“It’s fine,” Luvena said as she pulled her arm away. Her voice sounded full of false hurt. “She clearly does not want me there. I understand. I will just go find entertainment somewhere else.”
She turned again toward the door.
“Enough, Shara,” Jareth snapped suddenly. His calm mask completely vanished. His eyes burned with frustration. “Why are you being so difficult? It’s only dinner. Why can you not be more understanding?”
I looked at him quietly. The nerve of it was unbelievable.
“Why are you angry?” I asked calmly. “You are shouting at your mate simply because she wants to have dinner alone with you. Is that unreasonable?”
I stepped closer to him.
“Choose, Jareth,” I said softly. “Between me and her. Do you want an evening with your mate or do you want to take care of your assistant?”
Jareth looked from one of us to the other.
Luvena waited with a smug smile.
I stood firm.
He knew choosing her would destroy his carefully built image.
His jaw tightened.
“Fine,” he said stiffly. “I choose you. I always choose you, Shara.”
Then he looked at Luvena. “Stay home.”
“Whatever,” Luvena said with a cold laugh.
She turned and stormed up the stairs.
***
The cruise should have been beautiful.