His Majesty's Secret Passion
Page 16
“Good...but that feeling might pass,” she forced out in a whisper.
His face fell, dragging her heart down with it. She couldn’t bear to wreck his happiness.
“We have to face facts. Leo, I want you in my life more than I’ve ever wanted promotion or honors or wealth or fame. But I don’t want to live in fear of this happening again, to either of us!” She didn’t want to let him go, so she moved in his grasp to point out the bruises staining her damaged arm.
His expression hardened. “You don’t need to.”
“I’d worry every second about the threat to your life, and...and to our children.” There. The certainty was growing inside her that she wanted to marry Leo and carry his baby. Nothing else would do. Now she had said it out loud. She drew in a deep breath that shuddered over all the obstacles ahead.
“Marry me.”
As his words sank in, she switched her attention straight back to him. “What?”
“Marry me. Then I’ll make sure no one comes within a mile of my beautiful, adorable wife. “
A month ago she would have been horrified at the suggestion. Now all she wanted was Leo, but the man—not the king.
“I’m sorry. I am so, so sorry...but I have to say no, my love,” she whispered through a sudden rush of tears.
He was aghast. “How can you call me your love, yet still refuse to marry me?”
“It’s not you. It’s your destiny. You’re the rightful King of Kharova. You’ve said it often enough. But for as long as you’re king, we can’t marry. It’s all that could persuade me to abandon you, and nothing’s changed.”
He eased his hand from her grasp and slid it over the coverlet.
“When we met, my country was my life. But you, and the children that will grow from our love, that’s my concern now. It’s why I’ve decided to make a stand, and pass the crown of Kharova on to Athan. Subject, of course, to your agreement.”
A tense silence fell, enveloping them. Sara hesitated for a long time before breaking through it. “Leo? You’d do that for me?” she whispered.
“Of course. There’s no contest. I want to be a wholehearted husband, not a halfhearted monarch. I’m stepping down so I can support you in the career you love. It’s the perfect solution.”
“What about your brother? You said Athan didn’t want the job.”
“That’s because he has the same old-fashioned views I had about inheritance, before I met you. I’m the elder brother, so in his eyes, that meant the crown was mine. It’s no way to choose the best man for the job—which happens to be Athan. I’m a diplomat. He’s the warrior our people need. He’ll keep them safe. Everyone knows Athan would make a brilliant ruler of Kharova. The trouble is that with the exception of Mihail and his merry men, the whole of Kharova is too hobbled by tradition to tell me to my face.”
“What a place.” Sara shook her head in wonder.
“You’ll love it. He drew her into his arms and gave her a sweet, lingering kiss. “You’ll always be the queen of my heart, but will you mind not being Queen of Kharova, my love? The final decision is yours.”
“I want what you want.” She looked up at him as she lay in his arms. “Which reminds me. What about the other love of your life, nearly-a-doctor Gregoryan? A super-intelligent guy like you will need something more to do than be my partner at corporate functions. Why don’t you go back to medical school, and finish your degree? Then later on, I’ll stay at home and look after our baby, while you go out to work.”
He smiled, but she saw him hitch a tiny breath. “And let you have all the fun? No way. We’ll job-share.”
Sara wanted a real life. Leo was the man to give it to her—but she still had one concern. “What happens if our first baby grows up with a burning desire to be ruler in their own land, and thinks we’ve denied them?”
“We’ll worry about that if it happens,” Leo said. “For now, I can’t see Athan getting married any time soon. He’ll be no more keen to put a child through what we’ve suffered than I am. For the moment anyway, I’m leaving the matter of the succession up to him. I’ll be too busy enjoying myself with you. You are perfection, my love, and all I want is the chance to hold you in my arms whenever I like, for as long as I like.”
The time for words had passed. Leo’s hand went to the back of Sara’s head, cradling it as he kissed her. At the touch of his lips she felt herself melting all over again. As he molded her battered body to the powerful contours of his own, she knew they would never be parted again.
A word about the author...
Christina Hollis lives deep in the English countryside. She met her husband on a blind date, and during a career break to raise their family she wrote a lot of short stories. It’s an activity that fits in well with parenting timetables. Her writing grew into a full-time career in romantic fiction, and her books have appeared in lists of best-sellers all over the world.
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www.christinahollis.com
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