Читать книгу Royals Untamed! - Andie Brock, Annie West - Страница 14

CHAPTER SIX

THE SUN SHONE brightly as Amber watched the polo horses pounding up and down the field. This was the kind of glamour she hadn’t experienced before and in her new silk sundress she felt every bit as sophisticated and elegant as the other ladies. She was acutely aware of the interest Kazim’s presence was causing and the curious glances coming her way.

She slipped on her sunglasses, which offered her a place to hide, and feigned interest in the game, anything to try and avoid the tension that sliced through the air whenever Kazim spoke to those around them. His deep voice kept drawing her attention, her body painfully aware of his presence after last night.

This was the informal part of his business meeting, he’d explained as they’d arrived at the country hotel by helicopter a few hours earlier, and she was thankful that soon she could seek sanctuary in the luxury of their suite whilst he met with the other leaders in private. Being constantly near him was proving harder than she’d envisaged. In her heart she still loved him, but was it good for her to yearn after something so impossible? It hurt that he’d only looked for her out of duty and necessity and, if that hadn’t been bad enough, he’d made it clear he hadn’t come to Europe especially for her. She’d been nothing more than an afterthought.

‘Are you not enjoying the polo?’ Kazim’s voice startled her and she looked up, prickles of embarrassment colouring her face and a zip of awareness shooting down her spine.

‘I was thinking of Annie,’ she said tentatively after his admission last night. ‘I’m worried she will think news of Claude’s treatment is a hoax; after all, she has no idea who you are.’

Kazim took two flutes of champagne from a passing waiter and set them on the table before sitting down opposite her, his long legs intimately close to hers, and she trembled, shocked by his nearness. ‘You are correct. Annie had no idea who I was, or indeed who you were,’ he said firmly. ‘But that is all sorted now.’

‘It is?’ she questioned as she picked up her champagne in an effort to appear calm. How had Annie taken that news? Knowing Annie, she wouldn’t have accepted Kazim’s explanation without giving him the third degree and she smiled to herself, wondering how he’d coped with that. Maybe she should have put more in her note, explained who Kazim was, at least? ‘But did you tell her about Claude’s treatment?’

‘I told her, exactly as I promised,’ he said as he looked out at the polo match. ‘Hasim, my cousin, the man I trust above all others will accompany them to America. They leave today.’

She glanced at him. ‘So soon?’

Applause rippled around them and she glanced out as a goal was scored. She looked back at Kazim, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the match.

‘When I want something I will do whatever is necessary to make it happen.’ The hidden innuendo didn’t go unnoticed. He’d as good as told her last night that he wanted her. Was this his way of making it happen?

She watched as he sipped his champagne, loving the way the sun shone in his onyx hair. In fact she loved almost everything about this man. Despite all that had happened, she had done so since she’d first been introduced, the day she’d been told of their engagement by her parents. But she couldn’t let him know that; she couldn’t leave herself open for another rejection from him. She already knew from experience how lethally charming he could be if needed, just as he could be brutal and honest.

‘Thank you.’ She returned her attention to the polo match, not wanting him to see even the smallest trace of confusion on her face, because confused didn’t go halfway to explaining the tumult of emotions within her.

‘I always honour my promises,’ he said as he moved closer to her, keeping his words just for her ears.

She turned quickly, her face suddenly so very close to his and, despite her sunglasses, she was sure he knew exactly the riot of feelings that were racing deep within her; she could see the same unrest mirrored in his eyes.

‘Very commendable,’ she said, adopting a light-hearted tone she was far from feeling, needing to gain control again. She had to distance herself from him, if not physically then certainly emotionally.

He leant forward, putting his empty champagne flute on the table, his gaze holding hers all the time. The simmering sexual tension that rippled between them seemed to suddenly be at the point of exploding.

‘Finish your champagne,’ he said, his voice seductively husky, churning her stomach and sending heat coursing through her veins.

Her breath caught in her throat and she licked her lips, which had suddenly become very dry as the intensity of desire in his eyes surfaced. The molten bronze swirled against midnight blackness and nothing or nobody else existed. It was just the two of them.

Hesitantly, she took another sip; the bubbles fizzed in her mouth and he watched every tiny movement of her lips.

When she took the next sip heat curled around her body as if his strong arms held her against him. Then, in a slow and controlled move, he leant towards her, his lips brushing lightly over hers as if he wanted to taste the champagne on them.

