"Of course it is," she snapped back. "I've been a whore for years and years."
That got her a hard shake. "Enough sarcasm," he warned severely. "I don't care anymore about your past. Do you hear? I don't give a damn what you were. You're mine now and I... that's all that matters."
All Tanya could do was stare at him, too amazed for words, her instincts telling her that he had been about to say he loved her. What had stopped him? Those damn scars? Was he still unsure, even after everything she'd said? Of course he was, and he would be, as long as he still thought her desire for him came with a price on it. Now, there was a joke, and a no-win situation. Her pride had kept her from showing him those bed sheets, and her pride was going to keep her from asking Serge to tell him the truth. She'd just have to prove to him, over and over again, that she wanted him, just him. That shouldn't be too difficult a task, quite an enjoyable task, actually...
He didn't care about her past? My God, wasn't that exactly what she had wanted, for it not to matter to him, for him to want her despite what he thought about her? And he did. And if she wasn't mistaken, the man already loved her, too. Well, he must, if he could overlook the kind of wicked past he thought her to have.
She gave him a smile that was dazzling in its warmth, and threw herself against him to pull his head down so she could do the kissing for a change. She was so happy she could barely contain the emotion. She lost her breath for a moment, he had squeezed her so hard in response. And his mouth took over the kissing now, some really voracious kissing that went on and on. But then he stopped and just held her against him, pressed very tight. She could hear his heartbeat pounding in his chest, feel the sexual tension gripping his body. So it was quite a frustrating surprise for her to hear his next words.
"I'm not going to make love to you tonight, Tanya mine, because it would take all night before I would be satisfied this time, and I don't want you tired for the ceremony."
"Stefan!"
He lifted her chin to brush his lips very lightly on hers and then gave her an incredibly beautiful smile. "The day after the wedding it will be understandable if you sleep late."
With a promise like that, how could Tanya argue?
Chapter 49
Tanya's wedding dress was a grand concoction of white lace enhanced with silver thread over white satin, with tiny seed pearls dotted throughout. With the immensely long train, it was too elaborate for her to move easily in it without the aid of attendants to take up some of the weight. These she would have, even for her long walk down the aisle on the arm of Sandor, who had autocratically claimed the honor of giving her into his son's capable care.
She should be tired. It had taken her quite a while to fall asleep last night after Stefan had left her; glorious happiness, unfulfilled desire, and anticipation had all kept her mind from resting. But she was too excited now to be tired. And the women had arrived almost with the dawn to begin preparing her, dozens of them bustling in and out of her rooms all morning.
As soon as the last diamond-studded pin had been placed in her hair, a silence fell over the group behind her. It took Tanya a moment to realize that her women weren't merely awestruck by their handiwork.
She turned to find that Alicia Huszar had been allowed into her chamber. Tanya stiffened. She was definitely going to replace those damn guards at her door for this. By their very silence, all the women present obviously knew who Alicia was, so how could her guards not know? Or was this nothing out of the ordinary, the ex-mistress coming to congratulate the soon to be wife, with no hard feelings? Like hell.
Tanya dismissed her women curtly. This conversation was not going to be food for the gossip mills. And once they were alone, she waited to see what face Alicia would show this time. If it was to be the friendly, helpful one again, Tanya would probably get nauseous.
But Alicia was more her true self this time, if her smug little smile and first volley were any indication. "Do you know where Stefan spent last night?"
Tanya had a moment's doubt, which she swiftly squashed. She decided to play the game Alicia's way and smiled back with some smugness of her own.
"Indeed I do."
That Alicia didn't call her a liar or come right out and state that Stefan had been with her told Tanya that her moment of doubt had been for nothing. Alicia had no idea where Stefan had spent the night, but it certainly hadn't been with her.
"If all you wanted was to cause trouble, Alicia, you can leave right now."
Angry now that her first tactic hadn't worked, the redhead tried another. "That isn't why— I had to come before it's too late. If you cry off, refuse to marry Stefan, you'll give him the excuse he needs to get out of this marriage without shirking his duty. He doesn't want to marry you. Don't you have any pride?"
"More than is good for me, I don't doubt. But I happen to know—"
Tanya broke off when she caught sight of Alicia's ruby necklace. It was almost like— no, it was exactly like the one Latzko had dangled from his finger to show her what had paid for her demise. And here was a copy of it, or more to the point, Latzko's necklace had been a copy of this one.
A furious rage rose up to nearly choke Tanya, because there wasn't the slightest doubt in her mind that the person who had tried to have her killed, not just once, but twice, was standing before her. Yet none of that rage showed. She merely reached slowly for her knife, then recalled that it wasn't on her thigh because she hadn't wanted to shock all those women who were dressing her from head to toe this morning. So she got up and walked casually to her bureau, opened the drawer, took out her knife, and palmed it.
She then turned toward Alicia, offered a tight little smile as she approached her, and continued where she'd left off. "I happen to know you are utterly deluding yourself if you think any of what you said is true anymore. It might have been true before Stefan left for America, but his outlook has definitely changed. He happens to love me, Alicia, just as I love him. But I'll wager you've already guessed that." Close enough now, Tanya shoved the redhead up against the wall and set the knife at her throat. "Isn't that why you tried to have me killed?"
Alicia blanched as white as Tanya's gown, her blue eyes circles of horror as she felt her skin break under the sharp blade. "Don't... please!"
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't," Tanya hissed ominously.
"I was out of my mind with anger because he told me we were finished, completely finished. I had given him two years, waiting for him to become king, but when it happens, he discards me. Yes, I had guessed he had fallen in love with you. It was him I wanted to hurt through you. But after I had calmed down and thought about it, I was horrified at what I had done. I swear to God, I'm not a murderess. I was just so angry — Tatiana, if I had truly, seriously wanted to assure your death, I would have used the real rubies."
That explanation was likely true, but it didn't incline Tanya to be forgiving. "Do you think that will matter to Stefan when he hears about it?"
Whatever color had been coming back into Alicia's cheeks because Tanya was at least listening to her, blanched right back out now. "Oh, God, please don't tell him. Even though you still live, he'll have me executed. He'll have to. Any threat against the royal house is considered treasonous, and he'll see it in no other way."
"I wouldn't worry about him just yet, when I haven't decided whether or not I'm going to cut your throat," Tanya said, pressing the knife in just enough to make her point.
Alicia's eyes flared wide again. "I swear, Tatiana, on my life, I'll never do anything so foolish again. I'll leave the country, I'll—"