Innocent in the Desert: The Sheikh's Impatient Virgin / The Sheikh's Convenient Virgin / The Desert Lord's Bride. Trish Morey

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      ‘No, he is alone.’

      Eva narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘No.’ Smiling with a confidence she was not feeling—she was not in the habit of blindly following her instinct—she turned to face the tall, forbidding figure beside her.

      She might be a wife in name only, but the thought of Karim facing what could be bad news … the worst news … alone just seemed so wrong.

      It was totally irrational, but she felt she should be there. He might not want a shoulder to cry on, especially hers, but she’d be someone to yell at if nothing else.

      ‘Sorry, Princess, I don’t quite understand …’

      ‘No.’

      A wary light appeared in Tariq’s dark eyes.

      ‘The Prince has asked you to keep me out of his hair.’ She arched a brow. ‘Am I right?’

      Tariq, looking nonplussed by the comment, let his arm fall back to his side. ‘The Prince is anxious that you are comfortable, that you have what you wish.’

      ‘I wish to see him.’ He might not want to see me.

      ‘I’m afraid that that will not—’

      ‘Look, I’m not sure what your job description covers, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include manhandling a royal princess, and that’s the only way you’re moving me from here.’

      She held her breath, not totally sure what she’d do if he called her bluff.

      She thought she saw the glimmer of a smile in his eyes as he inclined his head and said, ‘This way.’

      The room that Tariq showed her to was on the top floor. He spoke to the two men who stood outside and they bowed and stepped aside.

      She gave them a smile as she walked past, thinking, What are you doing, Eva? The man doesn’t need you. He is more than capable of looking after himself. He’ll just think you’re interfering.

      On the threshold she paused uncertainly, bracing herself for Karim’s reaction when he saw her.

      He didn’t react because he didn’t see her. Her glance moved from the tiny waxy-faced figure in the bed, so slight that her arm seemed too fragile to hold all the tubes that protruded from it, to the tall man standing by the window looking blindly out at the city below.

      She saw the moisture on his cheeks and empathy so acute it hurt swelled in her chest.

      Her heart aching for his grief, she moved towards him, her hand outstretched. ‘I’m so sorry, Karim.’

      At the sound of her voice he turned his head. ‘Eva?’

      She saw then that it was not grief and pain that shone in his eyes, but joy and relief.

      Her hand fell away self-consciously. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude but—’

      ‘It is working,’ he said, his eyes on the figure in the bed. ‘She’s going to be all right.’

      The expression on his face as he looked at his daughter brought a lump to her throat. ‘I’m so glad, Karim,’ she said softly.

      ‘You’re here?’ he said as if just registering her presence.

      Feeling like an intruder, she absently rubbed her fingers across the ring on her left hand and nodded. ‘I just thought I might be able to do something to help, but I can see—’

      ‘You want to help?’ he said, his voice low and gravelly.

      Unable to read his expression as he advanced with panther-like grace towards her, Eva shook her head. ‘It was just a thought.’

      He stopped just in front of her. The tension she could feel rolling off him in waves made her senses spin. His deep-set eyes glittered as he looked down at her. ‘You can help.’

      ‘I …’

      He hooked a finger under her chin, growling, ‘Don’t talk.’ And brought his mouth down hard on hers.

      Her shocked gasp was lost in his mouth as her lips parted under the sensuous pressure. She had not known a kiss could be like this: raw, possessive, passionate and hungry. Molten heat seared her nerve endings as she melted into him with a sigh and kissed him back, sliding her fingers deep into his hair and groaning at the first stabbing intrusion of his tongue inside her mouth.

      When he finally lifted his head they were both breathing hard. ‘Oh!’ She sighed, unpeeling her arms from his neck as he placed her back on her feet.

      ‘Indeed!’

      ‘Did that help?’ she whispered, staring at him with starry stunned eyes. She could still taste him in her mouth.

      The voice in her head warned she was wildly overreacting to a kiss that had obviously been an outward release of his tension, but she couldn’t help it.

      If that was him using her, she couldn’t wait for him to do it again.

      ‘It hurt.’ Dragging his mouth from hers had been one of the hardest things he had ever done. ‘It hurt to stop …’ he clarified in response to her bewildered expression.

      ‘Oh!’

      He studied her flushed face. ‘You look like a girl who has never been kissed before.’

      Never like that, she thought, unable to think of a single thing to say that wouldn’t come out as, Please do it again.

      Eva cleared her throat. ‘It was unexpected.’ She wanted him so badly her bones ached with it. The intensity of what she was feeling simultaneously shocked and excited her. ‘Like getting married,’ she observed with a nervous laugh. ‘I was thinking more along the lines of a cup of tea or a sandwich.’

      ‘You taste better than a sandwich.’

      The smouldering heat in his eyes sent a fresh pulse of longing through her body. ‘So do you.’

      ‘I think it might be a good idea if you went with Tariq now.’

      She felt a stab of hurt that fell away as he added, ‘This is not the place or time for us to continue this … conversation.’

      The frustrated glow in his eyes was a soothing balm to her ego. ‘You’re staying?’

      ‘Amira wakes in the night and the nurses struggle to settle her.’ Karim pulled a chair across to his daughter’s bedside and lowered himself into it. ‘Love for a child is something that tears your heart out.’ He slid a sideways glance towards Eva as he added softly, ‘When you have children of your own you will understand.’

      Eva blinked at the comment. ‘I hadn’t thought about children.’

      His frown made her realise it might have been an idea to censor her response. ‘Well, think about it now, Princess, because I am duty-bound СКАЧАТЬ