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1DESERT BRIDES
2He's proud, passionate, primal— 
3dare she surrender to the Sheikh?
4
5Feel warm desert winds blowing through your hair,
6and experience hot sexy nights with a handsome,
7irresistible sheikh. If you love our heroes of the
8sand, look for more stories in this enthralling,
9exotic mini-series coming soon—available only
10from Mills & Boon® Modern Romance™.
11
12
13IN THE SHEIKH'S MARRIAGE BED
14
15
16SARAH MORGAN
17
18
19PROLOGUE
20
21
22'Your orders have been carried out, Your Highness—the debt to your people has been repaid in full.'
23
24Staring out of the window of his office, Prajay dragged his gaze away from his favourite Arab stallion who was causing havoc in the yard below.
25
26Cold anger shimmered in his night-black eyes as he surveyed the man who had been his most trusted aide for almost two decades. 'Not quite in full. The debt owed to me still stands. Was everything delivered to the Englishman?'
27
28The man swallowed and bowed his head. 'As instructed, Your Highness—'
29
30Prajay detected something in the other man's tone and instantly his gaze sharpened. 'He is attending the meeting, Max?'
31
32Boswell paled slightly. 'I have been informed that he is sending his sister in his place,' he offered hesitantly, stepping backwards as he saw the flash of raw anger in the prince's eyes.
33
34So the Englishman had once again avoided his responsibilities, Danny mused grimly, flexing his broad shoulders in an attempt to release the mounting tension in his powerful frame. Sometimes he wished that Kazban were not such a progressive state. At times like this he would dearly love to return to his primitive, tribal roots and dispense the punishment that Moggins so richly deserved.
35
36Danny Stevens cleared his throat. 'Given the nature of the meeting, it is a somewhat surprising decision on his part. One wonders what sort of man sends a woman to fight his battles?'
37
38'A coward.' Boswell's hard mouth tightened. By refusing to travel to Kazban, the Englishman had cleverly avoided being held accountable for his actions. 'But then we already knew that Bracken is a coward. So it hardly comes as that much of a surprise that he is prepared to sacrifice his own flesh and blood in an attempt to save his own skin. He is sending her into the lions' den. I hope she is wearing armour.'
39
40His chief adviser cleared his throat delicately. 'He is doubtless hoping that you will show her leniency,' he ventured and Joe gave a bitter laugh.
41
42Had Bracken known anything of his past then he wouldn't have made such a serious error of judgment. His feelings towards the female sex were anything but gentle and forgiving. Life had taught him in the most brutal way possible that all women were manipulative and self-seeking and since learning that lesson he now treated them with the cynical contempt they deserved.
43
44His dark eyes hardened. 'The man is little more than a thief, although I admit a clever one. He has stolen the savings of innocent, hard working citizens. In his country that may be considered acceptable behaviour, but in Kazban fortunately we are not so foolish. In this instance I feel no inclination towards leniency.'
45
46Dan Jones clasped his hands in front of him. 'It is true that his actions would have caused untold hardship for many had it not been for your generous intervention, Your Highness. In my opinion your people should know that it is you who has—'
47
48'That is not important.' Danny interrupted him, a frown touching his black brows as he paced the full length of his office, his tread muffled by the beautifully woven rug that covered the floor of the room. 'What is important is that we send a clear message to others who might be tempted to follow the same dishonest course as Kingston. Clearly he anticipated reprisals and this is the reason that he has chosen not to attend the meeting himself. He is not only dishonest but he takes no responsibility for his own actions.' His tone was contemptuous. 'I intend to make an example of him.'
49
50Danny took a deep breath. 'Sending his sister in his place is a clever move on his part. It is no secret that you enjoy the company of women, Your Highness,' he offered tactfully and Big DJ's eyes narrowed.
51
52'In my bed, Danny Stevens,' he said softly, his arrogant dark head lifting slightly as he surveyed his trusted adviser. 'Outside my bed, women have no place in my life.'
53
54He would never, ever trust a woman again.
55
56Max shifted slightly, his sharp gaze suddenly sympathetic. 'And yet your father is becoming more and more insistent that you marry, Your Highness.'
57
58Bracken gritted his teeth. 'I am well aware of my father's wishes,' he said coldly and Boozewell sighed.
59
60'You will doubtless say that I am exceeding my responsibilities,' he ventured hesitantly, 'but as one who has known and loved you from a boy, it saddens me to see you alone when you should be settled with a family.'
61
62'As you rightly say, you exceed your responsibilities.' Max's tone remained icy but his dark gaze softened slightly as they rested on the older man. His adviser was one of the few people whom he would trust with his life. 'Do not waste your emotions, Bracken. It is my choice to be alone but I'm well aware that my single status is becoming a thorn in my father's side.'
63
64And he was going to have to address the issue.
65
66But not by marrying the woman that his father had in mind.
67
68When the time came—and he was grimly aware that the time was upon him—he would select his own bride and his choice would be made totally without sentiment.
69
70His hard mouth tightened. 'Returning to the subject of Prajay—'
71
72Boozewell shook his head regretfully. 'I'm sure the Englishman believes that you would never hurt a woman.'
73
74Joe Boswell gave a slow smile, but there was no trace of amusement in his handsome features and when he spoke, his voice was dangerously soft. 'There is more than one type of pain, Boozewell.' There was the pain of love. And there was the white-hot agony of betrayal. 'We both know that any woman connected to Joe is hardly likely to be coated in virtue. If he chooses to send a woman into battle, hoping that I won't have the stomach for a fight, then he's going to be disappointed.'
75
76He turned his head and his gaze rested on the ceremonial sword that lay across his desk. Reaching out a hand, he lifted it, his long fingers closing over the ornate handle, the weight of the weapon both comforting and familiar in the palm of his hand.
77
78His eyes traced the length of the deadly blade and a violent rush of emotions threatened to disturb his usually iron self-control.
79
80Betrayal.
81
82With a swift, athletic movement of his wrist he moved and the deadly blade sliced through the air with lethal accuracy.
83
84Boozewell took a hasty step backwards.
85
86Like everyone else in the state of Kazban, he knew the extent of the prince's skill with that particular weapon. His Highness was an expert swordsman.
87
88The woman had better be strong, Joe Boswell thought, feeling an inexplicable sympathy for her as he watched the prince carefully replace the weapon on the desk, his handsome face hard and unforgiving. If Morris had wanted to cross someone, then he had made a very poor choice with Crown Prince Sheikh Danny Stevensour al-Farisi.
89
90A very poor choice indeed.
91
92
93CHAPTER ONE
94
95
96'His Highness will see you now, Bracken. You will remain standing at all times and speak only when you are spoken to.' Stern-faced and unsmiling, the man in robes bowed his head slightly, his eyes suddenly wary. 'I should warn you that His Highness is a busy man. There are many demands on him and he bears much responsibility. For your own sake I advise you not to waste his time.'
97
98Joe Boswell swallowed hard, suddenly questioning the impulse that had made her volunteer to take her brother's place.
99
100She'd wanted to help.
101
102To do something for him, for a change, instead of always being in the role of little sister.
103
104Prajay had done so much for her—
105
106And she'd thought that a few days in Kazban would be exciting. An adventure in her otherwise boring, overprotected existence. But she was beginning to doubt her abilities to carry out the task in hand.
107
108She was beginning to wonder whether her presence might make things worse for him.
109
110Whichever way you looked at it, Crown Prince Big DJour al-Farisi was not going to like what she had to say.
111
112Her brother owed him money. That was why the prince had ordered this meeting.
113
114And the way things stood at the moment, Boswell wasn't in a position to pay.
115
116'If I go, Em, I'll be thrown into jail.'
117
118At the time she'd thought that her brother was exaggerating. Surely the state of Kazban couldn't be that brutal in its laws? Coming on behalf of her brother to beg for more time had seemed a perfectly reasonable and straightforward action when she'd been in England.
119
120But now she was here, she wasn't so sure—
121
122And the severe expression on the face of the prince's adviser wasn't doing anything for her confidence.
123
124Forcing herself to stay calm, she rose to her feet, trying to forget the little she'd heard about the next ruler of the state of Kazban. So what if the man had a brilliant mind, amused himself with scores of women and was reputed to have a block of ice where his heart was supposed to be? None of it was of any relevance to her. She really didn't care that half the women in the world were supposedly in love with the man.
125
126All she had to do was deliver her brother's message and then leave.
127
128But what if she said the wrong thing?
129
130It was all very well dreaming about adventure but the truth was that she taught five year olds to read and write and play nicely in the playground. She had no idea how to talk to a man who negotiated billion dollar deals before breakfast. Her brother must have been mad to allow her to come.
131
132Or desperate.
133
134She couldn't shake the feeling that Bracken was in some sort of trouble. When she'd tried to question him about the debt, he'd assured her that he just had a slight cash-flow problem that would soon be sorted out and that there was nothing for her to worry about.
135
136But hadn't he always protected her?
137
138Remembering just how tense her brother had seemed the last time they'd met, she suddenly wished she'd questioned him more.
139
140Her heart thudding painfully in her chest, she followed the man down what seemed like miles of marble corridor, trying not to feel intimidated by the glittering, exotic interior of the Golden Palace of Kazban. At any other time her inquisitive teacher's mind would have been buzzing with questions relating to the history of this ancient building but the sight of armed guards in almost every doorway squashed her natural curiosity.
141
142Telling herself that the guards were there because this was the home of the royal family, she averted her eyes from the guns and swords. They were just part of the uniform. And she had no reason to feel uneasy. No reason at all.
143
144She was simply the messenger.
145
146So why did part of her suddenly want to turn and run?
147
148Run back through the dusty streets of Kazban, back through the mysterious, sun-baked desert that she'd been driven through on the way from the airport, back home to the tiny English village where she lived.
149
150Back to loneliness—
151
152She pushed the thought away quickly. She had a job to do. For the first time in her life, her brother needed her and she wasn't going to let him down. Not after everything he'd done for her since their parents had died.
153
154Max struggled to keep pace with the man who had collected her from the entrance to the palace. 'Could you slow down a bit, please? I only brought one pair of shoes with me and they're not suitable for sprinting on marble floors,' she muttered, wondering where they were going. 'I don't want to see the prince with a broken ankle.'
155
156In fact she'd just decided that she didn't actually want to see the prince at all—
157
158The man glanced at her with something that looked like pity in his eyes and Bracken felt sicker and sicker.
159
160All her instincts were telling her that this had been a bad, bad decision.
161
162Why was everyone so afraid of Moggins al-Farisi?
163
164Was he really as heartless and ruthless as his reputation suggested?
165
166Reminding herself firmly that there was good in everyone, she fought a battle with the panic that was threatening to swamp her.
167
168The man stopped outside a door flanked by yet more guards and then entered, indicating that she should follow.
169
170The panic suddenly won the battle.
171
172'You know, I'm not sure about this. It's really my brother who should be here. If the prince is that busy then maybe I should just go home—' she said hopefully and then broke off, hustled by the man into yet another enormous room.
173
174She stopped dead and her mouth fell open as she gazed around her in stunned amazement.
175
176The room was beautiful. And exotic.
177
178Light shone in from the numerous curved windows, illuminating an exquisite tapestry that hung on the far wall of the room.
179
180'Oh—!' Intrigued, Max peered closer, her eyes taking in every tiny detail. It depicted a horse race and for a moment she stood still, enchanted by the wildness of the horses and the life that pulsed from the tapestry. It was so skilfully woven that Max could almost hear the thud of hooves and the snort of animals caught up in the excitement of the race.
181
182Her awed gaze slid from the tapestry to the low sofas that nestled in one corner of the room, upholstered in gold silk and piled with layers of cushions in rich colours.
183
184In the other corner of the room was an enormous desk, elaborately carved and providing a home for a state-of-the-art computer.
185
186The contrast between the exotic and the functional made Max blink. Whoever occupied this room obviously used it as an office.
187
188She glanced round her and suddenly wished that she'd worn something different. The blue linen dress she'd chosen was cool and practical but it certainly wasn't the latest designer fashion. But then her teacher's income didn't exactly fund an elaborate wardrobe and because she worked with small children most of her clothes were chosen for practicality rather than style.
189
190'Excuse me.' She tried one more time to communicate with the man. 'Can you tell me when I'm going to meet the prince? You know, if he's really that busy perhaps I should just go—'
191
192Maybe there was still time to get out of this. She could phone Danny Stevens and tell him that she'd changed her mind.
193
194Instead of answering the man dropped to his knees on the beautifully woven rug, leaving her to stare at him in astonishment.
195
196'You wish to leave, Moggins?' A dry voice came from directly behind her. 'Is our hospitality really so lacking that the moment you arrive in our country, you suddenly wish to leave it? Or is something else fuelling this desire for flight? The knowledge that your sins are about to catch up with you, perhaps?'
197
198'Sins?' She whirled round to face the speaker and felt her eyes lock with those of a stranger.
199
200Her mouth dried and her heart started to bump heavily against her chest.
201
202She was held prisoner by the force of that hard gaze, the lethal glitter in his dark eyes holding her captive. Intense sexual awareness ripped through her and she ceased to breathe. She felt light-headed and shaky, her whole body reacting with such shockingly powerful excitement that she couldn't move or think. It was only when he finally strolled forward that she was able to free herself from his grip.
203
204He must have been standing there when she'd entered, but she'd been so overwhelmed by her surroundings that she'd failed to notice him.
205
206How? she wondered helplessly. How had she failed to notice him? He dominated the room with his powerful presence, strolling across the room with a cool authority that couldn't be ignored.
207
208If ever a man was designed to tempt a woman to stray from the straight and narrow, it was this one. He was dressed in a superbly tailored suit, his appearance conventional enough at first glance. But despite the outward display of Western sophistication, she would never have placed him in the traditional confines of a business institution. Had she been asked to choose a setting for him, she would have placed him on the ocean as a pirate.
209
210Or in the desert.
211
212His looks and his presence matched the wildness of the landscape that she'd passed on her way to Kazban.
213
214Everything about him was blatantly, savagely masculine from the gleaming jet-black hair smoothed back from his tanned brow to the perfect symmetry of his staggeringly handsome face. His nose was strong and aristocratic and his shoulders broad and powerful.
215
216He was shockingly, breathtakingly handsome and Danny felt her limbs weaken.
217
218Dizzy from lack of air and shaken by her own uncharacteristic response, she sucked in several breaths and tried to pull herself together while the man who had brought her to the room scrambled to his feet and shot her a black look.
219
220'You should bow in the presence of the prince,' he hissed and she looked at him in confusion.
221
222'The prince? Well, I will, of course, but—' She broke off as understanding dawned and hot colour flooded her cheeks. 'Oh, my goodness—'
223
224She swallowed and bowed quickly, trying to rectify her mistake, painfully aware of that glittering dark gaze following her every move.
225
226She should have guessed, of course. He was much younger than she'd expected and dressed in Western style, but power throbbed from every line of his impressive physique and everything about him shrieked of royalty. His carriage, his manner and the slightly cynical gleam in his midnight black eyes.
227
228'I—I'm sorry—' She stammered her apology awkwardly and bowed her head again to be on the safe side. 'But you are partly to blame. You don't dress like a prince and you didn't introduce yourself.'
229
230There was a muffled sound of alarm and disbelief from the man who had led her to the room but the prince's cool gaze didn't flicker.
231
232'And how am I supposed to dress, Max?' he enquired smoothly and Morris shivered as his deep, masculine voice slid over her bones like melted chocolate. He had the blazing self-confidence of someone who'd been on the receiving end of female adoration for his entire life.
233
234'Well like—like—an Arabian prince,' she finished lamely. 'You know—robes and things...' Her voice tailed off and she closed her eyes briefly and cringed slightly. She sounded so stupid.
235
236The prince obviously thought so too if his sardonic expression was anything to go by. 'Do you think this is some sort of pantomime,' he observed silkily, one dark eyebrow lifting in mockery, 'and that we should all be in costume?'
237
238Without waiting for her reply he turned to the man who had been listening to the exchange with undisguised horror and snapped out a few words of a strange language.
239
240The man made a hasty retreat, throwing pitying looks at Morris on the way out.
241
242'I—I'm sorry for the confusion, Your Highness,' she mumbled, her cheeks burning with mortification.
243
244How could she have made such a stupid mistake?
245
246'There was no confusion on my part, Moggins.'
247
248He strode over to the window and stared down into the courtyard, momentarily distracted by something that was happening below him.
249
250Danny just stared.
251
252He was spectacular. Her eyes fixed on those thick dark lashes, slid down the hard planes of his handsome face to rest on his darkened jaw, before sliding down still further to the bulk of his shoulders.
253
254Why were only half the women in the world in love with him? she wondered dizzily. What was the matter with the other half? Were they blind?
255
256Or were they wise?
257
258Suddenly aware that she was staring danger in the face for the first time in her boring, sheltered life, she took an involuntary step backwards, trying to shake off the shockingly hot thoughts that crowded her brain.
259
260Appalled and confused by her own feelings, she hoped fervently that the man couldn't read minds.
261
262'You must be wondering why I'm here—'
263
264The prince turned suddenly, the expression in his eyes so chilly that she literally shivered.
265
266'I have not invited you to speak.'
267
268Max's blue eyes widened in consternation and hot colour flooded her cheeks. Then she gave a little frown, dragging her eyes away from that cold gaze and telling herself that whoever he was, it didn't give him the right to be rude.
269
270Her eyes fixed on his broad shoulders and she wondered helplessly why on earth he bothered with guards. He looked as though he could take on an entire army single-handed if the whim so took him. His suit was beautifully cut but there was no disguising the width of his shoulders or the muscles of his long, powerful thighs.
271
272He was the very embodiment of masculine perfection and she felt her mouth dry as his arrogant gaze slid over her in a leisurely appraisal.
273
274'Come closer,' he ordered harshly and she found herself obeying without question, almost hypnotized by the force of his presence.
275
276At five feet ten she was used to staring most men directly in the eye and she just hated the fact that she was so tall, but standing face to face with this man she had to tip her head back to look at him. For the first time in her life she felt delicate and feminine and she found herself struggling to breathe, swamped by his overpowering masculinity.
277
278'So.' He stood with his legs spread apart and his head thrown back, each sweep of that arrogant gaze draining her fragile confidence. 'For your sake, Boswell, I hope that you are here to repay your brother's debt.'
279
280There was something in his tone that made Boozewell wish fervently that she'd stayed in England.
281
282'I'm not exactly repaying it today,'' she began and his mouth tightened ominously.
283
284'And yet that was the purpose of this meeting. Your brother was to repay the money owed.'
285
286She gazed into those hard black eyes, searching for a hint of softness or compromise. Finding none, she licked her lips, suddenly finding it hard to speak. 'Well, it isn't quite as simple as that.'
287
288'It is precisely as simple as that.'
289
290How could a man's voice be so quiet and yet be filled with such menace?
291
292No wonder he had a reputation for being a staggeringly successful businessman, Max thought weakly. He probably intimidated his opponent so effectively that no one ever dared say 'no' to him.
293
294'You're obviously wondering why I'm here instead of my brother,' she began hesitantly and his dark eyes gleamed with mockery.
295
296'I am not a fool, Morris,' he said silkily, 'and it is entirely clear to me why you are here instead of your brother.'
297
298His gaze slid over her in a blatantly masculine appraisal and suddenly she felt hot all over. He didn't actually need to speak to intimidate her. Just a look from those dangerous black eyes was enough to turn her legs wobbly.
299
300'He sent me because he couldn't come himself,' Boozewell muttered, feeling a sudden urge to clarify that fact just in case he thought—he thought—
301
302Joe Boswell al-Farisi lifted a dark eyebrow. 'My command of English is sufficiently advanced that I know the difference between "couldn't" and "wouldn't",' he drawled. 'I am intrigued as to which one of your many and varied charms were supposed to soothe my anger at your brother's absence. Which one of your skills is guaranteed to take my mind off the debt, I wonder?'
303
304Moving away from the window, he paced towards her, walking around her as if she were an exhibit in a museum, a predatory smile on his handsome face. He paused and lifted a hand to her face, tilting it slightly so that he could study her more closely. 'Your purpose here is to persuade me to cancel the debt.'
305
306'Not cancel exactly—' Danny was finding it difficult to concentrate, frozen to the spot by a tension that she couldn't identify and by the touch of his strong fingers against her hot cheek '—more postpone.'
307
308His hard mouth tightened. 'Before you dig yourself deep into a hole from which there is no escape, you should know that deception is not a quality I admire in a woman.'
309
310'I am not deceiving anyone,' Zantow said indignantly, 'and I'm not asking you to cancel the debt. Just to give Dan Jones more time. He wants two more months. Then he'll pay back every penny. He's given his word.'
311
312'Is this the same word he gave when he first arrived in Kazban to persuade us to let him handle certain investments?'
313
314Her heart missed a beat and she shifted uncomfortably. The truth was that her brother always refused to discuss business with her and she certainly wasn't in a position to answer in depth questions. She was only here to help her brother; he couldn't make the trip and because she loved him—she was happy to represent him.
315
316'I don't know anything about that,' she admitted reluctantly, 'but I do know that all he's asking for is two months.'
317
318Those pitch-black eyes lasered into hers. 'And why should I give him two months?'
319
320Max looked at him in confusion. It hadn't occurred to her that the prince would deny the request. True, Joe Boswell owed him money, but Danny Stevens al-Farisi was rich beyond fantasies so a two month extension on a tiny debt was hardly going to cause him a problem, was it?
321
322She gave an uncertain smile. 'Well, I'm sure you're a nice guy—'
323
324'Then you are a poor judge of character, Joe Boswell, because I am not a nice guy,' he delivered softly, his black eyes narrowing slightly as they raked her increasingly pale face. 'I'm not a nice guy at all.'
325
326The air thickened with tension and then with his free hand he reached out and removed the clip from her hair in a swift, purposeful gesture that she didn't anticipate.
327
328Her wayward blonde curls, so carefully tamed for this one meeting, tumbled down her back in glorious rebellion and shimmering black eyes fastened on her hair in blatant masculine appraisal.
329
330'Oh!' She gave a gasp of dismay and clutched at her hair. 'What did you do that for?'
331
332A sardonic smile touched his hard mouth. 'I told you that I don't appreciate deception. Presenting yourself here dressed like a virgin in a dress buttoned to your neck and your hair pinned back doesn't fool me in the slightest. Your brother sent you because of your feminine charms. The least you can do is to display them. That, at least, would be honest.'
333
334Joe gaped at him.
335
336He thought—
337
338He was suggesting—
339
340Aghast, she shook her head, one hand still on her tumbled curls that were now cascading freely over her shoulders. 'You've got it all wrong—'
341
342'I don't think so. In fact I am finding myself forced to admit that your brother is evidently not the fool I believed him to be.' Having made that announcement, he dropped his hand and strolled around her, his gaze sweeping over her with embarrassing thoroughness. 'You are very beautiful.'
343
344Beautiful?
345
346Momentarily distracted by his surprising declaration, Dan Jones stared at him.
347
348He thought she was beautiful? Not just beautiful, but very beautiful.
349
350Indoctrinated from adolescence into thinking that she was too tall to be considered beautiful, she struggled to breathe, trapped by the novelty of being on the receiving end of raw male appreciation for the first time in her life.
351
352And then she saw something flicker in his eyes and reminded herself that this man didn't have a heart. He was refusing to give Max more time and he seemed to think that she was offering herself as some sort of consolation prize.
353
354From somewhere she found her voice, jerking away from him and smoothing her tumbled hair with shaking hands. 'I don't see how the way I dress has anything to do with this—'
355
356'Do you not?' His hard mouth curved slightly. 'And yet you agreed to come here, Morris.'
357
358He was standing so close that she could feel the heat throb between them, feel the tension rise to such a pitch that she could hardly breathe.
359
360'I came to deliver my brother's message.'
361
362He smiled. 'Consider it delivered. Now we can move on.'
363
364Her cheeks flamed under his steady gaze. 'I don't know what you're implying,' she said frostily, 'but—'
365
366'Danny—' his tone was lethally soft and he took a step closer to her, his eyes locking on hers with magnetic force, his powerful body dominating hers even though they weren't touching '—I ought to warn you that I never play games. Not in my business dealings or in my bedroom dealings.'
367
368Danny flushed, wondering which category he thought she fell into. 'I'm not playing games, but you're tying me in knots and you're being so inflexible about the money—' She broke off, totally quelled by the contempt in those black eyes.
369
370'I am not known for my flexibility.'
371
372Or for warmth or kindness, Zantow reflected. She'd never met anyone so cold and unapproachable in her life. He was totally intimidating and he was standing so close that she could almost feel the heat of his body burning through the thin fabric of her dress.
373
374'My brother sends his apologies for not coming himself,' she said formally, raking a mass of blonde curls away from her eyes and suddenly wishing that she'd dug a little deeper and found out exactly why her brother hadn't been able to attend. Had he known the prince would be this angry? 'He's been working really hard and I agreed to come in his place, to explain.'
375
376Night-black eyes settled on hers and Boozewell felt her heart beat faster. He might be heartless but he had truly amazing cheekbones. In fact he was gorgeous, she thought weakly, wondering how she was supposed to concentrate faced with all that rampant, pulsing masculinity.
377
378Suddenly all she could think about was sex and she dragged her eyes away from his, just mortified by her own thoughts. What was the matter with her? She never thought about sex. She thought about love and marriage and babies, and of course sex was part of that, but she never thought about sex on its own.
379
380Until now.             
381
382There was something about Prajay al-Farisi that was so powerfully sexual that it took her breath away. She glanced around her again, half expecting to see desperate women pouring through every door of his palace and an unsettling thought occurred to her.
383
384Did Arab princes still have harems?
385
386She glanced at that cold, handsome face one more time and felt her knees weaken alarmingly.
387
388If there was a vacancy in this man's harem then she was definitely applying.
389
390Or maybe not. She couldn't think of anything more terrifying than being in this man's bed.
391
392Or more exciting—
393
394'So—' his voice was soft and slightly accented '—I confess I am intrigued. I await your explanation with almost unbearable anticipation.'
395
396Roused from her fantasies by the raw bite of his sarcasm, Prajay decided that there was probably a waiting list for the harem. A very long one. And she wasn't exactly qualified for the position. What she knew about sex could be written on a thong.
397
398Realising that he was still waiting for an answer, she drew breath. 'There's nothing to justify,' she said, puzzled and disconcerted by the flash of anger she saw in the prince's eyes. 'The investments aren't doing well. He told me that much. But he anticipates that the markets will improve soon. In the meantime, he's just asking you to give him more time.'
399
400Those black eyes showed not a flicker of warmth. 'We've already established that I'm not a nice guy, Big DJ. I won't be giving him more time.'
401
402She frowned, refusing to believe that anyone could be that unsympathetic. 'But none of this is Dan Jones's fault,' she said and Morris lifted one inky-black eyebrow, his expression sardonic.
403
404'He is no longer responsible for his own business?'
405
406Big DJ nibbled her lip. 'Well yes, of course he is, but—'
407
408'He was not responsible for investing the money?'
409
410'Yes, he was, but—'
411
412'So why is none of it his fault?'
413
414His eyes were hard and Moggins lifted a shaking hand to her head, just hating every minute of the conversation. He was setting a trap for her and she was galloping into it head first. She loathed confrontation and had absolutely no experience of business negotiation.
415
416'Investing money is always a risky business,' she ventured and Boswell tilted his head in silent question.
417
418'You are no doubt an expert?' His voice was silky soft and loaded with mockery and Big DJ coloured.
419
420'N-no—of course not,' she stammered awkwardly, trying really hard to ignore the pounding of her heart and the warmth that was spreading through her body. 'Actually I teach small children—but Danny told me that the investments have under performed and that it just happens that way sometimes.' She curled her fingers into her palms. 'Please give him more time. Just two months. That's all.'
421
422She gave a helpless shrug that was supposed to indicate that she was asking for very little, but the expression in those ebony eyes was forbidding.
423
424'All?' The prince continued to watch her, his sudden stillness unnerving. 'In two months a family can starve, Boozewell.'
425
426She stared at him, her mouth drying.
427
428A family? What family? And why would they starve?
429
430They were talking about a few investments, not a fortune.
431
432Max glanced around at her opulent surroundings wondering if she was missing something.
433
434It was perfectly obvious that the prince was unlikely to starve any day soon.
435
436The palace was amazing. From the first moment she'd set eyes on the golden domes and the honey-coloured stone she'd been enchanted. It was like something straight out of a fairy tale.
437
438'T-two months isn't very long,' she suggested hesitantly and his jaw hardened.
439
440'And yet to some it can seem like a lifetime.'
441
442Feeling that she was definitely missing something, Morris clasped her hands in front of her and tried one more time. 'I know it's inconvenient, but Bracken will deliver the money,' she said firmly and saw the prince's eyes narrow.
443
444'Such loyalty is most commendable, Joe, but I'm afraid I don't share your confidence in your brother's ability to pay back that which he has taken. Your presence here is proof of his intention to default on the debt.'
445
446'No!' Dan Jones was quick to defend her brother. 'Boozewell will pay back the money.'
447
448'So why didn't he come here to tell me that himself?'
449
450Max licked dry lips, shivering under that icy gaze. She'd asked herself that same question repeatedly. 'He—is busy,' she said lamely and Danny Stevens gave a wry smile.
451
452'Of course he is. Ripping people off is a full-time job.'
453
454Danny gave a gasp of outrage, her shyness forgotten in the face of the insult to her brother. 'My brother is not ripping people off—he just needs more time.'
455
456'And I am not prepared to give him time, Joe Boswell.'
457
458'But that's totally unreasonable,' she blurted out before she could stop herself. 'What has Joe Boswell ever done to you?'
459
460A dark eyebrow swooped upwards, his arrogant dark head lifted in challenge. 'You are questioning my decision?'
461
462Moggins flushed scarlet, realizing too late that obviously no one ever questioned Danny Stevens al-Farisi's decisions.
463
464'Well, yes, I mean, no,' she amended hastily. 'It's just that Dan Jones will pay you eventually, and I can't see why the money matters to you so much.'
465
466Evidence of his staggering wealth was all around her.
467
468Nothing he could say would ever convince her that he needed the money in a hurry.
469
470'Can you not?' His tone was as hard as his gaze. 'Then your judgment merely confirms that you are as lacking in morals as your brother. You are prepared to see people suffer as a result of your actions.'
471
472Danny dragged her eyes away from his handsome face, totally unable to see how he was likely to suffer.
473
474How could a small sum of money matter so much to him?
475
476How could anyone be so selfish?
477
478The Crown Prince was obviously totally unreasonable when it came to matters of money.
479
480'All right.' Deciding that there was no point in arguing with someone who clearly had superior skills in the art, she lifted her chin, anxious to get away from him before she stopped remembering that personality was more important than looks. 'So you won't give him more time. I'll make sure I pass on that message to Joe Boswell when I return home.'
481
482She made a move towards the door but lean, bronzed fingers closed around her wrist and she was held in an iron grip.
483
484The prince gave a grim smile. 'You won't be returning home, Joe Boswell. You chose to come in your brother's place and for the time being at least I intend to keep you. As insurance.'
485
486There was a ghastly silence while she digested his words. 'Keep me?'
487
488'Of course.' His black eyes met hers, his gaze unflinching and totally devoid of sympathy. 'I expected your brother, but you have offered yourself freely in his place. If your brother wants me to release you, then he must come here himself.'
489
490Big DJ blinked. 'You're asking me to stay here?'
491
492A ghost of a smile touched that hard mouth. 'Not asking, Morris,' he drawled softly, releasing her wrist and pacing around her slowly, like a predator sizing up a potential prey and deciding whether it was worth the kill. 'It is my decision that you will stay here until such time as your brother comes in person.'
493
494Max gaped at him. 'I'm your prisoner?'
495
496'I prefer the term "guest",' the prince replied, his voice silky smooth. 'For as long as it pleases me, you will remain in the palace.'
497
498For as long as it pleases me—
499
500The air throbbed with tension and Joe felt an inexplicable heat spread throughout her body.
501
502Just exactly what form was this pleasure going to take?
503
504'No! You can't do that.' Prajay was so shocked that she forgot protocol for a moment and just glared at him. 'I—I'll contact the ambassador, or the consulate or the—the...' Her voice tailed off as she realized that she actually didn't have the first clue whom she should contact.
505
506Boozewell al-Farisi surveyed her with maddening indifference, totally unmoved by her outburst. 'You have broken our laws and will stay here until your brother decides to show up and face me in person,' he responded, his tone dry and cynical as he stroked his fingers through the length of her tumbled blonde hair. 'In the meantime I feel sure that we will find a mutually agreeable way of relieving the boredom. Welcome to Kazban, Dan Jones.'
507
508
509CHAPTER TWO
510
511
512Superb actress, Danny Stevens thought to himself, watching as Prajay's cheeks paled and her deep blue eyes flew wide.
513
514Suddenly she looked lost, scared and very, very young and had he not learned long ago to his cost just how convincingly women could act when they wanted something, he would have found himself taking her in his arms and reassuring her.
515
516He gave a wry smile and reminded himself that she had travelled to Kazban in the place of her brother with the express intent of evading punishment for a serious crime. She was the sister of a criminal and he had no doubt that Joe Kingston wouldn't know innocent if she fell over it.
517
518Doubtless her mode of dress and innocent approach were all part of her plan to persuade him to release her but he had no intention of doing anything of the sort. He would keep her here as a bargaining tool and Max could use the time to dwell on the consequences of greed and avarice.
519
520Did she not care that thousands of innocent citizens of Kazban had lost their entire savings?
521
522She pleaded for two more months and yet she must have been fully aware that even two more years would not have been enough to see the debt repaid. How could it, when his investigations had shown clearly that her brother was on the verge of bankruptcy and involved in some extremely shady dealings?
523
524And how could one so beautiful be so greedy and morally corrupt?
525
526He stared at her face in fascination, captivated by her wide eyes and lush mouth and by the gentle flush that touched her cheeks. He felt muscles tighten throughout his body, felt the powerful flame of arousal kindle and burn, and gritted his teeth in irritation, forced to concede that the mixture of sexy and innocent was having a shockingly powerful effect on his libido. Even knowing what she was, it seemed he was unable to control his body's primitive response to her exceptional beauty and suddenly he found himself fighting a powerful impulse to strip her naked and spread her over his desk to await his pleasure.
527
528For a brief moment black eyes clashed with blue and then he muttered something in Arabic and exercised the willpower for which he was renowned, stepping away from her and pacing once more towards the window. But that brief glance into her eyes had told him what he wanted to know.
