He kissed the top of her head. “Because we’re very protective of each other. And you just showed them all that you’re in love with me. That means that they will protect you with everything they have now.”
He felt her body stiffen at the word “love” and smiled, still letting his hand move against her skin. “Are you going to deny it?” he asked. Not that he’d believe her.
“No,” she whispered.
That one word…! Damn, he loved this woman! “I love you too.”
She lifted her head and he noticed that she had mascara smudged under one eye, her lips were swollen and red, her hair was a mess and she looked more beautiful to him now than ever before.
“You love me?” she asked, and he could feel her breath caught in her lungs, waiting for his response.
Rolling over, he pulled her more completely against his body. “More than I ever thought possible, Ilara,” he said with sincerity.
“I love you too,” she replied, her fingers tangling in the hair on his chest. “Only a little while ago, you were my number one enemy. Then you invaded my office, offended my clients, and…you turned everything around. You changed my world, Jabril.”
“Back at you, my love,” he told her, then sealed his words with a gentle kiss. Making love to her this time was slower, more thorough. He’d said the words, now he needed to make sure that she believed him. And when he took her over the edge this time, he said the words that had been in his heart for so long. “I love you, Ilara!” he said just before the climax sent his mind into a blurry fuzz of pleasure.
Chapter 15
Stepping into the breakfast room the following morning was one of the most painful moments of her life. As soon as Ilara walked in, the laughter and conversation stopped. Awkwardly, several sets of eyes turned in her direction.
Ilara had dreaded facing the five men and her sister-in-law. But in addition to Zuri, Oz, Ryker, Jayce, and Sebastian…all of whom she liked and respected very much, there were three other men in the room. Thankfully, as soon as he saw her, Jabril stood up and walked over to her, taking her hands in his. His broad shoulders blocked her view of the room, but he added to her embarrassment by leaning down and kissing her gently.
“You look absolutely beautiful, Ilara,” he whispered in a husky voice that sent shivers of love throughout her whole body.
“You look quite magnificent yourself,” she whispered up at him, adding a shy smile.
Turning, he placed her hand on his arm, and led her into the dining room that was filled with enormous men, all of whom were looking at her with strange expressions. Some were affectionately amused, while others were curious.
“You already know most everyone here,” he told her. “Please allow me to introduce you to Princess Zuri Al Mustar, my sister.”
Ilara felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment and she opened her mouth, prepared to apologize. But Zuri stepped forward, looking shockingly gorgeous in a powder blue sweater and jeans, her hair a dark cascade around her shoulders. “Ilara, it is a pleasure to meet you,” she said, and then she moved in and hugged Ilara! Hugged her! After last night’s ridiculous display of jealousy, Zuri hugged her!
“I’m thrilled that my brother found you!” she whispered, then pulled away, beaming as if last night’s behavior hadn’t happened.
“I’m so sorry about last night.”
Zuri waved Ilara’s apology away. “Didn’t happen!” she said with a wink. “You are even more beautiful than your pictures.”
Jabril’s arm moved around Ilara’s waist. “Don’t let her fool you, Ilara. She’s not usually this polite.”
Ilara couldn’t stop the laugh when the oh-so-elegant Zuri reached out and punched her brother’s arm playfully, validating his comment. She turned to Ilara again. “I think it is wonderful that you fell in love under such difficult and strained circumstances.” Did Zuri angrily frown at someone out of the corner of her eye? It was such a fast movement, Ilara wasn’t sure if it really happened because the lovely lady continued smoothly. “I hope that you will come to Piara soon so that we can get better acquainted.”
“You can’t stay?” Ilara asked, surprised because her assistant had mentioned a bit earlier that Jabril’s sister had brought along a large suitcase, indicating a longer stay.
“Unfortunately, I can’t.”
“You could,” Jabril growled.
Zuri’s pretty eyes flashed up to her brother’s. “I won’t.” And that was that.
Sort of. A moment later, an enormous man with arms that were bigger than a tree trunk, moved closer, sliding one of those massive arms around Zuri’s tiny waist. “She’s shy,” the huge man teased.
Ilara almost laughed and the lovely woman seemed to be shaking with…irritation?
“Ilara, this enormous beast is Tarin bin Linar, Sheik of Catare, a good friend and Zuri’s betrothed.”
“For now,” Zuri muttered quietly enough so that only the four of them heard.
Tarin only chuckled at her jibe. “Ah, my woman desires us to be married quickly so that she may be introduced as my wife instead.”
Ilara listened to the man, half expecting him to sound stupid and jock-like. With all of those muscles, he fit the stereotype. But instead, she met a man with laughing, formidably intelligent eyes. While maintaining his arm around his still-bristling fiancée, he lifted Ilara’s hand to his lips and kissed her fingers, old world style. He then turned his attention back to Ilara and bowed ever so slightly. “It is a pleasure to meet you finally. Please, if there is anything I or my country can do to help you through this crisis, I am at your service.”
Charmed by both the man and his offer, she smiled. “Thank you so much…” she started to address him formally, but he stopped her.
“Please, call me Tarin.”
