‘I will take you to Khal. You can address your concerns to him directly. That is generally how adults resolve such situations.’
Olivia stared at him with disbelief. ‘I
am not a child. Despite being treated like one time and time again.’ She braced her two hands on the wall, her perfectly manicured nails in stark contrast against the stone. ‘I have no interest in pleading my case to a man I do not know. Besides, do you think I would have done this if I wasn’t already completely sure that my voice will hold no weight in this situation?’
Roman pinched the bridge of his nose, a low growl forming in his chest. ‘Damn it, I do not have time for this. I could have been halfway across the Mediterranean by now.’
She turned to him, one hand on her hip. ‘I’m sorry that our political situation is such an inconvenience to your playboy lifestyle, Mr Lazarov.’
She took a step away, her shoulders squared with frustration, before she turned back to face him.
‘You know what? I’m tired of this too. You may as well just take me to the Sheikh right now, so that I can reject his proposal in person. If his choice in friends is anything to go by, I’m sure I won’t be missing out on too much.’
‘You presume I care how you pampered royals resolve your issues?’
‘You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t.’
‘The only reason I am here is because you chose to be a coward rather than face the situation head-on.’
Hurt flashed in her eyes and he suddenly felt like the world’s biggest heel.
‘I don’t know what to do,’ she said honestly, her eyes meeting his with sudden vulnerability. ‘I know that marrying the Sheikh is the right choice for my people. Despite what you might think, I do care about this kingdom—very much. If I didn’t, I would have already said no.’
The silence that fell between them was thick and tension-filled, although the air was cooling down now, as the sun dropped lower in the sky and evening fell across the mountain.
She had accused him of tightening her cage yesterday, and today it couldn’t be more true. The idea of pretending he hadn’t found her in the first place was tempting...but no matter how much it would simplify his life he knew that a woman like her wasn’t safe alone in the world. He knew more than anyone that there were far too many opportunistic criminals out there, just waiting for a chance at a high-class victim. Keeping rich people safe was his business, after all.
‘I have never been out in public away from the Palace Guard for this length of time. It’s nice...not being surrounded by an entourage.’
‘You want a taste of freedom,’ he said plainly, and the sudden realisation was like clouds parting to reveal blue sky after a storm.
‘Isn’t that what all runaways want?’ She smiled sadly. ‘But we both know how that has worked out for me so far.’
‘I can’t just let you walk away from me, Princess. You know that.’
He pondered the situation, despising his own need to problem-solve. Khal needed this marriage to go ahead. That was his directive here. There was no point returning the Princess only for her to reject the marriage completely. But maybe he could offer a solution that would benefit everyone involved.
Everyone except him, that was.
He frowned, hardly believing he was even entertaining the idea, but words escaped his mouth and he knew he had to trust his instinct. ‘What if I could offer you a temporary freedom of sorts?’ he asked slowly, watching as her face tipped up and her eyes regarded him with suspicion.
‘I would ask what exactly you mean by “temporary”.’
‘I can offer you some time alone in which you can come to a decision about your marriage.’
‘Or lack thereof?’
‘Exactly.’
‘How would you do that?’ she asked. ‘And, more importantly, why would you?’
‘Don’t worry about how—just trust that I am a man of my word. If I say you will be undisturbed then I mean it. But you would have your side of the bargain to hold up.’
‘I’m listening.’
‘All I ask is that you take time to consider all aspects of the union. I believe that you would be making a mistake in walking away from this engagement. Khal is a great man,’ he said truthfully.
He was careful not to mention the small fact that she was a flight risk who would likely end up in real trouble if the situation wasn’t contained. This was containment at its most extreme. He had somehow gone from holding a princess hostage to volunteering to take one on as his guest.