* * *
Striding from the room, Zach was wondering what the hell he was going to do with the spitting she-cat who was more trouble than she was worth when Staph rushed towards him.
‘Highness, I just heard of your return. We were all so worried about you.’
Zach grimaced. He needed to bathe, to burn his own clothing and to find his brother in that order. ‘I’m back now.’ He set off in the direction of his private wing. ‘Where’s Nadir?’
‘Preparing for his wedding.’
That stopped him in mid-stride. ‘His what?’
‘His wedding, Your Highness. He is marrying mistress Imogen today.’
Today!
Well that at least explained the extraordinary amount of activity he’d noticed in and around the palace.
Hell. Talk about bad timing.
Forgetting all about a shower for now, he left Staph and trawled the palace for Nadir, eventually finding him holding a small dark-haired infant that could only be Zach’s new niece. Gazing into her wide-spaced gray-blue eyes, Zach felt something uncurl inside his chest. How was it that his brother had what he had always wanted for himself, while all he could do was think about bedding some woman who was wholly unsuitable for him? The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him. He thought of the email he’d received from Amy, but it wasn’t her face that filled his head—it was Farah Hajjar’s.
‘Where the hell have you been?’ his brother barked at him. ‘You have a lot of explaining to do.’
Nadir’s curt words brought Zach’s attention back to the present. ‘I do?’ He raised a dust-covered eyebrow. ‘Thanks for the concern and the belated rescue team.’
Nadir frowned. ‘You look like hell. What happened?’
Knowing now wasn’t the time to go into detail, Zach shrugged. ‘The short version is that I had an unfortunate run-in with one of the less welcoming tribes in the mountains.’
‘Hell. For a while I thought you were holed up with a woman.’
Zach laughed, a ripple of discomfort running through him as he thought about the feel of Farah’s surprisingly strong arms wrapped around his belly as they’d raced across the desert on horseback. It had surprised him how alive he had felt—possibly because he’d been imprisoned for three days—and how connected to the desert he’d felt for a change. He’d been surprisingly connected to those soft little breasts nuzzling against his back, as well. ‘I suppose technically you could say that I was, but it wasn’t by choice, and she’s more like a spitting she-cat than a woman. One who is currently locked in the old harem.’
He grimaced as Nadir’s eyebrows shot skywards. ‘Not the most convenient situation on your wedding day, but then I didn’t know it was your wedding day until a moment ago.’
Nadir stared at him as if he had two heads. ‘You have a woman locked in the harem?’
‘Farah Hajjar, to be exact,’ Zach growled, his words laced with disgust.
‘Mohamed Hajjar’s daughter!’
‘One and the same.’
Nadir swore. ‘Hajjar will have your head for that.’
Zach’s gaze turned wry. ‘They both very nearly did.’
‘For the love of...’ Nadir’s gaze narrowed. ‘You didn’t compromise her, did you?’
Zach gave a sharp bark of laughter. ‘A wild boar couldn’t compromise that woman, and nor would it want to.’ Which should have been the truth, and would be, now that he was back home and out of danger. ‘I take it this is my niece?’
‘You’re changing the subject.’
‘I am.’ He smiled at her. ‘She’s beautiful.’
‘I know.’ He could see that Nadir wanted to ask him more but then he shook his head. ‘I don’t have time to get the details now, but you’re okay?’
‘No thanks to you,’ he teased his big brother, as he used to when they were boys.
‘Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?’ Nadir arched a brow. ‘That will teach you for playing so many tricks as a kid.’
Zach grinned. ‘Come chat while I get cleaned up.’
‘I can’t.’
‘Why not? The wedding isn’t for hours yet.’
‘No, but...’ Nadir shook his head, clearly distracted by something. ‘Here, take your niece and get acquainted.’
He handed the wide-eyed child to him and Zach took her easily. She immediately gazed up at him and he nestled her close. He caught his brother’s expression and grinned. ‘Hey, don’t look so surprised. I’m okay with babies. They’re like women and horses—handle them with the utmost care and don’t do anything to rub them up the wrong way. Isn’t that right, habibti?’