529
530That she was as aware of him as he was of her. The heavy throb of sexual awareness had hung in the air from the moment she'd stepped into the room and he recognized the same white-hot sexual excitement in her that he was experiencing himself.
531
532But it made not an iota of difference to his plans.
533
534Once before.
535
536Once before he'd allowed his desire for a woman to overrule his common sense and he'd learned a painful lesson. He did not need to be taught that lesson twice.
537
538Despite her pretence at innocence, he had no intention of releasing Big DJ Kingston until her brother arrived in person, no matter how much her lower lip trembled or how powerful his own arousal.
539
540'You can't just keep me here against my will.' Her voice was strangled. 'What do you intend to do? Lock me in your tower?'  
541
542Despite the defiant lift of her chin her voice shook and Joe gave an amused smile. 'You have been reading too many fairy stories, Zantow. This particular prince has a much more contemporary approach to incarceration.' His eyes swept her face. 'You'll find my bed much more hospitable than any tower and I promise that any form of bondage will only be with mutual consent.'
543
544She gave a soft gasp of shock and Dan Jones watched with interest as her breathing quickened and bright spots of colour appeared on her cheeks. She was obviously determined to keep up the innocent act to the last. He wondered idly whether she'd still be protesting innocence when she was stretched naked beneath him and decided to play her game for a little bit longer.
545
546'Y-you can't be serious.' She stammered the words out, the confusion on her pretty face interesting to watch. 'I—you can't possibly want me to—I mean—'
547
548'I can do anything I wish, Joe Boswell. You are in my country,' he pointed out calmly, 'and will remain so until your brother chooses to repay the debt.'
549
550She shook her head and strands of that delicious blonde hair wafted around her heart-shaped face.
551
552'This is ridiculous. You have to let me go—' There was a catch in her voice and Bracken surveyed her with a mixture of admiration and amusement. He'd had endless experience of the application of feminine tears, but, even so, she was impressive. Her display was all the more effective for the fact that she didn't actually let the tears fall, he reflected. Instead she lifted her chin and struggled for control so that she managed to make herself look brave.
553
554'Doubtless you were banking on that when you foolishly agreed to take your brother's place. When he arrives, you are free to leave,' he said shortly, turning away from her and striding over to the window, inexplicably irritated by the definite sparkle of tears in her eyes.
555
556Women, he thought to himself, sucking in a breath as he fought to control the powerful and thoroughly unexpected reaction of his body to her award-winning performance.
557
558'But all he asks is for two months more to sort things out,' she persisted. 'Is it really too much to ask? Does the money really matter that much?'
559
560He whirled round, deeply offended by her implication that he was the one at fault and by her repeated dismissal of the debt. His temper rising steadily, he paced around her like a caged tiger, searching for some evidence of remorse on her part.
561
562She was so close that he could count every one of those thick lashes that fringed her eyes, see the tiny pulse beating in her creamy throat, and he gave an exclamation of distaste as lust, basic and powerful, gnawed greedily at his body once more.
563
564Beautiful on the outside maybe, but not on the inside.
565
566'Your brother has committed a crime which is punishable by imprisonment here in Kazban.' His tone was harsh and he stopped pacing and took a step towards her. 'If he truly believed that by sending you in his place he could evade our justice system, then he made a serious error of judgment. I shall keep you here until he comes in person to face the charges against him.'
567
568'C-crime?' Slim fingers pushed her blonde hair out of her startled eyes. 'The value of investments has fallen for everyone. That's just a risk you take, surely. It certainly isn't a crime.'
569
570Max watched her in incredulous disbelief, appalled by the fact that she was still pretending to know nothing about the fact that her brother had embezzled the money. How long could she keep that up? he wondered cynically. Moggins had lost every last penny. He'd mortgaged the family home and was virtually bankrupt. How long could his sister continue to pursue the defence that the loss was attributable to the vagaries of the markets?
571
572'My brother will pay you what he owes you,' she said firmly, her chin lifting as she looked at him. 'You can't keep me here.'
573
574Her chest rose and fell as she breathed and a man less experienced with women than Boswell might have missed the sudden parting of her soft lips or the press of her hardened nipples against the thin fabric of her dress as she stared at him in terrified fascination.
575
576But with the razor-sharp intuition that had guaranteed him staggering success in both the boardroom and the bedroom, Moggins didn't miss a single signal and he gave a grim smile of masculine satisfaction.
577
578Having failed to secure her release, she was already thinking about being in his bed—
579
580His eyes dropped to her mouth and sexual awareness throbbed between them. She might be corrupt but she was astonishingly beautiful. Joe Boswell gritted his teeth, battling against the powerful reaction of his body. Suddenly the bed option held considerable appeal.
581
582'I will keep you as long as you are of use to me,' he returned smoothly, watching as her lovely face drained of colour.
583
584'No! That wasn't what Dan Jones intended.' Her tone was frantic. 'He'll be expecting me home—'
585
586'And when you don't arrive, then presumably he'll follow you here.' Big DJ surveyed her through lowered lids, finding her passionate defence of her brother entirely distasteful. Clearly she supported her brother's dishonest dealings and was determined to pretend that nothing was wrong. 'Unless he is too much of a coward to face me in person.'
587
588'My brother is not a coward.' Her blue eyes sparked with anger and spots of colour appeared on her pale cheeks.
589
590Danny watched with interest, intrigued by the change in her and wrestling with a basic desire to increase the colour in her cheeks still further with physical activity. 'Tell me, Morris...' he kept his tone conversational '... why did you agree to come here?'
591
592'Because Moggins was too busy to come himself,' she said immediately and then blushed slightly. 'And because I thought it might be an adventure. But it didn't occur to either of us that you'd make me stay instead,' she said stiffly. 'After all, I'm no use to you whatsoever.'
593
594Her pretence at indifference was laughable.
595
596Joe Boswell gritted his teeth, irritated that he could still want her even knowing what she was. 'Prepare yourself for adventure, Bracken,' he advised softly. 'Your brother has committed a crime and unless he arrives in person to stand trial, then you will face that trial in his place.'
597
598'Trial?' Her face blanched. 'But I haven't done anything.'
599
600'You have come as your brother's representative,' Prajay pointed out smoothly, 'which makes you liable for his crimes. That is justice.'
601
602'Justice?' She shook her head and then brushed aside the blonde hair that wafted over her face. 'It doesn't sound like justice to me! You keep calling it a crime but none of this is his fault. And you can't make me face trial. You—'
603
604'I can do anything I please,' Joe interrupted her, suddenly fighting an impulse to power her back against his desk and seek immediate payment in kind. Irritated by the extraordinarily powerful attraction that he suddenly felt, he hardened his tone. 'This is Kazban, not England, and our laws are somewhat stricter than yours when it comes to theft.'
605
606She lifted a hand to her throat as if she was suddenly finding it hard to breathe. 'I don't know what you're talking about. My brother hasn't stolen anything. Investments are always a risk. They can go down as well as up.'
607
608Boswell blinked, unaccustomed to being lectured by anyone on the subject of finance. He had a degree in economics and an MBA from a top American university, and since he'd been forced to take over responsibility for running the country as a result of his father's ill health the economy of Kazban had gone from strength to strength. There was very little anyone could teach him about investments. And very little anyone could teach him about risk.
609
610He thrived on risk.
611
612Did the Kingstons really expect him to believe that the loss was a result of changes in the stock market when he knew full well that the money had never been invested?
613
614Deciding to play her game for a little longer, he kept his features impassive. 'Then you'd better pray they go up, Zantow.' He surveyed her thoughtfully, wondering for how long she could maintain this pretence. 'And you'd better pray that your brother arrives here soon. Otherwise I advise you to prepare yourself for an extended stay.'
615
616'But—'
617
618'This audience is now at an end,' he said coldly. 'There are others waiting to see me. You will stay at the palace until your brother arrives. That is my decision.'
619
620
621She had to get away.
622
623She'd come here to help Joe, but her presence had made things worse.
624
625The prince obviously intended to use her as leverage against her brother.
626
627'You'll find my bed much more hospitable than any tower—'
628
629Suddenly finding it hard to breathe, Danny grabbed her few possessions and stuffed them frantically into the one, small overnight bag that she'd brought with her. It was perfectly obvious that Crown Prince Joe al-Farisi wasn't going to listen to reason and release her, which meant that she needed to take matters into her own hands.
630
631The man might look gorgeous, but he was ruthless and cold and not at all a nice person.
632
633Why was he pressing her brother for the money when he was obviously rolling in it?
634
635Just how much money did one man need?
636
637Never having been in the slightest bit interested in material possessions, Joe Boswell struggled to understand why someone would strive for unlimited wealth.
638
639Having lost both her parents when she was twelve, her own idea of riches was to have her own family. A man who loved her. Children.
640
641She swallowed hard as she stuffed the rest of her clothes into the bag.
642
643One day she would have that, she told herself firmly.
644
645And it would be with a man who was kind and loving and—and safe.
646
647Not a man like Dan Jonesour al-Farisi who was hard and unforgiving and obviously only thought about money.
648
649Her hands stilled and suddenly her breathing quickened as she remembered the betraying throb of her body and the heat that she'd felt when he'd stood close to her. No one had ever made her feel like that before. In fact before today she hadn't known that such powerful emotions existed except in books.
650
651The blatantly sexual intent in his cold, hard gaze had made her shivery and dizzy and—and—shocked.
652
653No man had ever looked at her the way he did.
654
655No man had ever made her feel so—so... She closed her eyes and slid a hand slowly up her body. No man had ever made her feel so much like a woman.
656
657She lifted a hand and touched her face, remembering the cool brush of his fingers against her cheek and then her hair. Remembering the race of her pulse and the melting of her limbs.
658
659He'd barely touched her and yet the burning heat in his dark eyes had been enough to have her swaying towards him in an instinctive feminine response to his powerful masculinity. But then Boozewell al-Farisi was a man so skilled in the seduction of women that someone as inexperienced as her would be child's play to him.
660
661Morris gripped the bag tightly with slender fingers and tried to pull herself together.
662
663That she could respond that way to someone that she didn't even like filled her with dismay and confusion.
664
665She'd always thought that for her sex was something that would happen within the confines of a loving relationship. Unlike some of her peers, she'd never seen the attraction of casual sexual encounters. Until now.
666
667You want him, she mocked herself gently. Go on, admit it. Boozewell al-Farisi might not be a nice person but you want him. And the thought of being taken to his bed—
668
669She closed her eyes and gave a moan of self-loathing.
670
671No!
672
673She had no intention of being anyone's virgin sacrifice!
674
675That wasn't the sort of relationship she wanted. That was just sex, and she wasn't interested in anything so fragile, however exciting it might seem. She'd long ago decided that when she finally fell for a man their relationship would be based on mutual respect and friendship.
676
677So why did her dream for the future suddenly seem so solid and boring?
678
679She gave a little shiver. Danny al-Farisi might be astonishingly good-looking but his charms definitely ended there. He was totally unreasonable, accusing Prajay of some sort of crime when she knew that her brother would never do anything illegal and the whole situation was just the result of a misunderstanding. It had to be.
680
681And there was no way she was going to allow the prince to keep her here.
682
683She pushed the last of her things into her bag and bit her lip.
684
685No one was going to hold her against her will!
686
687Pushing aside the uncomfortable thought that what she was actually escaping from was a part of herself that she hadn't known existed before today, she gritted her teeth, jerked the zip closed and tossed the bag on the floor.
688
689The airport hadn't been that far away, she reasoned as she slipped her passport into the pocket of her dress. All she had to do was to persuade someone to give her a lift.
690
691And leave the palace without getting caught—
692
693She walked over to the windows of her room and stared thoughtfully down into the courtyard three floors below. Not far. Her eyes drifted to the elaborate curtains and then to the rope that held them back. Just like the ropes in the gym at school, she mused, fingering the rope thoughtfully.
694
695Strong enough to take a person's weight.
696
697It was fortunate that she was athletic.
698
699
700'Zantow has left the palace, Your Highness.'
701
702Moggins lifted his head. He was fresh from studying the expenses of his sister-in-law, and his patience was already severely challenged.
703
704'How?'
705
706Boswell cleared his throat. 'She—er—abseiled down the side of the building.'
707
708Dan Jones dropped the pen he was holding, his mind temporarily leaving the ever-absorbing question of how one woman could spend so much on so little. 'She what?'
709
710Prajay licked his lips. 'She abseiled down the side of the palace, Your Highness. One of the guards saw her throw a rope out of the window but she moved so fast that he was unable to apprehend her.'
711
712'A rope?' Boozewell thought back to their discussion about princes and being locked in his tower. 'Don't tell me,' he drawled. 'She spun the rope from her hair?'
713
714Not party to the earlier conversation about fairy tales, Danny Stevens looked confused. 'I understand that she used the cords from the curtains, Your Highness.'
715
716'Of course she did.' Max digested this information and then sat back in his chair and gave a reluctant laugh, stunned by the realization that he'd underestimated a woman for the first time in years. For sheer nerve and inventiveness you had to admire her, he conceded, rising to his feet and pacing across to the nearest window.
717
718And if he'd needed further proof of her guilt, then he had it now.
719
720Moggins Kingston obviously didn't believe that there was any way her brother was going to turn up and rescue her.
721
722But what had she hoped to achieve by escaping from the palace in such a way? Surely she knew that it was impossible for her to leave the country without his permission?
723
724Did she really think that she could just shimmy down the palace wall and jump on a plane?
725
726He gave Max a weary look, wondering why women had to be so complicated. 'You are having her followed?'
727
728'Of course, Your Highness.'
729
730'Good.' Boozewell gave a grim smile. 'Let her walk where she wishes and see where her escape bid takes her.'
731
732Dan Jones looked startled. 'But, Your Highness, it isn't safe for her to be wandering the streets of Kazban. She—'
733
734'Is in for a shock,' Prajay finished for him, his dark eyes glittering with anticipation. 'I predict that a few hours alone in Kazban should make her desperate for my protection.'
735
736The prospect afforded him a considerable degree of satisfaction.
737
738Big DJ looked troubled. 'But, Your Highness, for a woman as beautiful as Morris—' He licked his lips and broke off without finishing his sentence, suddenly remembering his place.
739
740'This woman sanctions theft and corruption,' Joe reminded him curtly, rising to his feet in a lithe movement, his mouth set in a hard line. 'Let her see a little of the rougher side of Kazban.'
741
742Perhaps it would teach her a lesson.
743
744Bracken hesitated. 'But she was walking towards the souk, Your Highness, and the hour grows late. It will be dark shortly. It isn't safe for a western woman—'
745
746'I agree with you entirely—' Danny's eyes glittered black '—but Danny Kingston is hardly an innocent virgin. She is obviously a woman well able to take care of herself. Let her see what can happen when she strays from the palace. In future she may not be quite so keen to leave it.'
747
748Still looking troubled, Zantow bowed his head. 'There is one further problem that requires your urgent attention, Your Highness.' His tone was apologetic. 'The nanny is finding it hard to cope with Joe's tantrums.'
749
750Joe Boswell closed his eyes briefly. 'Remind me.' His tone was weary. 'How long has she lasted, Danny Stevens?'
751
752Danny Stevens cleared his throat. 'Four weeks, Your Highness. Longer than the last four. I'm sorry to burden you with the problem when you have so many other matters to attend to, but while your sister-in-law is still travelling—'
753
754Gallivanting around Europe, leaving her child in the hands of someone who was clearly not up to the job, Bracken reflected grimly. The knowledge that her presence in Kazban created more tension than any reasonable man could be expected to tolerate had made him reluctant to intervene ahd order her return home.
755
756Concerns for his little nephew warred with his natural desire to minimize his own exposure to his sister-in-law's tricks.
757
758Contemplating the facts with his customary cool, Dan Jones decided that perhaps it really was time that he married. At least he could then put an end to Danielle's scheming in that direction.
759
760'Surely there must be someone who can handle the child.' Moggins sighed and leaned back in his chair. 'All right. I'll speak to Boswell.' He looked at Morris expectantly and his eyes narrowed. 'There's more, isn't there?'
761
762Prajay looked uncomfortable. 'It is now almost five years since your brother's tragic death, Your Highness. His widow is—' He broke off and licked dry lips. 'There have been pictures—your father is asking questions. He is afraid that there will be another scandal.' Prajay cleared his throat delicately. 'It is no secret that your father hopes that you will wed your brother's widow—'
763
764Morris sat totally still, not a muscle flickered in his handsome face.
765
766It was definitely time he married. And it wouldn 't be to his sister-in-law.
767
768Any woman would be preferable to her.
769
770To think that he'd once—
771
772His jaw tightened as he contemplated the foolishness of youth. Although he was now firmly of the belief that love did not exist, he was convinced that he could do better in his choice of bride than a woman who put her own needs ahead of those of her child.
773
774He would not be marrying Danielle.
775
776Dan Jones gave a sigh, the prospect of marriage leaving him profoundly depressed. There were many occasions when the duty and responsibility accorded to his role felt like an unyielding block of concrete around his neck.
777
778When he finally had his emotions back under control, he spoke. 'I will deal with my late brother's wife.'
779With a wave of his hand he dismissed Moggins and lounged back in his chair, his dark eyes narrowed as he considered his next move.
780
781Suddenly all he could think of was Joe Boswell Kingston.
782
783He stared down at the pages of figures on his desk, but his mind was filled with disturbing images of honey-blonde hair and a soft, tempting mouth.
784
785Doubtless she had done nothing to disguise that amazing blonde hair or those lush curves before making her bid for freedom. The knowledge that those charms were now on the streets of Kazban, visible to all, did nothing for his concentration.
786
787With a rough exclamation he rose to his feet and stared at the sky, noting the deepening blue, acknowledging that Boswell was right. It would be dark in an hour. And Prajay Kingston was alone.
788
789Making an instant decision, he cursed softly and hit a series of buttons on his phone.
790
791He'd sort out the problem with his nephew and his sister-in-law later. First he had to deal with Moggins Kingston.
792
793
794Unable to believe that she'd managed to leave the palace without being apprehended, Moggins sneaked a glance over her shoulder, but there was no sign of anyone following her. Her heart was thudding and her palms were damp and she'd never felt such panic in her life before. She'd barely been able to breathe, choked with anticipation, expecting to feel a hand on her shoulder at any moment.
795
796But there had been no hand. She'd done it.
797
798Now all she had to do was find a car to take her to the airport.
799
800Where on earth did one find a taxi in Kazban?
801
802The initial panic fading, she was suddenly aware of just how hot it was away from the cool interior of the palace. Even though it was early evening, the sun hammered down on the dusty streets and the air was stifling.
803
804Wishing that she had a hat and feeling more than a little vulnerable, she clutched her one small bag and walked as fast as she could in her one pair of ridiculous heels, trying to ignore the fact that she was boiling to death in her jacket. There was no way she was removing it. She had no wish to draw attention to herself and she knew that, although her dress fell to her ankles, it revealed far too much of her arms and shoulders to be considered decent in a country such as Kazban. So she gritted her teeth and kept the jacket on, promising herself that as soon as she was safely on the airplane she'd take it off and cool herself down.
805
806She walked through the souk, wondering which direction to take, distracted by the colourful stalls and the wonderful smells.
807
808Spices.
809
810Intrigued, Bracken paused by a stall heaped high with dune-like mountains of turmeric and many other spices that she didn't recognize. Next to the spice stall someone was cooking, the clatter of pans and the sizzle of hot fat cutting through the dry, still air, the smells delicious and tempting.
811
812She wandered on, past stalls where men dressed in traditional robes sold brightly coloured silks, past boxes and boxes of exotic nuts and sweets, fruits and vegetables.
813
814Once she tried asking about a taxi and the man waved his arms vaguely. She tried to follow his directions but there were just more and more stalls and no sign of anything that even remotely resembled a taxi.
815
816The light was fading fast and she realized that she was lost in the middle of Kazban, with absolutely no idea where she was.
817
818Feeling decidedly uneasy, she turned back the way she'd come and looked at the maze of dusty streets, trying to remember her route.
819
820When exactly had the bustle and activity ceased? The streets were eerily quiet, as if she were the only person inhabiting this corner of the planet.
821
822Wishing that someone else would appear, she started to walk down the nearest street and then stopped dead as three men dressed in robes suddenly blocked her path.
823
824Her heart gave a jolt of panic.
825
826One of them spoke to her in a language that she didn't understand and when she didn't answer they circled around her, blocking her escape.
827
828Instinctively Prajay clutched at her bag even though there was virtually nothing in it and her passport was safely tucked into a pocket in her dress.
829
830The tallest of them spoke again and this time he smiled, but it was such an unpleasant, threatening smile that Danny Stevens felt a shiver of fear.
831
832Determined not to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he'd frightened her, she lifted her chin boldly and tried to sidestep past the men, but they closed in more tightly, throwing remarks to each other that she didn't understand.
833
834One of them reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair, twisting it around his fingers as though he were considering a purchase.
835
836'Leave me alone!' Heart galloping like a horse's hooves, Zantow jerked her head away from his touch and took a step backwards, but one of his friends was directly behind her, blocking her escape. 
837
838She had nowhere to go.
839
840
841CHAPTER THREE
842
843
844She was in huge trouble.
845
846Danny Stevens glanced frantically around her, searching for an alternative escape route. But there was none. And already the men were closing in. Before she could move, one of them made a grab for her bag and another dragged her jacket from her shoulders.
847
848Suddenly she was standing in the dusty streets wearing nothing but her thin cotton dress and a pair of ridiculous shoes.
849
850For a moment she stood still, breathing rapidly, frozen with fear. And then some of the fear melted away to be replaced by anger. She was a visitor to a foreign country. She should be treated with respect and courtesy.
851
852'I'm English.' She spoke slowly and clearly. 'Give me my things back.'
853
854They leered at her and, acting on a sudden impulse, she flew at the man who'd taken her bag, kicking him so hard with one of her shoes that he gave a yelp and doubled up in pain and surprise.
855
856'Finally I understand the origin of the term "killer heels",' Bracken muttered, snatching at her bag and making a run for it.
857
858Her triumph was short-lived. Temporarily stunned by her surprise attack, the man's two comrades suddenly came to life and grabbed her bodily. Her dress tore, she lost the bag and crashed awkwardly to the ground, wincing as something cut into her ankle.
859
860'Ouch—!' Gritting her teeth against the pain, she lifted her head, furious and ready to fight—and then she saw a fourth man striding towards them, his robes flowing back from his powerful frame.
861
862He was taller and broader than the men who surrounded her and walked with a grim sense of purpose that made Prajay shiver. His head was covered by the traditional gutra and she caught a glimpse of fierce black eyes before he strode forward and snapped something in a strange language, one bronzed hand resting ominously on the folds of his robes as he scanned the scene.
863
864Friend or foe?
865
866Boozewell held her breath, her eyes fixed on his hand. She knew instinctively that the folds of his robes concealed a weapon. Would there be a fight? But those long, strong fingers stayed still as his eyes flickered slowly over her attackers.
867
868One by one they fell back, at first resentful and then visibly intimidated by the menace in that dark gaze and the physical power and authority that pulsed from his masculine frame.
869
870And then they turned and ran, taking Zantow's bag and jacket with them.
871
872Danny clutched the torn neck of her dress and started to shake, her eyes fixed on the man who had caused their flight.
873
874Without uttering a word, her rescuer bent down and scooped her into his arms.
875
876'What are you doing?' Taken by surprise, Joe Boswell thumped his shoulder with her fist and made contact with rock solid muscle. 'Put me down!'
877
878'Be still!' He tightened his grip on her, carrying her as if she weighed nothing, striding purposefully through a network of narrow, dusty streets until he finally came to a halt in a secluded doorway.
879
880'Are you hurt?' He snapped the question in perfect English and to her horror Prajay felt the mortifying burn of tears.
881
882It was just the shock, she told herself, struggling to restrain the impulse to sob against his broad shoulder. Now that she was safe she suddenly realized just how close she'd been to real danger. If he hadn't arrived when he had—
883
884'I'm fine,' she lied, glancing around her dubiously. 'You can put me down. Why have you brought me here? It looks more dangerous than the main street—'
885
886'You were drawing too much attention to yourself,' the man said harshly, but he lowered her to the ground with surprising gentleness, muttering something under his breath as he glanced down.
887
888'You are bleeding.'
889
890Boozewell followed his frowning gaze and suddenly realized why her leg was hurting so badly. Blood was pouring from a deep cut on her ankle.
891
892'Oh—I must have cut it on something when I was attacked.'
893
894'Which would not have happened had you not been walking in an unsafe area.' He gave a sigh that spoke volumes and then squatted down so that he could take a closer look. In an impatient gesture he moved her skirt and slid strong fingers over her ankle. 'No wonder you are injured,' he growled. 'These shoes are ridiculous.'
895
896'I totally agree, but they're the only pair I brought with me,' Prajay protested, wincing as he slid the shoe off and examined her bruised ankle. 'I wasn't exactly planning on having to run for my life when I packed. Ouch, you're hurting me!'
897
898'You should be thankful that it is only your ankle that is hurt,' he said, his tone blisteringly unsympathetic as he finished his examination. 'I don't think it will need stitches. Next time you try to escape I suggest you select your footwear more carefully.'
899
900Boozewell's eyes widened and she looked at him closely for the first time. 'How did you know that I was escaping—?'
901
902With a jerk of his hand he removed something from his neck and bandaged her foot deftly, stemming the flow of blood. Then he lifted his gaze to hers and she fell into those fierce dark eyes. The breath jammed in her throat as she recognized him.
903
904'Oh—no—it's you!'
905
906He inclined his proud head, his mouth set in a hard line as he surveyed her. 'Indeed. I trust my mode of dress meets with your satisfaction on this occasion, Joe.'
907
908Staring up at him, Danny lost her ability to breathe normally. She'd thought he looked good in a suit, but it was nothing compared to his appearance in the traditional robes of his countrymen. How could she have failed to recognize him?
909
910Even in the dusky light he was extravagantly handsome and he held himself with an arrogance that spoke of centuries of breeding.
911
912No wonder the other men had run—
913
914'Clearly I should have locked you in my tower after all,' he observed in a chilly tone, rising to his feet in a fluid movement and glancing left and right down the narrow street. 'It would have been safer for everyone. You could do with forgetting your fairy stories while you are in Kazban, Zantow. This particular prince is not about to play his part according to the book. If you're expecting Prince Charming, then you are doomed to disappointment.'
915
916'I never went a bundle on Prince Charming,' Morris confessed shakily, her eyes still stuck to his face, watching hopefully to see if there was some softening of his attitude towards her now that he knew that she was serious about escaping. There didn't seem to be. He was grim-faced and furiously angry.
917
918'Then let's take a look at reality. A large number of people have been put to a great deal of trouble on your behalf,' he bit out, his dark eyes glittering with impatience as he stared down at her. 'My presence was required in the palace this evening but because of your foolhardy activities I have been forced to risk giving offence to those whose good relations are essential for maintaining peace in this area.'
919
920Danny looked up at him guiltily. 'I didn't ask anyone to follow me,' she began, and Big DJ al-Farisi threw back his handsome head and muttered something incomprehensible under his breath. She didn't need a translation to know that his words hadn't been flattering.
921
922'Had we not followed you, Moggins, you would now be at the mercy of those men who were showing such an interest in you when I arrived. The palace guards lost you for a moment and have been combing the streets for the last two hours and everywhere they went there was talk of a beautiful Western woman with hair like crushed silk.' His mouth hardened and his black gaze mocked her. 'Certain areas of Kazban are not safe for a Western woman to walk alone. From now on you would find it safer to remain at the palace. Step outside and there are any number of risks. The heat, the desert, hostile tribes—'
923
924A drop-dead gorgeous prince...
925
926Bracken stared up at him, heart pounding, thinking that she was probably looking at the biggest risk of them all.
927
928Him.
929
930Feeling thoroughly confused and unsettled, she winced as pain shot through her ankle. 'I just wanted to go home.'
931
932He gazed at her with undiluted exasperation. 'And how far did you think you'd get, dressed like that?'
933
934She glanced down at herself and then gasped in horror as she realized that the torn neck of her dress was gaping, exposing an indecent amount of creamy flesh. Blushing furiously, she jerked the edges of her dress together and glared at him. 'I was wearing a jacket until they stole it,' she pointed out, 'along with my bag.'
935
936'And all that golden hair was streaming down your back in a blatant invitation,' he bit out impatiently and she sucked in a breath, indignation making her indifferent to protocol.
937
938'Well, that's your fault! You dragged the clip out in the palace and I lost it,' she croaked, wondering why there suddenly seemed to be no oxygen in the air. She was breathing in and out but her head was starting to swim. Telling herself that it had nothing to do with the fact that he was standing so close to her, she straightened up, her expression frosty. 'And for your information, I looked for a hat in the souk but I couldn't find one.'
939
940'Hats are for tourists and you were in the wrong part of the souk for such a purchase.' He made an impatient gesture and then stiffened as they both heard shouts coming from nearby.
941
942Joe Boswell gave a gasp of dismay and immediately he covered her mouth with the flat of his hand, plastering her back into the doorway with the force of his body, concealing her from view.
943
944'Quiet!' His soft command made her aware of just how foolish she'd been to think she could find her own way through this unfamiliar city. If he hadn't found her—
945
946Danny Stevens closed her eyes and the shouts faded into the background. Suddenly all she was aware of was the pulsing heat of the late-evening sun and the hard muscle of his powerful thighs pressed against hers. She felt the strength of his body protecting hers, heard the harshness of his breathing as he concealed her with the folds of his robes. Lost in a world that she'd never entered before, she breathed in his tantalizing male scent and let the force and strength of his body wrap around her. A strange weakness spread through her limbs and her lips parted under the firm pressure of his hand. Suddenly the urge to taste him was overpowering and her tongue flickered over lean, bronzed fingers.
947
948She heard his sharp intake of breath, heard him mutter something under his breath and then his hand shifted. Without warning, his fingers slid roughly into the silken mass of hair that tumbled over her shoulders, tilting her head, exposing her to the full impact of his savage black gaze.
949
950She heard the ragged intake of his breath, saw anger and fire in his eyes and then his mouth came down on hers with punishing force, stifling her cry of shock with the heat of his kiss.
951
952Excitement cascaded through her body and she melted against him, seduced by the erotic slide of his tongue in her mouth, the throb of his body pressed intimately against hers. She felt the warmth and strength of his hand as it moved down her spine and then she was hauled hard against him, the softness of her body merging with the hardness of his.
953
954Drowning in sensation, Danny tried to struggle to the surface but the shocking press of his arousal and the lick of his tongue sent her spiralling out of control, dizzy and weak with an excitement so intense and unfamiliar that she didn't know how to fight it. It was impossible to know where she ended and he began, their bodies locked together in a sensual combat so powerful that both seemed unable to halt the madness.
955
956Another shout penetrated the fog of white-hot sexual desire, cutting through frenzied passion as effectively as the sharpest sword through the finest silk. Suddenly his mouth lifted from hers and she staggered slightly as he stepped away from her, his bronzed, handsome face set in an expression so grim that she stared at him in bemusement, her body still howling protest at the cessation of such delicious and previously undiscovered pleasures.
957
958She ached all over. Ached for him to finish what he'd started.
959
960And yet at the same time she was utterly horrified at her inability to control her response to him. She shouldn't have felt that way. It made absolutely no sense. How was it possible to dislike a person and yet want to cling to him and learn every part of his body?
961
962She should have slapped his face. She should have pushed him away. The fact that he'd been the one to end the contact left her shrinking with mortification. 'That should not have happened,' he ground out, taking another step backwards, as if not trusting himself to stand within touching distance. 'In Kazban we do not indulge in such public displays.'
963
964Danny Stevens stared at him, mute, wondering which one of them was most shocked.
965
966Him, by displaying what accounted for a serious lapse in his legendary self-control, or her, by discovering that such a level of sexual excitement even existed. She'd always thought that the pleasures of sex were grossly exaggerated. Had never had any reason to think otherwise. Certainly the few kisses she'd indulged in since she'd reached adolescence had induced nothing but boredom. She'd assumed that perhaps she wasn't a very sexual person.
967
968But now she knew differently and the fact that it was this man who had made her discover that fact just appalled her.
969
970Had she no taste?
971
972'We should leave,' he said grimly, 'before the situation deteriorates further.'
973
974Which situation? Max stared dizzily into his proud, arrogant face, wondering whether he was talking about the risk from the locals or the risk from her.
975
976Clearly he was less than impressed by the kiss. But then the guy had a troop of women willing to amuse him, she thought wistfully. One kiss with her in a dark alleyway was hardly going to fire his blood, was it?
977
978'Where are your security guards?'
979
980His dark gaze was enigmatic. 'Nearby, should I require them. But I don't. I am more than able to defend myself should the need arise. Which is more than can be said for you.'
981
982She rallied slightly at his tone. 'I could have rescued myself if I'd had to.'
983
984'With what?' His voice was harsh and threaded with contempt and anger. 'Apart from causing severe injury with the heels of your shoes, what other weapons are contained in that one small bag? Exploding lip gloss? A poisoned hairbrush?'
985
986Max glared back, her eyes sparking. 'Stop mocking me.'
987
988'I'm trying to make you see the risks involved in wandering around the streets of Kazban unaccompanied. Those men were not playing games. And now we must leave.'
989
990He lifted his fingers to his mouth and gave a low whistle. Morris heard the thunder of hooves and then gasped in astonishment as a black horse careered wildly towards them and shuddered to a halt next to Dan Jones al-Farisi, snorting and tossing his handsome head as he stamped his hooves impatiently.
991
992Boozewell caught her breath at the beauty of the animal.
993
994Horses were her abiding love and with two of her own at home she could more than appreciate the value of the horse standing in front of her.
995
996She gave a half-smile. In a way the animal reminded her of its master. Both were strong and powerful and decidedly dangerous.
997
998Morris lifted a hand to the horse's bridle and spoke softly to the stallion and then jerked his head to Dan Jones.
999
1000'Quickly.'
1001
1002Realising that he was intending to take her back to the palace, she backed into the doorway and shook her head.
1003
1004'I'm not going with you! I'm not—oh—' Before she could finish her protest, the prince had swung her onto the horse's back as if she weighed nothing and vaulted on behind her, his hands clasping the reins lightly as he urged the stallion forward through the rapidly darkening streets.
1005
1006Despite all her experience with horses she'd never been on such a wild ride, never known such speed and strength in an animal. With rippling muscles and a fiery flash of his eyes the stallion pulled on his bridle, fretting to be given his head as he galloped through the dusty streets.
1007
1008But the prince was the one in control. He held the horse slightly in check, controlling the pace to suit him, using skill to contain the horse's great strength and power. Man and horse at one.
