by Cara Albany
His sensitivity to her needs had impressed her, undercutting her previous view of him that he was self-obsessed and arrogant. And he was clearly intent on protecting her. She'd seen the way he'd sheltered her from some of the more intrusive media.
For the first time in days, Erin had to admit that she felt calm settle within her. Maybe Karim had been right, after all, she admitted. Perhaps coming here would give them both a chance to put the recent events into perspective. The preparations for the wedding had been hectic, made even more stressful by the need to present a public face they both knew wasn't true. Erin had discovered just how exhausting it could be pretending to be in love with someone. She'd had to pinch herself regularly to remind herself just what she'd agreed to go through with.
Now that she was here, maybe she'd get a chance to calm herself, perhaps an opportunity to think about the future and what things would be like once this crazy escapade was over and done with.
"Fancy a walk on the beach?" Karim asked smiling.
She realized he had probably been watching her as she stood on the terrace, her hands resting against the balustrade.
Erin nodded. "That sounds lovely." She turned and looked back inside the suite. The staff had just about finished unpacking. "Give me a chance to freshen up and change."
Karim nodded. "See you downstairs," he replied.
Then he did something which took her by surprise. He leaned over quickly, laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and kissed her on the forehead. It was a modest, even polite gesture, one that contained none of the strong need she'd seen earlier in his eyes. It was as if he was trying to tell her she would be treated with the utmost respect while she was here.
Then he smiled at her and headed off. Once she was alone, she undressed and showered, grateful to be clean after the journey. She still hadn't adjusted to the heat of Qazhar. Perhaps she never would.
Once dried, she chose a light cotton white dress and practical flat shoes. Then she made her way downstairs and searched for Karim. She found him on the terrace. When he turned to welcome her, she could see that he approved of her simple choice of outfit.
"You already look as if you're settling in," he observed.
Erin ran her gaze around the exterior of the palace. "It's hard in a place like this. You're so lucky to have such a beautiful home."
"It doesn't just belong to me," he replied.
She squinted at him inquiringly.
"What's mine is yours," he explained.
She lifted her head, comprehending his meaning. "Okay, I see what you mean," she replied. She pouted her mouth thoughtfully. "You and I know that isn't quite true, though, don't we?"
Karim's gaze darkened. "Not at all, habibti," he said.
She'd heard that last word before and knew what it meant. Even though she already understood its meaning, she still needed to challenge him on its use, especially since they'd only just arrived.
"What did you just say to me?" she asked. She couldn't prevent herself glaring at him.
The corner of Karim's mouth creased with the hint of a defiant smile. "I called you habibti," he said. There was an obvious mischievous tone in his voice. Was he teasing her?
"I thought that's what you said," she replied. "I do know what that means, Karim."
"I'm sure you do," he growled.
"I don't think that's part of the deal, Karim," she said.
"Using one word?" he asked, quirking a brow at her.
Erin shook her head. "We both know that I'm not your beloved. Or however you want to translate that word."
"I'm pleased you have such extensive knowledge of the Qazhar language," he said. "Particularly the most important words. The words of love and affection."
Now she was sure he was having fun at her expense. Surely he wasn't being serious. He was trying to provoke her, wasn't he?
Karim came closer to Erin. She guessed he was about to try and follow up his words with an action she was equally resolved to reject.
Erin took a step away from Karim and gazed down at the beach far below the terrace. "How do we get down to the beach?" she asked suddenly desperate to change the subject.
She heard him sigh. Then he gestured toward the far end of the terrace. "There are steps down just over there," he said.
Erin started to stride quickly toward the steps. Realizing he wasn't following her, she paused and gazed back at him. "Aren't you coming?"
Karim's shoulders sank slightly, and he nodded. "Let me go first. The steps are steep."
Erin frowned. "Frightened I'll fall down the steps, Karim?"
She turned and walked quickly to the top of the steps. She peered down the steep flight of steps carved into the side of the sheer drop. At the foot of the precipitous cliff, she saw the welcoming golden sands and the waves lapping gently onto the beach. She wasn't afraid of heights, but she had to admit Karim had been right to caution her. But, she wasn't going to show even a hint of weakness. Now that she was here on his island, she was determined not to show the slightest fear.
Erin took the first few steps, grateful she had chosen to wear flat shoes. She held onto the metal railing which snaked down the length of the vertiginous pathway.
"Erin!" she heard Karim call out her name from behind her. She paused and turned, looking up at him. He was still on the top step. There was genuine concern in his eyes as he stared down at her. "It's dangerous for someone who's not used to it. Please, let me go ahead," he said. His voice was less of a request and more of an insistent demand. She could see that it meant a great deal to him that, in this case, she comply with his wishes. Erin glanced down the steps, seeing the dramatic way they curved down the slope. Even holding onto the railing, she would need to be careful to avoid tumbling down.
Erin heard Karim take the few steps that separated them. She felt his arm slide around her back, and there was no space to move away from him. Not that she really wanted to, she realized. She had to admit it felt good to have him hold her like this. The breeze rising up the side of the cliff caused his scent to wash over her.
