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"What?"

"Never mind" She bit her bottom lip, nodded "Conditions allow for it, so, yes, I would prefer to come an hour a day for twenty-four days"

His knees al, "Until toone

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

JOSEPHINA HURRIEDLY STUFFED herA wad of cash she’d saved A change of clothing Her mother’s locket--one she never wore, too afraid someone would rip it fro was today, and she wasn’t going to stick around to watch Maybe he’d go through with it Maybe he wouldn’t She had a feeling she would wonder for the rest of her life--and cry

As she tied the bag closed, her stomach clenched Tears beaded in her eyes, and she sniffed with frustration Stupid tears! They came so often now Ever since she’d met Kane

I shouldn’t have kissed him that last time

But she’d lost herself in the pleasure and the riotous sensations and the heat and the pressure and the needeverything The past had fallen away The desire to die, muted as it had become, had breathed its last Kane had become her world, and she hadn’t wanted to ever be found

And he’d wanted to stay with her, too Butyeah But: the word that had ruined everything She’d had a choice Be with hi, or be without hi him had seehtest degree

One day, Kane ht even thank her Heck, he was already happy without her He’d left the ball with Synda and though Josephina had looked for him, she hadn’t seen him since She had no idea what had happened between the pair, but ruht in her bedroom

One of the tears spilled over, and she wiped it aith the back of her hand

Whatever Alone in the servant’s wing, Josephina tiptoed down the hall and peeked out theoverlooking the driveway A line of carriages stretched down the road; each contained an Opulen probably bursting with eagerness to reach the royal gate The wedding was set to begin any minute

There was no better ti and queen were distracted The guards had to watch the grounds to make sure the Phoenix stayed away

"Seriously?" a voice said fro frory Kane He wasn’t wearing wedding finery In fact, he lookedslovenly He wore a wrinkled T-shirt that read Honey Badger Don’t Care, whatever that meant, and his pants were ripped in several places His eyes were bloodshot, and thick lines of tension branched from his mouth

"Why aren’t you in the hu for your nuptials?" she deer toto reveal the turmoil inside her "You bedded the princess, didn’t you? I think you’ve got enough eagerness for the both of us"

His features softened,him appear boyish and hopeful and so lovely her chest hurt "Do I detect a note of jealousy, Tink?"

"You certainly don’t! I don’t care what you do or what skank you do it with"

A lie She hated lies What rong with her? Sincehim, she’d become more than a crybaby She’d become a shrew

The softness vanished in a blink, and his eyes narrowed "All right Yeah I slept with her I also slept with a boatload of women before I even reached Séduire But you knohat? Synda was the best I’ve ever had"

It was like a punch to the gut, a blow so low she wasn’t sure she would ever recover Humiliation burned in her cheeks, and maybe it was fused with disappointo fro about it?

The fury suddenly overshadowed every other eratulations," she said as drily as she was able "You’re officially like every other man in this realm" She had saved his life, and he had saved hers Circumstances hadn’t allowed them to be lovers, but they could have been friends She’d alanted to be his friend Yet he’d just ruined any hope for such an outcome "I wish you’d stayed away froe, not this ti with disdain "Too bad I didn’t, and you did, and you have no one but yourself to blame You should have left me in hell"

"Oh, don’t worry I’m about to do just that" She tried to step around hi anywhere Synda got into trouble last night and she’s earned another punishment"

Josephina froze "What did she do?"

"Does it matter?"

It had to do with him, didn’t it?

"You’re to be whipped"

"No, no, no" That wouldfor Josephina She knew hi cere the situation dealt with before placing Synda--and thereby Josephina--into another man’s care And if he discovered she’d planned an escape How could Kane be so cavalier about it? Shaking her head, she backed away from him "How could you do this to me?"

"I didn’t want any of this to happen, Tink"

"Don’t call et to call me by a cutesy nickname when you just ruined my only chance for freedom"

"You want freedoet your freedo the realm, and so will you But don’t worry I won’t be with you, so you won’t have to fearto grab her<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>