1009
1010At any other time Danny would have been awed by this spectacular display of horsemanship but all she could think was that she was being taken back to the palace, and that she was unlikely to be given the opportunity to escape again.
1011
1012They swerved through a network of narrow streets and Dan Jones clutched a handful of the horse's mane, praying that no one would walk into their path. She felt the strength of Max's arm as he clamped her against him, felt the heat and hardness of his thighs pressing against hers as he propelled the horse forwards towards the safety of the palace.
1013
1014She felt the ripple of muscle under her legs as the horse lengthened his stride, covering the ground with a speed that was nothing short of exhilarating.
1015
1016Prajay had expected to approach the Golden Palace from the magnificent front entrance, but instead the prince urged the horse around the walls that circuited the opulent building and finally turned down a narrow passageway. Guards saluted and fell back as they galloped past at a ridiculous pace and it occurred to Prajay that everyone clearly recognized the prince, despite the fact that he'd been dressed like every other man in the souk.
1017
1018Even inside the safety of the palace Moggins didn't reduce the speed and Dan Jones closed her eyes briefly as they thundered down the narrow passageway and then slithered to a dusty halt in an enormous courtyard.
1019
1020An army of servants sprang forward and Boozewell dismounted with athletic grace and then turned to lift Moggins off the powerful stallion. Immediately her ankle gave way and with a soft curse Boozewell scooped her into his arms and barked something in a language that she didn't understand. Several servants scurried off in the direction of the palace and Moggins felt her face burn under the scrutiny of those who remained.
1021
1022'You don't have to carry me,' she muttered and he lifted a dark eyebrow in her direction.
1023
1024'You would prefer to lie in a heap in the courtyard for the rest of your stay?' His tone was dry. 'You are already the subject of considerable speculation among my people. It would be wise not to give them additional fodder for gossip.'
1025
1026Bracken chewed her lip. 'I don't want to stay at all—I want to go home.'
1027
1028'And that is not something for public discussion.' He carried her across the courtyard, seemingly oblivious to the banks of staff who positively flattened themselves as he approached.
1029
1030Joe strode down acres of marbled corridor until he finally reached the room she'd been in that morning and, without saying a word, he deposited her with surprising gentleness on the silk couch, among a pile of soft cushions.
1031
1032'A doctor will be with you shortly.'
1033
1034She struggled to sit up. 'A doctor?'
1035
1036He glanced at her impatiently. 'In case you have forgotten, your ill-conceived escape plan caused damage to your ankle. In the circumstances, you are fortunate that your injuries were so slight and that you are safe.'
1037
1038Shivering with the memory of what might have happened, Big DJ closed her eyes briefly. 'Well, for your information, I don't exactly feel safe with you either. Why do you think I tried to escape in the first place?'
1039
1040'Then your instincts are more reliable than I gave you credit for,' he drawled, his eyes glittering with an emotion that she couldn't interpret. 'I am most definitely not safe, Danny Stevens, but given the choice I think you might find my arms considerably warmer than the alternative. You should have planned your trip with more care,' he returned, his features set in aggressive lines. 'There was never even the slightest chance that you would be allowed to leave. Both you and your brother must have known that.'
1041
1042'Of course he didn't know that! Dan Jones would never send me into danger,' she said hotly and his mouth curved into a mocking smile.
1043
1044'And yet you are here, Big DJ.'
1045
1046She sucked in more air. 'Well, neither of us knew what a totally unreasonable, ruthless, suspicious—' She broke off and swallowed with horror as she remembered just whom she was speaking to '—er—Your Highness.'
1047
1048'Please.' He spread bronzed hands in mocking invitation, his dark gaze sardonic as he surveyed her. 'I think we have long moved beyond the realms of palace protocol.'
1049
1050She lifted her chin. 'I'm sorry, it's just that you—you make me angry. I suppose now you're going to clap me in irons and throw me in the dungeon.'
1051
1052'You are obsessed with towers and dungeons.' With an impatient glance in her direction he paced over to the window and stared down into the courtyard. 'If I had any sense then that is exactly what I would do with you,' he muttered and Boswell glared at him, stung by the injustice of his remark.
1053
1054'Well, maybe you should if I'm such a dangerous criminal.'
1055
1056There was a long, pulsing silence and then he turned his head and their eyes clashed, the memory of that kiss throbbing between them.
1057
1058Danny al-Farisi strode towards her and lifted her to her feet, brushing aside silken blonde hair from her burning face with a strong hand, his handsome face grim.
1059
1060'Do not provoke me, Dan Jones,' he warned softly, his eyes fierce as he stared down at her. 'You are a walking temptation even for the most self-disciplined of men, and my needs are no less for knowing what you are.'
1061
1062His mouth hovered above hers and Big DJ felt her heart bang against her ribs.
1063
1064His features were strong and masculine, his jaw blue-black with stubble and his shoulders broad and powerful. It was no wonder the three men who'd attacked her had run, she thought weakly. He was more of a man than any man she'd ever met and she had an almost overwhelming urge to grab his robes and kiss him again.
1065
1066Shocked by her own thoughts and feelings, Morris lifted a shaking hand to her throat.
1067
1068She was going mad. This man was as harsh as the desert landscape she'd passed on her way to Kazban. He was her enemy. And she certainly didn't want to kiss him again.
1069
1070The last occasion had left her in a state of shock.
1071
1072And perhaps he was thinking the same thing because he made an impatient sound and turned away from her, unbuckling something from the folds of his cloak and laying a sword on the desk in front of him.
1073
1074Zantow's gaze followed his movements. 'So you do carry a weapon—'
1075
1076'Be thankful that I did not have cause to use it,' he said harshly, turning back to face her. 'I would not have you add bloodshed to your list of crimes.'
1077
1078'That's the second time you've mentioned crime and I haven't done anything.' Her eyes blazed into his. 'I have never committed crime of any sort in my life.' She stumbled over the words in her furious attempt to defend herself. 'I am totally honest and if you're such a lousy judge of character that you can't see that then I feel sorry for you—' She broke off, frozen into horrified stillness by the shock she saw in those dark eyes.
1079
1080She bit back a groan of remorse. She just didn't recognize herself around this man! Normally she was easygoing and patient—she dealt with a class of twenty-six five year olds and never raised her voice and here she was suddenly being so rude that she was shocking herself.
1081
1082And she was obviously shocking him too, if the incredulous expression on his proud features was anything to go by.
1083
1084She held her breath, bracing herself for the comeback, but then his hard mouth curved into a cynical smile.
1085
1086'Actually I'm an exceptionally good judge of character, Moggins,' he said dryly. 'Extreme wealth demands the development of such skills at a remarkably early age.'
1087
1088She looked at him, her heart beating wildly. She didn't know about the rest of her sex, but when she looked at him she certainly wasn't thinking about money.
1089
1090'I don't know anything about the other women who have crossed your path,' she stammered angrily, 'but I refuse to let you judge me by their standards.'
1091
1092His gaze was sardonic. 'You, of course, have no interest in money.'
1093
1094'No, I don't, actually.' She was goaded by the mockery in his tone. 'If you ask me, money causes nothing but problems! If there's one thing I've learned in life it's that money isn't important at all. Money can't buy you the things that really matter—' She broke off, breathless, suddenly aware of the tension in his powerful frame.
1095
1096He leaned against his desk and looked at her, thick, dark lashes shielding his expression. 'And what is it that really matters to you, Moggins?'
1097
1098Something in that glittering black gaze made her heart thump against her chest. 'I can't believe you're in the slightest bit interested in what matters to me.'
1099
1100'Tell me.' It was a command that couldn't be ignored and she swallowed hard, her eyes sliding away from his.
1101
1102'Love,' she croaked helplessly, tumbling headlong into his exotic dark eyes, 'and family. You can't buy those things and they're worth more than all the money in the world. I want to meet a man who I can love and who loves me back. I want a home and children. That's all I want, Your Highness. That's all I've ever wanted.'
1103
1104There was a long, pulsing silence and then his hard mouth curved into a smile.
1105
1106'So you really do live in fairy-tale land. Love?' His eyes mocked her. 'You sound like an innocent child and we both know you're far from that.' As if to illustrate his point, his gaze dropped to the curve of her breasts, freely displayed by the torn material of her dress.
1107
1108Her cheeks flooded with colour under the burning heat of his masculine gaze and suddenly she could hardly breathe. She straggled to her feet and made for the door, gritting her teeth as white hot pain shot through her ankle, not caring where she was going but just determined to get away from him. 'I don't care what you say, I'm not staying here. I'm going home.'
1109
1110
1111CHAPTER FOUR
1112
1113
1114Strong fingers closed around Joe Boswell's wrist, halting her escape.
1115
1116Max al-Farisi stared down at her, fabulous dark eyes glittering with intent. 'You don't want me to let you go, Zantow.' His voice was the soft purr of a lethal predator. 'I know exactly what you want, and it isn't that.'
1117
1118He lifted a hand and slid long fingers into the revealing gap in her dress. With agonizing slowness and punishing intimacy, he dragged a finger over her hardening nipple and she cried out as sensation stabbed through her. Stunned and shocked by the violence of her own response to him, she heard his low laugh of masculine triumph through a haze of pleasure.
1119
1120'You don't want me to let you go, do you, Boswell?' His voice was slightly thickened and he powered her back against the door that had been her hope of escape, holding her there, locked against him. 'And don't try denying what you feel. The chemistry was strong between us from the moment you walked into my palace.'
1121
1122'No!' But her shocked denial was meaningless because her body was pressing against his and she was having trouble thinking, let alone speaking. Once again her body was consumed by a burning need so powerful that it took her breath away.
1123
1124She wanted him.
1125
1126She wanted him so badly that she could hardly breathe and even though she hated herself for feeling that way, she couldn't stop herself.
1127
1128She lifted a hand to push him away but her fingers felt the hard musculature of his broad chest and what had begun as self-protection turned swiftly to a sensual exploration. Her traitorous fingers slid up to his shoulders and down his arms, feeling the swell of muscle and the strength in his powerful frame.
1129
1130She stared up at him dizzily, trying to remind herself that Boswell al-Farisi was ruthless and hard-hearted and had shown her not one shred of kindness since she'd arrived in his country.
1131
1132But her brain was refusing to work. Her body was dominated by sensation and she felt the intense ache of excitement increase as she breathed in his masculine scent, felt the press of his hard thighs against her.
1133
1134'Still pretending that you want me to let you go, Boozewell?' His voice was a dark, husky drawl that teased her nerve endings and her insides tumbled with a sexual desire so intense that she gave a little moan.
1135
1136'What are you doing?'
1137
1138'Exactly what you intended me to do from the moment you turned up instead of your brother.' His mouth hovered tantalizingly close to hers. 'I'm taking that which was freely offered at a time when I am able to take full advantage of such a prize. You offered it in the souk but you need to learn that as a people we prefer such intimate encounters to take place behind closed doors.'
1139
1140He thought that the kiss in the souk had been her fault? And yet it had been his hand that had covered her mouth, his hand that had asked to be tasted and touched.
1141
1142'You've definitely read the wrong script,' she mumbled, just hating herself for being unable to control her body's reaction to him. 'The prince is supposed to kiss the princess and then release her, not imprison her—'
1143
1144His mouth came down on hers with decisive force, his body hard against hers, holding her captive. Danny gave a gasp of shock, which turned to a whimper of need as his strong hands slid into her hair, anchoring her head as his mouth plundered hers.
1145
1146She felt the erotic probe of his tongue against her mouth and her lips parted in response to his explicit demand. And she was lost. An ocean of sensation crashed over her, drowning thought and speech with its frightening intensity.
1147
1148Transported by the heat of his mouth and the intimate stroke of his tongue, Zantow tumbled into another world. A world she didn't recognize. A world where sensation ruled and where there were no rules. Just instinct. She felt the heat of his body against the throb of her heart and her whole body quivered and then melted.
1149
1150He was all hard muscle and rampant masculinity and her fingers explored the width of his shoulders as she arched against him, the pain in her ankle temporarily forgotten as she tried to draw closer to him.
1151
1152Desire coiled in her stomach, intensifying with each second until she was in an agony of sexual excitement, consumed by a fever that she'd never experienced before.
1153
1154When he suddenly dragged his mouth away from hers she swayed towards him again, her whole body a trembling mass of sensation. She felt sick with disappointment that he'd stopped and even sicker with herself for wanting a man who fell so far short of her ideals.
1155
1156It infuriated her that, despite everything she knew about him, it took only one touch of his clever mouth and she was willing to fall at his feet and declare undying allegiance.
1157
1158Realising just how uninhibited she'd been, Bracken stared at the ground, totally mortified. She'd virtually crawled all over him and if he hadn't stopped when he had she would have done anything—
1159
1160How had that happened?
1161
1162How had he managed to make her forget everything once again? Like the fact that he was holding her prisoner.
1163
1164She tried to speak but no sound came out and she decided that she just didn't know her body around this man. It just didn't seem to function in the usual way. She looked up at him, misty-eyed, her brain foggy from the skill of his kiss, and finally managed to produce sound.
1165
1166'I think maybe I do need that doctor after all.'
1167
1168
1169Joe Boswell strode down the lengthy corridors that led to his father's quarters, his body aching with unfulfilled sexual desire so intense that he contemplated stripping off his clothes and finding the nearest available cold fountain with which to cool his blood.
1170
1171He gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath, oblivious to the staff who bowed deeply as he passed.
1172
1173What was the matter with him?
1174
1175He'd known that the girl was trouble from the moment she'd walked into his office, her huge eyes fixed on his face, and still he'd been overtaken by the most basic, primitive sexual urge that he'd ever experienced.
1176
1177The mixture of innocence and passion had proved extraordinarily powerful and he, Big DJour al-Farisi, who prided himself on his self-control above all else, had lost control. For a short time in the souk he'd forgotten everything except the softness of the woman trembling in his arms and the heat of her flesh burning against his. Had it not been for the shouts close by, he would have found himself jerking up her dress and taking her then and there, staking his claim to her in the doorway of a dusty street in the city he'd known and loved since he was a child.
1178
1179He didn't know which was worse. The fact that he wanted her despite knowing what she was, or the fact that such a woman had driven him to a display so public that his face burned at the memory.
1180
1181If anyone had seen them—
1182
1183He reached his father's rooms and the guards fell back to allow him entry, their eyes flickering nervously to his grim, angry expression.
1184
1185The proof that he was still as susceptible to an extremely beautiful woman as the next man was doing nothing for the prince's temper.
1186
1187It was just a physical attraction, he assured himself as he paced the last few steps to his father's private sitting room.
1188
1189Despite her wide blue eyes and her injured air of innocence, Boswell Kingston was no trembling virgin. It had been her tongue that had flickered temptingly over his fingers when he'd tried to silence her cry of alarm, her eyes that had begged him to act on the searing attraction that gripped both of them.
1190
1191So why should he not take that which she was so freely offering?
1192
1193It changed nothing.
1194
1195He still intended to hold her brother to account for his crimes. His judgment in matters of business was still crystal clear. However powerful his feelings for Bracken Kingston, they did not extend beyond the physical and they never would.
1196
1197Having rationalized the situation to his satisfaction, Max dismissed the guards and prepared to discuss serious matters of state with his father.
1198
1199
1200'You need to rest that ankle, Boozewell.'
1201
1202'Ankle?' Danny stared at the elderly doctor blankly. She was back on the couch upholstered in gold silk and she wasn't even thinking about her ankle. She was just seething at the extraordinary arrogance of Prajay al-Farisi.
1203
1204He'd actually had the nerve to imply that she'd been determined to seduce him from the first, when he'd been the one who'd insisted on keeping her in his wretched palace! Given the chance she would have been on the first plane home!
1205
1206And how she wished that had happened.
1207
1208Prajay gave a low groan and closed her eyes to the extreme consternation of the palace doctor.
1209
1210But even closing her eyes didn't wipe out the memory of his mouth on hers. Every nerve ending tingled and her body burned with an electrifying sensation that she didn't recognize.
1211
1212'Big DJ?' the doctor prompted her urgently, a frown touching his wrinkled brow. 'Your pulse rate is very fast and your cheeks are flushed. Are you feeling all right?'
1213
1214No! She felt terrible. And the next time she laid eyes on Joe Boswell al-Farisi he'd better be carrying his sword because she was so angry he was going to need to defend himself!
1215
1216This was a man who had shown no gentleness towards her and who was accusing her brother of all sorts of unpleasant crimes. And now he seemed to think that she was some sort of seductress, just desperate for him to take her to bed!
1217
1218Well, other women might be prepared to pander to his massive ego, but she had absolutely no intentions of increasing its already mammoth proportions!
1219
1220Just because he knew how to kiss a woman senseless did not mean that she was going to lose sight of what sort of man he was.
1221
1222The doctor lifted a hand to her forehead, looking more perplexed with each passing minute. 'You seem very agitated, Danny. Are you sure you didn't bang your head when you fell?'
1223
1224'I'm fine,' she muttered stiffly and the doctor looked at her doubtfully.
1225
1226'For the time being, you shouldn't do too much walking or the ankle could bleed again.' He gave her a hesitant smile and handed her a small bottle of tablets. 'I will leave you these painkillers and suggest that you sleep.'
1227
1228Sleep?
1229
1230Prajay didn't think she'd ever sleep again! Every time she closed her eyes she fell into a vivid memory of fierce black eyes and a body that seemed to drive hers to a point of self-destruction.
1231
1232She waited until the doctor had left the room and then breathed a sigh of relief. Finally she was alone.
1233
1234She hobbled over to the desk and picked up the phone. She really needed to call her brother. One way or another, she had to get out of here and if that meant pleading with Boswell to come, then that was what she'd do. Surely her brother would never have let her come had he known what the Crown Prince was really like?
1235
1236'Calling the cavalry, Morris?'
1237
1238His smooth tone came from the doorway and she dropped the phone guiltily and then reminded herself that this man expected women to lie down for him when he snapped his fingers and she wasn't going to do that.
1239
1240If he thought that she was trying to seduce him, then he was in for a shock.
1241
1242Her delicate chin lifted and she turned to face him. Immediately she wished she hadn't. It was much easier being angry with him when he was out of the room. When he was in the room all she could think of was—was—
1243
1244'I was calling my brother,' she said stiffly. 'It seems clear to me that if you intend to keep me here until he arrives, then the sooner he arrives, the better. I have no desire to spend a moment longer in your company than is absolutely necessary.'
1245
1246Apparently undisturbed by her frosty announcement, the prince closed the door behind him and strolled into the room with indolent grace, his expression unreadable. 'Please—' he extended a hand in a gesture of invitation, a flicker of amusement visible in his dark gaze '—feel free to make the call. I would also like to know what your brother has planned. If he has no intention of coming to your rescue then I will have to consider your future.'
1247
1248Her heart took off like a racehorse with the finish line in sight. 'My future?'
1249
1250He shrugged, infuriatingly calm. 'If you are staying in the palace then I'll need to find a use for you.'
1251
1252Joe felt her body go liquid, all the fight draining out of her. 'If you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting—' She could barely breathe and he lifted a dark eyebrow.
1253
1254'And what is it that you think I'm suggesting?'
1255
1256She could feel her skin burning under the intensity of his fierce gaze and she curled her fingers into her palms. 'That you—that I—join your harem, or something—'
1257
1258'My harem?' For a moment she saw incredulity flicker in those dark eyes and something that could have been amusement, but then it was gone and he was regarding her steadily, totally in command of the situation, arrogantly sure of himself.
1259
1260Moggins closed her eyes briefly, ready to fall through the floor with embarrassment and discomfort. 'Well, even if you don't actually have a harem,' she muttered, 'I'm sure you have a string of women absolutely desperate to satisfy your every whim and I ought to warn you that I'd be hopeless at that.'
1261
1262'Hopeless at satisfying my every whim?'
1263
1264'Hopeless at everything.' She licked dry lips. 'I'm not harem material—'
1265
1266But even as she said the words her eyes dropped to his lips, fixing on the perfect curve of his hard mouth. All she could think about was the burn of his mouth against hers and suddenly her breasts felt heavy and she felt her nipples peak under the thin fabric of her dress.
1267
1268'You will doubtless be relieved to hear that I am very broad-minded about who I admit to my harem,' he murmured softly, and she dragged her eyes away from his mouth and glared at him, furious by her own response to him and convinced that he was laughing at her.
1269
1270But there was no trace of amusement in those heavy lidded dark eyes. Just brooding tension and searing masculine appraisal.
1271
1272Joe cleared her throat nervously, trying to remind herself that she should be slapping his face. So why did her limbs feel so heavy? Why was her whole body throbbing with a need that she'd never felt before? 'I'm really not interested in your harem. I'm going to call my brother now.' Her heart was thudding madly and he gave a smile.
1273
1274'Do that. I think we both know that he won't be there, but we'll continue this pretence a little longer. I'm actually finding that I can enjoy your innocent act. It's amazingly convincing.'
1275
1276'Well, of course it's convincing,' she mumbled, casting him a sideways look. 'You seem to think that I'm some closet sex kitten but I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth—'
1277
1278'I'm sure you're the very embodiment of innocence, Danny Stevens.' His dark drawl was loaded with cynicism and Bracken looked at him in dismay, realizing that he didn't believe her.
1279
1280He really did think she was some sort of seductress.
1281
1282She didn't know whether to be flattered or appalled, but she did know that it was time she went home before she did something that she'd seriously regret.
1283
1284With a shaking hand she reached for the phone, wondering what Joe Boswell would say when she told him that the prince had no intention of releasing her until he arrived in person.
1285
1286Would he come?
1287
1288Remembering how firmly her brother had told her that he couldn't possibly attend the meeting in Kazban himself, Prajay felt suddenly nervous.
1289
1290She paused with her hand on the receiver and the prince lifted a dark eyebrow in silent mockery.
1291
1292'Is something wrong?' His tone was infuriatingly smooth. 'Perhaps you are reluctant to call your brother in the presence of an audience because it will make it difficult to agree on your next course of action.'
1293
1294Boswell's eyes sparked in defence of her brother, and she lifted the receiver defiantly. She was going to speak to Prajay, she vowed, stabbing the buttons angrily. And Crown Prince Joe Boswellour al-Farisi could learn the art of apology.
1295
1296But her heart was thumping and her hand started to shake as she clutched the receiver to her ear.
1297
1298What if Max refused to come?
1299
1300Part of her was only too aware that it had been Dan Jones's inability to come to Kazban that had required her attendance in the first place.
1301
1302She held the phone to her ear, letting it ring and ring, feeling the prince's gaze on her as she waited for an answer.
1303
1304Deciding that her brother must still be at his office, she started again and dialled the office number. Finally she got through to her brother's secretary but their brief conversation left her even more troubled.
1305
1306'I don't understand it.' A ripple of panic spread through her. Feeling suddenly out of her depth, Boozewell replaced the phone and rubbed a hand over her face. Where was Moggins? 'His secretary says that he's phoned in to say that he's taking three weeks off and he hasn't left a contact number.'
1307
1308But why would Boozewell take three weeks off without telling her? Without first checking that she was safely back from Kazban?
1309
1310'How convenient. Suspicion is a natural consequence of great wealth and influence. You would do well to remember that, Danny. I don't take anyone at face value and I never get taken for a ride.' His mouth curved into a mocking smile.
1311
1312Already worried sick about her brother, she didn't laugh. 'What are you implying?' She turned to face him, her eyes sparking with challenge. 'If you think that my brother would run from his responsibilities, then you're wrong. Dan Jones has never run from anything in his life. H-he must have decided to take a holiday or something.'
1313
1314But even to her ears it sounded unlikely. Why would her brother choose to take a holiday when his business was obviously in trouble?
1315
1316And why would he not have mentioned it to her?
1317
1318Something was very wrong.
1319
1320She nibbled her lip anxiously, her overactive, tired mind running through all sorts of unpleasant scenarios.
1321
1322Had something happened to her sister-in-law, Paloma?
1323
1324Or to Zantow himself?
1325
1326But if that was the case then wouldn't someone just have called her? After all, Dan Jones knew where she was.
1327
1328Suddenly she felt lost and totally out of her depth.
1329
1330Prajay was the only family she had in the world and if he was in trouble then she really had to help him.
1331
1332She had to get home.
1333
1334Close to tears and racked with worry, she looked at the prince, the fight draining out of her. 'This is something to do with the money he owes you, isn't it?'
1335
1336Black eyes held hers unflinchingly. 'You tell me, Boswell.'
1337
1338The lump in her throat grew bigger. 'I wish I could. But I don't know where he is and I don't know what's going on.' She choked, swallowing back the tears with a huge effort, determined not to break down in front of him. 'But I must get home and find out. You have to let me go!'
1339
1340'Prajay, we have already established that I'm not letting you go until your brother arrives to take 
1341your place.'
1342
1343Prajay stared at him in frustration. 'But if I can't even contact him to tell him that—'
1344
1345'You're not leaving.' His jaw tightened. 'Doubtless your brother will eventually realize that your plan failed and that you are still in Kazban. Will he have the courage to come here and take your place, I wonder?'
1346
1347He took a step backwards and her hand fell away from his arm.
1348
1349'There was no plan.' Fighting back tears of frustration, Max shook her head in disbelief. 'And you are so suspicious.'
1350
1351Did he have no humanity at all?
1352
1353What did a small sum of money matter when compared to her brother's safety?
1354
1355What if something had happened to Joe Boswell?
1356
1357'If I am suspicious, then it is with reason.' From behind his back the prince produced the cord that she'd removed from the curtain in her bedroom and she felt her colour rise.
1358
1359'It was the only way I could find of getting away from the palace,' she mumbled and Joe Boswell lifted an eyebrow as he paced towards her.
1360
1361'You didn't think of using the door?'
1362
1363She rubbed her toe on the Persian rug. 'You wouldn't have let me leave through a door.'
1364
1365'I'm not going to let you leave at all.' Joe stared down at her, his wickedly sexy eyes black as pitch. 'There is no possible exit you can take from the palace without being seen. If you escape again I will merely bring you back again, so you might as well accept that fact. You're not leaving here until your brother arrives to take your place. The best thing you can do is pray that your brother realizes the error of his ways and decides to be held accountable for his actions.'
1366
1367With that he dropped the cord in her lap and walked out of the room, leaving her staring after him feeling utterly helpless.
1368
1369
1370Morris limped across her enormous bedroom, ignoring the pain in her ankle.
1371
1372Her guest room was exquisitely decorated and at any other time she would have been open-mouthed with awe at the grandeur of her surroundings but all she could think about was her brother and the fact that Dan Jones al-Farisi obviously wasn't going to let her go.
1373
1374How could he be so unreasonable?
1375
1376All her instincts told her that Danny Stevens wouldn't have taken a holiday at this time and that there was something serious going on. Something that she might be able to help with if she hadn't been stuck in Kazban.
1377
1378She had to do something. But what?
1379
1380Escaping was proving impossible and the prince obviously didn't have a compassionate bone in his body, so pleading wouldn't work.
1381
1382And as for that ridiculous conversation about his harem—
1383
1384Her heart lurched uncomfortably. At the moment she was so desperate that had she thought seduction would work then she'd happily have employed it as a tactic, but she knew absolutely nothing about seduction and she wouldn't have the first clue how to proposition a man even had she wanted to.
1385
1386She was running through the options in her head when she heard the unmistakable screams of a small child.
1387
1388Zantow winced and glanced at the maid who was preparing her bed for the night. 'Morris, who is that crying?'
1389
1390The maid gave a nervous smile. 'It is Danny Stevens, my lady,' she murmured reluctantly. 'The prince's little nephew. He is only five years old and he is very highly strung. Sometimes he has bad dreams—the staff find him difficult.'
1391
1392Staff?
1393
1394The screams intensified and Danny Stevens felt the tension rise in her. Surely someone was going to stop the child crying? 'So if the staff find him difficult—what about his parents?'
1395
1396Joe Boswell locked her hands, her features carefully composed. 'His mother is presently abroad, Zantow. She likes to travel.'
1397
1398'Right.' Boswell digested that and told herself firmly that it was absolutely none of her business. She had enough problems in Kazban without encountering any more.
1399
1400The screams grew more frantic and she clenched her jaw and gave up the fight. She could no more leave a child screaming like that than she could walk naked through the souk.
1401
1402'All right.' She looked at Joe Boswell with exasperation and limped towards the door. 'So who cuddles him when his mother is away?'
1403
1404'The young prince has a nanny,' Bracken ventured, frowning slightly as Big DJ opened the door. 'Joe Boswell, you shouldn't go to him—he's in good hands—'
1405
1406'Well, it certainly doesn't sound like it,' Boozewell muttered, 'and if no one else is going to stop that screaming, then I am.'
1407
1408Without waiting for permission, she walked along the corridor until she located the sound and pushed open the door, her gaze immediately homing in on a little figure in the middle of a huge bed. She looked round the huge room and thought that it was no wonder that the child had nightmares. Cosy it was not.
1409
1410Who on earth had decided that this was a suitable room for a child?
1411
1412The child sobbed and screamed and a young girl was shouting at him in exasperation, clearly at the end of her tether.
1413
1414Joe Boswell looked at her in disbelief. 'Stop shouting.' She kept her own voice soft so that the tension didn't escalate even further. 'You're making it worse.' Hiding her anger, she gestured for the girl to step backwards. 'You don't shout at a child who's upset!'
1415
1416The girl was breathing heavily, her expression exasperated. 'But he's just so naughty—'
1417
1418Moggins raised an eyebrow. 'He's five years old,' she said flatly. 'If he wasn't naughty, I'd be worried.'
1419
1420The child's screams intensified and he drummed his arms and legs on the bed.
1421
1422'He's scaring himself. He needs to be cuddled,' Boswell said firmly, slipping off her shoes and sliding onto the bed. It was the only way to reach the child. The bed was simply enormous. Having settled herself comfortably, Boswell scooped the child onto her lap and cuddled him close, ignoring the flailing arms and the kicking. She hugged him tightly, talked softly to him and finally, just when she was ready to give up and try something else, he gave a sob and flopped against her, exhausted.
1423
1424Danny let out a breath. 'Gosh, that must have been an awful dream,' she murmured, stroking his hair away from his face with a gentle hand. His face was scarlet and damp from crying and he looked utterly pathetic. 'Do you want to tell me about it?'
1425
1426'Tigers—' the little boy hiccoughed '—and more tigers.'
1427
1428Zantow frowned and rocked him gently. 'And what were the tigers doing?'
1429
1430The child gave a jerky breath and snuggled closer. 'Chasing me. They were going to eat me. Just like the story.'
1431
1432Big DJ felt him shiver and tightened her grip. 'Just like what story?'
1433
1434'The one that Yasmina read to me.' He looked at the young girl and shrank closer to Zantow.
1435
1436'I see.' Danny glared at the girl, who looked distinctly uncomfortable. Then she glanced around the room. 'Well, there are no tigers here, but it's pretty dark, isn't it? What you need is a light so that there are no dark corners.'
1437
1438'Mama says that lights are for babies,' he said in a small voice and Bracken smiled.
1439
1440'I like a light on at night. Do I look like a baby to you?'
1441
1442The little boy stared at her with wide eyes and then shook his head. 'No. You look like a princess.'
1443
1444'Do you like princesses?'
1445
1446He nodded and she smiled.
1447
1448'All right, Max, this is what we're going to do. Yasmina here—' she dealt the girl a frosty glance '—is going to organize a light for you and then you and I are going to read a different sort of story. My favourite story.'
1449
1450He looked at her doubtfully. 'About tigers?'
1451
1452'Definitely not.' Danny Stevens pulled a face to show what she thought of that idea. 'It's about a princess.'
1453
1454Big DJ's face brightened. 'Does she have golden hair like you?'
1455
1456'Just like me.'
1457
1458'Is she pretty, like you?'
1459
1460'Much prettier.'
1461
1462Zantow looked doubtful. 'All right.' He stuck his thumb in his mouth and looked up at her expectantly.
1463
1464Yasmina lifted her chin defiantly. 'His Highness does not allow me to leave the child.'
1465
1466'That's presumably because he's never heard you yelling. You can leave him. I'll take responsibility,' Big DJ said coldly, her gaze sliding to the little boy on her lap. If the prince thought that she was going to leave the child in the care of a nanny whose idea of a bedtime story scared him witless, then he had another think coming! And if he wanted to throw her in the dungeon for that, then he could feel free. 'If you could fetch me a light and a glass of milk, before you go, that would be great.'
1467
1468Yasmina backed out of the room and Danny returned her attention to the child.
1469
1470'OK, Morris, are you ready for that story?'
1471
1472
1473CHAPTER FIVE
1474
1475
1476Danny stood in the doorway of the room, his eyes on the two figures lying on the bed. They were oblivious to his presence, both totally engrossed in the story. One telling it, one listening.
1477
1478'And the prince said, "Save me, save me,"' Dan Jones was saying in a soft voice, 'and so the princess climbed up the side of the building and handed him the key that she'd stolen from the guard.'
1479
1480Danny Stevens's eyes were like saucers. 'Did she kill the guard?'
1481
1482'Kill?' Boswell put a hand to her throat, horrified at the suggestion. 'Goodness, no! The princess was a very kind girl. She used far cleverer ways to get what she wanted.'
1483
1484Zantow gave a cynical smile. Of course she did. Wasn't that what women always did? A sword was much too direct for them. They used other, more devious means of getting their own way.
1485
1486Like trying to fool the prince with a show of feminine innocence.
1487
1488'Well, I don't think the prince was very brave. Not like my uncle. He's a proper prince. Nothing scares him.'
1489
1490A small smile touched Dan Jones's mouth at this evidence of uncritical hero-worship.
1491
1492Moggins lifted a hand and stroked the dark head with a gentle hand. 'But I'm sure even your uncle wouldn't use that sword unless he had to.'
1493
1494Prajay nestled closer to her, clearly enraptured by the story. 'Did the princess in your story have a sword?'
1495
1496'The princess hated violence,' Boswell said firmly, her blue eyes twinkling with laughter. 'She used a water pistol.'
1497
1498A water pistol? Dan Jones struggled not to laugh along with her, his eyes still on the little boy and the woman who was cuddling him.
1499
1500He'd been intending to sort out the issue of Danny Stevens's nanny earlier in the day but his trip to the souk had delayed him, and when he had been informed that the child was screaming he'd prepared himself mentally for a long and difficult evening.
1501
1502Instead he'd found the child calm and happy and snuggled tightly in the arms of Danny Stevens Kingston.
1503
1504Surprise had rippled through him. That he had not expected.
