‘I had no idea it could feel like this, Khalid. No matter what happens, I shall never regret what we’ve done. I want you to know that.’
‘I shall never regret it either.’ He squeezed her fingers and his heart was heavy as he forced himself to let her go. ‘I’d better return to my own room. I wouldn’t want to shock the servants.’
‘Of course not.’ She sat up as he got out of bed, modestly drawing the sheet around her. ‘We shall need to leave soon if we don’t want to miss the start of clinic.’
‘I’ll make sure that Shahzad has organised the helicopter as soon as I’m dressed.’ He summoned a smile but it wasn’t easy as the demands of the day started to press down on him. Last night may have been wonderful but he was all too aware that it was over. It had been a tiny oasis of time, a few precious hours that could never be repeated. From this moment on he would have to get on with his life as Sam would have to get on with hers.
‘There will be time for something to eat before we leave,’ he said as steadily as he could when it felt as though his heart was in shreds. ‘Would you like me to get one of the servants to bring you a tray?’
‘If it isn’t too much trouble.’
The flatness of her tone told him that she too had realised that this was it, that the night was over and that from this moment on they had to be sensible. Khalid wished he could make the situation easier for her but there was nothing he could do. Despite his joy in their lovemaking, he was still convinced that he had to let her go.
He went back to his room and showered and dressed then went to find his brother. Shahzad was in the rose garden and Khalid could see immediately how much better he looked now that he had stopped worrying about Mariam. How he envied him! Envied him for having found the woman he loved and for being able to share his life with her and their children. Maybe he was being foolish. Maybe there was a way that he and Sam could be together. If she was willing to adapt to life in Azad it could work...
And it could fail miserably too.
‘Good morning. And it is a beautiful morning, isn’t it?’ Shahzad greeted him with undisguised delight and Khalid did his best to shake off the feeling of despondency that threatened to overwhelm him.
‘It is indeed.’ He dredged up a smile. ‘How is Mariam this morning? Feeling better, I hope.’
‘Much. Discovering the reason why she has felt so ill lately has improved things a hundredfold. She is thrilled at the thought of having twins, as I am.’ Shahzad enveloped him in a brotherly hug. ‘Thank you, Khalid, for bringing Sam here. I doubt we would have got to the bottom of the problem if it weren’t for her.’
‘I’m sure Mariam’s own doctor would have realised what was wrong eventually,’ he demurred.
‘Perhaps and perhaps not.’ Shahzad sighed. ‘Sometimes our royal status can be a hindrance, can’t it? People are less inclined to put forward their opinions and insist on a course of action than they might do otherwise.’
Khalid knew it was true. ‘Fortunately Sam doesn’t view life that way. She’s unimpressed by wealth or status.’
‘Which is why you were attracted to her, I imagine.’ Shahzad’s gaze was searching. ‘I expect you knew all about her background before the media latched on to it, but it didn’t concern you, did it, brother?’
‘No,’ Khalid replied truthfully. ‘It didn’t matter a jot to me.’
‘Yet you two split up shortly after the newspapers ran the story?’ Shahzad smiled when Khalid looked at him in surprise. ‘Oh, yes, I know that you two were seeing one another. There’s little that either of us do that doesn’t get reported.’
Khalid recognised the truth of that statement. As a member of the Azadian royal family, he should have known that his affairs were being closely monitored. ‘Yes, it’s true. Sam and I were close at one time. However, after the papers ran that story I knew that we would have to split up. I wasn’t concerned about the effect it would have on me—I’m used to being the subject of speculation. However, I realised how hurt and upset she’d have been if her family’s shortcomings were continually raked up.’
‘I see. And that’s why you decided to end your relationship?’
‘That plus the fact that I didn’t want her to end up regretting getting involved with me. Sam would have had to give up so much if we had married—her career, her dreams, everything she has worked so hard to achieve. I couldn’t do that to her, couldn’t take away everything that makes her who she is. She would have ended up resenting me, blaming me even, just like my mother ended up blaming our father, and that was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.’
He took a deep breath, determinedly ironing any trace of emotion from his voice. ‘It’s a risk I am still not prepared to take. Once this mission is completed I have no intention of seeing Sam ever again.’
* * *
Sam came to an unsteady halt when she heard what Khalid had said. It was no more than she should have expected and yet it hurt unbearably to hear him state it out loud. It made what had happened the previous night seem somehow tawdry. Shameful. Khalid had made love to her and she had truly thought it had meant something to him, but had it? Really?
It was all she could do not to turn tail and scurry back inside but once she did that then it would be even harder to face him in the future. She squared her shoulders, knowing that she had to brazen it out. Khalid had made no promises. On the contrary, he had told her that they didn’t have a future. It was her own fault if she had read too much into what had happened last night. It had been sex and that was all. One night of glorious, mind-blowing sex. Most women her age would think nothing of having indulged in such an experience.
‘There you are.’ She fixed a smile to lips that were inclined to tremble if she let them. However, this new Sam, the one who now understood the joys of sleeping with an experienced partner, wasn’t about to show any sign of weakness. ‘I was just coming to find you. Are we ready for the off?’
