Emerald St. Clair's POV

I was back in New York after an unexpected two days in Aspen, Colorado. I was barely walking straight, and people were giving me funny looks in the lobby of the penthouse building where I live.

Thank goodness, there was something urgent that needed his instant attention. He insisted that he didn't need to see me arrive home.

As I slid out of his car earlier, it took every ounce of my strength to walk straight into the lobby. I wore this resting bitch face as I strutted the lobby like a damn catwalk.

Once I was inside the elevator going up to my apartment, I couldn't help but let out a small cry from the pain between my thighs.

I closed my eyes as I leaned on the metal wall of the lift, trying to relax. Damn that man, it's been two days and it's still slightly painful.

As the elevator door opened, I walked inside my home while my eyes were still shut. All I want right now is to crawl into my bed and sleep...

"And she just did the walk of shame, Ladies and Gentlemen."

My eyes snapped to open as I looked back to the couch when I heard the familiar voice of my twin sister.

I frowned at her grinning face. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you," Ruby answered simply. She leisurely picked up her teacup from the coffee table and sipped it.

"Don't tell me you've been squatting here again?" I fired at her. "Since when did my house become a shelter for homeless people like you?"

My idiotic twin gave me a bright smile shinier than the sun itself. "Of course not! What a harsh thing to say, sissy. Roman is in Spain right now and I am kinda bored, so..."

"You decide to bother me?" I supplied dryly.

Ruby scowled in my direction. "Why so cranky, Em?"

I took a deep breath. I don't have time for her jesting. "I'm tired. I want to rest."

I was about to march into my room when I heard Ruby's voice again. "Tell me, is he a good scuba diver? How many rounds before you called it a night?"

I froze in my place as the blood from my face probably drained. I slowly turned around and stared at her questioningly. "What the hell?!"

"Granddad tells me that you went to the Rocky Mountains of Aspen with Khalil this weekend, right after you went to a party with your unofficial fiancé."

"So?"

She wiggled her eyebrows in my direction. "Don't you dare to deny that nothing happened in those Rocky Mountains because I will not believe you, Emerald St. Clair?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." I denied it as I fought back the blush that wanted to spread through my cheeks.

"Oh, come on, Em," my idiotic twin cajoled, tapping the vacant space on the sofa next to her. "I'm dying with curiosity over here. Tell me everything! Is he as good a lover as the tabloids claim? Did he manage to make you reach orgasm several times each round?"

I could feel my cheek burning up. There's no way in hell that I will have this conversation with her. Over my dead body. "Nothing happened."

"Bruh," Ruby snorted, sipping her tea again while giving me a malicious look. "You can't lie to me, sis. I see the way you walk. You walk like a woman who's been thoroughly plowed."

"I am not having this conversation with you!" I groaned in embarrassment. How much did Daniel and this woman know about what happened to my trip with Khalil? Did Granddad hear us in the bathtub during our phone conversation?

She chuckled at my expression. "Care to share?"

I threw a disapproving look in her direction. "Why do you want to know? So you can gossip with Amethyst and Sapphire?"

"Of course not!" she said with a straight face. "I'm your twin sister. I will not betray you."

Yeah, and pigs fly.

I knew very well that since she got married to her husband, Roman, she teamed up with Granddad on his campaign to get us all married before the year ended. I am the last unmarried one and I intend not to suffer the same fate as my sisters.

"...Emerald?"

I looked back to my twin, who was waiting for me to speak up. "I'm sorry, Ru. But I will not tell you anything."

I saw Ruby take a deep breath. "I know that you don't trust me now since you think that I am working for Granddad. But I promise you that I am on your side this time. It's been a while since we had this sisterly talk."

I bit my bottom lip as I had an internal debate. If I was honest, I miss chatting with her just like when we were teenagers and we'd cover for each other.

So, against my better judgment, I went to sit beside her on the sofa. I don't know if I will regret this in the future. But I miss our bonding and our late-night talks in our bedroom, sharing our secrets.

"So, tell me," Ruby started with curiosity in her eyes. "Is this serious? You and Khalil, I mean."

I looked away and shifted in my seat uncomfortably. "Uhm..."

She sipped her tea again. "I know that you were just pretending to be an item to thwart Granddad's plan for you, but now I am not sure anymore."

"How did you guess that we were just pretending? Are we that obvious?"

My twin sister rolled her green eyes, smiling at me mockingly. "I am your twin, Em. So forgive me if I don't buy it when you all of a sudden announce your romance with Khalil--right after Granddad informs you about the man he wants you to marry."

