“Always so bossy.” She looked at Xavier indulgently. “Just like your father.”

“I’m not bossy Henrietta.” James looked at her and he rolled his eyes.

“You used to be.” She grinned at me and I saw her hand going over to his knee. What the? I was thinking to myself. Was she flirting with her husband at the table? No wonder Xavier was so straight forward with his want for sex. I knew that Europeans were meant to be a lot more open to the idea of talking about sex and even showing their interest, but I hadn’t expected this. Especially not from the Queen of ice.

***

Dinner was pretty quiet for the most part. I was glad that there weren’t many people. I knew my dress would have been the talk of the town if there had been outsiders there.

“Would you have let me wear this dress to a larger dinner party?” I asked Xavier as we made our way to the bedroom.

“I don’t know. It’s not for me to let you do anything. Is it Lola?”

“I don’t mean let.” I rolled my eyes. “Obviously it’s not for you to let me do anything, I just meant, would you have attempted to persuade me to wear another outfit if you had known there were going to be more people there?”

“Why would I try and dissuade you from wearing your fashion. Clothing is also art and I’m glad to see you expressing yourself.”

“You’re an ass**le.” I exclaimed. “Obviously a bright red dress with yellow polka dots is not how I’m expressing myself. What sort of expression do you think I’m making?”

“Well, red typically represents whores and yellow is used by advertisers to attract people to a product they are selling. So perhaps the outfit is expressing that...” He paused and looked at me and smiled. “Let’s not talk about it. Tomorrow is another day and there will be a more formal dinner with a large group of people. I suggest you wear something you’ll be more comfortable in.”

“Why, I don’t believe it. I do believe you just stopped yourself from calling me a whore.” I laughed as we walked into the bedroom. “I never would have believed it.”

“You can show me your thanks tonight if you want?”

“How’s that then?”

“In bed?” He grinned and I groaned.

“You’re really too much.”

“It will be a way for us to christen our relationship.”

“We’ve already had sex.” I walked over to my bag and pulled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. “We don’t need to christen anything.”

“Well this would be our first time as an engaged couple,”

“We’re not even engaged.” I walked to the bathroom and then closed the door. “In case you didn’t get it, the answer’s no.” I shouted so that he could hear me as I changed my clothes.

“Sexy.” Xavier was waiting for me outside the door as I vacated the bathroom. “I take it that those are the clothes you intend to wear to bed.”

“You are smart.”

“You’ve got a smart mouth.”

“A smart mouth?”

“You’re mouthy. Too mouthy for me. I’ve a mind to show you what I think should happen to women that mouth off at me.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that? Do you want to wash my mouth out with soap?”

“No.” He followed me over to the bed. “No soap. Though, I would like to put something in your mouth.”

“You want to put something in my mouth?” I stared at him in confusion and then it hit me. “Oh.” I blushed and then glared at him. “You wish.”

“Don’t tell me that you’re going to be boring tonight?” He pouted as he walked to the door and locked it. He pulled out the key and put it on the nightstand next to the bed. “We can do anything we want tonight without fear of getting caught.”

“All I want to do is sleep.”

“That’s a pity.” He loosened his tie. “There are so many other things we could be doing.”

“You could show me some of the paintings in the palace.” I smiled at him sweetly. “That would be quite nice as well.”

“You want to see the paintings?” He looked surprised.

“I was in your art class, remember. I like art.” I yawned. “I wasn’t in it for fun.”

“I didn’t think you were.” He pulled off his shirt and I gazed at his chest. I was finding it very hard to think as he took his clothes off.

“What are you doing?” My jaw dropped as his fingers went to the top of his boxers. “You can’t take your boxers off.”

“Why not? It’s not like you haven’t seen me naked before.”

“Xavier. You cannot sleep in the nude.”

“I think you’ll find that I can.” He grinned. “I can and I will.”

“That’s not fair.” I stepped back.

“You can sleep in the nude as well. I’m not stopping you.”

“That’s not what I’m complaining about.”

“Why are you being like this?” He frowned, looking annoyed. “Why are you playing these games?”

“I’m not playing games. What are you talking about? If anything, you’re the one that is playing games.”

“What do you want from me, Lola?”

“What do you want from me, Xavier?” I looked into his tense green eyes. “Honestly, I don’t know what you want. I know you said you’re trying to help me, but I don’t know what this is all about. Why am I here?”