pushed her against a rough stone wall. “Quit calling me a liar. I always keep my promises,” he ground out. “Always.”
“But you said—”
“I insinuated the worst to Växborg because I want him scared of what I might do to you. It is the only way he will divorce Laetitia and give up her fortune.”
Rose abruptly stopped struggling. Tears were streaming down her eyes. “Why are you so determined to save her?” she whispered. “Who is she to you? Tell me!”
“Don’t tell anyone. Ever.” Xerxes remembered the fury in Laetitia’s dark, beautiful eyes as they’d spoken for the first and last time. “It wasn’t enough for you to destroy my father. Now you want to kill my mother as well? You must never speak a word of this to anyone. Promise me.”
Now, in the distance, Xerxes heard thunder rolling low across the sky. He could still feel the same bleak hollowness in his gut he’d felt that day.
He looked down at Rose in his arms, so petite, so impossibly beautiful. He heard the whisper of her breath. He looked into her wide turquoise eyes, a sea of emotion for a man to drown in. Her pink, full mouth, natural and bare of makeup, parted as she licked her lips.
Clenching his hands into fists, he released her.
“I did not lie,” he said in a low voice. “I will not kiss you unless you ask me.”
Beneath the deepening shadows of the approaching storm, Rose looked up at him, tilting her head. “You don’t intend to seduce me?”
“I want to seduce you,” he said in a low voice. “It’s all I can think about. But I gave you my word. I won’t so much as kiss you.”
She took a deep breath. “Oh.” She stared down at the ground. “Lars said he still wanted to trade for me?”
“He arrogantly assumes he will win back your heart.”
Clenching her jaw, she shook her head vehemently. “Never.” She lifted her luminous eyes to his. “You know, you saved me from making the greatest mistake of my life yesterday. And you are keeping your promise to me. So you can’t be all bad. I was thinking you can’t be…”
“I am,” he bit out. “All bad.”
“But you’re risking everything to save Laetitia,” she said softly. “That is hardly selfish.”
“I am saving her for my own reasons. Because…”
“Because?”
“Because I made a promise to protect her.”
Rose gave a slow nod. “Which just proves my point.”
Xerxes gave a low laugh. He took pride in keeping his word, starting with the promise he’d made to himself as a young, scared, lonely boy of five, abandoned by both parents, when he’d sworn he would someday find them again.
“I keep my promises,” he said grimly. A flash of lightning illuminated the dark clouds. “That doesn’t make me good.”
“Who is Laetitia, Xerxes? Tell me.” Rose moved closer, looking up into his face. A moment ago, she’d been angry, but now, she was touching his arm, her gaze curious and tender. “Is she your friend?”
Her small hand rested lightly on his skin, and he shuddered beneath that gentle touch. He had to fight the impulse to draw his arm away—or crush her small body beneath the force of his embrace. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Your…lover?”
He looked away.
“Do you love her?”
Xerxes turned to look down at her, his eyes locking with hers as the first drops of rain started to fall from the gray sky.
“Yes,” he bit out. “I love her.”
Chapter Nine
X ERXES loved this other woman. His stark words caused a tremble through Rose’s heart, a whisper of pain that she couldn’t understand. She swallowed. “And you think once she’s in your care, you can save her. You think you can wake her.”
“Her marriage has doomed her to die,” he said in a low voice. “I won’t allow that to happen.”
Rose looked at him, her heart in her throat. He loved a woman so much he was determined to save her at any cost to
He pushed her against a rough stone wall. “Quit calling me a liar. I always keep my promises,” he ground out. “Always.”
“But you said—”
“I insinuated the worst to Växborg because I want him scared of what I might do to you. It is the only way he will divorce Laetitia and give up her fortune.”
Rose abruptly stopped struggling. Tears were streaming down her eyes. “Why are you so determined to save her?” she whispered. “Who is she to you? Tell me!”
“Don’t tell anyone. Ever.” Xerxes remembered the fury in Laetitia’s dark, beautiful eyes as they’d spoken for the first and last time. “It wasn’t enough for you to destroy my father. Now you want to kill my mother as well? You must never speak a word of this to anyone. Promise me.”
Now, in the distance, Xerxes heard thunder rolling low across the sky. He could still feel the same bleak hollowness in his gut he’d felt that day.
He looked down at Rose in his arms, so petite, so impossibly beautiful. He heard the whisper of her breath. He looked into her wide turquoise eyes, a sea of emotion for a man to drown in. Her pink, full mouth, natural and bare of makeup, parted as she licked her lips.
Clenching his hands into fists, he released her.
“I did not lie,” he said in a low voice. “I will not kiss you unless you ask me.”
Beneath the deepening shadows of the approaching storm, Rose looked up at him, tilting her head. “You don’t intend to seduce me?”
“I want to seduce you,” he said in a low voice. “It’s all I can think about. But I gave you my word. I won’t so much as kiss you.”
She took a deep breath. “Oh.” She stared down at the ground. “Lars said he still wanted to trade for me?”
“He arrogantly assumes he will win back your heart.”
Clenching her jaw, she shook her head vehemently. “Never.” She lifted her luminous eyes to his. “You know, you saved me from making the greatest mistake of my life yesterday. And you are keeping your promise to me. So you can’t be all bad. I was thinking you can’t be…”
“I am,” he bit out. “All bad.”
“But you’re risking everything to save Laetitia,” she said softly. “That is hardly selfish.”
“I am saving her for my own reasons. Because…”
“Because?”
“Because I made a promise to protect her.”
Rose gave a slow nod. “Which just proves my point.”
Xerxes gave a low laugh. He took pride in keeping his word, starting with the promise he’d made to himself as a young, scared, lonely boy of five, abandoned by both parents, when he’d sworn he would someday find them again.
“I keep my promises,” he said grimly. A flash of lightning illuminated the dark clouds. “That doesn’t make me good.”
“Who is Laetitia, Xerxes? Tell me.” Rose moved closer, looking up into his face. A moment ago, she’d been angry, but now, she was touching his arm, her gaze curious and tender. “Is she your friend?”
Her small hand rested lightly on his skin, and he shuddered beneath that gentle touch. He had to fight the impulse to draw his arm away—or crush her small body beneath the force of his embrace. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Your…lover?”
He looked away.
“Do you love her?”
Xerxes turned to look down at her, his eyes locking with hers as the first drops of rain started to fall from the gray sky.
“Yes,” he bit out. “I love her.”
Chapter Nine
X ERXES loved this other woman. His stark words caused a tremble through Rose’s heart, a whisper of pain that she couldn’t understand. She swallowed. “And you think once she’s in your care, you can save her. You think you can wake her.”
“Her marriage has doomed her to die,” he said in a low voice. “I won’t allow that to happen.”
Rose looked at him, her heart in her throat. He loved a woman so much he was determined to save her at any cost to
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