Читать книгу One Night Of Consequences Collection - Ким Лоренс, Annie West - Страница 55
ОглавлениеNADIR HAD NEVER been one to suffer from nerves and yet today, his wedding day, he was as jumpy as a stock trader facing his first day on the floor.
Maybe it had something to do with the overcast sky when normally it was true blue and cloudless this time of year. He gazed at the gathering cloud cover. The wind hadn’t picked up enough to trigger a sandstorm so that was something at least. Especially since the convoy Nadir had sent out to find Zach had located the four-wheel drive he had been using overturned and buried in the sand. He hadn’t told Imogen but he felt slightly sick at the thought that something sinister had happened to his brother. Fortunately no body had been recovered, which meant that he hadn’t been buried along with the vehicle.
He knew he should probably call off the wedding until he knew what had happened but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He didn’t think he’d properly relax until Imogen was truly his, which was ridiculous because she’d already agreed to marry him and she seemed happy about it. Or was she just making the best of a bad situation?
He frowned, recalling her slight hesitation the night before when he’d asked her if she was happy. She’d said yes and he had no reason to believe she was lying but that hesitation... Telling himself he was being paranoid, he counted off the other thing bothering him. The leadership position. For days now his mind had been vacillating over what to do about it and for a man who was used to making quick decisions that was just damned annoying.
His daughter bounced excitedly in his arms and he refocused his attention on the one area of his life he felt he had a handle on.
He had taken her early so that Imogen could relax in a deep scented bath and be prepared for him like so many brides had been prepared for their men in times gone by. He’d looked at her seriously and told her it was a tradition she couldn’t refuse. She had laughed and said she was a girl and not only would she not refuse, but she’d revel in it while she was there.
That had set off all sorts of images in his head about her naked and wet and smelling like the sweetest flower. Tasting like the sweetest flower.
Nadeena pointed to something over his shoulder and started babbling. ‘What is it, habibti?’ he asked before his mind wandered any further down the sex route. One night away from Imogen and he felt as randy as a teenager who’d just been given the green light to go all the way.
He turned in the direction of Nadeena’s chubby finger and saw a young stable hand grooming a mare outside the stables.
‘Hisaan,’ he told her. ‘Horse.’
He strode over to it and stroked its arched neck. His sister had loved horses and suddenly a picture of her materialised in his mind and guilt assailed him, as it always did when he thought of her. As it usually did when he felt happy.
‘If this was Nadeena and she had made a mistake like the one you feel you made would you want her to punish herself for it for ever?’
She was smart, his Imogen, smart to strike right at the heart of the issue because of course he wouldn’t want that for her. So why did he want it for himself?
He shook his head. As awful as that time had been, perhaps it was time he dealt with it and put it behind him. Of course he would change it if he could but he couldn’t. But what he could do was take care of his own family. He could do what was right by them. Do what was right by Imogen.
He watched as his daughter gathered her confidence and reached out to place her hand against the horse’s soft muzzle. The horse snorted a breath and she drew back, her wide eyes flying to his for reassurance. He gave it to her. Smiling and putting his hand back on the horse, encouraging her to do the same. ‘It’s okay, habibti. Nothing will happen to you while I have you.’ His heart clenched as she followed his lead and then the skin on the back of his neck prickled. He glanced back towards the palace and saw Imogen watching them from the balcony of the temporary suite she had occupied the night before. Time seemed to stop and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Her hair had been swept into an elaborate updo in preparation for the afternoon ceremony and her eyes were rimmed with kohl, her lips a deep pink. The honking of a car horn reminded him that stately cars had been coming and going all morning, delivering guests who would witness his joining with this woman he cherished above all others.
Cherished?
Loved.
He went dead still.
Was that really what was going on here? His heart pounded inside his chest as the words took root in his mind. He nearly laughed. Of course he loved her. It was as clear as crystal all of a sudden. His obsession with finding her, his uninterest in considering shared custody—and yes, he had strong views about that and he never wanted Nadeena to suffer as he had—but Nadeena wasn’t him and neither he nor Imogen would do that to her.
