Shades of Truth (The Summerlynn Secrets) (31 page)

I had half the mind to spurn it, but the carriage was rather high, the steps tricky. Better to submit to his touch than fall flat on my face.

As we walked toward the open front doors, I couldn’t resist looking at him. The man was too handsome for his own good. In his experience with the opposite sex, I was willing to bet anything he wanted, women sighed, fluttered their lashes, and gave it to him.

I wondered what it was about fluttering lashes that attracted men. Did they possess hypnotic powers and a man was defenseless around them? Interesting.

Almost without noticing, I found myself standing in one of the miscellaneous drawing rooms littering the first floor of the palace. I didn’t believe I’d ever been in this one, the painting of a woodland picnic being unfamiliar. How many drawing rooms did the royal family need?

I watched Colton as he nonchalantly sprawled across a lavender sofa. “So, Cadrian, tell me how much you’ve missed me while I’ve been gone.”

“If I remember correctly, you hate disappointment.” I seated myself on an armchair adjacent to him, so I wouldn’t have to face him. His blue eyes were lethal. “Where did you go?”

“To find your father.”

His words brought me out of my seat. I was on the sofa beside him so fast the breeze from my movement ruffled his hair. My skirt half spread over his leg, the blue color complimenting the grey of his trousers. Amusement colored his eyes a lighter shade of blue. “If I’d known your reaction would be to throw yourself at me, I would have told you earlier.”

I swatted him, my hand curling around his bicep before I remembered I shouldn’t be touching him. “My father’s dead.” Already I felt the pull of attraction by sitting so close to him. I saw a tiny red cut on the slant of his jaw from the blade used to shave him.

“Some believe he is still alive.”

Tamping down on my racing heart, I asked, “Why are you doing this? My father is dead.”

He grabbed my hand and squeezed. “He may not be.”

“No.” I tried to stand. “If I believe that and it is wrong…”

Putting his arm around my shoulder, Colton drew me against him. Just feeling the solidness of his body, the familiar bulge of his bicep did wonders to calm my racing heart. For a moment, his hand rubbed up and down my shoulder, infusing my suddenly cold skin with heat. “But, if there is a chance, wouldn’t you want to know?”

I shook my head, the effort somewhat dulled as my head pressed against his shoulder. “Unless he walks into this drawing room, he is dead to me.”

It was his turn to sigh. “Forgive me then, for raising your hopes. I have no wish to cause more pain.” Whisper light, his mouth brushed the hair above my ear. “How can I help you?”

“Bring my parents back and return me to the day before everything happened.”

“I hoped you’d ask for something more doable, such as rescuing the stars from the night sky or giving you a castle by the sea.”

“Do you even have a castle by the sea?”

“We have two. One in the east and one in the west.”

“Would you really give me one?”

“I would do much more if it would ease your mind.”

The cloak of his presence settled around my shoulders. If I remained pressed against him for much longer, I would be lulled into agreeing with whatever he said and there were things that must be settled.

“I think it best I return home.” I needed time to think, time to decide what I wanted from life, and when he was around, he was what I wanted most.

Without even looking, I knew my answer wasn’t popular.

“Sweetheart, you are still deeply in shock over your father’s death. Stay with me until the world rights itself.”

“I need perspective on what has happened and I can’t do that when you crowd me.” Feeling my attention catch on his repeated declarations I must stay, I frowned. What was going on? It shouldn’t matter if I went home.

“I am the one crowding you? You’re the one who threw herself at me.”

I shoved away, his arm falling from my shoulders. I pointed my finger at him. “Tell me what is going on or else I leave in the morning.”

“You are not going anywhere tomorrow morning.” Looking unruffled and as cool as ever, he negligently sprawled against the corner of the sofa, leaving only his knees near me.

“I do what I please and go where I want and you cannot stop me.” I added those last words deliberately.

“I can.”

“You can’t.”

“Sweetheart, I’m a prince. People do what I say.”

“Only because you threaten them with death.”

“I haven’t done that since the days I believed in Santa Claus.”

“Do you have any friends?”

“A few.” A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“I’ve only met one, so that makes one friend.”

“Should I be touched you care enough to count my friends?”

“I would be more concerned at only having one friend.”

He laughed. “If I threatened you with death, would it make a difference?”

I rolled my eyes. “No.”

“Then I won’t.”

Sensing the softening of his mood, I pressed, “Why am I here?”

“Why do you think you’re here?”

“Because you enjoy ruining my life.” My words were sharp and I watched to see if they’d provoke a reaction.

“Nice try.” He paused. “You are here because I am going to marry you.”

The words dropped like stones on the surface of a pond. A tiny ripple before a straight plunge to the bottom.

Suddenly I was angrier than I’d been since my father died. How dare he ask me to marry him when I couldn’t even trust him to tell me his real name? No matter how tempting the offer, and it was extremely tempting, I could not marry him.

Besides, my father stood between us, had always blocked us. I could hardly step forward into a new life not knowing what might spring out at me later. No. I would have to settle the pendant business and then decide about the man.

Furthermore, Colton didn’t love me. Yes, there was a heavy physical attraction between us, but that could not be confused with love. I would never marry without love.

So if he didn’t love me, there must be another reason he proposed. Perhaps to prolong my stay at the palace because there was some other reason I couldn’t leave. If I agreed he would suggest a private engagement, which would then drag on until whatever needed to happen happened, and, when it was safe for me to leave, it would be broken off and I would be sent home with a nice ring, a few memories, and nothing else.

Something was going on.

