The Desert Sheikh's Innocent Queen: King of the Desert, Captive Bride. Jane Porter

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      “I do not mean to frighten you,” he added after a moment, “but I need to impress upon you the importance of appearances. We must be discrete. Everything we do will be observed by others. Everything we do—individually, or together—will be documented, analyzed and discussed. The only time you are truly free, or truly safe, is when you are alone with me.”

      She gave a short nod to show him she understood.

      Khalid fell silent, his forehead creasing, his expression turning brooding. “One more thing. I phoned your brother earlier, while you were finishing your tea. I told him you were safe. I told him you were with me. And I told him you would personally phone later tonight and he said he’d look forward to speaking with you, but in the meantime, he sends love and extends to us his heartiest congratulations.”

      Liv’s blood froze. “Congratulations?” she whispered, through impossibly cold, stiff lips.

      “On our engagement.”

      “You told him?”

      “I had to. He’s going to read it in the paper soon. I thought he’d rather hear the news from us.”

      “But we’re not really going to get married,” Liv choked, fingers balling into fists in her lap. “It’s just a ruse, a facade to buy us time.”

      When Khalid didn’t answer she felt downright hysterical. He couldn’t be serious about marriage. There was just no way. No way. And how was it possible that she’d left prison only to be forced into marriage? Apparently it was just one jail in exchange for another. “I can’t do it,” she said fiercely, “and I won’t.”

      “Then tell that to the Jabal officials who are coming to see us in an hour or two,” he said, doing little to hide his annoyance. “Tell them you’re not really my fiancée, tell them it was all a mistake and you’ll see what will happen when you get me out of the way. Olivia, I am the only one keeping you from that prison. I am the only one who can, and the only way I can is by offering you my name, my life and my family’s reputation.”

      She hung her head, closed her eyes and dragged in a breath, and then another. “Why does it have to be jail or marriage? Why?”

      “Because this isn’t Europe, or America, and you were charged with a very serious crime. A crime which can carry the death penalty.”

      “But why did you have to tell Jake that I was getting married? He didn’t have to know. It hasn’t happened, and it might not happen—”

      “He was going to read it in the papers tomorrow or the next day. I thought he’d want to know first. I thought he’d want to be prepared.”

      Jake wasn’t going to understand, though. Jake knew her. He knew she’d only dated a little and had never had a proper boy-friend. When it came to men she was still ridiculously sheltered and the last thing she’d do, ever, was jump into a relationship with a man she didn’t know, much less a man from a culture so very different from hers.

      “Jake’s just going to be more worried,” she said. “It’s only going to make things worse.”

      “It can’t be much worse for him that it already is,” Khalid answered shortly. “He’s had his hands full these past few weeks and the truth is, you are safer with me than you were in Ozr.”

      “What do you mean, things can’t be much worse for him than they already are? What’s happened back home?”

      Khalid abruptly turned the interior light on, flooding the car with yellow light. “Your mother took the news of your disappearance badly—”

      “What do you mean ‘badly'? How badly?” she interrupted.

      “She had a heart attack—”

      “No!” Liv pressed a hand to her mouth. “No,” she repeated, voice muffled. “It can’t be.”

      “I understand she’s better. She’s stable, and resting, but she’s still not strong and your brother has been caring for her. Otherwise he’d be here now.”

      Liv shook her head, her thoughts wild and chaotic. Her entire world had been upended and she couldn’t get her bearings. “When did she have the heart attack?”

      “A week ago.”

      With an unsteady finger she reached up to dash away tears before they could fall. “Are you sure she’s okay?”

      “She’s back home. She’s sleeping a lot right now.”

      “That’s why you didn’t want me to call home earlier.”

      “Yes.”

      Exhaling slowly, she drew another painful breath. “I’m not ready to lose my mom. I just lost my dad a couple years ago.”

      “You must be strong now. You must believe that everything will work out. Everything will be fine.”

      “Do you really think everything really be fine?”

      He gazed down at her for a long, level moment. There was a fierce intelligence in his eyes that reminded her of a hawk or falcon circling before making its kill. “Yes.” His long black lashes dropped, concealing his fierce, dark eyes. “It may take time, but things always do work out. One way, or another.”

      Returning to the hotel, Liv discovered their suite had been transformed. Fresh flower arrangements covered the living room tables while the dining room table had been turned into an elaborate dinner buffet with another huge white-and-purple floral arrangement at the centerpiece.

      Soft music played from hidden speakers and a uniformed waiter finished prepping the beverage table, while another moved around the room, fluffing pillows, dimming table lamps and lighting floating candles.

      Liv stood in the hall, awed and more than a little bit intimidated by the transformation. In the shimmering candlelight, the faded tapestries on the wall, the dark wood furniture and the rich exotic fabrics covering the couch and chairs seemed almost otherworldly, and Liv realized all over again how far from home she was. How far from anything she knew or understood.

      The butler appeared and bowed. “Your attendants are here,” he said to Olivia. “They are waiting to help you dress.”

      Liv shot Khalid a perplexed glance. “My attendants?”

      “Miss Bakr thought you might feel more confident tonight if you had help preparing for the party. She sent her favorite stylists. One to do your hair, and the other to … to …” His voice faded and for a moment he looked nearly as perplexed as Liv. “I actually don’t know what she’s for, but Miss Bakr insisted you have her.”

      Not entirely reassured, Liv slowly entered her bedroom, not sure what she’d find. Two Egyptian women waited for her. They’d been deep in conversation when Liv arrived but they broke off abruptly to greet her.

      “We don’t have much time,” the hairdresser said briskly, steering Liv straight into the bathroom, where she’d already laid out hair appliances on the marble counter. The curling iron, flat iron and hot rollers were all plugged in, heating, while the blow dryer lay close СКАЧАТЬ