He wiped a smudge of dirt from Nadeena’s cheek. The simple fact was that Imogen completed him. Waking up beside her, holding her in his arms at night, listening to her talk about her dreams, her hopes...wanting to see her fulfil her true potential.
Last night she’d turned him away because she had wanted to start their wedding off on the right foot. Now he wanted to do the same thing. Because he knew she only wanted to marry for love and he wanted to tell her how he felt before the ceremony. He didn’t want her going into this wedding thinking that this was nothing but a marriage of convenience for him. Or inconvenience, as he had arrogantly claimed a week ago. He gave his daughter a wry smile. ‘Your papa can be an ass.’
She looked at him solemnly and babbled something as if she was in complete agreement.
Laughing, he glanced up at the balcony again only to find it empty. A sudden feeling of vulnerability gripped him hard. What would she say when he told her how he felt? And was now really the right time? Perhaps he should wait, sound her out a little before he dived straight in with the I love yous? Hell, how did a man even start a conversation like that?
Deep in thought as he strode into the palace, he didn’t see his brother until he almost ran straight into him.
Relief was followed swiftly by absolute fury. ‘Where the hell have you been? You have a lot of explaining to do.’ He took in Zach’s dishevelled state—his wrinkled clothes that were covered in dust and dirt, his beard growth that looked to be at least a week old.
‘I do?’ Zach raised a dust-covered eyebrow. ‘Thanks for the concern and the belated rescue team.’
Nadir frowned. ‘You look like hell. What happened?’
‘The short version is that I had an unfortunate run-in with one of the less welcoming tribes in the mountains.’
‘Hell. For a while I thought you were holed up with a woman.’
Zach laughed. ‘I suppose technically you could say that I was but it wasn’t by choice and she’s more like a spitting she-cat than a woman. One who is currently locked in the old harem. Not the most convenient situation on your wedding day, but then I didn’t know it was your wedding day until about an hour ago.’
Nadir stared at him. ‘You have a woman locked in the harem?’
‘Farah Hajjar, to be exact,’ he growled, his words laced with disgust.
‘Mohamed Hajjar’s daughter!’
‘One and the same.’
Nadir swore. ‘Hajjar will have your head for that.’
Zach’s gaze turned wry. ‘They both very nearly did.’
‘For the love of...’ Nadir’s gaze narrowed. ‘You didn’t compromise her, did you?’
His brother gave a sharp bark of laughter. ‘A wild boar couldn’t compromise that woman and nor would it want to.’ His gaze fell on Nadeena. ‘I take it this is my niece.’
‘You’re changing the subject.’
‘I am.’ He smiled at Nadeena. ‘She’s beautiful.’
‘I know.’ Nadir wanted to ask his brother what the hell had happened but there’d be time for that later. It was enough that he was back and in one piece. ‘I don’t have time to get the details now but you’re okay.’
‘No thanks to you,’ he said without rancour.
‘Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf? That will teach you for playing so many tricks as a kid.’
Zach grinned. ‘Come chat while I get cleaned up.’
‘I can’t.’
‘Why not? The wedding isn’t for hours yet.’
‘No, but...’ Nadir shook his head. He wanted to see Imogen and it was all he could think about. ‘Here, take your niece and get acquainted.’
He handed his daughter over and was surprised when Zach took her so easily.
‘Hey, don’t look so surprised. I’m okay with babies. They’re like women and horses. Handle them with the utmost care and don’t do anything to rub them up the wrong way. Isn’t that right, habibti?’
Waiting just long enough to make sure his daughter wasn’t going to start bellowing in protest, Nadir smiled when a little frown line materialised between her eyebrows as she reached up to touch Zach’s beard. ‘Don’t let her cut herself on that and if she cries take her to Maab.’
‘Where will you be?’
‘With Imogen.’
‘Ah.’ His brother cocked his head and gave a knowing grin and Nadir took the stairs to Imogen’s suite two at a time.
