“Yes. It’s where Sahmir first met Rory.”
“Really? How did that come about?”
“You’ll have to ask her when you come to Ma’in. Because”—he said pulling her away from the window and into his arms—“I have more important things on my mind now.” He brushed his lips against hers.
“Such as?” she murmured against his skin.
“I believe I promised you something.”
“Some thing? Singular? I don’t think so.”
“Um, more than one. And I never renege on a promise. Always deliver in full.”
“Now how many was it”—she laughed as he took her hand and they raced up the stairs—“six maybe, or was it more?”
He stopped and kissed her, their panting breath having little to do with the exertion. “As many as you wish, habibti,” he murmured against her cheek as his hands wandered. “And as fast or as slow as you wish…”
A few hours later Daidan rolled off Taina and lay panting, on his back. “I should have known you’d choose ‘fast’. You, my darling, are an impatient woman. The night is young and yet I’ve already given you the orgasms you requested.”
Taina pushed her head under his arm and he kissed her and held her close. The room was dark—Taina had made sure of that—lit only by the faint starlight which now entered the uncurtained window. “I’m pretty sure I’m not going to let you leave this bed until we’ve moved into double digits.” She nipped his chest playfully.
His grip on her tightened. “And I’m pretty sure I’m not going to let you leave my side ever again.”
His words may have intended to be playful but they hung on the silence with a weight of meaning. They should have been comforting, should have been welcome but all she could think of was that would he want her if he knew what had happened?
She swallowed. “And I… I’ll only leave if you want me to go. Otherwise I’m back to stay.” She lifted her head to catch his gaze, so he could see how much she meant it. “Whether we have a child or not.”
“I’m sorry. I handled everything so badly. But all along, you have to know, that there was only one thing that was every really important to me. I might have wanted the diamond company—of course I wanted to make a name for myself, to be someone, other than a prince of a country I’d never reign. But over and above all these things, I wanted you. Only you. Only ever you. I’ll never ask you to go. Never.”
She swallowed, suddenly nervous. “Never’s a long time. And I’m not that same woman who left you. I was away over a year… things happened—”
He frowned. “What things? Tell me, Taina. I know you’re keeping something from me.”
“Nothing. I don’t mean anything much. Just normal things.” She tried to laugh it off, tried to move away but he held her tight.
“Tell me. Don’t be afraid. I’ll look after you. I’ll sort it out, whatever it is.”
“Maybe that’s what I’m afraid of, Daidan.”
She felt the power leave his arms before they dropped to his side. He looked away and she wished she’d never said anything, wished that the moment had continued.
He swung his legs to the floor and sat on the bed for a moment, with his head in his hands, before rising and dressing.
She sat up. “Where are you going?”
He didn’t turn to face her. “Work. There’s always work to do. You sleep.”
She reached for his hand and he squeezed it without turning around. “Daidan.” She had to make him stop. She had to see what was in his eyes. She couldn’t bear it that she’d broken that moment, when he’d opened his soul to her and she’d thrown it back in his face. “Daidan, please, look at me.” Irrationally she felt as if he were to look her in the face, she could eradicate those last words of hers by sheer force of will alone.
But then he looked at her and the sadness and frustration she saw there robbed her of speech.
He turned his palms upwards in a helpless gesture, as if to say “you see?”, shook his head and left the room.
And in that moment she knew she had to tell him everything—that not telling him all the facts was worse. He could be imagining things that had never happened. Imagining she’d never loved him, and never would love him. It was best that he knew the truth. She wouldn’t name names. Just tell him what had happened to her. What it was that had made her return, wanting a baby so desperately.
She pressed her hand against her stomach. She might be pregnant already for all she knew. They’d only made love twice before tonight but she’d been at her most fertile and each time he’d come so fiercely into her, as if to claim her for his own again, that she’d felt he’d made her his in more ways than one.