Amber pushed those thoughts aside as Kazim finished his call, slipped the phone back inside his jacket pocket and looked at her. ‘The jet is ready and waiting. We shall be there in little more than an hour.’
‘An hour? I thought we were going to Barazbin.’ Confusion pushed aside her daydreams of times long since passed, sharply bringing the present into focus.
‘I am on my way to England. I have business to conclude before returning to Barazbin.’
Shock ricocheted through her like a pinball. He hadn’t come to Paris especially for her. He’d just stopped off on his journey as if she was nothing more than an irritating loose end that needed tying up. Anger quickly followed the shock and she clenched her fingers tightly in her lap, her nails biting into her palms.
‘You should have told me. I could have made better plans for leaving.’ Or not left at all. Then she remembered Claude and what he stood to gain from her deal with this devil. Guilt tore through her once again. She was doing this for Claude and Annie, not for herself and never for Kazim. As soon as she could, she would leave Barazbin and her marriage behind.
‘What plans would they have been? To slip away, assume a new identity and take on another job in an equally unsavoury establishment?’ Although his deep voice was courteous there was an underlying patronising kick in it.
She blushed. He’d guessed her thoughts but she kept her voice light, trying to provoke a reaction from him, to shake his rigid composure. ‘Would you rather I had told everyone who I was?’
‘No.’ His voice was brusque as she sat forward again. ‘But be warned, Amber. If this episode in your life gets out and threatens all I’m trying to achieve in Barazbin, you will pay dearly.’
‘Now we are getting to the bottom of it all.’ She smiled sarcastically at him. ‘Just what is it you are trying to do—apart from blow my life to pieces again? Why exactly am I, the woman you married and turned your back on in one night, so necessary?’
Just when she thought she was about to unravel the mystery of Kazim’s sudden intrusion into her life, the car stopped. The private jet looming above them brought reality hurtling at her.
She was about to leave with Kazim—a man who had dismissed her from his life so coldly. She had no idea when she would return to Paris, but one thing she was sure of was that she would not be staying in Barazbin long.
* * *
‘We’re here,’ Kazim said, grateful for their timely arrival at the airport. He’d nearly let things slip, nearly told her she was not only of paramount importance to his succession to the throne, but crucial in a deal he was making—a deal to secure peace to his people, a deal very important to him. It was his duty to return to Barazbin with her. A duty he intended to fulfil, whatever obstacles he had to remove.
He’d always wanted to help the nomadic tribes, previously his father’s venture. Now it was time for Kazim to step aside from his successful oil company and take up the position he’d been born to. Duty called and that call was becoming increasingly more insistent.
In an effort to forget a life he’d been forced to forgo, he focused his attention on Amber, watched as she all but physically rooted herself to the seat, her full lips parting, drawing his gaze, and his control wavered. She’d thrown herself at him on their wedding night and he’d turned his back on her. He’d had his reasons—good reasons. But now he couldn’t ignore what he’d felt that night, stirrings of passion so strong it still simmered in his blood. He wanted her.
Was that so wrong? For a man to want his wife?
He leant further forward, closing the distance between them, surprising himself as much as her, as his lips claimed hers. A dizzying sensation hurtled around his body as he met no resistance from her, her lips moving beneath his. After a second she stilled as if she was about to pull away then her lips parted against his, encouraging him. She tasted of mint, so clean and vibrant it infused his body, making him want much more than a kiss.
The polite cough of the driver and the cool air rushing into the car dampened the desire flooding his body and he moved abruptly away. Her lovely face was flushed beneath her dusky complexion, her eyes burnished bronze and her lips plump and extremely kissable.
His body stiffened. As did his resolve to achieve what he’d set out to do. Reclaim his wife. It was more than time to claim his bride, make her his.
‘You are my wife, Amber, and it is past time you started being just that.’ The harshness of his voice had echoes of his father, but he couldn’t dwell on that now. Not when hot desire raced around him in a way he’d never experienced before.
‘No, I can’t.’ Her eyes were wide with shock, her cheeks lightly flushed, fuelling his desire even more.
‘I will not accept that. You belong to me and it’s time I claimed what is mine.’ Even to his ears his words sounded barbaric, like something uttered by a sheikh of many years ago—or his bullying father. He’d never wanted to be either but as soon as his lips had touched hers he’d lost all reason, all ability to think rationally. Wildness raced in his blood, driving him on.
‘Please, Kazim, I can’t be your wife,’ she begged, her eyes beseeching him. ‘You can’t just whisk me back to Barazbin.’
‘We’re not there yet.’ A gust of wind all but snatched his words away as he got out of the car, tossing them around the airfield, and he saw a frown of confusion furrow her brow.
‘Why did I have to come now?’ Amber got out of the car, the wind pressing her blouse against her, and he savoured her slender figure until she glared at him. She stepped closer to him, her chin lifted in defiance and, although her height didn’t quite match his, she was still tall for a woman. ‘I’m not a wayward pet that needs bringing to heel.’
