Innocent in the Desert: The Sheikh's Impatient Virgin / The Sheikh's Convenient Virgin / The Desert Lord's Bride

The concession drew a strangled laugh from Eva.

‘King Hassan favoured waiting until he arrives tomorrow, but—’

Eva’s eyes shot wide. ‘My grandfather is coming …?’ she yelped in alarm. ‘What is this—a conspiracy?’ Stupid question—of course it was.

He ignored her interruption and said calmly, ‘We met when at your grandfather’s palace last year.’

‘We did?’ she said, humouring him.

‘Yes.’

‘And was it love at first sight?’

Frowning at her sarcastic interjection, he continued stonily, ‘The official wedding plans were put on hold when Amira became ill. But we married in secret at a civil ceremony because you wished to be by my side and support me through this difficult time.’

Eva found it bizarre to hear this fairy story recounted in a flat, detached tone she associated with someone reciting the periodic table.

‘And this is your idea of a solution?’ She shook her head. ‘You look like you have a mind like a steel trap—how wrong could I be? I won’t even bother pointing out all the flaws in your plan, because it isn’t going to happen.’

‘That is up to you.’

‘That’s the first sane thing you’ve said,’ Eva observed, feeling not at all comforted by his admission.

‘Look, I don’t have the time for this.’ He glanced down at the watch on his wrist and the furrow lines between his brows deepened. ‘So I will spell out the facts and then you may make your decision.’

She shook her head. ‘It doesn’t matter what you say—’ She intercepted his expression and, with a disgruntled sniff, said, ‘Oh, all right, then, I’m listening.’

‘Your grandfather is a pragmatic man. He is not averse to change and progress, but he understands that such things are not brought about overnight. He could impose change but he would not because he knows that for change to succeed he must take his people with him on the journey.’

He said her grandfather but as she listened Eva got the impression that the philosophy he espoused was perhaps a little more personal—his own?

‘Honour seems an old-fashioned concept to you.’

He was presuming she had no moral values; Eva’s lips tightened at the assumption.

‘But,’ he continued, ‘it is a central precept to your grandfather’s life. If King Hassan did not react to an insult offered his granddaughter he would lose respect and be viewed as a weak king. He has no choice in this matter.’

‘Is he very angry?’ she asked in a small voice.

‘Not with you.’

‘With you …’ Her shoulders slumped. ‘Oh, God! I’m sorry, I really am, but don’t worry,’ she added brightly. ‘I’ll make it right. I’ll tell him how it was that you were … I’ll—’

Looking visibly unappreciative of her assurance, Karim cut across her, his voice sounding to Eva awfully like that of a man who had reached the limit of his—limited—patience.

‘Have you been listening to a word I have said? Clearly not.’

The dry afterthought brought a militant sparkle to her eyes. ‘I can—’

‘No,’ he interrupted in a tone that made Eva retreat back into her seat. ‘You do not appear to understand anything. If this scandal is not smothered before it takes on a life of its own—’ Karim had seen it happen ‘—there will be consequences. Consequences that no earnest assurances or your version of the truth will alter.’

Eva’s defiance in the face of his uncompromising edict was shaky. ‘What could happen that would be so bad?’

Even as she voiced the perfectly valid question the voice in her head was saying, Bad idea.

The voice got louder when Karim smiled with, it seemed to a resentful Eva, a certain grim relish and told her, ‘The contract that is yet to be signed to allow the pipeline from our oilfields to pass through Azharim in order to reach the coast—this would not happen. The knock-on effect …’ He shrugged.

‘It would be massive and not just economic. This thing will not happen in isolation. The surrounding countries of the region would undoubtedly be drawn in—sides would be taken.

‘Political stability is not something we take for granted. It is something we work at and have done for many years. Our countries have collaborated on several projects, at the present a cancer hospital—it would be the only one in the area.’

The light of determination in his eyes glowed bright as Karim considered the project that was very close to his own heart.

The royal connection went deep. His own cousin, Hakim, who was an internationally renown oncologist—Hakim had diagnosed Amira’s condition—had left his position at a Swiss clinic to personally get the project up and running.

‘So no pressure then.’ Underneath her flippancy Eva was feeling utterly trapped; she felt as if the stability of an entire region had been placed on her shoulders.

He levelled a questioning look at her pale face and said quietly, ‘You wish me to go on?’

Eva’s disbelieving laugh contained no humour. ‘There’s more?’

Karim stayed silent and she turned her head, looking out of the window into the empty car park. ‘I get the general idea. If I don’t marry you, I’ll be responsible for, well, just about anything and everything.’ She expelled a shaky breath and gave another strained little laugh. ‘I suppose it would be easier to say what I won’t be responsible for.’

‘It is your choice.’

It so was not! Eva, her eyes filled with simmering resentment, turned in her seat to face him. ‘It’s moral blackmail.’

‘It is necessity, but semantics aside—’

‘Semantics aside,’ she gritted though clenched teeth, ‘you’re relying heavily on me having a conscience.’

A glimmer of emotion Eva struggled to put a name to flickered across his face before he took her chin between his finger and tilted her face up to his.

‘I know you have a conscience, so, yes, this is a stacked deck, but remember I am not asking you to do something that I am not willing to do myself.’

His fingers slipped away and Eva, her full lower lip caught between her teeth, dropped her gaze and didn’t see Karim’s shoulders relax in relief when she nodded her head.

‘I feel like I’ve just jumped off a cliff.’ And while I’m doing it all I can think about is the texture of his skin … which makes me not only suicidal, but insane!

‘Don’t worry. As your husband it will be my job to catch you.’

‘Oh, don’t worry—if I jump I’ll take you with me.’

A slow smile spread across his sombre features. ‘A woman who thinks in terms of retribution … I can identify with that.’

Eva closed her eyes; she was so out of her depth!

The lift doors opened onto a large square reception area.