* * *
This time Imogen made sure she kept well away from the balcony doors. She shouldn’t have gone out there before but the time since she had woken until now had been interminable. And she still had another four hours until the wedding.
Butterflies danced in her stomach and her lips felt dry again. At this rate she would go through the whole tube of Rose Delight Tasnim had given her before the ceremony even started.
She wasn’t in her dress yet, just a silk robe that was part of a dowry Nadir had ordered for her. It was gorgeous Parisian silk, as was the underwear she had on. The dress too was beautiful. It had been sewn by twenty local ladies and Tasnim had told her they had worked around the clock to create a dress fit for a queen. Which reminded her that she wanted to pay for her own dowry and she headed back inside and wrote a quick note to herself. It was only a small thing but she had started to wear the clothes Nadir had bought for her and she didn’t want him providing everything she needed.
She sighed and tried to find something else to distract herself with because none of her old performance tricks seemed to do anything to settle her pesky nerves.
Or was it anxiety? Was it because everything had turned out so perfectly in the end? Or nearly perfectly. Nadir had not told her that he loved her but he cared for her and she believed that he would always do the right thing by her and their children.
Imogen pressed her hand to her belly. Could they have created another life together this week?
A knock on the door startled her and she knew it was Nadir. She hadn’t missed that searing look he had given her from the courtyard or what it had meant. The butterflies in her stomach flexed their wings. He wanted her, that much was obvious, but still a little gremlin of doubt managed to insinuate itself into her mind. What if he’d changed his mind...? What if—?
Mentally slapping the negative thoughts away, she marched over to the door. Even though she knew she shouldn’t see him again before the ceremony, she didn’t care. She needed the reassurance of his touch.
‘Minh!’
Imogen burst into tears the minute she opened the door and saw her friend standing on the threshold dressed in a bespoke suit and tie, which he’d always said he would never wear.
‘Imogen—’ Minh stopped smiling and strode inside ‘—what’s wrong?’
All the pent-up emotion of the last week spilled over and, even though she told herself not to cry because it would ruin her make-up, she couldn’t seem to stop.
‘Imogen, tell me what’s wrong. If that bastard hurt you I’ll deck him.’ Minh took her into his arms and she shook her head to say that she was fine and buried her face against his chest. It was stupid to cry like this and she gave a hiccup and lifted her head, her smile tremulous. ‘I’m sorry...I don’t know what came over me. I’ve been waiting for you to get here and...oh, Minh, I’m just so—’
‘Happy?’
Hearing Nadir’s deep voice behind her, Imogen reared back from Minh and stared at Nadir. His face was closed. Hard. He raised an eyebrow. ‘Ecstatic, even?’
Well, yes. She wiped beneath her eyes and her fingertips came away black. Oh, she must look a fright! ‘I didn’t hear you knock.’ It was a stupid thing to say but the tone of his voice had thrown her mind into a spin.
‘You left the door open.’ His steely gaze scared her and then he cut his eyes to Minh. ‘I need to speak with Imogen. Alone.’
‘What have you done to her now?’
‘Minh, don’t.’ Imogen had a sense of déjà vu but she knew by the expression on Nadir’s face that something was very wrong. Had he received bad news about Zachim?
‘I don’t like this, Im. I told you—’
‘Please, Minh. I’m sure this won’t take a minute.’
Minh’s reluctance to leave was as palpable as it had been back in London.
He threw Nadir a warning glare. ‘I’ll be right outside.’
Imogen breathed out when he closed the door behind him. She turned back to find Nadir by the arched windows, staring out. ‘Nadir, what’s wrong? Has something happened? Nadeena—’
‘She’s fine. I left her with Zach.’
‘Oh, then he’s back!’
‘Yes.’
‘That’s wonderful news. I thought maybe, but...’ She took a deep breath. Started again. ‘Is he okay?’
‘He’s fine.’
She hesitated. ‘So that’s good. Isn’t it?’
