At that moment Cara came over with the nurse. “Time you children went to bed,” she said to the younger children. “And Eshal”—she grinned at Taina—“you must stop force-feeding people you love.” Cara turned to Taina. “She seems to think the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach. She’s probably right though.”
Slowly the children drifted off leaving Taina and Daidan alone.
Daidan watched Taina’s expression as they left and was puzzled. She looked almost wistful. She held secrets. He knew she did. Not least about what happened to her necklace. Had she given it away? If so to whom? Why? Why had she given away the piece of jewelry that was so special to her family? Not to say valuable. He guessed he’d have to accept not knowing… at least in the short term. He finished his drink and rose. She looked up at him and in that moment he knew there was nothing more important than her… now.
He held out his hand and she rose and took it. He turned to Tariq and Cara—Sahmir and Rory had retired to bed—who were entertaining the few friends who remained. “Good night, Cara, Tariq. And thank you.”
They both rose. “Our pleasure,” said Cara, kissing Taina warmly on the cheeks before doing the same to him. Although Cara was shorter than Taina, there was a subtle radiance about her that made her just as beautiful as the other women, Daidan thought.
“And will you be able to stay the week? We can show you the progress we’ve made on the regeneration in the desert,” said Tariq.
“Only a few more days and then we must return to Finland. The launch isn’t far away and we’ve still a lot of work to do.”
“Thank you so much for coming, Taina.” Cara glanced at Daidan. “I’ve never seen him look so happy.”
Daidan looked over to see Taina looking at him as if she’d made up her mind about something.
“Are you suggesting, Cara, that the presence of my wife has improved my mood?”
Cara lifted her chin and grinned. “Most definitely.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “You only look forbidding now, rather than positively scary.”
“So long as I never look approachable. A man has to have some standards.” He turned to Tariq. “Now you must excuse my wife and me—we’ve had a busy week.”
“Of course. Sleep well and we’ll see you in the morning.”
Once outside, Daidan stopped and pulled her into his arms. “I’ve wanted to do this all night.”
“What?” she whispered, lifting her face to his.
“This…” He bent down and pressed his lips to hers, closing his eyes as he became drenched in her perfume, the essence of her. He wanted to prolong the kiss but now was not the time.
“Um,” she moaned.
“Come on, let’s get back to our suite.”
It was a winding walk back to their rooms through perfumed gardens and colonnaded walkways. Daidan looked at it through Taina’s eyes and appreciated its beauty in a way that he’d never done growing up in the palace.
She tugged on his hand and halted at a particularly beautiful fountain—small, set in a jewel-like formation of decorated tiles. The greenery hung all around them, but the water and the fountain and tiles formed the central focal point and were devoid of plants. The water ran bright and sparkling in the starlight, the sound of it running over the black and gold tiles providing a contrast to the heat of the night.
“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.” Taina went and sat on the edge of the circular fountain. Then she laughed. “It’s in the shape of a lily of the valley, just like the kielo—like Mama’s piece…” She didn’t look up, suddenly realizing her mistake of reminding him of the invaluable piece she’d given away.
He walked up to her and caressed her shoulder. “It’s okay. What’s done, is done. If we’ve a hope of a future together we need to be able to speak freely.” He pulled her to standing and took both her hands in his. “Taina, I need there not to be secrets between us. We need a future where we trust each other. Okay?”
She nodded but was silent. And when she looked up, he saw sadness in her eyes. He exhaled roughly. He didn’t want to see sadness in her eyes.
He must have conveyed his feelings to Taina. “And that’s what I want, too. But let’s not rush anything. I’ve only just returned. Please, Daidan, give me time.”
And how could he do anything else other than agree with her? At that moment when she looked up with her pleading eyes and her pale face as inviting as the moon flower, and as perfect. “Taina, I’d give you anything.”