The Sheikh’s Reluctant Bride (7 page)

“Thank you,” Jess said.

Kardahl held out his arm. “Come, my sweet.”

She put her hand in the bend of his elbow and said through gritted teeth, “You’re incorrigible.”

He laughed. “How you flatter me.”

“It wasn’t a compliment,” she whispered.

When they were in their tent, Jess planned to tell him what he could do with “his sweet” until she spotted a tub of steaming water in the corner. Beside it was a stool with two towels and there were lighted candles scattered throughout the room.

“This must be the surprise,” she said.

He glanced down at her. “From the expression on your face, I would say it is most welcome. If you looked at me in such a way, the matter of consummating our union would not be in question.”

Oxygen went missing from her lungs again and she couldn’t blame the sensation on the fire stealing it. Clearly her aunt intended for them to use this “surprise” together, but no way would she take off her clothes in front of Kardahl, let alone get into that tiny tub with him naked, too.

“Per our agreement, you have to wait outside.” They were far enough from the festivities that there was no way he could be seen by the others. “This comes under the heading ‘Private.’”

“As you wish.”

When he was this close and there were candles and a steaming tub of water, she couldn’t think clearly enough to decide what she wished.

“I’ll be quick,” she promised.

When his eyes caught fire, there was no question that he wasn’t talking about a bath. “That is the difference between us. I would
not
be quick.”

But he left her alone and she wasted no time undressing and stepping into the tub, immersing herself up to her shoulders in the warm water. It felt heavenly, almost as good as being in Kardahl’s arms. That was a dangerous thought considering his reputation and the fact that to keep their union temporary and uncomplicated she had to stay out of his arms. Before journeying to the mountains with him she would have thought herself too smart to fall under his spell. If not too smart, then too cautious. Jess had vowed not to be like her mother and let men take advantage of her inherited romantic streak. Now here she was, struggling against her own nature.

“Is everything all right?”

Kardahl’s voice, just on the other side of the canvas from where she sat naked in a tub, startled her and she jumped. Just a thin material separated them, but since she couldn’t see him, she figured he couldn’t see her.

“I’m fine,” she answered. “How are you?”

“As I cannot bask in the warmth of your presence…Cold,” he admitted.

There was that fluent flattery again. Two could play games. She splashed loudly. “The water is perfect. Not too cold. Not too warm. Just right.”

“I am pleased.”

“Wasn’t it nice of my aunt to do this?” she asked.

He laughed, but there was more tension than humor in the sound. “I do not believe this is precisely what she had in mind.”

“No? I suppose I could have set her straight. But I didn’t figure it was time for that yet.”

“Your discretion is appreciated.”

“Always happy to oblige.”

“Not always,” he muttered. “Any time you would care to show off attributes of a more
physical
nature, I would be more than willing to participate.”

He
was
incorrigible, but she couldn’t help laughing. “If I decide to do that, I promise you’ll be the first—To know,” she added.

But literally the first. With every ounce of her willpower she had to fight the temptation. If she gave in, there would be no going back, and she wanted a clear exit strategy from this marriage.

“I do not wish to rush you, but the air does get cold in the mountains after dark.”

The water was starting to cool off, too. A shame since she was thoroughly enjoying herself and being in control of his discomfort. But he’d been a good sport and a gentleman, which she would never have expected when she’d first met him. She washed quickly, then reached for a towel and let out a screech.

“Oh God—”

“What is wrong?”

The biggest, hairiest spider she’d ever seen in her life was parked on one of the towels. She stood, jumped out of the water, then carefully watched that the creature didn’t pounce in her direction as she grabbed the other one and wrapped it around her. She’d barely covered herself when Kardahl rushed in.

“Jessica, what—”

“Bug,” she said, waving her finger at it. “Do something.”

The insufferable man just smiled indulgently. “It is a harmless spider.”

“You are so wrong,” she said. “Anything that ugly has to be pretty darn harmful.”

“It is more afraid of you than you are of it.”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

He moved closer and captured it in his bare hands.

