Even share him?
Everything in her said that was wrong. Self-disgust curled in the pit of her stomach.
But what was the alternative? Could there be room for compromise?
‘I understand that there will be women.’ The truth hurt, but she had to be grown up about this. ‘I suppose I should not have reacted. If you—’
‘Do not say it.’ The cool command cut across her hesitant voice. ‘I do not need your blessing to sleep with other women.’
She sucked in a taut breath. ‘I know you don’t need my permission,’ she admitted unhappily.
He lifted his head from her breast, struggling against outrage even though a short time ago he would have welcomed her adult attitude. ‘Only you could say something like that at a time like this. I am not thinking about other women every second of the day. I am thinking of you. And right now I am thinking of doing this again in bed. Would you prefer to talk or make a baby?’
‘But I thought you wanted—’
‘How could I know what I want when you insist on telling me? Come with me and I will tell you what I want.’
‘That’s a plan,’ she agreed faintly.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
IT WAS ON the second night of their honeymoon that the telephone rang in the middle of the night. Kamel shifted her off his dead arm and reached for the phone with the other.
‘I have to go.’
‘What’s wrong?’
Kamel put the phone back on the hook. Under his tan he was ashen.
‘Your uncle?’
He shook his head. ‘No, not that, thank God.’
She was relieved for his sake. She knew how fond Kamel was of his uncle and had also worked out from a few things he had said that he was in no hurry to take the throne. In fact, she had the impression that Kamel inexplicably thought he was not good enough to fill his cousin’s shoes.
The few times Kamel had mentioned his cousin, the qualities he said he had possessed—the ones that made him the perfect heir apparent—were qualities that Kamel had too, in abundance!
‘There has been an earthquake.’
Hannah gasped.
‘Rafiq will stay here with you.’
‘Good luck and take care,’ she said, struggling to keep her emotions low-key but wishing he had asked her to come with him.
‘It’s on occasions like this that my uncle must feel the loss of Hakim. It was so senseless. It will never make any sense. He had the ability to—’
Hannah could no longer hold her tongue. ‘I’m sure your cousin was a great guy and it’s desperately sad he is gone, but I’m damned sure he wasn’t perfect. If he had been, he wouldn’t have stolen the woman you loved! You’re as good as he was any day of the week! Your uncle is lucky to have someone so dedicated.’
There was a long silence, finally broken by his slow drawl.
‘So the gossips have been talking? I suppose that was to be expected. Well, one thing they didn’t tell you is the difference between me and Hakim is that he wanted to be the king. I hate the idea. And he had Amira beside him for support and that made all the difference for him.’ Kamel found that lately he was able to think about their incredible devotion to one another without feeling bitter or jealous. It was one burden he no longer carried.
She gasped as though he had struck her and glanced down expecting to see a blade protruding from between her ribs. ‘And you have me.’
‘Don’t worry,’ he said, totally misinterpreting her reaction and her flat tone. ‘I’m not expecting you to hold my hand.’ He paused and cleared his throat. ‘Amira was brought up to this life, and she knew the pressures.’
Unable to see the desperate pain and longing she knew would be in his face, Hannah looked away, hearing Raini’s words in her head. A beautiful queen.
‘I may not understand being royal,’ she admitted quietly, ‘but I do understand that, even though you hate it...’ she lifted her gaze to his face and gave a quick smile ‘...you still put everything into it. That makes you someone who will make a great king one day.’ Under the rather intense scrutiny of his dark eyes, she coloured. ‘A king should have a level of arrogance that would be unacceptable in any other job.’
This drew a laugh from Kamel, who dropped a kiss on her mouth. Their lips clung...for how many seconds she didn’t know, but it was long enough for Hannah to know she had fallen in love. And the man she loved would only ever see her as a pale imitation of the love of his life.