Page 201 of Gods of the Sea

“A good partner is not someone you always love,” he said, “but someone you can always depend on. Someone who has the same vision for life you do. Esmeralda Dupont has agreed to this arrangement, understanding what it is.”

Yes, she agreed to it. A siren didn’t say no to their duties. They couldn’t. But her true feelings…was I the only one who could see them? She didn’t want this marriage.

And I didn’t either.

***

I didn’t knock. Not at the front door, not at the bedroom door.

It was my own fault, really, to walk in on Esmeralda in a wedding dress—my punishment for being ill-mannered, perhaps.

But to hell with it. I didn’t care about any of that anyway.

She was sitting on her ankles on the floor, the white train of her dress pooled around her. Her aura shifted from happy to confused when she saw me, which pissed me off. Happy? Was she happy trying on her gown and thinking of her comfortable life after marriage? A marriage that ignored everything she truly was?

No, I wasn’t going to allow that.

I shut the door behind me.

“I’ve decided this is unacceptable,” I said as she stood. “I can’t allow you to marry my father.”

She opened her mouth, and all I could think was that I was tired of hearing her giving me excuses. She needed to shut her mouth just one time and listen.

That must have been why I kissed her.

She gave a muffled moan as my lips met hers. I expected her to throw a tantrum, but instead, she quickly submitted. I already knew she was attracted to me. At least she was brave enough to admit it with her kiss.

I stepped back and she only stared at me, stunned. I couldn’t blame her. I was stunned myself.

“T-there,” I said, trying to act as if I had planned that. “They won’t allow you to marry one man when you’ve kissed another.”

It was true. Society wasn’t kind to…well, anyone if I was honest, but least of all to the disloyal.

Her aura flashed instantly to anger. “Then you mean, you just kissed me to break off my betrothal?”

I nodded.

“Oh, you idiot!” she yelled. “You were willing to ruin my reputation when the wedding has been called off?”

“Why are you calling me an idiot when you’re the— Wait, what?”

Her shoulders slumped as she pressed her lips together, her aura suddenly amused. What the hell was she amused about?

“Like I wastryingto say,” she continued. “Your father is here now. Our engagement has been called off.”

It took me a moment to get my head around it. Who called it off? Him? Her? Why suddenly did— Wait, that wasn’t the issue now. I had just kissed the woman.

“So you’re saying I did that for no reason?” I said, rubbing my lips.

She nodded, not holding back her smile any longer.

“Unless youwantedto kiss me,” she teased.

“And why would I do such a thing?”

She tapped an amused finger against her chin. “You’ve been quite adamant about me not marrying your father. You never gave me a good reason for it.”

“I did. Because you’re a gold digger.”

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