No! Such thoughts were dangerous.
Amir knew exactly what he wanted. He’d planned it all out. Whereas Cassie knew what she didn’t want. A life without respect or choice. A life dependent on the whims of a man who didn’t love her.
Yet surely now she was taking steps towards a more positive focus? With Amir’s help she’d banished the dark demons of fear. She enjoyed to the full every moment with this remarkable man. A man so strong and honourable he banished her preconceived biases. A man so honest and forthright she could share anything. A man so tender he opened new worlds of delight.
Plus she felt so good about this new work she was planning. If she could make a difference in someone’s life maybe that would give her the purpose she’d lacked.
What more could she possibly want?
‘There’s one more thing, Highness.’
Amir heard the hesitation in Faruq’s voice and looked up sharply. His aide was anything but comfortable.
‘Everything’s in place in Bhutran, isn’t it?’ It had been weeks since they’d left the mountains and Amir grew impatient to conclude his unfinished business with Mustafa. The memory of what had been done to Cassie made him long for retribution.
‘Yes. The situation will be dealt with in the next few days.’
‘The situation’ being Mustafa.
Despite the negotiations, and Mustafa’s promises, the old renegade showed his true colours with continued incursions into Tarakhar, breaking every promise.
If necessary Amir would put an end to that with an incursion of his own that would topple Mustafa from his comfortable mountain perch.
But it seemed that wouldn’t be necessary. Changes in Bhutran meant that a newly energised central government, eager to maintain peace with its neighbours, was moving against Mustafa and others like him.
Amir had conveniently supplied information on the size and location of his camp, and offered back-up should it be necessary.
Soon there would be peace on the border and Mustafa would be a spent force. Satisfaction filled Amir.
‘Good.’ He nodded and stood, stretching, behind his desk. It had been a long day and he’d promised himself the pleasure of an early visit to Cassie. Strange how her allure grew with each passing day instead of diminishing.
‘It’s about Ms Denison, Sire.’
Amir’s head whipped round. Cassie wasn’t a subject he shared with anyone. ‘What about her?’
Faruq stood straighter, as if preparing to defend himself.
‘I wondered how long she would remain in residence.’
Amir’s eyebrows shot up. ‘As long as I wish her to remain.’
‘Of course. It’s just that…’
‘Yes?’
‘The betrothal negotiations are nearing completion.’ Faruq spread his hands in a stiff gesture of appeal. ‘Ms Denison’s continued presence in the palace has become a matter of speculation.’
Amir strode from behind the desk to the far side of the room, his hands clenched in tight fists behind him.
‘Ms Denison is my guest. She is recuperating from a violent assault.’
‘Of course, Highness.’ Yet the tone of Faruq’s agreement wasn’t convincing.
‘What are they saying?’
Faruq shrugged. ‘There is speculation that you and she…’
Naturally there was speculation. How could he have thought otherwise? A beautiful woman living unchaperoned in his palace, albeit on the other side of the building from his own suite.
He’d never invited a woman to stay in his home. He’d kept his liaisons discreetly away from the palace. He’d considered installing Cassie in a convenient apartment but that wouldn’t do. Amir wanted her here.
Their affair had barely begun. He had no intention of denying himself. Cassie was a feast for the intellect as well as the body, with her active mind and her interest in everything. One minute she was mimicking the self-conscious pomp of his chamberlain strutting the corridors, and the next she was asking penetrating questions about the state of education in Tarakhar. Or sharing her body with an almost innocent generosity and delight that sometimes made him wonder if she could be nearly as experienced as her sassy attitude suggested.
‘I do not concern myself with idle gossip.’ Short of providing Cassie with a personal chaperon, which would be a farce as well as an inconvenience, there was little he could do to prevent talk. ‘Ms Denison is a private guest, not a public figure.’
‘Of course, Sire.’ Faruq nodded but didn’t move away. He drew a deep breath and Amir sensed his reluctance to continue.