‘It’s very good.’
He turned and stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans and stared at her.
‘You’re starting to scare me, Nadir.’ She gave a soft laugh as if to alleviate the tension in the room but it just ratcheted it up even more.
‘I’m sorry. I don’t mean to.’ He cleared his throat. ‘But we need to clarify some things before the wedding.’
His voice was so devoid of emotion it made Imogen’s stomach roil. ‘Like?’
‘Like the fact that you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Nadeena.’
Her lashes came down to shield the hurt in her eyes. They both knew that was why he had brought her here. It wasn’t news. So why was he mentioning it? Was he afraid she had twisted the reasons for their marriage into something it wasn’t? Was he afraid she had fallen in love with him? Taking a deep breath, she tried to tell herself that everything was going to be okay. ‘I know that.’
He nodded. ‘And the fact that you never wanted this marriage.’
Imogen frowned. She half expected to see a gavel in his hand. ‘No. I...’ She hesitated, wondering how to answer when he jumped in first.
‘Wanted to marry for love? Is that what you were going to say?’
She nodded and then shook her head. No, she hadn’t been going to say that; she’d been going to say that in the beginning she had wanted that but now—
‘Yes or no, Imogen?’
‘Yes, I wanted to marry for love but...’ She swallowed, her eyes searching his face for some clue as to what he was thinking or feeling. But this was the stranger Nadir—the man who had picked her up a week ago. The man who had walked out on her in Paris. A terrible premonition raised goose bumps along her arms but she pushed aside her apprehension and answered honestly. ‘I’ve come to terms with that now.’
As if he’d somehow been waiting for that exact answer, he slowly raised guarded eyes to hers. ‘Then you’re free to go.’
‘I’m sorry?’
‘I said you’re free to go.’ He moved towards the door.
‘Nadir...wait. I don’t understand what you’re saying.’
‘I’m saying that I agree with you. A marriage of convenience is not a good enough reason to tie two people together for ever. Even for the sake of a child.’
‘Hold on.’ Imogen felt as if she had to fight to get every word out of her mouth. ‘You’re saying that you no longer want to marry me?’
‘I’m saying you’re free. You can leave.’
The room tilted and Imogen put her hand out to grip the back of a chair. Tears of disbelief spiked behind her eyelashes but she refused to let them fall. ‘What about Nadeena?’
‘My lawyers will be in touch about visitation rights—isn’t that what they’re called?’
Isn’t that what they’re called?
He was so cool and remote she wanted to scream. ‘I meant—what about your desire to be part of her life? Permanently.’
Her body started shaking. This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t be happening.
‘I still plan to be in her life. I just...’ He looked away as if it was too difficult to look at her. ‘I have reconsidered my position.’
He had reconsidered his position? As if they were nothing more than a piece of furniture he had decided he no longer wanted.
‘Oh, my God!’
‘I still want her,’ he rasped harshly. ‘But not this way.’
Stunned, Imogen could only stare at him, his words barely registering as her heartbeat raced out of control and her thoughts went along for the ride. All she could think was that he had changed his mind. ‘I told you this would happen.’ Suddenly she was fifteen again and her father was standing in the doorway and her mother was crying on the sofa. Thank God Nadeena wasn’t old enough to witness her own humiliation at the hands of this man. She lifted her chin. ‘Where’s Nadeena now?’
‘I told you she’s with Zach.’ He swiped a hand across his face but Imogen barely noticed.
‘Damn it, Imogen. I thought you’d be happy.’
Imogen felt bile rise up in her throat but she held it back by sheer force of will, determined that he would not see how much he had hurt her again. How much she had let him hurt her again. God, she was an idiot of the most astonishing proportions. ‘I am.’
He nodded. ‘Then there’s nothing left to say.’
‘Nothing,’ she assured him and sailed into the en suite bathroom before he saw the utter despair in her eyes.
* * *
Nadir sat behind his father’s old desk, staring at his computer screen. When the door banged open he looked up and found his brother dressed in celebratory robes with a scowl on his face.
