The Desert Rogues Part 1

by Susan Mallery

  “You didn’t make an appointment yesterday,” he said by way of greeting. “And the prince is just as busy today. I’m afraid you can’t see him.”

  She leaned forward, bracing her hands on the desk and bringing her face to within inches of the secretary’s. “I am Princess Liana, wife of the Crown Prince, and if I want to see my husband, I will. You may either announce me or get out of my way. Those are your choices.”

  Zachary flushed. “I’m sure there’s no reason to be rude.”

  “Then don’t be.”

  She straightened and headed for the closed door on her left. If Malik wasn’t in there, she would keep opening doors until she found him. She might not be sure what was going to happen with her marriage, but while she was here she was not going to let anyone push her around.

  “You can’t go in there,” Zachary said as he hurried to get in front of her. They reached the door at the same time. The secretary threw himself against the wood and glared at Liana.

  They were about the same height and Liana was fully prepared to take the man on. She was confused and tired and feeling more than a little lost in her current situation. Her husband was an enigma, her grandmother-in-law no longer approved of her, and she had to worry that any decisions she made about her personal life were going to have international ramifications.

  “Get out of my way,” she ordered.

  Just then the door swung open. Malik stood in the opening looking tall and handsome and annoyed. Liana swallowed, half-afraid he was going to take Zachary’s side. Instead he turned his attention to her and smiled.

  “Have you come to see me?” he asked, sounding pleased.

  She nodded. “I don’t have an appointment, so that seems to be a problem.”

  “No problem.” He took her hand and drew her past the secretary. “This is Princess Liana. She is always welcome and you will interrupt me whenever she asks you to. I don’t care who I’m with. Do you understand?”

  Zachary’s flush deepened. He nodded, then gave them both a slight bow.

  Malik ushered her into his office, which was nearly as nice as the king’s had been. She had a brief impression of a huge desk and bookcases before he led her to a corner grouping of low sofas. She settled on one of the cushions and Malik sat next to her.

  “He’s an annoying little man,” she said, motioning to the now-closed door.

  Malik squeezed her hand. “I agree. However, if there was a way to organize the sands of the desert, Zachary would find it. He’s most efficient, so I put up with his pretensions. However, I will not have him insulting you.”

  The tone of possessiveness made her knees go weak. Just being this close to Malik, taking in the freshly shaven jaw and the way his suit emphasized his strength, made her want to throw herself at him and beg him to take her. Around him she felt wildly alive. And safe. As if he would always take care of things. Which was insane. She could take care of herself, thank you very much. Still, the feeling lingered, and she found herself wanting to move closer to him.

  “Thank you for last night,” he said.

  She smiled even as she felt a faint heat on her cheeks. “Yes, well, it was amazing. Thank you.”

  “We do well together. Not just in bed,” he added. “I thought we were well matched at the dinner.”

  His comments mirrored her own thoughts. She stared at him, at his dark hair and the strong line of his mouth. Centuries of wisdom seemed to glow in his eyes. He had a history, both recent and ancient, that she couldn’t possibly understand. Their lives had nothing in common. Yet she felt as if she understood him. She wanted him and liked him. She cared about him. Which meant it wouldn’t be very difficult for her to fall in love with him.

  She pulled her hand free of his gentle hold and laced her fingers together on her lap. “What do you want from me?” she asked. “Is our relationship about sex? Are you looking for a friend and a companion? What do you expect from me? What is my role in all of this? I can’t make any decisions until I understand your goals.”

  Malik was silent for a long time. Liana studied his face, trying to figure out what he was thinking. But she didn’t have a clue. Finally, he leaned close and touched her cheek.

  “You have slender ankles.”

  She blinked. “What did you say?”

  He picked up her hand again and held it. “I can wrap my fingers around your wrist with room to spare. You are a delicate flower of a woman, yet so very strong inside.” Then he kissed her palm.

  “Malik, what are you talking about?”

  He stared intently into her eyes. “Your ankles. They are delicate. I imagine them, seeing them, touching them.”

  Something was very wrong, she thought through a haze of confusion. “I’m trying to have a serious conversation about our relationship and you want to talk about my bones?”

  Warm fingers stroked her knuckles. “All of you is wonderful.”

  If she didn’t know better, she would think he was drunk…or deranged. Was this an El Baharian thing? Maybe they were having a culture clash, and he thought this was how to woo a woman. “I don’t want to talk about body parts right now. What about us?”

  “Your skin is the color of cream.”

  She jerked her hand free. “You’re not making any sense.”

  “I want you to know how much I cherish you.”

  “Cherish is all fine and good, but what do you want from me?”

  His adoring expression changed into something unreadable. He released her hand and straightened. While he didn’t turn cold, he definitely withdrew from her. At first she felt hurt. As if all his compliments had been some weird game. But then she knew with a clarity she couldn’t explain that Malik wasn’t playing—he was protecting. Her question had terrified him and he didn’t want her to know.

  The truth appeared without warning. It burst into her mind like flowers blooming in spring—all bright and beautiful and tempting. Was she right? Could she truly believe?

