Desert Rogues Part 2

by Susan Mallery

  He showed her shelves of statues and stacks of carved furniture. “Pieces are moved around in the palace,” he said. “Some things are on display here in the city museum. Others are sent on tour around the world.”

  “I can’t imagine what it would have been like growing up here,” she said as they left the storage area and climbed stairs to the main level.

  “As a young child, I had little use for the past. It was simply information I needed to learn to please my tutors.”

  “I suppose. We never appreciate what we have when we’re young. Not unless we lose it.”

  He glanced at her. “What did you lose?”

  She thought of her childhood. Loving, if overly protective. “I’m not sure there was anything. I was speaking in general.” She glanced around at the city-size rooms they passed. “I think my entire house could have fit in there. You and your brothers must have had a good time playing hide-and-seek in here.”

  “We were not permitted to play games in the main rooms of the palace.”

  “Probably just as well. You could have gotten lost for days.”

  “Our tutors would have come looking for us.”

  Tutors. Not exactly a reference she could relate to. “You didn’t go to the local schools?”

  “No. When I was eleven I was sent to boarding school in Britain.”

  “It’s that whole prince thing, huh?”

  He glanced at her. One corner of his mouth curved up. “Prince thing?”

  She grinned. “You know. Being royal. It made you different.”

  “We were given many unique opportunities.”

  “I suppose you would have to learn things regular kids didn’t. Like how to behave in certain situations, and rules about running a country. Of course I’ll bet each of you had your own horse. I guess it’s a tradeoff. There are advantages and disadvantages to most circumstances.”

  They walked into a huge reception room. The ceilings had to be three stories tall. There were carved poles and an intricately inlaid marble floor. Floor-to-ceiling beveled windows let in light. A raised stage stood at one end of the incredible room.

  “My apartment doesn’t even have a foyer,” she murmured, and wondered again why he’d bothered with her all those years ago. “I was little more than a country mouse.”

  “What?”

  She motioned to the gold light fixtures. “I’m going to guess that color isn’t just a really nice paint job. Those are real gold.”

  “Yes, but it is of little consequence.”

  “Perhaps to you.” She turned in a slow circle.

  Reyhan’s leaving her was for the best, she thought sadly. There was no way she could have fit in here then. No way she fit in now.

  “Is there another man?” he asked abruptly.

  She stared at him. “What? You mean am I seeing anyone?”

  He nodded.

  “No. I’m not dating anyone right now. I’ve never been very good at the whole boy-girl thing, but you would know that better than anyone.”

  Memories crept in of their three nights together after their wedding. How he had taken her over and over and how she’d been unable to be anything but afraid.

  Things would be different now, she thought with regret. She was sure she could respond, even hunger for him. But a man intent on getting a divorce was unlikely to be physically interested in the woman he was leaving behind—passionate kisses aside.

  “Once you are no longer married, you can change that,” he said.

  “As can you.”

  But she didn’t want to think about him being with another woman.

  “It’s scary to think what could have happened,” she said to distract herself. “I really didn’t know about the marriage being real. If I’d gotten serious about someone and we’d wanted to get married…” Would her parents have told her the truth? She would like to think so, but she was no longer sure about anything.

  “I would have been in touch to let you know we were still married.”

  “How would you have known?”

  He stared at her without speaking, and then realization sank in. “You’ve kept track of me.” It was a statement, not a question. She wasn’t sure if she was pleased or creeped out.

  “At first, I received monthly reports,” he told her. “Now, yearly. You are my wife. It is my duty to watch over you.”

  As he hadn’t known about her job, the last report must have been sometime last summer, after her graduation but before she’d started work at the hospital.

  “If I’d known we were still married, I would have contacted you,” she said. “I mean, being married all these years and being apart doesn’t make any sense.” She realized how that sounded. “Not that I’m suggesting we should have been together.”

  “I understand. Divorcing is the most sensible plan.”

  “Right.”

  Sure. It wasn’t as if she knew anything about Reyhan, save the fact that being within ten feet of him reduced her to a quivering mass.

  “I wonder what would have happened if I’d known you’d come back for me,” she said. “Would you have brought me here?”

  “Of course. As my wife, your place is at my side.”

  “What about my education? I wouldn’t have been able to go to college here.”

  “Should we argue about what never was?”

  “Probably not.”

  But everything would have been different. They would have had children by now. She’d always wanted children, she thought wistfully. And with Reyhan as their father, they would be stronger than her. More able to stand up for themselves.

  Would she have been able to keep him happy? Would their marriage have flourished or would her youth have worn on his affections?

  Had he loved her, even a little? More questions she wouldn’t be asking.

  “Reyhan…”

  She spoke his name, then paused, not sure what she wanted to say or ask.

  He stared at her, his dark eyes narrowing slightly.

  “Stop,” he ordered.

  “What?”

  Her chest tightened as it became difficult to breathe. Awareness flickered through her body, making her tremble. Her mouth went dry, her fingers tingled and wanting swelled until she thought she would burst.