Zach didn’t waste any time on niceties. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Working. You look better.’
‘It’s amazing what a shower and a shave will do.’ Zach parked himself in the chair opposite the desk. ‘Why are you working? You’re getting married in less than two hours.’
Nadir focused on the email he’d been trying to read. ‘Not any more. I’ve instructed Staph to send the guests home.’
‘I know. He came to me.’
‘Well, it’s good that you’re here. We need to discuss who will lead Bakaan and I’ve reconsidered my position. If you don’t want the position then I’ll be the next King.’
‘Big turnaround.’
Nadir grimaced. ‘It’s amazing what can happen in a week.’
He’d found his ex-lover and his daughter, he’d fallen in love with them both and he’d lost them both. And taking on the role of leading Bakaan into the twenty-first century would keep him busy enough so that he wouldn’t think of any of it.
‘Nadir, bro...?’ Zach used the kind of placatory tone he might if he was facing a band of militants with only a soup spoon to defend himself. ‘I’m not sure that’s the most important thing to discuss right now. What’s going on?’
Nadir thought of the scene he had interrupted in Imogen’s room. Her ex-lover holding her tightly in his arms.
At first he’d been furious, his instinct to grab hold of the smarmy buffoon and pull him off her and beat him to a pulp for daring to touch what was his. Then he’d registered that Imogen wasn’t resisting. That she was snuggled against him and that she was weeping. Sobbing, almost.
Those tears had torn at his heart and he’d realised in a flash of unwelcome insight that he was behaving exactly as his father had done in stealing his mother from her tribal village in a fit of passion and then forcing her to bend to his will when he had taken another wife. Of course his circumstances were different from his parents, he knew that, but he also knew that the common denominator wasn’t. He was a tyrant who hadn’t given her a choice. He now had and she’d very definitely exercised it.
He forcibly shut his emotions down. He knew it had been a mistake to let them out. They had confused things. Made him think that sex was love when the truth was that he and Imogen shared a phenomenal chemistry and a child and he cared enough about her that he couldn’t force her to do something she didn’t want to do. ‘Nothing is going on.’
Zach looked at him. ‘Pull the other one—it has bells on it.’
Nadir cut him a brooding glare. ‘Fine. I found Imogen in the arms of her ex-lover.’
‘Naked!’
‘No—’ he heaved a sigh ‘—she was crying.’
Zach frowned. ‘Why?’
‘Because she wants to marry him, not me.’ Nadir surged to his feet in irritation and turned towards the windows. ‘How the hell should I know? Suffice it to say, she invited her ex-lover to our wedding and now they’re together.’
Zach blew out a breath. ‘That’s rough. Why’d she do it?’
‘I assume because she loves him.’
Zach nodded as if he fully agreed and then started shaking his head. ‘No, I meant why did she agree to marry you when she’s still in love with someone else?’
‘Does it matter?’ he asked briskly. ‘The fact is she was living with this guy in London and now she’s free to go back to him.’
Zach nodded again. ‘Which she wants.’
‘Right. Now, there’s a lot to sort out. I’m hoping you want to stay on in Bakaan if you don’t take the leadership role because I’m going to need a right hand and I want that to be you.’
‘So, to be clear,’ Zach began, completely ignoring his attempt to change the subject, ‘she actually said that she preferred this other guy to your face.’
Nadir swiped a hand across his jaw. ‘Can we just forget Imogen?’ A muscle knotted in his jaw. ‘She’s not relevant to this discussion.’
‘Sure.’ Zach eased back in his chair. ‘If you’re happy with her bonking another guy then who am I to argue?’
Nadir slammed his portable mouse down on the desktop. ‘I told you to forget her.’
‘I will if you will.’
‘Already done.’
‘Nope.’ Zach glanced at his feet. ‘Must have left the bells in my rooms.’
‘Dammit, Zach, I gave her a choice and she chose him. You want to rub my nose in it, you can go to hell.’
