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said.
    His breath rushed from his body, a low growl behind it. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. He kissed her and she nearly sighed with relief. It had been too long.
    Everything. All of it had gone on far too long. Taj was the only man she’d ever loved. Being away from him had been like functioning with a piece of herself missing. She’d done it, she’d done what she had to do to try to be strong. But she would be lying if she didn’t admit to herself that being in his arms felt so much better than keeping her pride ever had.
    And that was frightening.
    â€œWait,” she said, pulling away from him, her heart thundering. Pride would have a place here, and she would see it had a victory.
    â€œWhat?” he asked, pressing his forehead against hers, his breath sporadic.
    â€œHow do you see me?”
    â€œWhat does that mean, Angel?”
    â€œWhat am I to you? Am I the woman you are chained to? Am I the woman who got away that you seized the chance to capture again? A salve for your wounded ego?” She put her hands on either side of his face. “What am I to you?”
    He hesitated, and in that moment of hesitation, she saw the man she’d known first. The man who had romanced her in Texas, rather than the autocratic ruler. “You are…the woman who has haunted my dreams these past years. When I saw you at Alessandro’s engagement party I thought you were a mirage. I didn’t trust myself. I had seen you too many times before, only to get close and discover it wasn’t really you. You are my most hated delusion and my deepest desire.” The words sounded pulled from him, as though each one carried a heavy weight. A high price. “Does that answer your question?”
    She felt a tear slide down her cheek and she brushed it away. “I…I imagined you never thought about me again after I left.”
    He laughed, a short, bitter sound. “There was a time when I thought of little else.”
    â€œThat surprises me.”
    â€œWhy? Did you forget?”
    She didn’t want to give him honesty, but there was no way around it. Not when his words were so naked and raw, so obviously true. “Of course I didn’t forget. I uprooted my whole life. I left my country. The money, the lifestyle I was used to having, to try to escape the situation I found myself in.”
    â€œTo escape me.”
    â€œTo escape marrying a man who saw me as nothing more than a possession. To escape a father who saw me as a bargaining chip. To find out who I was away from the manipulation of others. Don’t flatter yourself by making it so personal.”
    He tightened his hold on her, his gaze intense. “You think it’s not?”
    She shook her head.
    â€œYou are a liar,” he said, leaning in, his lips skimming her cheek. “I think the things you feel toward me are very personal.”
    Why did he do this to her? Why did she have such a hard time resisting him? She didn’t even want to resist. She tilted her head and kissed him, her eyes closed tight. She pulled her head back, her breathing shallow.
    â€œWhat am I to you, Angelina Carpenter?” he asked, tracing the line of her lips with his finger.
    â€œYou are—” she cleared her throat and tried to disguise the quiver in her voice “—you are a mystery to me, as is my attraction to you. That’s why I keep coming back to fate.”
    For a moment, he looked stunned. Then in one fluid movement he picked her up from her position on the fountain and stood, striding across the courtyard. She looped her arms around his neck and held on.
    â€œThat’s a good enough answer for me,” he said, stopping in front of a divan that was shrouded in palms. He set her down on the velvet surface and pulled his shirt over his head, coming to sit down beside her. “Is it enough for you?”
    She nodded, unsure she could make her voice