  “You want me to stay,” she breathed. “You want me to fall in love with you.”

  He rose to his feet. “Of course,” he said curtly. “What did you think? Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting in five minutes.”

  Still stunned by Malik’s revelation, Liana didn’t know what to make of an invitation to dine with the family that night. She was more than a little nervous about seeing Fatima again and wondered if she was going to be lectured by the king and Malik’s brothers. But instead she and Bethany were made welcome in the private dining room and spent a pleasant evening enjoying their host’s company. Afterward, Malik walked them both to their suite.

  “I’m going to bed now,” Bethany said as soon as they entered the living room. “I’m really, really tired, and I’m sure I’ll be asleep in five minutes.”

  She gave them each a hug and a good-night kiss, then skipped down the hall and into her room. When the door shut, Liana sighed.

  “My daughter is many things, but she’s not subtle.”

  Malik stared after her. “She is a wonderful child. You’re very lucky to have her.”

  “I know, but thank you for noticing.” She shifted uncomfortably, not sure if she should invite him to sit down or simply throw herself into his arms. “I appreciate that you’ve taken so much time with her.”

  He turned his steady, dark gaze on her. “I do it because I want to. For no other reason.”

  She smiled. “That’s what makes it so meaningful. Bethany thinks the world of you.” She pressed her lips together, then decided this wasn’t the time to explain to Malik that her daughter thought of him as a surrogate father. It was too late to prevent Bethany from being hurt if they left El Bahar. Better for her to enjoy her time here. And who knows. Things might work out between Malik and herself. Speaking of which…

  She cleared her throat. “What were your plans for the rest of the evening?”

  He stepped close and cupped her face. “You are a light in the evening sky.”

  “Huh?”

 
“All other beauty pales before your radiance.”

  “Malik, you’re being weird again. It makes me nervous.”

  He kissed her mouth. “I want you to know how I appreciate your womanly charms.”

  She felt herself melting against him. “You have some impressive male charms, as well.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I don’t think Bethany will be asleep in five minutes, but it’s not going to take her too long to settle down. Would you like a drink while we wait?”

  He brushed his lips against hers again…slowly, seductively. His tongue moved against hers and made her gasp. She was already on fire. Heat filled her and she felt her panties growing damp as her body readied for his invasion. The thought of having to wait even five minutes was physically painful.

  “I will dream of your slender ankles, your pale skin and the sweet scent of your essence,” he said, stepping back.

  “Would you please speak in English?”

  Malik shrugged regretfully. “Sorry, Liana. I’m not staying here tonight. You are my wife and when we next make love, it will be in my room, in my bed and with your daughter sleeping down the hall.”

  Irritation joined the passion. It made for an interesting combination. “You’re blackmailing me.”

  “I told you I wanted you to move into my suite. It’s where you belong.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “You expect me to give in on everything. What do I get in return?”

  He didn’t answer. Instead he turned and left.

  She stood staring after him, then grabbed a pillow from the sofa and tossed it at the closed door. The childish gesture didn’t make her feel any better, nor did it make the situation any more clear. Malik’s sudden flowery compliments were very strange. And she hated his insistence that she move into his rooms. What was that all about? She paced the room, something she’d been doing a lot of these days, and knew she wouldn’t be falling asleep anytime soon. She was too aroused, too ready for her lover’s touch. Damn the man. She could only hope he was as uncomfortable as she.

  “Do it,” a little voice in her head whispered. “Would it be so terrible to go live with him?”

  But that was too much like giving in. She was always the one who bent in this relationship. Just once she wanted him to be the one to give in.

  “You’re making Mommy really crazy,” Bethany confided later the next week as she and Malik walked back from the stables.

  Malik wasn’t sure if she offered good or bad news. “How do I make her crazy?”

  The nine-year-old removed her riding hat and smoothed her blond braids. She smiled up at him. “She says we eat with you every night and all you do is talk about im-impersonal stuff.” She stumbled over the word, then continued. “And when you’re alone you keep talking about her slender ankles and her porcelain skin. She says she’s beginning to feel like the doll of the month on a cable-shopping channel.”

  Her small nose wrinkled. “Do you really like her ankles?”

  “I’m sure they’re very nice,” he said. “But they’re not my favorite part.”

  “Then why do you talk about them all the time?”

  They walked into the main garden outside the rear of the palace. Malik led them to one of the many stone benches along the path and sat down. Bethany settled next to him.

  Their daily rides had darkened her skin to the color of honey and added a dozen or so freckles to her cheeks. She still had an expression of wide-eyed innocence that made him want to hold her close and protect her from everything bad. He couldn’t imagine what his life had been like before this amazing child had burst into his world and changed it all around.

  “I took your advice,” he admitted, faintly embarrassed by the fact. “After I married your mother, you suggested that I find a way to make her less angry with me. You mentioned those romance novels she’s always reading, so I picked up a few.” He shook his head. “The men in those are always talking about the women’s slender ankles.”

  “That’s pretty dumb,” Bethany said.

  “I agree. But I thought it was worth a try.”

