It was not traditional to kiss publicly in Attar, and he felt that they should adhere to that part of the custom. He was exceedingly glad they had done so now.
As if a kiss could affect you?
After all he’d done, it should not have the power to do so. But he wondered. Wondered what it would do to him to touch his lips to hers. They were full, soft. So perfect looking. And he wanted a taste badly enough to know he’d made the right choice to exclude it from the ceremony. He’d bet she tasted like passion. Like emotion so deep he’d never reach the bottom.
He was used to women as jaded as himself, or at least halfway to that point. But Jada was not that woman. He had to wonder…if he touched her, would it burn with heat like her eyes? Would it have the power to burn away the scars over his own emotions and set them all free?
The thought both intrigued and repelled him. It was a foolish thought. There was nothing that strong. Not even the fire of Jada’s passion.
The wedding ended very quickly, and for that, he was grateful. The moment the pronouncement was made, that they were husband and wife, Jada left his side and went to where Leena was sitting, pulling the child into her arms.
He wondered if he would ever be able to do that so easily. If he would ever do it the way she did, out of necessity. If only that sort of connection, that sort of understanding could be transferred through a kiss.
But then what would be left of you if you lost your armor? Do you even know if there’s anything underneath?
No. He didn’t. And he had no intention of finding out.
Sayid came up from where he’d been sitting and joined Alik where he was standing, both of them watching their respective wives and children. That moment confirmed he had done right. His heart would not give him confirmation. It simply wasn’t capable of it. But in his mind he knew, it was right.
“What have you done, Alik?”
“I did as you said I should do. I went and claimed my child.”
“And the woman?”
“She is the woman who was trying to adopt Leena. I could hardly rip the child from her arms.” Though that had been the original plan. Strange to think of it now. Strange to think he’d imagined it would work. To take Leena from Jada, when it seemed like they were a part of each other.
“Was she?” Sayid asked. “I did not realize there was someone who had been caring for her.”
“Yes. Would that have changed your advice?” Alik was worried it might. That even Sayid would think Jada was better suited to the task.
“Not necessarily. How is it she ended up agreeing to marry you?”
“I told her to. It keeps her with the child. It creates a proper family. I did the right thing.”
“You uprooted them both from their country. You forced a woman who has only known you for four days to marry you.”
“Is it so different to what you did with Chloe?”
Sayid shot him a deadly look. “It was different.”
“Not in the least.”
“I had feelings for her when we married.”
“I know,” Alik said, mildly amused by the memory. He’d incurred the wrath of his friend by implying he’d been less than gentlemanly with the other man’s wife in their brief time alone at his seaside palace.
“And you don’t have feelings for this woman?”
“Of course not, Sayid, I barely have feelings.” He flashed his friend his most practiced grin, the one that had gotten him out of more trouble than most people had ever been in.
“So you think.”
“So I know.”
“You told me once, Alik,” Sayid said slowly, “that you saw no point in making vows you couldn’t keep.”
Alik shifted, the memory rushing back to him, making him uncomfortable. Because that was just what he’d done today. He’d made vows he had no intention of keeping. He had every intention of continuing on as he’d always done.
“I also told you that I avoid making vows whenever possible. Today, it was not possible.” He looked over at Jada. She was sitting, holding Leena in her lap. Her golden skin had a gray tinge to it and her lips were chalky pale. She was miserable. The realization sent a pang straight to his chest. Strange. “This is different. She knows what this is.”
“And you think that’s enough? You think what happened here today, the words you