She drew in a ragged breath and clutched tightly onto her almost empty flute as he drew back from her. The air around them throbbed with desire so raw she couldn’t speak. She didn’t want to say anything that might shatter the moment because right now she was desired and wanted by the man she loved.

Slowly and with intent, he took the champagne flute from her hand. Without taking his eyes from hers, he placed it on the table. ‘Come.’ The underlying sensuality in that one word was not lost on her. He took her hand, infusing her with even more heat, and stood, leaving her no option but to grab her bag and phone and go with him.

Amber was vaguely aware of heads turning and curious glances being cast their way as they left the match, but she didn’t care. His hand still held hers tightly, as if he thought at any minute she would turn and run. On one level she had no idea where they were going or why, but with some kind of instinct she’d never known before—she knew.

Once inside the hotel doorway he made straight for the wide sweeping staircase that led to the first floor and the palatial suites on each wing of the grand building. She pulled off her glasses, her breath coming so fast she couldn’t speak. Their bodies were communicating through the seductive waves of awareness darting between them like shooting stars.

They reached the door of their suite and he stopped and looked at her, his eyes so heavy with desire she caught her breath, biting down hard on her lower lip. He opened the door and took her hand, but she knew she would follow; she was well and truly under the spell of attraction that sparked in the air around them.

‘What was that display for?’ Finally she managed to get some words out. Indignation was the best form of defence, she decided, as the door to their suite closed. It was her only defence against what was happening, the only hope she had of clinging to sanity. He turned to face her. She raised her chin defiantly at him, raw desire burning in his eyes as they boldly raked over her.

‘I think you know.’ He swiftly crossed the room and, before she could move or say anything, he’d swept her feet from the floor and taken her in his arms. With intent and purpose he strode into the bedroom.

Her head became light and a dizzying sensation fluttered around her heart and she knew what he wanted. He wanted her. Passion boiled wildly between them and she no longer cared about what had happened in the past, or what might happen in the future. All she cared about was this moment.

He laid her gently on the bed as if she was the most precious thing ever then removed his jacket quickly, tossing it impatiently aside before covering her body with his. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer, and was rewarded with a deep guttural growl as his lips claimed hers in a hard, demanding kiss.

Her whole body sang, as if she’d waited forever for this moment. She had, and one thing was certain—this time it would happen. It was what she wanted. She wanted to be his—completely.

His hand slid down her side to her hip and she moved beneath him, giving into an instinct that rose up and engulfed her as she encouraged him to take more, to make her his.

He deepened the kiss and she spread her hands across his back, relishing the warmth of his skin through his shirt, feeling the power of his strength. Everything about that moment was as wild and untamed as she knew he was.

It was what she’d always dreamed it would be like, passionate and all consuming, not at all like she’d imagined it would have been on their wedding night. Then it would have been nothing more than a signature on a contract. This was so much more. This passion, this heated desire, it was what she wanted and, judging by his response, Kazim did too.

He broke the kiss and propped himself over her, his eyes heavy with desire. His breath came hard and fast and, unable to help herself, she slid the palms of her hands down each of his arms, savouring the strength and power of his muscles.

Her whole body was alive, tingling with desire for him. This was what she wanted but at the same time she knew it would only cause more problems, more heartache.

* * *

Kazim tried hard to rein in the maelstrom of emotions rushing around his body. Never had a woman driven him so crazy with desire that he’d all but dragged her back to his hotel room in the middle of the afternoon. But then never had a woman made him wait so long. He had, he decided, been ensconced in the desert far too long and now he had very little control left.

‘If this isn’t what you want...’ he heard his words come out in a low growl, saw the shocked expression cross her beautiful face, but he couldn’t stop them ‘...then I suggest you say now.’

She moved beneath him, her body pressing against his erection, and he clenched his jaw hard, hanging onto the last thread of control. She was draining the strength from him and when her hands slid down his arms he almost couldn’t bear it.

Slowly she reached her hand up to his face, her palm pressing against his cheek, and he wasn’t sure if she was trembling or if he was shaking with the effort of control.

‘I want this, Kazim,’ she whispered huskily. ‘I want you.’

He pushed aside the doubts that had made him walk out on her on their wedding night. He couldn’t think about them now; the raging throb of desire in his body needed quenching. It needed quenching now. He wanted her—completely.

