Page 48 of Passion and Deception

“Ramit!” she exclaimed and lifted Nadia into her arms as she stood and hurried across the room. But halfway to him, she stopped and looked at him. “What are you doing here? I thought you had a whole pile of meetings today.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “I was told that you had a meeting right now.”

He closed the distance between them. He’d seen her excitement as well as her hesitation. Now he needed answers. He needed to understand Maggie. “Is that why you haven’t come to my office to visit me?”

“Visit you?” she asked, startled by his question. “I was under the impression that I wasn’t to disturb you during the day.”

Ramit lifted Nadia out of Maggie’s arms, cradling his daughter to his chest. “Not only are you allowed to interrupt my schedule at any time during the day,” he told her. “You are highly encouraged to do so. I would love to see you.” He looked at Nadia. “And you too, my little darling.”

“Really?” Maggie whispered. “I just…I didn’t want to be a distraction.”

“You wouldn’t be a distraction. Not even a little,” he vowed. His features shifted then. “I have some news.”

“What’s that?” she asked, following beside him as he led her to the sitting area.

“Humphrey Todras is no longer a threat.”

Maggie blinked at him, not sure she knew what he was talking about. “Humphrey?” she repeated. “The jerk from the club?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Humphrey Todras was the man who had threatened your life and wanted to kidnap Nadia.”

She stood up and moved away. Maggie thought about what he was saying. When she turned around, she looked down at Ramit. “So Humphrey is the reason you swept me away? The reason I was in danger?”

“Yes,” he replied. “But that threat is gone now.”

There was a sudden shine to her eyes as she blinked at him. “So…are you saying that you want me to leave?”

Ramit’s eyebrows shot up. “Hell no!” he snarled and stood up, holding Nadia securely as he moved towards her. “Maggie, that’s not what I’m saying at all!”

Maggie rubbed her forehead, sighing and her shoulders slumped forward. “I don’t understand, Ramit. What does all of this mean?”

“It means that Todras is no longer a threat. It doesn’t mean that I want you to leave me.” He paused, anger simmering now. “And I’m not letting you go, Maggie!” He walked over to one of the bells. Instantly, a servant appeared. “Would you take Nadia to her nanny?”

“Of course, Your Highness,” the servant replied, taking Nadia into her arms and cooing to the little girl as she carried her out of the suite.

When they aware alone again, Ramit turned to Maggie. “What the hell is this about, Maggs? I thought you were happy here. I thought that we were finally working things out.” He didn’t wait for her response. Ramit fisted his hands on his hips, glaring down at her. “I’m not letting you go. Not this time.”

She stared at him for a moment, then a slow smile started to appear. “I don’t want to go anywhere, Ramit. I just thought…since you were back at work and I didn’t get to see you, that you weren’t interested in me any longer.”

“Not intere…!” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Maggie, I am in love with you! You drive me wild whenever I’m around you. How the hell could you think that I’m not interested?”

Maggie huffed impatiently, fisting her hands on her hips. “Because, for the past several days, you’ve left before I wake up in the morning and I don’t see you unless I wake up in the middle of the night!” she snapped at him, tired of being subtle. “If you want me to stick around, then you need to put in the work, Ramit! I can’t read your mind. If you aren’t around to tell me, then I can’t know what you’re feeling or thinking!”

Ramit stared at her, stunned by her angry reaction. But at the fire in her beautiful eyes, he nearly laughed with relief. “Oh Maggie,” he groaned, then pulled her into his arms. He buried his face in her neck. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to do this.”

She tried to pull out of his arms, but he wouldn’t let her go. She shifted so that she could look up at him. “What don’t you know how to do?”

“Relationships,” he replied. “I don’t know how to do relationships.”

She snorted. “And I do? I spent my whole life avoiding an abusive father. Then I worked at a job where I learned to dodge lascivious men’s wandering hands!” She grabbed his shirt. “Ramit, I avoid conflict.”

He sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. “And I confront conflict, expecting everyone to do the same.” He smiled down at her. “How are we going to figure this out?”

She slid her hands against his chest. “How about if…I…invade your day a little more often?” she suggested. “And you make time to join me for breakfast and dinner?”

He thought about that for a moment, then nodded. “Deal.”

“And…” she continued, slipping a finger in between the buttons on his shirt. “Maybe you could…skip some of your evening meetings as well?” She laughed when he lifted her into his arms, already hurrying towards their bedroom. “What are you doing?”

“I can’t skip my evening activities tonight, so I’m going to show you how to be more confrontational right now,” he explained, as he kicked the door closed behind him.

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