‘This way,’ Kazim said, touching her arm and guiding her towards the plane, determined not to rise to her provocation. At his side, she kept pace with his strides and it felt strangely right to be walking with her, as if they were matched and meant to be so.
‘We will stay in London this evening. Tomorrow, we will attend a polo match where I am due to meet with several other rulers. Once my business is concluded we will return to Barazbin.’
He climbed the steps into the small private jet, turning as he entered it. ‘From the small amount of luggage you have, I’m assuming you don’t have evening wear or anything suitable for a polo weekend.’
‘Weekend? This is getting worse by the minute, Kazim. Why can’t I just travel back to Barazbin with you?’ Her eyes were wide as she stood on the threshold of the jet, looking like a startled animal. A flicker of guilt pulled at him but he couldn’t afford to heed it now, not when so much was at stake. If emotional force was needed to keep her at his side then so be it.
‘Do you really need to ask?’ He pushed aside all notions of guilt, needing to remain focused.
‘Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.’ Indignation made her stand tall and he met her gaze, seeing the challenge in her eyes.
‘You could refuse to go.’ She would have every right to do so. He knew that, just as he knew how he’d handled things on their wedding day would be enough to make any woman turn and run. But she hadn’t, because last night he’d seized the one thing that meant something to her and used it to his full advantage. She’d made it all surprisingly easy for him.
‘As long as you keep your side of the bargain and send Claude to the States, I will go with you. For a time, at least.’ Her eyes hardened and deepened to mahogany as she looked at him, defiantly laying down a challenge. He held her gaze and something zipped between them—something more than just attraction and desire. Again, he ignored it—for now.
‘The child will have his medical treatment; you have my word. I will send the one person I trust above all others to ensure that.’ The flight attendant halted any further discussion on the subject as she showed them to their seats and carried out the necessary safety checks in the
cabin. He sat and relief rushed over him as Amber did too, but she didn’t look at him, pretending instead to be engrossed in a magazine.
* * *
Amber wanted to get up and run out of the plane. She watched as the flight attendant closed the door, its heavy clunk ominously final. Was it final? Was she leaving to go back to Barazbin for good? No—she shook her head in silent denial—she couldn’t do that.
As the jet soared up into the sky she gripped the seat, keeping her attention focused directly ahead of her. Could Kazim really appear out of nowhere and blackmail her to go back and be his wife—forever? She didn’t think she had the strength to resist him for long. His kiss just now had proved that. She’d wanted to push against him, but instead had yielded. What would have happened if the driver hadn’t opened the door at that moment?
The plane levelled off and she turned to look at him, finding he was watching her intently. ‘How long am I expected to be in Barazbin?’ She was amazed at the calm tone of her voice and, judging by his expression, so was he.
‘That is a strange question when you are my wife.’ He treated her to one of his most charming smiles, the kind that had robbed her of her heart within seconds of seeing him for the first time.
She’d been young and naïve then, swept up in the romance of being engaged to such a handsome man. She’d known of him long before she’d met him and had fallen in love with what she now knew was the fantasy conjured up by her imagination.
‘For almost a year, Kazim, we have led completely separate lives. I am your wife in name only, nothing more.’ Because you refused me, turned me away in disgust. The words were on the tip of her tongue and she pressed her lips firmly together to prevent them from leaving. He must never know how humiliated she’d been when he’d rejected her. A man legendary for his prowess as a lover, her mother had warned, would not be expecting a simpering girl. Heeding that warning had been her one mistake and one which ended her marriage before it had begun.
‘I have been busy with many problems since our wedding. I hope now all those issues can finally be resolved. My father’s ill health worsened the situation, forcing me to return to the palace. On our return, all will be well.’ His words rushed her back to the present faster than the jet was flying. She mustn’t dwell on that night. She had to be as strong as he now was; it was her only defence.
‘Our return?’
‘Yes, Amber. You are Princess of Barazbin and you have a duty to your people, just as I do. Your return is expected in the current circumstances.’ Had she missed something when her mind had been back in the past? Had he told her just why he was demanding her return?
‘What circumstances?’ She heard the slight tremor in her voice and hated herself for it.
‘As I explained last night, my father is ill. He is a weakening man and, despite whatever else I think of him, he is a good ruler. He wants to secure the future for his people. A future both you and I are duty-bound to play a part in.’
‘I am not returning to Barazbin with you out of any sense of loyalty or duty to your people...’
His words cut across hers. ‘They are your people too.’
She took a deep breath, composed herself and spoke with as much regal dignity as possible. ‘I am returning because you have blackmailed me, using a young boy who is in desperate need of help. That is the only reason I am going anywhere with you, Kazim. Don’t ever forget that.’
Not because I am still in love with you.
He rubbed his finger and thumb over his jawline as he took in her words, the shadow of stubble rasping, snagging her attention. His eyes narrowed with suspicion, irritation clear in his voice as he leant towards her. ‘It is not blackmail. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement. One we will both gain from.’
How could he possibly believe that, when he’d plainly stated he would walk away from her and from Claude if she didn’t agree to return to Barazbin with him?
