by Mel Teshco
"Actually, I told them to stay well back."
"Good."
"Though now I think of it, they were too far away, given they didn't detect the assassin." He suppressed a grin at the expression of relief on her face before calling out to his chief of security to enter the bedroom. He quickly explained the situation before ordering his men to take the assassin away for further questioning on their boat. It was time to trap the scorpion who'd sent the assassin.
When they had gone, he watched May through narrowed eyes as she put the safety catch on the gun and stored it in the bulkhead. He took the knife that May had used and cleaned it in the bathroom. "You did well to find the knives. To think I thought you were praying when you were hiding behind the bed on your knees."
"I was praying you had the same storage system as my brother had on his yacht. I couldn't find the catch to the knife drawer at first. That was a close call. I'm glad I paid attention when Saladin was boasting about his arsenal. Luckily his designer is not original."
Rafi walked over to her, returned the knife to its case and slid the drawer closed so that it looked like part of the base of the mattress. He stood and put his arms around her. "You saved my life."
She returned his hug, resting her head against his chest. "To think I would have as easily taken it when I first encountered you."
"My fierce princess, you continue to amaze me." He kissed her head and stroked her hair astounded at her resilience. "There is an Omani saying that when a man saves the life of another, the saved man must give service for one year."
"How long is the servitude if the man is saved by a woman?"
May had a penetrating gaze when she stared at him. "A life time," he said.
Emotion thickened her voice, but this time it was of the joyful variety. "That sounds like marriage."
"I'm glad you see it that way. We're going to be happy together."
"Yes, husband, we are."
Chapter Five
While May took a shower, Rafi phoned Shahzad to brief him on the incident. He looked at his watch, glad to see it would be late afternoon in Omana.
"Rafi, good to hear from you. So you found your runaway princess?" Shahzad asked.
"She is as beautiful as her photos, but that is not why I have called. We've had an incident." He recounted what had happened and explained his suspicions.
"I will question the assassin myself. I will arrange for my embassy to get clearance from the Australian government for my private jet to land in Brisbane. Have your security guards ready to fly the man home the moment the jet arrives. Ensure that he lives."
"I will escort him myself," Rafi insisted.
"No. That won't be necessary. You've carried the guilt over our parents for too long and you've worked tirelessly since our parents died, trying to uncover the culprit. My heart is heavy that you suspect our uncle, Hashim, but my spies have given me disturbing information. Hashim did not support my marriage to Lexi. He sided with Kaela and escorted Lexi away. Lexi has just identified him by his ring. Hashim and his head of police have been reported paying gold to Ketayan tribesmen. Our secret police have identified the body of the man we found dressed in Qtari clothing at our parent's Millenium celebrations. He was one of the Ketayan nomad tribe and not Qtari. The body your men found in the Qtari desert when Saladin was murdered also belongs to the Ketayan tribe."
"As does this assassin. It is no coincidence. He says a wealthy lord hired him. I want him to identify the lord. We must have final proof that our uncle is behind this. Let's face it, Shahzad, he is next in line for the throne if we three die." Rafi rubbed his five o'clock shadow, suddenly weary. Part of him was unable to bear that his own blood could betray them.
"Our father would be horrified," Shahzad said, his voice flat with grief. "He loved Hashim."
"As I am," Rafi said.
"Brother, take your time motoring home. Enjoy your bride. I will continue this investigation and have Hashim's arrest warrant prepared."
"I am head of security. I should be by your side." The faces of his mother and father swam before his eyes, haunting him. He had failed to keep them safe.
"No. As ruler of Omana I wish to do this myself. I've seen how this has eaten you alive. It's time you took a break and enjoyed your princess. That is an order."
"Yes, your majesty." Rafi recognized the authority in his brother's voice and his need to take charge as was his right. Part of him was glad to let go, if only for a short time. He didn't want to think anymore.
He said his farewells to his brother, knowing that Shahzad was more than capable of getting to the bottom of their parents' murder. Right at the moment all he wanted was to hold May.
*
When May stepped out of the shower wrapped in a towel, she was delighted when Rafi took it from her and dried her body.
"Your skin is so smooth. I want to keep touching you."
"Is this part of your service since I saved your life?" May purred, lifting her arms so he could dry under them and around her breasts.
"If you wish it to be." He dried between her legs and she didn't miss the look of hunger in his eyes.
"Can we move to another room?" she asked, taking the towel from him and hanging it on the towel rail in the bathroom before walking back into the bedroom. There was blood on the carpet. She couldn't bring herself to stay in this cabin a moment longer.
"Too much has happened here." Face creased with concern, Rafi helped her put on a silk robe.
"If you've designed this yacht like Saladin's, there should be a smaller room next to this one."
"There is."
"On his yacht, he'd had it done out, especially for me." It helped with grief over Saladin knowing Rafi had cared about him.
"Come. See if you like it." He led her into a smaller bedroom next to his with a double bed.
