Enchanting Sebastian (Big Sky Royal 1)

“No, it’s not,” she wails. “None of this is okay.”

“You’re torturing yourself, and I won’t have that, darling.”

“I’m a horrible human being,” she cries. “Because I can’t love you. I’m incapable of loving you, and you’re so wonderful to me. You should leave me now before it gets any worse, and I just end up ruining you.”

“Okay, now you’re getting a bit dramatic.”

Her head pops up, and she glares at me.

“If you were incapable of love, you wouldn’t be this upset.”

Doesn’t she see it? Doesn’t she understand that she loves deeply?

“This wasn’t supposed to be how it went,” she murmurs. “There wasn’t supposed to be any love.”

“You can’t control it any more than you can control the weather. Even if you set the rules.”

“I just want you to be with someone who can reciprocate your feelings.”

“Nina, you love more fiercely than most people I know. Look at how loyal you are to your brother.”

“Well, of course, I love my brother. He’s my brother.”

“And your friends. Jenna, Grace, and Willa. And Fallon. You’re incredibly loyal to all of them. You care deeply about all of them.”

She doesn’t say anything, she just watches my lips as I speak.

“And my sister. Darling, you and Ellie became friends faster than I could blink. You adore her.

“The only person in this world I thought incapable of love is my father, and you proved that theory wrong, too.”

“I care about all of them,” she says slowly. “But it doesn’t mean that I love them.”

I lick my lips, doing my best not to lose my temper. Is she seriously this stubborn? Afraid?

“Maybe we need to go back to basics here. Why don’t you define love for me?”

She scowls and turns onto her back, gazing up at the ceiling. I can see the wheels turning in her head.

“It’s simple, isn’t it?”

“Obviously not,” I reply with a grin. “How do you define love?”

She bites her lip. “Love is when you can depend on someone to stay.”

I blink, taken aback a bit by her answer. But knowing what I do about her, I shouldn’t be surprised at all. Everyone in her life, aside from Christian, has left her.

She never really knew her father.

Her mother emotionally abandoned her years ago.

Her friends backed out on her regarding their business, and as far as I can tell, haven’t been in touch with her since.

The friends she found in Cunningham Falls are new ones. And while I have no doubt they’ll be around for the long haul, Nina has no way of knowing that for sure.

“You can’t love me,” she continues before I can reply, “because this is temporary. You’ll eventually divorce me when an acceptable amount of time has passed, and then you’ll move on with your life.”

“And now it’s my turn to be hacked off.”

Her gaze flies to mine. “Why? It’s true.”

“We never said this was temporary. I never said I planned to divorce you.”

“Why would you marry a woman you don’t love if you plan to be with her forever?”

“Why would you marry a man you don’t love?”

She rolls her eyes, but I keep going.

“I’m putting that whole theory to rest right now. I’m not divorcing you. Not in two years, or ten, or fifty.

“If the definition of love is someone who stays, I’m here, Nina. I’m here for all of my days. I’ve fallen in love with you, and I don’t say those words blithely. It’s not something to just toss around.”

I move over her and cup her cheek. “This relationship may have started as a business arrangement, but it hasn’t been that for me for a long time. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I think so,” she whispers. “I also think you’re crazy.”

I laugh and rest my forehead on hers. I take my time shifting out of my shorts, and sliding her clothes from her body. Her eyes are on mine as I move between her legs and gently push inside of her. Her eyes darken, but they don’t leave mine.

“You’re mine, Princess Nina. Mine. Whether you’re happy or sad or bloody angry on a beach and want to take a slap at me.”

“I’m sorry for that.”

“You’re mine,” I repeat and press my lips to hers. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

I pull up so I can stare down at her, shocked down to my toes. “What did you say?”

“You heard me. I’m still getting used to it.” She brushes her fingers through my hair. “And you’re mine, too. No running off to screw ladies-in-waiting or maids or any of the other girls royalty used to bone back in the day.”

“No, darling. You’re the only one I want to bone.”

She laughs and hitches her legs up around my hips, and then there are only sighs as I remind us both that we belong to each other, now and always.

***

Nina is still worn out, and I don’t have the heart to wake her. Even if it is after ten in the morning. She needs her rest.