He looked at her face, the colour creeping over her cheeks as his hand slid down her leg until he reached the hemline of her dress. Slowly, he slid his hand underneath the silk and upwards. The soft brown of her eyes darkened, her breathing deepened and he watched in fascination as her lips parted, a soft sigh escaping them.

‘Kazim,’ she pleaded, her gaze fixed on his, her fingernails digging into his arms.

Just his name on her lips sent him into overdrive, unable to think of anything other than making her his. He touched the lace of her panties at her hip and pulled hard, the satisfying sound of tearing making his pulse race. He lifted himself up on one arm and quickly freed himself from the constraints of his clothes. He was too impatient to remove them all—he wanted her now.

As if in encouragement, she moved her legs either side of his and he pushed her dress up, watching her face all the time.

For a fleeting moment he wondered if he should take things more slowly, but as she moved against him, sighing softly, tormenting him with the heat of her body, he knew he couldn’t.

‘Kazim,’ she sighed and he shook with hungry need, her husky whisper heightening his desire. Should he use contraception? The question floated on the periphery. No, she was his wife and he needed an heir. If this moment led to such an outcome it wouldn’t be a hardship.

‘Kazim...’ She encouraged him again, her voice almost lost to pleasure, her hands pressing him against her.

He had precious little control left now; all he wanted was to be deep inside her, feel her heat surround him. She wrapped her legs around him, moving temptingly against him. He felt her wetness and couldn’t hold back any longer. In one swift movement he thrust himself into her, the ecstasy of it making him cry out.

‘Kazim!’ Her cry of pleasure mingled with his and she lifted her hips up, meeting him, taking him deeper still, until it was as if all the stars in the desert night sky had exploded around him.

As his heart rate slowed and he regained his ability to think, he felt triumphant. She was his, but he reeled with the shock of realising that she had been a virgin, that the rumours had been nothing more than malicious gossip started by a conman on the make. Now she would always be his, no matter what.

That last thought sat uncomfortably with him. Didn’t that make him as dominating as his father?

* * *

Amber dragged in harsh ragged breaths, her body shaking from the electrifying passion that had so fiercely consumed them both. She looked up at Kazim’s face and it was as if the clock had turned back, as if she was once more being subjected to his scrutiny. She closed her eyes against the pain of that night, turning her head against the pillow.

She couldn’t do it again. Couldn’t boldly stand and take his rejection. Not now, not after what had just happened.

In one swift move his hand cupped her face, forcing her to look back at him. ‘It should not have been like that.’ His words were short and sharp and she bit into her bottom lip, still reeling from his wild and raw possession.

How should it have been? The question ran around her head as he brushed his lips over hers, easing the soreness her teeth had just made.

‘It was your first time. I should have been gentle, more in control of myself.’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ she whispered so quietly his eyes narrowed as he looked down at her. She could still feel the warmth of his body against her, warmth that was stirring new needs despite the words he spoke.

‘It matters.’ His hand left her face, the air cooling the heat on her cheek where his palm had scorched her skin. Swiftly, he lifted his body from hers and then off the bed, marching towards the bathroom. ‘You deserve better than that.’

She listened as water gushed from the shower, wondering what she should now do. This was almost an exact replica of their wedding night, only this time they had made love. That night he’d strode off to the bathroom too. He’d hardly been able to hide his fury at discovering his bride was not a simpering virgin. She realised her actions had given the wrong message to him, made him think the worst of her.

She hadn’t said anything, hadn’t defended herself or explained why she’d done it, why she’d tried to be something she wasn’t.

Suddenly feeling exposed, she pulled her dress down and, sitting up, slid her legs off the bed. She didn’t know what to do now or what mood her husband would be in when he emerged from the shower.

Images rushed into her mind of his olive skin beneath the jets of water, droplets cascading down him. She closed her eyes against the thought. She might want him, desire him with a passion that could never be doused, but he didn’t feel the same about her. To him, what they’d just shared was once again duty. Just as their marriage ceremony had been.

It was always duty with Kazim.

Yes, she’d married him out of love—a love born of teenage dreams once their engagement and planned arranged marriage had been announced—but she had always been aware the untamed playboy prince everyone believed him to be took his duty very seriously.

