"Anger, resentment, and jealousy don't change the heart of others— it only changes yours."

-Shannon Alder

Haven Piece's POV

Our magical weekend in Saqr ended in a blink of an eye. Before I knew it we were already standing on the tarmac with His Majesty, King Khalil, who was there to personally send us off. Even with his tight schedule, he managed to squeeze in time to see us leave his country. In the twenty-four months that he's ruling this country, he already made a lot of changes and it's for the better according to Santi.

Right now, his guards were patiently waiting for him on the side of the limo with the royal insignia and flag of the royal family parked on the side of the runway—that's our ride going to the airport, by the way.

"Thank you for letting us stay in your rest house in the desert. We enjoy our short stay here." Santi offered his hand to the king.

"Please visit Saqr again if you have time," King Khalil announced shaking Santi's hand. He slid his gaze on me before smirking at Santi. "If you want to you have your honeymoon here. I would be more than happy to accommodate you again."

Santi ignored his teasing remark pointedly. "I bet that the next time I visit Rahim already has little siblings."

"You bet."

He shook his head in astonishment. "My God, you are shameless. Do the people of Saqr know that their king is incorrigible?"

"They are aware if not why did I bother to have a televised appeal to my people to let me marry the woman I love when the law doesn't allow me to do so? I will do everything for Emerald." Love was shown in his eyes. "Besides, now that I have that woman I must continue the bloodline of the Al-Farsi."

Santi snorted, why shaking his head again. "I don't know if you just bragging about your love life or what."

"You will not feel bitter if you will do the same."

He slid his gaze on me briefly before focusing his attention back on the king. "We'll get there. Don't rush things."

King Khalil chuckled. "Yes. I agree. I wait 8 years for Emerald to take me back to her life, after all. I guess you're willing to wait also."

"Yes. But hopefully not that long." Santi grimaced at the thought.

His Majesty laughed again before focusing his cobalt eyes on me. His eyes have a teasing glint in their depth before extending his hand in my direction. "It was nice to meet you, Miss Pierce, my wife is so fond of you. She wants me to tell you that she wants to invite you the next time so you can meet her sisters, especially her twin."

"That would be an honor, Your Majesty." I shook his firm hand briefly.

"Wave the formality," he suggested kindly. He spared Santi a glance before his mouth twitched slightly and leaned down to whisper something near my ear. "Let me tell you a secret, Miss Pierce. This man right here, this is the first time he introduced a woman to me so I'd rather be surprised to meet you, to be honest. I think the time has come for him to surrender and meet his downfall."

"Hey," Santi reprimanded pulling me away from the king. "T.M.I. enough of your whispered conversation to Haven. Do you want me to tell your wife about this?"

"Now he is jealous!" King Khalil remarked.

"Enough of this. We're leaving." Santi announced while pulling me in the direction of the iron steps of his private jet. As I was seated inside the place I looked out the plane window and saw His Majesty move away and his guard automatically opened the limo's door for him. And in a few moments, we're already leaving Saqr.

"You seem in a bad mood," I noticed when we were already in the air and the man in front of me had this sullen look on his face.

He glared at me darkly which I didn't understand. "It seems that you are very fond of King Khalil-Al-Farsi. You couldn't keep looking at him you even blush once while talking to him."

My eyes widened in his direction before burst out laughing. I can't believe that I heard such words from him. For a moment, I thought he was just pretending to be Santi Marchesi. "I did not do such a thing!"

"Yes, you did!"

"My God! I don't believe this." Still laughing hysterically. If I didn't know better I would assume that he was jealous as King Khalil assumed.

"I can see it from the moment you met him you become fascinated with him. When he was talking to you, you seemed lost while looking at his blue eyes. You were charmed by him, didn't you?"

"Do you hear yourself, Santi?" I asked when my laughter finally subdued. I wiped the moisture from my eyes.

He looked at his plane window with a dark scowl on his face. "Don't talk to me while I am in a bad mood. A word of advice, don't try making casual conversation with me during our flight. I might be a cranky companion and unintentionally make you cry."

Instead of getting annoyed by his childish behavior right now, I was rather enjoying this side of Santo that I had never seen before. I beamed at him while sitting casually on my seat, I even placed my leg over the other. "Are we heading back to LA now?"

"No."

I blinked at him. Did I hear him right? "No? What do you mean 'no'? Where else are we going if not in LA?"

The bad-tempered man didn't answer as if he was all alone on this flight. So I have been suffering his 'cranky' attitude that he mentioned, huh? His gaze was still fixed on the window outside refusing to look at me.

"Where are we going then?"

Still no answer.

"Santi?"

"Sicily."

"Are you serious?" My eyes widened in disbelief. He didn't mention to me that after our trip to Saqr, we would head to Sicily. I thought he would just take me back to Los Angeles after. Is this planned or a last-minute decision on his part?

He finally spared me a glance. The way he was looking at me as if I did something terrible to him. "Yes. This plane is heading to Sicily and when we arrive there I will buy you a ticket—economy class back to Los Angeles. May you have a bumpy trip back to America?"

This time a doubt I knew that the green-eyed monster finally reared its head on this man. This childish behavior was all because of his jealousy of King Khalil. He was accusing me of being beguiled by the young handsome king and this was how he expressed his jealousy.

