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“But,” I say, continuing even when he shakes his head. “I have never made a man want anything from me before. Nothing frommeas a woman. Not on purpose, anyway. I’ve made them want things from Cara and the king, of course, but notmepersonally.And I really like it. And you want me to really like it,” I remind him. I’ve discussed and negotiated with heads of state, business tycoons, and scholars. I can make a compelling argument toanyone. “You want me to want morecake. You want me to get caught up in all of this. I didn’t feel it with James, but I feel it with you. So I should keep exploring it in the hopes that it’s so good, there’s no chance of me settling for things with Torin.”
His jaw clenches. He watches me without speaking. Then he says, “Well, this is a good change of attitude before you go out with the senator tomorrow night.”
I frown. “I don’t know if it will feel the same with Christian.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve met him before and never felt tingles.”
“You met me a long time ago and didn’t feel tingles.”
“That’s not true.”
His frown deepens. “Excuse me?”
“I did feel tingles when I met you.”
He narrows his eyes. “When was this?”
“When I walked in on your naked ironing. That was actually the first time I’d ever felt tingles like that. It was the first time I’d ever seen a man naked, too. In real life.”
“In real—” He breaks off as one of the waitresses comes over and offers to box up the rest of our pizza. “Yes, thank you,” he tells her. He also hands over his credit card to settle the bill. When she moves off he says, “Well, that doesn’t count.”
“Why not?”
“That wasn’t the first time we met. You met me long before that. And not only did younotfeel tingles, you don’t even remember it.”
“When did we meet?”
“The first Christmas Torin went to Cara after abdicating. He’d been in the U.S. for about three years.”
I remember that. And now that I think about it, I remember there being a number of people with Torin. Fiona and Saoirse were there. Her bodyguard, Colin. Cian and his bodyguard, Henry.
“That holiday was especially overwhelming. I was afraid Torin was coming back to rescind the abdication. There was so much tension with Diarmuid and everyone. And I was there only for a day. And I was trying very hard toavoidTorin. Which, I suppose, meant avoiding you.” I frown, thinking back. “But I do remember noticing all of you. The bodyguards, I mean. You were all intimidating, but it was interesting having new guys around and…” My gaze snaps back up to his. “Youwere trying to keep me away from Torin, too!” Now I remember. “I was trying to sneak off to one of the guest rooms to hide out away from everyone. And you and Henry stopped me in the hallway. You said I wasn’t allowed on the third floor. Which was bullshit. I was allowed everywhere. But you wouldn’t let me pass.”
He smiles. “You do remember. And no tingles.”
“No. I was too busy being annoyed.” I lean in. “By the way, I got up to the third floor. I know that entire palace inside and out. Including the secret passageways.”
He laughs. “I’m not at all surprisednow. But you didn’t bump into Torin. That was our job. Keeping you apart.”
I roll my eyes. “He was so worried I’d throw myself at him and beg him to marry me.”
Jonah nods. “Pretty much.”
“Ugh.”
“Yeah. Well, you avoiding him made our job of helpinghimavoidyoua lot easier.”
“You’re welcome. And we saw each other again at other holidays,” I say. We did. I remember now. But I always did the same thing—tried to avoid Torin and tried to avoid seeming interested at all lest our families start wedding planning.
Jonah nods. “Of course.” He leans in. “And no tingles.”
“Okay,” I concede. “But Idofeel the tingles now. Even before we kissed.”
That wipes some of the smugness off his face. “Well, then, you might feel some with the senator. Now that you’re…in the mood.”
“I wasn’t ‘in the mood’ when I walked into your room when you were ironing. Or all the times you’ve touched my arm or lower back. Or all the times you’ve smiled at me, or stood close enough I could smell you, or wrapped a pashmina around me, or?—”