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And his older brother who was.
And she didn’t know why in the world both of them were so hell-bent on having her.
She wondered if any of it was actually about her. Even for Cairo. And he always just wanted what his brother had? Had it always simply been about... Being denied something that he wanted because of birth order? She knew that he wanted her. Physically. It was apparent. The passion between them had been intense, and even if she did not have experience, she knew that it was real. And extremely hot. She knew that.
But that didn’t mean that it wasn’t spurred on by something else. A more complicated emotion than even he realized.
He would tell her that he didn’t have emotions. And she knew that he had been through more than she could understand. She knew that while she had been hurt by what had happened to his family, it wasn’t the same.
She did know that.
At least, she hoped she did. She hoped that he was choosing this, as she had chosen him.
“I must go see to some business.”
“I see.” He kissed her. Rough and hard, it tethered her to the moment. Tethered her to the earth. He wanted her. Whatever else existed beneath the surface, he wanted her. That was... It was something. It was something good to know anyway.
“You see. All will be well.”
The hours passed slowly. The first thing that arrived was not a clergyman, but a gown. White and lace. And definitely not something traditional. It was long-sleeved, with a high neck, but the lace was see-through. The petals of the flowers would just cover her nipples, but only just, and her skin would show through the fabric. The woman who had done her hair and makeup the first day she had been in residence appeared. “Cairo has requested that I see to your preparations for the wedding.”
“Do you not find that strange?”
The woman ducked her head. “No. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Since he first brought you here. I know that he intended for you to marry the sheikh. But I could see that he had passion for you. You are very lucky. He is a wonderful man.”
The way the woman said it was tinged with jealousy, and even though it wasn’t a pointed or mean jealousy, it made Ariel feel just a little bit guilty. They had upended a whole lot of things.
She styled Ariel’s hair expertly, and did her makeup so that she looked fresh-faced and glowing. As for the dress... The only thing she was given to wear underneath it was a white thong, which made the entire thing seem rather like extremely fancy lingerie.
Everything was covered. But only just.
She had a feeling that her groom would not be in anything quite so scandalous.
But just the thought of him in a dark suit cut around the lines of his body made her mouth go dry.
In fairness, what women found sexy was slightly different than what men found sexy. She didn’t wish to see him in see-through mesh.
Her lips twitched, and so did her body, in such a way that she thought maybe she wouldn’t mind it. But then, she didn’t mind the look of Cairo altogether.
The moment of levity was welcome. Because otherwise she just felt... Blindsided. By everything that had happened.
And yet at the same time it felt... Like that thread had been tied back together. There was a great knot at the middle, and you couldn’t untangle it without undoing the bond. It wasn’t seamless. And it spoke to the fact that there had been a number of years between this moment and the last when they had been together.
But still... It did feel like a continuation of something. Like a piece of herself had been restored, that had before been lost.
Maybe she did have to accept the fact that Cairo was her fate.
“He is outside,” said Aisha after Ariel went downstairs.
“Will you... Will you let me outside?”
“You can do that yourself,” the other woman said, smiling.
Ariel walked slowly to the door and extended her hand. And it gave way to her.
Her heart expanded in her chest. That was a sign of something. Of trust. A prisoner with privileges.
She tried to tamp down her reaction to it.