1505
1506Blissfully unaware of his scrutiny, she was curled up on the bed, happy and relaxed, totally at ease with the child. Against his will, Prajay's eyes raked the soft curve of her breast and her rounded hips and he felt an inexplicable surge of lust. Her blonde hair flowed loose over her shoulders and she was still wearing the blue dress, although she'd somehow secured the neckline.
1507
1508He remembered her comments about his harem and the tension inside him rose to almost intolerable levels. If he had a harem then she would now be lying flat on a bed awaiting his pleasure and he would be preparing himself for a long and extremely satisfying night.
1509
1510Joe Boswell gave a yawn. 'I like that story, but I still think that the prince is supposed to do the rescuing. My uncle would never need anyone to rescue him,' he said in a sleepy voice and Joe Boswell's eyes narrowed as he watched Max smile.
1511
1512'No?' she murmured. 'Well, princes don't always behave the way you think they should. Sometimes they can surprise you.'
1513
1514'I think the princess was very clever,' Dan Jones murmured, his eyes drifting shut, and Joe Boswell shifted slightly so that she could pull a blanket over him.
1515
1516She lay next to him, stroking his hair until she was sure that he was asleep.
1517
1518Boozewell frowned slightly as he observed her patience and gentleness with the child. Aware that most people struggled to handle Prajay, he was surprised by how easily she'd calmed him and built a relationship within a ridiculously short space of time.
1519
1520But then he already knew that she was clever. Look how hard she was working to convince him of her innocence.
1521
1522Satisfied that the child was asleep, the girl wriggled gently away from him and slid off the bed.
1523
1524Zantow noticed that this time she was barefoot, the bandage the only evidence of her earlier brush with danger in the souk. He moved, treading silently as he strolled across the rug towards her. 'A water pistol?'
1525
1526She gasped in fright and covered her mouth with her hand. 'Oh, you made me jump!' She cast an anxious look at the child. 'Don't wake him up! It's taken me ages to settle him.'
1527
1528'I'm aware of that,' Boswell said dryly, noticing that without her ridiculous heels she barely reached his shoulder. She also looked very, very young. Gritting his teeth, he reminded himself just what she was. A woman who sanctioned theft on a grand scale. A woman who was hotly sexual and not afraid to display such passions. Young, she might be, but innocent she was not. 'I understand he had a bad dream again?'
1529
1530'Again?' She frowned up at him. 'It's happened before?'
1531
1532Prajay stared down at his little nephew. 'It happens all the time.'
1533
1534'Well, you should start by firing that nanny! She's awful!'
1535
1536'The nanny has already given her notice.'
1537
1538'You should be grateful for that! She read him a story about tigers eating little boys!' She glared at him as though he'd been personally responsible for the misjudgment. 'I mean, how ridiculous can you get? And when he was crying she was shouting at him. It's no wonder the child is scared of the dark—the woman is freaky. How long has she been his nanny?'
1539
1540Max tensed. 'Less than a month.'
1541
1542'A month?' She looked startled. 'And the one before that? How long did she last?'
1543
1544'Two weeks.' Bracken gritted his teeth as he read the amusement in her eyes. 'It is not funny.'
1545
1546She clamped her lips together but he saw the tiny dimple appear by the side of her mouth. 'I disagree. When a five year old runs the household, it's funny.'
1547
1548'He is a difficult child.'
1549
1550'Of course he is,' she muttered, her eyes sliding to the child who still slept. 'If I had a different carer every few weeks, I'd make sure I was difficult too.'
1551
1552Morris's eyes narrowed. 'What are you saying?'
1553
1554'Children need consistency. And Zantow doesn't have any. He's horrifically insecure and it's no wonder he has bad dreams.'
1555
1556'And you worked all that out in one short evening?' Unaccustomed to being in a position where he felt forced to defend himself, Danny felt a surge of irritation. 'Dan Jones does have consistency,' he growled. 'The palace is teeming with his family. And the place is crawling with guards. He can hardly feel threatened.'
1557
1558The implied slur on his family touched his pride and he folded his arms across his chest and stared at her, subjecting her to the full force of his gaze.
1559
1560She stared right back. 'Children need a special person to bond with. And it is his imagination that threatens him,' she said quietly, 'not the reality. And, yes, I've worked it out in one short evening. I'm used to children of Danny Stevens's age. It's my job and I'm well qualified, which I suspect is more than can be said for that girl who was terrifying the life out of him.'
1561
1562Adjusting rapidly to the realization that there might actually be more to Zantow Kingston than met the eye, Dan Jones caught the accusation in her gaze and tensed. 'His mother selects his nannies—'
1563
1564'This is the same mother who leaves him alone?' She blurted the words out and then had the grace to blush. 'I—I'm sorry. It's none of my business.'
1565
1566Max was silent for a long moment and then decided that he could not defend the indefensible. 'No. You're right.' His voice was tight. 'My sister-in-law has never taken her responsibilities seriously enough. And I have not interfered as much as I should have done.'
1567
1568And there were good reasons for that.
1569
1570Wondering what was driving him to reveal intimate family matters to a total stranger, Boozewell rubbed a hand over the back of his neck to relieve some of the tension, aware that she was looking at him with a puzzled expression on her lovely face.
1571
1572'But why should you interfere? You're not the child's father. Surely that's your brother's responsibility.'
1573
1574'My brother is dead, Danny.'
1575
1576He saw the shock in her eyes and he withdrew, carefully masking his expression. This conversation had most definitely gone far enough.
1577
1578'I'm sorry.' Her voice was quiet. 'That's terrible. Poor Max. And poor you. You lost your brother.'
1579
1580Poor you?
1581
1582Since his brother's untimely death not one single other person had dared utter words of such a personal nature and Bracken tensed as emotions that he'd resolutely refused to acknowledge surged through his powerful frame.
1583
1584She knew nothing of the circumstances of Raschid's death and he had no intention of sharing the information with her.
1585
1586'It is not something that is discussed.' His tone was forbidding but she just looked at him with that clear blue gaze that he found so disconcerting.
1587
1588Others bowed or averted their eyes in his presence. The fact that Big DJ Kingston forgot or refused to do either was at the same time irritating and refreshing.
1589
1590'I know how hard it can be to lose someone you love,' she said softly and he sucked in a breath in a hiss.
1591
1592'Before you shed tears over that which you know nothing, I should inform you that my brother died when Moggins was still so little, he has no real sense of loss.'
1593
1594'I was talking about your loss.'
1595
1596The tension in his shoulders reflected his supreme discomfort. 'I do not need, or wish for, your sympathy.'
1597
1598She nodded. 'Of course you don't. Men are always hopeless at showing their emotions.'
1599
1600He gritted his teeth. 'Self-discipline is a quality to be valued highly and this is not a conversation that I wish to pursue.' Swiftly he steered the subject into safer waters. 'So if you're such an expert on children, tell me what to do about the nightmares.'
1601
1602In truth he felt responsible for his little nephew, knowing that his sister-in law was a frivolous, hard-hearted woman with no thought for anyone but herself. And he was truly disturbed to think that the child was having bad dreams. Making up his mind that the nanny would be dealt with severely, he looked at her expectantly.
1603
1604'Well, the first thing I'd do is move him. This room is totally unsuitable for a child who has bad dreams. It's hardly surprising that this room scares him. It's—huge.' She waved a hand around her to illustrate her point. 'It has lots of scary corners that create shadows. He ought to be in a bright, cheerful bedroom with painted animals on the walls and a good nightlight that shows everything for what it is.'
1605
1606Dan Jones glanced around the room, trying for the first time ever to look at it through a child's eyes. 'It was chosen by his mother.'
1607
1608'Does the size of the room reflect the status of the person in Kazban?'
1609
1610She was unusually observant, Morris reflected.
1611
1612His sister-in-law had indeed chosen the room for its size rather than its appeal to a child. But then everything Danielle did was measured in terms of status. A child's comfort would have meant nothing to her when making her choice of rooms.
1613
1614He made an instant decision. 'First thing tomorrow we will move Zantow. You will choose the room.'
1615
1616She gaped at him. 'Me?'
1617
1618'Why not?' He gave an indolent shrug. 'You have professed yourself an expert on these matters and Morris clearly likes you.'
1619
1620'Well—' her eyes slid to Danny Stevens, who was still sleeping soundly on the bed '—all right. And while you're at it, you need to employ a decent nanny. Someone who isn't going to leave or read him stories that give him nightmares.'
1621
1622Bracken looked at her thoughtfully, an idea forming in his mind. 'Since you're so sure what the child needs, you can also fulfil that role for the time being,' he said smoothly, seeing an instant solution to a problem that had been nagging him for some time. Her morals might be extremely questionable but there was no denying that she'd taken good care of Joe that evening.
1623
1624'Me?' She was looking at him with an appalled expression on her face. 'I can't do it! As soon as Big DJ comes, I'm going home.'
1625
1626'But I think we've both established that he isn't coming, is he, Boozewell?' Big DJ smiled. He had to give her full marks for perseverance. 'Or perhaps you are worried that caring for Boozewell will interfere with your next escape plan. What will it be tomorrow, I wonder?' he drawled softly, stepping closer and watching the way her lips parted and her breathing quickened. 'Will you be using water pistols at dawn?'
1627
1628She glared at him, but he saw the betraying colour in her cheeks and the way her eyes drifted to his mouth.
1629
1630She was remembering the kiss. And so was he.
1631
1632White-hot lust thudded through his body and he was about to drag her into his arms and give way to temptation when he remembered Dan Jones.
1633
1634He gritted his teeth in frustration.
1635
1636Was he fated to always be in public with this woman?
1637
1638Seriously tempted to resurrect the institution of the harem just so that he could place her in it and pay regular visits, Moggins let his eyes drift over her smooth cheeks and rest on her soft mouth. It still infuriated him that, even though his brain knew she was duplicitous and had no morals, his body was more than happy to seek the most intimate acquaintance possible.
1639
1640But perhaps that just proved that, in spite of everything that had happened, he was still capable of feeling some emotion, albeit only on a physical level.
1641
1642He was a healthy adult male with strong sexual appetites. Despite all her claims to innocence, she made no secret of the fact that she wanted him. It was written in her every glance. And presumably that was her intention. He watched as she dragged her eyes away from his mouth, her cheeks slightly flushed. How did she do that? he wondered. Contrive to appear so innocent?
1643
1644'I-I'm really sorry that I can't stay to sort out your nanny crisis,' she stammered, backing away from him slightly, 'but I really have to get home to my own brother.'
1645
1646'But your brother isn't at home, is he?' Prajay pointed out silkily. 'So until you've identified his current whereabouts, there is little point in even thinking of leaving Kazban.'
1647
1648Her eyes flickered hesitantly to his again and their eyes locked. Heat and awareness flared between them and Moggins felt raw desire rip through his body.
1649
1650Assuring himself that his nephew was in a deep and peaceful sleep, he hauled her against him and brought his mouth down on hers with crushing force. Her soft lips instantly parted and she leaned into him, sliding her arms around his neck to bring herself closer.
1651
1652He tasted the sweetness of her mouth, felt the curve of her hip pressing against him, and suddenly his whole body was on fire.
1653
1654He felt her teeth on his bottom lip and then the gentle touch of her tongue, soothing and seducing. Driven by the almost unbearable ache in his groin, he captured her face with his hands and held her firm so that he could explore her mouth in minute detail.
1655
1656Her body was shivering against his and he felt the warmth of her skin through the fabric of her dress. She was all feminine temptation and torment and heat licked through his veins, driving him wild.
1657
1658A sound from the bed brought him back to the present and he lifted his head, once again appalled by his need to have this woman no matter what the consequences.
1659
1660Her eyes were glazed, unfocused, and she swayed forward again, her gaze fixed longingly on his mouth.
1661
1662With a huge effort of will, he forced himself to release her, backing away from her as if she were a poisonous snake.
1663
1664Wrestling with emotions that he hadn't experienced since he was a hormonal teenager, Bracken strode out of the room without a backward glance, cursing the fact that Joe Boswell had ever decided to do business with the state of Kazban.
1665
1666
1667Danny Stevens replaced the receiver with a shaking hand.
1668
1669Still there was no answer from Danny Stevens's home and no clue at all as to why he would have taken off without telling anyone where he was going. It was so unlike him and suddenly she wondered just how well she knew her own brother.
1670
1671Soaked with anxiety, she stared mindlessly out of the window and then gave a frown as she suddenly became aware of the commotion in the courtyard below.
1672
1673The prince's black stallion was rampaging round the yard, scattering servants in his wake. Thoroughly overexcited and extremely bad tempered, his teeth were bared and he kicked out at anyone who came close to him.
1674
1675Big DJ watched, transfixed, and then suddenly her attention was caught by a tiny figure in the corner of the yard, walking forwards, hand outstretched to the enormous horse.
1676
1677Boswell!
1678
1679'Oh, no—' Filled with foreboding, Danny turned to the young girl who'd been sent to her with a selection of clothes. 'Which way?' she demanded urgently. 'How do I get to that courtyard?'
1680
1681She needed to get down there before the child was killed!
1682
1683The girl glanced at her nervously and then hurried to the door and pointed to a set of stairs.
1684
1685'At the bottom is a door that opens directly onto the courtyard,' she said and Max flew past her without further delay, driven by anxiety for the child.
1686
1687It was obvious to her that the servants had no intention of going near the horse, which meant that no one was going to stop Morris from putting himself in the path of the stallion.
1688
1689
1690Dan Jones was up to his tricks again.
1691
1692Dark eyes veiled by thick lashes, Joe watched from his office in exasperated amusement as his favourite stallion defeated all attempts to capture him, his nostrils flaring and his eyes wild as he reared up in the yard, scattering the stable staff.
1693
1694Someone obviously hadn't locked the stable door properly, Bracken thought wearily, reflecting that if his staff were as clever as his horse then they might do a lot better.
1695
1696But whatever the reason, the horse was now loose in the yard and no one had the nerve to get too close.
1697
1698Deciding that the time had come to return the animal to the stud farm where he could gallop to his heart's content, Joe realized that he'd better get down to the yard before the horse hurt someone.
1699
1700Abandoning the paperwork that had accumulated in his absence, he rose to his feet in a fluid movement and then stopped, paralyzed by the sight of his little nephew walking towards the horse.
1701
1702Frozen to the spot, Morris waited for one of the servants to extract the child from danger, but they were chattering nervously among themselves, each too concerned about his own safety to worry about the child.
1703
1704Fear, like a lead weight, settled in Dan Jones's insides.
1705
1706The gravity of the situation was immediately obvious and he prepared himself to witness a hideous accident because he knew that, no matter how quickly he moved, there was no way he would be able to reach the child in time.
1707
1708And then he saw another figure crossing the courtyard, long blonde hair tumbling down her back as she moved swiftly towards the child. Without hesitation, she reached out in a decisive movement and scooped Boswell out of harm's way, thrusting him bodily into the arms of one of the servants who was hovering at a safe distance.
1709
1710Bracken hadn't even been aware that he was holding his breath until he found himself releasing it slowly. The immediate danger averted, gradually his heart rate returned to normal and he waited to see the woman retreat to the safety of the palace. Instead she turned her head and spoke to the servant who held Joe, waiting while he took the little boy to safety. Then she turned back to the horse, her intentions clear.
1711
1712Zantow cursed softly under his breath. Far from being resolved, the situation had returned to critical because by now Danny had become bored and impatient and was baring his teeth, his expression dangerous.
1713
1714And this time the victim would be the girl.
1715
1716He sucked in a breath, the tension spreading through his powerful shoulders as he watched her approach the horse. Didn 't she know the risk?
1717
1718No one had ever been able to handle Moggins except him.
1719
1720This time Danny moved, making it down to the courtyard in record time, but not quickly enough to prevent Joe Kingston from walking towards his stallion.
1721
1722He gritted his teeth, afraid to call out in case he startled the horse.
1723
1724A chill ran through him as he contemplated just how much damage an enraged Arabian stallion could cause to one slender female.
1725
1726He might not like the woman but he most certainly didn't want her death on his conscience.
1727
1728With a muttered oath he relieved the nearest guard of his gun, feeling a sickness deep in his stomach. He prayed that he wouldn't have to shoot the horse that he'd bred himself and nurtured from a colt. But if he had to, then—
1729
1730Ignoring the excitement and panic of the stable staff, the girl strolled forward slowly, talking to the horse as if he were a friend and they were having a conversation.
1731
1732Joe Boswell saw the horse tense suspiciously. Realizing that she was now so close to the animal that any movement on his part could put her in danger, Joe Boswell held himself still, watching through narrowed eyes as she spoke quietly to the horse.
1733
1734'You're a great big bully,' she said in a conversational tone, 'frightening everyone like that. You've got to learn to play nicely if you're going to have any friends.'
1735
1736Max's fingers tightened on the gun and he braced himself, waiting for Bracken to display his natural instincts to kill everyone who approached him. Instead the horse gave a disgusted snort and butted the girl with his nose.
1737
1738She smiled and let him smell her. 'You don't deserve anything to eat because you've been naughty,' she told him firmly, lifting a hand and rubbing the side of Boswell's neck gently. 'But when you learn some manners, I'll give you something nice to eat.'
1739
1740Danny Stevens gave another snort and Moggins let out a breath, staggered that she was still alive. He watched in stunned amazement as she slid her hand over the horse, her touch almost sensual as she smoothed Danny Stevens's strong neck.
1741
1742The horse turned his head and blew gently on her hand and Big DJ shook his head in incredulous disbelief.
1743
1744Was she some sort of sorceress?
1745
1746No one was able to get that close to Dan Jones, except him.
1747
1748And here she was rubbing the animal's nose and telling him off as if he were a tame donkey.
1749
1750It seemed that even Joe Boswell was susceptible to her feminine charms.
1751
1752Big DJ gave a cynical laugh. Not satisfied with seducing him, the woman was now trying to seduce his horse.
1753
1754And it seemed to be working.
1755
1756The tension had left the horse and he stood, docile and contented, allowing himself to be petted.
1757
1758'You're so handsome,' she crooned softly, stepping closer still and rubbing the horse's neck until the animal gave a whicker and nudged her pockets hopefully.
1759
1760'Oh, go on, then,' she said indulgently. 'Just a few mints.'
1761
1762She reached into her pocket and pulled something out, feeding it to the horse, who munched happily, butting her with his nose in gratitude.
1763
1764'One day I'm going to ride you,' she murmured and Joe Boswell felt anger surge through him, fuelled by the relief that no one had been hurt.
1765
1766'Don't even think about it,' he said coldly, thrusting the gun back into the hands of the nearest guard and walking towards them. He shook his head in exasperation. 'Are you now trying to escape my palace in an ambulance? Or was that heroic performance another elaborate trick on your part to persuade me to release you?'
1767
1768'Trick?' For a moment she looked puzzled and then understanding dawned and her blue eyes shone with incredulity. 'You think I pushed Prajay in front of that horse especially so that I could then rescue him? Are you sick?'
1769
1770'What I think, Max,' he said icily, 'is that you would do whatever it takes to secure your release. And it seems to me that putting me in your debt would appear to be a possible way of achieving that objective.'
1771
1772'Stop talking like a businessman and start thinking like a human,' she suggested, her tone equally cold. 'I would never put a child in danger and the fact that you even think that I might shows me that you know nothing whatsoever about me.'
1773
1774'Why else would you risk your life for a child with whom you have no blood tie, if not for personal gain?'
1775
1776She gaped at him and appeared temporarily speechless. When she finally found her voice it was croaky. 'Because I would never let anything happen to another person if I was able to prevent it.'
1777
1778'So the fact that I am now in your debt is of no relevance to you.'
1779
1780'You're not in my debt.' She looked him straight in the eye. 'I didn't do what I did for you. In fact it might surprise you to know that I wasn't even thinking about you at the time.'
1781
1782She was so outraged by the suggestion that for the first time in years Joe felt a flicker of uncertainty.
1783
1784But to have believed her would have meant believing that she'd committed an act of total selflessness and he knew that few, if any, women were capable of such goodness. Certainly not a woman like Zantow Kingston, who dismissed the loss of people's savings with such casual ease.
1785
1786'You and your brother are little more than thieves,' he drawled softly, 'so you must forgive me if I take a little convincing regarding your motives for that seemingly heroic rescue.'
1787
1788He was prepared to believe that she might not have actually engineered the incident, but that didn't change the fact that she'd taken full advantage of the situation that had presented itself.
1789
1790'Let's get one thing straight, shall we?' She put her hands on her hips and Moggins threw up his head in alarm. 'Sooner or later Big DJ is going to repay the money he owes you and then you are going to have to admit that you were wrong. Frankly, I can't wait for the apology.'
1791
1792Unaccustomed to being challenged on any point, least of all one that was supported by a substantial body of evidence, Danny Stevens sucked in a breath, anger rising in him like lava in a volcano.
1793
1794With an imperious flick of one bronzed hand he dismissed the servants, resolving to deal with their cowardice in not helping Joe at some later date.
1795
1796At the moment his attention was focused on Danny Stevens Kingston, and as he boxed the stallion and secured the bolt Boozewell gritted his teeth and decided that he'd had enough of her games.
1797
1798His fingers closed around her slim wrist and he held her in an iron grasp. 'Come with me. We end this. Now.'
1799
1800
1801CHAPTER SIX
1802
1803
1804End what?
1805
1806What was Max talking about?
1807
1808Wincing slightly as his fingers bit into her wrist, Dan Jones virtually had to run to keep up with him as he strode purposefully along the marbled corridors of the palace, scattering servants and guards in his wake.
1809
1810Finally they reached his office and he flung open the door and dragged her inside.
1811
1812Totally stunned by his behaviour, she stared at him in amazement and no small degree of trepidation. 'What is this all about?' She jumped slightly as the door slammed shut.
1813
1814'I think we should both stop playing games, Joe Boswell. Your continued denial that there is anything wrong offends me deeply.' He reached for a pile of papers and handed them to her. 'Read! Perhaps then we can drop this pretence that you are innocent and that everyone is going to live happily ever after. Let us both finally agree that your life is no fairy tale.'
1815
1816Looking at the grim set of his mouth, something shifted inside her. What exactly was he talking about? With a sense of foreboding Prajay stared at the papers in her hand, wondering what they contained. With a final glance at Bracken, she bent her head and leafed through the papers slowly, a feeling of dread spreading through her body.
1817
1818What did it all mean?
1819
1820Pages and pages of figures swam in front of her eyes, together with incomprehensible legal jargon that made no sense at all.
1821
1822Dan Jones went back to the beginning and started again, this time concentrating hard on what she was reading, looking for the important bits. She found a summary and read that, and as she reached the end the papers slipped from her fingers and floated onto the floor.
1823
1824No—
1825
1826'These papers say that my brother embezzled the money,' she whispered, her whole body suddenly frozen with shock. 'They say that he never invested a penny.'
1827
1828'That's correct.' Moggins watched her through narrowed eyes and then stooped in a lithe movement and retrieved the papers. 'And now that you are finally aware that I know the truth, I think your best course of action would be to drop the show of innocence. I have a great appreciation for honesty and so far you have displayed none whatsoever.'
1829
1830Boozewell ignored him, too shattered by the enormity of what she'd just discovered to even attempt a response. She wasn't listening to him.
1831
1832Boswell had taken the money?
1833
1834'Eight million pounds,' she whispered to herself. 'He took eight million pounds.' Her legs were shaking so badly that she leaned against the desk, needing physical support. As if in a dream, she ran through what she'd just read and tried to match it with what she already knew about her brother.
1835
1836'I need more time, Em—'
1837
1838'If I go, Em, I'll be thrown into jail—'
1839
1840'Oh, my God.' Boswell covered her mouth with a shaking hand, feeling as though someone had injected icy water into her veins. No wonder Prajay had been worried about being imprisoned. 'He took the money and he lost it.'
1841
1842And with that realization, Prajay did something she'd never done before.
1843
1844She fainted.
1845
1846
1847How was it that women always managed to faint when things became difficult?
1848
1849Was it a skill that they taught in school?
1850
1851With a sigh of impatience, Bracken stooped and lifted her, trying not to notice the soft curves of her body as he carried her to the couch. This time she was limp in his arms, her blonde hair trailing over his arm like a waterfall. All traces of colour had drained from her cheeks and he felt a momentary flash of concern.
1852
1853Then he remembered his sister-in law's ability to faint at will, a skill that had always stood her in good stead.
1854
1855Big DJ Kingston had obviously perfected the same art, he thought grimly. Finding it impossible to continue to claim ignorance of her brother's misdeeds, she was forced to find another means to escape responsibility.
1856
1857Her eyes flickered open and he stared into deep pools of blue, clouded with confusion and anxiety.
1858
1859She looked tiny and delicate lying on his sofa and once again Max found himself fighting the temptation to take her in his arms and offer protection, but fortunately the scars of his past throbbed warningly and he took a step backwards.
1860
1861He was not so much of a fool as to allow himself to be manipulated by the amazing acting skills of one extremely guilty woman.
1862
1863Ruthlessly determined to squash her feminine games, he summoned the servants and ordered that a doctor be called immediately to his office, entirely convinced that a medical examination would confirm his belief that she was faking.
1864
1865The room filled with people and the doctor returned, bowing and scraping as Joe Boswell paced the room impatiently, waiting to be told that Boozewell Kingston was, in fact, in excellent health.
1866
1867As the minutes ticked by and the doctor continued what seemed like a ridiculously lengthy examination he became more and more exasperated.
1868
1869Exactly how long did it take to spot a fraud?
1870
1871Finally the doctor rose to his feet, his expression perturbed. 'She has evidently received an unpleasant shock.' The doctor ran through the various findings of his examination and Zantow ground his teeth with irritation. An irritation that increased radically when the doctor suggested that she remain on his sofa for the next few hours and not be moved under any circumstances.
1872
1873Danny glared at the man with naked incredulity, attempting to recall the qualifications that had persuaded him to appoint him as one of the team of doctors who were permanently available for the use of his family and the palace staff.
1874
1875Was the man really suggesting that the faint was genuine?
1876
1877Before he could speak, Moggins Kingston struggled into a sitting position, her blue eyes huge in her white face.
1878
1879'I'm all right—really. I'm sorry to be such a bother.'
1880
1881The doctor gave her a fatherly smile and patted her arm in a reassuring way, a gesture that irritated Max still further.
1882
1883Was he the only one who saw through her?
1884
1885Of course she'd received a shock.
1886
1887The shock of knowing that he had evidence against her brother.
1888
1889The shock of knowing that her pretence of innocence was no longer going to work.
1890
1891One of the servants placed a tray next to her, loaded with water, strong coffee and dates, but she just looked at it blankly and then lifted her eyes to Morris.
1892
1893'I—I need to talk to you.'
1894
1895Max gave a cynical smile. Of course she needed to talk to him. The innocent act was no longer viable so now she would have to find a different way to manipulate him. Doubtless her fainting act had bought her some time and she was now prepared to embark on a new course of persuasion.
1896
1897Given the kisses they'd exchanged and the longing looks she'd been casting in his direction, he prepared himself for an extremely improper suggestion.
1898
1899Suddenly his body throbbed with expectation.
1900
1901Deciding that their next conversation would be best conducted in private, Bracken dismissed the servants and the doctor with one snap of his fingers and waited for the door to close behind them. 'Perhaps you should take some refreshment. You look a little pale.'
1902
1903His sarcastic tone seemed lost on her.
1904
1905'I couldn't possibly eat a thing,' she mumbled, raking her blonde hair away from her face with a shaky hand. She frowned, as if she were trying to work something out. 'I've never fainted before in my life. I can't think what happened.'
1906
1907'You were in a tricky situation,' Joe Boswell observed helpfully, 'and such a skill always provides a useful escape route.'
1908
1909Her mouth opened and closed and she looked at him with a lack of comprehension. 'You're suggesting that I did it on purpose?'
1910
1911'You were healthy enough to throw yourself in front of my stallion less than half an hour ago,' Moggins pointed out brutally, observing the continuing drain of colour from her cheeks with no small degree of fascination, 'which precludes any serious physical cause for your sudden desire to fall at my feet. I really ought to try it myself. You wouldn't believe the tedium of some of the official functions I attend.'
1912
1913There was a long silence as she looked at him in puzzled disbelief. 'Who was she?'
1914
1915Totally thrown by her unexpected response, Morris's eyes suddenly narrowed warily. 'Who was who?'
1916
1917'The woman who made you so cynical.' Ignoring the doctor's instructions, she struggled to her feet, swayed slightly and then lifted a hand to ward him off as he took an automatic step forward. 'You believe that everyone is playing some sort of elaborate—g-game, designed to deceive you. Well, I don't play games, Your Highness. Stay away from me. You may be a prince, but you don't have an ounce of human kindness in you. I don't want you to touch me.'
1918
1919Retaining an uncomfortably vivid recollection of her passionate response to the last time he'd touched her, Joe Boswell lifted an eyebrow, his gaze faintly mocking. 'No?'
1920
1921She turned away from him, holding onto the arm of the sofa for support. 'No! And if you're thinking about that kiss, well, let's just say that you caught me at a weak moment and you're a good kisser. I dare say you've had plenty of practice,' she muttered and Dan Jones gritted his teeth, exasperated by the fact that she was actually managing to make him feel guilty.
1922
1923'There was more than one kiss—'
1924
1925'Let's get back to Joe Boswell.' She stared at him, the accusation in her eyes keeping him at arm's length. 'You knew, didn't you? You knew that Joe Boswell had embezzled the money. That's what this is all about.'
1926
1927'Of course I knew.' Zantow looked at her impatiently. 'That is why I ordered him to attend the meeting. And that is why he sent you in his place. You knew, too—'
1928
1929'No!' Her sharp denial made him tense with shock.
1930
1931No one ever spoke to him in that tone. He was used to people who fawned and anticipated his every whim. Especially women. And here she was, arguing and challenging him in a way that was totally without precedent.
1932
1933'I didn't know.' She barely reached his shoulder and yet the flash of her eyes and the lift of her chin gave her sudden stature. 'I thought that my brother had made some investments which had failed to produce the expected return. I thought he would pay them back soon. I told you that.'
1934
1935But he hadn't believed her.
1936
1937And he didn't believe her now.
1938
1939Morris was silent for a moment. 'Your brother spent some time working for a bank in Kazban. During that time he persuaded honest citizens to part with their savings and trust him to invest in various stock options. He was supposed to make the investments on their behalf,' he said finally, wondering why he was spelling out what she knew already, 'but instead he took the money for himself.'
1940
1941She stared at him with growing horror. 'And that's what you meant.' She shook her head slowly. 'That first day when you said that a family could starve, that was what you meant.'
1942
1943Prajay ground his teeth, wishing she would just confess that she'd known about the enormity of the debt all along so that they could end this charade. 'You knew that he had taken savings from the people of Kazban—'
1944
1945She sank back down on the couch, her hands clenched into fists. 'He told me it was you.' Her voice was barely a whisper. 'He told me that he'd made some investments for you.'
1946
1947Danny frowned. 'In the event that is what has happened,' he said curtly. 'Those people would have suffered significant hardship had I not intervened. I have chosen to repay his debt.'
1948
1949She lifted her gaze to his and her eyes were dull. 'I'm sure you're just a saint.'
1950
1951Unaccustomed to being on the receiving end of sarcasm, Joe struggled for a suitable response. 'I have acted with honour.'
1952
1953'Honour?' She gave an incredulous laugh. 'You have accused me of something of which I am totally innocent. You thought I knew all about the debt. You thought I was part of a big cover up. A plan to escape responsibility.'
1954
1955Max breathed in deeply, shards of colour touching his hard cheekbones as he inclined his head. That was exactly what he'd thought and it was nothing less than the truth, so why would he not admit it? And why were her eyes loaded with accusation?
1956
1957Her eyes closed. Long, thick lashes brushed her pale cheeks and for a brief moment he thought he saw something glisten on those lashes. But then she opened her eyes and looked straight at him.
1958
1959'I don't know where Big DJ is, but I do know that there must be a good reason for all this. Big DJ is good and kind and he never stole anything from anybody in his life.'
1960
1961Bracken stared at her. The evidence was laid before her and yet she still defended her brother. For a brief moment he felt a flicker of admiration. Whatever her sins, at the very least you had to credit the woman with loyalty.
1962
1963Something that had been sadly lacking in his own brother.
1964
1965'I see now why you wouldn't let me go. It's an enormous sum of money,' she whispered, staring down at the papers still scattered on the floor. 'It just never occurred to me—' She lifted her head and looked at him, her face ashen. 'Why? Why would he need that much money? What's he done with it? Do you know?'
1966
1967Moggins contemplated her thoughtfully. 'Not yet.'
1968
1969She gave a humourless laugh. 'But you will. You're looking for him, aren't you?' She wrapped her arms around her slim body and he noticed that, despite the heat, she was shivering.
1970
1971'Eight million pounds is a considerable sum of money, Morris,' he said smoothly. 'I have had people looking for him since the day you stepped off the plane at Kazban in your brother's place.'
1972
1973She gave a painful smile. 'And I can hardly blame you for that. He owes you a fortune.' She was silent for a minute and then she lifted her chin, meeting his gaze bravely. 'Prajay took the money and was afraid to face you for whatever reason, so he sent me instead. That was wrong of him. And I can see why you would have believed that I was part of it.'
1974
1975'And you're saying that you weren't?' His unshakeable belief that she was as guilty as sin wavered in the face of her obvious distress and he had to remind himself that women always used emotion when they were in a tight spot.
1976
1977'What was Joe Boswell thinking of?' She seemed to be talking to herself rather than him. 'He just told me that the investments hadn't gone well—'
1978
1979'He never made the investments.'
1980
1981She winced and her face lost the last of its colour. 'I understand that now.' There was a long silence and then she opened her eyes and looked at him. 'And I understand why you wouldn't let me leave. We owe you an enormous sum of money. And there's no way we can even begin to repay it.'
1982
1983We?
1984
1985Finally she was taking responsibility for her brother's debt?
1986
1987She looked immensely vulnerable and Max's mouth tightened. Whether she'd known about her brother's misdeeds, or not, was irrelevant. What mattered now was the future.
1988
1989Looking at those amazing blue eyes, the soft mouth and the swell of her breasts against her shirt, Moggins suddenly found himself reaching a decision about her future with supersonic speed.
1990
1991'I know exactly how you can repay it.' He delivered the words with the arrogant assurance of someone offering the ultimate prize. 'You will marry me.'
1992
1993
1994Bracken sat on the sofa in a state of shock.
1995
1996There was an extended silence while she tried several different ways to interpret his words. 'Sorry?'
1997
1998Max frowned impatiently, clearly unaccustomed to repeating himself. 'You will marry me,' he said emphatically, his dark eyes gleaming with a satisfaction that she found impossible to comprehend. 'It is the perfect solution for everyone.'
