United by Their Royal Baby by Therese Beharrie

Author:Therese Beharrie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-10-13T12:12:29+00:00

Chapter Ten

XAVIER’S CHEST WAS heaving and he closed his eyes, fighting for calm. Leyna’s hand closed over his and it helped steady his breath. But he couldn’t keep the contact when he was talking about Erika and he pulled his hand away, settling it on his chest.

When he opened his eyes again, he pretended not to see the hurt on her face or how she sat up, the ease that had her lying on her back gone.

‘What should you have protected her from?’ Leyna asked quietly, turning away from him. He sat up now, too, and felt the guilt at hurting her throb in his chest.

‘I shouldn’t have brought it up.’

‘But you did, so clearly some part of you wanted to talk about it.’

‘Or you pushed so hard that I had no choice.’

She gave a soft bark of laughter. ‘If it helps you to blame me, then by all means go ahead.’ She pushed up to her knees and Xavier got to his feet to help her up. She let him, but let go of his hand the moment she was standing.

He couldn’t blame her, and shouldn’t have let it bother him. Yet he felt the same hurt that she’d had in her eyes when he’d let go of her hand minutes ago.

‘Can you take me back?’ she asked, not looking at him.

‘Leyna—’

‘Can you just take me back, please?’ she asked sharply now.

He sighed and lifted her into his arms, thinking about how different things had been just a few moments ago. He was responsible for that, he thought. He needed to face the truth of that—that he so easily blamed her without taking responsibility himself.

Something he was beginning to realise happened more and more.

So when they reached the path to the castle and he set her back on her feet he opened his mouth to apologise, but was silenced when she spoke.

‘We need boundaries,’ she said, slipping her feet back into the heels she’d worn. ‘Things we shouldn’t talk about because it would undermine the cordiality we’d like to maintain in our relationship.’ She straightened. ‘I think I already know what’s on your list and, since we’ve cleared the air about what happened ten years ago, I’d like to add our past to that, too.’

‘You think we can avoid talking about our past?’ he asked in disbelief.

‘We must if we want to keep this marriage as civil as possible.’

‘And that’s essential, isn’t it?’ he said, hiding his anger. But he should have known that she’d see through it.

‘You don’t get to be angry with me when you’re the one who put up walls. Perhaps you didn’t say it—’ she cut off his protest ‘—but not wanting to talk about it, snapping at me when I ask you to, that’s a wall. And I refuse to feel...’ Her voice faded and he saw a flash of hurt on her face. ‘I don’t want us to take our anger out on each other any more. So—’ she straightened her shoulders ‘—can I count on you for that?’

‘Yes,’ he replied a little helplessly.

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