‘What is it, Faruq?’ Impatience rose, but the man had a job to do. Barking at him wouldn’t stop him. That was why Amir liked him, he took his work seriously. ‘You’d better tell me.’
‘I fear it’s not quite that simple. While Ms Denison is your private guest, she’s hardly invisible. With her colouring she draws attention wherever she goes in the old city. Far from being discreet, she’s becoming something of a local celebrity.’
‘Indeed?’ This was the first Amir had heard of it.
‘Yes. Instead of holding classes on the premises provided, she takes her pupils out. They hold impromptu lessons in the market or the park, at the library and in the new art gallery. Even at the railway station.’
Amir’s lips twitched at the image of Cassie and her small group of women practising their English on a railway platform. Why didn’t it surprise him? It was just like Cassie to ditch the stuffy classroom for places where language could be demonstrated in action.
‘I hardly see this as a problem.’
Faruq spread his hands. ‘By all accounts the students are enthusiastic and the classes are popular. But when forty people gather in a transport hub or at a public building, they attract a lot of attention. Ms Denison and her students are becoming well-known.’
‘Forty people? I was told it was a small language class for women who hadn’t completed school. Half a dozen participants.’
Faruq nodded. ‘It’s growing daily. There’s talk of extra classes, with more teachers to spread the load.’ He paused. ‘It’s a great initiative, Sire, but not designed to help her keep a low profile. In fact…’
‘Well?’ Amir frowned. He couldn’t begrudge Cassie her success with the classes. She’d described them enthusiastically but in general terms, saying the students were coming on well and mentioning some of the language issues they faced. He’d had no idea how successful they were. Her dedication to the project was clear, and the benefits to his people were equally apparent.
‘The gossip has spread as far as your intended’s father.’ Faruq shot him a hurried glance, then looked down at his hands. ‘He has expressed a query, couched in the most delicate of terms, about the…longevity of the situation.’
‘Has he indeed?’
Anger roiled in Amir’s belly that the man had the temerity to query his Sheikh’s intentions. He sold his daughter in marriage to the highest bidder. The fact that it was Amir who’d snared the prize only inflated the man’s ego.
‘Should anyone ask, Ms Denison is making an indefinite stay. You can take it from me this has no relevance to my marriage arrangements. It’s purely a private matter.’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
‘I HEAR your classes are a raging success.’
Cassie spun round as Amir’s deep voice broke her concentration. It was late afternoon and she was making notes for tomorrow’s class.
‘Amir! What are you doing here so early?’ Her voice was breathless, as if his sudden appearance was the most important thing that had happened in her day.
If only that weren’t true!
It shocked her the way she came alive in his presence, as if the rest of the day was sepia-toned and only burst into Technicolor when he was here. Even the satisfaction she got from her classes, from interacting with the other women and learning a little about this fascinating city, paled into insignificance against the thrill of being with Amir.
Every evening it
grew harder to let him walk away. She wanted to hold him so he stayed the night. Wake in his arms to the sound of his low voice rumbling through her and feel the harsh caress of his stubble on her skin.
She’d never have thought it possible but she missed the tent they’d shared. The intimacy of waking with him.
The palace was so huge and she’d got lost more than once trying to find her way to Amir, only to meet his stuffy chamberlain who’d inform her with exquisite politeness that His Highness could not be disturbed.
‘I’m visiting you.’ As ever, something melted inside her at the rich caress of Amir’s voice. ‘If you’ll permit.’
Cassie soaked up the sight of him, tall and magnificent even in a casual white shirt and worn jeans that emphasised his lean masculine strength.
He stole her breath every time! Her heart pounded a faster beat.
‘Of course.’ She tried to sound casual but failed. Her breath hitched when he strode across the room, his eyes alight like a marauding bandit spying booty. An instant later he plucked Cassie from her seat, roped his arms around her and dragged her close.
