Kate watched him peer at both sides of the highchair, then underneath. Folding her arms over her chest, she leaned back against the table, amused at his confusion. It was nice to not be the one confused for once.
He glanced over at her, a dark eyebrow lifting. Kate burst out laughing when Jaffri did the same thing – although both of his eyebrows went up. He didn’t have the muscle control to do the one-lift-thing. She was fairly sure that he would learn it in time. These two were spookily similar.
“Are you going to help me?”
Kate covered her mouth with a hand, trying – and failing – to stifle her amusement. When he shifted slightly in warning, Kate shook her head and straightened herself. “No. I think I’m going to leave him right where he is until you explain.”
He sighed and moved closer. “Kate, I need both of you at the palace.”
“Why?” she demanded, stubbornly. He was starting to scare her and she didn’t like being scared. She’d had enough of that over the past eighteen months, trying to get through a pregnancy and then figure out how to raise a son on her own.
“Because…” he hesitated and, for the first time, she could see Talal’s frustration. He was always so confident, so in control. Nothing ever seemed to fluster him. Until now.
“Because…?” she prompted.
When he still hesitated, she shook her head. “Talal, tell me what you’re thinking. Otherwise, we’re staying here. And Jaffri still needs to eat.”
Talal knelt down so that he and his son were at the same level. Father and son stared at each other. “What do you say, big guy? Want to come with me?”
Jaffri’s expression conveyed his confusion and he looked to the only source of security he knew: Kate.
She smiled at him and Jaffri relaxed slightly. “Talal, explain what’s going on or I’m going to give him some more fruit and we’ll call it an early night. I’m exhausted and frustrated, not to mention, you’re scaring me.”
Talal stood up and there was a different light in his eyes now. “I can take care of your frustration,” he vowed. “And after that, you will sleep in my arms. As for scaring you, that wasn’t my intention. But you must be aware of the dangers to both you and my son. I need to get both of you back to the palace where it is safe. Once we have a security team in place for both of you, then you will be able to move about the city more easily.”
For a long moment, she contemplated the possibilities, the joy she would find in his arms. The man knew how to make her body sing with excitement. But then reality flooded back to her and she shook her head, breaking the spell. Temporary joy followed by more heartbreak. “No. Thank you for the offer,” she replied sarcastically. “But I’ll pass. We’re fine right here. I have a lovely bed in the other room and all of Jaffri’s things are here. We’re settled in and happy.” She looked at him defiantly. “Besides, we’re only here for two weeks.”
He moved closer, towering over her and Kate had to fight hard not to be intimidated by his size.
“You will be here for longer than two weeks, my dear.”
She shook her head. “No. I understand that you and I need to work out an arrangement, but this can’t happen now. We’ll…”
Kate couldn’t finish that sentence because Talal pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Initially, she was so shocked she didn’t resist. As his head tilted and his body shifted, she still didn’t resist because…well, because! Because it was glorious! Nothing before she’d met him and nothing after their brief affair had ever felt as good as when Talal held her in his arms. Gone was her exhaustion and her frustration. She completely forgot her vow to remain aloof. All she knew was that memories, feelings, and sensations crowded into her mind, pushing out all thoughts of pulling away.
It was only Jaffri’s pounding that broke through the haze of lust. When she heard the pounding, her mind told her that something was wrong, but her body didn’t want to stop. Her body betrayed her and pressed more firmly against all of the hard ridges of his body. But her mind…her mind thankfully, regained control and Kate looked down. She was currently sitting on the dining room table, her legs spread wide with Talal’s hips pressing against her core.
She pushed frantically against him, jumping off the table and trying to push her hair out of her eyes. Why was her hair even in her eyes? She felt on top of her head for the band that had been holding it in place and discovered that it wasn’t there. Not any longer. Suddenly, a tanned hand holding the band appeared in her line of vision.
“Looking for this?” he asked, his voice just as raw and husky as she remembered it from all of those nights. And afternoons and mornings and evenings…!
Kate gasped and backed further away, taking the band so that she could pull her hair back up onto her head. “You have to leave,” she insisted, but her voice was shaky. Jaffri shrieked and pounded his tray, so Kate offered him more fruit. “You like that, huh?” she asked, feeling more grounded now that she was focused on her son and not on…well, not on the crazy feelings that Talal made her feel. Dangerous! Good grief, how many times did she need to tell herself that Talal was dangerous?
Jaffri didn’t answer, nor did Kate expect him to. He was too busy reaching for more fruit even as he stared up at the tall stranger.
Kate continued to spoon more fruit into his mouth, but she was painfully aware of Talal watching. “Does he always eat that much?” he asked.
Kate chuckled, thankfully releasing a bit more of the tension that seemed to be stretching between them. “Yes. He’s bigger than average.” She glanced behind him and raised an eyebrow.
“I remember being hungry pretty much all the time while growing up,” he volunteered.
Kate was startled by that declaration. “You’re kidding! Why didn’t you get more food?”
He shrugged. “I wanted to be outside doing stuff, riding my horse or sparring with whoever who would teach me something. I also had a tutor that was happy to teach me anything I wanted.”