‘Hang on a minute, buddy.’ Zach surged forward in his seat. ‘I’m not rubbing your nose in anything. I’m saying you might be wrong.’
‘I’m not.’
‘Then let me ask you this. Are you currently sleeping with her?’
Nadir stared at him, hard. ‘You continue down this line of thinking and I can tell you it won’t end well.’
‘Just hear me out.’ Zach threw up his hands defensively. ‘I’m not trying to get a blow-by-blow description of your love life, I’m trying to say that I know women.’
Nadir scoffed.
‘Scoff all you like, but I do, and I don’t know many that would sleep with one guy while they were in love with another.’
Nadir eyed him coolly. ‘They’re out there.’
‘Okay, sure, so what you’re saying is that Imogen is one of those—’
‘No, she’s not. She would never play with people’s emotions like that.’
‘Right. So stop being a horse’s arse.’
‘Look, Zach, I know you’re trying to make me feel better but you don’t have to concern yourself. I’m good.’
‘Bro, I’m not trying to make you feel better; I’m trying to talk you down off a ledge.’
‘I’m not on a ledge.’ Nadir’s jaw hardened. ‘The fact is I had no choice but to let her go. I forced her to come here. I forced the idea of marriage onto her and I wouldn’t take no for an answer.’
‘Like the old man.’
‘Yeah.’ Nadir blew out a rough breath. ‘Just like the old man. Hell.’ He stared at Zach bleakly. ‘When did I turn into him?’
‘You didn’t.’ Zach frowned. ‘Admittedly, you’re stubborn and a little on the arrogant side but you don’t take advantage of people and you’d never step on someone else for your own gain.’
‘That’s where you’re wrong.’ Nadir stared at him bleakly. ‘I stepped all over Imogen.’
Zach shook his head. ‘I doubt that’s true but if you did then go apologise and make nice. Tell her how you feel. See what happens.’
The thought of that made Nadir’s gut pitch. He never told anyone how he felt. It was easier and no one got hurt that way. Least of all him. ‘Hell. I love her.’
‘You think?’
Nadir shook his head. ‘I know you think you’re pretty clever but frankly I wouldn’t wish this sick feeling in my gut on anyone.’
‘I would love to care for a woman as much as you do yours. Instead, I have to figure out how to stop myself from being shackled to a living, breathing fire-eater who would as soon run me through with a kanjhar than look at me.’
Nadir had forgotten all about Farah Hajjar. ‘I doubt her father will push it. He hates our family.’
‘It’s fine. I can deal with Farah and her insane old man. You just do us both a favour and go get your woman.’
‘Prince Zachim!’ Both men looked up as Staph knocked and shot through the door like a rocket, his breath heaving. ‘You need to come quick. The woman you put in the harem has disappeared.’
‘Disappeared?’ Zach frowned. ‘That’s impossible. I’ve put an experienced guard on the door.’
‘Yes, My Lord. He can’t find her.’
Zachim rattled off a string of curse words Nadir hadn’t heard in a long while. He smiled and came around the desk. ‘I’d love to stay and help but...’
His words faded as Zach, his mind already on the disaster that awaited him, strode out of the room.
Nadir headed for the door himself and stopped. ‘Staph?’
‘Yes, My Lord?’
‘What did you tell the wedding guests who have already arrived?’
‘Nothing, My Lord.’
Nadir gave him a faint smile. ‘You’re a sly old dog, Staph. I hope your faith in me isn’t misplaced.’
‘I would say not, My Lord.’
‘And Imogen and my daughter?’ He cleared his throat. ‘Where are they?’
‘In your suite.’
* * *
Imogen sorted out what she would need for Nadeena for the plane trip back to London and searched around for some sort of bag to put it into. Nadir had luggage in his dressing room but no way was she going back into his bedroom ever again.
What he had said to her before...she still couldn’t digest it because it felt as if he’d ripped a hole in her heart and inserted a stick of dynamite for good measure.