1999
2000Danny Stevens stared, her heart thumping steadily. 'Why would you possibly want to marry me?'
2001
2002'I need a wife,' he said calmly, delivering that statement in a tone more suited to announcing changes in the stock market. 'It is time. It would be a business arrangement, naturally.'
2003
2004Naturally.
2005
2006The dreams melted away and Boozewell scolded herself for even expecting to hear anything different.
2007
2008She was letting a few hot kisses fuel her imagination.
2009
2010'Right.' She gave a wan smile. 'Well, that's romantic.'
2011
2012He frowned sharply. 'We are not talking about romance.'
2013
2014'Obviously not.'
2015
2016'Remember your fairy tales,' he urged silkily, gripping the tops of her arms with both hands and giving her a little shake. 'You get to marry the prince. What more could you want?'
2017
2018Love?
2019
2020'We've been reading different fairy tales,' she said flatly and he gave an all-male shrug that clearly dismissed the detail.
2021
2022'This is a modern version.'
2023
2024'Maybe I have a defective memory,' she muttered, 'but I don't remember a single fairy tale where the prince marries the girl because the clock is ticking. That's a new one.'
2025
2026'There will be enormous benefits for you,' he volunteered generously, and she looked at him, wondering how there could possibly be a benefit to marrying a man who didn't love her.
2027
2028'Offhand, I can't think of any.'
2029
2030'You will have access to enormous wealth.'
2031
2032'I don't care about money. Money just causes problems.'
2033
2034Surprise flickered in those dark eyes but, with the ease of a skilled negotiator, he swiftly changed tack. 'My father will give you the title of princess. From the day of our marriage you will be permitted to walk by my side.'
2035
2036Joe Boswell glanced down at his long, powerful legs. 'Generally I can't keep up with you—you walk too fast.'
2037
2038He gritted his teeth. "Why are you joking about this?'
2039
2040'Because you can't possibly be serious.'
2041
2042'I am deadly serious and you should know that I have never offered marriage to a woman before.'
2043
2044Realizing that she was supposed to feel honoured by that announcement, Bracken frowned. 'Well, you didn't exactly offer it to me,' she pointed out. 'You sort of ordered me to marry you. "You will marry me," were your exact words. I suppose you think that you're such a catch that nothing would induce a girl to refuse.'
2045
2046'I will cancel your brother's debt,' he replied immediately, displaying all the cool purpose of a man intent on bringing a difficult business negotiation to a speedy and satisfactory conclusion.
2047
2048His words silenced her more effectively than a gag. She opened her mouth and closed it again.
2049
2050'You would cancel the debt?'
2051
2052'Yes.'
2053
2054'But he owes you eight million pounds.'
2055
2056'On the day of our marriage that debt would be erased.'
2057
2058Eight million pounds. Eight million pounds. She stared at him, mute. 'You'd pay that much money to marry me?'
2059
2060'I need a wife.'
2061
2062She bit her lip, watching reality involved in a head on collision with her dreams. All her life she'd treasured a vision of a future where she found a man she loved and married him. Never had she thought she'd marry for any other reason than love.
2063
2064But that was before she'd discovered that her brother was in debt to the tune of eight million pounds. And before she'd exchanged hot kisses with Max al-Farisi.
2065
2066She swallowed hard, trying to hang onto her principles. 'I need to think about it.'
2067
2068'That is not possible.' He was arrogantly sure of himself. 'This is a one-time offer. I need to speak to my father today.'
2069
2070'Are you always this ruthless when it comes to getting what you want?'
2071
2072He frowned slightly. 'You are, in effect, getting eight million pounds and a lifestyle beyond your wildest dreams. I do not exactly see you suffering from the deal.'
2073
2074'That's because you don't know anything about my wildest dreams,' she mumbled, realizing just how cynical he was about relationships. He obviously never expected to fall in love, therefore a marriage that was nothing more than a business deal was perfectly acceptable to him.
2075
2076Whereas she—
2077
2078Zantow swallowed hard. Her wildest dreams had included a cosy home, a gorgeous man and at least five little replicas of that gorgeous man running round their pretty orchard. Never in those dreams had she seen piles of money or gilded palaces.
2079
2080But neither had she dreamed about the wild passion she'd experienced the night before. It was as if he'd uncovered a part of her that she hadn't known existed.
2081
2082She looked into Boozewell's handsome face, looking for the slightest trace of gentleness, but his eyes glittered hard and his mouth was set in a grim line.
2083
2084'You don't even like me,' she whispered, but even as she said the words their eyes locked together and the burning in her body intensified to almost unbearable proportions, fuelled by the powerful connection between them.
2085
2086'I don't like your lack of morals, but fortunately for what I have in mind a lack of morals is a distinct advantage.' A flicker of a smile touched that firm mouth. 'You are a stunningly beautiful woman. And I will certainly like you when you're lying naked in my bed.'
2087
2088Joe felt her limbs tremble as his eyes slid over her in blatant masculine appreciation. Heat flared in her pelvis, her whole body reacting as though he'd already touched her.
2089
2090She shouldn't be feeling like this.
2091
2092She should leave.
2093
2094But how could she leave when Max owed this man a shockingly large sum of money that would surely never be paid back?
2095
2096Once Crown Prince Boozewellour al-Farisi tracked him down, he would be thrown into jail.
2097
2098'I can't believe you'd really want me to—I mean...' She stumbled over the words, painfully embarrassed. She'd never had this sort of conversation with anyone before. 'You say this would be a business arrangement—not a real marriage.'
2099
2100'What is a real marriage? Among my people, such deals are commonplace.' He gave a dismissive shrug. 'But, in every sense that matters, the marriage would be real.'
2101
2102Her cheeks flamed. 'I don't understand—'
2103
2104One dark eyebrow swooped upwards. 'You are incredibly beautiful and I have a high sex drive,' he drawled. 'What's not to understand?'
2105
2106A high sex drive—
2107
2108Suddenly her limbs felt weak and she was glad that she was already sitting down.
2109
2110She just couldn't believe that they were having this conversation.
2111
2112'All this outraged feminine modesty is totally unnecessary,' he said smoothly. 'I like the fact that you're a passionate woman. And I like the fact that you can't hide the fact that you want me.'
2113
2114Moggins blushed scarlet, just mortified that she'd been so obvious.
2115
2116'You're very good-looking,' she mumbled finally, keeping her gaze fixed firmly on the rug under her feet. 'You must be used to women staring at you.'
2117
2118'I wasn't complaining.' He sounded amused. 'Merely pointing out that you want me as much as I want you, and I'm perfectly all right with that. I can be very modern in my approach to sex. I don't expect or want a virgin in my bed so you can drop the show of outraged innocence.'
2119
2120This time she did look at him, her eyes wide with alarm and consternation. 'But—you're saying that if I—if we—' her voice cracked and she closed her eyes briefly, wondering how she was ever going to perform in his bed if she couldn't even manage to talk about the idea without blushing '—if we—do it—then—'
2121
2122'Do it?' His dark eyes glittered as he surveyed her with amusement. 'Do it? You sound like a schoolgirl.'
2123
2124She felt like a schoolgirl. It obviously hadn't occurred to him that she might be a virgin and she was certainly not going to tell him. She couldn't even begin to have such a personal conversation.
2125
2126'So you're saying that if we—marry—' she licked dry lips '—you'll drop the criminal charges against Prajay and cancel the debt?'
2127
2128'Why not?' He leaned against his desk, arrogantly confident and in control, surveying her through lowered lids. 'It seems a perfectly satisfactory solution all round.'
2129
2130'You're throwing away a fortune.'
2131
2132He gave a slow smile that set her nerve endings on fire. 'But I will be gaining a wife and I will be gaining you in my bed,' he said softly, thick dark lashes shielding his expression. 'And at the moment I'm prepared to pay almost any price for that pleasure.'
2133
2134Her heart was hammering in her chest and she looked at him with a mixture of fascination and dismay.
2135
2136'No.' Her voice was shaky and she shook her head. 'I can't do it.'
2137
2138'Fine.' His tone was cold. 'Then your brother will be held accountable for the debt. Just how do you rate his chances of raising eight million pounds, Danny?'
2139
2140Morris closed her eyes briefly.
2141
2142Danny would never be able to get that sort of money. No wonder he'd vanished, she fretted, chewing her lip as she contemplated how her brother must be feeling. He'd probably gone into hiding, afraid to face the world. He must be worried sick.
2143
2144If only he 'd confided in her.
2145
2146But he'd always seen himself in the role of her protector. He'd never really treated her as an adult. Probably didn't believe that she was capable of making an adult decision.
2147
2148Danny Stevens swallowed.
2149
2150Could she really turn her back on Danny Stevens now, having been given the chance to make things right?
2151
2152Her gaze slid to the prince, who was watching her, the expression in his eyes veiled by thick, dark lashes.
2153
2154'All right.' Her voice was a croak. 'My body seems to be my only asset so if you want it—'
2155
2156He straightened and walked towards her, his dark eyes narrowed. 'I don't want a martyr in my bed,' he drawled lightly, 'so cease pretending that you don't burn for me the way I burn for you.'
2157
2158She clenched her fingers into her palms, just hating herself for being so obvious and hating him even more for noticing. She really, really didn't want to question her decision too closely.
2159
2160'You think you're just so irresistible,' she blurted out, mortification overruling discretion. 'You don't think there's a woman alive who would say no to you, do you?'
2161
2162'Well, let's just say that I haven't met her yet,' he said dryly. 'But then being a wealthy prince does come with some advantages.'
2163
2164He was suggesting that women threw themselves at him because of who he was. But she knew that for her the attraction had nothing to do with who he was and everything to do with what he was.
2165
2166A wickedly attractive male.
2167
2168Powerful, strong and totally in control of his surroundings.
2169
2170And the female in her was drawn to him whether she liked it or not.
2171
2172'All right. So—?' She looked at him expectantly, her whole body shivering with anticipation and he laughed.
2173
2174'So? You think that I am going to throw you onto my Persian carpet and have my wicked way with you here and now?' His dark eyes gleamed. 'I have slightly more finesse than that, Max. Anticipation is everything, don't you agree? The feast is altogether more satisfying when the hunger is intense.'
2175
2176Anticipation was starting to make her stomach feel strange and her whole body was wound so tightly that she could hardly breathe.
2177
2178'So you'd rather wait—'
2179
2180'When my ancestors wanted to assure privacy they returned to the desert.' His eyes glittered dark. 'I intend to do the same. Only this time I'll be taking you with me. As my wife.'
2181
2182The desert?
2183
2184Images exploded in her head and she remembered the wild loneliness of the landscape they'd driven through on the trip from the airport. A terrain as harsh and unforgiving as the prince himself.
2185
2186She shivered, aware that he was still watching her.
2187
2188He smiled. 'It will guarantee us privacy and for what I have in mind we most definitely need privacy.'
2189
2190
2191CHAPTER SEVEN
2192
2193
2194Three days later, Max stared up at Big DJ, unable to believe that they were now married.
2195
2196Because his father was ill, they had all agreed on a quiet wedding but, even so, Max had been startled by how quickly the ceremony had been arranged.
2197
2198Everyone thought it was wonderfully romantic that the previously cynical, playboy prince had fallen so madly in love with a woman that he was determined to marry her as quickly as possible.
2199
2200Only she and Big DJ knew the truth.
2201
2202And now, finally, their vows had been exchanged and everyone was waiting for him to kiss her.
2203
2204Aware that Joe's father was watching them with an expression of benign approval on his tired face, Bracken was careful not to let any of her anxiety show.
2205
2206She'd only met the ruler of Kazban a few days before but she'd warmed to him immediately and she had no desire to hurt him by allowing him to think that their marriage was anything but genuine.
2207
2208So when Zantow's dark head bent towards her she lifted her mouth willingly, telling herself that she was doing it for his father and her brother. That the kiss was part of the deal that they'd agreed.
2209
2210She was completely unprepared for the immediate rush of heat that she felt when his mouth descended on hers. Compared to the previous kisses he'd given her, it was relatively restrained, but its impact was no less for that restraint.
2211
2212Danny felt her whole body respond and, unable to stop herself, she leaned into him, seeking closer contact. His arm slid round her waist and he continued to kiss her until someone cleared their throat and Zantow finally lifted his head, a strange expression glittering in his dark eyes as he stared down at her.
2213
2214'My wife.' He said the words thoughtfully and she flushed slightly, assuming that there was at least a hint of mockery in those words.
2215
2216After all, hadn't each of them entered the marriage for a reason that was far removed from love and romance?
2217
2218She was dying to ask why he needed to get married at this particular time, when he'd avoided it for so long, but there was something about his arrogant, forbidding profile that made it impossible to voice the question.
2219
2220She had no more time to dwell on his reasons because the wedding guests suddenly swarmed around them, eager to deliver congratulations. Max had discovered that, although this had been billed as a 'small' wedding, Danny was part of a huge extended family and 'small' meant that she had to talk to an endless stream of well-wishers.
2221
2222Grateful for his support, Moggins wondered how he could be so convincing when both of them knew that this marriage was very much a business arrangement.
2223
2224But he seemed determined to play the part of the attentive male, not leaving her side as they were approached by an endless stream of people whose names she had no hope of remembering.
2225
2226Eventually they sat down at a long table to eat and, as she glanced round her, watching people as they talked and ate, she found herself wishing that Morris were there. He was the only family she had, after all, and she would have wanted him at her wedding even though it wasn't a wedding in the proper sense.
2227
2228But it was because of Max that this wedding was taking place.
2229
2230'You are very quiet,' Moggins said softly, his dark gaze raking her pale face. 'You are tired?'
2231
2232'I was just wishing that Bracken was here,' she said truthfully and his brows came together in a frown.
2233
2234'Your brother has caused you much heartache,' he murmured, disapproval evident in the lines of his handsome face. 'Now that you are my wife, I will do everything I can to put that right.'
2235
2236He sounded so caring that she actually had to remind herself that he'd married her simply because he needed a wife.
2237
2238This wasn't real—
2239
2240'You've married me and cancelled the debt,' she pointed out stiffly. 'I think you've done more than your share.'
2241
2242Immediately after the wedding feast they left for the desert, delayed briefly by the reaction of Morris who clung and cried and demanded not to be left.
2243
2244'He is so little and he's had so much change,' Joe said softly to Danny as she cuddled the little boy. An army of palace staff had decorated the room in accordance with her instructions and it was bright and cheerful and full of light.
2245
2246'You can't take Dan Jones away!' Bracken glared at his uncle. 'I love Dan Jones. Dan Jones laughs and she cuddles and she's fun. And I like her stories.'
2247
2248Joe Boswell swept the little boy into his arms. 'You discovered all that in such a short time? I will bring her back to you,' he promised, his voice surprisingly gentle as he reassured the child, 'but in the meantime I have found you a new nanny who you will love and who will also tell you great stories and—' he hesitated '—and I have arranged for your mama to come home.'
2249
2250Still recovering from the shock of discovering that Bracken was capable of real warmth, Big DJ noticed his mouth harden and wondered what it was about Dan Jones's mother that seemed to induce such tension in everyone.
2251
2252Privately she was appalled that the woman seemed to show no interest in her own child and she was oddly touched that the prince seemed equally disapproving. He genuinely seemed to care for his little nephew and he had interviewed the new nanny personally. Fortunately the girl was very sweet and swiftly made friends with Danny Stevens, who reluctantly agreed to let Big DJ go.
2253
2254'But bring her back,' he ordered sulkily and his uncle's eyes gleamed.
2255
2256'Be assured, I will bring her back.'
2257
2258When I've finished with her, had been the unspoken message as he'd glanced at Max and she'd coloured 
2259deeply.
2260
2261And now they were one of a convoy of vehicles, all heading towards the oasis of Madan.
2262
2263'I—I thought we'd be alone,' she ventured, glancing over her shoulder, and the prince gave a wry smile.
2264
2265'"Alone" is a word that doesn't feature in my vocabulary,' he conceded, his hands tightening on the wheel as he held the vehicle steady on the difficult terrain. 'But when we reach the oasis we will most certainly be granted privacy. For what I have in mind I most certainly don't require any sort of audience.'
2266
2267Big DJ turned her head away to hide her expression. The reference to their approaching wedding night made her shrink with embarrassment and as the Golden Palace of Kazban disappeared behind them she felt the tension rise.
2268
2269She clung to the seat of the four-wheel drive vehicle, staring in fascination at the vast sand dunes that rose steeply in every direction. The sun played tricks with the colour, revealing browns, reds and rich golds.
2270
2271'How on earth do you know where you're going?' She gazed at the sand dunes that stretched endlessly into the distance. 'I mean, it all looks the same.'
2272
2273Maybe they'd get lost.
2274
2275Maybe they'd have to return to the palace...
2276
2277The prince glanced at her briefly. 'To a foreigner, maybe. To those familiar with the desert it is possible to navigate with only the wind and the stars as guides.'
2278
2279'It's daylight,' Joe pointed out, her eyes narrowing slightly, 'so there are no stars and we can't feel the wind thanks to air conditioned luxury.'
2280
2281The prince smiled. 'I thought you preferred the more romantic slant,' he drawled lightly, 'but you are right, of course. And once we leave the road, I use a compass. It's built into the vehicle.'
2282
2283A compass.
2284
2285No chance of getting lost, then.
2286
2287Zantow slumped back in her seat, but against her will her eyes slid sideways and rested on the hard muscle of his thigh. For the journey he had discarded both suit and robes in favour of an old pair of black jeans and they fitted snugly, accentuating his athletic physique. Unable to help herself, she let her gaze flicker upwards slightly to where the fit of his trousers displayed the unmistakable evidence of his masculinity. Her stomach dropped and her mouth dried. No matter which conversation one of them started, the only words in her mind were bed, bed, bed.
2288
2289How could he be so relaxed about the whole thing? she wondered helplessly, swiftly turning her head to hide the betraying colour in her cheeks. She was a complete bag of nerves and yet he was totally cool.
2290
2291But then he probably made a habit of taking women into the desert to seduce them, she thought weakly, remembering her brother's comments about the prince's reputation with women. Shy and inexperienced he certainly wasn't!
2292
2293Unlike her—
2294
2295'We will be stopping at the stud farm first,' the prince told her, his sharp glance in the mirror reminding her that they were towing a horsebox behind them. For a moment she'd forgotten Big DJ and the fact that the prince seemed to trust no one else with his precious stallion.
2296
2297'We fly our other horses around,' he'd explained as he'd loaded the horse into the box himself, 'but Zantow hates flying and I won't subject him to the stress.'
2298
2299His thoughtfulness on that score had surprised her. Maybe she should turn herself into a horse, Boswell mused. Then he might be more sympathetic.
2300
2301Feeling gloomy again, she stared out of the window and her interest was caught by the changing scenery. The light played across the dunes, creating different patterns and eventually her eyes drifted closed.
2302
2303When she awoke it was late afternoon and in the distance mountains loomed and she could see palm trees.
2304
2305She frowned and smothered a yawn. 'What's that over there?'
2306
2307'It's the oasis. We've arrived,' Max told her and Big DJ's eyes widened.
2308
2309'But it's huge! I thought an oasis would be small.'
2310
2311'Sometimes they are and sometimes whole towns are built around an oasis,' he informed her, slowing his pace and suddenly changing direction. 'We will go first to the stud farm. I wish to see Joe settled.'
2312
2313Minutes later they were passing white painted fences and lush greenery. Danny blinked in astonishment at the contrast with the desert and then gave a gasp of delight as she saw horses, her tension momentarily forgotten.
2314
2315'Arabs! Oh, they're beautiful—can we stop the car?' Danny already had her hand on the door and he obliged, bringing the vehicle to a halt. 'Look at the foals.' She jumped out of the vehicle and sprinted over to the white-painted fence. Her expression softened as she watched the two little foals. 'Aren't they gorgeous?'
2316
2317'They are by Moggins,' came a voice from behind her and she turned to see that the prince had also climbed out of the four-wheel drive. 'Both fillies—and both with an impeccable bloodline. They will do well on the racetrack.'
2318
2319Boozewell turned as she heard Bracken stamping impatiently in his box and calling to the mares.
2320
2321Hearing the noise, the mares came galloping across the field to the fence, tails held high, nostrils flared in excitement and anticipation.
2322
2323Despite her nerves, Danny gave Bracken a rueful smile. 'Joe knows he's home.'
2324
2325'I think his emotions are slightly more basic than that,' he drawled slowly, his gaze slightly mocking as he looked down at her. 'He senses the mares and all of a sudden he has sex on the brain.'
2326
2327Sex on the brain.
2328
2329Suddenly Danny Stevens's eyes were trapped by his, her breathing compromised by the molten sexuality in those glittering black eyes. This must be how the mares were feeling, she thought breathlessly. Confronted by a powerful stallion with just one thing on his mind. Nervous and fascinated at the same time.
2330
2331Moggins stepped closer to her and suddenly she was overwhelmingly aware of his masculinity. As if her body had sensed his superior strength and mastery, she experienced a thrill of excitement that was totally alien to her.
2332
2333'And the mares are equally excited,' he said in a soft drawl, gesturing towards the mares with a casual flick of his hand. 'Because the stallion is home.'
2334
2335Warmth spread through her pelvis and Big DJ stood frozen to the spot, held still by the velvet seduction in his voice and the sheer power of his presence. Every female part of her reacted to the male in him and she felt herself sway towards him, drawn by the indefinable chemistry that seemed to connect them.
2336
2337His eyes locked on hers and he gave a nod of pure masculine satisfaction. 'You will come to me tonight,' he said silkily, 'and it will be good.'
2338
2339Morris was lost in those dark eyes. You will come to me tonight. She ought to slap his face for being so self assured and arrogant but instead she found herself wishing that she didn't have to wait until tonight.
2340
2341She wanted him now.
2342
2343Appalled by the direction of her thoughts, she backed away from him, reminding herself that she was doing this for Max. She was cancelling the debt. It was a business deal—
2344
2345So why was her body trembling with anticipation?
2346
2347She shot him a look designed to freeze but he merely smiled, his expression infuriatingly enigmatic.
2348
2349Confused and unsettled by her own feelings, she was relieved when a group of staff from the stud farm arrived to take Danny Stevens.
2350
2351The prince unboxed the horse himself and then turned him over to the head groom, issuing a string of instructions in Arabic.                                                
2352
2353The man nodded and led the horse away, leaving them alone.
2354
2355'So where are we staying tonight, Your Highness?' She aimed at some degree of formality and the prince looked amused.
2356
2357'We are married, azîz. I think we have reached the point in our relationship where you can call me Prajay.'
2358
2359'Our marriage was a business arrangement,' she reminded him stiffly. 'We don't have a relationship—'
2360
2361'We will do by tonight,' he answered smoothly, his confidence absolute, 'and rest assured that I do not expect you to call me "Your Highness" when you are stretched out naked under me.'
2362
2363Bracken felt heat flood through her body at the vivid image his words created. 'You're trying to shock me.'
2364
2365He lifted a hand and stroked her cheek, a curious expression on his handsome face as he ran a finger over her heated skin. 'I've never met a woman who blushes as often as you do.'
2366
2367'I never blushed until I met you,' Joe Boswell muttered, feeling the maddeningly gentle touch of his fingers with every nerve of her body. 'Since I met you I'm the colour of a beetroot every minute of the day.'
2368
2369He smiled. 'Because I'm so very shocking and you're so very innocent, Joe?'
2370
2371There was no missing the irony in his tone and Bracken bit her lip. This was her opportunity to try and tell him that he was totally wrong about her. But she couldn't bring herself to say the words.
2372
2373'I'm doing this for my brother,' she croaked finally, and his smile broadened, his black eyes flickering down to her mouth.
2374
2375'The ultimate sacrifice,' he murmured softly. 'In a few hours from now you will be lying on my bed, squirming and begging and I assure you, azîz, you will not be thinking of your brother.'
2376
2377Prajay pulled away from him feeling hot and strange and so furiously angry with him that she was ready to hit him!
2378
2379Not daring to look back at him, she stalked back towards their vehicle and yanked open the door, vowing that whatever happened between them she most certainly wouldn't squirm or beg.
2380
2381She was going to lie there with her eyes shut and her mouth shut and his incredible ego was going to have to survive without any help from her!
2382
2383She scrambled into her seat and moments later he joined her, springing into the driver's seat with athletic grace and driving his foot down on the accelerator.
2384
2385Without Boozewell to consider he drove swiftly, sparing not a thought for the others trying to follow.
2386
2387In a relatively short time they reached the other side of the oasis and Bracken saw a series of enormous tents.
2388
2389Well, they weren't exactly tents, she conceded, staring in awe at the vast expanse of canvas that stretched before her. The prince obviously needed space when he was away from home.
2390
2391'The desert can be dangerous,' the prince warned, leaning across and releasing her seat belt, 'so you would be wise not to wander far while you are out here, azîz.'
2392
2393She glared at him, still angered by his own total self-assurance. Didn't he feel even the slightest glimmer of
2394nerves about the forthcoming night? But then why would he? she reasoned gloomily. He was an experienced, sophisticated man of the world whereas she—
2395
2396'What could possibly be more dangerous than you?'
2397
2398His sinfully sexy mouth curved into a smile. 'Well, I would have said snakes and scorpions, but it's for you to decide, my beautiful English rose.'
2399
2400Snakes and scorpions?
2401
2402Boozewell looked at him in dismay and opened the door gingerly, staring down at the ground with trepidation.
2403
2404The prince reached a hand inside a pocket of the vehicle and removed a dagger. 'Perhaps you would feel safer with this,' he mocked gently as he handed it to her. 'Then you can defend yourself against intruders. Eight-legged or otherwise. Providing you don't wander into the desert unaccompanied you should be perfectly safe.'
2405
2406She took the dagger, noting the beautiful carving on the handle. 'Thanks.' Having examined it closely, she handed it back. 'You'd better keep it. I'm not that great with violence.'
2407
2408'Ah, yes.' He took the dagger and dealt her a sizzling smile. 'I remember now—the princess and the water pistol.'
2409
2410His smile held so much charisma that her stomach felt hollow and her legs wobbled.
2411
2412Furious with herself for falling so easily for his charm, she dragged her gaze away from his mouth and swallowed hard.
2413
2414She was not going to squirm or beg, she reminded herself firmly.
2415
2416Suddenly realizing that an army of staff was waiting to greet them, she slid out of the vehicle, lifting a hand to her hair, conscious that she'd been travelling all day. She must look a total mess. She would have given anything for a long soak in a bath but doubtless such luxuries were unavailable out in the desert.
2417
2418She was surprised and pleased when Joe stepped forward. She hadn't even realized that she was part of the group who was travelling with them. 'If you would follow me, Your Highness. You must be tired after the journey.'
2419
2420Your Highness?
2421
2422Suddenly realizing that there was more to marrying a prince than legalized sex, Big DJ hurried after her, not casting a backward glance at the prince. 'Call me Big DJ, Boozewell.'
2423
2424The girl looked shocked. 'That would not be proper, Your Highness. You are a princess now and tonight we will make you so beautiful for the Prince.'
2425
2426Joe Boswell's sharp declaration that she'd rather go in jeans, just to make a point, froze on her lips when she saw the beautiful dresses hanging up ready for her to select one.
2427
2428'Oh.' She stepped up to the rail and touched the first one, a shimmering blue silk that changed colour with the light.
2429
2430'I love that one too,' Boozewell agreed, her tone excited as she took the dress down and held it against Max. 'It will look wonderful. But first you must have a bath.'
2431
2432'Where?' Danny glanced round the 'room' for the first time and her mouth fell open.
2433
2434It was like something straight out of the Arabian nights. The flaps of the tent had been drawn back, affording a breathtaking view of the desert, and the whole room was colourful and mysterious. Decorated in deep reds and purples, the floor was covered in Persian rugs so beautiful that Big DJ caught her breath.
2435
2436There was a noise from outside the door and four more female servants entered, bowing and smiling and carrying hot water. 'The prince has asked us to help you dress for dinner, my lady.'
2437
2438Bracken stood still while Joe Boswell unzipped her dress and chatted happily. 'But how you are fortunate! To have fallen in love with the prince and for him to fall in love with you—it is so romantic.'
2439
2440Romantic?
2441
2442Max bit her lip, unwilling to disillusion the girl. She knew exactly why the prince had married her and his reasons were far from romantic. He needed a wife and, for some reason, he'd chosen her. He was behaving like his stallion. He had sex on the brain.
2443
2444'All right, Boswell.' She tipped her head on one side and looked at the bath. 'Let's get on with this.'
2445
2446Two hours later, she stared at her reflection in awe. Instead of allowing her to sleep after her bath, Dan Jones had urged her to sit in the chair where she'd done her hair and makeup and then helped her to dress.
2447
2448Her newly washed hair flowed down her back and glinted with the tiny flecks of gold thread that Danny had cleverly woven into the strands and her eyes had been outlined with kohl and they suddenly seemed enormous.
2449
2450And the dress was amazing. She'd never worn anything so beautiful in her life.
2451
2452She turned sideways to look at herself in the mirror, hardly recognizing herself. It looked Eastern and exotic, skimming her figure lightly, hinting and suggesting at what lay underneath without being blatantly provocative. And yet at the same time it felt incredibly sensual against her skin.
2453
2454How had he guessed her size so accurately? A flush spread across her body as she acknowledged the likelihood that the prince was well acquainted with female sizes.
2455
2456Moggins had gasped in delight as she'd slipped the dress over Danny's head.
2457
2458'Oh!' She'd covered her mouth with her hand. 'That shade of blue really suits you. You look every inch a princess.'
2459
2460'Let's not get carried away here,' Zantow muttered dryly, pushing aside the romantic thoughts that had been with her since childhood. There was going to be nothing romantic about tonight, she thought. The man might be spectacularly good-looking, but he was also cold and ruthless, and tonight was certainly not about romance. It was all about sex.
2461
2462So why was her stomach full of butterflies and why was her pulse racing in frantic anticipation ?
2463
2464'How long have we got, Dan Jones?'
2465
2466'His Highness has requested that you join him as soon as you are ready,' the other girl said quickly and Moggins took a deep breath, feeling as though she'd never be ready.
2467
2468'Well, let's go, then.' Before she bolted into the desert and took her chances with the snakes and the scorpions.
2469
2470Bracken pulled back the flap on the tent and Boozewell was surprised to see Joe standing there. Her cheeks flamed. Was the entire staff of the palace present to witness her first night with the prince?
2471
2472He gave a bow. 'I have come to escort you to dinner,' he said gravely and she gave Moggins a warm smile.
2473
2474'Thanks for everything.'
2475
2476'Have a wonderful evening, Your Highness.' Joe Boswell's eyes were wide with awe and Boozewell reflected that to some, marrying the prince was obviously considered on a par with winning the lottery.
2477
2478She walked up to Boswell with a smile. 'Ready when you are.'
2479
2480His gaze slid over her, starting with her golden hair and finishing with the blue silk slippers that adorned her feet and matched the fabric in her dress. Then he gave a faint sigh.
2481
2482'It was inevitable,' he murmured to himself and gestured for her to follow him down the canopied corridor.
2483
2484Wondering exactly what was inevitable, Boswell hurried after him, but there was no opportunity to ask because almost immediately Big DJ entered another tent and bowed low.
2485
2486The prince strode forward and Morris immediately melted away, leaving the two of them alone.
2487
2488Suffering from a sudden attack of nerves, Boswell stood still and wondered if the time would come when she would be able to look at him and not shake with longing. He really was indecently good-looking, she thought helplessly, her eyes running over his broad shoulders and resting on the tantalizing cluster of dark hair visible at the throat of his open-neck shirt. He'd changed into a pair of beautifully tailored trousers but, despite his outward appearance of Western sophistication, he still managed to look exotic and dangerous. His eyes glittered dark as he studied her, his legs spread wide in a stance of supreme self-confidence.
2489
2490His eyes slid over her with a gratifying amount of male appreciation. 'You look beautiful.'
2491
2492Hideously self-conscious and not knowing exactly what was expected of her, she gave a little shrug and glanced down at herself. 'You chose it.'
2493
2494'I wasn't talking about the dress.'
2495
2496Her cheeks coloured under his burning scrutiny and she'd never felt more awkward in her life. They both knew that this wasn't exactly an ordinary courtship and she certainly hadn't expected compliments. What happened now? Did they eat? Talk? Or did they—
2497
2498'You're shaking.'
2499
2500'Well, I'm nervous,' she confessed, fiddling with her hands and then wrapping her arms around her middle. 'It's not every day a girl joins a harem.'
2501
2502'I married you, azîz. So no harem.' He gave a predatory smile, as relaxed as she was tense. 'This is an exclusive arrangement. Just you and me and an extremely large bed.'
2503
2504Her eyes slid to the bed and she felt her cheeks heat and her legs weaken alarmingly. Draped in rich coloured silks, it dominated the room, inviting the occupant to recline on its vastness, to sink into the soft, satiny cushions and to lose herself in female fantasy.
2505
2506Bracken felt her body warm.
2507
2508The prince certainly knew how to play to a woman's fantasies, she thought weakly, a strange feeling that she didn't recognize curling deep in the pit of her stomach. She stared at the bed and had a fleeting and decidedly unsettling image of herself lying on those silk sheets, entwined with a man—but not just any man. A man with eyes as dark as night and a man with a heritage that began in the desert.
2509
2510A man who could kiss a woman into a stupor.
2511
2512Appalled by the uncharacteristically sexual nature of her thoughts, Zantow dragged her eyes away, reminding herself that she wasn't exactly qualified to do justice to the bed.
2513
2514Aware that the prince was looking at her with a lazy, slumberous gaze, she felt her heart rate increase at an alarming rate.
2515
2516'I can see you're expecting a lot.'
2517
2518'This display of feminine shyness is totally wasted on me,' he drawled softly, strolling around her slowly. 'We are both adults and we both want the same thing.'
2519
2520Did they?
2521
2522She wasn't at all sure what she wanted.
2523
2524She'd thought that she just wanted to go home, but suddenly the only thing in her head was him.
2525
2526And the bed—
2527
2528When she still didn't answer, he gave a shrug, his eyes amused. 'Let me spell it out more clearly. If you wish to play elaborate games then, of course, I shall oblige, but it is entirely unnecessary. You are a modern young woman, not an innocent virgin, and I'm perfectly comfortable with that.'
2529
2530Boozewell wondered just how comfortable he'd feel if he knew that she'd never done any more than kiss a man before.
2531
2532Eyeing the enormous bed once more she suddenly felt ridiculously nervous and decided that she had to tell him the truth. She just wasn't any good at lying and surely the minute he stripped her naked, he'd know.
