He stepped close to her and tilted her chin. Her eyes widened with surprise then fluttered shut as he lowered his head. He touched his mouth to hers, brushing her lips. She exhaled a little sigh, and her sweet, exotic breath mingled with his. His heart stuttered for a beat, and heat ignited low in his belly.
A little shocked, and a whole lot guilty, he pulled away. His heart and fidelity belonged to Charday, even if they hadn’t seen each other in months. He hadn’t expected to feel anything from a perfunctory, ceremonial gesture rubber-stamping a fake marriage. But, in this moment, his marriage felt real.
“Um, I ordered a light meal to be prepared for us. Perhaps we should go?”
“Um, all right.” She licked her lips. Heat flashed, and he felt an urge to kiss her again. This time for real.
He considered inviting their siblings as a buffer, but he had a hunch they would cause more awkwardness than they prevented. “You will be living in my suite. Your clothes have already been moved over,” he said to Kismet.
To his brother, he said, “Show Kismet’s sister to her suite, please.”
“Suite?” Karma said. “A closet you mean.”
He frowned. “Closet? I don’t understand.”
“Technically, she was given a servant’s room,” Kismet explained.
“I assumed she was the handmaid.” Falkor shrugged.
“Get her other quarters!” He scowled. “She may take over Kismet’s former suite or relocate to the family section.”
“Family section,” Karma said.
“I’ll let you notify the appropriate staff and arrange that,” he said to Falkor.
“Me? Why not you?”
“Because my bride and I are going to lunch.” He cupped his new wife’s elbow and ushered her out of the room.
Chapter Seven
“Are you all right?” Jaryk asked on their way to his private suite.
“Yes, I think so.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’d hoped to avoid that situation.”
“It would have happened sooner or later.”
“Yes, but not in front of you.”
“Better to know what I’m facing,” she said. An angry king.
Her legs wobbled like rubber. Jaryk’s father had intimidated the hell out of her. She’d hoped to make a good impression on her father-in-law—instead, she could have ended up in the dungeon. The king was not a man to be thwarted.
Except, Jaryk had. Her estimation of her new husband rose by another notch. She recalled how he’d put himself between her and the king.
“Your mother seemed more…measured.”
“Don’t underestimate her. She has a spine of steel. She has more finesse than my father, but she is just as formidable. Maybe more. I would rather cross him than her.”
“Oh great. Maybe, this wasn’t such a good idea.” She’d tried to make the best of things but found herself in the middle of a family drama and a delicate political situation.
He squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry. The wedding surprised them, that’s all. They’ll get over it. They’ve had plenty of practice adjusting to Falkor’s shenanigans. I give you my word, nothing bad will happen to you.”
It’s only for a year. I can handle a year.Could she?
“Here’s my suite.Oursuite.”