Kate realized he was explaining the advantages of being in his position. “Yes, but you were surrounded by guards all the time.”
He sat down in the chair next to her and reached hesitantly for the bowl of fruit and spoon. He scooped up a bite and offered it to Jaffri, who leaned forward like he planned to swallow the spoon along with the fruit. “I grew up being surrounded by body guards, servants, tutors, trainers, participating in meetings with high ranking officials. My parents wanted me to know what I would face when I inherited the country.” He turned to look directly into Kate’s eyes. “I will raise my son in the same way.”
“Do I get to voice an opinion on the way my son is raised? Or are you taking control now that you finally acknowledge his existence.” Something else occurred to her. “Why aren’t you questioning if he is yours or not? Don’t you want a DNA test or something along those lines? Don’t you need to prove that he’s truly your son?”
Talal laughed. “Anyone who looks at him will know that he is my son, Kate. Never fear, my people will embrace him.” He hesitated, then shrugged. “There might be some issues with our marriage, but we can overcome that. A fast, secret marriage should suffice and we’ll tell the world that we were married years ago, but because of the problems after my father passed away, you secreted our son out of the country to protect him.”
Her eyes widened. “What happened after your father passed away?”
Talal spooned more fruit, chuckling when it was gobbled up quickly. “There were enemies in the country who tried to take power. I had to fight to keep the government together and fight the rebels.”
Kate felt herself go numb with that statement. “When did this happen?”
He looked directly into her eyes. “My father was ill when I met you. Which was why I had to leave so often and so suddenly. He died two days after you left.”
Tears welled up in her eyes and she felt the ice around her heart crack ever so slightly. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “It must have been a difficult time for you.”
He shrugged. “The challenges to my rule were expected. We’d anticipated that happening because I wasn’t married and didn’t have children. There were some in the country who thought that a married man with heirs would provide a more stable future.”
Kate bowed her head in shame. “And all that time, you had a son on the way and didn’t know anything about him.”
He touched her shoulder. “You didn’t know and I didn’t tell you anything. You couldn’t have known.”
“Was it very bad?” she asked, wanting him to tell her that it was only minor skirmishes, but his closed off expression was clear. “Never mind,” she whispered and turned back to watch Jaffri enjoy the new flavors of the exotic, mashed fruit.
He touched her shoulder and she looked back at him. “It wasn’t your fault, Kate.”
She sighed. “Yes, but I made it worse, didn’t I?”
“No. The full responsibility for the unrest lies with my cousin who thought he could rule Altair. He caused the tensions and unrest. He purposely riled up a small group of people and convinced them that I was unfit to rule the country.”
She looked into his dark eyes, wishing that she could have saved him from such a horrible fate. “What happened?”
Talal shrugged, dismissing the problem as unimportant when she suspected it had been a very bad period in the country’s history. “I resolved the issue.”
“And your cousin? What happened to him?”
Talal changed the subject. “How much more will Jaffri eat? What time does he wake up in the morning? Is he sleeping through the night yet?”
Kate accepted the change of subject, but wished he would confide in her. But why would he? The man had endured what was probably a horrible crisis in his life, all because she’d run away from him and hadn’t told him about his son. Not that she could have told him, since she didn’t know that he needed a son or even that she was pregnant at the time. So, it was pretty much a moot point, but it still made her heart ache for what he’d most likely gone through. Not to mention, the pain of realizing that a family member had betrayed him! Outrageous!
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
He shook his head. “It’s over, Kate. But I need to protect both of you now. Do you understand that?”
She swallowed, not sure what to say to him, how to respond. “What will happen?”
He took her free hand and Kate realized he was trying to soften the blow. “You and Jaffri will need to come to the palace. I need to keep you both safe.”
She sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Fine. But I have to continue filming the movie.”
He nodded in agreement. “That can be arranged, but you will need to be protected.”
She looked into his eyes. “What would that entail?”
“Constant body guards. You can’t go off like you did this morning without a guard by your side. Two if you will allow it.”
“But…how can I film a movie with guards constantly dogging my heels?”
“They are trained, Kate. They know when to step back, when to take charge, they will handle crowds and problems, and they are already researching the backgrounds of everyone on the set. My security team started working on that the moment I saw you again.”
“You’re looking into everyone’s background? Isn’t that a bit invasive?”
He shrugged and she was starting to hate that dismissive gesture. “It is necessary, Kate. I need to be able to protect you.”
“From what?” she demanded, exasperated by this cloak and dagger stuff. “It sounds like a bunch of silliness to me. I’ve managed thus far without guards except during certain public events.”
“You’ve never been married to a sheik before. There’s a significant difference. Before, you needed guards to keep the fans and paparazzi away. This is much more…” he mentally debated how to explain it to her, but then decided on honesty. “This is more dangerous. People will try to hurt you, Kate.”
Her eyes widened and she looked at Jaffri. “And our son?”
“Yes. Especially since he will inherit the country after me.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. “No! He’ll go to college and decide for himself what he wants to do with his life!”
