The wildness he’d sensed in her from that first look had translated into the bedroom. Making love to her had always been out of this world. Whether it was hard and fast or slow and sweet, their passion for each other was unquantifiable."This is your pride talking, isn’t it? Because I had the nerve to leave you? You want to humiliate me?’He answered with deliberate smoothness, counteracting the vibrations emanating from her delectable frame. A charge flickered through his loins to see her face become the same colour it rose to when in the throes of passion. You want my help and I’m prepared to give it to you, but in return I want payment—and the only form of payment you are in a position to make is with your body.’She pushed her chair back as if she’d been scalded and got to her feet. "You want me to prostitute myself?"I’m merely requesting that you, my wife, return to the marital bed for a fixed period, and during that period you make yourself available to me wherever and whenever
That his words were true only served to shame her further, which she knew for certain was his intention. She’d humiliated him by leaving him, and this was the price he was forcing her to pay.The worst of it was, her treacherous body was eager to pay the price.‘I hate you.’‘I know.' He dipped his head and nipped her earlobe. "Imagine how incredible it will be, all that hate fueling all that lust. "Sensation filled her, every crevice of her coming alive at his touch and the whisper of his breath on her skin.Without this for two years...Somehow, someway, she managed to pull her hands free from his grasp, fully intending to use them as weapons to push him off her. Instead, working of their own accord, they hooked around his neck to pull him in for her hungry lips to connect with his. She had no sane understanding of what she was doing, instinct taking over to seize what her body so desperately wanted.In that instant, any sort of rationality dissolved from her mind.In a mesh of lip
‘What time do you finish?’ Taylor asked when he pulled the car to a stop outside the building that currently houses the Solace daycare center."Five," "Five o’clock," she answered shortly. Wait for me to call—I might be late.’I’ll be here at five o’clock and you will be ready."Not bothering to argue or say goodbye, she shrugged her shoulders, grabbed her bag and got out, slamming the passenger door behind her. She might not be able to see his face, but she could easily imagine her handsome husband’s wince at her treatment of his precious car.When they’d first met, her manners had been somewhat rough around the edges. She’d been taught to say please and thank you, and not speak with her mouth full, but that had been the extent of it, and those few manners had been drilled into her by her primary school headmistress, not her parents. Her mum had been too busy holding down two jobs to find the energy to write, while her dad had hardly been there, flitting in and out of their lives as
He was pulled out of his reminiscences when a dark blue minibus drove into the grounds and pulled up beside him. He paid little attention to it until he caught the figure getting out of the driver’s side.While he was processing the image of Dianne driving a minibus, she spotted him and, unsmiling, held up a hand and mouthed, ‘Five minutes.’He shoved his door open. We need to leave now. You’re late enough as it is.’""I did warn you," she replied with a casual shrug. I need to drop the keys back in and sign off. I won’t be long.’She hurried off on her jeans-clad legs and disappeared through the double front door.He could still hardly believe his wife was wearing jeans. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her in a pair before.When he’d refused to take her back to her house the night before, although promising to get her to work on time that morning, she hadn’t argued. He'd been quietly satisfied that she was adapting to his authority well, right until he discovered her missing. She’d r
Dianne froze, keeping herself ramrod straight, and swallowed the moisture that filled her mouth.How did he do this? How did he make her want him so much while simultaneously making her want to scratch her nails down his face?“I’m not yours until Friday,” she reminded him in a strangled voice. ‘No touching until then.’"I don’t think you’ll make me wait that long."‘I hate you.’‘I know.’ His breath whispered through the strands of her hair, heating her scalp. It must be awful for you, hating me so much but wanting me even more.’‘I don’t want you.’‘I never realized when we married what a liar you are.’ The tip of his nose nestled into her hair. If I hadn’t been so blinded by lust, I would have known your words of love and your promise of a child were nothing but lies to access my fortune.’His tone was playful, but when Dianne spun round to face him, she saw the darkness in his eyes.I didn’t lie to you and I didn’t marry you for your money.’ She hated that he thought of her as a g
Taylor flexed his fingers and took a deep breath.The past four days had been like living with a sullen teenager. He’d given her a little leeway, which had been decent of him under the circumstances, but from now on he would not put up with it.Tomorrow, the deeds would be signed and she would be indebted to him.Curiosity made him look at the papers sprawled over her desk.A few moments later, he sat on the chair, still warm from her body heat, with a frown on his face.Peering more closely through the stack before him, he saw she’d taken each room of the new building and committed to paper her ideas for the renovations. Each drawing was done to scale.Dianne had said she’d made these plans.Had she been lying in an attempt to impress him?But no—the notes in the margins, the numbers indicating the measurements, these were all in her girlish writing.He rubbed at his temples, his chest tightening as he imagined her sitting in that tiny study in the tiny home she’d been living in, wor
Dianne was out of the center before Taylor’s watch registered her being even one minute late. She hurried to the car, her excitement tangible. She’d been the same that morning, unable to keep still for a second, downing coffee as if it were going out of fashion but unable to eat a morsel of the eggs his chef had cooked for them.She pulled the passenger door open. “Is it done?”‘Yes.’She punched the air. ‘Thank God.’You’re welcome. But Taylor will suffice.’She pulled a face at him and laughed. Right now, I’m so happy and grateful that I’ll call you anything you like.’He bit back the quip forming on his tongue, not wanting to break the moment. Seeing the delight on her face lightened his blood.It had been a long time since he’d seen that smile.A skinny, balding man poked his head out of the building. Abandoning Taylor, Dianne hurried over to him, hurled her arms around his waist and kissed his cheek. The man disappeared back inside with a beaming grin of his own.She rushed back