“Eww. I can’t look.” She closed her eyes and heard his footsteps, then the flap of canvas that served as a door. Moments later, she smelled the spicy scent of Kardahl and knew he was right in front of her, close enough for her to reach out and touch him. This time all that stood between them was a flimsy towel.

“It is gone. You are safe,” he said.

When she opened her eyes, the smoldering look in his told her she was anything
but
safe.

T
HIS
was another in a long line of firsts. Jessica had never been this close to being naked in front of a man, which didn’t even register on the safe scale. No part of Kardahl’s body touched hers, yet the look in his eyes made her feel as if he touched her everywhere. His breath stirred the loose hair around her face and his gaze lowered to the spot where she fisted her hand in the towel that barely covered her breasts. His eyes grew darker and his nostrils flared slightly, signaling his leashed passion. Her first impression of him had been right. He was rocking her world, big time.

Things tilted more when he bent his head and oh-so-gently kissed her. The butterfly-soft touch was like an electric jolt to her heart and more effective than a finger in an electrical outlet.

A small step forward brought his body in contact with hers, although her fist and the towel kept him at bay. But he continued kissing her, peppering her lips with soft touches that were like a kaleidoscope of passion, brief glimpses of something unbelievably mind-blowing just out of reach.

There was no way to hide her ragged breathing and she didn’t try. She should put a stop to this, but she couldn’t manage that, either. She’d thought so much about that kiss in the garden, wanting another, and now her wish was coming true. If there was a God in heaven, this heaven would go on forever. But forever wasn’t to be, she thought, when he pulled away. This time when she opened her eyes, she saw that his breathing was uneven, too.

He ran unsteady fingers through his hair. “I do not expect you to believe me, but I did not plan to kiss you.”

He was right. She wasn’t sure she believed him. But the fact that he stopped kissing her when he had her right where he wanted her would give playboys everywhere a bad name.

“Why did you?” she whispered.

His eyes darkened even more if possible. “I could not help myself.”

Very original. “Why did you stop?” That was the burning question.

“My conscience compelled me to. Unless—”

“What?” She gripped the towel tighter.

“It is a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.”

“About?”

“The consummation of our union.” He let out a long breath. “If you are willing, I would be most agreeable to making this a marriage in the physical sense.”

Physical meant kissing and she wanted to do more of that. When he kissed her, the world disappeared. It was him, her and a want that took on a life of its own. But he was talking about more than kissing. Before she could tell him she was agreeable, he stepped back. A chill came over her and without the heat of his body, cold reality set in. If she agreed to consummate the marriage, there would be no going back. She felt like that scared girl whose mother was dying, leaving her no choice but to go with the social worker. She didn’t ever again want to be without alternatives.

She shook her head. “I haven’t changed my mind. I still want the annulment.”

“As you wish.” The coolness of his voice made her shiver. He grabbed the other towel beside the tub. “You are still wet. Forgive me. I will leave you to your privacy and bathe in the mountain stream.”

The next thing she knew he was gone, she was still wet and colder if possible. Quickly she dried off and dressed in sweats and a T-shirt, then slid into bed. A long time later, she heard footsteps before Kardahl lifted the tent flap and came back inside.

His dark hair was still damp and her fingers tingled with the need to run them through the wavy strands. But that wasn’t the biggest challenge to her willpower. His chest was bare, revealing a dusting of dark hair across the broad expanse that tapered over his flat abdomen, disappearing into the waist-band of his cotton pants. She closed her eyes and every muscle in her body tensed as she prepared for her second night sharing a bed with a man.

The lantern went out and she was plunged into darkness, just before he slipped into bed beside her. His arm brushed hers and his cool skin was a contrast to her warm flesh. He smelled like fresh mountain air and powerful male.

“I know you are not asleep,” he said, humor in his tone.

“How could you tell?”

“Tension rolls from you like waves on the shore.”

She didn’t know what to say to that. He’d nailed her. So to speak. “How was your bath?”

“Not as warm as yours.”

“Sorry.”

“Not as sorry as I.”

