As if sensing Staffan’s regard, Saffi watched Vania turn to them.
Her dark green eyes flashed with malicious triumph before she smiled at Staffan, wetting her ruby-red lips once more. The carnal invitation there was already blatant, but it was obviously not enough for Vania, who mouthed to Staffan, Join us.
Every second that played out was like a scene straight from her worst nightmare – one she couldn’t wake up from. It just continued, like an unstoppable wave that was only meant to torment Saffi.
Ah, this really…hurt. It so freaking hurt, more than the time she had caught Staffan pleasuring another girl. This time, the hurt was made more unbearable by the knowledge that maybe – maybe she had it in her power to prevent all this. But Saffi had turned her back on that chance because she had been too much of a coward.
Staffan hadn’t mouthed an answer back. She should be glad of that, but that was pretty much impossible too, seeing how Staffan smiled at Vania. His air of assurance, the raw sexuality of his presence, combined with his beautiful seductive smile – all of it was more than answer enough, making the other woman swallow.
When Staffan returned his gaze to Saffi, not having to feign his reluctance because there was nothing he disliked more now than spending even a moment’s time with the little bitch, he uneasily discovered several changes in her appearance.
In just a few days’ time, it was as if she had lost a ton of weight. Dark circles had formed under her eyes, making her appear wan. She looked like she had been f**king shoved down one time too many, and the realization didn’t sit well with him.
It f**king pained him to look at Saffi now. He wanted to shout at her, wanted to demand how the hell could she want the prince over him when he was obviously not treating her right?
“You should eat more,” Staffan said, even though he was unable to keep his tone from being snide. “Royal babies can’t be f**king starved---”
Saffi interrupted with quiet conviction, “Jeremy is not the father of my baby.”
His fist crashed against the table, which shuddered under the impact. Glasses fell to the floor, splintering into pieces as silver cutlery clanged after them. “You’re ruining my f**king day just by saying his name so if you know what’s f**king good for you and your precious prince, don’t ever say his f**king name in my presence again.”
“Staffan.”
He stiffened at the sound of his name on her lips. It felt too right, and that was what made it so goddamn wrong. Emotions that went too far and too deep imploded inside him, and Staffan snatched the dinner napkin from his lap and threw it on the table. “This f**king isn’t going anywhere.”
Before she could react, Staffan had gotten to his feet and was stalking away. Saffi hurried after him even as she wondered numbly if running was good for her baby. By the time she reached the parking lot, Saffi was desperate, half-running and half-walking now, knowing she had little time left to make it to Staffan’s side.
“Wait, please!” She caught hold of his arm from behind and bit back a gasp as he nearly flung her aside in an effort to get away from her. The sun was setting behind Staffan, and it cast a fiery glow around him, forcing Saffi to look away. It was as if the whole world was conspiring against her, making Saffi feel that she no longer had any right to be in Staffan’s life.
“You don’t have to worry,” Staffan snarled as he turned away from his car to face her again. “I’ll f**king marry you tomorrow because your goddamn family has left me no choice.”
“We don’t have any choice either,” she whispered. “Please understand---”
“I f**king understand everything now,” he hissed. “I know that you’re a slutty bitch---”
“No!” Gazing up at Staffan, willing him to look at her eyes to see the truth, she said tremulously, “You know it’s not like that---you know I’m not like that, Staffan. You know that. You’re just blinded by your anger.” Her voice aching with the sobs she was doing her best to keep inside her, Saffi choked out, “I never made love to Jeremy. Please, please believe me. I’ve only been touched by you---”
“Then why, Saffi?” His low agonized tone made Saffi’s head jerk up. “Give me a reason that I’ll believe in. Make me understand why the f**k you didn’t tell me about the baby the first time you learned about it, tell me why the f**k you went to buy a pregnancy test with that royal ass**le if he wasn’t the father of your baby.” He looked at her, and all the pain and anger in his eyes translated to his words as he shouted, “TELL ME WHY.”
He gripped her shoulders hard. “Give me a f**king good reason to not feel like all kinds of a fool tomorrow, when the reporters find out we’re getting married and everyone knows your baby’s not mine.”
“I was scared!” The words were torn out of Saffi, and she started to cry. “I’m sorry for lying, but I was just scared. After everything that happened to us, I just wanted some time to make you love me more---”
“STOP LYING!” He shook her so hard with each word that Saffi knew his touch would leave bruises. “I know everything now, so stop lying. Your prince dumped you because you were a commoner. He has a princess now, so the fact that you’re a senator’s daughter doesn’t mean shit to him. And because of that, you thought it would be better to have me as your backup daddy---”
“No. No! No!” She tried to shrug his hold away but he didn’t let go, forcing Saffi instead to lift her hands up within the cage of his arms. She cupped his face and this time, she was the one not letting go. She would never let him go, and Saffi needed him to see that.
“Staffan, please listen to me. Please just listen. How can you so easily believe that everything we had was a lie?”
But his face remained cold. “Because I’ve f**king been there, Saffi. I knew Chloe my whole life and she still goddamn threw me away. And I’ve f**king known you for what? A fraction of my life?”
His hands fell from her shoulders. Staffan took her hands away from his face and she was forced to let him go, her heart breaking as she did.
Staffan stepped away from her, saying between clenched teeth, “I’m going to marry you, Saffi. But it’s going to be the marriage from hell---”
Saffi threw herself at Staffan and kissed him. She locked her arms around his neck and kissed him with all that she was worth, pouring every drop of love she could squeeze out of her battered heart, and using every technique she had learned from every sensuous night she had spent in his arms.