Page 18 of Reluctantly Rogue

Sure,myfuture plans were in limbo during that time, but my grandfather kept assuring me that everything was fine and was going to work out. I’d delusionally believed him and let myself imagine a time when the eldest grandson, Declan, returned home, reclaimed the throne, and got down on one knee to make our engagement—the one I’d been imagining my whole life—official.

Instead, Torin, the second grandson, is the one who came home.

And he’s not in love with me. Which evidently bothers him.

He’s being a real pain in my ass.

Becausehiswanting to marry for love directly conflicts withmygoal—to be queen of Cara.

“Torin,” King Diarmuid says with clearly forced patience. “You and Linnea are the best representatives to attend the summit.”

“I can represent Cara. She doesn’t need to come,” he says.

“She’s been to these summits before on our behalf. You haven’t.”

It’s true. The king has trusted me to meet with other world leaders and speak for Cara on a number of occasions. Considering his heirs were allgonefor adecade,he needed someone to step up. And I’ve been training to be queen all my life.

I give Torin a cool look. “I’ve probably already met a number of people who will be there. We’ve been discussing ways to bring green energy to the island for about three years now.”

Torin frowns as he looks at me. “Why’s it taking so long?”

I frown back. “Spoken as someone who doesn’t understand how this all works.”

“I don’t—” he starts.

But a low voice says, “Hey.”

My gaze shoots across the table to Jonah. He hasn’t changed his posture. I don’t even know if anyone else at the table heard the ‘hey’. His eyes are on Torin.

He waswarningthe prince?

I watch them.

Torin glares at Jonah, but he doesn’t finish what he was about to say. Instead, he looks at me. “Let’s discuss the summit further. I’d like to hear what you know.”

I give a nod. “Fine.” What am I supposed to say? It’s not like I can tell him he can’t go to the summit. Heisthe prince.

He scoots his chair back and stands. “We’ll have coffee in my office,” he says to no one in particular.

Jonah also stands. His gaze settles on me.

Ifeelit before I see it. It’s heavy and warm.

Which is ridiculous.

I look up and meet his emerald gaze.

God, green is my favorite color.

I’m very proud of myself that my gaze remains on his. Because the intensity in the way he watches me makes me instinctively want to look away. And because my traitorous, newly awakened lust sensors want to take in the rest of him, I can see now that he’s standing.

“I’m going to assume that means it’s yes to the summit in September,” Diarmuid says.

I take the opportunity to look athim. He doesn’t like when people leave a dinner, a meeting, or even a conversation withouthimdismissing them.

“Cara will be represented,” Torin says.

Again, I don’t roll my eyes visibly.

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