Page 67 of Palace of Betrayal

Leo released her and sat up, leaving her feeling cold at the loss of his touch. Fear at the rejection she guessed was coming like a knife in her gut. He pushed his hair back from his face and her mouth watered at the sight of his biceps bunching. Even as she was paralysed with doubt, she still wanted him.

“I hate your parents for treating you as they did. They should be whipped for ever making you believe you’d failed. You were innocent and alone and my heart breaks for that little girl who felt her only choice was to run.” He angled his body toward her, taking her hands in his and watching her reactions. A tiny flicker of hope worked its way to the surface as he spoke with such vehement defence of the child she’d been.

His eyes on hers, she felt like she was drowning in the stormy green depths that changed colour with the emotion he was feeling.

“But I believe everything happens for a reason. Without you running away, you’d never have met Roz or joined Zenobi. If not for that, we’d never have met, and I’d never have known there was a woman out there who understood me. Who could open her palm and have me gladly laying my heart in it. Don’t do IVF, Bebe. Have a child with me. Let’s do this together.”

Bebe thought her heart might pound out of her chest at his words. Tears pricked her eyelids, and she felt her throat choke with emotion. “You want to have a baby with me?”

“I want it all. I want you beside me one day as I sit on the throne as King. Be my Queen, Bebe.”

Her voice wobbled as she let the tears fall. “What about your dad?”

“He loves you. He told me he hoped to call you daughter one day.”

Tears dripped from her face onto their joined hands, as Leo released her to swipe his thumbs over her cheeks to clear them, love clear as a crystal blue sea on his face. “Okay, yes. Yes, please.”

Leo pulled her in for a kiss full of promise, and love, the future in front of them marred by only one thing. “First, we have a job to do.”

“Then let’s get it done so we can get on with our life together.”

As she jumped from the bed, with renewed energy, Leo captured her for a toe-curling kiss, that had her wanting to ignore the threats they still faced and fall back into bed with him. “I love you, Bebe.”

“I love you too. Now, let’s go join the team and see what the next move is.”

Twenty-Five

His hand firmly in hers, Leo walked tall as they headed for the King’s private quarters. His father had taken control and designated his rooms that were clear of any bugs or cameras as mission control for the foreseeable future. To say he felt ten feet tall despite the pounding headache from the header he’d taken off the yacht would be an understatement.

When they’d been blown from the yacht by the explosion, he’d seen his life flash before him. Not the one he’d already lived but the one he could’ve had with the woman he loved if only he was brave enough to grasp it with both hands and claim it.

Regret had been the last emotion he felt before he’d been lights out and he never intended to live his life that way again. When he died, God willing at least fifty years from now, he’d do it looking back at a life full of love and not a single regret in sight. Laying his heart on the line after that had been an easy decision. Kanan had warned him to walk away if he couldn’t accept who Bebe really was, and it had made him wonder if he could be the man to let his woman face danger.

As he saw her covered in dirt and smoke, having faced the dangers she had, and still fight to save him, he knew he’d be a fool to walk away from a woman like her because of his own fears. Asking her to take a chance on him was a risk for her, but he hadn’t lied when he said he wanted it all and he’d spend every day trying to be worthy of her. The thought of a family with her filled him with so much warmth he wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

He stopped her before they went into the King’s quarters. “Just so you know, that wasn’t a proposal back there. When I propose, you’ll know about it.”

Her lips tipped into a smile, making his heart beat faster and he gave in to the need to kiss her, wondering how he’d ever managed to curb it or if he even cared to. He released her and love filled him for this warrior.

“I look forward to it.”

The door opened and Roz stood smirking at them before she stepped back. “Sorry to interrupt but we have a plan we’d like to run by you both.”

He and Bebe swept inside, and he let her hand go, as she began speaking with Roz and Evelyn, to move to his father. The King had changed and was now wearing a different two-piece suit, this one darker and perhaps mirroring his feelings. Today must have been hard for him, and Leo wondered if it might be a good idea to get him checked by a doctor.

“Father, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, son. You’re the one who got the bump on the head.”

Leo’s hand went to the cut in his hairline which had knocked him out and he touched it lightly, feeling the small lump. Waggs, who he’d been determined to dislike for purely selfish reasons, had turned out to be a great guy. He’d shown him pictures of his wife and son, the love evident for anyone to witness. “I’m fine, I have a thick head.”

Leo followed his father’s line of sight and saw Bebe hugging Evelyn, her expression so open and alive, it was hard for him to tolerate even this small space between them.

“She looks happy and well despite what she’s been through.”

Leo shoved his hands in his pockets as he studied the interaction between the women. There was no doubt about the intense bond between them. The affection was clear as day to see, and from Alex and Kanan too. They were a family; one she’d built for herself from the ashes of her childhood.

“We talked and she’s a little banged up, but she’s a fighter.”