Looking back, Dianne struggled to understand how she’d allowed herself to suffer such self-inflicted torture. She’d thought nothing of wearing five-inch heels for a full day at work.But it had been expected of her. She had been the wife of Taylor Moore, and she had been expected to dress and act the part, including cultivating friendships with like-minded women.The only real friendship she’d made had been, funnily enough, with Audrey, Taylor’s sister, who was an incredibly smart and amusing woman.The strange thing was, while they’d been eating last night, she’d noticed so many new things: the way Aria picked at her food as if scared to consume a calorie more than was good for her, the way she deferred to her husband before offering an opinion...all the things Dianne had once done. And just like that, she’d seen all the insecurities running under Aria’s surgically lifted skin. Being the trophy wife of a successful, rich, handsome man wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Dianne should
He moved suddenly, turned to her, and gripped her arms; she glimpsed the desperation in his eyes as he dragged her against his chest. "I will do whatever it takes to win you back, Kalila." "You are my wife, the love of my life, and I won’t let you go." His warm breath fanning the curls that framed her face, he pressed his lips to her temple, his eyes briefly closing as if in pain."I have told my father to name his brother Sulim as the interim ruler of Qubbah in the event of his dying before Hazem comes of age." Kate stared at him, shocked beyond words. "But... but why?" she finally stumbled.I thought that you were to rule until Hazem was older. "You are the King’s only son, and it is your duty." Ahsan shook his head. "My first duty is to my wife, and my father agrees." Even if he did not, I would still be here for you."Don't you understand, Kalila?" he asked urgently. "You are more important to me than Qubbah, my father, everything." You, me, and Hazem are a family, and the only thin
The still silence in the garden that followed his astounding statement was broken by the piercingly sweet song of a blackbird. Kate licked her suddenly dry lips, her heart beating so fast she was sure it would explode. "I don’t understand.""It’s quite simple." He sounded impatient and stared at her haughtily. But to her amazement, streaks of dull color highlighted his cheekbones, and his eyes veered from hers as if he were afraid to meet her gaze. "I love you, Kate."Her rebuttal was fierce and immediate. "No, you don’t.""I should have known you would want to argue about it, Kalila." A little of his tension left him, and his smile stole her breath."You don’t love me," she said again. It was probably some cruel trick, and she had more sense than to be fooled. "You married me for Hazem." You love Farrah. Malika said so.Malika said a lot of things, most of them untrue. Ahsan’s voice was suddenly harsh."But not the things she said about me," Kate said thickly. "My mother was a prosti
The blue sky was dotted with cotton wool clouds, and the warm breeze carried a scent of lavender and old-fashioned roses. There was no place on earth more beautiful than Ingledean on a spring day, Kate mused—except an oasis in the middle of the desert, where palm trees provided shade from the scorching sun and an azure pool glinted beneath a cloudless sky.She had been home for a month—although Ingledean no longer felt like home without Hazem. The image of his huge brown eyes and impish smile caused the familiar agonizing pain in her chest, and she bit down hard on her lip, tasted blood, and cursed the tears that slid unchecked down her face. She couldn’t cry forever. Somehow she was going to have to find the strength to move on, pick up the threads of her life, or maybe make a new one, far away from Ingledean and all its memories. But since she had left Qubbah, a terrible lassitude had settled on her, and she could not plan anything when the only two people she loved were far away on
In less than an hour, she was expected to attend the lavish dinner organized in honor of King Kabir’s recovery and his return as supreme ruler of Qubbah. And somehow she was going to have to do so without revealing that she was breaking up inside, which Kate acknowledged despairingly as she stared in the mirror at her paper-white face and red-rimmed eyes.When she first returned to the palace after her explosive confrontation with Malika, she locked herself in her dressing room and recalled, in stunned disbelief, everything the young Arab woman had told her. Could it be true? Had Ahsan always intended to divorce her once he’d gained custody of Hazem and marry his beautiful advisor?She did not know how long she’d sat there, but eventually her maid had knocked on the door and reminded her that it was time to prepare for the banquet. She should have made the excuse that she was ill—no one who saw her pallor would fail to believe her. But the steely backbone of pride that had seen her th
Despite the warmth of the early-evening sunshine, Kate shivered. "You’re talking nonsense," she said firmly, striving to sound confident despite the sudden lurch of her heart. She was perfectly aware of why Ahsan had married her, but he had given no hint that he wanted a divorce. Ahsan told me he was never engaged to you. She lifted her chin and glared at Malika, trying to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach."He wasn’t," Malika agreed, looking surprised. "I was engaged to Farhan; Ahsan was engaged to Farrah."The world seemed to tilt alarmingly for a few seconds, and Kate actually gripped the edge of the wall for support. Ahsan and Farrah! It couldn’t possibly be true, could it? "Jamila told me that Ahsan was in love with his fiancée," she said faintly. "She doesn’t know why the marriage didn’t take place."Malika gave a careless shrug. ‘Jamila knows. Everyone at the palace knows that Ahsan adored Farrah and that she eloped with his brother on the eve of their wedding.