She looked down and saw her torn and discarded panties on the floor and fire burned in her cheeks as she remembered just how wild and reckless she’d been, how totally abandoned. She’d virtually begged him. Embarrassment took over and inwardly she cringed. All she wanted to do was take off the soft silky sundress she’d bought yesterday and slip back into her usual jeans and T-shirt. She’d be safe then, able to hide once more behind her wall of defence.

Her heart pounded as she thought of what could have come of today if she hadn’t been taking the Pill, for medical reasons rather than contraception. The thought of having a child, of bringing it into a family where its parents didn’t love one another, was too much. She knew well enough how such a child would feel, having grown up with parents who didn’t show their love to her, let alone each other.

She undid the buttons down the front of the pale blue silk dress and, despite loving its soft quality against her skin, couldn’t wait to discard it. She tossed it roughly aside, kicked off her heels and yanked open the drawer to grab another pair of panties. They didn’t match her bra, but that was the least of her worries now. She just needed to get dressed and quickly. The shower had stopped.

‘So beautiful.’ Kazim’s husky voice sent goosebumps over her body as she tugged her jeans from the drawer. Holding them against herself, slowly she turned to face him.

Her mouth dried. He stood before her in nothing more than a towel slung low on his hips. A very small towel. The late afternoon sun filled the room, making his damp skin gleam, and heat gathered deep inside her as her stomach somersaulted.

He moved closer to her, his eyes, swirling with molten bronze, held hers and she couldn’t move. Slowly, he reached out and tried to take the jeans from her, but her fingers were clutching them so tightly he had to tug them free. Now she had nothing to hide behind but resisted the urge to cover herself with her arms. She wouldn’t let him know how uncomfortable and out of her depth she was, standing before him in just her underwear.

Her jeans dropped with a thump to the floor, but she hardly heard it over the thudding of her heart. She could smell his body, fresh from the shower, but nothing could mask the intoxicating scent of pure male. Her head spun and she kept her gaze fixed on his ever blackening eyes. To look at his naked and glorious body would be so easy, but she didn’t dare. She didn’t trust herself.

‘This time,’ he said in a thick and unsteady voice, ‘will be how it should have been on our wedding night.’

Her knees weakened and she bit down hard on her lower lip, wishing she could break eye contact but at the same time not wanting to. He pushed her hair back from her face and then with both hands held either side of her head gently as his lips met hers. The kiss was soft and persuasive, teasing and tormenting her until she had no choice but to respond.

He deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding between her lips to entwine with hers, and she sighed with pleasure, her body melting and swaying towards his. Still his hands held her head, gently keeping her just where he wanted her, so that his kiss became the most erotic sensation she’d ever known, making every part of her so sensitive she could feel the heat of his body even though they weren’t touching each other.

Unable to fight the instinct that seemed as natural as breathing, she traced her fingertips over his biceps, felt them flex. The growl that came from him as he kissed her harder urged her on. She slid her hands up his arms to his broad shoulders then down his back, moving her body closer to his until just a sizzle of electricity separated them.

‘From the first moment I saw you, you’ve driven me wild.’ His seductively low voice sent shivers down her spine as he broke the kiss, his hands sliding down her back, pulling her hard against his almost naked body.

The slightly coarse hair of his chest made her breasts tingle despite the white lace that still covered them. He crushed her against the hardness of his chest, her breasts pressed close to him. The ridge of his arousal, hard against her, sent shivers of anticipation spiralling around her and she dropped her head back, a sigh of pure pleasure escaping.

‘And now I’m going to drive you wild,’ he growled as he kissed her exposed throat until she couldn’t stand it any longer and raised her head, stopping the torment.

You’ve driven me wild. The words floated like a dream in her head and a little spring of hope was born. He wanted her, desired her. Could there be a future for them and was it so wrong to abandon herself to the pleasure of the moment with the man she loved and always would?

Another gasp of pleasure escaped her lips as he unclasped her bra and stepped back slightly to pull the lace from her body, his eager gaze on her naked breasts, which tingled with hunger for his touch.

He lowered his head and took one firm nipple in his mouth, his tongue twisting around it, and she plunged her hands into the silky depths of his hair, closing her eyes to the sensation that raced through her. His hands slid down to the small of her back, caressing her skin and leaving a trail of fire.

‘Kazim.’ The whisper of his name from her lips made her heart pound wildly and she thought she wouldn’t be able to stay on her feet for much longer.

His mouth left her nipple, the cool air making it tingle but, before she could move or say anything, he’d claimed the other one. The onslaught of desire continued and her hips pushed towards him.

