There was Beatrice, the pillar of society.Frederick, the infirm head of the house,Audrey was the daughter with a mischievous streak that only came to the forefront when away from the stifling presence of her mother.and Taylor. The man who had to be the best at everythingIt was like observing a cleverly crafted game of manners in which everyone wore masks that hid anything resembling real emotion.After a two-year absence from this table, it was as if Dianne had sat down with a brand-new pair of eyes.During her marriage, she’d always felt intimidated in this house, terrified one of them would point a finger at her and expose her for being an impostor that no amount of expensive clothing or cosmetics could hide. Her fear had left her blind to what surrounded her.The past two years had been a chance for her to find herself again and, no matter what happened in the future, she was determined never to lose herself again.When did you see my sister? Taylor asked, as soon as he had dri
Where did family loyalty come into his sister’s thinking? When Chris had ended his relationship with Audrey, Taylor had been ready to kill him, not suggest they share cosy lunches together.But then, Audrey hadn’t had loyalty drummed into her as he had. For Audrey, childhood and life itself had been a charm; she’d been doted upon by a father who only spoke to his son to pick fault with him."Audrey didn’t want to upset you," Dianne said softly. ‘She said you would think she was being disloyal.’"You’re damn right she was disloyal. But I’m not upset.’‘Then what are you?’He forced his features into neutrality and glanced at her. "I’m not anything."Silence rang out, not even a whisper of sound to be heard until Dianne said, "Nothing changes, does it?""What are you talking about?"Her voice was sad. ‘Nothing is allowed to be less than perfect, not even your own feelings.’The silence was suddenly filled with a roaring noise. It took a moment for him to realize the sound was in his own
The bed dipped, the sheets rustled, and a large, warm figure slid in beside her.The dryness in her mouth became a memory as moisture filled it...and a lower part of her anatomy.Immediately, she pressed her thighs together in a futile attempt to counteract the heat filling between them and closed her eyes, anticipating the moment he reached out and pulled her to him.Did she have the strength to even pretend a lack of interest when every part of her felt so heightened?It felt as if she waited for ever for him to make his move, every passing minute dragging on to the next.Nothing.He lay on his side facing her, making her scold herself for not having faced the wall rather than the centre of the bed. She might have had her eyes shut, but she could feel his gaze upon her."Well?" she said, before she could stop her tongue from speaking. Isn’t this the moment when you take your next payment? "He shifted closer to her, his face near enough for her to feel the warmth of his minty breath
Dianne’s cheeks flushed at the unexpected compliment.She hadn’t expected that.She became even more flustered when Morgan carefully refolded her plans along the seams she’d made and tucked them into his large carry-case. ‘Next time, you roll them.’"Sorry?" She didn’t have the faintest idea what he was talking about.Next time you create plans, roll them, don’t fold them.’She bit into her bottom lip to stop the smile that was fighting to spread over her face. Morgan was a renowned architect with over twenty years’ experience, and he was complimenting and advising her as if she were, if not an equal, then a promising student.So stunned was she that the rest of the conversation passed her by, right until the moment came for them to leave.While Taylor and Morgan headed outside, she gave the place one last look, imagining how bright and fabulous it would be when the renovations and subsequent decoration were completed. Her heart swelled thinking of the children’s faces when they saw i
Was that really true? All the evidence pointed to her leading a frugal existence without him. And she hadn’t asked for any money for herself.She’d lapsed into silence, her head bowed. Then suddenly, she lifted her chin and stared at him with enough force to keep his focus on her and not the coffee machine.“Marrying you was all wrong,” she said, her eyes wide. You were the shining star, turning the family business from silver into gold—everything you touched turned into gold. Everything I touched turned into rust. I couldn’t compete.’“Our marriage wasn’t a competition.”‘I know, but for me...’“For you, what?” he asked, when her words tailed off.I wasn’t equipped to deal with any of it. I tried. Really, I did, but I knew you wanted perfection. Never mind learning Spanish, you wanted me to speak proper English, to wear the right clothes, to be a wife you could be proud to have on your arm...’He retorted, irked that she could twist things round to make herself seem like some kind of
Heat bubbled deep within her, a sweet yet torturous sensation that begged for attention, and she dragged herself to her knees, taking in every part of him, from his toes to his cropped dark hair, as she unclasped her bra and threw it to one side, not caring where it landed. Then, finally, she pulled her underwear down past her hips, as Taylor’s eyes watched every move she made, his strong throat moving as he swallowed."Lie down," he instructed, his words guttural.She did as she was bid and lay back, posing provocatively for him with one arm hooked over her head, a hand clasping a breast that was practically crying for attention, deliberately encircling a hard nipple.A muted groan came from his throat, and he yanked at his boxers and tugged them down past his muscular thighs, freeing his erection.More moisture filled her, the heated ache in the apex of her thighs now nothing but a mass of sensation begging for his touch.A warning thought rang out, breaking through the haze."I’m n
“What does he want?”‘He’s replying to a message I left for him last week.’ She winced at her slip that she’d been waiting a week to hear back from him and hurriedly added, ‘I wanted to know when he’s free for lunch.’His expression was even. “Are you forgetting our deal? Your place is by my side.”She rolled her eyes. Not for a second. That’s why I suggested he choose a weekend.’‘You’re still by my side at weekends.’"Even prisoners are allowed visitation rights." She took a sip of her coffee.A pulse worked on his jaw."Do you seriously believe you can prevent me from visiting my family?"she asked. "Because that would make you even more hateful."His eyes crinkled at the edges. You didn’t think I was hateful last night when I made you cum with my tongue.’"You’re very talented," she responded sweetly, wishing her face didn’t flush at the memory.Why don’t you sit on my lap and I’ll show you how talented I am with something other than my tongue?’ He placed his chin on his hand and h
Gone is the haute couture. Gone, the immaculately coiffured hair. Gone is the rigid diet. Gone too, were the rock-hard abs she’d developed during their marriage, replaced with the luscious softness he recalled from their early days.When he’d completed his daily two hundred lengths, he hauled himself out of the pool. For once, there were no hunger pangs. Everything felt tight inside him, far too tight to eat.He grabbed his towel and rubbed it over his hair and face. As he towelled the water from his back, Dianne came out into the morning sunshine and walked over to him, her phone in hand.“Have we got anything planned for tomorrow?” she asked, keeping a respectable distance from him, although he noted with some satisfaction that her eyes lingered on his chest for longer than was respectable. All at once, the disquiet within him evaporated. He closed the distance and reached for her hips.“You’ll get me wet,” she scolded, but with definite half-heartedness. After a week of erotic love
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