by Cara Albany
"I've heard he's quite a one with the ladies," Erin said.
Belle felt her jaw tighten. She contained the impulse to respond to that description of Khalid. Anything to stop her sisters talking about Khalid like that. She knew he was different. How could they know what he was really like? They didn't know him the way she did.
"Now, girls. He'll be here soon," their mother said ushering them all toward the door. "I'm sure you've all got plenty to keep you busy this morning."
Annabelle opened the door. Belle followed Erin and Nicole out into the corridor.
Belle turned to her mother. "I'll talk to you later, mom," Belle said.
Her mother smiled at Belle and closed the door.
The three sisters paused in the hallway. Erin and Nicole looked eager to be on their way.
"What're you doing now?" Erin asked Nicole.
"I'm going back to the palace. I need to tell Rashid what's happened. You?"
"Me, too," Erin replied. "And Karim's promised to take me out tonight."
Belle frowned. Her sisters seemed to be taking all this as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Didn't they realize that their family was about to be separated by thousands of miles? That they would no longer be the close-knit family they'd been for so many years? Had both of them adjusted so much to their new lives, that they just couldn't feel the same about this as Belle?
And how exactly did she feel? She asked herself that question, and knew the answer right away.
Devastated.
That was how she felt. She'd tried to put the past behind her. Tried to forget, even if it had proved virtually impossible. How could she even hope to forget a man like Khalid? Her relationship with Khalid should have been off limits, even taboo, given what his father had done. Belle had known from the start that being close to Khalid had been a dangerous choice, something her sisters and mother would never agree with.
But hadn't that just made the whole thing even more exciting, even more tempting? Why had she done it? Had she been trying to prove something to herself?
Well, that hadn't worked out, had it?
Belle had called time on their relationship, when she had seen the extent of Khalid's dark side. Once again, she pushed those memories away. They cut too deep.
And now to make matters worse, the sheikh she had given up on only weeks before, believing that she had no future with him, was coming to visit.
CHAPTER TWO
Sheikh Khalid sat in the back of his limousine and gazed through the tinted windows at the desert scene beyond the road. The late morning sun bathed the wondrous landscape in a golden glow. But he wasn't in any kind of mood for enjoying the view. Not today of all days.
He sighed heavily and rested his chin against the knuckles of his tight fist. The tension he felt in his body had been building all morning. His jaw tightened as he thought about what lay ahead.
It wouldn't be long before they arrived at the US ambassador's residence.
It wouldn't take long for him to do what he had to do. It was time for action. Time for him to do what he should have done weeks ago. Before Belle had refused to see him any longer.
Khalid gasped quietly. The dark glass screen between him and the driver ensured his total privacy. It was best that no-one see Khalid's frustration. It had been hard for Khalid to hide that impatience.
The last few weeks had driven him crazy. Not seeing Belle had been difficult.
No. Worse than that.
Impossible to bear. Living alone in the palace had been excruciatingly difficult, now that his father had retreated into virtual exile. There had been times when he hadn't been sure he could endure the isolation any longer. The change that had overcome his family had been so sudden. The effects would be felt for years to come.
On top of that, he'd had to endure this separation from his secret lover.
Belle.
The feisty, beautiful American who had turned his world upside down.
His secret American lover.
Of course, there had been no other way. Given who Khalid's father was, there had been no other way he could pursue his passion for Belle. They'd had to keep their liaisons hidden from prying eyes. Belle had been the one to suggest their relationship be kept under wraps. To begin with.
Khalid had agreed, seeing the sense in her argument. The last thing he'd wanted was to cause any problems for Belle with her family. Especially since her older sister Erin was married to the sheikh who had been instrumental in Khalid's father having to leave Qazhar, probably for good.
Khalid sighed heavily. It seemed like passion and desire did not respect the past. Of all the women in Qazhar for him to fall for, it had to be Belle. The sister-in law of Khalid's gravest enemy.
Their relationship had been incredible, their passion for each other intense beyond belief. He'd never known anything like it,
And then she'd pushed Khalid away.
He shook his head, just thinking about it. About how it had happened. The inevitable outburst. The frustration that twisted inside Khalid every day. He'd believed she'd done so much to heal him, to turn his life around. He'd began to feel renewed. A new man.
Then it had all turned sour. In an instant. An outburst from him which he'd instantly regretted.
He remembered it all. Their argument; his harsh words; her expression of hurt; her walking away from him.
What a fool he'd been!
Many times he'd resolved to just go to her and seek forgiveness. Of course, he understood the anger he'd displayed had been unacceptable. Of course, he knew his words had hurt. But, surely she knew that none of what he'd said had been directed at her. The rage he felt about his family's recent difficulties was something he battled with every day. And Belle had been a healing force in his life. He'd known that. Felt it every time they'd been together; sensed it every time they'd made wild, passionate love.
Khalid felt the car bump across an uneven part of the road, rocking him sideways on his seat. He grasped the door handle, steadying himself. He groaned and exhaled a harsh breath through his flared nostrils.
