Royal Affairs: Desert Princes & Defiant Virgins: The Sheikh's Virgin Princess / The Sheikh and the Virgin Secretary / Desert Prince, Defiant Virgin

‘Perhaps he’s right.’

Karim frowned. ‘I wasn’t complimenting him.’

‘No, I realize that. But if he’s as ferociously clever as they say, then it’s entirely possible that no one else does grasp the situation as well as he does. Which makes that the truth, rather than arrogance.’

‘That’s a generous assessment.’ He studied an instrument on the control panel and flicked a switch.

‘Or maybe simply an alternative assessment. Sometimes the facts don’t speak for themselves.’ As she well knew. ‘What else? What matters to him?’

‘Honesty and loyalty. Does that worry you, Alexa?’

‘No. I appreciate the same qualities.’

‘Really? How honest is it to marry a man you don’t love?’

‘Completely honest, because I’m not pretending to love him.’ She glanced towards his arrogant profile, her gaze direct. ‘It means that the Sultan and I know where we stand. There are no lies. I think that’s a good place to start. I’m confident that we can make this work.’

‘And yet you have no idea what the Sultan expects from his wife.’

She didn’t care. Once she was safely living in the palace within the high walls of the Citadel, the rest would be irrelevant. They could work it all out, she was sure of it. ‘I’ll be a good wife.’

‘So you’re basically happy to do anything at all as long as you have access to his wealth, is that right?’

Not his wealth, no. His protection.

The truth hovered on her lips, but she clamped her mouth shut, bewildered as to why she would even contemplate confiding in

this man when she knew the dangers of trusting another person. Hadn’t she learned from bitter experience that thoughts were best kept private? ‘Does the Sultan have a sense of humour?’

Karim concentrated on the road for a moment. ‘In the three years since his father died, there have been many problems in Zangrar, none of which have given much cause for laughter.’

‘Disputes over oil and problems with an irrigation project.’ Sensing his surprise, she shrugged. ‘I can read, Karim. There was a report on the Internet. He takes his responsibilities seriously.’ And she’d liked that about him. It had given her hope. Once she had explained the situation, he would help her with Rovina, surely?

‘The fortunes of Zangrar and the people depend on the Sultan.’

The contrast to William cheered her. ‘I’m quite confident that the Sultan and I can have a harmonious marriage.’

‘The Sultan isn’t a man who could be harmoniously married to anyone.’ Karim stopped the vehicle without warning and stared up at the sky.

‘What’s the matter? Where are we? And where’s the road?’

‘Underneath the sand. The wind is picking up.’ He flicked a switch on the dashboard and several instruments flickered to life. ‘The weather is not looking as stable as I would have liked.’

‘What are you saying? Is this a sandstorm?’ Shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun, she looked at the sky but could see nothing but endless blue, broken by a few wisps of white. ‘It looks fine to me.’

‘At the moment. Conditions change very rapidly in the desert. We will stop here briefly and rest.’

‘Don’t stop on my account.’ Glancing over her shoulder, she checked that there were no other vehicles in sight. ‘I’m quite happy to just push on.’

‘It is important to take regular breaks, and crucial to drink.’ He opened the door and Alexa felt the sudden rush of heat fill the car.

‘I hadn’t realized how effective the air-conditioning was. It’s hot.’

‘It’s the desert, Your Highness. Out here temperatures can reach fifty degrees. Without water a human being would not last long. Wait there, I’ll come round to you.’

‘I don’t need help getting out of a car, Karim.’ What was he thinking—just because she’d been forced to accept the services of a bodyguard, she was happy to relinquish her independence? No way!

Opening her own door, Alexa was about to jump to the ground when Karim caught her, his strong hands hard on her hips as he pulled her roughly into his arms.

‘I told you to wait.’

‘And I ignored you. I don’t know what sort of woman you’re used to mixing with, but I’m the sort who can climb down from a car without help.’ She wished he’d move his hands from her hips. Caught against his hard, powerful frame, she felt her heart jerk and her body melt. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Preventing you from killing yourself.’ His tone was harsh. ‘You never step down into the desert without first checking for snakes.’

He was all muscle and masculinity, and her heart was bumping so hard against her chest she could hardly concentrate.

‘Snakes?’ How was she expected to focus her mind on snakes when all she could think about was him?

‘This is their home, Your Highness, and during the day they’re sleepy and often at their most dangerous. They don’t always appreciate being disturbed.’

His gaze flickered over the sand beneath his feet, and then he gently lowered her to the ground, her body sliding down his in a slow, deliberate movement that simply increased her internal agony. Her stomach swooped and she knew that the sudden explosion of heat inside her had nothing to do with the strength of the sun’s rays beating down on them.

The sudden harsh intake of his breath indicated that he’d felt it, too.

For a moment they stood there, his fingers biting into her hips, and Alexa couldn’t breathe or move, her thoughts and senses smothered by the proximity of his body. She was supposed to be thinking of snakes and the dangers of the desert, but all she could think about was him and she felt a flash of panic. What was it about this man that had such a powerful effect on her? She never had trouble focusing, never, and yet suddenly.

All she could think about was the kiss they’d shared, and she could see from the slow burn of fire in his eyes that he was suffering a similar torment.

‘I’m not that familiar with the rules of the desert.’ She forced herself to pull away from him and he released her instantly.

‘The Sultan would not forgive me if I failed to protect you.’

‘So what do they look like, these snakes?’ Her body showed no sign of recovering from the searing heat of the contact. There was a maddening ache between her thighs, and her lips were so dry that she tried to moisten them with her tongue. ‘Are they well camouflaged?’

‘Extremely well camouflaged. The ability to disguise themselves well is the only thing that stands between them and death in this environment.’ His voice was tight and angry, and Alexa knew that he was no more absorbed by the conversation about snakes than she was. In fact, if a snake had picked that moment to come and bite them, there was a strong change that neither would have noticed.

‘So now what?’ She took another step away from him, hoping that distance might succeed where logic was failing.

‘We eat and drink.’ Reaching into the car, he pulled out a flask and handed it to her. ‘Water. It’s another essential part of desert survival. In this heat, you must drink.’

Taking the flask, her fingers brushed against his, and she almost dropped the precious water on the ground. ‘This so-called road isn’t exactly busy, is it?’ Trying to disguise the fact that her hands were shaking, Alexa lifted the flask to her lips and drank. Then she glanced over her shoulder again, as she’d done repeatedly since they’d left the airport. ‘Obviously there isn’t much traffic between the airport and the Citadel.’

‘This is only one of several roads. Are you hungry? Do you want to eat?’

‘No, thank you.’ Her stomach was churning so badly she knew she wouldn’t be able to eat a thing. ‘It’s hot.’

‘Indeed, it is. Even within the stone walls of the fortress the temperatures can reach fifty degrees. Many Western women would find the heat and the dust intolerable. You have led a sheltered life in an air-conditioned palace.’