The only thing she was thankful for was that her daughter would never know how it felt to have an absent father because she would be used to having him part-time in her life and Imogen only hoped he would be good to her when he had her. That he wouldn’t have a string of stick-thin models parading through his house who— Oh, God. Imogen felt her stomach heave and leant against a chest of drawers to steady herself.
It was so ridiculous to feel like this because she had known all along that once the reality of marriage and parenthood set in then he would run a mile and she’d been proven right. And the prize? She shook her head at her reflection in the mirror. Her prize was a broken heart the size of Asia.
‘Imogen? Habibi? Are you all right?’
Imogen swung around at the sound of his voice, fire pouring out of her eyes. ‘What are you doing here?’
He stopped short and she was thankful that she had wiped all her make-up off after her initial crying fit and dressed in her T-shirt and jeans. She intended to go home exactly the way she had arrived. Well, almost.
‘I needed to see you.’
To make sure she was all right? She couldn’t fault his manners. ‘Well, now you’ve seen me, please go.’
‘Habibi, I—’
‘Do not call me habibi.’
‘Okay—fine.’ He held up his hands as if she were a wild thing about to pounce on him and maul him to death. What a pity, she thought, that shape-shifting was pure fantasy. ‘I know I’m the reason you’re upset and I just want to talk.’
‘No.’ Imogen shook her head for emphasis. ‘No more talking. I’m done here, Nadir.’
He looked around the room and frowned when he saw the minuscule amount of clothing on the bed. The empty cot. ‘Where’s Nadeena? Isn’t she due for a sleep?’
‘Yes, but since we’re leaving, Minh is trying to keep her awake so that she’ll sleep on the—oh, this is not important. Could you please just go?’ The last thing she wanted to do was break down and sob in front of him and the longer he stayed the more likely that was to happen. It was too painful to see him. Too painful to be near him.
He cleared his throat and shoved his hands into his pockets. ‘It’s probably good that we talk about him and get it out of the way.’
‘Talk about whom?’
‘Your friend, Minh.’
‘What about him?’
He looked at her and his throat worked as he swallowed. ‘Do you love him?’
Did she love him? ‘Why are you asking me that?’
‘Because I need to make sure I’ve done the right thing in letting you go.’
‘Letting me go?’ She shot him a fulminating look. ‘You told me to go. You’ve reconsidered, remember—you don’t want to marry me.’
‘Of course I still want to marry you. I only reconsidered the reason for our marriage.’
Imogen shook her head. ‘You’re not making any sense. You cancelled the ceremony.’
‘Yes, but I didn’t want to.’
‘Then why do it?’
‘Because you told me the reason you were marrying me was because we had Nadeena and I wanted more.’
‘More?’
‘Hell.’ He swiped a hand across his face. ‘I need to start again. What I’m trying to tell you is that I love you.’
‘You love me?’
Her shock must have registered on her face because his expression turned grim. ‘Yes, but if you prefer Minh then I’ll walk away.’
‘Nadir, Minh is gay.’
‘Gay!’ The look on his face was priceless and Imogen would have laughed if she hadn’t felt so ill. Had he seriously thought that Minh was her lover? Looking back, she supposed he might have got that impression initially but... ‘How could you think that I could be in love with him and make love to you?’ she demanded hotly.
‘As I explained to our daughter this morning, I’m an ass. Particularly where you’re concerned. I can’t seem to keep my head on straight when you’re in the room and every male who looks at you sideways is a threat.’
‘Are you serious?’
‘Yes. If you knew how many ways I wanted to hurt them—’
‘No.’ She gazed up at him, not really daring to believe this was happening. ‘The part about loving me.’
Nadir cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her deeply. Imogen moaned and pulled back. ‘Stop that—it will only confuse things.’
‘On the contrary, our physical relationship is the only thing that’s not confused. Imogen, habibi, can you ever forgive me for being so stupid this afternoon? My only excuse is that when I saw you crying in the arms of your... friend I assumed it was because you didn’t want to marry me and I couldn’t bear the thought of hurting you.’
