Wild Desert Princess

by Deering, Debbie

  “Come with me, Anya. I have need of your advice.” Chia cast Jamal a fulminating glare and led Anya away.

  Miri jumped out of the Jeep and stalked to her brother. “What do you think you are doing, Jamal? Do you want to ruin your chances with Anya and drive her away?” She poked him in the chest with her finger, furious at his autocratic behavior.

  Somewhat sheepishly, Jamal stared down into Miri’s angry face. “I am a man, little one. Anya will be mine. I was jealous that another could see what only I shall be permitted to view. She is so beautiful. I do not wish another to steal her before she agrees to become my wife.”

  Miri grinned at her brother and wrapped her arms around his lean waist for a hug. “Well, I don’t think that will further your case with her. Your sound too much like that arrogant jerk she was engaged too. Did you know he gave her an ultimatum, either him or her career as a doctor?”

  Jamal frowned, realizing the quick flash he had seen on Anya’s face had been hurt. “Damn, I didn’t think, I don’t suppose she will see me any time soon.”

  “Nope, you had better give her a little time to cool off and I’ll have a word to see if I can smooth you way with her. I will tell her you want to apologize,” she teased him mercilessly.

  Jamal grabbed Miri by the waist and tossed her in the air. “Minx.”

  Miri squealed and convulsed into giggles. “Stop please. You’ll drop me.”

  “I can’t leave you alone for a minute, Miriam, and you are in the middle of something.” A deep, warm voice purred.

  “Ben,” she murmured and raced to him as soon as Jamal set her on the ground.

  “Miri,” he whispered and captured her willing lips in a quick, hungry kiss, before he reluctantly pulled away, tucking her close against his side.

  “What brings you here, Ben? I thought you were on your way with Prince Jahan to participate in the negotiations.” Jamal flicked a glance at Chia’s tent and prayed she stayed inside. He didn’t want to have to explain to Ben why she was there and no one had informed her husband. He knew it would cause a rift between Ben and Miri, for he would be honor bound to tell Jahan and Miri would be furious. She might never forgive him for the betrayal.

  “I came to see my beautiful bride to be and I came to ask you to accompany me to the meetings. Jahan needs all the support he can muster and it will show your families’ support of him.”

  Jamal inclined his head slightly. “I would be honored. When do you wish to leave?”

  “If you can be ready in thirty minutes, I would like to leave immediately.”

  “Of course. I’ll grab a few things and be right with you.” He hid a grin as Ben pulled Miri into the shade of the tent and fastened his mouth on hers again. His sister had found true love and he wanted that with Anya. One he decided he would have. Just as soon as he returned and spoke with her. He truly hoped it would not be required for him to stay the full length of the talks.

  Miri kept Ben in the shadows, her lips locked firmly on his, her body pressed tightly to the hard strength until Jamal interrupted them with a discreet cough. Her face flamed at Jamal’s knowing grin and Ben’s aroused body clung to hers for a moment longer. “Take care my love,” she choked and spun away, wishing they were already wed. Her body was screaming with need for him.

  Reluctantly. Ben released Miri and walked stiffly back to his range rover. “Soon, my love.”

  Miri waited until they were gone before she headed towards Chia’s tent, her lips swollen from Ben’s kisses.

  “Come in,” Chia called to Miri’s query. “What happened to you, Miri? Your lips are puffy, your face is flushed and your eyes are glassy.”

  Anya wiped away her tears and moved to Miri, concern in her eyes. “Are you ill?”

  Miri threw herself down on Chia’s bed. “I’m lovesick. Ben was just here and took Jamal with him for the meetings. I can’t wait to get married and get him in my bed.”

  Anya looked stricken. “Jamal is gone?”

  “Oh, Anya, I am so sorry. He had to go. He wanted to come and apologize to you. He said he was jealous that some other man would see you. My brother is smitten.” Miri giggled, seeing the interest sparking in Anya’s eyes.

  Chia felt a wave of dizziness sweep over her and sat down before the other two noticed. She couldn’t believe she was home sick. Her hormones were driving her crazy. “The thing is, are you interested in Jamal?” she asked quietly.