‘Just about.’ Khalid’s tone was cool, the look he gave her equally so, and she was glad that she had managed to keep control of her emotions. He wouldn’t thank her for making a scene, certainly not. He turned to his brother. ‘Is the helicopter ready to fly us back to camp?’
‘Whenever you wish.’ Shahzad smiled at them both. ‘Mariam will want to see you off, though. I shall go and fetch her.’
He disappeared inside, leaving behind a small silence. Sam wished she could think of something to say but her mind was blank. Had it been purely sex for Khalid? All those magical kisses, those delicately sensual caresses that had turned her bones to liquid fire? Had it been less emotion than experience that had made him seem like the perfect lover?
A sob caught in her throat and she hurriedly turned it into a cough when she felt him look at her. All that was left to her now was pride and if she lost that then heaven knew how she would cope. There was another month to get through, four more weeks of working with Khalid, and it would be unbearable if he suspected how devastated she felt. Maybe he hadn’t rejected her last night but she wished he had. It couldn’t have felt any worse than this!
Mariam and Shahzad came hurrying out to say their goodbyes. The girls were with them and in the flurry of farewells it was easier to hide her feelings.
‘Thank you so much, Sam. To discover I am carrying twins has come as the most wonderful surprise and I am truly grateful to you.’ Mariam hugged Sam then smiled at Khalid. ‘And thank you for bringing her. Knowing what a doting uncle you are, I’m sure you must be thrilled too, although it’s time that you thought about starting a family of your own, isn’t it?’ She turned to Sam and laughed. ‘We’re all looking forward to the day when Khalid finally relinquishes his bachelor ways and settles down!’
Sam couldn’t think of anything to say. She dredged up a smile, her heart aching at the thought of Khalid marrying and having a family, as indeed he would at some point. It w
as what was expected of him, after all, that he would find a suitable bride and have children to carry on the royal bloodline. The thought was almost too painful to bear but she had to face facts and not allow herself to imagine that she could fulfil that role. She could never be Khalid’s wife and the mother of his children, not someone like her, a Westerner without the right connections.
Her heart was aching as she kissed the children and promised that she would come back and visit them again even though she knew it wasn’t going to happen. Once she left Azad, that would be it: she wouldn’t return.
The helicopter was waiting for them so they climbed on board. Sam fastened her seat belt, turning to stare out of the window as they lifted off. Tears pricked her eyes as she watched the villa disappear from view. She had discovered the real meaning of what it meant to be a woman in that villa and it was sad to think that she would never go there again but inevitable, given the circumstances. Now she just had to get through the next few weeks and that would be it. She would go back to her own life and put what had happened behind her.
Just for a moment her heart shrank at the thought before she took a deep breath. She had done it before and she could do it again.
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE FOLLOWING MONTH passed in a blur. News of the clinic had spread throughout the desert communities and each time they pitched camp they were inundated with patients. Everyone worked flat out but Khalid was very aware that they were only touching the very tip of the iceberg. There was still so much work to be done, far too much to complete in the time he had allotted for this mission.
It made him see that he needed to instigate the tentative plans he had made to set up a chain of permanent clinics. Between working out the logistics of doing that and seeing patients, he didn’t have a minute to himself but he was glad. The less free time he had the better if it meant he didn’t keep thinking about Sam and what had happened.
Their final day arrived and everyone was in high spirits as they packed up. Khalid supervised the packing of the more delicate pieces of equipment, which would be needed when his plans reached fruition. Peter offered to help him, an offer he accepted with alacrity. Peter was crucial to his plans and he wanted to have word with him.
‘How would you feel about moving out here on a permanent basis?’ he asked, not wasting any time. He helped his friend stow some particularly fragile pieces of technology into one of the crates then looked up. ‘I’ve decided to set up a chain of permanent clinics and I need a director who knows what he’s about. Would you be interested?’
‘Yes. I would.’ Peter’s face turned pink with pleasure. ‘I was wondering how best to approach you about doing something like that. There’s a desperate need for a more permanent source of healthcare out here, isn’t there?’
‘There is.’ Khalid clapped him on the shoulder, unable to hide his delight that Peter was keen to come on board. Normally, he would have opted for a much cooler approach but since that night he’d found it far more difficult to hide his feelings. He hastily dismissed the memories that rushed to the forefront of his mind, pictures of Sam’s body naked to his gaze and the passion in her eyes. He needed to focus on his plans or he would drive himself mad.
‘Obviously it will take some time to get everything organised but I don’t want there to be too long of a delay. I’m aiming for three months maximum for the first clinic—would that be too soon for you?’
‘Not for me, no. But I may need to convince Jess that it’s a good idea.’ Peter blushed even more. ‘Jess and I...well, we have an understanding, you see. I hope I can persuade her to come with me.’
‘So do I. Congratulations! She’s a great girl. You couldn’t have found anyone better suited to you,’ Khalid told him sincerely.
‘Thanks.’ Peter looked up and grinned. ‘Oh, hi there. Has Khalid managed to persuade you to sign up as well? I hope so. It would be great to have as many of the old team together as possible.’
