Hope flared in his eyes. “J.D., think about what you’re saying.”
“I am.” Standing up, she circled around to his side, then planted herself in his lap. “I told you, we would work it out. And I’m not backing down or bowing out just because you were born into a family of psychos.”
“You won’t?”
“Nuh-uh.” And she wasn’t about to let some Russian gangsters make a sweet old lady sleep with the fishes. “And all this?” She glanced around. “It would mean nothing if I can’t be with you.”
“God … J.D. …” His hands clamped around the back of her head and pulled her in for a long, hard, deep kiss. “I’ll make you happy. I promise. Anything and everything you want; I’ll give it to you. I’ll buy you a slew of garages across the continent.”
She pulled him to her, laying his head on her shoulder. “But what about you? What about your happiness? Your work … science …”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “As long as my grandmother is safe and I have you.”
But it did matter. It mattered to her. Somehow, she would find a way so he, too, could have everything he wanted. “So, that’s it? That’s all?”
“Well, two more things I supposed.” Pulling away from her, he straightened his glasses, which had gone askew. “First, Arabella.”
“Ugh.” Her cat snarled. “Do we have to talk about her?”
“Unfortunately, yes. Because I want you to know, she means nothing to me. We broke up five years ago because she cheated on me.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry, Cam.” And now she wanted to hurt that heifer even more. Slice her to ribbons and put her head on a stick. Then take the head off and have her cat play with it like a ball of yarn. Her animal purred, relishing the thought.
“It’s fine, really. When it all ended, I was mostly relieved. I suppose I cared about her in a way, but she only wanted me for my title and wealth. Our fathers were friends, and they very much encouraged the match.”
Emotion flickered in his eyes at the mention of his father, but that was a sensitive topic they could table for now. “So, what was she doing here?”
“It was my grandmother’s idea. She was in favor of the match too. After all, Arabella was the daughter of an earl, well-bred, cultured, beautiful, and had all the right connections.”
Her lips pursed. “Please go on and tell me more about your perfect ex.”
He kissed her nose. “Now, now, love. She may have had all those things, but she’s not worth your pinky finger. Natalia only saw the good side of her.”
“But if she cheated on you, why would your grandmother bring her here?” She waited for an answer, but Cam’s silence said it all. “She didn’t know, did she? You didn’t tell her Arabella cheated on you?”
He shrugged. “It didn’t matter. If anyone asked, Arabella said it just didn’t work out, and I didn’t contradict her. Then she made it official with her football star a few months later. What’s the use of sullying her reputation when I didn’t really care much for her anyway? Besides, it would break my grandmother’s heart.”
She stared at him, all agog. Any other man in his position would have reveled in the fact that Arabella had been the one caught with someone else. Claimed the moral high ground and painted her as a cheating whore.
But this was Cam. Honorable. Respectful. Unselfish. Of course he would protect Arabella’s reputation, even though she hurt him. “You’re a better person than I am,” she said with a shake of her head.
“Don’t worry, my grandmother promised she’ll send Arabella home. We’ll never have to see her again.”
That gave her some sense of relief, and her cat didn’t feel like scratching him up anymore … not too much anyway. “Now, the third, and hopefully final thing?”
“Ah, yes.” He cleared his throat. “The reason why my grandmother’s here in the first place. There’s this thing …”
“Thing?”
“A party. Ball, really. On Christmas Eve. To welcome my cousin who’s coming for a visit.”
“Cousin? You have a cousin?”
“Second cousin. Natalia’s one living older brother had a daughter, who in turn had a son. You might have heard of him, but you definitely know his wife, formerly known as Sybil Lennox.”
“Sybil … as in, Queen Sybil?” Oh, she’d heard about his mate all right. “Jesus Jehoshaphat Christ, the dragon king is your cousin?”
“Second cousin,” he reminded her. “We’re related through the human