Royal Affairs: Desert Princes & Defiant Virgins: The Sheikh's Virgin Princess / The Sheikh and the Virgin Secretary / Desert Prince, Defiant Virgin

‘Clearly you are unaware of the fact that many men find a woman’s vulnerability to be one of her greatest charms.’

‘Those same men undoubtedly have miniscule egos and need to slay dragons in order to demonstrate their masculinity.’ She stooped to put her mask and glove in the cupboard. ‘I refuse to put my safety at risk in order to pander to a man’s need to flex his muscles in public. I slay my own dragons.’

For the first time in his adult life, Karim found himself speechless. He’d never met a woman like her before. ‘You cannot seriously be intending to make the journey to Zangrar alone? You have no knowledge of the route.’

‘I can read a map, use satellite navigation and I can talk on the phone. Princesses have a multitude of skills these days. We’re a very versatile breed. Haven’t you heard?’

What he’d heard was that the Princess Alexandra was a real rebel, and he could see that the rumours had foundation. There was a fire in her eyes and defiance in her stance, and even after five minutes in her company he could see that she was no man’s idea of a gentle, compliant wife.

She was a handful.

Even while contemplating the disaster that would ensue if this woman ever arrived in Zangrar, Karim was reflecting on the fact that this next battle between them might be every bit as stimulating as the fencing. Removing his own jacket, he stretched out a hand and dropped it onto the nearest chair. ‘Clearly you’ve never aspired to be like the princesses in the fairy stories.’

‘Passive victims, you mean?’ A thoughtful frown touched her forehead and then she gave a careless shrug. ‘I wouldn’t be stupid enough to take a poisoned apple from a stepmother who hates me, and I’ve always hated sewing, so there’s no way I’d prick my finger on a spinning wheel.’

‘But you are planning to marry a sultan,’ Karim pointed out silkily, and she smiled, showing no signs of trepidation at the prospect.

‘That’s right. I am.’

‘And the Sultan insists that you are escorted on the journey, Your Highness.’

The princess turned to face him, and their eyes locked in a battle of wills.

Supremely confident that there was only one possible outcome, Karim crossed his arms and waited.

And waited.

‘Fine.’ Her gaze slid from his, and she toed off her fencing shoes with a graceful movement. ‘If you want to come along then I suppose I can’t stop you. I just hope you don’t regret it. Who is guarding the Sultan while you are watching over me?’

Surprised by the speed with which success had been achieved, Karim felt a flash of suspicion. What was she up to? ‘His Excellency is presently on an important and most secret mission that relates to the future stability of Zangrar. His security is being handled—elsewhere.’

She put her shoes in the cupboard. ‘You haven’t told me your name.’

Distracted by the thrust of her breasts under the simple white tee-shirt, it took him a moment to answer. ‘You may call me Karim, Your Highness.’

‘And you may call me Alexa. I’m not big on protocol.’

Remembering everything he’d read about her lifestyle, Karim had little trouble believing that statement. ‘It would not be appropriate for me to call you by your first name.’

‘You weren’t worrying about what was appropriate when you dragged me into this room.’ Her gaze was speculative.

‘Clearly you’re a man accustomed to acting on your own initiative.’

‘You want a bodyguard who waits for permission before saving you?’

‘I don’t want a bodyguard at all.’ Tucking the last of her clothes into the cupboard, she slammed the door shut. ‘If there’s any saving to be done, then I prefer to do it myself. Let’s get that straight before we leave this room.’

Karim clenched his jaw in order to refrain from pointing out that the only thing she needed saving from was herself. Only the month before she’d been removed unconscious from a nightclub, and he knew that she’d had at least two car crashes and a boating accident in the past year, and from all of them she’d narrowly escaped with her life. The Princess Alexandra was clearly as reckless as she was bold.

‘The desert is full of dangers, many of which are concealed from all but those who were born and bred there.’

‘I have lived with danger all my life. I have a question for you, Karim.’ Without glancing in his direction, she slipped on a slim-fitting jumper in a deep shade of green. She still wore her fencing breeches, and he saw that her legs were long and slim.