Khalid glanced round to see who Peter was talking to and felt his heart sink when he saw Sam. By tacit consent they had kept any conversations they’d had confined to work during the past few weeks. He guessed that Sam was as wary as he was of getting into difficult territory. Peter would be mortified if he realised that unwittingly he had taken them down a route neither of them wished to explore.
‘I’m not sure what you mean,’ Sam replied as she joined them. She looked from Peter to Khalid and raised her brows. ‘What’s going on?’
‘I’ve decided to make a start on setting up those clinics I was thinking about.’ Khalid shrugged, feigning an insouciance he wished he felt. It would have been the icing on the cake if he could have asked Sam to come on board but he didn’t dare. It was too risky, too tempting, too everything! ‘Peter’s just agreed to take on the role of director.’
‘Really? Congratulations. You couldn’t have found anyone better.’
Sam stepped forward and hugged Peter. She looked genuinely delighted but Khalid could see the pain in her eyes and knew that beneath the surface she was mulling it over, assessing why he hadn’t offered her a role. He wanted to, wanted it more than anything, but surely she could see how impossible it would be if they had to work together on a long-term basis?
‘I would have suggested that you join us but it wouldn’t be fair, would it, Sam? Not at this stage in your career. You’re in the running for a consultant’s post, I believe, and that’s more important than anything else.’
‘Of course.’ She glanced at him and he saw the scorn in her eyes that told him emphatically that she didn’t believe him. It stung but there was nothing he could do but stick to his story. ‘Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that the clinic is all sorted. Everything’s boxed up and clearly labelled so it should be simple enough to unpack whenever you need anything. What time are we leaving?’
‘One-thirty.’ Khalid checked his watch. There were still four hours to go before the plane was due to take off, more than enough time to get everyone to the airport. He came to a decision, needing to bring things to a swift conclusion when he didn’t trust himself not to do something foolish. ‘Why don’t you and the rest of the women set off now? You can do some shopping at the airport before your flight takes off.’
‘Why not indeed?’ Sam flicked him an icily polite smile. Her expression warmed up considerably as she turned to Peter. ‘It’s been great working with you, Peter. Best of luck with the new project.’
They exchanged kisses before she left. Khalid went back to his packing, trying his best to focus on what he was doing, but it was a losing battle. Sam was leaving and he wouldn’t see her again. How could he bear it? But how could he not?
* * *
The flight to England seemed never-ending. Sam tried to sleep to while away the time but her mind was too busy to relax. Khalid could have stopped her leaving. He could have said something, anything, and she would have stayed. Even though it would have raised a lot of eyebrows in such a conservative country as Azad, she would have stayed with him on any terms, but he hadn’t said a word, had he? He didn’t want her to stay for the simple reason that he didn’t want her. Not now that he had finally made love to her.
It was a relief to land at Heathrow. In the flurry of farewells nobody noticed her distress and, more importantly, asked her what was wrong. She had been intending to stay overnight in London but she decided to take the next available flight back to Manchester. She wanted to go home to her flat and close the front door so she could lick her wounds in private. That they were wounds she had helped to inflict on herself was something she would have to come to terms with. One thing was certain: she refused to let what had happened ruin her life.
* * *
Sam threw herself back into her work with gusto. There’d been several changes while she’d been off, staff had left and new people had been hired so it took her longer than expected to get back into th
e flow. Added to that, she felt unusually tired but put it down to the fact that she had been working non-stop for months. When her tiredness didn’t improve by the time she had been home for six weeks, she started to wonder if she was maybe anaemic and bought herself some iron tablets from the hospital’s pharmacy but they didn’t improve matters. It was only when she got up one morning and was violently sick that the penny finally dropped with a resounding clang. Was it possible that she was pregnant?
It was too early to go to the shops so Sam went straight into work and took a pregnancy testing kit out of the cupboard. She went into the bathroom and peed on the plastic stick as per instructions then waited for the results. When the word ‘PREGNANT’ appeared on the screen she groaned out loud. What a fool she was not to have thought of this before. It was her job, so help her; she dealt with pregnant women every day of her working life and understood better than anyone the mechanics of how it happened! Yet she had blithely slept with Khalid without a thought for the consequences. Now she had to decide what to do, although there was no chance of her terminating the pregnancy. She was sure about that.
She placed her hand on her stomach, imagining the tiny life growing inside her, a life that she and Khalid had created. They were both responsible for this child’s conception and she had to tell him, no matter how shocked or how angry he was, because he certainly wouldn’t have chosen for this to happen, would he? Not a woman from a background like hers carrying his child, a child who had royal blood.
Sam squared her shoulders. Even if he was furious, he still needed to be told, not for his sake or for hers but for the sake of their child. She wasn’t going to allow her son or daughter to grow up feeling ashamed, feeling that they had to apologise for their very existence. She knew how that felt and she refused to let her child suffer that kind of heartache. No matter how Khalid felt, this baby would know from the outset who its father was, even if Khalid refused to acknowledge him or her!
One More Night with Her Desert Prince... Page 13