"This is nice." May looked around with approval. There was a window on the port side of the room but it wasn't large. A double bed was at the back of the room decorated with a bright coverlet. She walked over to the window and pulled the blind down. The thought that there were security men in the boat moored behind them made her skin crawl. She accepted they needed them, especially after what had happened. Although she could see the freedom she hoped for disappearing. In such a short time she'd become attracted to Rafi, her feelings deepening every minute spent in with him. She'd be kidding herself if she weren't flattered by his returned interest. His utter fascination with her. He was a wonderful lover, considerate and generous, very concerned with her needs, even if she was only learning what she enjoyed.
Rafi put his arm around her. "I want you to feel safe. I had such dreams for our honeymoon. Such hope."
That he thought he'd failed her hung in the air. May took his hand and led him to the bed. "I have a great need to hold you skin to skin. That's what makes me feel safe."
She slipped off her robe, pulled back the coverlet on the bed and sat watching as Rafi pulled off his trousers.
He lay beside her and pulled her to him.
May breathed in his warm, musky scent, relieved to have him hold her close. "Your skin is so smooth." She stroked her hand over his chest, enjoying the feeling of his crisp, chest hair and flat boy nipples. He had a perfectly proportioned body with a strong chest, long arms and rippling abdomen. She could gaze on him forever.
He started to push her onto her back.
"No. You're in service to me for saving your life. I get to direct what we're doing tonight and you can do what you're told." She enjoyed watching the way his eyebrows raised when she came up with something unexpected.
"If you so desire."
She pushed him onto his back instead and lay on top of him. "You know so much about me. I have a lot of catching up to do."
His dark eyes gleamed with amusement. "Just what do you want to learn now you have achieved womanhood?" He put his arms around her back and pressed her bottom down so that she could feel his hard cock beneath her.
"Do not to underestimate me. Sanura and
I found every banned thing on the Net to watch when Sanura's aunt wasn't around."
"May. You make me laugh."
"I hope this won't." She raised herself, bestowed a kiss on his lips and shimmied down his body, planting herself between his legs.
Rafi cocked on eyebrow. "Some women do not enjoy that. You don't have to."
May took his cock in her hands. "You should know by now that I'm not some woman. I'm your princess and I plan to enjoy every banned thing I'm not supposed to know about."
Rafi grinned and the boyish delight she'd glimpsed before, showed on his face. He didn't seem to mind her taking the initiative and she reveled in this new freedom. She loved the feel of his cock. It was hot, hard and big.
"So you think you know what you're doing with that?" Rafi asked, amusement glinting in his eyes.
"I'm a fast learner and you are delicious. I want to explore every inch of you." She licked her lips to moisten them and put them around the head of his cock, fitting him into her mouth. Licking the underneath of his shaft with her tongue, she discovered she loved the texture and taste of him.
Rafi's eyes became hooded and he groaned.
Encouraged, she moved her lips further down his cock, taking more and more of him into her mouth, discovering the feel of him and learning how much she could fit in. She bobbed her head in the rhythm she'd seen on the banned videos. The girls there had made it look so easy. She hit the back of her throat. It wasn't. Nearly gagging, she stopped and released him, giving herself a moment to catch her breath. Looking up, she noticed Rafi's lips were parted and his eyes had a faraway look as if he were enjoying this. On seeing her staring he snapped out of his trance.
"You okay?" Genuine concern was written on his face.
She remembered what he'd done to her and how expertly he'd managed to manipulate her response even when she hadn't wanted him to. Licking her lips to again moisten them, she cupped his balls and slid her mouth over him once more, taking him right down to her throat.
He moaned and rolled his hips. "Oh May."
A thrill of hedonism rippled through her body. It was special to give such intimate pleasure to him. To know he belonged to her and that he wanted her so much gave her a deep sense of happiness. She had no idea if she would love him in the future as a wife should. It was too soon. She just knew that she was enjoying this moment, the way she had from the moment she'd realized she was safe with him. This time she managed to increase her rhythm sliding her mouth up and down him, licking underneath the head of his cock when she reached the top. When she hit the back of her throat, he gasped until his whole body began to shudder.
He moaned her name over and over until he reached down and grasped her hair, curling his fingers in it and holding her still. "I'm going to come."
A deep groan left his lips, his back arched and his whole body stiffened.
A rush of hot liquid filled her mouth, the salty nature of it making her eyes water. She swallowed and blinked. She sat on her haunches watching him. Rafi looked like he'd died and gone to heaven. His face and chest were flushed and his chest rose and fell in hot breaths of air.
He held out his arms to her. She lay beside him, trying to become accustomed to the taste of him in her mouth.
"Wait a moment." As if he knew what she were thinking, he rose and walked out of the room, coming back with two bottles of mineral water. "Drink." He twisted the lid off one of the bottles and gave it to her. "Was that the first time you've done that?"
May nodded, taking another sip, enjoying the bubbles in the water, feeling rather pleased with herself.
"You are a gift to a man." He took the water bottle from her and pulled her to him.
"I enjoyed it. When I look at you, it's like your body is one of those Italian sculptures made by one of the great masters. You're so handsome."
Something in his expression changed as he gazed at her. His eyes had softened and his whole body seemed relaxed. He stroked her face, his fingers gentle. "When I was in the army I used to look upon your photo wishing I was permitted to have a girlfriend. I used to make up conversations that we'd have. It was my only relief from being surrounded by men most of my life. I never thought it would come true. You are just as lovely, perhaps more lovely now, as you were in my dreams."