She couldn’t take any more of this. Each touch was seducing her into total surrender. Her fingers gripped his hair, currents of desire rushed through her and her knees buckled as his mastery continued.

He caught her as she slid against him, pulling her upright and holding her firmly; his lips claimed hers once more in a hard and demanding kiss, one that gave no mercy. She closed her eyes as the room spun and kissed him back.

He moved against her, forcing her to step back until she felt the bed behind her and fell back onto it, bringing him with her. His demanding kiss continued as his hand slid down her body, his breathing hard and fast. He pulled back from her and levered himself off the bed, reached down and in one swift movement pulled her panties down her legs, throwing them aside.

He stood before her as she propped herself up on her elbows, strangely comfortable with her nakedness. His black eyes swirled with molten desire, firmly focused on her. The energy that zipped between them was intense and potent, manipulating both of them. His lips lifted into a teasing smile as he pulled the towel from his hips and slung it aside, leaving him totally naked to her eager gaze.

He was magnificent, his bronzed body a work of art. Total perfection. Hungrily, she took in every detail, from an old scar on the left side of his chest to the tantalising trail of dark hair going down over his abs, drawing her gaze to his erection.

Before she could register any thoughts, let alone say any words, he’d joined her on the bed, lying at her side, propping himself up on one elbow. The heat of his body scorched into her and she turned her head to face him, wanting his kisses, needing his touch.

She touched the scar and he dragged in a deep breath. ‘What happened?’

‘My father...he lost his temper with my mother.’ His expression hardened and her heart sank. Had she asked the wrong thing? ‘I tried to protect her. But now is not the time to talk.’

She allowed her fingers to trace the scar once more and whispered softly, ‘Sorry.’

He trailed his fingertips across her lips, silencing her sympathy, then down her face and throat and to the hardened peak of one nipple. He was distracting her but she couldn’t help herself and writhed in pleasure as he lightly circled it before moving to the other one. She gasped as her lips sought his.

He laughed, a soft, low, sexy rumble that made her heart skitter. ‘Such a beautiful body,’ he said as he kissed her gently, but she could taste the underlying urgency he held firmly in check. ‘And you are all mine.’

She pushed aside the words of possession, not wanting to think of anything now, only to surrender herself to this moment. ‘Make me yours again,’ she whispered boldly against his lips. Deep down, she knew that, whatever happened, she would always be his, that she would always love him, and right now she wanted to sample that elusive dream of love and happiness that existed only inside her.

His fingertips continued their torture as he trailed lower, circling over her stomach for a moment before moving down between her legs, to the centre of her throbbing desire. He’d barely touched her as the first wave of ecstasy broke over her body like a wild wave crashing to the shore. She moved against his touch as each wave rushed over her, threatening to drag her away.

As the last ebb of delight slid over her so did he, his hard thighs nudging her legs apart as he slowly slipped deep inside her.

‘Amber—’ his voice demanded her attention, but she was still floating from his touch and now the feel of him inside her was too much ‘—look at me.’

She opened her eyes and saw the flush of desire cross his face, saw his eyes grow heavy. His momentum increased, taking her once more to a place she’d only just discovered. Their gazes locked as she lifted her hips, moving with him, increasing the pleasure of the moment.

Harsh words she could barely recognise rushed from him as he moved harder and faster within her, taking her to the heights of ecstasy again, this time clinging to him, her fingernails deep in his back as their cries of pleasure mingled together.

She lay against the pillow, her hands absently stroking down his back as her heart rate slowed. He rolled away from her to lie on his back and she stole a look at him, the harshness he hid behind already back on his face, and her heart sank. It had not been the loving moment for him that it had been for her.

It had been possession. Duty.

* * *

The afternoon sun had gone from the room and Kazim stirred, his body languidly replete. He was more relaxed than he’d been for many months. Was that why he’d allowed the desire that had throbbed between him and Amber to explode so spectacularly?

The second time, he’d tried to be gentle but it had been beyond him to do so. Urgency had driven him again. Memories of that altercation, the moment he’d lost all control and lashed out at his father, had been stirred by her sympathy. The scar to his skin wasn’t deep, but emotionally it was still livid and raw, brought to the surface once more by Amber.

She moved against him and he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms again, kiss her awake and make love to her for the rest of the night, but he had further meetings this evening.

