page76 (1/1)
“The only reason for King’s Ranso you here”
Her brorinkled in puzzlement “I don’t understand”
“I knew that love story had always fascinated you I found a good screenwriter, paid her, gave her access to private historical records from the palace library to research the story Then I contacted the studio and offered to underwrite the filave them two conditions—anonymityand you No one was to know of my involvement, especially you And no other actress could play Eleonora Then when they signed you I granted them permission to film on location”
“Youplanned it?” she asked in wonder “All of it?” When he nodded, she said, “II don’t knohat to say” A to calculate what italone on a movie like this would have been
A king’s ransoed, stunned speechless by the realization Andre paid a king’s ranso me back to him Just like
“I had waited too long for you to return on your own, but you never did I had to find a way to bring you back to Zakhar To me” He drew a deep breath “I knew there was no other man in your life, and had not been for years So I knew I still had a chance to win your love”
“How did you know that?” She shook her head “The stories in the azineson the internet”
He hesitated, as if he didn’t want to confess so you”
“What?” She didn’t know if she should be angry, hurt ortouched Touched that he’d wanted to win her back despite thinking the worst of her Then she thought of so me here in Zakhar, too?”
“Of course,” he said si to keep you safe, even if it ainst your will”
“That was one of your men? The man who saved my life when the car almost ran me down by accident?”
“Of course,” he said again “Lieutenant Marek Zale, a goodyou in Hollywood, the team that followed you here and kept you safe But once he saved your life he had to be pulled off the protective detail surrounding you I did not want you to know you were being guarded, and if you saw hiht have become suspicious” Then he added, “But was it an accident? I do not believe so, and neither does Lieutenant Zale And there was the incident with the light that fell on the set” He started to say so else, but Juliana interrupted
“They had to be accidents,” she averred dismissively “Who would want to kill me?”
He didn’t answer and she was silent for ahis earlier state this new aspect of hiain I didn’t knohat to think You wanted ht I waseasy”
“Never that,” he insisted fiercely One arainst his body, and she could feel his desire “Last night when you caht it was painfully obvious the only reason I wanted you was because I loved you Because I have always loved you”
His face wrinkled in pain “The other men in your lifeI told myself they did notyour innocence and then letting you go without a word” She closed her eyes at the harshness in his voice, but now she kneasn’t directed at her; it was directed at himself “But, Juliana,” he continued, “I could never take you except in love That is what I ht”
She opened her eyes and saw the truth written on his beloved face “I didn’t know,” she told hi the curve of his cheek and felt it harden beneath her touch “I didn’t understand I thought you were just staking your claih you’d already had me years earlier”
She gazed into his green eyes, those eyes that had haunted her drea him with her soul to believe her next words “I have no proof to offer you other than my love I’ve never slept with any manexcept you”
He stared down at her for endless seconds, then drew a sharp breath He caught her hand, lifted it and pressed a fervent kiss into her palm “Thank you for that, little one I do not deserve it—and I would have loved you even if it had not been true—butthank you”