Woman in a Sheikh's World(11)

'Why the sudden interest in my father? We were talking about Kalila's situation, not mine.'

'I'm just thinking it must have been hard for you growing up without a man in your life.'

'You're doing it again-assuming that a woman needs a man to survive.'

Mal breathed deeply, refusing to rise. 'That is not what I assume. Why are you deliberately misinterpreting my words?'

'I'm not. I just know you, Mal.'

'Maybe you don't.' He wondered how he could have been so blinkered. She was afraid. Why hadn't he seen that before?

'We both know you have very traditional views on the role of women.'

'Do not assume to know what I am thinking.'

'It's not hard to guess. You're marrying a woman you barely know so that you can have a traditional set-up and breed children.'                       
       
           



       

'Is it so wrong to think a child benefits from being raised in a traditional family unit?'

'I wasn't raised in a traditional family unit and I'm fine.'

No, he thought. You're not fine. 'I'm not saying that a child can't be fine with one parent. But family offers security.'

'You're talking rubbish. Take Kalila's father-would she be better off  with a mother who teaches her to be strong and independent or a father  who bullies her?' She spoke just a little too quickly. Was a little too  anxious to move the conversation away from her own situation.

Mal thought of his own father. Strict, yes, and often busy, of course.  But never too busy to spend time with his son. 'Your mother didn't  remarry?'

'I don't know why you're going on about fathers. Kalila's has frightened  her into running away and yours has pressured you to marry a woman you  barely know.'

She hadn't answered his question. 'He didn't pressure me.' This was the  point where he should tell her the truth about his union     with Kalila  but something held him back. 'We are well suited.'

'Because you give out the orders and she says yes? That's not a  relationship, Mal. That's servitude. You've barely had a conversation  with her. You know nothing about her likes and dislikes and you have no  idea why she's run away or where she could be heading. None of that  suggests an unbreakable bond.'

Their conversations had always been lively, but never before today had  she been so openly antagonistic. It was as if she were trying to goad  him.

'I have a great deal of respect for Kalila and I value her opinion.'

'When has she ever expressed an opinion? When has she ever actually voiced a thought that isn't yours?'

'Perhaps we think alike.'

Her beautiful mouth twisted into a wry smile. 'More likely she's afraid  to tell you what she really thinks. Or perhaps she doesn't even know  what she really thinks because she's never been allowed to find out. You  need to do something about that, Your Highness. Not only is it  politically incorrect to want a passive wife, it's going to bore you in  five minutes.' The car bumped into a pothole and she winced. 'And while  you're ruling the world, you really do need to do something about the  state of your roads.'

And the state of his nerves. He was tense. On edge. Angry. 'This road is  not my responsibility. We left Zubran half an hour ago. You are now in  Arhmor and infrastructure has never been a high priority for the  Sheikh.' The scenery had changed. They were approaching mountains and  the road was rougher. Everything about Arhmor was rougher. 'Let's hope  we don't blow a tyre. This is not somewhere to break down.'

'So instead of mending his roads, the Sheikh tries to build his empire. I  suppose that's what this marriage is about, is it? You are the  wealthier state. I assume he's hoping that if you marry his daughter,  you'll fix his roads for him.'

'It's true that this marriage will bring political advantages-' Mal  turned the wheel to avoid another deep rut in the road '-but that is not  the only reason for the marriage. Kalila is a princess with an  impeccable bloodline.'

'You make her sound like breeding stock. On the other hand, I suppose  that's what she is. A brood mare to produce lots of little Sultans for  the future.' Her tone flippant, she turned her head and looked over her  shoulder. 'Are you sure you're taking the right route? Because according  to the sat nav you should have turned left back there. You should have  let me drive. Everyone knows a man can't do two things at once.'

She was definitely goading him.

What he didn't understand was why. Why would she want to make this journey more difficult and unpleasant than it already was?

Mal breathed deeply, transferred his gaze to the screen and cursed  softly. She was right. He'd missed an important turning. Not because he  couldn't do two things at once, but because he'd been so distracted by  Avery and by his impending marriage that he hadn't been concentrating.  Slamming the vehicle into reverse, he took the correct route. Around  them, the landscape grew steadily more bleak and barren. 'Say one word  and I'll dump you by the side of the road.'

'I wouldn't dream of making a sound.' It was clear from her voice that  she was enjoying his mistake and he tightened his grip on the wheel.

'You're infuriating, you know that, don't you?'

'Because I pointed out you were going the wrong way?'                       
       
           



       

'I'm perfectly capable of driving. If you want to pick a fight, you're going to have to choose a different battleground.'

'This is why our relationship ended. Because we can't be civil to each  other for five minutes. The only thing we were ever really good at as a  couple was fighting.'

So that was it. That was the game she was playing.

She was snapping because she was terrified of what they'd once shared.  She was terrified that if she stopped snapping, something else would  happen. Something far, far more dangerous.

Wondering how he could have been so dense, Mal slammed his foot on the brake and the car stopped suddenly.

Anger throbbing inside him, he turned to look at her. 'That is not why  our relationship ended.' His voice thickened with emotion and he  wondered what it was about this woman that triggered such extreme  feelings. 'And we were good at a great deal more than fighting.' He saw  the change in her. Saw her spine grow rigid and her breathing grow  shallow.

'No, we weren't.'

'We both know exactly why our relationship ended, Avery, and it had nothing to do with the arguments.'

Her skin was flawless, smooth and very, very pale. Her mouth was a tight  line in her beautiful face. 'There is nothing to be gained by talking  about this.'

'Maybe not, but we're talking about it anyway.'

'Mal-'

'Our relationship ended because I asked you to marry me,' he said harshly. 'And you said no. That's why it ended.'





CHAPTER FOUR


'STOP the car!' For a fleeting second she'd tried telling herself that  it wasn't worth going over this, but her emotions were too raw for that.  She was so angry that all of her was shaking. Her knees. Her hands  …   'Stop the damn car, right now.' She was out of the door before the  vehicle came to a standstill and Mal was right behind her, the slam of  the door breaking the stillness of the burning air.

Theirs was the only vehicle in sight. They were alone in the spectacular  open space of the desert, surrounded by shimmering dunes and the  soaring mountains.

'You intend to walk from here?'

'Is that really your recollection of events? You truly believe that you  "asked" me to marry you?' Her hair swung across her back as she turned  to confront him. Her heart was racing and she felt the heat of the sun  beating down on her head. She realised that she'd left her hat in the  car, but it was too late to care about that now. 'We must be existing in  a parallel universe or something because I remember it very  differently.' Right now her anger was hotter than anything produced by  nature but underneath that pulsing anger were layers of different  emotions. Pain. Desire. Sexual awareness. Feelings. Feelings she didn't  want to feel. And he clearly didn't either if his expression was  anything to go by. He was watching her with the same cautiousness he  would give an enraged scorpion.

'Avery-'

'And when you think about it, that's not surprising because you never  ask anyone anything, do you? You command. You order. You instruct.' She  ticked them off on her fingers while he watched with a dangerous glint  in those dark eyes.

'Are you finished?'

'I've barely started. You're so arrogant you never involve anyone else  in your decisions. No wonder your virgin bride has run into the desert.'

His eyes flared dark. 'Stop calling her that.'

'Tell me something.' Still shaking, Avery put her hands on her hips.  'Did you actually ask her to marry you, Mal? Or did you just book the  wedding and then mention it to her in passing? Perhaps that's what's  wrong here. Perhaps no one remembered to tell her she was supposed to be  getting married. Did you miss her off the invitation list?'