“The proper response is, ‘Yes, Sorin, I am very pleased to marry you,’” he suggested. “Then you kiss me.”

I ignored his comment. “Did your father put you up to this?”

“What?” Genuine surprise crossed his features. I was happy to see he was still capable of an expression other than cold hauteur.

My eyes narrowed. “Answer the question.”

“No, my father did not demand I propose to you.” He frowned. “It is my father’s sincere wish you disappear entirely from my life as soon as possible.”

I hadn’t thought the king and I could agree on anything. “If it wasn’t a direct order, why did you propose?”

A half smile conquered his lips as he answered. “The answer is fairly obvious. I am actually mildly offended you haven’t figured it out yet.”

“I don’t see why you’re so surprised. I haven’t figured anything out this entire journey.” Suddenly tired, I flopped back against the sofa. “This changes nothing. I am going home.”

“Is that a no?”

“Yes.” I couldn’t tell if he were relieved as his face was carefully blank.

“May I ask why?”

“You may not.”

“And if I insist?” A glimmer of a smile touched his full mouth, signaling the return of real emotion.

“Insist all you want. It will get you precisely nowhere.”

“So I must accept your rejection quietly and speak no more of it?”

“That’s the idea.”

“And you know nothing of men. Right. Come here, then.” He sat up, extending a hand toward me.

I looked at his hand. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Of course it’s not which is precisely why you’ll do it.” He wiggled his fingers.

Instead of taking his hand, I stood, knowing if I did not take this opportunity and leave, bad things would happen for my heart. Though I suppose the damage had already been done.

“You asked why I proposed. Come here and I will tell you.”

“I already know the answer.” Or suspected it was part of a plot to keep me here, in the palace, for as yet undiscovered reasons.

“Do you now? Yet your answer remains no?”

“Yes.”

“Then you do not know why I proposed.” His smile was slow. “I will simply have to show you.”

With a quick movement, he snagged my hand, pulling me against him as he stood. Going from not touching at all to touching from chest to thigh scrambled my brain. His smell filtered into my lungs, his warmth reminding me how chilly a low cut gown could be at night and as for his body, yes, that accelerated my heart beat.

I could not resist him.

His eyes were half closed, his head bending toward me and I could do nothing but tilt my face towards his and close my own eyes as his mouth touched mine. What was obviously meant to be a gentle kiss rapidly spiraled out of control as I tightened my grip on his lapels and kissed him back.

Breathing hard, Sorin lifted his head, breaking the kiss. Eyes wide, I stared at him. Why of all people was it this man I wanted?

He ran a hand through my hair. “I should be locked up for seeking to prolong my exposure to you.”

“I would be happy to put you in the dungeon. It will make it easier for me to leave.” My dress rustled as I shifted my weight.

“Why leave? There is nothing for you.” This time his finger trailed down my jawline.

“I miss my family. I want to go home.” It was true, if not the entire truth. I backed away, his arms falling from my waist.

“Then by all means, go for a visit. I would never keep you from those you love.” Tiredly, he rotated his shoulders. “I only hesitate to send you because once you leave, I doubt you’ll come back.”

Had my eyes given it away? My mouth? “I won’t.”

“And if I asked you to stay?”

“Your marriage proposal failed. What makes you think anything else will change my mind?”

For a long moment, we stared at each other. His gaze was a swirl of emotion, regret among them. Finally, he spoke. “When will you leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

A ghost of a smile curved his lips. “Not quite that soon.” At my sour look, he explained, “It will take a few days to work out the details of your departure and I will need to see duties are completed in my absence.”

“This isn’t an invitation.” I didn’t want a long drawn out goodbye. A simple handshake was about all I could handle before I clung and begged him not to let me go with things in disarray.

“Did you really expect me to allow you to go traipsing across the countryside without me?”

Yes. That’s exactly what I’d thought. “Assign a couple guards and I won’t be alone.”

“Absolutely not.” We regarded each other stubbornly. “When you leave this palace, you do so with me or not at all.”

“You leave all the time.”

“I’m a prince.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Life’s not fair.” A corner of his mouth quirked in amusement at our infantile argument. “I would not be so quick to leave.”

I rolled my eyes. “I have heard this before. No, do not tell me. You have discovered something interesting and only I hold the key to unlocking the true mystery.”

“Then you are not even the least bit curious about your pendant? I see you do not wear it.” Again, his eyes lingered on my décolletage where it was obvious I wore no jewelry.

I snorted. “It certainly does not make me a Tallon.” I nearly bit my tongue off. I’d revealed I knew far more about my father than I was supposed to. Fabulous.

His eyes narrowed. “Who told you about the Tallons? Your father?”

“No. Sabean explained about the pendant and what it meant since you were too busy with your meetings to bother.”

“Sabean? Sabean told you about the Tallons
? “Suddenly he jumped to his feet. “Of course!” With one smooth movement he pulled me straight into his arms for a hard kiss. When he lifted his head, we were both breathless. I couldn’t help but wish he’d proposed with half this emotion. My answer would have been very different.

Raising a hand to the side of my face, Colton put me away from him. “Forgive me, but I must speak to my father at once.” He was gone before I could react. I sat staring at where he’d been, musing over all that transpired between us. Had he really proposed marriage and had I really refused?

I must be crazy.

After a night spent tossing and turning over what I’d said that sent Colton running from the room, I finally dragged myself out of bed around nine the next morning. This was not going to be my day. I still hadn’t decided where I wanted to be—the island or the location on the map—and Colton had put together some pieces with information I’d provided.