Page 96 of The Mentor
“I prefer the titleseducer,” he declared with a smug smile. “And I’ll have to go back with you guys and finish off a few things before I start. Besides, Pearl told me there will be five men in total and she hasn’t decided who the other four are going to be yet. I already asked Pearl if you could come, but she said no. They need you and Marco to focus on the school.”
“Yeah, that makes sense, but I bet she’ll have about a million volunteers,” I said matter-of-factly. “You’re going to be the envy of all the men of the North.”
“I know!” Finn grinned before he pushed up from the sand and brushed off his hands.
“I think I’ve done enough good for one day,” he said and held out his hand to help me up. “Now that I have helped clear your head, I’m going to enjoy my last night in the Motherlands and see if that cute waiter from this morning needs me to warm her bed tonight.”
“Good for you.”
“What about you? Are you going to have one last night with Kya?”
His words cut like a dagger, and my only reply was a low “Maybe.” But there was no maybe and even if I had wanted to stay away, I couldn’t.
It was close to eleven and all the children were in their rooms after watching a show by a local dance troupe.
I didn’t even go to my own room to shower, but knocked on Kya’s door.
CHAPTER 25
Marry Me
Kya
“Where have you been?” I asked when I opened my door and found Archer standing outside with a somber expression. “I sent Finn to find you, but that was an hour ago.”
“He found me,” Archer said. “Do you mind if we go to my room? I need to shower, and my clothes are there.”
“Have you been swimming this late?” I didn’t tell Archer how worried I had been and that after all the drama we’d been through these past days, his disappearing on me like that was very inconsiderate. Not even the mediators had known where he was, and that had gotten them in a lot of trouble with their supervisors.
I went with him and waited in his room while he took a quick shower.
“You could’ve told me where you went,” I said in a reprimanding tone when he got out of the bathroom.
Archer had a towel wrapped around his hips and was drying his hair with another towel.
“Why didn’t you use the dryer function in the shower?” I asked.
“Because I’m a considerate person, and the blowers are noisy. It’s late, and some people might be sleeping just on the other side of the wall.”
There was something different about him tonight. “What’s wrong, Archer? Are you still upset about our fight yesterday? I told you, I’m not pregnant.”
He plunked down to sit on the edge of the bed. “Come here,” he said and reached out for me, pulling me down on his lap.
“You’ve been acting strange all day – tell me what’s wrong,” I asked.
With a heavy intake of air, Archer licked his dry lips and looked up at me with such vulnerability that it made my skin prickle.
“What if I told you…” His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat and he licked his lips again. “What if I told you that I couldn’t be your lover anymore?”
I stiffened. “Why not?”
“Because I wantmore, Kya. I want to have a family with you and tell the whole world that you’re mine and I’m yours.”
I pushed up from his lap and took a few steps back. “Why does it have to be all or nothing with you? I’ve already promised that I won’t sleep with anyone else, can’t that be enough?”
“No, I can’t make love to you and worry that you’re gonna leave the Northlands and take our child with you.”
“I told you a million times, there isnochild.”
