Are we? The warm glow of lust had dimmed, leaving Lani anxious and apprehensive. All this talking seemed to be tying them up in knots. She’d never been good with words. She certainly couldn’t talk easily about herself.
“You didn’t answer my question, Lani.” AJ ignored the commotion outside, looking only at her. “What do you want?”
What if she told him she wanted him to stay, and he did but was unhappy? Would it be her fault?
“Stop hiding your thoughts from me.” AJ stepped toward her. “You’re just complicating everything further.”
“I want you to stay and become king.” She pushed the words out with great effort. Relief mingled with terror formed a fog in her brain.
AJ’s expression didn’t soften. “That’s about me. What about you?”
I want to be your wife.
No. There was absolutely no way on this ocean-covered earth she could say that. It would amount to asking him to marry her. She’d never do that.
“Why can’t you say it?” AJ put his hand on her shoulder. His dark gaze seemed to pierce her skin, making her even more uncomfortable.
“Because I don’t know what I want. I only know I don’t want you to go.” The words burst from her on a sob. “Maybe I really am too shallow, or too silly for you. You expect me to have all these grand thoughts about my destiny and lots of big dreams or something.” She shoved a tear aside. “But I don’t. Maybe I am just a simple village girl. I only want to raise my baby and be happy.”
AJ stared at her. Tears ran down her cheeks and she didn’t try to stop them. That really was the truth about her and if he hoped for more he was doomed to disappointment.
Maybe that’s what she’d been trying to hide all along. “I’m not educated or even particularly intelligent.” Lord knows Vanu had made a point of that often enough. “I just do my best to help the people around me and try to do the right thing. And sometimes the right thing doesn’t feel right at all…” A violent sob racked her body.
“Don’t put yourself down, Lani. You’re brave and strong—look at all you’ve endured—and I firmly believe you’re capable of anything. Whatever you do, don’t let Vanu’s opinion of you shape your view of yourself. I’d be nowhere if I’d done that.”
“And you’re an award-winning director.” Another tear dripped off her chin. “That’s a big accomplishment.” No wonder he didn’t want to abandon the career he’d worked so hard to build.
“Being a director is a lot like being a king, really.” He thumbed a tear off her cheek. “You have to keep a lot of different people happy while guiding them all in the direction of your vision. I’m beginning to realize that my film career has been the perfect preparation for the job I’m truly intended to do.”
“Wouldn’t you miss Hollywood and all the excitement of the industry?”
“Not the way I missed you and Rahiri while I was back there.” His soft voice tugged at something deep inside her. There was something different in his eyes now, too. A reflective look she didn’t remember seeing before.
“I truly think I was meant to live there for a while, and I did enjoy myself—almost as much as the media claimed—but now it’s my time to come home.”
The last word hung in the air and reverberated off the stone floor.
Then the powerful moment was interrupted by more fevered banging on the door. “AJ Rahia, come here right now!”
“Your mom.” Lani couldn’t help laughing. “She’s probably run out of spin for the reporters.”
“Is that any way to talk to the king?” AJ raised a brow. Humor twinkled in his eyes.
Lani drew in a breath. “Are you really going to stay and become king?”
“Only if you’ll be my queen.” He took her hands in his and held her gaze while he dropped to one knee. “Lani, will you marry me?”
Ten
AJ held his breath while two more fat crystal tears slid down Lani’s cheeks.
“I missed you so much, AJ. I almost couldn’t stand it when you left. I wanted to be mad at you for abandoning me, but I couldn’t. You’re the most caring and tender man I’ve ever met and…” She drew in a shaky breath. “I love you.”
His heart squeezed. She hadn’t answered his question, though. Did she still worry that he felt forced into marrying her?
“I love you, too, Lani. And I want to marry you because I’d like to be your husband, not because a nation expects it of me. Your beauty seduced me from the first moment I met you, but your generous and giving spirit stole my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”