His Majesty's Mistake

“The truth?” he repeated, leaning down to turn the knob and push the door open, giving her a whiff of his subtle spicy cologne, the scent that always made her insides curl.

“Yes,” she answered breathlessly, growing warm and warmer. “It’s what you told me to do.”

“Until I saw your mother in action and thought she was the devil.”

“Makin.”

“I did. I still do.” He crossed the bedroom floor with the same long strides that had eaten up the stairs and hall. “No wonder Alejandro seemed like an attractive option. Your mother is terrifying!”

“She didn’t terrify you.”

His arms tightened around her. “No. But she did make me angry.”

Emmeline inhaled sharply as he held her even closer to his chest. His body was muscular and hard. His spicy fragrance teased her senses and she could feel his heart thudding beneath her ear. Alejandro had been cold in bed. She didn’t think Makin would be cold. She didn’t think he’d be detached or indifferent, either.

The thought of Makin in bed with her, naked next to her, was both thrilling and terrifying. He was beyond gorgeous, but too big … too strong … too overwhelming in every way.

She was glad when he placed her on the bed and she scooted to the middle to try to clear her head.

He gazed down at her, his arms crossing over his chest, emphasizing the width of his rib cage. “You’re an adult, Emmeline. You don’t owe them your soul.”

“My mother thinks I do.”

“I noticed.” He shook his head in disgust. “That’s why I spoke up. She wanted a name, so I gave her one.”

“But that’s just going to make things worse, Makin. She’s going to expect you to provide for the baby—”

“I will.”

“No, you won’t. It’s my baby and I’m responsible. Not you.”

His strong jaw firmed in protest, and she didn’t think he’d ever looked quite so powerful and primitive and male.

“And so what do you want me to do, Emmeline? Just leave you here with them? Allow your parents to ride roughshod over you?”

“I can manage them.”

“Just like you did in the salon?”

Heat rushed to her cheeks and she jerked her chin up. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“Have you lost your mind? That was horrendous. A bloodbath. If it had been your father speaking I probably would have punched him.”

“Makin!”

“I’m serious.”

“I appreciate your support, I do, but telling them you’re the baby’s father isn’t the way. We have to go tell them the truth before it’s too late.” Her voice broke and a tendril of pale hair slipped from her chignon to tumble against her cheek. “And please understand that while I appreciate you speaking up for me, it’s time I stood on my own two feet—”

“So what do you want me to do?” he interrupted. “Stand by and do nothing? Allow your mother to attack you? Destroy you?”

Her heart suddenly ached. Hot tears filled her eyes. “Sticks and stones, Makin, remember?”

He held her gaze for an endless span of time. “But the rhyme has it wrong. Words can hurt. They were crushing you.”

For a second she couldn’t breathe: her chest on fire, her heart in pain. “She doesn’t really mean it,” she whispered. “It sounds worse than it is. Mother just has a temper.”

“She crossed the line, Emmeline. She said too much.”

“She did. But she’ll calm down and feel bad later. She eventually always apologizes.’”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

Her shoulders twisted. “I know. But this is how it’s always been and I’m not going to change her now.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

“Go back to Kadar. Focus on your conference. It’s an important conference for you.”

“But you’re important, too.”

Her lips twisted wryly. “Not as important as all those dignitaries gathered at Kasbah Raha.”

His light eyes searched hers. “I won’t let them hurt you anymore, Emmeline.”

“They won’t. The worst is over.”

His jaw flexed, a muscle popping, tightening near his ear. “You’re sure of that?”

She suppressed all thought but freeing him. This wasn’t his mess, or his mistake, and she couldn’t let her life take over his. “Yes.” She held out her hand to him. “And I hope we can part as friends.”

His hand slowly enveloped hers, his gaze holding hers captive. “Friends,” he repeated slowly.

She nodded, forcing a smile to her lips to hide her sudden rush of emotion. She would miss him. She’d grown to like him. Probably far more than she should. “Can we stay in touch? Maybe we could drop each other a line now and then?”