  “Yes, I believe I am,” Anya admitted shyly. “Only if I am sure he is not like my ex-fiancé.”

  “Good, when he gets back we will work on him,” Miri decided. “I’m starved. How about you all?” She bounced off the bed and spirited Anya out of the tent. “You rest Chia. We will bring you some milk and something to eat.”

  “Then I will just have a bit of rest until you get back.” She waited until they left and then she crawled onto her bed and collapsed. Even her prenatal vitamins weren’t helping a lot. Tears trickled out of her closed eyes. She hated feeling so helpless. It just wasn’t fair. Jahan wasn’t suffering a thing from her pregnancy. She just didn’t see why the woman had to be the miserable one, getting fat, being sick all the time, and Lord all the tears. Never in her life had she cried so much, not even when Jamal had humiliated her and broke her heart when she was twelve.

  Sniffling, she lay against the pillow and slept fitfully.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jahan stared into the burning brightness of the sun. He and forgotten the wonders of a long trip in the untamed beauty of his land. It was unbearably hot, much like his smoldering temper over his failure to find his recalcitrant bride. If he wasn’t so blasted worried about her…

  Malek rode up beside him, his own face drawn with worry.

  “You should have paddled her backside when she was a sassy child. I might not be going out of my mind worrying about her now,” Jahan growled fiercely.

  “Then you’d not have wanted her, because she would not have had enough spirit to keep you interested,” Malek retorted sharply.

  Jahan nodded ruefully. “You are quite right. Her spirit and fight draw me as a moth is drawn to flame.”

  “Don’t worry, Jahan. I’m quite sure Chia is safe. One of her friends has no doubt spirited her away and she is probably being pampered as we speak.”

  “By the way, is Amanda speaking to you yet?” Jahan fought his grin at Malek’s dark scowl.

  “No. the woman is too damned stubborn for her own good. She won’t take any of my calls. I’m not even sure if she is at our home. I may return to find she has left me” Malek could not control the sudden bleakness that settled over his soul at the image of being without his beloved.

  “Do not worry yourself, old friend. Your wife loves you. You will get past all this unpleasantness.” Jahan prayed it would be so for the both of them.

  “Perhaps it is a good thing we shall be involved I our negotiations for the next few months. I fear we shall be so busy we won’t have time to worry about our wives.”

  Jahan turned and watched as two riders intercepted them. He recognized Sheikh Ben Assaud and Prince Jamal. Halting Cabal, he waited until they joined them. “Welcome, my friends. I am grateful for your support during this time.”

  “It benefits everyone, Jahan. There are only a few who wish us to remain primitive.” Ben assured him.

  “I am honored you have need of my support, my prince. However, I may serve you.” Jamal bowed from the waist, his conscience stung at the lie of omission he was forced to live for his families’ honor. He was not in a comfortable position and vowed to never be put in such a place again.

  Jahan sensed that something was bothering the other man, but soon became engrossed in the discussions for the upcoming meetings as they continued their journey.

  “Masad will not go down quietly. He enjoys his power as the head of the opposition. If we are successful, their fanatics will have no place to hide.” Jahan pondered the best way to proceed with the leaders of the mountain tribes. Although many did not
adhere to their radical beliefs, they had none-the-less not forbidden them use of their territory. If Jahan was successful, he knew Masid would become desperate. And desperate men were very dangerous foes. Always unpredictable, Jahan knew without a doubt Masad would seek his revenge on those closest to him.

  “Have you found Princess Chiandra?” Ben asked, his brow furrowed with concern. If Miri was missing, he would be nearly insane with worry.

  “No, she has chosen her refuge well. Where ever she has gone, her friends are keeping her whereabouts a closely guarded secret.”

  “Aren’t you mad that your people are hiding your bride from you?” Jamal asked the question before he could halt the words.

  “Somewhat. Truthfully, I am grateful Chia has such loyal friends who consider her welfare above political correctness. That surety that she is being protected and cared for is all that keeps me sane,” Jahan admitted, a rough catch to his deep voice.

  Jamal nodded, his choice eased by Jahan’s words. He felt the other man’s worry and hated being a part of it.