She thought about that and he was right. The realization made her laugh. And the more she tried to stop, the more she couldn’t.

“You think that is funny?” he asked, but there was laughter in the tone, followed by the deep rumble of it beside her.

“No, it’s not funny.” She hesitated a moment before saying, “I’m lying. It’s very funny. But I can’t believe what a good sport you are about all of this.”

“I live to serve,” he grumbled. “Playboys are not all bad.”

“You’ll get no argument from me.” And she would never have known without spending time with him, time that had brought her a childhood dream come true. “I can’t help thinking about how different my life would have been if I’d met my aunt and uncle sooner.”

He put one hand beneath his head. “If they had known of your whereabouts, there is no question that you would have had a home with them in Bha’Khar.”

She had to agree. Her reception with the people here in the mountains had been warm and friendly. She couldn’t imagine a childhood, an actual carefree growing up without insecurity and fear. It might have been enough to erase the emotional baggage she still carried from her mother’s heartbreak, weakness and decline. But she would never know.

“Yeah,” she said sadly.

“What troubles you?” he asked sharply.

“I’m not troubled. Not exactly.”

He was quiet for several moments, then his deep voice warm as chocolate, cut through the darkness. “Life is not a destination, but a journey. Each of us has a destiny at birth and there are many paths to finding it.”

“So you believe in destiny?”

“I believe that fate will find a way. If it were not so, your mother’s letter would have remained buried in a lawyer’s file forever.”

“But it didn’t.”

“No. The discovery restarted a series of events that were set in motion a long time ago.”

“Our marriage.”

“Just so. You are living out your destiny—for the time being. And it was your family who set that in motion.”

“Yes. And I can hardly wait to meet the rest of them.”

“Patience, little one.”

Easy for him to say. He’d never had to wonder about his family. Clearly there were issues, but the bad you knew was better than no information at all. She was anxious to meet her other aunt and grandparents. If not, she’d take her annulment and run. Because every second spent with Kardahl made her more restless and edgy.

He was the first man she’d let close enough to sweep her off her feet, but her hesitation had stopped him.

In her wildest dreams, she’d never expected to be married to an international playboy. When she’d learned about the legal tangle, she’d assumed her contempt for his type would be enough to protect her and never anticipated that she could be wildly attracted to someone like him. And it just kept getting stronger. The longer she knew him, the more he tempted her. She’d come frighteningly close to throwing caution and good judgment to the wind.

After watching men use her mother, she’d never thought this could happen to her, but she’d underestimated Kardahl’s magnetism. She’d pathetically misjudged her own passion. And the worst of all: she’d gotten used to having him around.

She rolled on her side and turned her back to him. She wouldn’t misjudge the situation again. There was a lot to like about her husband, but he had already loved and come right out and told her he wouldn’t do it again. At the rate he went through women, he’d proven that he meant what he’d said.

Early the next morning, Kardahl had ordered the horses to be ready for their journey back to the capital. The villagers were gathered for the farewells and he watched Jessica hug several people, including her uncle. She saved her aunt Aminah for last and when she pulled away both women had tears in their eyes. Jessica hesitated a moment, then threw herself into the other woman’s arms and hugged her one more time, just a little longer.

“I wish I didn’t have to go,” she said, taking a step back.

Aminah cupped her niece’s face between her palms, then kissed each cheek in turn. “Fate has brought you back to us. We will see each other again soon. In the meantime, know that when you go, my heart goes with you.”

“And mine stays with you,” Jessica answered.

Her aunt smiled, then met his gaze. “You are a prince of the royal blood and my niece’s husband. My parents chose you to care for the granddaughter they loved even before she was born. I entreat you to take this responsibility most seriously and hold it in the highest regard.”

When he glanced at Jessica, he did not miss the guilty expression on her face. Now was not the time to make known their temporary arrangement. He nodded solemnly. “Consider it done.”

Aminah smiled sadly. “Knowing she will be safe makes it easier for me to let her go. Thank you, Your Highness.”

