For Duty's Sake (13 page)
Authors: Lucy Monroe
“You do?” his voice was tinged with wonder.
She smiled. Nodded. “I do.”
“I did not want you under more stress than you already are.”
“I understand.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I would do the same for you.”
For once, it was easy to read her world leader love's facial expression. Utter shock and a shade of disbelief.
She laughed. “Don't you think your mother has ever protected your father from stress when she could?”
“Yes, but⦔
“No buts, we'll both protect each other.”
“Do you think I am being too harsh on Elsa's brother?”
“No, but if you can work it out so he serves his time closer to his sister, I think that would be good.”
Zahir nodded. “It will be done.”
“For me, but not for her?” she asked, curious that he had shown no indication of even hearing the other woman's request.
“Yes.”
“She said you've always been mine.”
“You said you believed her.”
“I do. I didn't for a while,” Angele admitted. “I do now, though.”
“What changed?”
“I figured out that you love me.”
“What?”
“I'm not even sure you haven't always loved me, but you wouldn't let yourself consider such a thing because I stayed thirteen in your mind. You transferred your feelings for me onto Elsa, but not enough to allow you to even consider marrying her instead of me.”
“Howâ¦I⦔ He went silent for several long moments, took a deep breath and let it out. “You're right.”
“Say it.”
“I will on our wedding day.”
“Yes, you will, but you'll say it now, too.”
“Now who is being bossy?”
“You'd be bored silly with a pushover.”
“I love you.”
She started to cry, but he didn't say anything. How could he? His own eyes were just as wet.
He made her eat the salad before taking her into the bedroom and laying her gently on the bed.
“Another wedding night?” she asked softly as he divested them both of their clothes.
“A night of affirmation. I love you beyond reason. It is not an emotion I ever thought to experience. I know now what I felt in the past was lust mixed with relief at being just a man, for a few short hours. But I realized something, I've never been able to leave my role behindâ¦not even when I was with her. Only with you, can I be what I am and still be free to be just a man.”
“You are the man I love, the man I have always
loved.” Her words came out breathless as he touched her in places that made her quiver, squirm and moan.
“And you are the woman I love, will always love.” And then he proved it with his body, making gentle, long love to her, repeating the words in every language he spoke fluently and a few he did not.
When he yelled out
Aziz
when he climaxed, she knew she really was his beloved.
A
NGELE
wore the dress Zahir had given her on their first night together for their wedding, making his mother cry and his father beam with unadulterated joy. Their wedding celebration lasted a full week before he took her on a honeymoon to Paris, telling her it was appropriate for them.
It was the City of Lovers after all.
They were at the top of the Eiffel Tower when he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his body as they looked out over the City of Light. “Beautiful.”
“It is.” She snuggled back against him. “I want to hold this moment in my heart forever.”
“We can get my bodyguard to take a picture.”
She smiled. He was a crown sheikh; they went nowhere without security, but sometimes that came in handy. Like when getting snapshots of their honeymoon highlights.
At least the security detail didn't share their suite, just had rooms on either side of them.
“Let's,” she said, in answer to his suggestion.
He made the request in Arabic and then bent down to kiss her as their guard pressed the button for their picture with Paris at night in the background.
She was breathless and bemused when Zahir lifted his head.
“You are in all the pictures of my future that my heart can see.”
She accepted his words for truth. She understoodâ¦she'd never seen a future for herself without him in it, no matter how hard she'd tried to for that brief time.
No wonder he refused to dismiss the idea of an arranged marriage for their child.
It had certainly worked out for them.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-0550-5
FOR DUTY'S SAKE
First North American Publication 2011
Copyright © 2011 by Lucy Monroe
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