Pursued by the Desert Prince(30)

         

     



 
"What I didn't know, until he was dead and I was king, was that Fatina  had fought with him that night herself. I was so busy in those first  days after he passed away, it was two whole weeks before I could sit  down and talk with her privately about her future. She fell apart,  completely racked with guilt."

"They fought about Jamal?"

"She told him she wanted a divorce. I won't break her confidence by  repeating all she told me, but... I do believe he loved her in whatever  way he was able. Losing her, realizing he had lost her love by failing  Jamal, was more than he could bear."

"But he had a heart condition," she hurried to repeat. "Please tell me you didn't make her live with that guilt."

He cast her a look that demanded some credit.

"I told her she was a generous wife and a good mother. I was unsurprised  she would fight for the happiness of all my brothers and sisters,  particularly Jamal. I told her she shouldn't blame herself and that I  wanted to arrange for her to see Jamal as soon as possible."

"You're a good man, Kasim."

He made a dismissive noise. "I would have preferred to bring Jamal home,  but I don't think that would be safe yet. I'm afraid to resurrect him.  But I was able to reach him through the jeweler and we met him in Paris.  He says hello and that he is still interested in working together if  you are."

"That's why you're here? To deliver his message?"

"No." He gave her a look that suggested she was dense, then paced across  to the windows that looked out on the sun-drenched sea. "I am here  because I am under a great deal of pressure to go through on the promise  I made to my dead father, to marry the woman he chose. But if I succumb  to an arranged marriage, I know I would take you on the side and turn  into him."

He slashed his hand through the air.

"I will not repeat history. I will not have you end up hating me as  Fatina did my father. Not when I need your love so badly. I will need  that love in the years to come, to keep me human. Ruling a country is  not easy."

"Kasim..." This was heaven and hell wrapped up in one moment. She  dropped her head so she wasn't looking at him. She was so tempted. "If  you loved me-"

"Angelique. Look at me."

She lifted her head. The fierce determination in his features made her  heart skip while the tenderness in his eyes stole her breath.

"What have I learned from my family? You love who you love. If you fight  it, if you try to force it in another direction, there will be nothing  but pain. You asked me once to give you up for the sake of my country.  I'm coming after you for the sake of my country. Without you, the one I  love, I will be as frustrated as my father. I'll become bitter and my  heart will shrivel into a pitiless husk. Save my people from that. Save  me from turning into that."

She let out a small laugh. "You're overstating, aren't you?"

"No. I watched it happen to him. He was much kinder in my youth, but his  being trapped with my mother while wanting Fatina twisted him."

Her ridiculously tender heart pitied his father for the position he'd  been in. Still, "Would your country have accepted her if he had married  Fatina?" She'd seen Fatina's family. They were modest people of the  desert. "I don't want to be a source of unrest in your country. I have a  reputation, true or not. People will think you should have found  someone more upstanding."

"In choosing my wife, I will be the authoritarian that my father was,"  he said with a point at the floor. "I will not compromise. I could  engage myself to the woman he chose and tomcat through Europe for the  next four years until I marry her, but I don't want that sort of  freedom. I don't want other women. I don't want her. I want you. I will  have you. My uncle and my advisors and anyone else who disapproves  can..." He showed his teeth. "Grin and bear it."

She couldn't take it in, especially now she'd seen the scope of his  life. If she had thought being a media darling was onerous, she couldn't  imagine flouting his country's conservatives and becoming his wife.

"I'm not someone who thumbs their nose at the establishment. They'll tear me apart."

"They'll try." His mouth tightened. "But you'll win them over. God knows  you'll be well protected until you do. I swear to keep you safe,  Angelique."

"But you're overestimating what I'm capable of."

"Like hell," he said softly. "You think you're only brave if you pretend  to be your sister. You are bravest when you're defending her because  you love your sister. That love of yours is such a well of strength.  I've seen it and I want it beside me, supporting me. I know that my love  for you will make me a better man. Provided I can indulge it," he added  with a look that was both sensual and tender.         

     



 

Oh, he was such a seducer. Her heart fluttered like a caught bird and  her eyes stung with moved tears. She cupped her hot cheeks.

"How could this be a surprise to you?" he chided, coming toward her and increasing her excited turmoil.

He took her wrists and drew them down so they stood face-to-face. She had no way to hide how overcome she was.

"I didn't think you loved me," she confessed in a daze. "I thought maybe if we had had more time you might have come to care..."

"I care," he admonished. "I always cared. And I am not someone who needs  a lot of time to know my own mind." He shifted his grip and caressed  the back of her knuckles with his thumbs. "But we will have to take  things slow. Announcing an engagement this soon after my father's  death-You're not pregnant, are you?" he asked with a sharpening of his  expression.

"What? No! How could I be?"

"We didn't use anything at the oasis."

She huffed out a disbelieving laugh. "I'm on the pill, remember?"

His mouth twisted. "Shame. It would have given us a reason for  shortening our timeline, but it's probably for the best if we do things  in the right order." He sighed. "I want to make so many changes in my  country, relax restrictions and change attitudes, but it has to be done  carefully or there will be chaos. Is that the reassurance you need,  Angelique? You will have time to put all these pieces together in your  pretty head."

He was teasing her, reminding her of their first night together when he  had tried to railroad her into extending their affair. She wanted to  duck into him, maybe have a little cry because this was so much to take  in. She was trying to smile, but her lips were trembling.

"I didn't bring a ring. I asked Jamal to make one for you."

She had to choke out a little laugh and pull one hand free to swipe at a  tear that leaked down her cheek. "You don't have to bribe me."

"No? Well, I brought this anyway, hoping it would be an inducement." He  released her other hand and reached inside his suit jacket, bringing out  a velvet box she recognized.

Her heart did a little bump and roll as he flipped the lid to show her the emerald necklace he'd tried to give her in Paris.

"I should have explained that day that it was not a pay-off. Jamal made  this years ago, before he left Zhamair. I told him that one day my queen  would wear it."

"Queen!" Her knees wilted and Kasim quickly hooked his arm around her,  catching her into him. Which didn't help at all because finally being  back in his arms was such a relief she melted against him completely.

"What did you think?" He leaned to drop the necklace on the side table  and scooped her under her knees, moving to sit on the sofa with her in  his lap.

"I just wanted you to love me. Yes, I had fantasies we might marry, but  because I want to be your wife. I want to see you every day and share my  life with you."

"Finally she says yes."

She curled her arm around his neck and laugh-cried against his throat at his presumption. So like him.

But she loved him. So much.

Tipping back her head, she set her trembling hand against his bearded  cheek, gazed into his beloved eyes and said, "I would be honored to be  your wife."

"And my queen."

"Harem girl, if that's what you need me to be," she said, barely able to  see him, her eyes were so full. She swiped at her silly leak of tears.  "Good thing I had no time for makeup. I'm trying not to do this, you  know. You said you were tired of tears, but I'm just so moved."

"The sad tears are killing me. The angry ones. I trust these are happy ones?"

"They are. Oh, Kasim." She lifted to press her mouth to his, unable to hold back her expansive feelings.

His arms tightened to gather her closer and he kissed her with deep  passion and infinite tenderness. Love imbued the moment, sending a rush  of joy and heat through her. Desire. That delicious, sharp desire that  only he ignited in her awoke to make her burn.

He was reacting just as instantaneously. She felt his hardness against  her thigh and he slid to press her beneath him on the sofa.