  Malek watched the conflicting emotions on the younger man’s face and vowed to have a word with him when time permitted.

  Jahan urged Cabal up the last one hundred feet of the rugged trail to the stronghold of their hosts. He held himself straight in the saddle, not showing his exhaustion by as much as a flicker of an eye lash. He calmly waited until the head man came down to meet him before he dismounted.

  The rest of the men waited until Jahan greeted the elder before they left their saddles. A couple of young men took the horses away to care for them, leaving the men to enter the home.

  “Prince Jahan, I welcome you to my home. Please come in. I will show you where you may rest for the afternoon. This evening I would be honored if you and your men would join us for our meal.”

  “The honor is mine, Isada. Your willingness to host our talks means a great deal to me. I thank you.” Jahan bowed as the leader left them at a large suite of rooms. Although they were deep into the mountains, the palace had every amenity.

  “Till tonight.” The man nodded and left Jahan and the others.

  “This place is amazing.” Jahan gazed around the large rooms with interest. Extremely cool, he liked the way it was set up. “Once our talks have concluded, I would like to bring Chia out here to see if she likes the way it is built.” If he ever found her. Right now he wasn’t sure about anything. He fought to control his frustration. Nothing would be allowed to distract him from his duty to his country.

  “It is very deceptive. From the outside, you would never realize how comfortable and luxurious it is inside. ‘Manda would love it,” Malek agreed quietly, his own thoughts lingering on his wife for a moment.

  “I’m going to shower and grab some sleep. I will see you in a couple of hours and we will go over our strategy for the meetings one more time. If we present a unified front, it might make it easier to reach an agreement.” Jahan grabbed some clean clothes and stepped into his room. Amazingly each room had its own bath.

  It had been too long since he had visited the other tribes. He had no idea how modern some of their strongholds had become. The tiled bath was a work of art. It was truly a shame Chia wasn’t with him to share it. His body hardened with need. It had been so long since he had made love to her luscious curves, sank into her tight sheath. His penis throbbed and lengthened until he groaned in pain. He hadn’t had to masturbate so often since he was a randy teenager, fascinated with the opposite sex. He quickly stroked his cock, bringing himself to release. It couldn’t compare to being locked firmly inside Chia’s tight channel. It would take the edge off his lust and help keep his thoughts focused on the negotiations.

  For long minutes, Jahan leaned against the tiled wall and let the hot, soothing water pound into his tensed muscles. He gradually relaxed and left the shower, toweling off and wrapped himself in one of the thick robes hanging on the back of the door. In minutes he had fallen on the bed and was sound asleep, his thoughts once more drawn to his wife.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chia woke slowly, her body throbbing with frustration. She had been having the most incredible dream of Jahan making love to her. Her breasts tingled and her nipples thrust painfully against the lace of her bra. Her hands moved up to cup the swollen tips. A sharp jolt of heat pooled in her woman’s core.

  She squirmed, pulling her legs together, trying to ease the ache between her legs. An ache she feared only Jahan could entirely assuage. Sliding her hand down to her slick flesh, she rubbed the swollen nub. Tiny cries slipped out of her mouth as she brought herself to a quick release. Trembling she lay back against the pillows and forced herself not to cry. She felt horrid, her stomach was roiling and she felt like she was going to get sick again. Her energy level once so high had completely deserted her. She always felt so weak.

  Jahan would have no trouble subduing her now. She didn’t feel like messing with it. Anya had told her the first trimester was usually the worst. God, she had a little less than two months to get through. She wasn’t she could do it.

  Chia lay as still as possible on the bed, hoping if she didn’t move the nausea would fade away. Sweat popped out on her forehead and finally with a low groan, she staggered to her feet and barely made it to the basin. They dry heaves left her shaking and weak. It took her most of her remaining energy to pull herself to her feet and clean up.

  Thank goodness the servants had left her a ready supply of crackers and lemon-lime soda. By the time Anya arrived to check on her she was able to fool her into thinking she was fine, except for her morning sickness. She truly hoped she could keep fooling her until Miri’s wedding. The next five months were looking awfully long.

