something in me I had no idea was even there. The very idea of her being harmed by anyone would make me set the world on
fire, not just a small village.
“You are still a guest of my kingdom and should be protected. Even if we weren’t in our deal, I would have done
everything the same.”
Hearing the chair legs behind me move, I turned as she began to walk towards the door. I had no clue why she was leaving.
Had I offended her once again? Surely the death of those people didn’t matter that much to her.
“Ornella, stay here and speak with me. I won’t read your mind to find out what’s going on, I’d rather you tell me yourself.”
She stopped in her tracks and wrapped her arms around herself. As much as I wanted to listen in on her mind, I couldn’t, it
would be an invasion of her privacy. Even the times I did speak to her via our thoughts, I never meant to find out information
about her. It was always an accident.
“You are what’s on my mind, Nic. One minute you say you do not want me, then you save me, only to disappear and then the
next thing you want is to become friends. I tell you I believe I am unlovable, and you don’t even bat an eyelid—a friend would
say something about that.”
“I don’t know what you wish to hear. I find the idea of you being unlovable strange when I have seen many surround you
with love. My sister, Morgana for example, is besotted by you and already adores you. Vanessa as well, despite her original
feelings.”
She smiled a little then. I only knew the love my parents shared for one another—passionate and all consuming. They fought
like a cat with a mouse, forever chasing after the other but always making up in the end. I wasn’t sure if I wanted something
like that, but I knew I wanted the passion.
Ornella already afflicted my every thought, waking and asleep. Her very being put me off balance and I wasn’t entirely sure
when that happened. There continued to be this pull between us, and I was sure she felt it too. I just didn’t want to ask for fear
of it all being in my head and getting rejected.
“Do you think,” she bit the bottom of her lip, pausing to speak and I took a few steps forward as she took some back.
“I think about a lot of things,” I replied as I continued to try and close the gap between us.
“That’s not what I meant.”
She backed into the wooden door of my study as I stepped in front of her. Unable to control myself, I placed a hand to the
side of her head and then the other close to her waistline. A few inches away from her, I could now feel her warm breath
against my skin. I could faintly hear her heartbeat begin to pump faster as the scent of lavender and roses hit my nose. She
smelled so good.
“What do you mean then?” I asked, trying not to part her legs with my own leg to bring her closer to me.