His kiss was an explosive mix of demand and hunger with a hint of seduction that made her weak at the knees.
Cassie grabbed his shoulders and hung on as her body softened into his, returning his kiss with a fervour that even after all these weeks hadn’t abated one bit.
She loved his kisses.
She loved the way he made her feel when he held her close. She loved his strength and tenderness. His honour and his concern for her. The way he teased straight-faced so it took her a moment to read the humour in his gleaming eyes. She loved…
Cassie’s brain fused as a blast of white-hot power surged through her. A blast of revelation.
Gasping, she pulled her mouth from his and looked up into those long-lashed eyes that saw so deeply.
Did they see what she was thinking now?
No! Panic buzzed through her and she stepped back, only to be stopped by Amir’s arms, linked hard around her body. Her pulse raced and hectic colour seared her cheeks.
‘Cassie? Are you OK?’
Quickly she nodded, her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth by shock.
Desperately she tried to convince herself she was mistaken. The thought that had frozen her brain was so earth-shattering it couldn’t be true.
Could it?
Amir raised one hand and stroked his thumb over her bottom lip. Tiny shards of arousal zigzagged through her.
A physical response, she assured herself. They were lovers and sexual pleasure was what kept them together.
But not all.
There it was again, that unsettling idea zipping through her brain and sending her into turmoil.
The idea that she…loved Amir!
‘Cassandra?’
Her heart flip-flopped at the way he said her name in full. It never failed to affect her. Would it still affect her in six months? In six years? In sixty?
Stupid to form the question. There was no doubt, Cassie realised as a strange serenity settled upon her. Of course it would. And she would still care for him.
She’d fallen for Amir. Not for the pleasure they shared but for the man himself.
Part of her brain tried to shout a warning, but it was overwhelmed by a rush of endorphins, a wave of warm delight that filled her at the thought.
Amir.
The man she loved.
‘You look different.’
‘I do?’ She smiled up into his concerned expression and almost blurted her revelation. But even the euphoria of self-realisation couldn’t blot out the knowledge that this complicated everything.
What, exactly, did Amir feel for her?
‘Hmm, could it be the stylish new way I’ve done my hair?’ She tried to distract him with a smile, pretending to primp as if professionally coiffed instead of wearing the lop-sided ponytail she’d quickly created as she’d pulled her hair out of her eyes to read.
‘Undoubtedly, habibti.’ He kissed her hand and, as ever, her knees weakened. ‘You are the loveliest teacher in the whole of the capital.’
‘Flatterer!’ Yet her heart sang at the gleam in his eyes.
‘Never.’ He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to the fluttering pulse at her wrist. Cassie felt the kernel of warmth inside glow brighter and spread. Oh, she had it bad.
‘I’d like to talk with you about your classes, but first, are you free for an excursion? There’s something I want to show you.’
An outing with Amir? ‘I’d love to. Where are we going?’
‘It’s tremendous,’ Cassie declared. ‘You must be very pleased.’ In all honesty it was the thrill of being out with Amir, sharing something of his world, that excited her most, but this was spectacular.
Below this knoll wound a canal, its curve mimicking the sinuous course of a river. Mature trees had been planted in groves that would provide shade, and more were waiting to be set in place by earth-moving equipment.
Now, bathed in dusk’s indigo shadows, it was easy to imagine the broad corridor of parkland as it would be when complete.
‘There’s the site of the new hospital.’ Cassie followed Amir’s gesture to the right, where the building site was almost encircled by what would one day be public parkland. ‘Over there is the medical research facility completed last year, and there—’ he pointed to an area on the other side of the water ‘—the route of the new light railway that will give access to the medical precinct and pleasure gardens.’
Cassie surveyed the kiosks dotting the parkland, the massive adventure playground, swimming centre and the intriguing foundations of a maze.
‘It will be a perfect place for families.’ She could imagine coming here in the cool of morning or late afternoon. Listening to children’s laughter and excited shouts as they explored. One day she’d love to picnic here, watching her children play.