The generous and unexpected offer warmed Ilara even more. “Thank you so much, Tarin,” she replied. “And please, I’m Ilara.”
Another big man approached, this one maybe a couple of inches shorter than Tarin who, Ilara suspected towered up at about five inches over six feet. Jabril was six feet, three inches and this newest man looked to be about the same.
“I’m Mika,” he introduced. “And it’s an honor to meet you, Princess.”
Ilara recognized this man immediately. He was the powerful sheik to the south of Piara. Piara and Sheik Mika al Jiffrar’s countries had battled for centuries until these two men took control. Now there was peace and a thriving trade industry that grew and strengthened with each passing year.
“Please, call me Ilara as well. It seems that you are all good friends of Jabril’s.”
He bowed again. “And now a good friend to you as well. I also offer my services and my country’s resources to help you in any way. Strong economies all around slow down crime and zealots.”
Ilara smiled, grateful for the offer, even though she doubted she’d call upon this man.
“Jabril saved the best for last,” the third man announced. The handsome stranger stepped in front of Mika, who only growled, “On the matt, my friend!” which sounded like a dire threat, even though Ilara didn’t understand it.
“This obnoxious oaf is Kazar el Sizar, Sheik of Rian,” Jabril introduced.
“Kazar to my friends,” he said, taking Ilara’s hand as well. “I’m relieved that Jabril finally married, he spends too much time wandering around his country looking sad and sullen.” A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. “Plus, I heard that he lost a great deal of money at the poker table last night. So your marriage will help line my pockets.”
Jabril laughed while Ilara frowned worriedly up at Jabril. “Did you?”
“Never fear, honey. We play poker about once a month.” He looked out at the group of men, a look in his eyes that promised retribution. “I’ll get the money back. With interest.”
It sounded like a dire threat, but the others just laughed. She watched as Zuri tried to scoot sideways, inching out of her fiancé’s arms, but the man simply shifted as well so t
hat she was right back against his side. There was a moment…just a brief few seconds…when Tarin bent low to whisper something in Zuri’s ear. When Zuri looked up at the man, there was such an intense longing, a heat and…something…flowing between them.
But that moment passed and Zuri’s face shifted back to looking as passive as she could make it. There was definitely something going on between those two.
“My sister is just being stubborn,” Jabril said, his lips so close, they brushed the shell of her ear and all of that longing, that need, that Ilara had thought was resolved last night flared up again. She looked up into his eyes and…he knew! Even better, he felt it too.
“Tell me again,” he said softly, turning so that his broad shoulders blocked out the rest of the room.
“I love you,” she whispered, feeling shy all of a sudden. It was one thing to tell him that during the intimacy of the night when his arms were around her. But saying it here, in the bright, sunny breakfast room…it felt different. It felt…more powerful.
“I love you, too, Ilara. I can’t believe that it happened between us, but it did. I love you. And I promise to help you and protect you for the rest of my life.”
His vow seemed so much more intense than the vows they’d exchanged in the small village, surrounded by danger and the unknown. Better, somehow. Perhaps because she knew that his words were spoken from his heart.
She lifted her hand, placing it over his heart and her fingers felt the steady, powerful beating under her palm. “I’ll protect you and support you always, Jabril.”
And with that, he lowered his head to kiss her.
Both of them ignored the applause from his friends behind them.
Epilogue
“Are you ready for this?” Jabril asked, looking down at Ilara. His heart warmed as he looked at the diamonds in her ears. They were new, a gift from him. The diamond tiara mixed into her golden curls was not as new. The ancient tiara was from the Piara vaults. Centuries of Piaran Queens had worn this tiara, but Jabril thought that it looked more beautiful on her than on any of his ancestors.
The crowd outside of the palace cheered. Fireworks could be heard in the distance and it seemed as if every citizen in the country was out in the streets, dancing, clapping, and celebrating.
“I’m definitely ready,” she agreed, beaming up into his dark eyes, her hand sliding against the scar along his cheek. “This is right.”
“This is what your people wanted,” he replied. Then his hand moved over her slightly swelling stomach. “This is what I want,” he said, his grin seeming to warm her heart. Ilara was now four months pregnant. They hadn’t announced anything to her people or the world yet. Ilara said that she wanted all of the celebration here in Ditra to be about rejoining their country with Piara, uniting the two countries back under Piara’s rule. They’d only been separated for about fifty years, so there were plenty of people around who remembered the old ways. And although Ditra had recovered from Kasim’s rule for the most part, there were still wounds, still places where Kasim’s greed had left scars.
The uniting of their countries would help to heal those wounds. The scars would never completely go away. And no one wanted to hide those scars. There were monuments to those scars that had been preserved. Monuments that testified about how easily evil powers could prevail if everyone weren’t vigilant and brave. With Kasim still in prison, his venom was no longer an issue. All of his private bank accounts were seized and the money transferred back to the Ditra treasury to benefit programs within the country.
But for today, everyone ignored those scars. The citizens of Ditra were thrilled to be back with Piara. And Piara was excited to have Ditra back as well. It was the final touch that would make their countries whole again.
And this child growing in her belly would give everyone from both countries hope for the future.
