“We must have been crazy,” he replied, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. She hugged his neck, and he roved his hands down her backside as he inched them to the bed. “You feel good. You smell good.”
“You, too.” She kissed him, tugging at the fastening of his dinner jacket. “What did Falkor want to talk to you about when he pulled you aside after dinner?”
He’d been hoping she wouldn’t ask, but since she had, he needed to tell her the truth. “There is a woman I had a relationship with. Falkor wondered if she was aware I’d gotten married.”
“Someone other than Alia?”
“Yes. She needed to be informed I’d gotten married before the news came out publicly.”
“Wait…you were seeing her while you were engaged to Alia?” Kismet pulled away.
“The engagement hadn’t been formalized, and it was being arranged by the king and queen without my consent.”
“Why didn’t you marry this other woman?”
Hekkel!The conversation had veered into the direction he’d feared it would go. He raked a hand through his hair. He’d come to realize he hadn’t loved Charday. He’d lusted for her. He’d beenfondof her, but if he was going to be ugly-honest, his father’s disapproval had enhanced her appeal.My act of rebellion. I guess I’m not any different from Falkor.
“I’m a royal. It would have required the king’s permission, and he refused to give it.”
“But we got married through Cosmic Mates.”
“A loophole.”
“So, you would have married her instead of me if you could have? This was never about Alia, was it?”
“What matters is I married you. You’re the one I want. The one I’m falling in love with. I’m not interested in Alia or Charday. I don’t want anyone but you.”
“How can I believe that? You lied to me.”
“It’s the truth. Nobody matters to me but you.
“Now—maybe.” Her face froze. He could see another damning epiphany sweeping over her. “You said Falkor pulled you aside to find out if this—this—Charday—knew you’d gottenmarried. You admitted sheneeded to know you were no longer available. Does she now know?”
“Yes.”
“When did she find out?”
“Yesterday,” he said.
“So, when you excused yourself to take care ofsome boring businessin between our events, you left me to go seeher?”
“To tell her we were done, and I’d gotten married.”
“You lied to me!”
“Kismet, please—it’s you I love and want.”
“Don’t you dare use that word with me!” She spun around and charged into her former bedroom. The door sealed behind her.
Chapter Thirteen
“You look like hell.” Karma ushered Kismet into her suite.
“Thanks.” She’d cried for half the night in her lonely, too-large bed. She’d expected Jaryk to follow her after she stormed out, and, when he didn’t, she felt worse. Then she overslept. By the time she’d gotten up, he’d left for the day without her.
The gulf between them stretched as vast and wide as a river—and she didn’t know how to cross it. She sought out the one person she could confide in.
“Did something happen between dinner and this morning?” Her sister, still in her jammies, eyed Kismet’s jeans and sweatshirt—Earth attire.