"Do they know?"

"Who are you talking about?" she eyed me from the rim of her teacup.

"Daniel and Roman," I replied. "Do they know that we're just pretending to be a couple?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. This is just my observation, knowing how much you loathed Khalil in the past, but now I am not so sure about that."

My eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Ruby gave me a knowing look. "Are you going to deny that the charade became very much real after your weekend getaway in Aspen? So, how was it?"

I looked at my twin sister. Up until now, she could read me easily. Despite keeping things from her, she could easily uncover the truth.

"I don't know. It's complicated," I told her warily.

"Maybe I can help you, you know," My sister suggested helpfully. "Being with Roman for almost a year now taught me a thing or two when it comes to relationships."

I stared at her dryly. "So, you claim to be an expert now?"

"In the bedroom? Of course."

I shook my head in disbelief at the smug smile on her face. "You are incorrigible."

"So, how was your weekend with that Arabian stallion? Is he good?" she asked eagerly. "Given the state of your walk a while ago, I presume that he thoroughly plowed your field. Did he even let you sleep?"

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed, looking at her with a scandalized look. "I am not having this conversation with you. Whatever happened this weekend is off-limits to everyone."

"Jesus, Em," Ruby protested. "It's not like we haven't talked like this in the past. You know, sharing our secrets and all."

"But this is different," I said prudishly.

"Fine," she conceded with a resigned sigh. "I will not force you to talk."

"Thank you," I told her sarcastically.

My sister exhaled a deep breath. "And here I thought that you would be sharing some tea with me, hotter than what I have been drinking."

I looked at her tartly. "Sorry to burst your bubble, sis."

She pouted at me while sipping her tea once again. "Is he gifted?"

"Ruby!"

She chortled, choking on her tea in the process. Serves her right. I thought acidly. I knew this woman would not let this opportunity pass without teasing me mercilessly.

"I am just curious, that's all." When I looked at her indignantly, she added, "What's next after this? Now that King Khalil went straight around the bases this weekend, are you dating for real now?"

I shook my head, unsure of how to answer her since Al-Farsi and I hadn't talked about it. Hell, do I even want to talk about it? "I honestly don't know."

Ruby was silent for a moment before breaking the silence. She looked me straight in the eyes. I could almost see how her brain worked. "What about Daniel's candidate to become your husband? What's the deal with you and him?"

"What about him?" I countered back, looking straight into her eyes also.

She shrugged indifferently, cocking her head to the side. "I don't know, you tell me. According to Granddad, you went to his parents' wedding anniversary as his date. Is that true?"

I don't see anything wrong with that. Besides, I only agreed to that invitation because of my granddad's urging me to take my mind off of the long absence of Al-Farsi because I didn't want to admit that I missed his bothersome personality.

"So," she prodded like a crime investigator when I didn't answer. "...you are not totally against the match now? I mean, I think you are getting along well with this guy--"

I sighed dramatically, shaking my head. "Can't a man and a woman be friends without malice?"

"Whoa..." Ruby held up her hands in the air as if silently surrendering. "Easy. I didn't mean to sound like I was judging you. Settle your feathers, Your Highness."

"Sorry," I muttered apologetically, rubbing my temple with my fingers. "I know I sounded defensive, but nothing is going on with Ryker and me. Though he is a good guy, he is not my type."

With that, Ruby's eyes lit up like stars. "What is your type then? Or better yet, let me rephrase my question: who is your type then?"

An image crossed my mind, but I vanished it as soon as possible. It's absurd that he would enter my head right now. It doesn't make any sense. A night in his arms doesn't necessarily mean that I am falling for him.

"I don't think you need to tell me the name," I heard my sister with a catlike grin on her face. "It's already written all over your face."

I tried to cool my features. Holy crap, I hope I am not that transparent. It's not as if I am falling for that bastard. I learned my lesson the last time. Never again.

"Good sex doesn't always mean that you're going to fall for the person, even if they give you a mind-shattering orgasm. Men can separate their feelings from their lust."

"I agree with you," she agreed with me gravely, and then a small smile appeared on her mouth. "But sometimes it could be the start of love."

When I looked skeptical, she added, "That's what happened to Roman and me, you know. We were married for the first time for insane reasons. Our love didn't start right away. It was more of a sexual attraction, mostly on his part, and when I ran away and he tracked me down, at first, he just wanted revenge because no woman had left him before. It was always the other way around, but as time went on, that attraction turned into something deeper, and before we realized what was happening, we were madly in love."