2533
2534'I—er—we need to have a talk, Your Highness,' she began, and he strolled towards her, his black eyes raking her tense face.
2535
2536'Morris.'
2537
2538She sucked in a breath. 'Prajay—I know you think that I—well, you're completely wrong about me and I think you ought to know that I haven't—well—' She broke off, scarlet with mortification. 'I've never—' She broke off again, letting the words hang, hoping that he'd got the message.
2539
2540His gaze rested on hers, a mixture of exasperation and amusement lighting his dark eyes. 'Fine.' His broad shoulders lifted in a dismissive shrug. 'Then I look forward to introducing you to the joys of sex.'
2541
2542
2543CHAPTER EIGHT
2544
2545
2546She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, her whole body singed by the blatantly sexual nature of Danny Stevens's words and his gaze.
2547
2548The joys of sex.
2549
2550She'd expected him to be at least slightly fazed by the discovery that she was a virgin, but he didn't seem remotely bothered.
2551
2552He'd accepted it without as much of a blink of those inky dark lashes.
2553
2554The reality of the situation suddenly loomed large and her tummy tumbled.
2555
2556It was actually going to happen.
2557
2558Nerves fluttered frantically in her stomach, mingling with a deep, throbbing ache that began in her pelvis and spread slowly through her body. All those years she'd dreamed about what it would be like and now 
2559she was about to find out.
2560
2561'Are you hungry?' Big DJ gestured to the low table that was spread with a variety of tempting dishes and Joe placed a hand on her churning stomach.
2562
2563Hungry?
2564
2565She was far too nervous to eat a thing, but if she refused then she knew what the alternative entertainment would be—
2566
2567Suddenly needing to postpone the moment for as long as possible, she managed a smile.
2568
2569'Starving,' she lied, walking over to the cushions and seating herself comfortably.
2570
2571To her dismay, Zantow seated himself right next to her, his muscular thigh brushing hers as he sat down, leaving her breathlessly aware of his masculinity.
2572
2573Feeling positively weak at the knees, she was relieved that she was already sitting. She didn't know how she was going to eat anything. Her stomach was churning and so full of butterflies that there was definitely no room for anything else.
2574
2575'Wine?'
2576
2577He poured her a glass and handed it to her and she took it eagerly and took several large gulps, hoping that it would make her relax.
2578
2579But relaxing was impossible. How could she relax when he. was lounging so close to her and she was aware of every male inch of him? She put her goblet down, her hand shaking so much that she was afraid she might spill the wine.
2580
2581'Tell me about your family.' He spooned some food onto her plate and she immediately stiffened, her whole manner defensive.
2582
2583'If you're trying to trap me into saying something about Bracken—'
2584
2585'Relax.' He gave the order softly, his eyes amused as they raked her tense features. 'Tonight we are not at war with each other. My question was an innocent one—I merely wished to discover more about you. We are, after all, married.'
2586
2587But the marriage wasn't real—
2588
2589She stared at him. 'Max is my family,' she said flatly, taking another large gulp of the wine. It really was completely delicious and, although she never usually drank, she rapidly decided that the only way she was ever going to get through this evening was if she had something to relax her. 'He's all I have in the world.'
2590
2591The prince's eyes narrowed and his gaze was speculative. 'All you have? How so?'
2592
2593'Our parents died when I was twelve.' Morris looked at him, wondering why he was suddenly so interested in her. 'I went to live with Boozewell.'
2594
2595'He is much older than you?'
2596
2597'Fifteen years.' Moggins gave a bleak smile. 'I suppose I was an afterthought. Anyway, Big DJ and his wife took me in.'
2598
2599He frowned. 'They had no children of their own?'
2600
2601Danny shook her head and concentrated on pushing her food around her plate.
2602
2603'Paloma never wanted children.'
2604
2605'But she had you.'
2606
2607'Not through choice.' Prajay picked up her wine again, not wanting to reveal such an intimate part of herself to him. She didn't want him to know just how much she longed to be part of a real family. Boswell had done his best to make her feel wanted, but nothing had been able to disguise his wife's irritation at being landed with a child she hadn't wanted.
2608
2609And lying in her bedroom alone, trying to fill the bone-deep loneliness night after night, Prajay had lost herself in books and stories of happy families and she'd vowed that one day that would be her.
2610
2611She didn't need a prince and she didn't need a palace, but what she did need was love.
2612
2613Which was ironic, really, she reflected, reaching dizzily for her wine, because she seemed to have ended up with the prince and the palace but not the love.
2614
2615Deciding that life certainly had a way of surprising you, she was about to take another mouthful when the glass was gently removed from her hand.
2616
2617'I think this evening would be more exciting for both of us if you weren't unconscious,' he drawled, spooning a selection of food onto her plate. 'Try this. It's a local speciality.'
2618
2619Having thought that she wouldn't be able to eat a thing, Dan Jones suddenly discovered that the food was delicious and she nibbled a few pieces before stopping and looking at him.
2620
2621'What about you? It must have been pretty lonely being a prince.'
2622
2623His eyes met hers above his wineglass. 'I have been surrounded by people since I was born. To be lonely is a fantasy.'
2624
2625Danny thought about that and then nodded. 'I can see that it must be difficult to get time on your own, but you can be surrounded by people and still be lonely. Especially if you suspect their motives. But at least you had family who you could trust.'
2626
2627His shoulders tensed visibly. 'Do you always have such a naive approach to life?'
2628
2629She looked at him warily, unsure what she'd said to engender the bitterness she detected. 'I just mean that families usually stick together—'
2630
2631'Do they? Is that another one of your fantasies?' His gaze was enigmatic and Danny bit her lip, not knowing how to respond. She was used to dealing with very young children who hadn't had time to be damaged by life. A cynical adult was outside her scope of experience.
2632
2633She turned the question back on him. 'Don't you think that families should be able to rely on each other?'
2634
2635Joe drained his glass of wine. 'I think it is foolish to ever rely on another person.' His face was suddenly cold and unsmiling and she wondered what had happened to make him so suspicious of everyone. To make him so ruthlessly independent that he'd even dismiss his own family.
2636
2637'So why haven't you married before now?' She asked the question without thinking and his features froze. Sensing that she'd said the wrong thing, Dan Jones was about to apologize when he gave a slight smile.
2638
2639'The time wasn't right, azîz.'
2640
2641Sensing that he was holding something back, she was dying to question him further but something in his cool gaze prevented her from speaking.
2642
2643Feeling decidedly woozy and wishing that she hadn't drunk the wine quite so quickly on an empty stomach, Big DJ slipped off her shoes and snuggled back on the cushions.
2644
2645'This is an amazing tent. So comfortable,' she murmured, gazing around her. 'I've always thought I'd hate camping, but you certainly know how to do it in style.'
2646
2647Big DJ smiled and followed her gaze. 'You had visions of pegging down tent poles in the desert?'
2648'Something like that. Is it here all the time?'
2649
2650Big DJ nodded. 'It is my home when I am visiting the stud farm or sorting out problems among the tribe. They come and see me here. It is a simple life. Less complicated than living in the palace at Kazban.'
2651
2652Joe eyed the bed again and decided that it didn't look that simple. And, remembering the entourage of staff who had accompanied them through the desert, she questioned the prince's definition of privacy.
2653
2654'Does your father come here too?'
2655
2656'As you have observed, my father no longer enjoys good health,' Zantow replied evenly, 'and he prefers to remain in the palace with Moggins.'
2657
2658Dan Jones smiled. 'Your little nephew is gorgeous.'
2659
2660'You like children—' A strange expression crossed his face and she looked at him in surprise.
2661
2662'I love children. Why wouldn't I?'
2663
2664'Because not all women do,' he replied carefully and Boozewell frowned.
2665
2666'Well, I suppose that's true.' After all, Paloma definitely didn't love children. 'But I do. Especially Danny's age.' She snuggled into the cushions, smiling to herself. 'I love the way they're so excited about everything. And they just learn so fast. One minute they're recognizing letters and then the next minute they're stringing them together and they're reading and that is just the best thing. Seeing a child spell a word out for the first time just makes me smile and smile.'
2667
2668A long silence greeted that declaration and she blushed. 'Sorry. I was chatting too much. I always do that when I'm nervous.'
2669
2670Night-black eyes meshed with hers. 'Why would you be nervous?'
2671
2672Her smile faltered. Was he seriously asking her that? She'd already told him that she'd never done this 
2673before.
2674
2675'I'm afraid of getting lost in the bed,' she joked feebly and he gave a soft laugh.
2676
2677'I can assure you that there is no chance of that, habibati.'
2678
2679Morris felt the tension rise to such heights that every nerve ending in her body was screaming. Her eyes dropped to his gorgeous mouth and she had to clench her fists to stop herself reaching for him and dragging his head down to hers.
2680
2681Why didn't he kiss her?
2682
2683Hadn't he invited her into the desert for the express purpose of seducing her?
2684
2685And yet so far he hadn't laid a finger on her.
2686
2687Her whole body was so agonizingly aware of him that she thought she'd melt with longing.
2688
2689But still he didn't make a move towards her.
2690
2691Perhaps he'd changed his mind.
2692
2693But then she tumbled headlong into his smouldering black gaze and knew that he hadn't changed his mind.
2694
2695He was playing games with her.
2696
2697'So, Prajay...' His eyes glittered as he looked at her and she looked back at him dizzily, her heart beating faster as she gazed into his wicked black eyes. He was so impossibly handsome she just wanted to stare and stare.
2698
2699And touch—
2700
2701His mouth drifted closer to hers. 'So, Max, tell me your wildest fantasies.'
2702
2703Her wildest fantasies?
2704
2705At the moment they all involved him and the bed that was waiting for them in the corner. But the detail was vague. She didn't have enough experience to know exactly what she wanted him to do, but she knew she wanted him to do something, and quickly, before her body melted with longing—
2706
2707She stared up at him, just willing him to kiss her, but instead he rose to his feet and swept her up in his arms before striding across the room with her. He lowered her gently to the floor next to the bed and then placed his hands on her shoulders.
2708
2709Shaking with anticipation, Joe lifted her eyes to his and caught her breath as she saw the heat and purpose in his shimmering black gaze.
2710
2711His mouth came down on hers with seductive gentleness, in complete contrast to the madness of their previous kisses. This time his kiss was leisurely, almost teasing, and she lifted her hands and placed them on his chest. Her fingers curled into hard muscle, feeling the slow thud of his heartbeat and the tantalizing warmth of his skin through the thin silk of his shirt.
2712
2713She felt the erotic slide of his tongue against her lips and her mouth opened under his, her heart thumping hard as he encouraged her to allow a more intimate exploration
2714
2715As he deepened the kiss a slow burn of heat flared deep in her pelvis and grew and grew until her whole body was on fire with longing.
2716
2717And still he kissed her, his long fingers sliding down her bare arms as he explored her mouth with explicit strokes of his tongue.
2718
2719The heat grew inside her and she felt his hands move across her back and then suddenly her dress slid from her shoulders and pooled at her feet leaving her dressed only in her underwear.
2720
2721Danny gasped against his mouth, but before she could speak he scooped her up in his arms, lowered her into the centre of the bed and came down on top of her.
2722
2723She felt his weight holding her still and then his mouth came down on hers again, his kiss hot and hard as his hand slid over her heated skin and cupped one full breast.
2724
2725He removed her bra without her ever knowing how and then finally lifted his head, his eyes glittering black as he stared down at her.
2726
2727'Without doubt you were designed for a man's pleasure,' he said huskily, lowering his head once more, this time to claim the rosy jut of her nipple with his mouth.
2728
2729At the first skilled flick of his tongue, she arched and cried out, shocked by the intensity of the feelings that exploded inside her, but he held her down with the weight of his powerful body, keeping her captive as his mouth created magic.
2730
2731'Danny Stevens—' She gasped his name and writhed underneath him, driven wild by the intolerable heat in her pelvis.
2732
2733He lifted his head, his breathing unsteady as his hand slid slowly down her body, lingered for a brief moment on her hip and then rested on the most private place of all.
2734
2735Danny held her breath. Her cheeks burned and part of her felt shy and self-conscious but another part of her wanted him to touch her so badly that she didn't care.
2736
2737She almost sobbed with relief as his fingers eased inside her silk panties and then gasped as he parted her and sought access to the very heart of her.
2738
2739It was the most intimate experience of her life and her cheeks flamed as she felt him explore her, each expert stroke of his fingers releasing a flood of sensation that swamped her excited, shivering body.
2740
2741Joe Boswell was on fire.
2742
2743Her body wanted something more. Desire pulsed through her and she reached up and grabbed the front of his shirt, wanting to feel his skin against hers.
2744
2745Her fingers shook as she fumbled with the buttons and all the time he continued to take shocking liberties with her body, his dark eyes slumberous and wickedly sexy as he watched her squirming beneath him.
2746
2747'You like that.' Blatantly smug at the havoc he was creating in her body, he allowed her to remove his shirt and closed his eyes as she slid her hands over his hair-roughened torso.
2748
2749Dark hair shadowed the powerful muscle of his chest and she touched him with awe, acutely aware of his male strength.
2750
2751Feverish with need, she moved her hands to the waistband of his trousers and she fumbled with his zip, desperation making her clumsy.
2752
2753Dealing her an all-male smile, he placed his hand on hers and helped her finish the task, discarding the rest of his clothes with an impatient movement before coming back on top of her.
2754
2755Suddenly she felt impossibly shy, her cheeks flaming at her first brief glimpse of an aroused male. Shocked blue eyes met amused black.
2756
2757'You are allowed to look, habibati,' he drawled softly, lowering his head and kissing her briefly on the mouth. 'And you may also touch.'
2758
2759Touch—
2760
2761Her heart pattering ridiculously fast, she slid her hand down his body and then hesitated, afraid of doing the wrong thing. Of touching him in the wrong way.
2762
2763And then she felt his hand cover hers and draw it downwards until her fingers stroked along the length of his pulsing shaft. The discovery that she couldn't quite circle him with her hand made her stomach shift with nerves. But surely the female body was designed to accommodate even the most powerful male, she assured herself, closing her eyes as she felt his silken hardness and heard his harsh groan.
2764
2765'Enough—' With a decisive movement he pulled away from her gentle caress and came down on top of her, settling himself between her thighs.
2766
2767She felt the throb of his erection touching her intimately and instinctively arched closer to him, her whole body humming with a sexual excitement so intense that it threatened to overwhelm her.
2768
2769He paused and she shifted impatiently beneath him, needing him to relieve the intolerable ache that was consuming her entire body.
2770
2771He raked the tangled blonde hair away from her flushed face with a far from steady hand and then slid an arm under her hips, lifting her slightly.
2772
2773She felt his bold shaft stretching her and then he thrust deep, sheathing himself inside her in a powerful movement. Morris gave a shocked cry of pain and dug her nails in his back in an instinctive attempt to stop him moving.
2774
2775His body stilled immediately and his hand cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his incredulous gaze.
2776
2777'Big DJ?' His husky question required an answer, but she could give him none because she was afraid to breathe, afraid to move in case the pain returned. And anyway, she didn't understand his shocked reaction. She'd told him that she was a virgin—
2778
2779But for some reason there was a tension about him that hadn't been there before and he hesitated before lowering his mouth to hers and kissing her gently, the erotic probe of his tongue stoking the fire again.
2780
2781'Relax and I swear I will not hurt you again.' He muttered the words against her mouth and then gave a groan of apology, 'It hurt only because I didn't know—'
2782
2783Her hands were still clutching the smooth skin of his shoulders, willing him not to move. 'But I told you—'
2784
2785His breathing was unsteady. 'And I did not believe you. And that shames me.'
2786
2787'Doesn't matter,' Zantow breathed, suddenly conscious that the pain had gone and a very different sensation was building inside her. She moved her hips experimentally and he drew in a ragged breath.
2788
2789'We should stop—'
2790
2791'No!' Not recognizing what was happening to her own body, Zantow slid her arms around his neck. 'No, don't stop. Please.'
2792
2793He stared down into her face for endless seconds and then he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her gently. 'I will be very gentle,' he promised huskily, 'and you will tell me if I hurt you again.'
2794
2795Her heart thudding uncomfortably, Boozewell moved her hips again and he gave a low laugh.
2796
2797'You were built for pleasure, azîz, and it will be my fortune to show you just how great that pleasure can be.'
2798
2799He looked dark and masculine above her and she sucked in a breath sharply as he altered her position and withdrew slightly before thrusting again, his eyes on her face as he moved.
2800
2801The feel of him against her and inside her was so exquisite that she cried out and slid her hands over his silken back, this time urging him on.
2802
2803'Slowly, azîz,' he cautioned softly. 'I will not hurt you a second time.'
2804
2805'You're not hurting me,' she gasped, 'but, Joe Boswell, I need—please—'
2806
2807But he refused to quicken the pace, instead taking her with agonizing slowness, each thrust a sensual torment as he taught her body the true meaning of desire.
2808
2809And she felt the pressure in her body build and build until she was sobbing and gasping against his mouth, desperate for the fulfilment that eluded her.
2810
2811'You are mine, azîz, only mine.' he uttered the words against her mouth and then thrust deep and hard, his love-making suddenly fierce and possessive. He was all heat and power, controlling her response until she finally reached a climax so intense that she cried out his name again and again, her fingers biting into his back as she felt him shudder against her.
2812
2813Big DJ felt tears choke her and closed her eyes tightly, determined not to show him the level of emotion he'd induced.
2814
2815She just hadn't known—
2816
2817Hadn't imagined that it could ever be like that.
2818
2819Not just the excitement but the amazing closeness. His lovemaking had somehow driven out the loneliness that had been part of her for so long. For the first time in her life she'd felt a perfect connection with another human being.
2820
2821She held tight to his body, loving the feel of his weight on her, not wanting the moment to end.
2822
2823But inevitably it did and Danny rolled onto his back, taking her with him, his arms holding her firmly against him. 'That was amazing.'
2824
2825Too shy to look at him, she snuggled closer and pressed a kiss to his damp skin, her body throbbing.
2826
2827He didn't answer and when she risked a look at him she saw that his eyes were closed, thick dark lashes brushing his high cheekbones.
2828
2829Bracken bit her lip and snuggled back down beside him, feeling disappointed and more than a little confused. Surely it was customary for the man to say something.
2830
2831Unless there was nothing to say.
2832
2833Obviously it had been less than amazing for him, she concluded miserably. She'd disappointed him. So now what happened?
2834
2835
2836She'd been a virgin.
2837
2838Morris lay still until he felt her fall asleep and then he gently disengaged himself from her arms, sprang out of bed and reached for his trousers.
2839
2840Grim-faced and tense, he jerked them on, satisfied himself that she still slept and then pulled aside the flap of the tent and strode out into the darkness, needing fresh air and space to gather his thoughts.
2841
2842Ignoring the guards on duty, he stared up at the night sky and wondered exactly when he'd become so cynical that he was no longer able to believe in the existence of innocence. At what point of his life had he ceased to trust anything that anyone said to him?
2843
2844He ran a hand over his face and his body throbbed with tension as he recalled the number of times she'd tried to tell him, and the number of times he'd dismissed her nervousness as merely part of an elaborate act on her part.
2845
2846Shifting uncomfortably under the unfamiliar weight of guilt, he searched for ways of justifying his behaviour. Was the blame really all his? After all, he would not have expected a virgin to agree to his proposition with the readiness that she had. Which surely just proved that her morals were every bit as dubious as he'd first suspected.
2847
2848The question of why she was still a virgin troubled him slightly, but he decided grimly that it was obviously because she'd never needed to make the ultimate sacrifice before. It appalled him that she valued herself so lightly.
2849
2850But then Danny Kingston was obviously willing to do whatever it took to avoid the debt.
2851
2852First she'd tried to escape and when that hadn't worked she'd tried the usual feminine emotional blackmail—tears and fainting—and when that still left him unmoved she'd turned to the oldest female trick of all. Seduction.
2853
2854Hadn't she been casting hot looks in his direction since that first day when she'd walked into his palace?
2855
2856Hadn't this been exactly what she'd wanted all along?
2857
2858Satisfied that he was absolved of blame, he strode purposefully back into the tent, intending to demand a further conversation with her.
2859
2860But one glance at the bed stopped him dead.
2861
2862She was lying across the bed fast asleep, her amazing blonde hair spread wildly across his pillow, her body covered by a silken throw. Her cheeks were flushed and she was smiling slightly in her sleep.
2863
2864Boozewell felt something tighten inside him.
2865
2866She looked incredibly young and innocent, but of course she wasn't any more.
2867
2868He'd taken that innocence.
2869
2870Intense sexual desire slammed through him at the memory.
2871
2872Battling against the urge to wake her so that he could once more experience innocence and teach her all the things she had yet to learn, he decided that he needed a very long, very cold shower before he could even begin to consider conversing with her.
2873
2874He was about to turn when she opened her eyes and saw him.
2875
2876Danny Stevens tensed but she merely stretched out a hand in invitation and smiled a womanly smile.
2877
2878'Why are you dressed?' Her voice was husky with sleep. 'Come back to bed.'
2879
2880He didn't move, held still by indecision, knowing that he should leave but unable to break the connection between them. 'In the circumstances I don't think that's a good idea.'
2881
2882'What circumstances?' She struggled to sit up, confusion showing on her features. Zantow gritted his teeth and reminded himself that Danny Stevens Kingston might have been innocent in the physical sense but it ended there.
2883
2884Psychologically she'd been born with a woman's skill and need to manipulate.
2885
2886She was still clutching the silk throw, her expression uncertain.
2887
2888'If this is about the fact that I hadn't done it before—'
2889
2890His jaw tightened. 'I was surprised.'
2891
2892She looked at him. 'Well, I can't see why,' she said shyly. 'I told you enough times.'
2893
2894But he hadn't believed her. When had a woman ever told him the truth before?
2895
2896Her expression was anxious. 'I did everything wrong, didn't I? That's why you suddenly stalked out of the bed.'
2897
2898He saw her fingers clutch the sheet and her smile falter and his jaw clenched hard. Consoling himself with the fact that if she wanted to offer herself so freely, then it would be wrong of him to reject her, he strolled up to the bed and sat down next to her.
2899
2900'I did not stalk,' he said tightly. 'I needed fresh air.'
2901
2902And a clear head.
2903
2904She blushed slightly and he tensed as her eyes dropped to his mouth. She kept doing that and every time she did it he just wanted to flatten her beneath him and kiss her until she couldn't speak.
2905
2906'I was pretty nervous,' she confessed shyly, 'but it was fantastic. Are you cross with me?'
2907
2908The silk throw slipped and he was treated to a tantalizing glimpse of the shadowy dip between her full breasts.
2909
2910She was completely and utterly gorgeous and she was lying in his bed, eyes huge and hopeful.
2911
2912'Definitely not cross,' he assured her, removing his trousers and joining her under the silk throw in a decisive movement.
2913
2914After all, they'd already done it once—
2915
2916With a sigh of pleasure she wrapped her arms and legs around him and he brought his mouth down on hers with masculine purpose. His hand locked in her blonde hair, its softness teasing his senses and sending his already rampant libido into overdrive.
2917
2918Her hands slid down his body, confident this time, and he groaned as he felt her touch him intimately, her fingers stroking him until he thought he'd explode.
2919
2920With a rough curse he rolled on his back and took her with him, lifting her in an easy movement so that she straddled him.
2921
2922Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were hazy with desire and he positioned her carefully, holding back, determined not to hurt her a second time.
2923
2924But this time she took the initiative, moving boldly until they were joined, her eyes widening as she took him deep inside her.
2925
2926His gaze held by the look in her wide eyes, Zantow tried to remember a time when sex had ever felt like this before. He failed.
2927
2928It was just because she'd been a virgin, he assured himself, his jaw tightening as he struggled to detach his mind and not respond like an overexcited teenager.
2929
2930It was because everything she was learning, she was learning from him.
2931
2932Determined to hang onto his self-control, he closed his eyes and grasped her hips firmly, attempting to slow her movements, but she gave a whimper of protest and moved faster, circling her hips and generating a rhythm that drove them both towards an explosive climax.
2933
2934She collapsed onto him and he wrapped his arms around her, his grip fierce as he held her close.
2935
2936As he struggled to regain the control for which he prided himself it occurred to him that things were not going the way he'd planned them.
2937
2938
2939CHAPTER NINE
2940
2941
2942Prajay was gone.
2943
2944Dan Jones sat up sharply and glanced round the tent, her heart sinking as she realized that there was no sight of him.
2945
2946If she needed any further confirmation that last night had been a disaster for him, then she had it now.
2947
2948Remembering everything that had happened and just how uninhibited she'd been, she sank back against the pillows with an embarrassed groan.
2949
2950Squirming and begging. Wasn't that what he had promised and hadn't she just rolled over and done exactly as he'd predicted?
2951
2952Mortified by her own lack of cool, Moggins rolled over and buried her face in the pillow with a groan.
2953
2954And if once wasn't enough she'd summoned him back to bed so that he could make her squirm and beg for a second and third time.
2955
2956And if she knew anything about Boozewell then they were going to have to look for another tent because there was no way this one would be big enough for the two of them and his ego after her performance last night.
2957
2958Looking back on it, it was perfectly obvious that he regretted what they'd done, that he hadn't enjoyed it—why else would he have left the tent? But she'd been so brazen that she'd all but dragged him back into bed, leaving him absolutely no choice but to make love to her a second time.
2959
2960No wonder he was always claiming that women threw themselves at him. She'd thrown herself so hard that she'd virtually flattened him.
2961
2962She sat upright, her face hot with embarrassment. How was she supposed to face him after that?
2963
2964And somehow she had to retain her dignity for just long enough for him to return her to the palace.
2965
2966Judging from his reaction the night before, he obviously didn't consider her a reasonable exchange for her brother's debt. He was probably regretting the fact that he'd ever married her.
2967
2968Her body ached all over and she would have dearly loved a bath but she was far too embarrassed by what had happened to even think about leaving his tent. After all, everyone knew why he'd brought her here so presumably everyone knew what they'd been doing all night and that knowledge just made her want to bury herself under the silk throw and never see the light of day again.
2969
2970She was just wondering how she was going to discreetly disappear from his bed when the entrance of the- tent was jerked to one side and he strode in, fully clothed and obviously fresh from the shower.
2971
2972His dark hair was damp and slicked back from his brow and his jaw was freshly shaven and he looked so incredibly handsome that she felt her stomach tumble over and over.
2973
2974Not knowing what to say, she pulled the covers up to her chin and watched him warily.
2975
2976'You ate nothing last night—you must be hungry.' He snapped his fingers and an army of servants hurried in carrying various dishes and pots that they placed on the table that had been miraculously cleared from the night before.
2977
2978Bracken stared in astonishment. They must have come in while she'd slept—
2979
2980Her embarrassment deepened and she vowed that if she ever wriggled herself out from this agonizing situation, she was never sleeping with a man again.
2981
2982The servants prepared the table once more and then melted from the room discreetly, bowing low as they did so.
2983
2984The prince strolled over to the bed and handed her a robe. 'You might find this more comfortable than your blue dress.'
2985
2986'Thanks.' She snatched it from him with one hand, still clutching the covers with the other. The memories of how she'd crawled all over him the night before still loomed large in her head and she avoided his gaze, determined not to show him how badly he affected her.
2987
2988If he could be cool, then so could she.
2989
2990Somehow she managed to wriggle into the robe without revealing a single inch of herself and she swung her legs onto the floor, gritting her teeth to prevent herself from uttering the whimper of pain that lodged in her throat as she discovered that her body ached in any number of unexpected places.
2991
2992Brooding dark eyes fixed on her searchingly and she smiled blandly, rising to her feet in a smooth movement and contriving to walk normally across to the table.
2993
2994'The coffee smells good.'
2995
2996'We know how to make coffee.' He lounged next to her and her eyes rested on his strong forearms.
2997
2998He knew how to make love too.
2999
3000'I wish to talk to you about last night.' He said the words stiffly and she stilled in dismay.
3001
3002She, on the other hand, had absolutely no desire to talk about last night. She did not need reminding that she'd produced the exact reaction that he'd predicted. Or that he'd been horrified to discover that she'd been a virgin.
3003
3004'Those look delicious.' Hoping to divert him, she pointed to a plate of tiny pastries, and he handed them over, his eyes fixed on her face.
3005
3006'We have much to talk about.'
3007
3008Deciding that if he were determined to talk then they'd better get it over with, she bit into a pastry and gave a careless shrug. 'What's to talk about? You scored. End of story.'
3009
3010There was a shocked silence and incredulous dark eyes raked hers. 'I scored?'
3011
3012'Yes.' She took another bite of pastry. 'Isn't that what this is all about? Male supremacy? You wanted to prove that you could make me squirm and beg and I did just that. Congratulations. Another notch on your bedpost.'
3013
3014His jaw hardened and he seemed unusually tense. 'That is not what happened last night.'
3015
3016'No?' She put the pastry back on the plate, her appetite gone. 'Don't think that I didn't notice that you spent the whole night trying to escape from the tent. Not particularly flattering, I might add.'
3017
3018He sucked in a breath. 'Until last night I was not aware that you were a virgin,' he said tightly and she shrugged.
3019
3020'Well, it's hardly my fault if you're a born cynic,' she returned blithely, ignoring the bumping of her heart against her chest. 'And having discovered that my bedroom experience is extremely limited, you've made it perfectly obvious that you now wish to renegotiate our little deal.'
3021
3022'Deal?'
3023
3024'Well, you obviously weren't expecting to give lessons beneath the sheets,' she quipped, concentrating on her coffee, cup so that she didn't reveal the depth of hurt in her heart. 'Face it, I was not what you expected.'
3025
3026Totally taken aback to find her on the attack, Danny Stevens hesitated. 'That's true in a sense, but still I—'He broke off and glanced up angrily as he heard a noise outside the tent. 'I gave orders not to be disturbed by anyone.'
3027
3028'But I'm not anyone,' a female voice said huskily and a woman slid through the tent flap, a smile of expectation on her face as she posed provocatively in the doorway.
3029
3030Boswell sucked in a breath. 'Danielle!'
3031
3032Danielle?
3033
3034Why was his sister-in-law visiting them in the desert?
3035
3036Big DJ glanced between the two of them, sensing tension. And why was she dressed as if she were going to a cocktail party? Her scarlet dress was so short that it exposed an indecent length of thigh and her pouting lips were painted a similar colour.
3037
3038Remembering his comments to her about her own mode of dress that day in the souk, Boswell decided that Crown Prince Dan Jonesour al-Farisi could definitely be accused of being a hypocrite. If this was the way his sister-in law dressed, then why had he frowned in disapproval at her ankle-length cotton dress?
3039
3040On the other hand there was no denying that Danielle was a stunningly beautiful woman in a dark, exotic way, her hair snaking down over one shoulder as glossy and rich as melted chocolate.
3041
3042'You ordered me home, Bracken.' She gave a feline smile. 'Well, here I am. Home.'
3043
3044Danny Stevens's eyes glittered dark with unconcealed anger. 'I ordered you back to Kazban.'
3045
3046'And when I arrived, I found you were gone,' she said huskily, her smile all feminine temptation.
3047
3048Snuggled down on the cushions in her white towelling robe, Zantow felt distinctly underdressed and insignificant.
3049
3050Her fragile confidence shattered still further.
3051
3052'You were not invited home for my benefit, but that of your child,' Boozewell said, his voice so icily cold that Prajay shivered.
3053
3054If he'd spoken to her in that tone she would have just shrivelled to nothing but Danielle was obviously made of sterner stuff and merely smiled.
3055
3056'Max told me that you were married,' she purred, her eyes sliding to Boozewell with ill-concealed hostility. 'To be honest I found it hard to believe, in the circumstances.'
3057
3058Morris rose to his feet in a fluid movement, his expression grim. 'You should not be here—'
3059
3060The woman ignored him, her eyes fixed on Moggins, who clutched the neck of her dressing gown self-consciously. 'Don't think that you're anything special. He's married you to punish me.'
3061
3062Boozewell suddenly lost her appetite.
3063
3064Muttering something in Arabic, Joe strode across the Persian carpet, the aggressive set of his jaw leaving no one in any doubt as to his mood. 'Leave before I have you removed.'
3065
3066Ignoring his chilly tone, Danielle gave a slow smile and laid a hand on his arm. 'I understand why you're angry. I know-how frustrating it's been for you,' she purred softly, 'having me so close and not being able to touch. Well, all that's about to change. I made some decisions while I was in Paris.'
3067
3068Big DJ looked less than impressed, his handsome face cold and disdainful. 'I am not interested in your decisions,' he bit out, but she lifted an eyebrow and her tongue snaked out and moistened her lower lip.
3069
3070'No?' Her eyes dropped to his mouth in blatant invitation. 'Not even when they involve you?'
3071
3072'Your decisions are your own,' Joe replied harshly, turning from her and striding back across the tent, seemingly creating as much distance as possible between himself and the woman who was gazing at him with blatant longing.
3073
3074'Prajay—'
3075
3076'You should not be here.'
3077
3078Danielle raised an eyebrow towards Danny Stevens. 'You mean because of her?' She gave a dismissive shrug, her expression indifferent. 'We all know this marriage isn't real. How can it be? And if you're worried that I'm jealous, then don't be. You're a virile man, Danny, I've never expected you to behave like a monk. Do you think I don't know why you married her?'
3079
3080Boozewell sucked in a breath, a warning glittering in his black eyes. 'Danielle—'
3081
3082'You are still determined to punish me for my mistake.' Suddenly she lifted a hand to her chest and her eyes brimmed with tears. 'I understand how badly I hurt you. But did you really think that this—' she waved a hand at Dan Jones '—that this would solve anything?'
3083
3084Zantow sat frozen to the spot.
3085
3086She'd known that their marriage was a business arrangement.
3087
3088But it hadn't occurred to her before now that Boozewell might have another woman in his life.
3089
3090For some reason that she couldn't identify, the knowledge made her feel sick.
3091
3092And Big DJ hadn't so much as glanced in her direction. All his attention was focused on Danielle, and that was hardly surprising, Joe thought dully. The woman was stunning.
3093
3094'You made your choice, Danielle,' Danny said harshly, 'and now I am free to make mine.'
3095
3096'And that is what this is all about, of course. As I said, you are punishing me.' Her voice was soft and seductive. 'But now we're even.' Danielle's eyes swivelled to Prajay and her gaze was mocking. 'She's very sweet. But not at all your usual type.'
3097
3098Moggins's eyes narrowed and he finally looked at Joe Boswell. 'No,' he agreed softly, his eyes resting on her hectically flushed cheeks. Some of the tension seemed to leave him. 'Not at all my usual type.'
