Page 72

What I would give for the world to be that simple. If I could act on my emotions the way she seems to think I can, I’d have mated and crowned her months ago. Hell, the two of us would be ruling my kingdom from my bed.

Only that’s not the way the world works. Callie still has to enjoy her youth and discover herself. She’s been so desperate for my company and I’ve been too weak to deny her it, that neither of us have given her a chance to figure out who exactly Callypso Lillis is under all that pain and beauty.

“I’m a king, Callie,” I try to reason with her. “And you’re …”

Mine. Take her. Mine.

I force the thought away.

“Innocent,” I finish.

“I’m not innocent,” she insists.

I move to her and cup her cheek. She might still have shadows in her eyes, but she hasn’t lost her vivacity for life. She hasn’t become cynical. Not like me, and not like most of the world.

“You are,” I insist. “You are so painfully innocent in so many ways, and I’m a very, very bad man. You should stay away from me because I can’t seem to.”

I see the moment my words register.

Her eyebrows lift in horror. “Stay away? But why?”

Wasn’t planning on unloading my heart tonight, but screw it.

“I can’t just be your friend, Callie.”

“Then don’t,” she says.

Ah, more of that young innocence. To cast all logic and reason aside for love. I want to. Oh, how badly I want to. The fairy in me demands I do so.

“You don’t know what you’re asking,” I say, my eyes roving over her.

“I don’t care.”

I don’t want to care either, but I’m neither an unseasoned youth, nor am I ruled by all the wild impulses my kind are known to have.

“But I do,” I say with finality.

A tear leaks out of her eye.

I can’t bear it. “Don’tcry.”

Couldn’t even give her an evening without ruining it.

“You don’t have to go,” she pleads. “Everything can go back to the way it was. We can just …pretendtonight never happened.”

Something in me breaks at her words. I feel about an inch tall.

I lean forward and kiss away her tears, knowing that I’m giving her mixed messages. “Just … give me some time,” I say. I force myself to back away.

“How long are you going to be gone?” she asks.

As long as I can stand.

“Long enough to figure out what I want and what you deserve.”

She must sense that tonight is different, that I crossed one of my own hard fought lines. I can see her rising desperation.

“What about my debts?” she says.