‘Ask your question.’

‘How do you feel about the Sultan? Would you die for him?’

Karim reflected on the irony of that question. ‘Without a doubt.’

Scooping up her hair, she pinned it haphazardly on top of her head, disregarding the fact that several strands immediately escaped and tumbled down around her face. ‘And just how much do you know about my country, Karim?’

With perfect recall, Karim summarized the briefing he’d received. ‘Rovina is a small principality ruled by your uncle, the Regent, who has been in power since your parents were killed in an accident. You were the only heir, and too young to ascend the throne.’ He saw darkness flicker across her beautiful face, and wondered briefly whether that tragic event had been responsible for her wild behaviour. Without the guiding hand of a father, had she gone off the rails? ‘Your late father and the Sultan’s late father were friends, and made the agreement for you and the present sultan to wed when you reached the age of twenty-four. Your birthday is in four days.’ Was it his imagination or was her breathing suddenly more rapid?

‘You’ve done your homework.’

‘One year after that, on the day of your twenty-fifth birthday, you will be crowned Queen of Rovina. Knowing that, I am intrigued as to why you would wish to move to a different continent and marry a man you’ve never even met, and whose culture and beliefs are so different from your own.’ If he talked her out of the marriage now, he could save himself an arduous journey with a woman who was undoubtedly going to whine and moan her way across the baking desert, a climate not known for nurturing patience in those who experienced it.

‘You don’t think I should marry the Sultan?’

‘On the contrary.’ Karim issued the denial smoothly. ‘I’m sure a marriage between you would be a great success. Your Highness is clearly both brave and bold, and you will need both qualities in abundance if you are to tame our sultan.’

‘Tame?’

‘I once heard a woman remark that the Sultan of Zangrar resembles a tiger who has been taken from the wild and forced to live in captivity.’ Satisfied that he had her attention, Karim delivered what he hoped passed for a sympathetic smile. ‘The woman who eventually shares his cage would have to be particularly courageous.’

Alexa laughed. ‘If you’re trying to frighten me, Karim, then you’ve picked the wrong woman.’

‘I’m not trying to frighten you,’ he lied, concealing his surprise at her laughter. ‘On the contrary, the more I see of you, the greater my conviction that you are a match for the Sultan even in one of his most dangerous moods. I just wanted to be sure that you know your own mind. If you wish to back out of the agreement, then you may do so.’

‘I don’t wish that.’

As he stared into her wide, blue eyes he felt another powerful tug of chemistry followed by a vicious tightening in his groin as white-hot lust shot through him. He wondered whether it was too soon to inform her that there was only one way the Sultan would ever want her—and that was flat on her back, naked and without the wedding ring. ‘Clearly, there is no place for love or romance in your life.’

Her beautiful blue eyes shone with genuine amusement. ‘Are you telling me that you believe in love, Karim? Are you a romantic man?’

‘This conversation is not about me.’

‘Judging from your tone, I’ve touched on a sensitive subject.’ She studied him in silence for a moment and then paced over to the window, her eyes flickering to the palace grounds. ‘I’m not pretending this marriage has anything to do with love, because we both know that it doesn’t …’ Her words tailed off and she frowned, as if surprised at herself. ‘Why am I telling you this? My reasons for wishing to marry the Sultan are not your concern. Your brief is simply to escort me safely to Zangrar.’

Karim wondered what she would say if she knew that his brief was a great deal more complex than that. The Princess Alexandra was the only one who could break this ridiculous agreement, and it was his personal responsibility to ensure that she did exactly that.

She was not a suitable wife for a sultan.

Her motive for the wedding was clearly greed, and the fact that greed alone was sufficient to compel her to marry a man of whom she knew nothing, sickened him. A woman like her would do untold damage to Zangrar, and threaten the enormous progress they had already made.

Clearly unaware that Karim’s own objective was in direct conflict with hers, Alexa paced back and forth across the room, her eyes on the door as if she expected to be disturbed at any moment. ‘So, if you insist on traveling with me, then you’d better tell me your plans for the journey.’

‘We leave at dawn. The Sultan’s private jet is waiting at the airport.’