  “Try something else,” the child offered. “The ankle thing isn’t working. Besides, she’s also worried about the fact that you two have nothing in common and that you’re exactly the wrong kind of man for her.” She glanced around as if to make sure they were alone, then lowered her voice to a confidential whisper. “I think she’s kinda scared about being a royal princess. She was telling me that it’s fun to read about and dream about, but living that life is very different. She doesn’t want to mess up and embarrass you or the country.”

  “She could never do that. Your mother is very poised in every situation.”

  Liana putting a foot wrong was the least of his worries. He was more concerned that she wouldn’t give their marriage a chance. Time was slipping through his fingers, and he didn’t know if he was any closer to making her fall in love with him than he’d been when she’d first arrived. All his compliments didn’t seem to be helping. Not making love with her was slowly killing him, but he was determined to bring her into his bed. His gut told him that if he could get her into his quarters he would be that much closer to keeping her in his life.

  But not being with her meant that he couldn’t sleep. He had trouble concentrating while he worked, which had never happened to him before. He needed Liana not to leave. Somehow he had to convince her to stay past the one-month deadline. But how? What words could he use? All his life he’d been taught to be strong and in control, but no one had taken the time to show him how to get a woman to do what he wanted.

  “Malik, now that you and Mommy are married, are you my new dad?”

  Bethany asked the question without looking at him. She turned her riding hat over and over in her hands as if it were the most interesting thing she’d ever seen.

  When she was riding alongside him, her braids blowing behind her and her seat so comfortable and relaxed on her mount, he forgot that she was just a little girl. But now, with her sitting next to him and obviously afraid of his answer, she seemed small and defenseless.

  He put a hand on her shoulder. “Your father back in America will always be your real father. Nothing can change that and no one will take his place. If you’re asking if we’re now a part of each other’s lives, the answer is yes.”

  She raised her head, and he saw tears filling her blue eyes. Eyes so like her mother’s. “But what happens if we leave? Mommy swears we’re still going at the end of the month and if that happens, you’ll forget all about me.”

  A single tear spilled onto her cheek. It was as if she’d cut him with a knife. The pain sliced through him, making his muscles stiffen.

  Slowly, he brushed away that tear and the one that followed. He looked at her sweet face and knew that while Bethany might be the biological child of another man, she would always be the daughter of his heart. Because if Liana left him, he would not marry again. He couldn’t enter into an empty union of convenience now…not even for his beloved El Bahar.

  “Did you know that your name has a meaning in Arabic?” he asked.

  She sniffed, then shook her head. “What is it?”

  “In that language, Bethany means daughter of the Lord. In time I will rule El Bahar, which makes me lord of this country. So in some ways, that makes you my daughter, too.” He pulled her close and hugged her. “Don’t worry, child. I will never forget you.”

  Bethany clung to him. “I don’t want to go, Malik,” she breathed. “Don’t make us go.”

  “You are welcome as long as you would like.”

  She raised her head and looked at him. “I love you.”

  Her words completed the job her tears had begun. The knife cut clear through to his soul and all his life’s blood began to seep away.

  He didn’t say anything, he simply held her close. As much as he wanted her to care about him, he didn’t want her hurt when she left. And she would be hurt. He should have seen that before, but he hadn’t. As for loving her back…he shook of
f the thought. Love was not a part of his life. Long ago he’d vowed never to love anyone. Nothing had happened to change his mind. He wouldn’t love Bethany and he would never love Liana. Still, he promised himself that he would find a way to make them stay.

  “If I kill a prince, will they cut off my head?” Liana demanded as she paced her sister-in-law’s living room.

  Dora laughed. “I suspect they might. If they got the chance. However, Malik is much loved by his people, and you’d probably be killed by a vicious mob instead.”

  “Gee, thanks.” Liana stopped in front of the chair opposite the sofa and rested her hands on top of the back.

  “I’ve been living with an El Baharian prince for some time now,” Dora said. “They are difficult men. Passionate and incredibly loyal, which helps, but never easy. They have the normal annoyances inherent in all men, plus the idiosyncrasies that go along with being a member of a royal family. It’s not a life for the faint of heart.”

  Dora sat on a pale yellow sofa that brought out the gold in her brown hair. She was as elegant and regal as Fatima, and just as well dressed. Liana had heard the stories of her marriage to Khalil and it was hard to reconcile the princess in front of her with the image of an abandoned executive secretary standing alone and jobless in an airport.

  “But I think it’s worth it,” she added. “Khalil is the most wonderful man I’ve ever known. I would change the tide for him if he asked. As he would for me.”

  Liana nodded. She’d seen the love between husband and wife with both Dora and Khalil, and Heidi and Jamal. Sometimes when she and Malik dined with the other two couples, she felt a sharp stab of envy for their happiness. She wanted that, too. A caring relationship with a man who loved her as much as she loved him.

  “I don’t know what he’s feeling,” Liana confessed. “I can’t figure out why he wants me to stay.”

  “Does it matter?” Dora asked. “Isn’t it enough that he does? He chose you, Liana. Out of all the women in the world, he picked you.”

  “I know and because I can’t figure out why, it’s driving me crazy.”