She saw him peer down the steps and then he moved in front of her, taking one step down. He turned, raising one hand up to her. "Since you are so determined to go down, please allow me to hold your hand while we go down together," he suggested, grinning up at her.
His dark hair fluttered in the wind, and the fabric of his white shirt clung tightly to his torso, highlighting the tautness of his muscled frame. She felt the wind wrap her dress around her own contours. She was aware that her full breasts must be suddenly very conspicuous. Her nipples pebbled beneath the fabric, and she was suddenly sure that their peaks were visible through the material. The downward flicker of his gaze, and the obvious approval in that gaze, confirmed her suspicion and she felt her cheeks flush.
"I can see you're already enjoying the benefits of the fresh sea air," he teased.
She pouted at him and waved her hand dismissively. "Just get going," she ordered. "I don't need your help. I can make my own way down."
Karim laughed quietly. "If you say so," he said turning away and walking carefully down the steps. She followed behind him. Every once in a while, he glanced back at her. Each time he made as if to say something to her, but she cut him off with a stern look. The steps would be more work going back up to the villa than making her way down to the beach, she concluded.
Finally, they reached the beach. He turned to her as she stepped out on the sand. Her shoes sank into the softness, and she immediately stooped down and slid her feet out of the shoes. The sand was warm, and she curled her toes, savoring the sensation. She felt a strange and surprising kind of freedom standing here, barefoot with the waves easing into shore, and Karim gazing at her.
Karim peered along the length of the beach in both directions. One way curved around the headland, and the other stretched off in a straight line. "Which way do you prefer?" he asked.
Erin lifted a hand to her eyes, shielding them from the bright afternoon sun. "That way," s
he replied, pointing toward the long, straight beach that suddenly looked so welcoming.
Karim nodded, and she started off in the direction with him walking slowly beside her.
At first, they didn't say much to each other. They just walked slowly and she gazed out to sea, enjoying the sight of the waves and the feeling of being as far away from troubles as humanly possible.
She'd always loved being at the beach. The few times they'd vacationed at the beach in the summer, growing up back in the States, had always been amongst the happiest times of her life.
But this was a whole different experience. It felt utterly different from anything she'd ever known before. Here she was in a completely foreign region, with a virtual stranger who was now her legal husband. And they were walking casually alongside one another as if it was the most natural thing in the world. But, she knew it was anything but normal.
Why was Karim going to such lengths to make her feel at home, ensure she felt as if she belonged here with him? She needed to know what he was thinking, needed to be sure he wasn't entertaining any crazy ideas.
"Can I ask you a question?" she said continuing to walk slowly.
Karim gazed at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Sure. Anything you like."
"What are you thinking?" she asked bluntly.
"What do you mean?"
"You seem preoccupied," she said.
"Is there something wrong with being thoughtful?" he replied.
"It's more than that. You seem to be trying really hard to make me feel at home."
"Here?"
Erin shook her head. "Not just here. But also back at the palace."
"Do you always get nervous when a man tries to behave toward you with respect?" he asked.
Erin cocked her head at him and narrowed her eyes. "Is that what you're doing?"
"It is what I've been brought up to do. A man must treat his wife with the utmost respect at all times," he declared lifting his head and gazing along the length of the beach. He looked back at Erin as he added: "She is the most important person in his life. Always."
Was he being serious? It sounded like Karim was taking this whole thing way too seriously. Erin peered up at him, seeing the absolute sincerity in his eyes, the firm set of his jaw.
Had she misjudged him? Was he simply trying to treat her as well as he could? Maybe she was being too harsh on him.
"But, you and I were almost enemies before all this. We couldn't stand one another."
"Were? So, we aren't enemies any longer?" he asked. Was that a hopeful tone in his voice?
"You know what I mean," she said quickly. "We used to argue every time we met. And now look at us."
"Happily married?" he suggested.
Erin frowned at him. "Don't be ridiculous."
Karim looked at her. "We are married," he said. "Maybe the happiness will take a little bit longer," he added with a grin.
"Can I remind you that we've only been married for a day," she retorted.
"One day and one night." He quirked a brow at her. "There will be many more to come," he added bluntly.
Erin peered at him. "Are you forgetting our conditions?"
"Not at all. Maybe, in time, things will change between us."
"Is that what you're hoping for?" she replied. "That I will be won over by your irresistible charms?"
Karim grinned at her. "So you've noticed," he teased.
Erin groaned. "I was being sarcastic."
"Really. How is that working for you?" he asked with a cheeky smile.
Erin laughed and shook her head. "Never mind. Forget what I was saying."
Karim halted and took her gently by the arm. She halted alongside him and gazed up at him. There was a sudden seriousness in his eyes.
"But, I don't want to forget what you were saying, Erin. It's vital to me that you are happy."
"Why?" she demanded sharply.
He seemed taken aback by the abruptness of her question. "What do you mean?"
