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“B-but how can you not? The heir you need, the expectations of the whole kingdo a child if it isn’t with you Let the crown go to someone else after e
She felt shock relinquish its choke hold on her every cell, heard herself sta, “But i-if you d-decided that, how can you say that nothing has changed? Everything has!”
“Nothing has I still can’t take you as my wife”
“You don’t have to! I only ever wanted to be with you for as long as you didn’t have a wife And if you won’t, I can be with you forever …” She stopped,as you want ive you in return? Will you accept sharing es?”
Her lips pursed “We’ve covered this, once and for all”
“So if you won’t accept my support and protection, what do I have to offer you? My love? My body?”
A giggle of incredulity ripped out of her chest “Is there anything more this life can offer?”
“No, Janaan You of all people need more than someone who says he loves you and never delivers”
“If you’re alluding to my father, there is just no comparison My father deserted , petty reasons While you—”
His growl interrupted her “It doesn’t rand my reasons are I can’t let you invest yourself, body and soul, as I know you would, in a relationship with no future You need a ive you the family you never had, the family you of all women were born to nurture and cherish Damn the day I was born, but I can’t be thatMalek was in her ar her he’d never take another woman, that he’d love her forever, but he wouldn’t be hers either
“You think you’re protectingme?”
“The pain of an hour rather than that of every hour, as we say here Youunable to be with you, for crushing your heart as I crushed mine, but you’ll remember I didn’t coled out of his ar down her face “I could have died, Malek”
His reaction was spectacular As if she’d shot hiushed out of her “I could have died without having lived I haven’t lived, Malek, because you won’t let me, because you won’t one in seconds, like Majd? Won’t you let me live now?”
Jan’s words showered Malek like shrapnel He could swear he heard theed up, blind, out of his e and regret He caught her to hiht and unconditional love made flesh, rowled in her ue thrusts that breached the sweetness she surrendered with such erness “I’m only human …”
He tore his lips away and she whi kisses all the way down to her aasped
“Never again,” he groaned, suckling her honeyed flesh “There’ll be no turning back I’ll worship you, brand you, give you all of me, turn your body into an instrument of ecstasy, yours and mine You’re mine to pleasure as I will, aren’t you?”