His nerves had been frayed by recent events. He'd need to have steady nerves if he was going to succeed this morning.
He wondered if she'd told her sisters and mother about her relationship with him. Would they have been shocked? Would they have even been scandalized that Belle would have consorted with Khalid. It wouldn't have surprised him if she'd confessed it all to them. He knew they were a close family.
Just like he'd been so close to his father, Khalid reflected. He was the only son of his father. Their mother was long dead. Khalid was all that remained in Qazhar of their family. Was that part of what had attracted him to Belle in the first place? Had it been the obviously solid base her family provided to her? Was he jealous of that? Was he merely trying to create a family of his own, now that his father was gone?
Khalid thought about what awaited him at the embassy. It was his first visit there. Khalid hoped Belle would be at home. Khalid swallowed nervously. His thoughts settled on her.
Belle.
Just thinking about her made his heart race, caused his pulse to quicken, made something firm in his middle. But that was how it always had been with Belle. Every moment he'd spent with her during that crazy, impulsive, wonderful month had been exhilarating. Adding to that feeling had been the secrecy of their relationship. That had merely added a sharp edge to every pleasure they'd shared.
And what pleasure they had shared! Intense. Unforgettable. Addictive.
With every woman he'd been with before Belle, things had been completely different. Those women had been so eager to be seen in public with the powerful prince of Qazhar. He'd been quite the catch, and they'd wanted to bask in his glory, to be seen with him at every possible moment.
It had all been so different with Belle. Because of what had happened with Belle's sister, Erin, it had seemed prudent that Khalid and Belle keep their friendship under wraps.
Friendship?
/> It wasn't just a friendship. It was so much more than that. Something Khalid had never thought possible with a woman. Belle had taken possession of some part of him, transformed his world in a way that had amazed and delighted him.
It had been an amazing few weeks. And their love-making had been intense and wild. Their connection more real than anything he'd ever experienced. He'd sensed it had been the same for her. He'd heard that intensity in her cries as they both reached the peak of their ecstasy. He'd felt it in the way she'd held him, the way her fingers had clawed at his flesh, desperate for pleasure.
And then, infuriatingly, she had called the whole thing off. He'd felt as if some part of him had been severed.
Her absence had felt painful. A switch had been flicked and the passion that had flamed so bright had been extinguished.
The corner of Khalid's mouth creased with an ironic smile. That was another thing that set Belle apart from the other women. No-one had ever rejected him; no woman had refused Khalid anything.
At the time, the rejection had angered him. He'd struggled to accept it. After all, he was a sheikh, wasn't he? His pride had flared up. He was no ordinary man. Or at least, that was what he told himself. He enjoyed the wealth and privilege of Qazhar society. He knew plenty of other sheikhs. He'd grown up alongside them; did business with them. Even after what his father had almost done to disrupt the stability of Qazhar society, the other sheikhs still saw Khalid as one of their own kind. He hadn't been completely ostracized as he'd expected he might be after the events of a over a year ago.
The dissenting voices were few. But even those were too much for Khalid. He needed more than the approval of most the noble class of which he was still so much a part. The class to which he would always be connected.
He needed something else, besides that. He knew what it was.
Her.
Belle.
He'd had a taste of her and he was hungry for more.
And now the urgency was even more keen. His connections had brought him news. Disturbing news.
There was a change planned in the ambassadorship. A new ambassador was being posted to Qazhar. That meant only one thing.
Belle might be lost to Khalid.
Forever.
He could not let that happen.
No. It was more urgent than that. He had to act.
He would defy destiny. He couldn't let her leave.
Belle was his way to redemption, and he wasn't going to lose the chance to be with her forever.
Winning her back was all he wanted.
In doing so Khalid knew he'd be vindicated. In winning Belle, he'd show the rest of Qazhar that his father had been wrong; that the noble house of his father could have its honor completely restored.
Khalid grinned. It would be sweet revenge against Karim, he thought. Karim who apparently believed that Khalid was just like his father.
Well, Khalid would show Karim that he was wrong. There was honor in Khalid's family, especially now that he was the sole survivor of that family, whose descendants stretched back into the mists of Qazhar history.
Belle would be his redemption. Courting her and winning her was all Khalid wanted. The thought of them marrying and having children had filled his heart with a drive to win. But that was far in the future, and only if he succeeded. There were no guarantees of success, but he refused to give up so easily.
In the distance, Khalid saw Qazhar city. The sunlight glinted off the tall towers that stretched as far as the eye could see. The city had changed so much during Khalid's lifetime. But that was progress. He remembered how small everything had seemed when he'd been younger.
The old town still existed, nestled in amongst the towering, modern skyscrapers. Khalid remembered how much Belle had loved wandering through the old quarter with him, and how hard they'd tried to stay incognito while mingling with the crowds. Somehow, they'd succeeded in avoiding Khalid being recognized.
Belle had thought the fact no-one had recognized Khalid to be incredibly funny. She loved puncturing what she said was his inflated sense of his own importance.
