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With a growing sense of impatience, and an anger d
irected entirely at her own weakness where her husband was concerned, Chloe ripped herself away from him, putting vital space between them. Her chest heaved with the effort of catching her breath but she straightened her spine and squared her shoulders, staring at him as though he’d lost his mind.
Raffa watched her with far greater composure than she had mustered.
“How dare you kiss me to silence me?” She demanded, the words rich with contempt.
“I dare because I am king,” he said. “Now, I am going to go and deal with the boy and then, my wife, I am coming to deal with you.”
4
IT WAS OVER AN hour later when he came to her, and by then, Chloe was ropable. She had been pacing for almost the whole time, and at the sound of her door being pushed inwards, she was about ready to shout the palace down.
But one firm look from Raffa held her silent.
“Leave us,” he commanded, and her maids silently filed from the room, each dipping their heads in a mark of deference to their Sheikh as they went.
“Are you here to ‘deal’ with me, your highness?” She demanded crossly, putting her hands on her hips and staring at him without even a hint of compliance.
He shut the door and turned the lock, then paced towards her. She knew she was angry, and she could feel his anger reverberating back at her.
“Amit, at least, had the good sense to apologise,” he said, closing the distance so that there were only a few feet between them.
“Amit is scared of you. I’m not.”
His nostrils flared as he exhaled angrily. “Your brother never warned me you were so forthright.”
“Forthright?” She snapped. “And is that a bad thing? Oh, I suppose you thought you were getting a submissive little wife, someone who would be seen and not heard? That’s not me, Raffa.”
“Apparently not,” he said, and then he laughed. Just a short sound but it did something to the temper that was fizzing through her veins, wrong footing her anger and bringing other emotions bubbling to the surface.
“I won’t be dictated to. I like exploring. If I’m to live in the palace, and it seems I have little say in the matter, then I will do so in my own way. I’m not going to be under your control! I won’t follow the stupid palace rules. Got it?”
“Rules such as what?”
“Such as having six maids with me anytime I move! I detest it! And, what’s more, that protocol was never observed when I lived in Qadim.”
“It should have been.”
“I do not want – nor need – an entourage! This building is one of the most secure on the planet, surely. Each room has guards, entrances are monitored. It’s a fortress.”
“It’s not just a matter of security. It’s a matter of propriety and tradition. Ancient lores establish this precedent and we follow their dictates because it’s as my people expect.”
“Well, time’s change. I’m sure there’s something much more useful these women could be doing.”
His eyes narrowed and then he nodded. “I’ll consider your request.”
“You’ll…” It was more than she’d expected, but his apparent willingness to be reasonable had the opposite effect than to calm her. It stirred her anger up anew, so that she glared at him.
“I hate having to ask you for permission! I want to be in charge of my own matters. My staff, my calendar, my life.”
“I have already said,” he responded, louder than he’d realized, “that I will think about this.”
She compressed her lips. “So now what? You think you’re giving me what I want and we should go to bed together? Well, fine. But you should know I have no plans to enjoy myself.”
His head jerked a little, and she had the most galling suspicion that he was laughing at her. “Oh, really?”
“Yes, really! So let your macho ego chew on that!”
