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‘Are you okay?’ he breathed, his voice hoarse from smoke and exertion. ‘Speak to me.’
‘I’m... I’m fine, I think.’ She coughed, shivering as realisation of what had just happened began to seep into her consciousness. The look on his face said it all—this was no accident. ‘Are we in danger?’
He did not answer her question. ‘We will be travelling under darkness but I will protect you. You will not step from my side until we reach the palace, understood?’ He turned but did not remove his hand from where it lay on her forearm, waiting for the guards to catch up before he began issuing quiet orders. The men simply nodded, obeying their leader and preparing to depart. Khal slid into the seat beside her, draping one arm over her as they set off, a guard at the wheel. His face was only visible for a few moments before the complete darkness of the desert engulfed them and she couldn’t help but grip him tighter. ‘I will protect you,’ he had said. And she believed him.
He stayed by her side as they moved from buggy to helicopter, holding the woollen blanket around her the entire time. Preserving her modesty. She tried a few more times to ask what had caused the fire and was met with stony silence from both Khal and his guards. She was not to worry about that, they said. The lack of information only served to heighten her unease. The people of the tribe were peaceful; surely the fire had been accidental? And yet the look she had seen in Khal’s eyes as they moved away from the desert was not one of annoyance at someone’s foolish mistake. It was a look of absolute rage.
Soon the inky blackness of the desert below gave way to a sea of lights, main roads winding towards a large city. Once they had touched down within the old palace walls she felt Khal visibly relax beside her. Knowing that he had been worried the entire time gave her a sharp pang of anxiety.
An elderly servant appeared and offered, in perfect English, to settle Her Highness in the Sheikha’s apartments. The sudden noise that came from Khal’s mouth startled her. He gave a few commands in his native tongue and the servant nodded once and disappeared with quiet efficiency.
‘Where will I be staying?’ Cressida asked, surprised that her voice did not shake after the panic of their ordeal.
‘With me. Where you will be safe,’ he said simply. His hand was gentle but firm as he gripped her elbow, motioning for her to walk. The first pink fingers of dawn were beginning to snake across the darkness above them. She had barely got a glimpse of the courtyard of her new home before she was being led at speed along winding anonymous stone passageways, deeper into the heart of the palace.
Khal never let go of her arm. She was immediately aware when they entered a more modern wing, more refined and luxurious in its décor. The guards performed a quick sweep of the rooms around them before Khal motioned to dismiss them. He spoke one phrase to his own personal bodyguard; the large man nodded once and closed the door behind him with a soft thud.
‘They need to clear the rest of the wing,’ he said wearily, running a hand along the stubble on his jaw. ‘I would like the doctor to see you before you rest.’
‘I’m fine, Khal, honestly.’ She shook her head. ‘All I need is to sleep.’
‘You called me Khal,’ he said with surprise.
‘I suppose Your Highness just seems a little too formal now that we’re married. And you did just carry me out of a burning tent.’ She felt laughter bubble in her throat, along with the irrational urge to burst into tears at the realisation that this man had probably saved her life tonight.
‘You need to be seen by a doctor,’ he repeated. ‘There was a lot of smoke.’
Cressida nodded, remembering the thickness of the smoke filling her lungs, the burning heat prickling at her skin. Then she remembered how quickly she’d felt safe once she was in his arms, enveloped in his strength. Tears filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks before she even realised what was happening. She turned her face away quickly, not wanting him to see her weakness. But hiding was useless; he was by her side almost before the first tear fell, gathering her in his arms and holding her tight. A few choked sobs escaped her throat; she stifled them with her hand, embarrassed at her complete loss of control. ‘I never cry,’ she half sobbed, half laughed at herself.
‘It’s the shock,’ he murmured. ‘Just breathe.’
She obeyed his command, focusing on the warmth of his arms and the steady beat of his heart somewhere near her ear as she inhaled and exhaled. When she finally felt strong enough to step away, he surprised her by holding her still.
Cressida’s stomach flipped at the look in his eyes as strong muscular fingers cupped her jaw. He considered her eyes with such fierce intensity that for one crazy breathless moment she wondered if he might kiss her. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than his lips were on hers, hot and demanding. His hand fisted in her hair as he angled her to deepen the kiss while the other snaked around her waist to gather her against him.
Perhaps it was the adrenaline still coursing through her veins, or the reminder of her own mortality, but his touch was like kindling to a fire. She wanted to fall into the oblivion of desire and forget all the reasons why it was a bad idea. All she cared about was that there should be less robe between them and more touching. Much more touching. He pressed his thigh between her legs, pinning her to the wall as he kissed her so hard she was light-headed. But no sooner had she begun to sink into him than he was gone. He took two steps away, bracing one hand against the door as he got his breathing under control.
‘We have both been through a lot tonight,’ he said quietly, not meeting her eyes. ‘You should go and get some rest. There are three guest rooms to choose from in my wing; choose whichever you wish.’
Cressida did not trust herself to speak, nodding once as she readjusted the front of her robe to cover herself. Clearly that kiss had just been the result of shock; she knew not to read too much into it. He had been more than clear that they would not behave as man and wife. But it seemed that her body had not received that message. She raised a hand to her face, feeling the blush creep as far as her forehead. The enthusiasm with which she’d kissed him made her blush deepen even further.
Her heart pounded furiously, the remnants of such a sudden flare of passion ebbing slowly away. He, on the other hand, seemed to have regained his composure with complete ease. Anger crept into the corner of her vision. How dare he be so cool and collected while she felt completely turned inside out? It wasn’t fair.
A firm knock on the door dissipated what was left of the intimate moment and Cressida spun on her heel to pull her robe tighter around her. She didn’t dare to look to see if Khal showed any physical signs of unfulfilled lust, focusing her gaze downwards to take in the patterns on the tiles under her bare feet.
‘The adjoining rooms have been cleared.’ Sayyid’s voice came from behind her, in English for her benefit. ‘Come with me, Your Highness.’
Khal made no move to speak or meet her gaze as she passed him; she tried not to feel hurt or rejected at his distance. He probably had many things to attend to other than escorting his new bride to her room. He was King, after all.
Steeling herself, she followed Sayyid to her bedroom and tried to ignore the sense of loneliness that rose in her with each step.
CHAPTER FIVE
‘WHAT ON EARTH was His Highness doing sleeping in a tent in the first place? It’s utterly ludicrous!’ exclaimed the Minister of Defence. ‘That encampment was likely filled with thugs and ruffians.’
‘It is tradition. Part of the family legacy,’ someone at the back of the room added.
Khal made his arrival known by clearing his throat, the sound seeming to cut through the unusual din in his official chambers. The emergency dawn meeting had been assembled by Sayyid, his Chief of Security, who currently looked as though he might like to tear a chunk out of the rather elderly Defence Mi
