Stolen Princess (Princess Series Book 2)(9)

I cringe because I’m not totally sure what happened after I left. I didn’t want to stay and find out, but if what the blonde, Nikki, said was true, then he was going to say we were getting married. But it wasn’t the marriage I wanted. I’d always hoped for a man to come into my life and sweep me off my feet. It may seem silly, but I wanted the fairy tale.

Maybe Nikki would still want him, and if so, she can have him. I don’t want to be someone’s second choice.

“Gigi,” my sister pushes.

“It wouldn’t be a real marriage. I mean, I guess it would, but not all roses and hearts. Not the happily-ever-after love I want.”

She lets out a little breath, and I know what’s coming. I can’t stand to hear it. Not right now. Not after what happened tonight.

“Please don’t,” I tell her. I can’t bear to hear what everyone always says. I know they mean well and are probably right, but I have enough to deal with right now.

“Marriage isn’t easy, Gigi. Life isn’t all—”

“I know!” I snap at her.

Her eyebrows draw up in shock because I never snap at anyone. They like to say I live in candy-land world where everything is soft and sweet and I don’t understand what the real world is like. They all think that I need to grow up. Maybe they’re right. I came out of my little bubble for one day and look what happened to me.

Then Melanie smiles at me. “Turns out you’ve got a little fire in you. I’ve never seen it before, but I like it.”

I drop my eyes down to my lap again. I don’t feel like I have any fire in me.

“You’re going to need it, Gigi. If the King wants to come find you, then we can’t stop him.” She stands up and walks over to the window in the family room. She looks out before turning to look back at me. “We’re on his land here. I married a businessman and gave up any royal title I had. He’s your king, and I can’t stop him from coming here.”

“He’s not mine,” I mumble out, and I wish that were true.

That’s part of the problem. It seems the man I chose to be my king would belong to others as well. What neither of us anticipated is that I’m the youngest in my family by far, and I’m not good at sharing. There was never anyone to have to share with, so I never learned how. Which just makes me all the more possessive of Karim. And the fact that I wasn’t his first choice just makes me even more bitter.

“If he wants you, then you’re his.”

I jump up from my seat. “I’ll call Ethan!” I tell her, rushing over to the phone.

“Did you sleep with him?” I pause at her words, the phone halfway to my ear. “Not that it matters. We both know our brother would agree to a match with Karim, as would our father. Such a pairing would be in both our families’ interest. In fact, I believe not too long ago Ethan tried to pair Megan with him.”

Anger floods though me at the thought of my other sister with Karim.

“He turned the offer down,” she adds. “Wouldn’t even take a meeting.” She gives me a smug look. “I have a feeling you slept with King Karim. So if I were you, I’d get used to the idea of being his.”

“You would just give me away so easily? Knowing I didn’t want to go?” I don’t understand. Melanie has always been so protective of me, but she’s always telling me to grow up, too.

“Of course not. If you want to run, I’ll help you. But Gigi, do you think being on the run is something you could handle? Alone?”

“What about with the child growing in her belly?”

I gasp when I hear Karim’s voice.

I turn to see him standing in the entryway of the family room with my sister’s husband standing behind him. Karim looks different now. His blue eyes are no longer bright and full of excitement. Now they’re trained on me with a hard, dangerous look. He’s like a predator after its prey. I take a step back and watch his nostrils flare at my movement. Suddenly I hear my father’s voice in my head. He always told us never to run if we came across a bear in the woods. The bear will always catch you.

Karim’s tux jacket is long gone, and his sleeves are rolled up. The first few buttons of his shirt are undone, and the tan skin of his chest is peeking out. His hair is even a little wild now, and I try to recall if I’d done that to him or if he did it to himself. The thought makes a little warmth hit my cheeks when I remember the feel of his locks between my fingers.

“I won’t let you take my sister with you in this state. It’s very clear you’re angry. Maybe you should come back tomorrow after everyone has calmed down, Your Highness,” my sister says softly, as if she’s trying to ease a wild beast without angering it.

“Nothing will stop me from leaving with her.” His eyes shoot over to Melanie. “Tonight.”

His words are final, and there is no room for argument.

“Stanley,” my sister says, calling to her husband. He takes a step forward, but I’m not real sure what Stanley can do. He’s no match for Karim. Tension and anger fills the room, and it makes me uneasy. I hate fighting. It makes me sick to my stomach.

I decide to put an end to this and walk towards Karim. His eyes come back to me, and they seem to soften the closer I get to him. I put my hands on his chest and can feel him release a deep breath. It’s like he’s been holding it in since the last time I touched him.