His Defiant Desert Queen(90)

                She tipped her face up to him, frowning at the amount of time he’d be traveling, first by camel, and then by car. “Won’t it take you all day to get there?”

                He kissed her again, this time on her brow. “I have a helicopter here. The pilot’s ready. If we leave now, I’ll be back this evening.”

                “And you have to go?”

                “Yes,” he said, sounding very decisive.

                “Be careful,” she said.

                He kissed her one last time, this time on the lips. “Always.”

                * * *

                It seemed as if it would be a long day with Mikael gone, but Jemma’s maid led her to the Emerald Chamber, with the wall of antique leather-bound books.

                Jemma studied the spines, delighted to discover that many were in English, and many were written by her favorite English authors. Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, E.M. Forster, and more.

                Jemma selected Mansfield Park by Jane Austen and curled up in bed to read. She read the afternoon away and was still reading when the maid appeared to help Jemma dress for dinner.

                “Is His Highness back?” Jemma asked, reluctantly putting the book down.

                The maid shook her head. “No.”

                “Then why do I need to dress for dinner? Can’t I have dinner here, in bed?”

                Jemma finished the novel over dessert and promptly began Sense and Sensibility but ended up falling asleep over it.

                She was still asleep, holding the novel, when Mikael arrived at midnight.

                He stood over the bed for a moment watching her before carefully plucking the book from her hand, drawing the covers up to her shoulder, and turning the lamp out next to the bed.

                He showered in the marble bathroom and then after drying off, joined her in bed. He was naked. But then, so was she.

                * * *

                Jemma woke up in the night and reached out to her side, relieved and delighted to discover Mikael there.

                She moved toward him, and he opened his arms to her, drawing her close.

                She pressed her face to his warm chest, breathing in his scent. He was back and he felt good and smelled good and she lifted her face to his, offering her lips. He kissed her, taking her mouth and then rolling her onto her back, to thrust deep inside her.

                She wrapped her legs around his hips, taking all of him, wanting to hold him as close as possible, aware that things were changing. She was changing.

                She...loved...him.

                She loved him.

                All of a sudden it made sense. She was happy because she was in love.

                * * *

                They fell back asleep and then woke up sometime in the morning to make love again. This time Jemma didn’t fall back asleep but slipped from bed to head to the bathroom to shower.

                Mikael watched Jemma cross the bedroom, naked, her beautiful body so familiar to him now.

                Maybe that’s why his chest felt heavy and tight as he watched her disappear into the bathroom.