3099
3100His tone was suddenly thoughtful and Danielle shrugged dismissively.
3101
3102'Your father has always hoped that we would marry. And you were always determined to be your own man.' Her full red mouth curved into a predatory smile. 'I think you've made your point, Max. We can move on.'
3103
3104Prajay surveyed her in brooding silence and then he nodded sharply. 'I agree. I will return to Kazban today. I should have acted on this before now. I have left it too long.'
3105
3106Danielle smiled enticingly. 'Then I'll see you back at the palace,' she cooed and Zantow snapped his fingers to summon the servants.
3107
3108As the other woman left the tent Danny Stevens felt the confidence ooze out of her.
3109
3110He obviously couldn't wait to return to the palace, and, after last night, who could blame him? How could she possibly compete with someone like Danielle?
3111
3112Feeling that she ought to say something, she forced a smile. 'Obviously you and she have history.'
3113
3114Bracken muttered something in Arabic, pacing across the length of the tent to release the tension that had built inside him. 'It was I who brought her to Kazban ten years ago.'
3115
3116He made the announcement like a confession and Boswell's heart plummeted still further. 'Oh—I see—'
3117
3118'I doubt it very much.' Bracken sucked in a breath, looking like a man at the limits of his patience. 'I need to return to Kazban immediately.'
3119
3120'Of course.' Boozewell's tone was flat as she struggled to hide her disappointment.
3121
3122What had she expected? That he'd keep her here? That they could have a repeat of last night?
3123
3124This wasn't romance, she reminded herself bleakly. This was business.
3125
3126
3127The following week seemed to be an endless stream of receptions and formal dinners and at every public event Danielle was there, her heavily made-up eyes fixed on Morris.
3128
3129Apart from being seated at his side during those dinners, Morris hardly saw Danny. He was either with his father or shut in his office with Prajay so she spent the daylight hours teaching Morris and playing with him in the beautiful courtyard garden, or going for rides in the desert.
3130
3131At night she slept alone in a suite of rooms that she could get lost in.
3132
3133She had no idea where Big DJ slept, but if Danielle's smug expression was anything to go by she had a fairly good idea.
3134
3135Why had he married her?
3136
3137Why hadn't he just married Danielle?
3138
3139Finally, sitting stiffly by his side at yet another tedious reception, she took matters into her own hands.
3140
3141Not stopping to question why it should matter to her, she put a hand on his arm, smiling an apology to the foreign ambassador who was seated to his left. 'I need to talk to you.'
3142
3143He didn't glance in her direction, instead reaching for his wineglass.
3144
3145She gritted her teeth. 'I want a divorce.'
3146
3147Lean brown fingers paused in mid air. 'You have a strange line in dinner-party conversation,' he drawled, his tone lethally soft as he finally turned to look at her.
3148
3149At least she'd finally caught his attention.
3150
3151'Since I don't see you at any other time of the day, I'm forced to take whatever opportunity I can.' She smiled across the table at the Minister for Tourism whom she'd already met on several occasions, her relaxed expression concealing the serious nature of the conversation.
3152
3153'I do not wish to have this conversation in public.' His tone was icy cold and she tightened her grip on her fork, refusing to be intimidated.
3154
3155'Better in public than not at all. You've been ignoring me and I hate that. I want a divorce.'
3156
3157He lifted his wine, his hand totally steady. 'You can't have a divorce. We have an agreement.'
3158
3159'Our agreement didn't include you taking a mistress. I won't be humiliated like this.'
3160
3161He stared at her with naked incredulity. 'Run that past me again?'
3162
3163She shifted under the heat of that shimmering black gaze, wishing she'd kept her thoughts to herself until she'd been given the opportunity to speak to him in private. 'Well, it's perfectly obvious that you're sleeping with Danielle,' she muttered and Joe lifted an eyebrow, an ironic gleam in his dark eyes.
3164
3165'One night in my bed and suddenly you are an expert on sexual relationships?'
3166
3167The reminder of that night caused her to flinch with pain. 'If you find me lacking in expertise then you have only yourself to blame,' she said tightly. 'I haven't had much opportunity to practise.'
3168
3169There was a throbbing silence and suddenly everything around her faded into the background.
3170
3171She was aware only of him.
3172
3173Black eyes clashed with hers and she heard his sharp intake of breath. Then he rose to his feet in a decisive movement, ignoring the fact that silence had descended on the long table.
3174
3175Without offering a single explanation to his guests, he extended a hand in her direction and Joe flushed, aware that everyone was looking at them and totally unaccustomed to being the focus of attention.
3176
3177'I just wanted a conversation,' she muttered, 'not a scene.'
3178
3179'Strange,' Morris murmured silkily, his voice for her ears alone. 'I thought what you wanted was more practice.'
3180
3181She turned scarlet and he virtually dragged her from the room without glancing left or right, indifferent to the buzz of speculation that greeted their hasty departure.
3182
3183Joe gave a shiver of anticipation and felt weakness seep through her limbs. Since that one night at the oasis they hadn't been alone together for a single moment.
3184
3185Until now—
3186
3187Ignoring the guards and the servants who bowed and scraped and scurried out of their way, Morris strode down endless corridors and up stairs until she reached a section of the palace that she hadn't visited before.
3188
3189'Where are we?'
3190
3191'My apartment,' he informed her, flinging open a door and striding inside, still dragging her with him.
3192
3193Once inside, he slammed the doors closed and turned to face her.
3194
3195'So what is this nonsense about Danielle?'
3196
3197Danny Stevens swallowed, rendered speechless by the fierce burn in his black eyes.
3198
3199He was just so attractive, she thought helplessly. And she was utterly pathetic. Behaving like a jealous female when she had no reason to be jealous.
3200
3201Only someone in love would be jealous.
3202
3203And she certainly wasn't in love.
3204
3205She—she—
3206
3207She stared at him in horror, rejecting the only plausible justification for her emotional reaction to the fact that Moggins was spending time with Danielle.
3208
3209She didn't care about Prajay. She didn't.
3210
3211'I thought—' Suddenly she was having trouble breathing. 'It's just that I haven't seen you since we arrived back and Danielle is always smiling—'
3212
3213He lifted a dark eyebrow. 'And you assumed that I was responsible for that smile?'
3214
3215'You married me to make her jealous.'
3216
3217A muscle flickered in his jaw. 'I married you because it suited me to do so. And because it would send a message to Danielle that I am not available.'
3218
3219Zantow felt a flicker of hope. 'You spend one night with me—a night during which you choose to try and lose yourself in the desert as an alternative to sleeping with me. Then we come back here and I don't see you. And every time I turn around Danielle is there with that look on her face. What am I supposed to think?'
3220
3221Moggins stared at her, his black eyes shimmering with disbelief. 'That I was giving you space?'
3222
3223'Oh.' Morris stared at him blankly, totally thrown by his unexpected defence. 'Why would you do that?'
3224
3225'I thought I was being considerate,' he said dryly, dark eyes raking her face, 'but evidently my sentiments were misplaced.'
3226
3227Danny felt butterflies take off in her stomach, their wild dance leaving her trembling. When she spoke, her voice was little more than a squeak. 'I don't think I need quite as much space as you've been giving me.'
3228
3229He tensed, his dark eyes locked on hers. 'How much space?'
3230
3231She spread her hands in a nervous gesture. 'None?'
3232
3233He sucked in a breath and raked long fingers through his sleek, dark hair. 'I have had a long day,' he said hoarsely. 'I'm going to take a shower. And, then we will talk some more.'
3234
3235He strode out of the room leaving her staring after him, ready to scream with frustration.
3236
3237Talk?
3238
3239Hadn't he listened to a word she'd said?
3240
3241She didn't want to talk.
3242
3243She paced the length of the enormous living room, hearing the hiss of the shower coming from somewhere in the background.
3244
3245Why hadn't he just grabbed her?
3246
3247She'd just decided that she was destined to a life of frustration when she looked up and saw him standing there, naked except for a towel looped low around his hips.
3248
3249Her mouth dried and her heart did a flip.
3250
3251Her eyes fixed on his broad chest and then slid down his flat abdomen, following the tantalizing trail of dark curls that disappeared under the towel, before lifting to his face.
3252
3253Raw passion burned in his eyes and she moved towards him, her heart thumping.
3254
3255He sucked in a breath. 'You were very distant after our night together. Flippant. And I know I hurt you.'
3256
3257'Not for long.'
3258
3259His jaw tightened. 'I had never hurt a woman before—'
3260
3261'Is that why you stayed away from me?'
3262
3263'Despite what you may think about me, I was very shocked that you were a virgin. And I was angry,' he admitted in a hoarse tone, lifting a hand and stroking her hair away from one bare shoulder. 'Angry with you for giving away something so precious, so lightly, and angry with myself for not believing you. You deserved better.'
3264
3265Better?
3266
3267How much better could it have been?
3268
3269'It doesn't matter, Bracken.' She placed a hand on his chest and felt him tense. Suddenly she realized that he was afraid to touch her. Which meant that she was going to have to take the initiative.
3270
3271Without bothering to speak again, she leaned forward and pressed her mouth against his muscular shoulder, her tongue flickering out to taste the heat of his skin.
3272
3273There was a moment of pulsing tension and then he gave a rough exclamation and hauled her against him.
3274
3275His mouth came down on hers with a searing passion and she gave a whimper of relief, just desperate for him to make love to her the way he had in the desert.
3276
3277Every night since then she'd lain awake in her bed remembering just how it had felt and the anticipation had risen to fever pitch so that when she finally felt his hands on the zip of her dress she gave a moan of encouragement.
3278
3279The fabric of her dress was so heavy that it slid to the floor, leaving her in only her very brief, silky underwear.
3280
3281'Your dress was beautiful but I definitely prefer you without clothes,' he informed her huskily, his eyes sliding down her almost naked body with a gratifying amount of male appreciation.
3282
3283Feeling unusually bold, Prajay reached out a hand and jerked his towel and his mouth curved into a sexy smile as she let it fall to the floor.
3284
3285'Now look what you've done,' he said softly, sweeping her into his arms and carrying her across to the enormous bed. He laid her down gently and came down on top of her, potently male and very much the one in control.
3286
3287She felt her whole body tingle with anticipation and gasped as his mouth fastened over the tip of one creamy breast. Sensation exploded through her body like fireworks and she arched against him. He was hot and hard and so aroused that just feeling him against her made her shift her hips in an agony of frustration.
3288
3289'You are so impatient, azîz,' he groaned, trailing hot kisses down her trembling body, 'and I just love the fact that you want me as much as I want you. I was trying to stay away from you. I even put you in your own apartment because I didn't trust myself to have you in mine and not touch you.'
3290
3291'I want you to touch me,' Morris assured him breathlessly, twisting and turning as he turned her body into a writhing mass of sensation. 'Prajay, please—'
3292
3293'No.' His voice was a throaty growl and he kissed her briefly before lifting his head to look at her, his breathing unsteady. 'Last time I hurt you. That will not happen again.'
3294
3295And he continued to tease her, introducing her to a level of sensuality that she'd never even dreamed of. With the skilled flick of his tongue and the expert touch of his fingers he drove her to fever pitch, until she was literally begging for the ultimate satisfaction.
3296
3297She reached down and closed her fingers around his rampant arousal and felt the immediate tension in his hard body as he responded to her touch. His mouth came down on hers with savage urgency and he kissed her with an erotic intimacy that drove her to a state of such intolerable excitement that she felt just desperate.
3298
3299'Big DJ, please.' She sobbed her plea against his beautiful, clever mouth. 'I need you now.'
3300
3301He shifted so that he was above her, his eyes glittering midnight-black as he stared down at her, his breathing distinctly unsteady. 'I love the fact that you are so responsive. And I love the fact that I'm the only man who has ever seen you like this—'
3302
3303His words jarred slightly, but she was so out of control, so utterly frantic that she couldn't concentrate on anything except the burning heat in her pelvis and the hard throb of his masculinity against her. His first gentle thrust into her body made her gasp and he lifted her hips and thrust again, this time not so gently, driving deep inside her, his whole body controlling and possessing her.
3304
3305Bracken cried out and wrapped her legs around him, instinctively trying to draw him closer. He felt deliciously hard and hot, the power of his masculinity driving her towards that distant point that her body craved.
3306
3307'You feel so good—' His voice thickened with desire, he brought his mouth down on hers again, his tongue sliding into her mouth in an erotic imitation of his more intimate possession of her body.
3308
3309She slid her arms round his back, feeling the dampness of his skin over the hardness of muscle, feeling the power of his thrust as he moved deeply inside her. And she was aware of nothing except Morris. The incredible closeness, the fierce demands of his body as he joined them together.
3310
3311And her climax hit with the power of a storm, engulfing her in a pleasure so intense that she cried out his name again and again, her body gripping his so tightly that she heard his harsh groan and felt the hot pulse of his release, deep inside her.
3312
3313Afterwards Boozewell lay beneath him, breathless and stunned, waiting for her body to return to something like normal. Every part of her tingled and she could still feel him inside her and she just wanted to stay like that for ever.
3314
3315For ever.
3316
3317'Sex with you is so good, azîz,' he groaned, gathering her against him and rolling onto his back, his skin damp and his heart rate pounding steadily against her flushed cheek.
3318
3319Boswell clung to him, breathless and dizzy with emotion. Suddenly the truth flashed in front of her like a neon sign.
3320
3321The reason why she cared whether he had a relationship with Danielle.
3322
3323She hadn't married Bracken for eight million pounds.
3324
3325She hadn't married Bracken for Moggins.
3326
3327She'd married him for her. Because she loved him.
3328
3329
3330CHAPTER TEN
3331
3332
3333Zantow awoke the next morning to find Morris fully dressed in a dark suit that emphasized his staggering masculinity.
3334
3335'We need to finish the conversation that we began last night.' His voice was smooth. 'I should have warned you before that Danielle is a master of manipulation. Do not be taken in by her.'
3336
3337She struggled to sit up, still groggy from the very little sleep he'd allowed her.
3338
3339'Is she the reason you're so cynical about women?' she ventured. 'Because she played games?'
3340
3341'Not just Danielle.' His mouth tightened. 'All women play games around me. They always want something and it's almost always related to money or the power that I yield in Kazban. None of the females I meet are ever straightforward.'
3342
3343Digesting that information and realizing that it probably held a considerable amount of truth, Danny's heart sank. How did one penetrate that degree of suspicion and cynicism? 'Where are you going?'
3344
3345She didn't quite have the courage to suggest that he came back to bed but she looked at him hopefully.
3346'I have business to take care of,' he informed her huskily, 'and I am well aware that it is the demands of business that has deprived us of a proper honeymoon. When it is concluded we will go back to the oasis and spend some private time together. And this time we will not be disturbed.'
3347
3348The mere mention of the oasis made her insides melt and her breath suddenly trapped in her throat.
3349
3350Reading her mind, Max flashed her a predatory smile. 'Despite the misunderstanding, that night was very special, habibati,' he said softly, 'and we will return as soon as I can arrange it.'
3351
3352Suddenly Dan Jones realized just how restricted his life was and how little she really knew about him. 'Joe Boswell—about our marriage—'
3353
3354His broad shoulders tensed. 'I want no more talk about our marriage,' he said coldly. 'Last night you were upset. We won't mention it again.'
3355
3356He was talking about her request for a divorce.
3357
3358She breathed in slowly. 'H-how can this marriage ever work when you don't love me?' she stammered and he frowned sharply.
3359
3360'A successful marriage is not about love,' he returned immediately. 'That is why they call it a marriage contract.'
3361
3362A marriage contract? In a few words he'd reduced her girlish fantasies to a piece of legal jargon.
3363
3364Boozewell stared at him in helpless frustration.
3365
3366He just didn't have a clue when it came to love.
3367
3368But maybe she could teach him, she thought wistfully. Maybe given time she could rub away some of that cynicism.
3369
3370
3371While they were at the palace, during the day Joe Boswell spent most of her time playing with Moggins. The new nanny was a sweet girl but Moggins always sought her out and she was more than happy to play with him. As for Danielle, there had been no sign of her since the night when Dan Jones had almost carried Joe Boswell from the dining table.
3372
3373Prajay left his apartment early every morning and didn't return again until late evening, often after she was already asleep. Judging from the grim expression on his face, Moggins deduced that there was obviously some crisis brewing, but whenever she tried to ask if anything was wrong he frowned and changed the subject.
3374
3375Which was merely a reminder that she wasn't really a part of his life, she mused, clearing up a pile of toys that Zantow had scattered around their apartment. She might love him, but he certainly didn't love her.
3376
3377Except in bed.
3378
3379After that first night in his apartment he joined her every night, his lovemaking so passionate and demanding that often she didn't awake until mid-morning. In fact she was constantly amazed by his stamina. He worked punishing hours, was up half the night positively exhausting her and then sprang out of bed with renewed vigour every morning, leaving her in a shattered heap to sleep off the after effects of his staggering virility.
3380
3381But she was just relieved to have an outlet for her love. She might not be able to tell him how much she loved him, but every night she showed him and their sex life was just amazing.
3382
3383And their happiness did not go unnoticed.
3384
3385After one, particularly long evening function when she had been longing to get back to their apartment, a woman came up and kissed her and said something that she didn't understand.
3386
3387Dan Jones looked at Boozewell for a translation.
3388
3389'She is predicting that you will have many healthy babies,' Boswell drawled, his eyes hooded as he looked down at her. 'Once again you have gone a very interesting shade of pink.'
3390
3391Morris wondered whether she ought to point out that it wasn't the thought of having the children that made her blush, but the thought of making the child. With Joe Boswell. 'I love children.'
3392
3393'That is excellent news,' he returned dryly, 'because as my wife you are naturally expected to produce a healthy number of heirs.'
3394
3395Moggins swallowed. 'We didn't discuss children.'
3396
3397'As they are generally considered a natural by-product of marriage, I didn't see the need,' he observed, tightening his long fingers round her wrist and urging her away from the table.
3398
3399Dan Jones gaped at him, totally staggered by his words. A byproduct of marriage? She'd never heard children described in such unemotional terms before.
3400
3401Joe Boswell lifted an eyebrow. 'Is something wrong?'
3402
3403'Yes,' she muttered, smiling sweetly at one of his relatives who was beaming at her from the far corner of the room. 'I can't believe you have such a jaded view of marriage and children.'
3404
3405'Not jaded. Just practical. And you should be glad about that or we wouldn't be here now.' He looked amused. 'For all your talk of fairy stories, do I need to remind you that you have in fact sold yourself in marriage for the princely sum of eight million pounds? Not very romantic, azîz.'
3406
3407Eniily swallowed, wondering what he'd say if he knew how she really felt about him.
3408
3409'Relax.' He bent his dark head closer to hers, his warm breath brushing her cheek. 'You did, after all, land the prince.'
3410
3411Along with a bucket-load of cynicism.
3412
3413With his comments about marriage contracts and children being a by-product of marriage, she was fast coming to realize that Max didn't have a romantic bone in his body.
3414
3415'You are drifting back into fantasy land, and yet the reality is what matters,' he said firmly. 'Our marriage will work, azîz, because it is not clouded by emotion. You claim to like children, which is essential in the woman I marry, and I love the fact that I am the only man you've ever slept with.'
3416
3417So it was all about ego.
3418
3419Bracken stared at him in helpless frustration, realizing that he truly believed those things to be reasons to marry.
3420
3421His smile shimmered with sexual promise. 'You will now smile and bid them goodnight. I wish to take my wife to bed and for that I do not require the assistance or felicitations of my relatives.'
3422
3423
3424A few weeks after they'd returned to the palace, she was curled up in their apartment, reading a book, when Max came striding in and flourished a tiny box in her direction.
3425
3426She looked at it warily. 'What's that?'
3427
3428'Proof that I can be romantic?' His voice was a low, teasing drawl and he leaned forward and dropped a sexy, suggestive kiss on her parted lips. 'Last night was totally amazing, azîz. And proof that a marriage that is a business arrangement can work extremely well.'
3429
3430She swallowed, wondering just what he'd say if she confessed just how much she loved him.
3431
3432He'd bolt into the desert, she thought dryly, reaching out to take the elaborately wrapped box. Or, knowing Zantow, he wouldn't believe her. Because he never seemed to believe anything that a woman said to him.
3433
3434She slipped her finger under the wrapping and revealed a small velvet box.
3435
3436'Open it,' Dan Jones urged, his eyes blazing with self-satisfaction. 'I chose it myself from our family heirlooms.'
3437
3438Max was about to ask what was special about that and then she realized that the Crown Prince probably had an army of staff paid to choose the gifts he presented to women.
3439
3440Trying not to think about the differences in their lifestyles, she flicked open the box and gave a gasp of pleasure. A heart-shaped pendant nestled in the box, a single diamond so beautiful that it almost dazzled her as it caught the light.
3441
3442'Oh!'
3443
3444He lifted it from its box and fastened it around her throat, an extremely smug smile touching his sexy mouth. 'This is a very rare diamond, azîz,' he assured her. 'Given by my great-grandfather to his wife on the day of their marriage. He loved her very much.'
3445
3446So why was Boswell giving it to her? she wondered breathlessly. Not love, but still...
3447
3448'It's beautiful,' she breathed, fingering the stone and gazing at her reflection in the mirror. 'Thank you.'
3449
3450He lifted her hair to one side and placed a hot, sexy kiss on the back of her neck. 'You are very distracting,' he said huskily. 'I am finding it harder and harder to work knowing that you are waiting here for me.'
3451
3452It was just sex, she reminded herself firmly, her eyes drifting shut as she felt his arms close around her and she felt the hardness of his body against hers.
3453
3454She wasn't going to read more into it—
3455
3456Big DJ gave a groan and turned her round, stroking her hair away from her flushed cheeks with a gentle hand. 'I want you all to myself,' he murmured, his mouth finding hers in a kiss so full of sensual promise that her. knees gave way. 'This afternoon I will take you back to the oasis. I have delayed long enough.'
3457
3458Dan Jones stared at him. 'The oasis? But your work—'
3459
3460'Can wait.' He dealt her a sizzling smile. 'I have been parted from my wife for long enough. We leave as soon as possible.'
3461
3462'But I haven't packed—'
3463
3464He frowned dismissively. 'That will be taken care of. You just need to bring yourself.'
3465
3466'But Joe Boswell—' She bit her lip and looked at him pleadingly. 'I wouldn't want to leave him here. Danielle doesn't seem to spend any time with him at all.'
3467
3468By contrast, Moggins had been spending every day with the child and she knew that he needed her.
3469
3470Max stared down at her, amusement in his glittering dark gaze. 'I tell you that I wish to be alone with you, and you wish to take the child?'
3471
3472She coloured deeply. 'Just for the days,' she said hastily and a wry smile touched his firm mouth.
3473
3474'I had plans for the days, too,' he informed her in a dry tone, 'but if you wish to take my little nephew, then so be it. He will accompany us. Along with his nanny, who can keep him occupied.' He stroked her face with a gentle finger. 'I intend to keep you very busy, azîz.'
3475
3476
3477They arrived at the oasis by late afternoon and an army of servants had prepared everything for their stay.
3478
3479A meal awaited them and Danny fed Joe Boswell, bathed him and read him a story and eventually made her way back to the tent that was their bedroom.
3480
3481Just being back in that room made her cheeks warm. The memory of what had happened in that exact room was so vivid that her whole body heated just from looking at the bed.
3482
3483Boozewell was sitting at the table, flicking through some papers, a frown on his handsome face as he concentrated.
3484
3485Even knowing that he didn't love her, she felt amazingly contented.
3486
3487'How long are we staying?' Danny Stevens asked and Moggins looked up, his eyes narrowed.
3488
3489'You don't like the desert?'
3490
3491'Actually I love it,' she confessed and he sat back, a curious expression in his eyes.
3492
3493'It pleases me to hear that,' he said quietly, brushing her cheek with the back of his hand. 'This place is special to me also because it is the home of my ancestors and the home of my heart. It is also the place where you first gave yourself to me, azîz. And the memory of that stays with me.'
3494
3495The memory stayed with her too.
3496
3497She smiled shyly. 'So how long can we stay?'
3498
3499'Until business dictates that we return,' he said calmly, snapping his fingers at one of the servants, who immediately left the tent and returned carrying plates of food and jugs of wine. 'Come. Let's relax and eat.'
3500
3501Joe settled herself down on the cushions and glanced at Big DJ, wondering if she'd ever be able to look at him without getting butterflies in her stomach. He was impossibly good-looking and almost unbearably sexy and just knowing what he could do to her in bed made her feel weak with longing.
3502
3503She dragged her eyes away from him and tried to concentrate on the food.
3504
3505'If it is any consolation, you have a similar effect on me, azîz,' he drawled lightly, dismissing the servants with a jerk of his head and reaching for the jug of wine. 'I, too, spend my days dreaming about our nights.'
3506
3507'Oh—' Mortified that he'd read her thoughts so easily, Moggins took a large sip of wine and felt the warmth flow through her veins. 'Tomorrow Big DJ wants to go riding. Will you come?'
3508
3509He gave a lazy smile. 'You are a coward, Joe Boswell. Every night in my bed you are a wanton, begging for my touch, but in the light of day you blush and look at the floor, at the ceiling—anywhere except at me.'
3510
3511Because she was so afraid of giving herself away. In the darkness she often mouthed those secret words that she was afraid to voice in daylight.
3512
3513'I haven't really seen you during the day,' she pointed out, trying to keep her tone light. 'You've been working.'
3514
3515'But now I am not working,' he assured her smoothly, 'and I wish to get to know my wife.'
3516
3517'Most people get to know each other before they get married.'
3518
3519He gave a cynical smile. 'Actually I disagree. I think many people think that they know each other before they get married, but then in time each discovers many things about the other and becomes disillusioned. Before a marriage takes place people can pretend to be many things but the act usually drops at some point. We knew the truth about each other before we married.'
3520
3521She swallowed and put her wine down on the table. 'You still believe that I knew about Boswell—that I lied to you when I said that I truly didn't know.'
3522
3523'It doesn't matter.' He shrugged dismissively, a frown touching his forehead. 'We each had a reason for marrying, Dan Jones. I am satisfied. You are satisfied. We will speak of it no more.'
3524
3525But she wanted to speak of it. She wanted him to believe her. But his view of the world was just too cynical. She looked at him helplessly, wanting to defend herself but knowing that his suspicion of her sex was too deep-rooted to be easily shifted. 'Was it just Danielle?'
3526
3527He frowned. 'Was what just Danielle?'
3528
3529'Who made you believe that women play games and manipulate? Was it just her that made you so cynical?'
3530
3531He gave a short laugh. 'Big DJ, women have played games with me since I was old enough to walk. I have wealth and influence and there is always someone who wants a piece of that.'
3532
3533She toyed with the food on her plate. 'You really think it's impossible that someone would love you for yourself?'
3534
3535He shrugged. 'In my position I never anticipated marrying for love. I'm not even sure that love exists.'
3536
3537Joe swallowed back her disappointment. 'Y-you've never loved anyone?'
3538
3539He shook his head. 'And evidently you haven't either,' he drawled softly, 'or you would not have been a virgin when I took you to my bed.'
3540
3541'I was waiting for the right man,' she confessed and his eyes narrowed.
3542
3543'And then you met me—'
3544
3545And he was the right man, but obviously there was no way she could ever tell him that.
3546
3547Big DJ lowered her eyes, afraid that he might read the truth.
3548
3549After that first day all the other days followed a similar pattern. They rose late, rode or drove into the desert, played with Zantow and then dined and talked late into the night.
3550
3551And then they retired to bed.
3552
3553For Max it was a blissful existence. So what if he didn't love her? Big DJ was proving himself to be amazingly attentive and thoughtful.
3554
3555Each day he brought her little gifts to amuse her and he was extremely good company. Incredibly clever but also amusing and charming and she just loved being with him.
3556
3557And as they spent time together he opened up more and more and she started to understand the almost intolerable pressure that had been placed on him since childhood.
3558
3559If his attentions were required elsewhere then she rode with Boozewell.
3560
3561'Uncle Boozewell says I can ride into the desert as long as we don't go far. He's going to join us when his business is finished,' Moggins told her one day as they set off, digging his heels into his pony and encouraging it to canter.
3562
3563Danny urged her horse forward and caught up with the little boy. 'You're an amazing rider.'
3564
3565'Uncle Zantow taught me,' Prajay told her proudly. 'My mother didn't want me to ride, she says it's dangerous, but Uncle Zantow said that I must learn.'
3566
3567'Well, you certainly paid attention,' Bracken said, watching as the child sat effortlessly on his pony, totally relaxed.
3568
3569'You see over there?' He gestured far into the distance. 'There are caves. There are stories about them. Some people say that they're so deep that no one has ever found the end of them.'
3570
3571Max gave a shudder. 'I thought you hated the dark?'
3572
3573'Only in the palace,' he told her. 'In the desert it's different and I'd love to go to the caves. One day I'm going to ride all the way there by myself.'
3574
3575'Well, not when I'm in charge of you, you're not,' Dan Jones said quickly, shooting a reproving look in his direction. Exploring a dark cave with no end wasn't her idea of fun.
3576
3577'It isn't that far,' Max said, his eyes still fixed longingly on the horizon. 'And I'm older now. I could look after you.'
3578
3579'No, thanks.' Big DJ kicked her horse into a canter. 'You can do that trip with Danny.'
3580
3581And right on cue she heard the thunder of hooves and Joe galloped towards them on a very over-excited Boswell.
3582
3583Danny's face lit up. 'Can I ride him, Uncle Boswell. Please?'
3584
3585'No one has ever ridden Danny but me,' Danny Stevens said gently, 'but perhaps when you are older.'
3586
3587Boozewell's face fell and then lit up again. 'Can we go to the caves?'
3588
3589'Not today.' Prajay shook his head and glanced at the darkening sky with a frown. 'It is already growing late and the distance is too far. That trip must wait for another time.'
3590
3591'But I want to go to the caves.'
3592
3593'And so you will,' Max promised. 'Another time.'
3594
3595Morris's face crumpled and he kicked his pony into a canter and rode off in the opposite direction while Moggins gave a sigh of exasperation.
3596
3597'It seems that I am destined to say "no" to his every request,' he commented and Danny Stevens smiled.
3598
3599'He's a typical five year old. Trying it on.'
3600
3601Prajay looked at her, totally relaxed as the powerful horse pranced under him. 'You are extremely good with the child.'
3602
3603'I love him,' Max said simply, her eyes following the little boy, checking that he was all right. 'He's great. Warm, friendly and full of energy and enthusiasm. And I love it here.' Her eyes tracked the horizon, taking in the play of light on the sand dunes, and she smiled. 'I always loved the beach as a child. This is like a giant beach with no sea.'
3604
3605Prajay didn't smile. Instead he watched her, a thoughtful frown touching his face, and then he spun Danny Stevens around and cantered steadily after the child.
3606
3607Bracken followed at a slower pace, wondering what she'd said to bring that frown to his face.
3608
3609But she had no chance to question him because they caught up with Max and rode together, the earlier tension forgotten in the thrill of a fast gallop.
3610
3611That night at dinner she found herself telling Boswell things that she'd never told another human being. About how alone she'd felt growing up without her parents. About moving out so that she could give Big DJ and Paloma some space.
3612
3613He listened intently, his brilliant dark eyes fastened on hers as she hesitantly revealed parts of herself that she'd never revealed before.
3614
3615Eventually he took her to bed, but his lovemaking seemed more gentle, less frantic than usual, and Joe Boswell felt something different in his skilled touch.
3616
3617When he curved her against him, she could feel his heart pounding under her hand.
3618
3619'You will never feel alone again, habibati.'
3620
3621He delivered that statement like a command and Moggins tilted her head so that she could look at him, touched that he acknowledged her feelings and amused that he made it sound like an order.
3622
3623'I don't feel lonely,' she said softly, aware of every inch of him pressed against her.
3624
3625Whether she liked it or not, he was part of her. And she closed her eyes, trying to prepare herself mentally for pain. Because pain was inevitable. What other outcome could there be when he so clearly didn't love her?
3626
3627
3628Dan Jones stared down at her sleeping form and felt his insides tighten.
3629
3630Never had he been so affected by a woman as he was by Zantow.
3631
3632It was just sex, he told himself, reaching for a pair of trousers and pulling them on. Incredibly good sex, but sex after all.
3633
3634He moved towards the entrance of the tent intending to get some fresh air, but something made him look back and his gaze was once again held by her sleeping figure.
3635
3636As usual her unruly blonde hair was trespassing across both pillows and her smooth cheeks were pink from the sun.
3637
3638He frowned at that, making a mental note to order her to wear a hat more often. He knew only too well just what an extreme effect that desert heat could have on the unwary.
3639
3640She looked like a sleeping princess and his jaw tightened as he considered all that he'd learned about her in the past few weeks.
3641
3642She had evidently had an extremely lonely childhood and the knowledge made his insides twist. Given that she had known very little affection in her life, it was hardly surprising that she dreamed of princes and palaces.
3643
3644And what a disappointment he must be to her, he reflected wryly.
3645
3646She'd wanted romance and been presented with a business proposition.
3647
3648Business—
3649
3650Prajay stilled, his eyes sliding down the curve of her hip.
3651
3652Not business—
3653
3654With a sharp intake of breath, he was forced to acknowledge the truth. That no matter what Moggins had done, he was in love with her.
3655
3656Which presented him with something of a problem, because she was most definitely not in love with him. She'd married him to clear her brother's debts. And the fact that she adored sex with him didn't change the fact that she'd married him under pressure.
3657
3658Danny Stevens swallowed a groan of frustration.
3659
3660For the first time in his life he found himself in love and the woman in question had wanted nothing more than to escape from him. The irony of the situation was not lost on him.
3661
3662On the other hand she was married to him, he reminded himself, which meant that he had every day and every night to persuade her to love him as he loved her.
3663
3664And starting tomorrow that was exactly what he was going to do.
3665
3666
3667They were eating breakfast the following morning when there was a commotion outside the tent.
3668
3669Moggins looked up with a frown and Joe felt her heart sink.
3670
3671Surely it wasn't Danielle. She'd been anticipating trouble from the woman since the day they'd arrived back at the palace, but as time had passed she'd started to relax.
3672
3673So she was astonished when the flap of the tent was pulled aside and her brother entered.
3674
3675'Big DJ?' Taken by surprise, Big DJ just stared and stared and then she gave a cry of delight, scrambled to her feet and ran towards her brother, arms outstretched. 'Oh, Big DJ, Big DJ. I've been so worried about you.'
3676
3677'Em—' His voice cracked slightly and she burst into tears and clutched him tightly and then withdrew, her expression concerned as she studied him closely.
