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Kadeem smiled broadly, his eyes filled with good humor.
And then he moved. Slowly and with complete ease. His tall body moved with a casual grace, his lithe, muscled torso dressed in a plain white shirt. He wore dark pants and brown, patent leather shoes. His jet-black hair tumbled to his shoulders.
He was undeniably handsome, she told herself.
No. Much more than that.
He was perfect. The kind of man any woman would have been pleased to be with. His features had a sculpted appearance, as if his perfect jaw line, his broad cheekbones, the strong hook of a nose, the deep ridges of his brows, had all been carved by a sculptor determined to create perfection. His was the kind of face which would get women gazing in awe upon him as he entered a room.
But it was his eyes that really captured her attention. As always, she felt something treacherous flicker to life inside her as he looked at her. There was so much going on in those eyes and, no matter how hard she tried to prevent it, their expression never failed to draw out a vital, heart-wrenching reaction from her.
As he moved toward them, Kadeem's gaze flickered in the direction of Eliana. His dark gaze lingered a moment on her. In spite of herself, Eliana felt her throat tighten. She loosened herself from her mother's arm and moved, almost robotically, toward Kadeem. He paused and watched as she advanced toward him.
Then she did as she'd done so many times during these past few weeks. She let herself sink into his arms and allowed him to embrace her. His mouth was at her ear as he whispered. "And it is so good to see you, Eliana," he murmured. His breath against her skin made her tingle.
Sensation quivered throughout her body. She stiffened, and rested her hands on his shoulders. She felt his warm body against her, sensed the tension in his muscles. Was he as worried as her about all of this? Did he sense how nervous she was?
He kissed her on the side of her face, a polite gesture for the benefit of the two onlookers. She kissed him on the cheek and then turned to face Gretchen and Nalini. There was obvious delight on the faces of the two women.
Eliana felt Kadeem's arms slide around her waist. He squeezed her gently, making it absolutely clear that he had no intention of letting her go. He was determined to continue this pretense, she told herself.
She'd spent the early part of the morning rehearsing what she could say to bring this fake relationship to an end. How she could tell the truth. But, now that he was here, and now that both of their mothers were looking at them like that, with such maternal delight, the words had mysteriously vanished from Eliana's mind.
Kadeem released Eliana and embraced his mother, Nalini. Then he did the same with Gretchen. Both mothers looked delighted to see Kadeem. There was nothing surprising about that, Eliana reflected. Kadeem knew exactly how to get what he wanted from people. He was an expert in the art of creating impressions. Even false ones. Wasn't that what he'd persuaded Eliana to do these past few months?
And it was working. She had to admit that.
Kadeem turned and took Eliana's hand. She felt familiar sensation race up her spine as he curled his fingers around her hand, holding onto her with a gentle, but firm, grip.
They all moved into the room and sat down on the sofa.
Eliana sat next to Kadeem. He didn't release her hand, holding onto it as if it was the most precious thing in the world. Eliana saw the way her mother was looking at her, with such obvious approval.
Eliana's mother and father had only been here in Qazhar since the day before. But already it seemed as if her mother had seen everything she needed, to confirm that her daughter, Princess of the neighboring kingdom of Zahram had, at last, found a man she could love and be happy with.
Just thinking about that made nerves twist in Eliana's middle. Once again, she told herself she had to say something. Anything to put a stop to this. None of it was true. Eliana knew it. And so did Kadeem.
But, hadn't this whole thing been his idea? And hadn't she foolishly agreed to go along with it? So why couldn't she do anything about it? Why did she feel so powerless whenever she was near Kadeem?
Eliana glanced at Kadeem and smiled. "How was your flight?" she forced herself to ask, trying to say what would sound like the right thing.
He shrugged. "Fine." He lifted a brow. "Thank you for asking," he added in a cool voice, the corner of his mouth curling slightly. He looked at the two women sitting opposite him. "I had some business to attend to."
Nalini scoffed. "I was just saying to Gretchen that it seems like such an extravagance. Don't you worry when you fly in that thing?"
Kadeem laughed. "I've told you, mother. There's no need to worry. I've been flying long enough to know what I'm doing." He waved a hand casually. "All my friends have one. Everyone gets around like that." He grinned. "After all. There's only so far you can travel on horseback," he added.
Nalini peered at Eliana. "What about you, Eliana?' she asked. "Don't you worry about Kadeem flying that contraption?"
She knew she was being tested. This happened every time she was with Kadeem. She was used to dealing with it. She smiled at Kadeem. "If it makes Kadeem happy, then that's all that matters to me."
It was a diplomatic answer, spoken with well-practiced care. Immediately, Kadeem's face lit up with obvious pleasure. He glanced at the two mothers sitting opposite. "What have I been saying? Eliana just loves to make me happy." He glanced at Eliana. "Isn't that right?"
Eliana nodded and smiled at him. "Of course, Kadeem," she said evenly. She knew her tone of voice probably hadn't sounded completely sincere.
Kadeem smiled back at Eliana. Once again, she knew she'd said the right thing. Made the right move to ensure this impossible arrangement could continue.
But, for how much longer?