  Then she was in his arms with no way to understand how she’d come to be there. He held her tightly, possessively and she reveled in belonging to him even for that single moment.

  She had less than a heartbeat to anticipate the kiss before he pressed his mouth against hers and claimed her.

  She parted instantly, wanting the intimacy, needing to make him desire her. The melting began, in her chest and between her thighs. At the first brush of his tongue against hers, she closed her eyes. At the second, she held in a sigh of contentment. Passion flooded every part of her body, making her squirm to get closer.

  She touched his shoulders, his arms, then ran her hands up and down his muscled back. His fingers tangled in her hair. Their tongues stroked and circled and danced before he pulled back slightly and kissed her jaw.

  He nibbled his way to her ear where he drew the lobe into his mouth and sucked gently. Her breath caught. He dropped his hands to her hips, then to her fanny where he cupped her curves before pulling her hard against him. As her stomach nestled against him, she felt a bulge.

  Fierce gladness flashed through her. Reyhan was aroused. She excited him as much as he excited her. The thought thrilled her then was lost as he licked the sensitive skin under her ear, and she was unable to think about anything other than the exquisite sensations he created.

  Heat was everywhere. His fingers burned, his body warmed. She found herself wanting to strip off clothing and bare herself. The large room and hard marble floors offered neither privacy nor comfort, but she didn’t care.

  She breathed his name, and when his mouth returned to hers, she was the one to slip her tongue against his lower lip before dipping inside.

  He tasted faintly of coffee, with a littl
e sweetness she couldn’t explain. He continued to press against her, rubbing his arousal against her belly. She wanted to raise herself up on tiptoe so he could rub her there and pleasure them both.

  One of his hands moved from her rear to her hip, then traveled higher. Her breasts swelled in anticipation of his touch. She wrapped both arms around his neck and clung to him so that when he reached his destination, she would not collapse at his feet.

  Closer and closer and closer until she nearly begged him out loud. At last he cupped her right breast and brushed his thumb against her tight nipple.

  Pleasure jolted her like lightning. She gasped, then nipped at his lower lip while he continued to stroke her. She could feel tension building between her thighs, the dampness of her panties and the trembling in her legs.

  And then he was gone. He stepped back and stared at her. His breath came in rapid pants. Passion brightened his eyes and tightened the lines of his face. She didn’t have the courage to glance lower, to see that he wanted her, but she knew.

  They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Emma wished she knew what to say, or even how to ask why he’d stopped when they were both so obviously willing. But nothing in her life had prepared her for such a reaction, so she couldn’t find the words.

  “I must return to my office,” Reyhan said at last. “You will find your way back to your rooms.”

  It was a statement rather than a question, and Emma wasn’t sure she could speak, let alone argue. She watched him walk away, then she staggered a few feet to one of the columns and leaned against it until her heartbeat slowed to normal.

  She didn’t understand what was happening with Reyhan. She hadn’t seen him in years. Why was he getting to her? And why did he have to be the only man who made her want with such incredible intensity?

  “Too many questions,” she whispered when she could finally think and breathe like a normal person. “No answers.” Just a man who made her burn and a ticking clock that reminded her it would soon be time to leave.

  Reyhan didn’t return to his office right away. He detoured through the far end of the palace, walking briskly in an attempt to burn off the passion and need that Emma had created.

  Nothing had changed. Emma’s pull over him remained absolute. She could bring him to his knees with just a glance. When she touched him—he would capture the moon if she so requested.

  He could never let her know the power she had over him, could never let her know his weakness for her. He paused by a window and stared uneasily out at the view. He would control this, he told himself. He would stay in control.

  In a few days she would be gone and there would be relief. But instead of anticipation, he felt only pain at the thought of his world without her. The ache inside of him deepened.

  So much time had passed, he’d hoped that he could face her and not care, not need. But he’d been wrong. Worse, she responded to him with the wants and desires of an experienced woman. She was no longer the frightened child he’d married.

  Who had taught her to kiss so expertly? he wondered grimly. What man had tutored the woman who belonged to him? Passion blended with rage as his hands curled into fists. Were that man here now, Reyhan would rip him apart.

  No! Control. He had to get control. Emma might be the color in his world, but she was also dangerous. Better to live in shades of gray than risk everything. Just a few more days. Then she would be gone and he would be free.

  Chapter Six

  The main marketplace was so filled with light and color, it was like stepping inside of a kaleidoscope. Emma didn’t know where to look first. Wooden stalls lined the wide stone street and everywhere she turned there were more wonders to be seen. Bright silks puddling like quivering gems, copper pots of every shape and size, fruits, vegetables and rich, supple leather goods tempted her to step closer and touch.

  In addition to the visual display, there were also strange and intriguing scents—sandalwood, coconut, exotic flowers and spices blended with wood smoke and the underlying musk of perfumes. A hundred conversations blended into a unique musical accompaniment with the call of the merchants, the barking of dogs and the laughter of the children racing through the back alleys.

