Page 47 of King of Lies
“Ugh,” I sigh. “You got me there. But your mom is so mean.”
“Aye,” he says walking to the door. He asks to have someone get his dinner suit and his dopp kit from his rooms and bring them here before shutting the door again and coming back to me. “I’ll remind you, she’s also not my mum.”
“That’s a big check in your favor.”
“I’ll also remind you that you’re naked except for a family heirloom on your ring finger which means you are mine, Hen.”
“You didn’t even give it to me,” I mumble under my breath, suddenly reminded of all the things that were bothering me before.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” I sigh.
He sits on the edge of the bed and plucks me from the covers to hold me in his lap. “It didn’t sound like nothing,” he says, eyeing me. “Now what was it?”
“I said you didn’t even give it to me.”
“I think the fact that you’re wearing it says otherwise …”
“No,” I say, stopping him. “Youdidn’t put it on my finger.Maevedid. In fact, I thought it was a cocktail ring until she told mewhat it was. That’s not exactly romantic.”
“I see,” he says.
“I don’t think you do,” I tell him. “I love you; you know I do, but I’ve been whisked from my home and my family to a foreign country in the middle of the night. Surrounded by people who do not like me, and told that I’m getting married. Then I’m handed a massive ring by a stranger and thrust in front of cameras. I’m struggling here.”
“Hen—” he starts.
“Besides,” I blurt out. “You didn’t even ask me.”
“What?” he asks.
“You didn’t ask me to marry you. You just told me.”
“And?”
“And … I’m a girl. I want the ask. I want the romance and a little razzle dazzle,” I explain.
Rhys doesn’t say anything, he just sets me back on the bed and marches to the bedroom door. He opens it and addresses someone in the sitting room. “Have my suit left out here,” he says, looking back at me. “And tell everyone we’re going to be late to dinner. And for fuck’s sake, tell the queen that if Stella isn’t seated next to me when we do get there, we’re leaving to have a romantic dinner alone.”
“Aye, Your Highness.”
Rhys makes his way back over to me and I sit up and fold my legs underneath me while pulling the sheets around to cover my body. He stops in front of me and lifts my left hand with his, he kisses my palm and then the ring before sliding it off my hand.
Ohmygod. Is he breaking up with me? I wanted him to understand my emotions, not send me on my way. Shit.
“Rhys—” I start but he leans forward and silences me by pressing his mouth to mine in a hard kiss.
“I love you, Stella,” he says. “And I want you mind, body, and soul. I know that I already have your heart. You wear it on your sleeve, and I adore that about you. I want you here with me and I know that this is not an easy path. I put you on it with me because I know that ultimately you can handle it. I didn’t ask you because I didn’t want you to say no, and for the first time in my life, I wanted something so badly that I was willing to do whatever it took to get it.
“But you’re not an object to hold or a land to conquer. You are a bright and beautiful young woman. And I made a mistake when I had Maeve give you this ring.”
“Rhys—”
“It was my mothers and before that, my great-grandmothers, and hers before that. The set had been redesigned by my dad for my mum and I selfishly wanted you to have that. There are more pieces to to the set, and I had thought to gift them to you as time goes by. But if you don’t like it …”
“I do,” I say quickly. “I just wanted to be asked. I’m sorry if I’ve upset you so badly that you no longer want me.”
“What?” he asks, and he looks … surprised. “Is that what you think? That I no longer want you?”
