Even when she felt his light touch on her arm, she refused to turn to him.
“Please, go,” she said, her flaming and tear-soaked face twisted away from him.
She heard him leave and close the door behind him.
She was alone once more. Just as she always was. Except now, after the closeness she had felt only minutes earlier, she felt more alone than ever; after the near revelation of a shame about which few people knew, she felt more vulnerable than ever.
Without undressing, she climbed into bed and curled up into a ball and cried as she should have cried years earlier.
Xander closedthe door quietly behind him and walked across to the drinks cabinet. He poured himself a generous whiskey, frowned into its amber depth briefly, before knocking it back, and placing the empty glass firmly back onto the table. He needed that potent heat to counter the fire in his heart which her words had ignited.
He twisted around and looked out the window, over the lights of his city, toward the mountain range which marked the divide between his country and Ela’s, with only one thought on his mind.
What the hell had happened to Ela, that she was no longer a virgin, and yet she’d never been held tenderly by a man, had never been kissed? Because he didn’t doubt the veracity of her statements. One sure thing he knew about Ela was that she never lied. Which left a question, the answer to which he couldn’t bear to contemplate.
Chapter 5
“You have no choice, Xander,” confirmed Zavian. “We are all in agreement. Elaheh must continue to stay with you. The chances of detection are greater if she moves and, besides, no one will suspect her of being with you, given your obvious and public antipathy toward each other.”
Xander glared at the computer screen which was split into four—himself, one each for Amir and Zavian and the last shared by Roshan and Shakira.
“It’s impossible,” Xander said.
Shakira leaned forward. “In what way?”
Xander mind was filled with the memory of the hurt and vulnerability he’d seen in Elaheh’s face, and the lingering question which had stopped him from sleeping—how had she lost her virginity without a single kiss or tender caress? Bile rose in his gut and he could feel rage rising at the thought. His rage must have registered on his face because when he turned back to the cameras, Roshan was shaking his head and the others looked concerned. But it was Shakira who spoke first.
“Xander, you have to try to ignore her outbursts.” Xander grunted softly under his breath, aware that Shakira and the others had misinterpreted his response. “Beneath that demanding, imperious facade is a woman who needs your help.”
He pressed his fingers against his closed eyes, trying to force the anger to retreat. It didn’t. He looked at each of the kings in turn before letting his gaze rest on Shakira. For a moment he considered telling them what he suspected. Or, at least, telling Shakira. But what could he tell them? Nothing for sure. He only had suspicions, for now at least. But he vowed he’d discover the truth, and the only way to do that was to continue to protect her. “I know,” he said finally. “I’ve cleared the next seven days of all engagements and meetings.”
“Good.” Shakira sat back in her seat, her beautiful face showing relief. Not for the first time Xander wondered what would have happened if he’d stayed the night of the masquerade ball. Whether he’d stood a chance with the mysterious, beautiful Shakira. Somehow he doubted it. And he was glad, because instead he’d gained a friend and a beloved sister-in-law.
“I know you don’t particularly like Elaheh,” said Amir. “But youwillneed to keep her close until we know who is behind these threats. Xander, you can’t let her out of your sight.”
“Amir, I may be many of the things people say about me, but one thing I’m not is dishonorable. I will keep Elaheh safe because I’m unable to do anything else. But”—he leaned into the camera, eyeballing each of them in turn, needing to return to the Xander they knew and understood, because it was the only Xanderheknew and understood—“when I go mad, I want you to take responsibility!”
The lighter tone broke the ice and they grinned back at him in relief. He sighed, switched off the computer and jumped up. He had to get away. And he knew precisely where to go—the only place where he could achieve a sense of peace, where nobody could get to him. He swam alone on a private beach daily, usually in the early morning, but this morning his swim had been delayed by the conference call. Sometimes he thought the daily swim was the one thing which kept him sane.
He took only the bare essentials but hadn’t gotten as far as the door when he heard his name called through the interconnecting door which led to the bedroom in which Elaheh was sleeping. He stopped in his tracks at the sound of Elaheh’s voice. It was a beautiful voice, deep for such a slight woman, and more inviting than she appeared in person. It got to him, just as that glimpse of the real, vulnerable woman had got to him the previous night. A part of him wanted to move on, wanted to return to the routine he knew, but a bigger part of him couldn’t turn away from that voice.
He knocked on the door and she immediately opened it, as if she’d been waiting. The first thing he noticed was that she wasn’t wearing a hijab to cover her hair. Her mane of dark hair was still pulled off her face but in a softer style. Presumably she wasn’t accustomed to doing her own hair, because there was something endearingly messy about it which further loosened the screw inside him, softening him even more toward her.
“Ela.” The nickname slipped out before he could stop it. But this time he didn’t see a corresponding frown lower on her face. She looked concerned, and vulnerable. He remembered Shakira’s words. This woman needed his help—nothing more, nothing less. “You’re not wearing your hijab. Is everything okay?”
She pressed her lips together and gave a brief smile. “As well as it can be, considering I’m in hiding.”
He gave her an answering smile. “Hopefully it won’t be for long.”
“Indeed.” Her chin tilted at a determined angle, but the smile still lingered on her lips. “I’m not wearing my hijab because I had a video call with my advisors. I wanted them to be able to see me clearly, to see that I was well. Thank you, by the way for setting up the computer for me.”
“You’re welcome. If the technician wondered why I wanted it set up without any possibility of being traced, he didn’t ask.”
Her smile warmed. “You are king, after all. Your command should be followed without question.”
“True. Although I think it will take me some time to get used to it. So how did the call go? Did you satisfy them?”
“I think so. It’s about that I wish to talk to you.”