Page 31 of Forbidden Forget-Me-Not

“This is beautiful.”

“You should see it during the day. The view is incredible from the balcony.”

Goran touched my shoulder, and I turned to face him.

“I could live here,” I blurted.

His eyes darted around the room before settling on me, as if I had just said the craziest thing imaginable. Which was impressive, considering some of the things I had said before.

“Here? With me?”

“Yes. Why? Would you not want me to live with you?”

The hurt was instant, sharp, and uninvited as I waited for him to answer.

He laughed.

Annoyed, I marched toward the front door, but Goran caught my arm and spun me around, my body colliding with his. I glared daggers at him.

“I didn’t mean that I wouldn’t want to live with you.”

Tilting my head, I analyzed his face as his hand slid to the base of my back.

“Then what did you mean?”

“Lani…you’re still a princess. You deserve the mansion, the fancy cars, the shopping trips, and the red carpet events. What you have in your closet wouldn’t even fit in this house. There is no way you could ever live here long term.”

“You insult me by reducing everything I am to what I was born into.”

He sighed and stepped away, holding out a dish towel wrapped around a bag of frozen peas. I took it and watched as Goran loosened his tie and shrugged off his suit jacket, revealing two guns and two knives in holsters. He rolled up his shirt sleeves, and if he was trying to distract me, he was doing a terrific job.

Goran gestured to a chair back by the window. I reluctantly walked over and sat, pressing the peas to my sore cheek.

“Lani, I’ve never lied to you, and I never will. When I say this, it isn’t to hurt you. It’s simply the truth. I don’t see you as a pampered princess. I know that there’s far more to you than anyone gives you credit for. You’re smart, talented, passionate, beautiful, and have an incredibly caring heart. But that doesn’t change your circumstances.”

He leaned forward, bracing his hands on the table.

“I know you don’t want it to be true, but not wanting it and it not being so are two different things.”

I looked away from his intense stare and focused on the dark water rolling toward the shore in lazy waves.

“What if I walk away?” The words tasted like blood on my tongue. “What if I give up the name? All of it.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why,” I asked, dropping the peas on the table.

“Why would you give it up? Just because Dimitri is a jerk? Nathaniel kept his name and still separated himself from your father.”

I sighed and crossed my arms.

“Yes, and he’s also a man everyone respects. Do you really think anyone will want to work with me or trust me with any part of their company after word gets out about tonight?” I shook my head. “I promised myself I wouldn’t let him, but with each passing second…”

Goran reached across the table and placed his hand on mine, grounding me.

“I don’t know how to make this work. I was so focused on getting us married that I didn’t have a plan for what came after.”

“Do you regret marrying me?” Goran’s voice was careful, like he was shielding his heart.