I stood there, mouth agape like a stunned fish, not sure what to say. “What?” How could Jared think I had my eye set for the Prince?

“Oh come now, Marina!” Jared was raising his voice a little now and, though I would never say it aloud, I found it extremely sexy. “I may work on my father’s farm, but I’m not a simpleton! You’re doing what every woman does! You’ve found something better than this young farmer and are moving on to a bloody palace!” I had never seen Jared angry before; he was always so calm and collected. To see him flushed with emotion, his broad chest heaving with angry breaths, his eyes alight with a wild fire, I felt my breath catch in my throat. He wasn’t yelling yet, but I could see he was fighting to control his voice. He towered over me, his enormous shoulders casting me into shadow. I knew that as a guest in his house, it was well within his right to strike me if he saw fit…but I felt completely safe.