It took a moment to absorb where her thoughts had strayed. To realise it was Amir she imagined sharing the picnic blanket with her. That the toddlers in her mind’s eye had laughing dark eyes and golden-toned skin like the man beside her.
Cassie’s heart lurched. Did Amir want children? Or marriage? This project, funded from his personal coffers, seemed to indicate an interest not only in modern infrastructure but in providing amenities for families.
Perhaps one day—
‘I’m glad you approve, Cassie.’ His hand on hers cut across her thoughts and she struggled to compose herself. ‘It’s been one of my pet projects.’
When she turned it was to see him pull a small pouch from his pocket.
‘I have something for you, habibti.’
He extended his hand. On his palm lay a large teardrop stone of deep blue-violet that seemed to glow inside. Cassie’s breath escaped in a hiss and her hand crept to her throat.
‘You like it?’
Silently she nodded, stunned by its beauty. The stone was faceted to catch the light, and even in the dimming afternoon it sparkled with a thousand stars.
She couldn’t shake the conviction this was some priceless gem he’d spied in the palace treasure house or, given the streamlined modern chain, a high-class jeweller’s showroom. Yet surely not even a royal sheikh would give a real gem of that size on a whim?
Nevertheless, a sour taste tainted her mouth as she remembered the expensive diamond brooch of which her mother had been so proud. Given not with love but as part of her purchase price. Pricey gifts had been part of her arrangement with each new protector.
Cassie shivered. Instantly Amir’s hand gripped her shoulder. ‘Cassie?’
‘It’s not…?’ She swiped her tongue over dry lips, needing to know but not wanting to chance the possibility she was right. ‘It looks very expensive, Amir. I don’t feel comfortable accepting it.’
Strong fingers tilted her chin till she was looking up into eyes that glittered brighter than the dazzling stone.
‘Your scruples do you credit.’ He smiled and the sombre lines arou
nd his mouth vanished. ‘But you’re mistaken if you think this some family heirloom. It’s just a pretty stone, a trinket that caught my eye.’
‘It’s kind of you, Amir, but I can’t take it.’
‘It’s not kind at all.’ Something flashed in his eyes. ‘I saw it and it reminded me of you: its colour, its vibrancy.’ His words, like caresses, curled around her eager heart. It grew harder every moment to resist.
‘You accept nothing from me but the roof over your head and the meals provided by my kitchens. You spurn every gift I try to give, even something as trifling as a chess set.’
Amir’s voice echoed with disappointment and what she could almost convince herself was hurt.
‘Even the clothes to replace the wardrobe you lost were too much to accept without limitations.’ His hand slashed impatiently. ‘Most of it you sent back.’
Cassie stared, stunned by the intensity of his feelings. Had she been churlish with her continual refusals? ‘I didn’t mean to offend you.’
Amir nodded, the militant spark fading as his expression softened. ‘No offence taken.’ He stroked her cheek with his knuckles. ‘Wear it for me? It would make me happy.’
‘It’s utterly gorgeous.’ She summoned a bright smile for Amir, firmly banishing the shades of the past and focusing on the man she loved.
Amir wasn’t buying her with expensive jewellery, as her mother had been bought. He’d found a trinket of costume jewellery that to her untutored eyes looked stunningly expensive. But what did she know of gems? He’d thought to give her pleasure. That was what counted.
Happiness surged anew as she looked into his face. This time her smile was completely genuine.
His mouth brushed hers and she leaned in close, but too soon he pulled away, mischief lurking in his eyes. ‘Let me put this on you.’
Amir had chosen a long chain, so the stone nestled low between her breasts, which entailed undoing buttons on her silk shirt so the necklace could be appreciated properly.
Fortunately they were completely alone. There was no one to see as Amir bent to feather kisses across the top of her breasts, or as she clung needily to his shoulders.
Desert Jewels & Rising Stars Page 45