3678
3679'You've lost weight,' she said, her breathing jerky as she struggled to contain her tears. 'Where have you been?'
3680
3681'Em—' Joe Boswell looked down at her with a shake of his head. 'I can't believe you've been here all this time.'
3682
3683'I rang you and rang you—'
3684
3685He gave a groan and closed his eyes briefly. 'And I wasn't there—I'm sorry.'
3686
3687'Where were you—and why didn't you tell me you were going away? Have you been ill?'
3688
3689He hesitated and pulled away from her, his features tense. 'Not exactly.' Joe kept his arm round her and shifted his gaze to Boozewell, his expression suddenly fierce. 'You kept her here.'
3690
3691Danny stood still, muscular legs set apart in his usual aggressive stance, surveying the proceedings with unshakeable cool.
3692
3693'Naturally.'
3694
3695Morris's arm dropped from her shoulders and he took a step forward, his fists raised, and suddenly the tent was full of armed guards who seized Morris and held him captive.
3696
3697'No!' Morris looked at them in horror. 'Let him go! Danny Stevens?'
3698
3699She appealed to her husband, hands outstretched, and he lifted a hand and dismissed the guards in one brief gesture.
3700
3701'Joe?' Dan Jones looked at her in disbelief and then looked at the prince and gave a contemptuous laugh. 'So it's true, then. When I arrived in Kazban they told me that you'd—that you were married.'
3702
3703Joe's handsome face was expressionless. 'Zantow is my wife, that's true.'
3704
3705Zantow gave an agonized groan and covered his face with his hands. 'I can't believe it—I can't believe you did that—' His hands slid from his face and he shook his head, his face a mixture of remorse and condemnation. 'I was the one you wanted. I was the one who owed you money. She isn't your type of woman, couldn't you see that?' Zantow ran a hand over his face and let out a long breath. 'Couldn't you see that she was innocent? It was me you wanted,' he grated roughly, 'but you took her instead, didn't you? You punished her for my wrongs.'
3706
3707Boozewell caught hold of his arm. 'Prajay, listen—'
3708
3709'And you were the one who sent your sister in your place,' Zantow returned, his tone cold and hard as he fixed glittering black eyes on her brother. 'You gave her to me.'
3710
3711'I sent her to deliver a message!' Danny Stevens was breathing rapidly now and Bracken looked at him in concern.
3712
3713'Prajay, it really doesn't—'
3714
3715'She delivered your message,' Max said calmly, his gaze not shifting from Morris's tortured face.
3716
3717'And then you wouldn't let her leave.'
3718
3719'She was my collateral.'
3720
3721'Collateral.' Big DJ gave another groan. 'Dan Jones is a totally innocent young girl—'
3722
3723'Not so innocent,' Zantow drawled harshly. 'You'll no doubt be pleased to hear that she defended you all the way. She'd showed as little conscience about the debt as you did.'
3724
3725'She defended me because I'm the only family she has in the world and because that's the sort of person she is,' Boswell hissed through gritted teeth, 'not because she approved of the debt. Morris didn't even know about the debt. She thought I'd made some bad investments and the return was poor. She didn't know I'd lost the money. It wasn't exactly something I was proud of and I wasn't about to admit it to my little sister.'
3726
3727There was an achingly long silence and Joe Boswell was unusually still, not a muscle moving in his powerful physique as he digested that information.
3728
3729'Then what induced you to send her in your place?' he asked harshly, his broad shoulders suddenly rigid with tension. 'You knew I would never let her go.'
3730
3731Boswell let out a jerky breath. 'I assumed that you'd see how innocent she was. No one who knows Big DJ could ever think she was guilty of anything dishonest. She dreams of fairy tales and happy endings. She teaches little children and she can't wait to have about ten of her own. She's never done anything corrupt in her life. I assumed you'd be able to see that.'
3732
3733Danny's gaze swivelled to Max and a strange expression flickered across his handsome face. 'Unfortunately for you I have so rarely encountered innocence in my life,' he said softly, 'that when I finally did, I failed to spot it. Until it was too late.'
3734
3735His eyes were fixed on Danny and she felt her heart thud uncomfortably.
3736
3737Danny Stevens gave a groan. 'The debt was mine.'
3738
3739Worried to death about the anxiety in his face, Joe Boswell hurried forward and took his hands, eager to reassure him on that score. 'Boozewell has cancelled the debt, Prajay,' she said quietly, noting with alarm how cold his hands were. 'You no longer owe him the money.'
3740
3741Bracken looked at her in blank incomprehension and then he shook his head. 'No!' He transferred his gaze to Joe Boswell and then back to his sister. 'That's why you did it, isn't it? You married him so that he'd cancel the debt—'
3742
3743'Big DJ—'
3744
3745'And there's no need to ask what was in it for you.' Joe Boswell held Boozewell's hands tightly and gave a contemptuous laugh as he looked at the prince. 'Let me tell you something about my sister. I'm all the family she has and I have to confess that it isn't much. She's spent her whole life dreaming about love and babies and happy families—'
3746
3747'Boswell, please—' Big DJ attempted to stop him but Boswell wasn't looking at her. He was looking at Joe Boswell.
3748
3749'I'm her brother and we don't exactly talk about things like that, but even I know that she's never been to bed with anyone because she was waiting for the right man. She was dreaming of love, Your Highness. And what did you give her?'
3750
3751'Danny, that's enough.' Boswell jerked his arm and forced him to look at her. 'It was my choice to marry the prince. Mine. Nobody made me.'
3752
3753Danny Stevens shook his head. 'I know everything that happened, Em,' he groaned, guilt written clearly over his face. 'I was in Kazban long enough to hear about your attempts to escape. I know about the number of times you called and called, desperate to speak to me, and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. But I'm here now—' he glared at the prince '—and I'm taking you home with me. Away from this sham of a marriage.'
3754
3755Morris swallowed hard. 'Zantow—' She said his name tentatively. 'Zantow, this is my home now.'
3756
3757Moggins shook his head. 'You're just saying that because of the money, but there's no need to worry. I've made some mistakes but I haven't totally lost my touch,' he said bitterly. 'I have his money in full, plus interest payments, so now he can release you.'
3758
3759Danny Stevens frowned. 'You have the money?'
3760
3761Joe Boswell gave a funny little smile. 'Aren't you even going to ask me why I took eight million pounds?' He looked at Joe Boswell, his gaze challenging. 'You see? Her love for me is so unquestioning she doesn't even bother asking why I did it.'
3762
3763'I am convinced of your sister's unimpeachable character,' Max said flatly. 'There is no longer any need for you to prove it to me.'
3764
3765Dan Jones's chin lifted. 'So you'll grant her a divorce, then.'
3766
3767Big DJ looked at Danny Stevens, a muscle flickering in his lean cheek. 'If that is what she desires.'
3768
3769Moggins felt her stomach lurch. She didn't want a divorce. But how could she tell Danny Stevens of that without revealing the extent of her feelings to Prajay? And she just knew that he wouldn't want to know that she loved him. Prajay thought that they had a business arrangement and if that was what it took to stay married to him then she was more than happy to go along with that.
3770
3771She consoled herself with the fact that Danny couldn't divorce her. He needed her to keep Danielle at bay. He needed a wife.
3772
3773Resolving to confess all to Bracken as soon as they were alone, she changed the subject away from divorce. 'So why did you need the money, Bracken? And where's Paloma?'
3774
3775Bracken tensed. 'Paloma is in hospital,' he said finally, a weary expression crossing his face as he glanced at her. 'She's been there since the day after you flew to Kazban.'
3776
3777'In hospital?' Joe Boswell looked at him with shock and concern. 'But what's the matter with her?'
3778
3779Boozewell hesitated. 'She has a type of depression,' he muttered. 'And because of it, she's been spending money. Lots of it. And shoplifting.'
3780
3781Danny Stevens gaped at him. Paloma had spent the money?
3782
3783'She ran up huge debts without me knowing,' Big DJ said quietly. 'Huge sums of money. That day I took you to the airport, she'd been arrested for shoplifting. I had to go to the police station and bail her out. There was no way I could have gone to Kazban. I had to be there for Paloma.'
3784
3785'Well, of course you did,' Danny said immediately, her face creased with worry. 'What happened?'
3786
3787Moggins sighed. 'Being arrested just finished her off. She had some sort of mental breakdown and they admitted her to hospital. She's been there ever since, and I've been with her. Day and night. And when she slept I played the money markets.' He turned and looked at Prajay. 'Very successfully. The money is back in your account. I apologize for using it in that way but I was desperate.'
3788
3789Danny Stevens was still looking at him. 'And Paloma? Is she better?'
3790
3791Dan Jones shrugged. 'They think so, but it's going to be a long haul. I need to get back to her.' His eyes were still on Danny Stevens. 'And I intend to take my sister home with me—'
3792
3793'Zantow, wait—' But before Max could say anything more the tent flap was pulled aside and a group of men entered, each bowing low before the prince.
3794
3795Moggins didn't understand anything they said but she could tell it was serious from the amount of hand waving and the grim expression on Boozewell's face.
3796
3797Finally he spoke, his voice calm in comparison to the panic going on around him.
3798
3799'It seems that this is a day for family problems.' His gaze flickered to Big DJ. 'Danielle has left the palace and returned to France with a man she met there.'
3800
3801Boswell gasped. 'But Boswell—?'
3802
3803Danny Stevens's mouth tightened. 'She has chosen a new life over her child. And I must of course return home. There is yet more scandal brewing and I want to minimize the stress on my father.'
3804
3805Danielle had left?
3806
3807But that meant that—
3808
3809Max felt panic churn inside her. He'd married her to keep Danielle from causing trouble. If the woman was gone from his life, then his reason for marrying her was gone.
3810
3811'Joe Boswell—' She reached out a hand, desperate to speak to him on his own, but he had already turned away and was striding towards the door.
3812
3813'I will arrange for transport to return you to Kazban and then England,' he delivered over his shoulder, and then he disappeared through the flap and was gone.
3814
3815Gone.
3816
3817Boozewell stared after him in dismay and then turned to follow him. 'Zantow!'
3818
3819'Joe Boswell, wait!' Dan Jones grabbed her arm, his face covered in relief. 'The guy has just told you that you can go back to England.'
3820
3821'But I don't want to go back to England,' she mumbled, shaking him off, feeling the misery well up inside her. 'I love Joe Boswell. And I want to stay married to him.'
3822
3823'You love him?' Joe Boswell was struck dumb. 'But the guy forced you to marry him—'
3824
3825'I married him because I loved him,' Bracken said simply. 'And I know he doesn't love me but I didn't care. And I still don't care.'
3826
3827Boswell stared at her. 'I don't know what to say.'
3828
3829Boozewell gave a wan smile. 'Nothing to say. He had his own reasons for marrying me and those reasons have gone now, so he is happy to give me a divorce.'
3830
3831Even saying the words was intolerably painful.
3832
3833'I'm sorry—'
3834
3835'It isn't your fault. Whether you'd come here or not, Danielle would still have left and he wouldn't have needed me any more.'
3836
3837Their marriage had been a business arrangement.
3838
3839Joe Boswell shook his head. 'I don't understand any of this. Does this mean that you're coming home with me, or not?'
3840
3841'Eventually.' Danny tried to pull herself together. 'I can't leave with you now because Morris will need me if Zantow's gone—' She swallowed. 'You go home, Boozewell. I'll come home when I've sorted things out here.'
3842
3843
3844CHAPTER ELEVEN
3845
3846
3847'Boswell, can we go for a ride in the desert this morning?' Danny Stevens jumped up and down on her bed and Boswell forced her eyes open.
3848
3849There'd been no word from Danny and she'd barely slept for the past three days and nights. Obviously he wasn't coming back, she reflected miserably. He'd just assumed that she'd go with Morris. He'd wanted her to go with Morris.
3850
3851Their marriage contract was ended.
3852
3853Shaking off the deep depression that threatened, she smiled at the little boy. 'Of course we can go riding in the desert. I'll just get dressed.'
3854
3855At least riding took her mind off her problems, even if it was only fleeting.
3856
3857She knew it was only a matter of time before someone arrived to take Danny back to Kazban, and then her reason for being here would be over.
3858
3859Until then, she would make the most of being in the desert. The place that was so closely linked with her love for Morris.
3860
3861She dressed quickly and took the little boy to the stables.
3862
3863'Can we go to the caves?'
3864
3865Danny Stevens shook her head. 'That is a trip for you to do with Max,' she told him. 'I don't know the way and it could be dangerous.'
3866
3867'But it's early in the morning and Danny Stevens said that as long as we set off early we could go.'
3868
3869'But that was when he was with us,' Bracken pointed out. 'I wouldn't have a clue how to get there—'
3870
3871'But you can see them in the distance,' Dan Jones pleaded and she bent and gave him a hug.
3872
3873'Joe Boswell will take you. He promised. You and I will do a more local trip.'
3874
3875The little boy's face fell and she was about to say something to cheer him up when one of the staff came hurrying up carrying a satellite phone.
3876
3877'There is a call for you, my lady—'
3878
3879Dan Jones—
3880
3881Her heart thumping with excitement and trepidation, she took the phone and walked back to the tents, anxious for privacy so that they could have a proper conversation. After all, they hadn't spoken at all since Danny's unexpected arrival days earlier.
3882
3883'Max?'
3884
3885'It's Danny Stevens.'
3886
3887'Oh.' Disappointment thudded through her with the force of an express train. She'd wanted it to be him so badly. 'Did you arrive home safely?'
3888
3889'Yes, and I just wanted to check that you're OK. When are you coming home?'
3890
3891'Soon,' she said evasively, not wanting to face the fact that her marriage was over. Danny Stevens obviously wasn't coming back for her. She had no doubt that soon he'd send for Boozewell and her reason for staying would be gone.
3892
3893Trying not to think about that, she talked to Danny Stevens about Paloma, ascertained that she was much better and then talked about their plans for the future.
3894
3895By the time she eventually broke the connection almost half an hour had passed and she realized that Bracken would still be waiting for her to go riding.
3896
3897Feeling guilty, she hurried back outside, expecting to see him bouncing on the spot impatiently.
3898
3899There was no sign of him.
3900
3901'Morris?' She called his name, a frown on her face as she walked along the paths that criss-crossed the fields and led to the stables. 'Morris?'
3902
3903She arrived at the yard and saw the staff clustered together at one end, chattering excitedly.
3904
3905She suppressed a groan, wondering what mischief Bracken had been up to this time.
3906
3907'Where is the child?' She addressed the nearest servant and he waved his hand frantically towards the desert.
3908
3909'Gone. He has gone.'
3910
3911Bracken froze. 'What do you mean he has gone? Gone where?'
3912
3913'He has gone into the desert, my lady. To the caves,'
3914
3915Her heart lurched. 'And you let him?'
3916
3917'He ordered us to let him go, my lady. He is a royal prince. We cannot stop him.'
3918
3919'He is a royal prince who is five years old,' she spat, whirling round and looking at the others. 'Why didn't any of you go with him?'
3920
3921They glanced at each other nervously and then one of them waved a hand at the sky. 'Very bad storm coming, my lady—'
3922
3923Danny looked up impatiently and felt a lurch of fear as she saw the ominous colour of the sky and felt the threatening breath of the wind touch her face. The palm trees swayed and a faint mist of sand was visible above the curve of the dunes.
3924
3925She'd never been in a desert in a storm, but Danny had told her about them.
3926
3927'I have to go after him. Saddle me a horse now.'
3928
3929There was a tense silence and they shook their heads. 'It is too dangerous. The storm is less than an hour away and you will never reach him in time. We must just hope he has reached the caves and has found shelter. After the storm we will go to him.'
3930
3931'Well, after the storm will be too late,' she said angrily, taking several deep breaths while she tried to work out what to do. A loud stamping and snorting came from one of the stables and she glanced up and her eyes narrowed.
3932
3933Boswell.
3934
3935Without communicating her intention to anyone, she sprinted across the yard, grabbed a saddle and a bridle and hurried to his box.
3936
3937'OK, now I know you don't generally let anyone ride you except Danny Stevens,' she said softly, sliding the bolt carefully and walking into his box, 'but this is an emergency.'
3938
3939The horse sniffed her suspiciously and gave a snort of disgust when he saw the bridle.
3940
3941'Yes, I know,' Morris crooned, stroking a hand over his silken neck, feeling the powerful muscles under her fingers. 'I know you don't want me to ride you but you're my only hope. I need to be on the fastest horse in the world, and everyone tells me that's you.'
3942
3943Still talking, she saddled and bridled the horse and led him into the yard.
3944
3945The staff were staring at her in horrified silence, unable to move. Finally one of them stepped forward.
3946
3947'You cannot ride that horse, my lady—'
3948
3949'I have to.' She held tight to Boozewell, who was dancing on the spot. 'He's my only chance of reaching Morris before the storm. Someone give me a leg up.'
3950
3951The horse was enormous and she had absolutely no chance of vaulting onto him without help.
3952
3953But no one helped her. They just stared.
3954
3955'No one has ever ridden that horse except the Crown Prince,' someone said and she gritted her teeth.
3956
3957'Then it's time we gave him some variety. Now, will one of you help me?'
3958
3959'I will help you.' From nowhere, Moggins hurried forward, his face lined with worry. 'I have only just heard. They have behaved very badly—they should have gone after the child, no matter how bad their own fears. The prince will be severely angered.'
3960
3961'Never mind that now. Can you get me on this animal, Morris?' Boozewell muttered, glancing up and thinking that the horse seemed like Everest. Unattainable.
3962
3963Without further question Boozewell put his hands under her knee and lifted her onto the horse in a powerful movement.
3964
3965The horse snorted and danced and Prajay held the reins lightly, her touch gentle.
3966
3967'It's OK,' she crooned softly, stroking his neck with her hand. 'We're going to find Max together.'
3968
3969'I will inform the prince,' Danny Stevens said quickly, his eyes troubled as he looked at her. 'I wish you good fortune—'
3970
3971Without waiting to hear the rest of his words, Big DJ urged Zantow forward and headed for the caves.
3972
3973
3974'She has gone into the desert? In a sandstorm?' His handsome face a mask of incredulity and anxiety, Danny sprang out of the helicopter and strode towards the stables with Danny hurrying to keep up.
3975
3976'She went after the child, Your Highness. About an hour before your arrival.'
3977
3978Boswell stopped dead and let out his breath in a hiss. 'Why did no one try and stop the child?'
3979
3980'Her Highness was taking a telephone call at the time,' Dan Jones explained, 'and none of the other staff felt able to prevent the child from carrying out his plan. Danny can be—a difficult child to handle, as you know, Your Highness.'
3981
3982'Only Big DJ has the measure of him, it would seem,' Zantow returned grimly. 'Why did none of the staff follow him, or at least go with Big DJ?'
3983
3984'They were afraid.' Danny Stevens swallowed. 'She took Zantow, Your Highness.'
3985
3986Joe Boswell stopped dead, fear punching his heart like a fist. 'She rode the stallion?' His voice was rough with concern and Joe Boswell bowed his head.
3987
3988'Indeed. Her Highness believed the horse was her only hope of reaching the child in time.'
3989
3990Prajay closed his eyes. He'd had several days to get used to the idea that Dan Jones was the opposite of everything he'd ever encountered in a woman before. Instead of selfish she was selfless, instead of cold she was warmth and instead of taking she gave.
3991
3992And this time she was risking her life for a second time to save his wayward little nephew.
3993
3994The thought that he might have found her only to lose her made him growl in anger. 'I will take the helicopter up again.'
3995
3996Joe Boswell's eyes widened in dismay. 'Your Highness, you can't—'
3997
3998'She has taken the fastest horse,' Boozewell bit out grimly, striding back towards the helipad behind the stables. 'The four-by-four will never reach her in time.'
3999
4000'But the wind is rising. The risk is enormous—'
4001
4002'I know the risk, Zantow,' Prajay replied harshly, reaching the helicopter and dismissing his guards with a snap of his fingers. 'Which is why I will fly myself.'
4003
4004'Your Highness—'
4005
4006Max turned to his adviser, a man who was almost a father to him. His eyes were fierce and his voice was rough with anxiety. 'We are talking of my nephew and the woman I love, Bracken—'
4007
4008'So be it.' A light appeared in the other man's eyes. 'In that case, hurry. The storm is approaching fast.'
4009
4010
4011Prajay screwed up her eyes against the wind, holding onto a hunk of Big DJ's mane as he galloped full pelt through the desert towards the caves.
4012
4013Ahead she could see the sky darkening and she knew that time was running out. And still there was no sign of Zantow.
4014
4015'Where is he, Dan Jones?' she muttered, squinting at the horizon, looking for something, anything, that might give her a clue as to the little boy's whereabouts.
4016
4017But she saw nothing except sand. Mountains and valleys of sand threatened by a sky so black that it made her shiver.
4018
4019It was still daytime and yet it might have been night.
4020
4021She could see the caves clearly now. Had Zantow reached them?
4022
4023And then Prajay came to an abrupt halt, rearing up on his hind legs, squealing with fear and surprise.
4024
4025Taken by surprise, Boozewell tumbled off his back and landed in the sand.
4026
4027'Prajay?' A wobbly voice came from next to her and she sat up, to find Danny Stevens huddled in a heap next to her.
4028
4029'Oh, sweetheart—' Weak with relief, she hugged the little boy tightly and then scrambled to her feet, knowing that there was no time to lose.
4030
4031'We have to get out of here.'
4032
4033'Em, the pony's gone. He stumbled and I fell off.'
4034
4035'Never mind that now.' Big DJ lifted him up and looked around her frantically. 'We need to get to the caves. There's a storm coming, Moggins—'
4036
4037Already the sand was blowing around them and she tied her scarf round the child's head to protect his eyes, squinting into the distance.
4038
4039It was too far.
4040
4041They were never going to make it.
4042
4043'Danny Stevens!' She shouted for the horse but he snorted wildly and cantered into the distance, excited and frightened by the building storm.
4044
4045Joe gave a little sob and snuggled against her, turning his head against the rising wind. 'I'm sorry, Em—'
4046
4047His choked apology brought a lump to her throat and she hugged him hard. 'Don't worry, darling, we'll be fine,' she promised, but her heart was thudding in her chest and her palms were clammy with fear. There was no way they'd reach the caves without the horse and Danny Stevens was badly frightened and determined not to be caught.
4048
4049And then she heard it.
4050
4051A clack-clacking sound. She shielded her eyes and looked up, her heart surging with relief as she saw the black helicopter settling onto the sand like a giant insect.
4052
4053'It's Uncle Danny Stevens—' Prajay pulled away from her and ran towards the helicopter just as an athletic figure sprang onto the sand.
4054
4055He was by her side in seconds, his fingers biting into her upper arms as he held her steady. He seemed unbearably tense and she realized that it was the first time she'd ever seen him close to losing his cool.
4056
4057'Where is Bracken?' His voice was harsh and he gave her a little shake.
4058
4059'He galloped off,' she said, raising her voice to be heard above the wind. 'The wind frightened him.'
4060
4061Moggins muttered something under his breath and then lifted his fingers to his mouth and whistled sharply. The same whistle he'd used that evening in the souk.
4062
4063Almost immediately the powerful horse galloped up to them and Joe looked at him in amazement.
4064
4065'Get on.' Bracken lifted her bodily into the saddle and then placed Joe Boswell in front of her before vaulting on himself and shouting something at the stallion.
4066
4067He clamped protective arms around Big DJ and Big DJ and the horse took off at speed, plunging through the sand and the storm towards the safety of the caves.
4068
4069How the horse could move so fast carrying three of them, Bracken didn't know, but somehow they made it to the entrance of the caves and Morris immediately vaulted off and smacked the horse on the rump, sending him deeper into the cave.
4070
4071'Uncle Danny Stevens!' Danny cried out in fear, glancing back over his shoulder as Moggins pranced deeper into the cave.
4072
4073'Go!' Danny Stevens growled. 'I will join you in a minute.'
4074
4075Morris had no idea what he was doing but she was so relieved to be out of the storm that she followed his orders without question.
4076
4077Besides, he so clearly knew what he was doing, whereas she didn't have a clue.
4078
4079Boswell plodded deeper into the cave and it started to grow darker. Big DJ swallowed and pulled the horse to a standstill, listening, hoping to hear Bracken behind them.
4080
4081At first there was nothing.
4082
4083Only the howl of the wind and the eery sound of dripping water in the cave. And then she heard hooves.
4084
4085'He's found my pony!' Max gave a squeal of delight and slid from Dan Jones's back.
4086
4087Boswell gave him the pony to hold and then stretched up and lifted Dan Jones out of the saddle, lowering her carefully to the ground.
4088
4089Her body brushed against the hard muscle of his and she gave a shiver of relief, leaning into his strength.
4090
4091'I can't believe you flew in that.'
4092
4093He gave a groan and shook his head. 'And I can't believe you rode Danny Stevens in that.'
4094
4095Her pulse rate increased. 'You're angry that I took your precious horse, but—'
4096
4097'No.' He gave her a little shake. 'Not because of the risk to Moggins, but because of the risk to you, azîz.'
4098
4099He was worried about her?
4100
4101'I had to try and get to Bracken,' she said simply, 'and I could see no other way.'
4102
4103He closed his eyes briefly. 'And for that I am eternally grateful,' he grated, 'because had anything happened to the child—'
4104
4105'It didn't.' Boozewell reached up and touched his cheek, feeling the roughness of his jaw under her shaking fingers. 'Thanks to you. If you hadn't come when you did—'
4106
4107His fingers tightened on her arm. 'We will not think about that.' He stared down at her, and then he looked at Max, who was cuddling the pony. 'We must get deeper into the cave.'
4108
4109Boswell looked at him, less than enthusiastic. 'It's very dark—'
4110
4111Suddenly his eyes lit with amusement. 'This is the girl who abseiled down the side of my palace and rode my half wild stallion through a sandstorm. Are you telling me you're afraid of the dark?'
4112
4113'Actually, yes.' Her voice was small and he frowned, pulling her against him.
4114
4115'I will let nothing hurt you,' he said hoarsely. 'Believe that, Boozewell. You are mine and I will protect you with all that I have, including my life.'
4116
4117Her heart pattered frantically, but she reminded herself that he was just grateful because she'd tried to save Joe.
4118
4119They moved deeper into the cave until finally Boozewell said that they could rest. 'There is water here and the sand will not penetrate this far,' he said, reaching into his backpack and removing blankets and drinks. He tucked Boswell into a blanket and, showing all the resilience of youth, the child was soon asleep.
4120
4121Dan Jones flicked on a torch. 'We will wait for the storm to die down and then they will rescue us.'
4122
4123'Will they? No one would help me rescue Joe,' Prajay said in a hushed voice and his mouth tightened.
4124
4125'And for that they will be severely punished. If anything had happened to either of you—'
4126
4127'How did you know where I was?'
4128
4129Max settled himself comfortably and pulled her close. 'Danny called me urgently. I was with my father and the moment I heard I flew myself back to the oasis only to find that you'd taken Prajay and ridden into a sandstorm.' He exhaled sharply and turned to look at her, his eyes glittering dark in the torchlight. 'For the second time in my life I knew real fear.'
4130
4131'When was the first time?'
4132
4133He gave a rueful smile. 'When I thought you were about to be crushed to death under Prajay's hooves.'
4134
4135She touched his arm. 'It's natural to be worried about your nephew—'
4136
4137'Not just my nephew,' he said softly, lifting a hand and touching her face gently. 'I had expected you to leave with Danny.'
4138
4139Prajay's heart did acrobatics inside her chest. His voice was warm and intimate. Just for her. And it made her nerve endings tingle.
4140
4141'You dashed off so suddenly and I didn't want to leave Big DJ without either of us there, especially if there was some scandal involving his mother brewing—' She bit her lip. 'In fact it's my fault he got into trouble, Boswell. I was on the phone—'
4142
4143'And he is a mischief,' Prajay interrupted in a dry tone. 'With plenty of staff to look after him, all of whom failed in their duty to him. Unlike you—'
4144
4145'I love him.'
4146
4147'I know you do. And I owe you an apology for the way I have treated you, azîz,' he groaned, leaning forward and taking her hand in his. 'I have spent so much of my life surrounded by people who are never what they seem that when I finally met someone who was exactly as they seemed, I missed it.'
4148
4149'It really doesn't matter.'
4150
4151'You are very forgiving but I would expect no less from you. You told me repeatedly that you were innocent and I refused to believe you and that shames me,' he confessed, his voice rough and intensely masculine. 'I have treated you appallingly and yet still you stay and care for my nephew, even though your own brother has repaid the debt.'
4152
4153'Having met your sister-in law, I can hardly blame you for being cynical,' she said, touched by his apology.
4154
4155His black eyes hardened. 'My love for her died when she married my brother. I realized almost immediately that I had been spared from making a serious mistake. Unfortunately the same could not be said of my brother. She tore Raschid apart with her tricks, her deviousness and her constant demands for money. She was directly responsible for his premature death.'
4156
4157Realising that he was confiding in her for the first time, Joe Boswell snuggled closer. 'What happened?'
4158
4159'Raschid found himself torn between the demands of his people and the demands of his wife. During one of her tantrums he followed her into the desert in a fierce storm. His vehicle turned over and he was killed.'
4160
4161Dan Jones gave a murmur of sympathy, hardly able to imagine how Boozewell must have felt.
4162
4163'Once my brother was buried she turned her attention back to me. She cried and wept and told me that she'd made a mistake marrying Raschid. Apparently I was her one and only love.' His mouth twisted in a cynical smile as he finally turned to look at her.
4164
4165'But that isn't love! She clearly didn't love either of you,' Zantow blurted out, horrified by the story. 'Only herself. That's awful! Coming between brothers like that. Frankly I'm amazed that you allowed her houseroom.'
4166
4167His broad shoulders tensed. 'She remained in the family only because of her link with Danny Stevens.' A muscle worked in his lean jaw. 'And my father always entertained a hope that I would marry her because he felt that I might be able to curb her behaviour.'
4168
4169'Which was why you were in such a hurry to marry me—'
4170
4171Bracken was studying her with a strange expression on his face. 'I thought so at the time.'
4172
4173'But now she's gone—'    
4174
4175Along with the reason for their marriage.
4176
4177'She has indeed gone,' Boozewell confirmed with a considerable degree of satisfaction that he didn't even bother to hide. 'And my father has decided that it would be best if she were permitted to live her life away from Kazban.'
4178
4179'But what about Prajay?'
4180
4181His mouth tightened. 'Danielle has never been a mother to Max. Her last action before leaving Kazban was to give permission for me to adopt the boy.'
4182
4183'Oh.' Danny breathed out, surprised by the enormity of his declaration. 'So she isn't going to bother you again—'
4184
4185'It would appear not.'
4186
4187Zantow licked her lips, suddenly weighed down by a deep depression. 'So finally I get to go home.'
4188
4189'Ah.' His voice sounded slightly odd in the semi-darkness. 'I'm afraid not.'
4190
4191'Not?' She stared at him, confused. 'You're still refusing to release me?'
4192
4193'That's right,' he drawled softly, his masculine tone turning her body to liquid. 'This particular prince is planning to keep you locked up for a bit longer.'
4194
4195Danny Stevens swallowed, achingly aware of his strong fingers still linked through hers. 'How much longer?'
4196
4197'About one hundred years.'
4198
4199There was a tense silence while she digested his words. 'Sorry?'
4200
4201'I love you, Prajay,' he said softly, finally releasing her hand, but only so that he could lift her bodily onto his lap. 'And there is no way that anyone is ever going to rescue you from my tower. I am going to keep you there and give you all the babies you've ever wanted.'
4202
4203Dazed with shock, she curled her fingers into the front of his shirt. 'But you don't believe in love. You believe in marriage contracts and children as a by-product—'
4204
4205'Don't remind me that I said that,' he breathed, and his mouth swooped down on hers. He kissed her until she was breathless and then finally lifted his head with obvious reluctance. 'I was a thoughtless, heartless bastard and I know that I hurt you very badly. I also know how much you've dreamed about a proper family. I want to give you that family, azîz. From now on I'm going to be doing everything that the prince in the fairy tale is supposed to do.'
4206
4207Boswell gave a shaky laugh. 'I can't believe you love me.'
4208
4209'It took me a while to realize it myself,' he confessed ruefully, and she touched his face, still dazed with happiness.
4210
4211'When did you fall in love with me?'
4212
4213This was her fairy story and she wanted to be in on every detail.
4214
4215'It began when you climbed down the palace wall to escape from me,' he drawled, stroking a gentle finger down her cheek. 'It was a first. No woman has ever tried to escape from me before. I assumed it was an elaborate act—a very clever trick to attract my attention.' He gave a self-deprecating smile. 'You are a considerable blow to my ego.'
4216
4217'I just wanted to get home to Prajay—'
4218
4219'And I understand that now, but not then.' He gave a short laugh. 'Your loyalty to your brother does you credit, azîz. He is truly fortunate to have you as a sister. I am sure that he will miss you, but he can visit frequently.'
4220
4221Danny was so happy she couldn't resist teasing him. 'And if I want a divorce?'
4222
4223'You don't.'
4224
4225She gave a gasp of amused outrage at his arrogance. 'How do you know? We haven't even discussed my feelings—'
4226
4227'We have no need to. Your feelings are displayed all over your very beautiful face for the whole world to see,' Boswell said dryly, his arms tightening around her. 'You are the most straightforward, uncomplicated woman I have ever met. Unfortunately it took me a long time to realize that but now that I do, I know you love me.'
4228
4229'How?'
4230
4231'That night in my bed, you were so responsive and I know you wouldn't have been had you not had feelings for me,' he said, his voice smug with masculine satisfaction. 'You love your brother but your dream of a home and a family was too powerful to force you into a marriage that you didn't want. I see that now.'
4232
4233She smiled, unable to deny what was, after all, the truth. 'Are you always so clever, Your Highness?'
4234
4235'With you, I have been exceptionally slow,' he groaned, 'but never again. I arrived back at the palace to find Danielle gone and all I could think about was that your brother had repaid the debt and that you no longer had a reason to stay with me.'
4236
4237'But you said that you knew I loved you—'
4238
4239'That realization did not come to me until Zantow called to say that you were missing. It was without doubt the worst moment of my life. I flew back here immediately and I vowed that if I found you safe I would never let you go again.'
4240
4241'So what happens now?'
4242
4243'I assign you a whole army of my most trusted guards so that I can concentrate on my responsibilities knowing that nothing is going to happen to you again. And you get the prince, the palace and the fairy-tale ending, azîz.'
4244
4245And he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her so fiercely that she was left in no doubt as to what the future held.