She lifted her chin up defiantly. "Why is it important to you that I'm happy? I'm just your temporary wife. After this is all over, you and I will be nothing to each other."
Darkness flickered in his eyes upon hearing her words. "You don't mean that, do you?" he asked sharply.
Erin turned away from him, gazing along the empty beach. She felt his fingertips against her chin, and he slowly turned her face back to him. "I don't believe you meant what you just said."
Erin narrowed her eyes at him. "But, it's true, isn't it."
Karim shook his head. "No. It will never be true. We are man and wife. Nothing can undo that."
Erin felt a flash of indignation. What was he trying to tell her? Had he changed his mind about the whole arrangement.
"It's only a marriage contract," she tried to counter. "You said yourself. It can be undone any time we like."
"What if I don't want it to be undone?"
"What are you saying?" she demanded.
"As we stand here, we are man and wife." He lifted up her chin slightly as if getting ready to kiss her, but she moved her head back, and his fingers slid from beneath her jaw.
Karim's brows furrowed. "Surely that changes everything," he said thoughtfully.
Erin reflected for a moment. "I suppose it does. To some extent," she admitted. "But, you know this can't last."
"Can't it?"
Erin sighed and dragged her gaze away from him, reluctant to see that same penetrating look he'd given her so many times in the last twenty-four hours. Had things changed so much between them? Was it that simple for him? Was he so used to having his way in everything that her destiny was just another thing to be seized upon?
Erin wrapped her arms around herself. "I think I'd like to walk on ahead by myself for a while, Karim."
Karim nodded. She heard him sigh softly accepting temporary defeat. It may have been a defeat for him, but had it really been any kind of victory for her?
She needed some time to think this through, especially since she faced at least a few days on this island. And also, if she was going to get through the next few nights, with Karim a short distance down the corridor, she needed to decide what she was going to do to come to terms with that situation.
"I'll let the staff know to prepare dinner for us," Karim said. "You're sure you don't want me to come with you?" he asked.
She shook her head and said nothing in reply. There was no sense in saying anything which could only make things worse.
Then Karim started to walk away from her, and she gazed out to sea, wondering what the next few days would be like. And if she could even survive them.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
As he walked back toward the cliffside steps which led back up to the villa, Karim cursed himself for his foolishness. He'd gone too far, making such a declaration. He'd acted prematurely. Had he already forgotten that Erin was unlike any of the other women he'd been with? The obvious, well-rehearsed gestures and predictable words would never work with her. Erin needed so much more than what Karim had relied upon to succeed with other women.
What on earth had he been thinking of! They'd only been married a day and he was already trying to persuade her that they both had some kind of future together, that fate had created some unimaginable destiny for them.
He'd behaved like a complete fool.
But, he couldn't help himself. Erin had gotten underneath his skin; she'd burrowed her way into his heart in a way that he found almost inexplicable and totally shocking. How could that have happened? Had he been harboring a secret desire for this defiant and feisty American for longer than he cared to believe?
Was he just about to make a complete fool of himself? Had he just moved too fast? Maybe she needed time to get used to the idea of them being married.
He started to make his way up the stairs, and paused for a moment, taking the time to gaze along the length of the beach. He could see Erin there, making her way slowly, her petite, solitary figure like something out of a dream,
as far as Karim was concerned.
He sighed and smiled. When he'd touched her chin, he'd just loved the soft feel of her skin. He was sure he'd seen a flicker of approval in her eyes as she'd turned her face to him. But the look had been hidden as quickly as if had appeared. Was she trying to hide her true feelings from him, after all?
He'd loved the way her bare feet sank into the sand; adored looking deep into her eyes, searching for any sign of affection, the slightest hint of the beginnings of something greater.
But there had only been that same defiant look in her eyes, the one that had driven him almost to madness, triggering his own indignation, making him into someone he hardly recognized.
Karim started up the steps. Surely all that was changing, now, he told himself.
The hope was a small flame at this moment, but he knew it wouldn't take much for that flame to be ignited into full-blown, uncontrollable desire. All it would take would be one sentence from Erin; one simple phrase that would turn both of their worlds upside down.
The steps were hard work, the climb making him breathless. He was glad of the workout. He needed to change how he felt, because she'd ignited a powerful need in him.
As he reached the top of the stairs, gasping for breath, filling his lungs with air, feeling the pleasure from the physical exertion, he wondered if the need would ever be satisfied.
****
Erin noticed the stranger about an hour after she'd left Karim behind. She'd been sitting on the beach just gazing at the sea, letting her thoughts drift, allowing the sound of the waves to calm her nerves. She was a long way from the villa. In fact, she'd completely lost sight of the rocky promontory and had rounded a few bends in the beach.
The solitude had done her a power of good, and she'd just stood up, brushing the sand from her dress. She turned and saw a man just standing off in the distance, amongst the palm trees, some way inland from the beach. She didn't recognize him. It definitely wasn't Karim. She could see that, at least. When she noticed him, her body tensed instinctively, and she felt a knot of nerves harden in her middle.