"You're not going to change when we return to Omana, are you?"
"Do you mean become autocratic like your father?"
It was the first time she'd heard Rafi say something critical about her father. He'd been so diplomatic. She nodded and swallowed. "I don't want my mother's life. She was so in love with my father until he took another wife. Now she's a shadow; a prisoner in Qtara."
"I'm so sorry, my darling princess."
She clutched his hands. "I miss her terribly but I can't forgive my father for how he has treated her. It's inhumane. I have to ask his permission to see her."
"Remember my vow. I'll free her for you. Once you're settled, I'll fly to Qtara and bring her to visit."
"My father would never permit it and even if he did, he'd exact something from you, you don't want to give."
"If this is what you want, if this is what will keep you happy, then I'll pay the price." He stroked her hair from her face.
"You're so kind. I never realized. When I first encountered you, I thought you were an autocrat like my father."
"And I thought you were spoilt, but you're not like that at all." He took a deep breath. "I do my duty to my family. I have to. But I want you to understand, I loved you long before we met. I think I loved you from the moment Saladin shared your photos with me. You deserve kindness and I want to be the one to give it to you. I know what happened to your mother. I can't turn back time but I can make it better for her."
Tears filled her eyes and love poured into her soul. "You mean it, don't you? You'll do anything to make me happy."
"Maysarah, I used to dream about our life together, a life I never thought I'd have with you. Sometimes, I'd look at Khalid and jealously would twist in my gut. Things always seemed to come so easily for him. I knew it was wrong to feel that way. I knew I was unreasonable. Khalid had no say in what wife would be chosen for him. You are an unexpected gift for me. One I never thought I was entitled to have."
"You make me so happy. You're a good man." Her chest was full of joy and hope. Rafi genuinely cared for her. The thought she'd see her mother unsupervised thrilled her. She knew Rafi meant it. He would do everything in his power to help her settle into her life as his wife.
"I have something for you." He pushed to his feet and strode from the room, returning with a small box in his hand. "I hope you'll like it." He opened the box which contained two rings: one an engagement ring, the other a wedding ring, both designed to fit together. "This is from the family's crown jewels. I insisted on ordering a new modern cut diamond. It seemed more like you."
May stared at the striking diamond ring with the large stone glittering in the center, and whatever reservations she might have had melted clean away. Not because this man could afford to spoil her as a princess expected, but because he’d thought of every little detail to make her happy. Sometimes it was the small things in life that really counted and Rafi noticed them. Tiny diamonds were embedded right around the band. "It's beautiful. Breathtaking."
He slid it onto her ring finger, watching her face as if to garner her reaction.
"How did you manage to get the right size? It fits perfectly."
"Your father had your measurements taken from other rings you had."
"You left nothing to chance," she said, watching as he slid on her wedding ring.
"May, I lost so much when I lost my parents. I loved you from afar for so long, I still can't believe the wild, fighting, crazy girl I encountered in the bedroom is my wife."
May put her arms around him as she came to realize just how deeply Rafi thought and how caring he was. She admired the way he'd apologized for his treatment of her earlier, but more than anything, his promised kindness to her mother,
caught her heart. He was not a cruel man like her father. He was special. Not the kind of man to let go. "I love you, Rafi. I still can't believe I'm your wife."
Epilogue
Six weeks later.
Lexi walked toward Sanura and Maysarah, who sat on the large, cream lounger sipping mint tea in the palace's luxurious courtyard. Bright sunlight shone through the ornate dome roof, reflecting the nearby fountain water in a dance across the friezes on the walls. Lexi smiled, glad that both girls had made her so welcome. They looked so alike now May had dyed her hair back to her original dark color that Lexi had to look twice.
Sanura patted the lounge beside her. "How are you feeling, Lexi?"
Lexi sat, toed off her sandals and put her feet up. A servant approached carrying a tray with assorted sweet pastries and delicately cut sandwiches but she waved the food away.
"Mint tea, perhaps?" May asked her.
Lexi nodded gratefully. "Please. It's the only thing I can drink at the moment."
"The morning sickness is that bad?" Sanura asked, wide-eyed.
She rested her hand on her stomach noticing the girls' eyes following her movement. She wasn't showing yet, but it wouldn't be long. “It could be a lot worse.”
May ordered more tea and the servant nodded. May was the only wife who spoke the language of Omana.
Lexi sighed, wishing she had more fluency. Shahzad insisted that she learn the Omani language, but its deep glottal sounds were not easy to master. After the servant brought her tea, the scent clean and crisp, she raised her cup and looked at Sanura. "I believe we have something else to celebrate."
A rose-like hue colored Sanura's cheeks. "How did you know? I swore Khalid to secrecy."
"Khalid told Rafi who told Shahzad who just told me." Lexi grinned at the startled Sanura.
"Wait a minute?" May turned to Sanura. "You're pregnant?"
Sanura gave May an apologetic smile. "I wanted you to be one of the first to know but Khalid is so excited. We planned to tell everyone today, but obviously he couldn’t wait.”
