Sadie Kincaid

‘Oh, God,’ she moaned.

‘No, not God. Me,’

I love you too, princess,’ he said before bending his head to kiss me softly.

I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest with happiness. Was this for real? ‘I thought you didn’t do love?’

‘That was before I met you.’

‘But why me? All of those women you’ve dated, why do you love me? The woman you could barely stand to look at on our wedding day?’

He ran his fingertips over my cheek. ‘When your father and I came to our business arrangement, one of the reasons I agreed was because I thought you were a spoiled little rich girl who was too wrapped up in herself to consider anyone else. I knew I could never even like someone like that, let alone fall in love. I thought that you were marrying me for the lifestyle I could offer you, and the money. I hadn’t realized that you did it only out of love for your father.’

‘But why did you want to marry someone like that?’ I blinked at him.

‘Because I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you, Alana. Love is messy and complicated, and I didn’t have time for that. But you are nothing like the woman I thought you were. I may have stolen you, but you have stolen my heart, princess. You are the most precious thing in the world to me.’

So, that’s it? I can just go? Just like that? You and me are done?’

I took her face in my hands. ‘You and me will never be done, Alana. I hope you come back to me. I hope that you weren’t lying when you told me that you love me. But, yes, you are free to go, princess.’

She looked up at me, with tears in her eyes and a look of confusion on her face. I wanted her to go and see her father and find out the truth, but I also wanted her to wrap her arms around my neck and tell me that of course she loved me and that she couldn’t stand to be without me.

But she said none of those things. Instead she uttered two words, and they broke my ice-cold heart.

‘Thank you.’