Junayd flushed. “At least you know it isn’t completely my fault for being this way,” he defended.
Ihab tsked at her son. “Melik decided he didn’t want to wait for our formal wedding ceremony and got it in his head to kidnap me and take me out into the desert. Mind you, he did not take me in a car or to such a beautiful home as this. No, he brought a tent… a very small tent… a camel with a terrible temper, and barely any food,” Ihab shared with a shudder.
“Yeah, I don’t think we would have gotten far with all of that,” Midnight sympathized.
“And she still married you?” Junayd asked his father.
Melik snorted. “We were only gone for a few hours.”
Ihab nodded. “Because someone also didn’t bring a map. Fortunately, our parents were smarter than either of us and sent a search party. Of course, since we had been alone together, the marriage had to be moved up.”
“Which was fine by both of us,” Melik retorted with a pleased expression.
“Yes, it was. Qadir came early,” Ihab chuckled.
Junayd laughed with them. Their love for each other was one reason the people of Jawahir adored them. Midnight snorted, and Junayd kissed her temple. Relief poured through him when she didn’t pull away from him. The thought of Midnight being pregnant sent a shaft of protectiveness through him.
Perhaps one day Midnight will tell our children a similar tale,he hoped.
They visited with his parents for another hour before Ihab yawned and his father insisted that she needed her rest. Junayd was grateful that his parents had stayed. The icy wall surrounding Midnight had slowly melted under his parents’ humorous stories. His father finally rose to his feet and gently helped his mother up.
He and Midnight walked the path to the car. They stood next to each other, close but not touching as Hareem drove Junayd's parents back to the top of the canyon where the helicopter waited. He watched with a breaking heart when Midnight turned and walked away from him without a word.
Sliding his hands into his pockets, he followed her. Darkness had fallen and the stars were glittering like tiny fireflies in the sky. Midnight stopped on the bridge. He paused behind her when she leaned against the railing and stared up at the stars.
“I’ve never seen so many stars before,” she murmured.
“This is one of the things I love the most about being home. Over the years, there has been a concerted effort to recognize and minimize light pollution here in Jawahir. For thousands of years, the stars lit the night and guided our people. It is a national heritage and should be appreciated and preserved for future generations,” he responded in a quiet voice.
He released a shuddering breath when she leaned back against him. Pulling his hands out of his pockets, he slid them lightly along her hips. He needed to be patient and accept that he deserved her ire.
“I wonder how many people have never really seen the stars before—at least like this,” she murmured.
“Far too many, I’m afraid.”
“Are we really married?” she asked.
“Technically… yes. But, if you say the word, I will have Ashar destroy the paperwork and it will be null and void. The choice is yours. It should always be yours. I was wrong to approach it the way I did.”
He was tense as he waited for her response. He was surprised when she sighed and shrugged like it was no big deal. Curious, he turned her in his arms so he could see her face.
“No comment?” he asked.
“No. Not at the moment. I’m still processing how crazy easy it was to get married. I didn't even understand what I was doing. 'Standard contract'," she snorted. "I have to say, Ashar has a way with words."
"I might give him a raise," he joked.
She laughed, then sighed. "If I don’t like it, I can always raise hell later,” she said softly.
“Maybe I can distract you with a wedding night you won’t forget?” he suggested.
She bit her lip, then grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him to her suddenly. "Now that you mention it," she mused, "I do have some frustration to work through. Isn't it nice that we're alone and you're at my mercy?"
He gulped, already hard at the thought. She grinned and started hauling him back into the house. He couldn't help laughing. This was another layer to her that he hadn’t really expected—a playful side.
And a forgiving side,he ruefully conceded.I gave her quite a lot to forgive.
Twenty