Page 107 of Silver Angel

She stiffened. “Well, good for her.”

He ignored her peevish tone and closed the space between them to draw her into his arms. “You don’t understand, love. We can get married now.”

“That’s what you think.”

“Chantelle, I’m serious.”

“So am I,” she retorted and pushed away from him, furious that he should ask hernow. “I’ve heard the story, Derek. Your grandfather wants you married and you don’t care who as long as you please him. Well, no, thank you. I don’t care to be second choice now that your first one has deserted you.”

He had expected her to be as delighted as he was. It infuriated him that she wasn’t. “Dammit, you have never been second and you know it! Is it my fault that I was already committed when I met you? Caro is one of my best friends and always has been. How could I break off with her if I thought she would be hurt by it?”

“It was all right to hurt me, though, wasn’t it? It was all right to rip out my heart and trample all over it with your miserable suggestion that I be your mistress!”

“Do you think I would have loved you any less in that position?” he shouted back.

“What?” she asked, stunned.

“You heard me! How else was I to keep from losing you?”

Her eyes blazed when she realized she had obviously misunderstood him. That was all he was worried about, that he wouldn’t have the use of her body anymore. How could she have thought otherwise, even for a moment?

“Why am I even arguing with you? I’ve given you my answer. Now will you kindly get out of my room?”

He started to do just that, he was so angry with her. He got as far as the door and stopped. He had left the damn thing open. He closed it now and turned back toward her. If feelings counted for nothing, maybe logic would succeed.

“You need a husband, Chantelle.”

“The devil I do.”

“Have you forgotten your guardian?”

Her eyes narrowed. “What about him?”

“The only way you can get out from under his rule is to marry.” That wasn’t exactly true. He had already talked to his solicitor about the options she had available to her, but he wasn’t about to tell her that now. “Or did you intend to hide from him until you came of age?”

“Why not? It was what I had planned to do before I got influenced by a vacation in Barikah.”

He hated it when she got sarcastic. “Don’t you want the pleasure of kicking him out of your house?”

“Not enough to put up with you for the rest of my life.”

Derek gritted his teeth. “Why the bloody hell are you being so stubborn about this? You love me. I love you. There is nothing to prevent our getting married now. Thatiswhat people usually do when they—”

“All right.”

“What?”

“All right, you have convinced me.”

It took him a moment to realize she was smiling at him. He approached her again, slowly this time.

“Was it that bit about having to stay out of circulation?”

“No.”

“Was it the part about kicking your cousins out?”

“That was a nice thought, but no.”