“Let’s go do this,” Ilara said, then turned and looked out over the balcony at the festivities. Stepping out, she lifted their clasped hands into the air and the roar of the crowd was deafening!
Turning, she looked at Jabril once again. “I love you,” she whispered.
With that, he pulled her in close, kissing her and demonstrating how much he loved her in return.
Ilara had thought that the cheers were loud before, but with Jabril’s kiss, the volume rose several decibels. But Ilara didn’t mind.
(Read on for a FREE Excerpt to “The Sheik’s Arrangement”, Book 2 in The Diamond Club Series!)
Release Date: April 12, 2019
He’s the only man who can help her!
When Zuri’s brother disappears, Zuri turns to the only man she knows who has the power to help her; Sheik Tiran bin Linar – the fiancé she has been resisting! Despite the chemistry that sizzles whenever he’s close, she still isn’t ready for marriage! But resisting Tiran’s sensual touch is too hard and she succumbs to her desire for the man. Their search…and their passion…results in an unintended consequence. Now Zuri is carrying the man’s child. Will she ever know if Tiran loves her for herself? Or if he is marrying her out of political obligation?
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Excerpt:
Zuri stood in the massive office, looking around and pretending that she wasn’t terrified. Too many issues, too many emotions. She wasn’t in the best frame of mind to be here, but she’d run out of options. This was her last resort.
The door to the office whipped open and an incredibly tall man stepped in. “Zuri! What’s wrong? Why are you doing here?” Tarin bin Linar demanded furiously. His dark eyebrows formed a line above his mysterious eyes and heat flashed through her. She wished it wouldn’t.
“I need your help.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, moving closer. Too close though and she inched away.
Immediately, his eyes changed, the look shifting from concern to…something else.
Knowing what he would say next, she lifted her hand, stalling his comment. “My brother is missing,” she blurted.
There was a pregnant pause, and he shifted into what Zuri thought of as his “battle stance”. When other people stood with their hands on their hips, feet wide, and an intense look of determination in their eyes, Zuri took note. But when Tarin did it, her heart did a little flip.
“How long?” Tarin demanded.
“I don’t know,” she admitted, feeling relief flow through her. No matter how much she irritated him, she knew that she could count on him for help. Probably not if she were missing, Zuri cautioned. But Tarin and her brother were good friends. For Jabril, Tarin would help unconditionally.
He frowned, but Zuri refused to be intimidated. She lifted her chin, straightened her spine, and frowned right back.
“How can you not know? You live in the palace with him!”
Good point, she thought. Zuri ran a hand through her hair. “I know!” she replied, trying to calm him and focus on the issue at hand. “But we live separate lives. We don’t see each other all the time. I have things I do during the day and he has a huge country to run. You know what it’s like,” she snapped. “As sheik of an equally large and powerful country, you are a bit of a difficult man to reach!”
“All evidence to the contrary,” he snapped right back.
Oh, that wasn’t fair! “I’ve been waiting here for over an hour!” she growled. Although, why she should be surprised was the real question. This man lived to irritate her!
Her words seemed to infuriate him further, although she didn’t understand why. “You should have been led directly to me. I’ll speak with my staff.”
“Don’t bother. Just…”
“You’re my fiancée, Zuri! Of course I’ll bother!”
“Whatever!” she yelled back at him. “Just…help me find Jabril! He’s been missing for days.”
She watched as he rubbed his forehead, his long fingers always a fascination for her. The man was so
tall, she barely came to his shoulder. He was tall, strong, and frighteningly powerful. The exact opposite of her in every way. She was shorter than average, a bit too curvy, in her opinion, and there was nothing intimidating about her.
Just the sight of him got her all hot and bothered. It was embarrassing and she hated it. She wanted to be freed from this arranged betrothal and enjoy an easy, relaxed life. She wanted to enjoy her time with her husband and be a full partner with him, have common interests, and develop a kinship with her mate. But Zuri knew that she’d never be able to relax, find that Zen state, if she were married to Tarin. He was too intense at everything he did. They didn’t have anything in common, beyond both being raised as royals. And Zuri doubted that he would ever consider her to be an equal partner in anything.
Unfortunately, every time she spoke to her brother, Jabril, about how disparate her and Tarin’s personalities were, Jabril just gave her that annoying grin and shrugged. “Get to know him, Zuri. I think you’ll find that you have a lot more in common with him than you think.”
And even worse, Jabril had started inviting Tarin to visit more often lately. Which meant that Zuri had been forced to become even more creative in her efforts to avoid him!
Which was all beside the point. Right now, she needed his help.
She huffed a bit, mimicking his pose. He hadn’t even reacted to her news, which sparked her temper. “How can you not be worried? He’s your best friend! And he’s been gone for…I don’t know how long.”
“Have you spoken to his guards?” he asked, leaning against his desk, spreading his long, muscular legs out for balance.
Zuri was proud that she managed to refrain from rolling her eyes. “Yes.”
“And?” he prompted.
“And…” she started off sarcastically, “they wouldn’t say anything. If he was okay, they’d say so. But their silence indicates that he’s not okay. Hence my presence here when you know very well that I…” she stopped, looking up at him with a guilty expression.
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