Page 41 of Claimed By the Crown Prince

‘How is it my fault, exactly? And why am I the only one still talking?’

She spoke. ‘The first time we met...in Paris... You...affected me. I fancied you. I developed a crush on you. A big one. You were the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. And then you told me you were going to be my brother-in-law one day and I felt sick at the thought—because how could I feel such illicit things for my brother?’

Dax’s face lost some of its ferocity. ‘You were only sixteen.’

Laia shrugged. ‘Old enough to form a crush. And then when I saw what you were doing...how you were living your life...all the women... I think I was jealous. But I told myself you disgusted me, because you were so flagrantly disregarding the fact that you were a crown prince and had responsibilities to your King and your people. I felt ashamed that you were attractive to me when I was trying my best to prove to everyone that I could be Queen some day. But that night in Monte Carlo... I couldn’t hide my immediate response to you. I envied your freedom. And then I was angry because I was weak enough to be jealous... The truth is that I convinced myself I disapproved of you to deny admitting how much you affected me. On some very deep fundamental level I knew I couldn’t marry King Aristedes because I wanted you. Not him.’

Dax’s voice was a little hoarse. ‘You haven’t even given him a chance...’

Laia shook her head. ‘I saw him after my father’s funeral. I felt nothing for him.Nothing. And he dismissed me. He’s not interested in me at all. On any level. And that’s not good enough. I’ve measured every man I’ve met against you, without even realising what I was doing. That’s why...it’s your fault.’

Dax took a step closer. His eyes were piercing her all the way down to where Laia had nothing left to hide. She’d exposed herself spectacularly. There was no going back.

Dax said, ‘Ari is a good man. He would respect you and treat you well. You would want for nothing.’

‘Except passion.’

Now Dax’s cheeks flushed. ‘You want a lot from your marriage. Passionandlove?’

Laia felt defensive. ‘I don’t think that’s too much to ask. After I leave here, my life will not be my own ever again. Not really. Is it so selfish to want something for myself while I can still have it? When I’m hidden from the world and no one will ever be any the wiser?’

Dax’s jaw clenched. ‘And then you can get on with your life and find this true love? This paragon of a mate who will fulfil all your needs? Why don’t you just wait for him?’

‘Because I don’t think I’ll be able to move on until—’ She stopped.

‘Until?’ Dax prompted.

‘Until I’veknownyou.’

‘You mean until we’ve had sex?’ Dax said crudely.

Laia winced. ‘Not like that.’

Except it was exactly like that.

For the first time Laia felt vulnerable. She doubted herself. Maybe she wasn’t a match for Dax’s control after all.

‘I truly didn’t know this would happen. That you would be here like this. But now the thought of meeting you at some future event or place and realising how much I want you, not having known you, it terrifies me...’

‘Laia, Ari is—’

She cut him off. ‘Not the man I want. Ever. I will never be with him. That’s what I realised on a very deep level all those years ago. I can’t be with him when I want you.’

Dax seemed to struggle with something for a long second, and then he said, with almost palpable reluctance, ‘The truth is that you’ve haunted me since I saw you in Monaco. And until I saw you again I’ve had no interest in much at all.’

Laia had to lock her knees to stay standing. Her legs were turning to jelly. Was she part of the reason he’d disappeared from the scene?

Feeling emboldened, she took a step closer to Dax. She could feel his heat. And his scent, a potent mix of wood and musk and something uniquely him, tickled her nostrils.

She said, ‘Let me put it this way. If I told you to send me to your brother right now, to become his Queen, would you be happy to let me go to him?’

Laia took a deep breath and made the biggest gamble of her life.

‘Because if you say yes, then I’ll go. Leave now. Not to go to him, but I’ll go home and let the chips fall where they may. I’ll never see you again.’ She lifted her chin. ‘I have some pride, Dax. I won’t beg.’

Dax closed the distance between them. There was barely an inch now. He was all she could see.

Laia bit her lip. If he saidYes, go nowshe might very well die a little inside.