He held the stirrup and steadied Jessica’s horse as she mounted, then handed her the reins. After he swung into his own saddle, they turned toward the path down the mountain.

Jessica glanced over her shoulder. “Goodbye—”

Kardahl heard the catch in her voice and glanced over. She was looking back, waving, smiling though her lips trembled and the sheen of tears glistened in her eyes. Her reluctance to leave tugged at him, but he did not share it. His relief that their time in the mountains was over could not be measured. One more night tortured by Jessica’s nearness while he was shackled by his vow not to touch her would be more test than his self-control could endure.

There was an innocence about her that he found far too appealing, but he was troubled by the sense that it kept her passion prisoner. He had felt it in her kiss and did not wish to risk another opportunity to find out he was correct. That would break his vow and in the grand scheme of things it would change nothing. He would not care again. He could not.

His spirit grew less burdened the farther down the mountain they traveled. The sky above was blue and cloudless. Hawks, with their wings spread wide to catch downdrafts of air, floated above them. His horse and hers were well-behaved and surefooted. Life was good.

Until he glanced at Jessica’s face. One look told him there was more on her mind than a bittersweet farewell to the family she’d just found.

“You are uncharacteristically quiet,” he began.

“Is that your way of saying I have a big mouth?”

“Absolutely not.” As he watched the corners of her mouth turn up in a smile, the knot of need he had not left on the mountain tightened within him. “Let me rephrase the question. What is on your mind?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Yes. I believe it is more than the sadness of saying goodbye.”

“You’re right.”

And that surprised him. He was not in the habit of deciphering a woman’s mood. Since losing his beloved, he’d immersed himself in the complicated task of bringing Bha’Khar into the world order as a financial force to be reckoned with. Between his work and a series of forgettable women who brought relief to his body but none to his spirit, he’d managed to put aside his pain for long periods of time.

But he was beginning to realize that Jessica was not the latest in a string of unremarkable women. She was a woman whose moods he was coming to recognize without effort. Something was troubling her now and he wished to know the source of her agitation.

She sighed. “Aunt Aminah misses her daughters and I feel as if I’m abandoning her, too.”

“Her children will be home soon.”

“For a visit,” Jessica said. “Children shouldn’t have to leave their parents at such a young age to receive an education.”

“It has been that way for many years,” he explained.

“So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it? That doesn’t make it right. It’s not broken, but it could be better. Traditions are good, but sometimes they need shaking up.”

“The people who dwell in the desert have chosen this way of life.”

“Oh? Like I chose a mother who wanted so desperately to be loved that the bottom of a liquor bottle was the only safe place when she couldn’t find it? Or the way you chose to be born into a family who picks out your bride?”

It was a circumstance he had once railed against, then it ceased to matter at all. But learning about Jessica was making everything change, a fact that was becoming disturbing.

He rested his palm on his thigh, then met her gaze as their horses meandered down the trail. “What is your point?”

“I don’t know.” She sighed and looked away, shaking her head. “I guess I’m trying to reconcile two such extreme ways of life. You grew up surrounded by luxury. The desert people don’t have a permanent roof over their heads.”

“Your words sound like an accusation. But it would be idiotic to try to defend myself against the material benefits I enjoy. Regardless of how it looks to the outside world, my life is far from perfect.”

Her gaze slid to his. “It must have been difficult losing someone you loved.”

“Just so.”

“And it would be glib and callous of me to say snap out of it. But fate put you in a situation of enviable advantages and with that comes great responsibility.”

“Duty,” he agreed.

“As in serving the people of Bha’Khar.
All
the people. Including the ones who alternate homes in the desert and the mountains. You admit you had advantages and one assumes those included an education?”

“Indeed.”

“Possibly tutors who came to you?”

He could see where this was going and could only be grateful she had chosen a career in social work instead of the legal profession. She had backed him into a corner and made him feel the need to explain. “I excelled in studies and was at the top of my class in college, up to and including a master’s degree in business.”

As she studied him, her body swayed from side to side while her horse picked its way carefully over the stones in the path. Her hazel eyes were fervent with what she believed in her heart.