She looked at him, aware of the hum of the jet’s engine, taking her on the first part of her journey back to his country, a place she didn’t want to go. And she was going because he held all the cards, wielded all the power.
‘It’s blackmail, Kazim. And you know it.’
CHAPTER FOUR
FROM THE HOTEL WINDOW Amber studied the view of London, desperate to do anything other than face Kazim as he shut the door of their suite. The flight from Paris had been short, but she was so tired, so emotionally exhausted, she might as well have flown around the world. Not a word had been exchanged since she’d accused him of blackmail. He’d read over papers until they’d touched down in London, his silence brooding and ominous.
‘We have a dinner engagement this evening. I trust you have something befitting your position to wear.’
His voice held an irascible tone and she turned from the window and stared at him.
He looked tired. Something tightened inside her, just as it had done that first moment she’d seen him on their wedding day. His raw masculinity then had robbed her of the ability to think clearly and now she wondered if it had all gone wrong from that moment. Had she fallen in love with the man she wanted him to be rather than the man he was?
‘If you had told me I would need evening wear I could have packed something for the occasion.’ Precisely what that would have been, she didn’t know. Nothing in her wardrobe would have been remotely suitable for dining out in public with a man such as Kazim. She’d left the glamour of a desert princess behind to take on a normal life. And she’d achieved that, proved to herself she could survive—until Kazim’s arrival had sent the first blocks of her new life tumbling down. ‘I’ll stay here. You go.’
She turned her back on him and focused again on the view of Knightsbridge bathed in sunshine. Every time she looked at Kazim, a tingle of awareness slipped down her spine and when his gaze met hers that tingle intensified, just as it had done from the moment they had first met.
As Amber continued to study the view Kazim’s silence almost frazzled the air but, as far as she was concerned, it was settled. She wasn’t going with him this evening. Determined that she wouldn’t be swayed from this decision, she folded her arms across her chest, ignoring the urge to turn and look at him again. But it was too much and finally she gave into the temptation. When she turned round it was to find him looking at her, his eyes narrowed, his stance regal and loaded with authority.
He was the epitome of power, his shoulders broad enough to carry the burdens his position in life had given him, but, as a man, his tall figure held an air of isolation. Did he ever let people close?
‘Are you determined to cause trouble, Amber?’ Command rang in every word he spoke. ‘You are my wife. My princess and, as such, you will go where I go—at least until we return to Barazbin.’
That told her enough. As soon as he returned to his homeland she would be forced into the role of dutiful wife and once again be surplus to requirements, but she had to go if she wanted Claude to get the treatment he needed. Even though Annie didn’t yet know what chance her son had, Amber couldn’t deny him. Once the treatment was over she’d leave, return to Paris and Annie’s unwavering friendship. Why stay with a man who didn’t even like her, let alone love her? One who’d shredded her heart as if it were nothing more than waste paper.
‘Well, you’ll just have to go alone tonight because even if I did have something befitting my position to wear, I would rather stay here.’ She knew she shouldn’t be provoking him, but she couldn’t help it. Just because he was a desert prince didn’t mean he could order her around, especially as he’d been constantly reminding her she was his princess.
Her heart rate accelerated and butterflies took flight in her stomach as he walked across the room. His strikingly handsome face was marred by a thunderous expression as he came close to her. ‘We made a deal, yet already you think you can assert authority over me.’
She stood her ground despite wanting to slip past him. ‘I have not yet received any kind of indication that you have honoured your side of the deal, as you call it.’
‘Is my word not enough for you?’ he said as he walked away again, giving her the impression of an animal trapped in captivity, stalking the perimeter of its reduced territory.
She looked at his broad shoulders, tight and firmly set. He had exploded into her life again, opening up wounds which had only just begun to heal, and the only way she could tolerate it was to know that he would keep his promise of helping Claude.
‘No, it isn’t,’ she snapped, the rush of humiliation sweeping away rational thought. He’d married her, rejected and abandoned her. ‘Why should I trust you at all when you detest me so much you couldn’t stand to be near me? You couldn’t get me out of your life fast enough.’
She bit back her grief and anger, wanting to be as far away from him as possible. Just being near him muddled her mind. Suddenly it was all too much and she rushed past him, grabbed her handbag and headed for the door as fast as she could. She couldn’t stay in this room a moment longer with him. Her emotions were in turmoil. Emotions she’d thought she had well and truly under control were now running riot inside her.
She still had feelings for him, despite all he’d done. Feelings which meant she couldn’t risk staying a moment longer with him in the suite, even with its capacious luxury.
‘Where are you going?’ His deep voice rang with command, but she didn’t stop.
‘Shopping. Anything to keep His Supreme Highness happy.’
‘Sarcasm doesn’t become you, Amber,’ he said as he crossed the room, joining her at the door.
Her heart sank. Couldn’t she go out alone now? Was this an example of what her life in Barazbin would be like? A return to the restrictions of bodyguards and servants. ‘I’m quite capable of going shopping on my own.’ She tossed the words at him and forced a smile.
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