  “It’s wonderful,” she breathed, pausing to stare into the eyes of a camel tied up at a corner. “Like something out of a movie.”

  She smiled at Reyhan, who nodded.

  “There are few sights that compare with an open-air market,” he told her. “We have one of the oldest and largest in the world.”

  She smiled at a young woman holding a baby. The woman ducked her head and slowly backed away. Emma knew it wasn’t because of her—no one knew her from a rock. Instead it was the presence of a prince, and the three large and hostile-looking bodyguards that were assigned to accompany them. The well-dressed and well-armed men kept the other shoppers at least an arm’s distance away and discouraged casual conversation.

  Emma wanted to protest, saying they would be fine on their own, but who was she to judge? Besides, Reyhan had explained that the accompanying men were as much for crowd control as protection.

  She’d been surprised when Reyhan had offered to take her to the local market. After their last encounter she’d been sure he would want to avoid her, what with how he’d stalked away without saying anything. Yet two days later he’d shown up at her door with the invitation.

  She’d been delighted to accept.

  “Local dates,” Reyhan said, stopping by one of the stands. “Try some.”

  The merchant, a tiny wizened man with a huge smile, held out a tray of plump dates. When he nodded encouragingly at her, she took one and tasted.

  “They’re good,” she said.

  The merchant beamed. Reyhan reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins.

  “No, no.” The old man backed up and shook his head. “It is my honor. My pleasure.”

  Reyhan smiled. “Such is the power of a beautiful woman.”

  Emma was so startled by the offhand compliment, she laughed. “Oh, sure. He’s overwhelmed by my beauty, not by the fact that you’re a prince and traveling with enough muscle to start your own wrestling federation.”

  His dark gaze settled on her face. “You don’t think you’re attractive?”

  “I’m okay.” Passably pretty, she thought. No one had ever looked at her and then run shrieking in the opposite direction. “But I’ve never overwhelmed anyone.”

  He continued to study her, then looked away without saying anything. The merchant pressed a bag in her hands. She could feel the soft fruit inside.

  “Thank you,” she said. “You’re very kind.”

  As they walked away, Reyhan said something in a language she couldn’t understand. One of the bodyguards made a note on a small pad he’d pulled from his jacket pocket.

  “What was that about?” she asked when they’d drifted down another aisle in the market.

  “Someone from the palace will visit the old man’s stall later in the week,” Reyhan said in a low voice. “A large quantity of dates will be purchased at a premium price.” He jerked his head back the way they’d come. “The old man offered a gift he can scarcely afford to give. Respect from my people shouldn’t come at the price of starving.”

  “It was just a few dates.”

  “He has nothing else to sell.”

  An interesting point, she thought, studying Reyhan from the corner of her eye. She would have said he was firm and intelligent. Remote and stern with a hidden well of passion. But she would never have guessed he had a compassionate heart for those in need. One more item on the long list of things she didn’t know about her soon-to-be ex prince-husband.

  Two young boys ran past them, laughing and yelling as they went. Emma turned to watch them go.

  “Did you come play in the market when you were a child?” she asked. “Were you allowed out and about?”

  “Sometimes,” Reyhan said. “With my brother Jefri.” He shrugged. “Once we were playing with mo
re abandon than usual and knocked a cooking pot off an open fire. In our hasty effort to retrieve it before the large and mean-looking owner noticed, we bumped a burning log into the corner of a stall. It was old, dry wood and went up in seconds.”

  She covered her mouth with her fingers. “Was anyone hurt?”

  He shook his head. “No, but three stalls were completely destroyed before the fire was brought under control. Jefri and I were in trouble for a long time. Our father refused to let us simply pay for the damage out of our pocket money. Instead we had to rebuild the stalls and then work in them for several weekends. In the end, the owners came out ahead as people shopped to see the young princes up close.”

  “So it was a fitting punishment?” she asked, even as she thought it sounded a bit harsh. Not the rebuilding. That made sense, but the working in public where the boys would be stared at like zoo animals.

  “My father wanted us to learn,” Reyhan told her, not really answering the question. “Jefri and I were more careful on our next trip to the marketplace.”

  They stopped in front of a stall displaying silver jewelry. The merchant nodded exuberantly and held out dozens of silver bangles. They were large and beautifully carved.

  “Something to remember the day by,” Reyhan said, selecting several and offering them to her.

  She wouldn’t need a reminder. Everything about this time with him was burned onto her brain. But the bracelets were pretty. She reached for one made of linked hearts and slid it on.

  He took the bag of dates from her and passed them to one of the bodyguards, then held her hand out in front of her. When he turned her wrist, the light caught the shiny bangle.

  “Very nice,” he said, and gave the jeweler several folded bills.

  “Is it terribly expensive?” she asked, feeling a little guilty. “I can pay you back. I have my checkbook in my purse.”

  Reyhan didn’t speak, nor did he turn away. His dark gaze did the talking for him as she remembered who he was and all the money he’d left in her account. No doubt a silver bracelet wasn’t going to be a blip on his financial radar.