A flood of memories of their week together swept through her mind. Sadness filled her, pain in her heart at Goran’s silence now. “I have to go,” Calista told her brother, turning quickly away from his too-knowing eyes.
Everything she’d said to her brother was true. Before that week, she’d honestly disliked Goran. They’d shared one, amazing kiss. But every other interaction between them had been tedious. It had convinced her that they weren’t compatible.
Then some bastard in Goran’s government had helped a mining company executive that had decided that Goran needed to be taken out of the picture for a short period of time. Just long enough for the mining contracts to be signed and mining operations initiated. But more importantly, the kidnapping had thrown the Skyla government into chaos. Nothing was getting done. No one was looking at the illegal trucks coming and going along the border roads, so the mining operation could continue without any oversight.
Thankfully, the mining operators had been stopped and the caves where the trucks were going into and out of were barred from further operations. The government was back under control and very few people knew what had actually happened.
He was a good man, she thought, reaching for the door handle. But moments before her fingers would have touched it, the door opened, surprising her enough that she had to step backwards.
“Calista!” Goran burst out, stepping into the room.
Calista froze, not sure if her eyes were tricking her. The tall, gorgeous man standing in front of her was…it couldn’t be him! “Goran? What…?” She stopped when he pulled her into his arms. Closing her eyes, she savored this moment, but confusion won out over her elation at seeing him again. Pulling back, she stared up at him, but wouldn’t release him. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here because you’re a stubborn, annoying woman who wouldn’t call me. So I took the situation into my own hands.” She stepped out of his arms, then backed up a step when she realized that his emotions had shifted from elation at seeing her to…anger? Why would he be angry? What right did he have to be angry with her? Shouldn’t she be angry with him? Shouldn’t she be telling him off? Or…maybe she should tell him about the baby they’d created together.
Unfortunately, none of those words made it from her mind to her lips. She took another step back, stunned by all of the emotions rippling through her at the moment. But Goran hadn’t ever let her get away with retreat. He’d challenged her at every opportunity. Instead of halting and allowing her the time to get a grip on what was going on, he stepped forward, invading her space.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, but her voice didn’t sound as firm and indignant as she’d hoped. In fact, she sounded…hopeful! Oh, that simply wasn’t going to work!
“I’m going to…” he stopped, looking over her shoulder. Suddenly, Calista was painfully aware of Astir still in the room.
“I was wondering if anyone was going to notice that I was still here,” he muttered dryly, obviously uncomfortable. “But since both of you are blocking the only exit, I’m afraid that I can’t really…uh…leave both of you alone to work out whatever the hell is wrong with both of you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Although, it goes against my better judgement to leave my baby sister alone with a man who obviously has salacious intentions towards her.”
Goran glared at Astir and, since Calista was staring at her brother as well, her mind working hard to try and figure out what was going on, she didn’t see Goran step closer. And she didn’t see his arm whip out to wrap around her waist until it was too late and it pulled her against Goran’s side. Her hand snapped up, pressing against his chest to balance herself, but she shouldn’t have bothered. Goran’s arm held her firmly against his side as he continued to glare at Astir.
“Give us a few minutes to sort this out. I promise that…”
Astir lifted his hand. “I don’t want to know your plans,” he warned. “If you tell me what you’re going to do, I’ll have to stop you.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Just promise me that your intentions are honorable and I’ll get the hell out of here and let you deal with it.”
Goran’s body stiffened for a brief moment, but then he relaxed and nodded. “My intentions are honorable. And the faster you get out, the faster I can convince her to marry me.”
Astir chuckled. “I thought that you already did that. You guys have been engaged for a while now, if you’ll both remember.” But Astir stepped around the couple, moving through the doors and pulling them closed behind him.
Goran turned, looking down at Calista. “We were engaged,” he confirmed. “But that was a legal document. We both agreed to the engagement. However,” his hands settled on her hips and he looked at her carefully. “Calista, I want you to marry me because you love me. Because you can’t imagine life without me.”
“You do?”
“Yes,” he replied softly, his voice gruff as he leaned closer. “After being with you in Costa Rica, I got to know you. The real person behind all of the tense public appearances. I want that woman. I love that woman.”
She sighed, shaking her head. “The problem is, I’m both. I endure painful, sometimes debilitating stage fright, Goran. I deal with it because I have to. I put on the persona in front of strangers and the cameras because this is the life I’ve been born into. But…that’s me, just as much as the woman who learned to bake cookies and laugh and talk with you. It’s all the same person.” She licked her lips, staring up at him. “I’m both. I can’t separate the two people.”
He kissed her briefly. “Can I have the relaxed woman when we’re alone?” he suggested.
She licked her lips, her eyes dropping to his mouth. “Yes,” she whispered. “But I can’t guarantee that the woman will disappear immediately after every public appearance. It takes time for one persona to transform into the other,” she explained. “Depending on the size of the crowds, my stomach sometimes becomes quite upset and it takes me a while to get over the sensation.” She smoothed her hands up to rest against his shoulders. “I can’t guarantee which version of me you’ll see at any moment.”
“I’ll take them both,” he told her, pulling her closer. “And you don’t have to go out in public, Calista. That’s not necessary. Especially if it makes you ill.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “You can’t eliminate all of my public appearances.”
“I can,” he declared with absolute finality.
She smiled now, finding his protection endearing. “Goran, we got out of the car after Costa Rica and there was a massive crowd there to greet us. I froze. I froze them out and I froze you out. I can’t help it. When I’m around strangers, I just…freeze. I look cold and evil. And the last time, I froze you out as well.”
He shrugged. “Now that I know it’s just your fears kicking in, I can handle it. Before, I thought it was me that you were trying to freeze out. That’s different.” He kissed her, his hands sliding down over her hips. “I’m pretty sure that I’ll do something that will make you crazy too.”
Her relief was huge. “You really want me for myself?” she asked, those old insecurities still hidden but just as vicious.
“Every part of you, love,” he promised. “I want the whole package.”