Qazhar was changing and the future held so much promise. Who would he have by his side in that future?
He knew the answer to that question. There was only one person he wanted by his side.
Belle.
Would she refuse to see things his way?
Surely not, he told himself.
Khalid sighed heavily. He'd soon find out.
Once he reached the embassy, then he would know what his future held. And whether Belle would be a part of that future.
****
From her bedroom window on the upper floor of the embassy building, Belle saw the limousine enter the embassy grounds through the open gate. She knew right away that it had to be Khalid. She felt her heart skip a beat as she thought of him sitting inside the limo, looking through the window. He would have no idea he was being watched, least of all by Belle.
She wondered why he was coming. Her mother had been so cryptic. Maybe even she didn't know. It wasn't unusual for her mother to receive visits from members of well-connected Qazhar families.
Belle's sisters had both left earlier. She was the only remaining daughter living in the embassy, and she had the best room to herself, the one that overlooked the front grounds of the embassy building.
She leapt down off the windowsill and straightened her dress. Glancing in the mirror she fixed her mussed up blonde hair. She knew she looked tired. But that had never bothered Khalid before. Memories of their time in bed flickered to the front of her mind. She didn't push those memories away. Not right away, at least.
She could still sense what it had felt like to lie in Khalid's arms, alongside him in his bed in the cool night of his silent palace. She recalled the strength of his love-making, the tenderness of his touch, the way he'd gazed at her time and time again. His passion had been all-consuming, something that had swept her away to a place she'd scarcely believed could exist. A place of sensation, emotion and even, dare she admit, love.
Of course, that word hadn't been spoken. Even though she'd been tempted to whisper it to him during their moments of closeness. And, she'd been sure he'd been tempted to say the same to her; had seen the desire in his eyes. Khalid had a way of looking at Belle which could trigger so much sensation in her, so much emotion. Dark eyes and a penetrating, heart-quickening gaze.
Now he was here. Downstairs, he'd be getting out of his limo. He'd be wearing a dark suit, making his tall frame even more impressive.
She was overwhelmed with a sudden desire to see him. She dashed to the window and leaned close to the cool glass of the window. Sure enough, she saw the limo doors being opened by the tall chauffeur.
Belle felt her heart quicken as she saw Khalid step out of the limo and stretch himself upright, tugging on his dark jacket, which was matched by his pants and black shoes. His white shirt set off the warmth of his skin and the tumble of dark hair that settled just above his collar.
She hadn't seen him in weeks, but it had felt like an eternity. He glanced around and, for a moment, Belle thought he looked like a predatory animal sizing up a new territory. He looked perfectly at home in this environment, his natural sense of power and authority displayed in the way he stood tall. There was a hint of defiance in that posture.
Why had he come? She'd asked herself that question so many times since her mother had told her about his visit.
Now that she'd had a chance to consider it, Belle knew exactly why he was here.
He'd come to see her. It was that simple. She was sure of it. He'd come to finally deal with what had happened between them. Once and for all. He was using this visit as an excuse to see Belle and apologize. At last.
Belle pressed her face against the glass, wanting to call down to him, needing to see his even regular features turned up toward her. If he did look up at her, she knew his dark gaze would be intense, burning into her. There would be that sardonic twist to his mouth, that declarat
ion that he didn't care what others thought of him. His lips would be as full and as tempting as they'd been when he'd kissed her so many times before.
And then he did just what she'd been thinking.
Khalid looked up.
Belle felt her face heat against the coolness of the glass and she stiffened, leaning away suddenly. She peered down at him and saw that he'd noticed her at the window, saw that he'd recognized her.
Khalid smiled. It was a warm, welcoming smile that lay in such stark contrast with how he'd looked the last time they'd been together.
Belle resisted the urge to lift a hand and wave down at him. Their eyes met, and she felt a familiar rush of sensation, one that she knew she would always feel whenever Khalid looked at her.
She was sure he was genuinely pleased to see her.
Then, Belle saw his attention was caught by something below. Probably her mother had appeared at the door to welcome the sheikh to the embassy.
Belle wondered what she should do. Realizing it had taken every ounce of her strength to resist racing downstairs, she sighed with disappointment when she saw Khalid move toward the steps and out of sight.
Belle stepped back and bit her lower lip, considering what to do next.
It wouldn't be appropriate for Belle to rush down there. She should allow her mother to carry out her ambassadorial duty. Belle wondered what a sensible delay would look like.
Ten minutes?
No
Half an hour?
Belle furrowed her brow and glanced at herself in the mirror. She saw how flustered she'd become. Her face was flushed like an eager schoolgirl who'd just bumped into someone for whom she harbored a secret attraction.
Belle snorted to herself. She was behaving like a spoiled brat already. That was the last thing her mother needed around while she was trying to being the living embodiment of diplomacy with the sheikh.
No. Most visits from noble families took almost an hour, as far as Belle could recall. She'd just have to wait up here, in her room.