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Karim raced up the stairs, his face tight with anger.
“Damn you, Rachel,” he said, and before she could say or do anything he hauled her into his arms and kissed her.
She twisted her head away. She didn’t want his kisses, the feel of his arms, the strong, wonderful feel of his body against hers …
And then she sobbed his name, clasped his face and gave herself to him.
“I hate you,” she whispered. “Do you understand me, Karim? I hate you, I hate you, I—”
“Don’t leave me. I beg you, habibi, don’t ever leave me.”
“I can’t stay. Not like this. I’m not going to be your mistress, and that’s what I’d end up being because I can’t keep away from you. I can’t, I can’t—”
“I love you.”
“You want me. There’s a difference.”
“Damned right, I want you. I want you because I love you.
And you love me. Say the words, sweetheart. Tell me that you love me, too.”
Rachel shook her head. He had broken her heart. All she had left was her pride.
“I don’t,” she said. “I don’t love—”
Karim silenced her with another kiss.
“No more lies,” he said fiercely. “Not between us.” He clasped her face, lifted it to his. “I’ve been a fool, Rachel. Of course you lied about Ethan. I gave you no choice. I had come to take him from you, and you loved him too much to let that happen.” He paused. “Rachel. We belong together. You. Me. Our child. Our Ethan.”
“Don’t,” Rachel pleaded, “don’t say things you don’t mean!”
“I mean every word,” Karim said. “Your sister brought Ethan into this world, but you—you, habibi—have been his true mother.” He smiled. “As I will be his father.” He paused and brushed his lips gently over Rachel’s. “I love you,” he said softly. “Marry me and be my wife.”
“But you believed Suki …”
“I was in agony. I had given you my heart …” His voice cracked. “The heart you say I do not have.”
“Karim. Please don’t. I said it to—to hurt you …”
“I have a heart, habibi. But I learned early to guard it well. It is what happens when people see you only as a prince or a sheikh. They lie. They tell you what they think you want to hear. Even those I loved …” Karim cleared his throat. “Each time my mother came back from wherever she’d gone she promised she would not leave me again, but she always did. And Rami … we were different from each other, even as boys, but we loved each other. Then he turned into someone I didn’t know and I—I let him go.”
“We can’t hold on to those who don’t want us,” Rachel said softly. “My mother. My sister—”
“Yes. I understand that now. But we—you and I—we want each other. We have each other.” Karim smiled. “And we have Ethan. We can be a family, habibi, and we can be happy.”
Rachel felt her heart swell with happiness. She stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to Karim’s lips.
“I hated myself for lying to you, Karim. But I was so afraid I’d lose Ethan, lose you …”
