Minutes passed before Grant finally spoke. “I know about you and the prince.”
She jerked. “Grant—-”
He shook his head vehemently. “I d-don’t want to hear a thing. I d-deserve it.” He swallowed. “The p-prince said it’s nothing compared to h-how I betrayed you, and he w-was right.”
Unable to believe what she was hearing, she asked unevenly, “You spoke to the prince?”
Grant gave her a jerky nod. “H-he told me you would n-never have been with him if you h-hadn’t s-seen me—-”
Fawn bit her lip hard, Grant’s words forcing her to remember the day she had caught him cheating. And even though it was the prince who owned her now—-
It still hurt.
Betrayal would always hurt.
“I think she set you up,” she said dully. “The other girl...”
“S-she did.”
Silence.
“I s-still love you.” Despite his stuttering, Grant’s voice was fierce, his gaze focused on her completely.
“Grant—-”
“Please.” Grant took hold of her hand. “I n-need you.”
And she could see that he did, more so than he ever had—-
But it was too late.
“I’m sorry.”
“But he d-doesn’t love you.”
“Grant—-”
Taking a deep breath, Grant said tensely, “It’s true. I k-know you d-don’t have to believe me, but I’m n-not lying. He t-threatened me, Fawn. He told me n-not to h-hurt you, but he a-also told me n-not to tell you I k-know the two of y-you are l-lovers—-”
Fawn slapped him, and as Grant’s head snapped to the sight, she whispered shakily, “Stop lying.”
It took a long time for Grant to face her, but when he did, she was stunned to see tears running down his face.
“Y-you don’t know.” A crazed laugh escaping him, he said hoarsely, “You d-don’t know how t-terrified I am t-to s-say t-the truth. If you only knew—-”
“Then tell me!”
“I can’t.” Grant began beating his own chest hard with his fist. “I’m different. You k-know it. I k-know it. Everyone k-knows it.” His voice broke, and tears fell faster down his cheeks. “B-but I had to w-warn you. Because now I know I love you.”
A sob spilled past her lips. “Grant...it’s too late.”
His lips twisted. “E-even so. I n-needed to t-tell you. I o-owed it to you. And I d-don’t want you hurt.” He grabbed her hands. “So please l-listen. He d-doesn’t love you. Y-you’re like a f-fetish to him—-”
“Stop it, Grant—-”
He let her hands go, staring at her with leaden eyes. “I’m n-not lying. But I am sorry.” Grant’s head lowered. “I’m so d-damn sorry it c-came to this.”
She could only stare at Grant, realizing that she was looking at a man she no longer knew.
Because he was right.
He had changed.
But then...so had she.
“If you’re really sorry,” she heard herself whisper, “then promise me one thing.”
Grant’s head jerked up.
“Please pretend this never happened.” She smiled tremulously at his stunned gaze. “If it’s t-true, and I’m n-not saying it is, but if it’s true you’re the only reason I can be with him now, then...” She sucked her breath. “Can you please let me stay with him just a little bit longer?” Her own voice broke. “Give me a chance to make him love me, Grant. I’m begging you.”
****
The prince turned away from the windows in his study as soon as he saw Fawn’s car roll down the driveway. Returning to his seat, he waited tautly for the sound of her footsteps, but when they came—-
He sensed her skulking behind the door, which he had left slightly ajar, and he wondered grimly if it was a sign of guilt that she couldn’t make herself enter his study. Then again, he had no right to be furious, did he?
Hadn’t he been the one to demand Bennett to keep his relationship with Fawn?
When the prince got tired of waiting, he took his wine glass from the table, and as he stared into the dark liquid, he murmured, “Stop peeping and come in.”
There was a squeaking sound of horror, and then she was tiptoeing inside his study. He turned to her as she closed the door, and when she spun to face him, their gazes met.
The prince had changed into casual clothes, a white V-necked shirt and black jeans, and he looked gorgeous.
Fawn gulped.
He also looked mad as hell, and as the prince came to his feet to make his way towards her, Fawn couldn’t help gulping again. Why was he mad?
When he reached her, Fawn’s apprehension got the better of her, and she blurted out, “Sorry!” It didn’t matter that she had no idea what she had done wrong. She had no problems apologizing if that was what it took to make him stop looking at her with those cold green eyes.
When he reached her, stopping less than a foot away, he asked silkily, “Sorry for what?” Before she could even think of answering, he continued, “Sorry for sneaking out of my bed to date your boyfriend?”
Oh.
When he put it like that, it did sound pretty bad, she thought with another gulp. Raising her gaze to his, she said weakly, “Sorry?”
Green eyes blazed at her.
“R-really sorry?”
His gaze swung downwards, and following it, she was stunned and bemused to see him staring at her engagement ring.
“Get rid of it.”
Her eyes widened.
“Now, dammit.”
His tone made her jump, and she hastily pulled her engagement ring off. Reaching behind her, she hurriedly unclasped her necklace to weave it through her ring—-
“No.” The prince’s captured her hands from behind and forced them down. At the look of bewilderment in her gaze, he said tightly, “I don’t want to see it when you’re with me.” When her mouth opened, he forestalled her words with a hard look. “Get rid of it.”
“But—-”
“I mean it, Fawn.” The mere sight of that ring trapped inside her fist revolted him, and even though he knew he was being unreasonable, he didn’t give a damn. “You spent the night in my bed,” he gritted out savagely, “and I woke up to find you