‘But why would you think I didn’t want to marry you?’
‘Because I realised today that I’m more like my father than I would like to think I am and that I was forcing you to bend to my will and I couldn’t do it. I wanted to set you free, to give you a choice.’
Imogen dashed at the tears on her face. ‘I thought you had decided that you didn’t want me. That I wasn’t enough for you.’
‘Oh, habibi, you’re too much for me. You’re too wonderful, too beautiful, too giving. I’m pretty sure I fell in love with you the minute I saw you in Paris because I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since, only I didn’t want to see it because I was so afraid of getting hurt.’
Imogen sniffed back more tears. ‘I’m guilty of the same thing and oh, Nadir, I feel exactly the same way. I fell in love with you the minute I saw you and I’ve never stopped. I love you so much it hurts.’ Elation rushed through her until she thought she might burst. ‘Pinch me—I can’t quite believe this is happening.’
‘Believe it,’ he growled, pulling her in close against him. ‘And mark my words when I tell you that there will be no more misunderstandings between us. No more worrying about how the other person feels. You know that I love you. That I will always love you and whatever children we have. Tell me you believe me.’
‘I believe you.’ She grinned up at him. ‘And not just because you command it to be so.’ And then she turned serious because she knew she had to be just as open with him. ‘I think part of the blame for today lies with me, though, because in my own way I saw what I expected to see and I didn’t fight for you. I didn’t fight for us. I won’t do that again. I won’t doubt either one of us again.’
‘And I will never give you a reason to. Now, please, habibi, if you wouldn’t mind giving me this?’ He took her ring from her finger.
Then he got down on bended knee and Imogen didn’t think she could love him more but, before he could ask her the question she knew he was about to, there was a noise in the doorway and she looked up to find Minh standing there with Nadeena, his eyes as big as saucers as he took in the scene.
‘Ah, I think we’ll come back.’
‘No.’ Nadir rose and swiftly crossed the room. ‘I know we haven’t formally met but I am Nadir Zaman Al-Darkhan and I would like my daughter, please.’
‘Oh, right.’ Minh blinked up at Nadir and Imogen thought he might swoon.
Then Nadir was in front of her again and taking up all her attention. He handed her Nadeena and then got down on one knee again. ‘I’m glad our daughter is here because I want her to witness how a man should behave when he’s in love with a woman so she will be in no doubt as to what to expect from a man in the future.’
‘Oh, Nadir—’ Imogen’s nose tingled as tears formed in her eyes ‘—I love you so much.’
Nadeena clapped her hands and tried to reach for the ring Nadir held up but he shook his head. ‘Sorry, habibti, this is for your mother.’ Then he lifted his blue-grey gaze to hers. ‘Imogen Reid Benson, will you please do me the honour of becoming my wife later this afternoon?’
‘This afternoon!’
‘Yes. Apparently there is a room full of guests waiting for us.’
‘But I’m not ready!’
Nadir gave her a wry smile. ‘Can I take that as a yes?’
‘Yes, oh, yes. Most definitely yes!’ She pulled him to his feet and stepped into his arms, where Nadeena promptly laid her head against his broad chest. Seeing it, Imogen did the same and Nadir cupped the nape of her neck and lifted her mouth to his.
‘I think I need a tissue.’
Having forgotten all about Minh in the doorway, Imogen beamed him a wide smile. ‘I’m getting married.’
Nadir brought her mouth back to his for one last searing kiss. ‘Yes, you are. In an hour. And you should know that I’ve told Zach that I intend to become King if he doesn’t want the position.’
Imogen smiled and finally felt that everything was as it should be in the world. ‘He won’t. You were born to be King, Nadir.’ She reached up and ran her hand across his stubbled jaw, her eyes full of the love she felt for him. The love she would always feel for him. ‘You were born to be my King.’
Nadir’s smile was slow and sexy. ‘A king who will be at your service. Always.’
* * * * *