I made a face. "I think you are just lucky that you and Roman fell in love with each other. Most women these days are left with broken hearts because men can't be faithful that long to their partners."

"Not always," Ruby contradicted lightly. "There are still some men that can be faithful. You just need to find the one." She looked at me for a moment before adding meaningfully. "I know deep inside that you know you've already found the one."

I looked away as my traitorous heart gave a painful squeeze. "I don't know what you mean."

Ruby laughed softly. "In denial, I see. An infamous St. Clair family trait."

I groaned. Why the hell did I even start this conversation with her? "Sleeping with him does not mean that I'll marry him. For one thing, he is about to be crowned king, and according to their ancient law, a king cannot marry a woman with no royal blood. And there's this thing about us having different religions. We have so many differences that we were ill-fated from the start. Besides, I don't love him."

"Honey," she said sanguinely as she sat back on the sofa, crossing her legs. "You can't choose whom to love. Once your heart sets its sights on a person, that's the end of it. No question asked."

I snorted, crossing my arms on my chest. "I assure you, if that ever happens to me, that man will not be Al-Farsi."

"Uh-uh..." she wiggled her index finger in front of me. "There there, my sister. Don't talk with finality. You might eat your words in the end. Also, I think your heart has already set its sights on a certain person a long time ago...when you were sixteen, to be exact. I don't know what happened to you guys back then, but I think fate is giving you a second chance to continue where you left off last time."

I laughed humorlessly. "You are blinded by love to even think that everyone will get a happy ending just like you."

Ruby smiled mysteriously in my direction. "Deny it all you want but let me warn you, Em. A love that is forged by time is the kind of love that will last a lifetime."

"That's utter nonsense."

Her lips curved with a smirk. "We both know that hostility you and Khalil have for each other these past few years is just a cover-up for the real feelings you have for each other."

I gave her a foul look. "That's not true!"

She raised an eyebrow in my direction. "Oh?"

"Yes."

"So why did you decide to sleep with him when he takes you on a weekend getaway?"

I was lost for words with her sudden question. I bit my bottom lip as I tried to defend my actions. "Because he seduces me!"

Oh, really? A devious voice inside my head asked. But you enjoy every second of it.

She looked unconvinced. Damn this woman. "You could have said no to his seduction." She reminded me harshly, giving me a goading smile. "You like it as much as you would like to admit. And you are not that type of woman who will sleep randomly with someone."

"Oh, shut up, Miss-know-it-all," I announced indignantly. "I'm hungry. Go and cook food for me."

She eyed me dryly. "I am not your servant, you know. Hell, even Roman can't order me around like that without facing hell's wrath."

I grinned at her. "I am your twin sister. I know that you love me more than your husband, right?"

"No," Ruby replied flatly.

"Pretty please?" I gave her my most irresistible puppy face.

She clicked her tongue, narrowing her eyes in my direction. "I am not Khalil, you know. That kind of expression does not affect me, woman."

"Please?" I tried to persuade her with my charm. "I miss your cooking."

"If you miss my cooking, book a reservation at my restaurant."

I grinned at her prettily. "Why do that when I can have the owner cook for me in the comfort of my own home."

"Fine," she conceded after a moment. "I somehow pity Khalil for falling for a woman who can't cook for herself."

I struck out my tongue at her as she got up from the long sofa. "He will be more than lucky to have an Emerald St. Clair in his life."

"Touché."

I watched my twin sister disappear from the kitchen and I was left alone in the living room. I leaned back into the sofa, closing my eyes in the process.

Ruby is mistaken. I am not in love with Khalil Al-Farsi. I might have been attracted to him when I was sixteen, but not anymore.

Oh, no. My infatuation with him ended when I caught him with another girl. Whatever is happening between us now, I am sure that this is only temporary, and it will end once the sparks are extinguished.

I almost believed myself until my mobile phone sounded and my heart leaped in my chest when I saw the name on the caller id.

A smile broke on my face. I was about to answer when I heard Ruby's voice. She was leaning on the wall with her arms folded in her middle while looking at me with a knowing smile. "I think you are in deep, deep trouble, Em."

"You are wrong."

She smiled again, detaching herself from the wall. "I just hope you are smart enough to use protection during lovemaking if you are not ready yet to admit your feelings for this handsome king." She paused for a moment letting her words sink in, and then added, "Because, from what I see in Khalil, has no intention of letting you go ever again. He'll even use dirty tactics, like getting you pregnant, to keep you by his side."

My mouth hung open at her. With that, she went back to the kitchen, but her parting words echoed inside the living room.