“And those things are?”
“Me. All those aspects of me, that are me. I can’t change, Xander. And I won’t change. I am who I am. The lessons I learned from my mother’s life and death remain with me. I have to be myself and stand up for myself—always. Those things I will never surrender.”
“And nor, my love, would I want you to.”
“I will always be bossy, argumentative, possibly even irritating sometimes…” She trailed off. “You said ‘love’.”
“I did. I called you ‘my love’, because you are just that.” His gaze roved around her face. “My only love, the one person in this world with whom I want to live my life, side by side, country alongside country.” He pushed his fingers through her hair, and cupped her face. “I have no wish for anyone to surrender themselves to me, least of all someone as special, as beautiful, as wonderful, as you.”
“Wonderful? Truly? But I can be prickly sometimes, and sometimes I talk too much.”
“I wouldn’t want you any other way. And, I, no doubt, have qualities which may grate on you.”
“A few.” She grinned. “It doesn’t sound like a recipe for a quiet marriage.”
“Good,” he said, kissing her again. “Because a quiet marriage is the last thing I want. You’ll keep me interested like no one has ever done before. And our coming together will always be more explosive and passionate because of it. Without you, I may get silence, but I won’t get peace, because I’ll be yearning for you, wanting you, dreaming about you. Ela, I can’t live without you, and I can’t love without you. It’s that simple, and it’s that complicated. Please, will you marry me?”
All she could do was nod because the tears welled up again. But, it seemed the nod was sufficient because he pushed the ring onto her finger and then he took the words right out of her mouth with yet another kiss.
Epilogue
The air was warm and sultry, and the only sound was the shifting of the leaves which grew above the wall and caught the sea breeze, and the whirr of an overhead fan which cooled them on the terrace below. She normally didn’t feel the heat but then, she wasn’t normally pregnant.
Elaheh drew in a deep breath of fragrant, jasmine-scented air. She must have fallen pregnant that first night. It could have been the first time, or second, or third—it all happened that first night. She wasn’t at all surprised. She and Xander just fitted together—not dominating each other or consuming each other, but like puzzle pieces clicking together to form a whole which was far better, far stronger, than the individual piece she was without him. Complete.
She sighed, focused once more on the chess game before her and pushed her queen across the board. Then she hesitated and sat back to think again, her finger remaining on the queen.
“You can always surrender,” said Xander.
She shot him a black look. “I never surrender.”
Xander grinned, a very sexual grin. “Sometimes you do.”
She lifted her chin, in a haughty movement. “Only if I benefit by it.”
“You’ll benefit by it now.” He glanced at his watch. “You’ll have time to prepare for Ashley’s visit.”
Elaheh didn’t look up from the board. Despite the fact she now knew for sure that Xander and Ashley felt nothing but friendship for each other, she preferred it if the beautiful American scholar didn’t hang out with Xander too often. Particularly while she was feeling so large and ungainly. Elaheh cleared her throat and pretended to look with renewed concentration at the chess pieces.
“Won’t you, Ela?” said Xander slowly.
He knew. She could tell by his tone. She looked up and he shook his head.
“There was no reason to send her away, you know,” he continued.
“It’s just that I thought our mysterious neighbor might benefit by her expertise.”
“I’m sure he will. Ashley knows her stuff.”
“And shewaskeen.”
“I’m not surprised. Few people are allowed into his country to view its architectural treasures since the borders were closed after the last war. And Sheikh Zyir is notoriously difficult. It’s a wonder you were able to persuade him to allow her entry.”
She blinked lightly, trying, very ineffectively, to hide her response.
“Ela, what did you do?”
“Ah, well, I may have let slip what her other expertise is.”