Page 15 of Sheikh's Quarantine Triplet Baby Daughters

"You… You have?"

"I have. I have learned that I can be the man that Alraed needs me to be, and I can still be myself on top of it. I have learned that my responsibilities are compatible with my needs. There is room for who I want to be, and who I need to be."

Diane licked her lips, which had suddenly become very dry.

"Really," she said, more a statement than a question.

"Yes."

Samyar brought her hand to his lips, kissing it and never breaking eye contact.

"One day," he said, his voice dropped to a low purr, "I will need to marry for my country, an appropriate woman who will please my council and my constituents. Until then... I may do as I like."

It took Diane a moment to realize what he was saying, and the worst part was that before her doctor's appointment this morning, she would have been tempted. Hell, she probably would have been more than tempted, but now.

No.

"Your mistress," she spat, her eyes sparking fire. "You mean that you want to keep me as your mistress?"

Samyar gave her a startled look.

"Mistress? What are you talking about? This isn't the nineteenth century. Diane—"

"You mean that I could be your girlfriend until something better comes along," she said heatedly. "Someone more appropriate, someone really perfect for the life you live."

"You were the one who was always talking about taking things as they come," Samyar said. "Do you remember how long it took me to get you to call yourself my girlfriend? You hated that word for a while, you wanted to simply be, as I recall..."

Diane shook her head, taking a step back from Samyar.

"As you've said, I've changed. More than I thought I have. More than you realized. And no matter how tempting you made that offer sound, I must decline."

As closing lines went, it wasn't the mic drop that she would probably come up with late at night in her room, but it was the best she could do.

Samyar called her name, but she spun around and walked off. When she heard him take a few steps after her, she broke into a run. She didn't know if he was chasing her, but right at that moment, she needed to run, needed to put as much space between herself and the man who had haunted her dreams for years, who she was beginning to realize would be some part of her life forever.

By the time she got to the door of her luxurious suite, she was covered in sweat and wondering guiltily if there was anything in Dr. Ramamurthy's documentation about whether expectant mothers were allowed to run.

She looked around, and Diane realized she was alone.

That was fine. She always had been.

She went into her rooms and locked the door behind her.

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