  She surprisingly missed Jahan’s bossiness. She didn’t appreciate it, but in a strange way she missed it. Feeling a bit sorry for herself, she followed Anya out of the tent, finding Miri waiting for them at the large tent used for meals. Toast and milk were the only things she could keep down. She felt Anya’s sharp gaze on her and forced a smile. “I will be so glad when I’m able to eat something else,” she groused.

  Anya relaxed and grinned. “Shouldn’t be too much longer and then you will probably have really weird cravings.”

  “Great! I can’t wait.”

  Miri sat down beside her, her plate piled high with eggs, toast and pastries.

  “It’s just not fair,” Chia grumbled.

  “What’s not fair?” Miri asked around a mouthful of food.

  “How you can eat like a horse and still stay so tiny.”

  “I’d love to have your curves,” she giggled and stared pointedly at Chia’s large bust line.

  “And I would love to be able to eat anything I want and not have to worry about it jumping on my butt.”

  “I bet Jahan likes your butt,” she teased, her honey brown eyes twinkling.

  Chia felt her cheeks heat as she recalled quite vividly just how much Jahan had like her full ass. Her breath caught in her throat as her body softened with lust.

  “Thought so,” Miri gloated triumphantly.

  “Well, I wouldn’t act so smug. We both saw how your eyes sparkled and your face flushed after Ben’s visit. I’d say he quite likes your tiny little body just the way it is.” Chia couldn’t help but tease, loving the way Miri’s cheeks flamed.

  Anya watched both her friends with amusement. “You both are love sick and both of your men love you just the way you are.”

  Chia shared a look with Miri and winked. “Jamal seems to be quite taken with you. What do you think of him, Anya?”

  Anya’s face flamed hot. “He is very handsome,” she muttered.

  “What about his body?” Miri insisted wickedly.

  “It appears to be very well put together,” Anya said primly.

  “Oh come now, Anya. You know he is a stud muffin. Just like Jahan and Ben,” Chia teased mercilessly.”

  “Well yes, I would say that describes him quite well.”

  Chia and Miri convulsed with la
ughter and soon Anya joined in.

  “They are all three extraordinarily good looking.” Chia’s gaze became fixed and her voice husked with emotion.

  Miri watched her friends and drew in a deep breath. “Okay, ladies. Enough drooling. Let’s go exploring.”

  Chia bit back a groan all she wanted to do was crawl into her bed and sleep for a month. Forcing a smile, she asked, “Where to today?”

  Anya bit her lip. She wanted to be near Chia. She didn’t like her pallor, yet she needed to check on the nomads in the camp. Some of the children needed medical attention and she didn’t want to take a chance on them leaving before she had a chance to look at them. “If we are only gone for a few hours this morning, I can come with you.”

  “That’s great. We won’t go far. There are some ruins a few miles west we can look at.” Miri jumped up and scurried away to grab the cooler of water and snacks.

  Chia shook her head and stared after her friend. “I just don’t know how she can have so much energy in the heat.”

  “I know. She makes me tired just watching her. Are you sure you are up to this, Chia? You look a little pale.” Anya said quietly.

  “I’ll be fine, Anya.” Chia assured her with a tiny shrug of her shoulders. “When we return, I will sleep.”

  “Very well, but I want you to tell me if it gets to be too much for you.” Anya feared for Chia’s health. For the moment she would allow her to do what she wanted. Emotionally she was not ready to return home and deal with Jahan or her parents. The stress could very well cause her to lose her child.

  “How can I help but be fine with my two friends watching out for me so well.” She caught Anya’s hand and squeezed it gently.

  “Then let us begin this excursion.” Anya stood and helped Chia to her feet.

  Chia sighed and grabbed a hat and her sunglasses. At least Miri’s Jeep had an excellent air conditioner. Perhaps the ruins would have some shade and she could curl up and take a nap while Miri and Anya explored.

  “Come on you two. The morning is going to be gone before we ever get started.” Miri ushered them out and saw Chia settled in the back with a pile of soft pillows. “Sleep, Chia. You will feel better by the time we get there.” Miri kept it hidden but she was very worried about Chia. If she had to call Jahan, she didn’t think Chia would ever forgive her betrayal.