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"You are the most precious thing to me," he said. "I want you by my side. Always."
What was he asking her? She narrowed her eyes at him, momentarily unsure of what he was actually saying.
As if sensing her confusion, he continued. "Will you stay here, in Qazhar, with me? I don't want you to leave. Not now. Not ever."
She felt her face flush with emotion. Was he proposing something? But surely all of this was too soon.
"We have to get to know one another a little more, don't you think?" she asked. "I mean, there's still so much we don't know about each other."
He nodded. "Of course. But we've made a pretty good start, haven't we?"
She smiled at him. "You might be right about that," she admitted. "But, still. I'm not sure I can stay here indefinitely. That's such a huge commitment."
That admission prompted him to take her shoulders, gently but passionately. "Surely you don't mean that," he gasped.
Her body softened instinctively as he held her. She always wanted to be in his arms. Would always want him by her side.
Even as she'd uttered her doubts to him, she'd known they weren't true. In spite of all her reasonable objections and those fast-fading doubts, she knew she wanted to stay with him. Her life had changed and there would be no sense in walking away. Not that she thought she could do that, anyway.
Right now, the prospect of walking away from Ahmed was unthinkable. Not while he was holding her like this. Not with him looking at her with such passion, such need.
Such love.
"Will you give us time?" he asked urgently. "Can you feel the truth in your heart?" He touched his own hand to his chest. "My heart is full of love for you, Gemma. Truly."
Emotion swept through her upon hearing those words. She felt exactly the same about him. The admission was unavoidable. As the truth was. She'd told him she loved him, and she wasn't going to walk away from him.
Gemma touched her hand to her heart. "And I feel the same about you, Ahmed," she admitted, her voice cracking with emotion.
He embraced her and kissed her. Then he gazed into her eyes. "You are the most precious person in the world to me. I will do whatever I have to do to make you happy. Nothing will stand in my way."
His voice was firm and she knew he meant every word.
She smiled at him. "So what are you asking me? Really."
He narrowed his eyes and grinned. "I think you know. But perhaps, you're right. We need time. Together."
She gazed into his eyes, understanding exactly what he meant. She agreed. The time would come when all of this passion, all of the love they shared for one another would lead to the one obvious question he would ask her.
But, right now, wasn't the time. That time would come. Soon enough.
She nodded. "Let's just get to know each other better," she suggested with a mischievous grin.
Ahmed glanced over toward the bedroom door. "I think I know just the place where we can continue."
She followed his gaze and nodded. "I think you're right."
He stood and held out a hand to her. She took his hand and stood up next to him.
And then they walked hand in hand together toward the bedroom.
EPILOGUE
FOUR MONTHS LATER
Gemma stood on the garden lawn of Ahmed's palace and gazed around her at the hundred or so guests who had just witnessed the wedding ceremony inside the palace.
Her and Ahmed's wedding ceremony.