He took Kate’s hands, tightening his hold when she tried to pull away from him. “Kate, this isn’t the world you grew up in. This is my world.”
“Then I’ll leave and no one has to know that he’s your son!”
He laughed softly. “Kate, besides the color of his eyes, he is the spitting image of me at that age. Do you really think that others won’t see the resemblance? It will only become more pronounced as he gets older.”
She stood up, caressing Jaffri’ curls when he looked startled.
“You’re scaring me,” she told Talal, trying to tamp down on her increasing panic. But what he was saying, not just about the dangers but about Jaffri’ future…it wasn’t right! It wasn’t what she’d hoped for Jaffri to have in his life!
Standing up, she paced around the dining room table. “This is crazy,” she muttered, her fingers rubbing her temples to try and alleviate the pressure. “I have a life, Talal. I can’t just…” she waved her hands helplessly in the air. “People can’t follow me around endlessly. It would look silly! How would I explain things to the other cast members?”
He spooned Jaffri more mashed papaya, gaining confidence. “You don’t need to explain anything. Just show up, do your job, and let my team keep you safe. Your job is the movie,” he explained carefully. “Their job is to keep you safe. It works out better if you just let them do their job and you do yours. All you need to do is give them an itinerary as far in advance as possible.”
“Okay, but…”
“If something changes, they are fully equipped to deal with those changes.” He took her hands and squeezed them comfortingly. “Kate, relax. This is going to be fine.”
She jerked her hands out from his hold. “NO! Things aren’t fine. They are about as far away from fine as they possibly could be!”
He leaned back in the chair, watching her carefully. Kate shivered, knowing that he was coming up with his next argument. He was an effective debater. How had she come from refusing to have anything to do with him to arguing with him about the merits of security protection? Less than an hour ago, all she’d wanted was to be alone with Jaffri!
“You have to go,” she decided, her chin wobbling as she fought back the tears. Exhaustion and confusion were overwhelming her.
“Kate, I’m either staying here with you tonight, with my guards right outside the door, or you’re coming back to the palace with me. It is your choice.”
She tried to step away from him, but he wouldn’t allow her that freedom. “You can’t just spring that on me. I need to think. I need to decide what’s best for Jaffri.”
“Now that I’m here, I’m going to help.”
She shook her head and poked him in the chest. “No! You’re just trying to take over.”
“Not ‘take over’, Kate. I’m explaining what’s going to happen to ensure your safety and the safety of our son. No omissions. Are you really willing to put Jaffri at risk simply because you’re worried of what might or might not happen?”
“It isn’t a question of might or might not, Talal! You’re telling me what Jaffri’s future will be! You’re saying that it is already mapped out and he’ll have no say.”
“Not true. He’ll have enormous say in what happens here in Altair. He’ll have more say than anyone else in the country. He can choose what he wants to focus on. I have my own pet projects that I want to implement. Jaffri, and all of our future children, will have a great deal of freedom. And privilege. There are so many things that I can offer him, opportunities that would surprise you.”
Kate was intrigued, but she still felt like she was losing control. “You’re ignoring the bigger picture. He’ll be in a gilded cage. He’ll be a prisoner of his own life.”
He laughed at that. “Kate,
you don’t know what you’re talking about. You have no experience with my life.”
“I was with you before, Talal. I know what your life was probably like.”
“That statement contradicts itself,” he pointed out, but without a great deal of force. He walked back over to Jaffri’s high chair and, successfully removed the tray so that he could lift the boy up. Still, he hesitated. “How does one get the goop off of his face?” he asked.
Kate couldn’t help it. She was so tired, so overwhelmed, and the disgusted expression on Talal’s handsome face was just priceless. Not to mention, Jaffri knew that he was about to be picked up and he was dancing excitedly. So instead of handing him a warm towel, she burst out with laughter. She laughed so hard, her stomach ached. She was unaware of Talal noticing the clothes, wiping down his newly discovered son, and lifting him into his arms.
“Thank you,” she gasped, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“Are you done?” he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm, but there was a smile hovering that she recognized.
“I think so.” Leaning back against the wall, she looked at the two of them, startled by the similarities already.
“Can we go now?”
That sobered her up fast. “Um…no? I’m not…”
“I know that everything is moving fast, Kate, but we need to hurry.” He moved closer, his eyes heating up. “Unless you’re prepared for both of us to sleep in that bed tonight.”
She smiled slightly. “Sure. Just so you know, Jaffri’s crib is right next to the bed.” She watched his expression drop from triumphant to horrified. A moment later, he put a hand on her arm and nudged her to the door. “We’re leaving,” he announced firmly. Opening the door, he pressed a hand to the small of her back, overriding her arguments. There were several more sentries guarding the door now and three men moved up to meet them. The men closed ranks around her and hustled her down the hallway, almost running beside them as they hurried down the hallway.
The guards didn’t take the guest elevators. They said something in Arabic to Talal and he nodded even as they turned. Apparently, there was a service elevator in the back behind a door that looked benign, but was actually a steel door hiding a supply closet.
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