“I would assume the clothing you were wearing when you arrived has been taken to be cleaned. Is there a problem?”
Erin huffed. “You could say that. I wasn’t given a chance to pack—had you forgotten that?”
“Remember to whom you are speaking,” he admonished. “Of course I remember that you did not have time to pack. I still don’t see a problem.”
Remember to whom I’m speaking? Is he serious?
“Kam, what am I supposed to wear?”
“Look in the closet, Erin. You will find a selection of clothing appropriate for your position. If you require anything else, please let your attendants know. They will contact the seamstress and have it delivered.”
Erin walked over to the walk-in closet and stared at the gorgeous clothing hanging there neatly. Everything seemed to have been provided, from business attire to formal wear. Pulling open the drawers, she saw a vast array of silk underwear and nightgowns. Shoes matching the outfits lined the racks on the opposite side.
She looked through the clothing, trying to find a pair of jeans and a T-shirt or more casual clothing and found nothing of the sort. Sighing, she returned to the phone. “Kam, the clothing looks very nice, but I’m really more comfortable in jeans and T-shirts. I don’t think I will require the formal clothing—”
“As my future wife,” he interrupted, “you will be expected to dress appropriately for your position as queen. Jeans and T-shirts may have been fine back in America, but that won’t work here. I will not allow it.”
Erin tried to digest this new information. “Can’t I even wear jeans when I’m not going anywhere?”
“No. Remember, the palace staff will see you at all times. Their opinion of you will travel throughout the country. That is why you must always address me with respect. I don’t care if you call me Kam when we’re speaking privately. Whenever we are in public, however, you will use my formal title.”
Erin could tell that living in Jawhara was going to take a lot of getting used to.
Can I get used to living with Kamal’s need to control me? That just might be impossible.
“Erin? Do not worry so much. Everything will be fine. I must leave for a few days, but Talib will be available should you need anything. I will also have a tutor chosen for you. It is imperative that you learn Arabic as quickly as possible. Very few members of the palace staff speak English.”
Erin tried not to be alarmed that Kam was leaving her alone in his palace, where the people didn’t even speak her language, but she couldn’t stop the shiver of apprehension that his words triggered. “When will you be back?”
“Will you miss me, habibti?” Kamal inquired. His voice had dropped, giving her goose bumps, but she wasn’t in the mood.
“Not hardly. I just wanted to know how long you were going to be gone,” Erin said. With Kamal out of the palace for several days, maybe she would be able to find her own space and gain her confidence back.
Kamal laughed. “I will be back before you know it. Rest, eat, and get over your jet lag. When I return, I will introduce you to my countrymen, and we will work on getting to know each other before our wedding.”
“Kam, I already told you there’s not going to be…”
“Enough. Maybe you should also spend the next few days coming to grips with the fact that you are carrying the next ruler of Jawhara. Youwillbe my bride.” He paused and his tone softened. “I realize that I am pushing you, but the sooner you accept your place in my life, the better.”
Erin shut her mouth, determined not to respond and upset either of them further. She had no intention of being forced to marry him, but there would be plenty of time once he returned to make her point. “Goodbye, Kamal. Have a safe trip.”
14
KAMAL
Kamal heard her disconnect the line and sat there for several moments before hanging up the phone. He rubbed his temples, irritated at how things were turning out. While he was pleased to find out that she was with child, finding out that she was ill had drastically moved up his timeline to bring her to Jawhara. He had hoped to have the opportunity to spend time with her before he proposed having her come to his country.
He briefly wondered how long it would have taken for her to tell him about the pregnancy if Talib hadn’t found out first. Brushing that thought away, he refused to consider it. While she might be resistant to what would be a whirlwind engagement, she was not the type to hide things from him. Of that, he was sure.
Flicking his wrist, he looked at his watch. What he wanted to do was return to his chambers and make sure his woman not only knew her place in his life, but in his bed. They’d only had the one night together, and he had dreamed of her ever since. And now she was here.
He had intended to spend the afternoon with Erin, getting to know her better and making sure that the chemistry between them was fanned into an ever-present need she could no longer deny. But then she had been so ill. His body had been reluctant to accept the fact that it would have to wait to reacquaint itself with her delectable body.
Talib had been giving him regular reports about Erin, and he had to admit to himself that he’d been envious of his contact with her. He should have been with her every day, part of her life. His attraction to her from the outset had taken him by surprise. He wasn’t an overly romantic man, and he certainly didn’t believe in fate, but when she’d first turned around to look at him at Whittemore House, it was as though the breath had been pushed from his lungs. He needed her like he needed to breathe.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when his secretary came in to hand him a file. Opening it on his desk, he looked down at the report but didn’t see the words. He shook his head and forced himself to concentrate.
Unfortunately, the growing refugee situation in the north had escalated to the point where his country’s infrastructure was being threatened, and he needed to put an immediate stop to it. That had turned into several weeks’ worth of work.