I knew it would irritate him more but I could not help but giggle. "I bet I will have a nice time on the flight back home. I will just spend my time thinking about King Khalil."

If I thought that the dark expression on his face wouldn't go any darker I was sorely mistaken. The way he was glaring at me right now a sane man wouldn't immediately cower and look away but not me. "Oh, is that so?" His jaw clenched while cracking his fingers as if preparing for battle. "I see that my friendship with Khalil must officially end."

I shook my head while enjoying teasing him. I couldn't believe that he was believing the words that I had been saying. I only say those words just to fuel his jealousy more and he didn't disappoint me. "Why do that?"

"Because you like him more than me. I cannot accept that." He answered gravely, his eyes held a dangerous glint in their depth.

"Are you jealous?" I inquired bravely.

I was expecting him to deny it firmly just like in the past but I was unprepared for his admission. "Yes. I am. I am jealous of Khalil and every other man who you have a huge crush on."

"Every other man?" I echoed in bewilderment. "Who are you talking about?"

"Remember the singer? What's his name again? Gray something?" He reminded me with a dark glower on his face.

"Ah..." I hid my smile. Does he still remember that? When I unexpectedly met Gray Everett in Sicily that's the time Santi's jealous and possessive side started to show. At that time I just ignored the signs thinking it was only a natural reaction from him since he was my guardian. It never crossed my mind that there was something more to it. "You have to admit that he is a gorgeous man with a beautiful voice that can seduce you with his songs—"

"I don't like it," he snapped at me. "How do you think I feel when the woman you are trying to court has a huge crush on a male celebrity? I am a very jealous and possessive man but I am trying to tame down that ugly side of me. I am trying but I still have a long way to go."

He sounded apologetic and I couldn't help it any longer. I unclasped my seatbelt when went to sit next to him. "Oh, Santi..." I framed his face with my hands and placed a quick kiss on his lips.

"Can you just overlook where I am lacking while trying to learn the ways of being a gentleman?" He pleaded with his eyes. "This is my first time—"

"Shhh..." I silence her with another kiss. This time it was longer than the last one. "There's no need to explain. I accept you the way you are."

He rested his forehead on mine. "If even if I am a son of a bitch who did nothing good in his life. Do you still accept me? You will not leave me because of my work or my past?"

"Yes."

"I promise you that I will be loyal to you and the time I went to the strip club while nursing my wounded heart. I swear I never fuck any woman since you came back to my life—let alone attempt to kiss one since I've tasted your lips."

That made me smile. "I believe you."

He gave a self-mocking smile. "I guess you have ruined me for other women for good. I never thought that I would be crazy for one girl only."

I arched an eyebrow in his direction. "Do you regret it then? Pursuing one woman only—that is?"

He shook his head purposefully and then turned his head slightly so he could kiss my palm. "No. I will never regret taking chances with you ever. As I said, I'd rather spend my life chasing you than continue living my life as before, you know, women and vices."

There were no words after that only the sound of low moans from our passionate kiss. It seemed that I couldn't get enough of this man even in this altitude and smooth plane ride it felt like he was rocking my world with his addictive kisses. My body experienced turbulence on its own at the sensation he was giving me.

After a moment, he playfully bit my lower lip before breaking the kiss. "We need to stop..." he stated with ragged breathing. "...this is getting dangerous."

"I saw a bed at the back," I suggested almost shyly, unable to meet his gaze. I cannot believe that I was the one who initiated this. "We can use it."

Desire splayed in his eyes. "Don't tempt me, sweetheart. As appealing as your invitation sounds I want your first time to be special and not some kind of heat-in-the-moment urgency. Besides..."

"Besides what?" I repeated when he trailed off his words. There was something about his eyes that I couldn't pinpoint at the moment.

He traced my lower lip with his thumb and unconsciously my lips parted slightly with his touch. "I have carnal cravings in bed that might scare you. I don't want to lose control on your first time that might frighten you."

I ran the tip of my tongue where his thumb traced my bottom lip. "W-What...do you mean by that?"

"I don't know how to be gentle in bed. I want to be in charge when fucking someone. Hard and rough. But with you, I want to be gentle."

"What if I want to see that side of you?"

He laughed sarcastically, "You don't know what you are asking. If I show you that side of me I bet you will run a mile and I cannot risk losing you. Ever."

I held his hand in mine. I knew he was still wary of me seeing this 'dark side' of his. "I want to know every side of you, your playful side, your dark side, your childish side. Everything. I assure you that I will not leave you."

His eyes were filled with hope and possibility. "Do you swear?"

"Yes, I swear," I answered with a smile. Because that's how it is, right? When you love someone you will accept everything about that man...wait, what? Love? But, of course! I might hard time realizing it but yes, I do love him. I fell in love with him a long time ago way before I barely hit my teenage years and I just thought it was just a crush. I love this man with all his flaws and all.

"...my love? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly while searching at my face.

Now that I realize my feelings for him my heart feels blissfully happy. I never thought I would love a man who is the boss of a mafia organization. He was still looking at me with an anxious expression. I beamed at him brightly. "Yes. I am okay, more than okay."