He was suddenly aware that the children had finished their dance and everyone was waiting for his response. Kate had turned her head to him, frowning at his inattention, and he quickly clapped his hands in applause. Once the dancers had filed out of the marquee, his personal assistant Zaid appeared at his side and informed him that a group of local potters had brought their best work for his gracious inspection. Stifling a sigh, he led the royal party out into the blazing sunshine.The garden party continued all afternoon, and Ahsan was not in the best of moods when he strode back to the palace. He suddenly realized that he was too far ahead and slowed his pace, waiting for Kate to catch up with him. He frowned when he noted how pale she looked beneath her wide-brimmed hat. She made no attempt to speed up, and the dejected droop of her shoulders fueled his impatience."I appreciate that an afternoon spent admiring traditional crafts and customs is not likely to top your list of exciti
Her feet briefly touched the floor, and he spun her around, tugged her zip down her spine, and removed her dress before she had time to catch her breath. Her bra went the same way before he lifted her again and threw her onto the bed as if she were a rag doll, his eyes glittering with a mixture of anger and sexual hunger that made Kate’s stomach dip."At night, I’m happy to give you all the attention you could possibly want," he growled, his shoes, trousers, and shirt hitting the floor with barely controlled savagery until he stood in his silk boxers. "This is the only bed you’ll ever sleep in." The boxers joined the rest of his clothes, revealing his powerful, unashamedly aroused body in all its glory. "But I wouldn’t bank on sleeping for many hours yet."Kate stared up at him, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she struggled to control the wild excitement that was pounding through her veins. She was conscious that she was wearing nothing but a pair of tiny lace pants and the pric
Clearly embarrassed, Aaliyah determinedly changed the subject to Hazem and how fast he was growing. But although Kate smiled and made token conversation, her mind was whirling. If Malika’s family had expected her to marry Ahsan, was she the woman he had been engaged to years ago—the woman Jamila had said he had loved? But, if so, why had they not married? It didn’t make sense, and she brooded miserably as she stared at Ahsan. He was smiling at Malika and clearly enjoying her company. Perhaps they had argued and broken off their engagement. Was he now regretting his lost chance to marry a beautiful, clever Arab girl who would have made him the perfect wife?From that moment on, the party became a blur of faces and stilted conversation with people she had never met before. She was sure they viewed her as an oddity, with her pale skin and vivid hair—and her glaring lack of sophistication. But until his father had recovered, Ahsan was king, and one of her wifely duties outside of the bedr
As Ahsan had predicted, his team of advisors was waiting for him when they arrived back at the palace. Even on the journey across the desert, he’d had his mobile phone clamped to his ear, and Kate had sat silently beside him, lost in her thoughts. The honeymoon was over, and he had made it abundantly clear that he now saw her role as his wife as a walk-on part—or perhaps a lie-down part, she thought bitterly. But what had she expected? She had married him for Hazem, and he had married her for sex, and they had each gotten what they wanted.At least she had Hazem, she told herself later that evening, when she tucked the toddler into bed. She had missed him desperately, and his evident delight that she was back was a comforting balm to her raw emotions. She was Ahsan’s wife, a member of the Royal Family of Qubbah, and no one could ever take him away from her now.But as she prepared for the state banquet, her insecurities returned, and she felt sick with nerves. She had been horrified w