He ran his fingers through his hair as the relaxed feeling he’d woken with disappeared. He should have made it clear to her exactly why her presence in Barazbin was required. He should have told her that she was not only expected to be his princess but the mother of his heir. But wasn’t that why they’d married in the first place? To secure his succession and the future of Barazbin.

‘What’s wrong?’ Her soft voice tentatively asking the question roused him from his thoughts and he looked at her lying sleepily in his bed, her lovely hair like silk spread over the pillow.

‘I was just thinking about the final meetings I have this evening.’ He danced around the truth, not wanting to tell her that the meetings would take place only because she was here with him, that their reconciliation was already having an effect on his country’s relations with its neighbours.

‘You’re leaving me—again?’ She smiled teasingly at him.

Even so, guilt ripped through him at the hidden rawness of the question. He’d hurt her badly before, handled it all wrong. ‘For a few hours, yes, then I will be back.’

He wanted to pull her close, to kiss her and reassure her, but didn’t trust his ability to control himself. Instead, he chose that moment of unguarded openness to ask what he’d wanted to ask almost a year ago. What he should have asked.

‘That dance you performed on our wedding night?’ He kept his tone soft and coaxing, reaching out to stroke her face.

Her eyes closed briefly but he waited.

‘I made a mistake,’ she said then looked at him.

‘As did I.’ He’d believed the rumours, which he now knew were unfounded.

‘I’d hoped I could distract you... I didn’t want you to think I was completely inexperienced.’ She paled as she said the words and he realised he’d stopped stroking her face and that his own was set in a hard frown.

‘That is why you performed that dance? So that I wouldn’t think you were a virgin?’ He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Surely she knew that in his culture a man prized virginity above all else when he married?

‘I had been warned by my mother that you had a reputation, that you wouldn’t appreciate inexperience.’ Her face coloured as she explained her motives and inwardly he cursed her mother’s unintentional bad advice.

He swore harshly, unable to believe what she was telling him, and she pulled back from him, physically and emotionally. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘It’s in the past,’ Amber said as she slid from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom, coming out a few moments later wrapped in a white towelling robe. ‘Let’s just forget it and move on. All I need to do now is return to Barazbin with you. Once you have sorted things with your father we can divorce and go back to our lives. Providing Claude has had his treatment, that is.’

He had to tell her everything.

‘We can’t divorce, Amber, not ever.’

* * *

Amber felt as if the floor she stood on had turned to quicksand and that she was sinking—fast. Was there no end to his ability to shock her?

She shook her head. ‘That can’t be right.’ She’d wanted a happy ever after since she was a young girl, had dreamed of marrying a handsome prince and being loved. So far she’d only got one part of that dream.

Kazim threw back the sheets and got out of bed, not even trying to cover his naked body as he crossed the room and took clean clothes from the wardrobe. He turned to face her, his bare chest, sporting the scar, drew her attention until he spoke.

‘You knew I was heir to the throne. Just as you knew our marriage was arranged to unite two kingdoms and nothing more. We should never have parted, certainly not within hours of the ceremony.’ He paused and looked at her, as if letting the words sink in.

‘Now your father is ill,’ she whispered, more to herself, finally understanding the implications of what he was trying to tell her.

He nodded. ‘That is why you must return to Barazbin. I am the sole heir to the throne. We cannot divorce.’

‘But you don’t love me.’ The words rushed out of her as his stern face regarded her from the other side of the room.

‘Love has nothing to do with it,’ he snapped and he picked out a shirt, roughly pulling it on. ‘It never has and never will.’

She watched as he continued to dress, obviously preparing for his final meeting. She couldn’t wait for him to go. She just wanted to be alone with her thoughts and the knowledge that she would never be free of the man she loved—a man who didn’t love her.

Shock made her shiver and she sat down on the bed, hardly able to stand any longer. ‘You knew this all along?’

‘I am doing my duty, Amber, just as you are.’

Indignation flared to life inside her. ‘By first blackmailing me and then seducing me? You even let me carry on believing I only needed to return to Barazbin for a short while.’

His handsome features clouded with anger as their eyes locked. She didn’t know what to think. How had life become so complicated? Because Kazim had come storming back into it.

‘I haven’t time to discuss it now.’ He strode to the door, his anger evident with every step. ‘Be ready to leave for Barazbin as soon as I return. It is time to go home.’