Erin laughed. “I can get you that information. They still have several weeks left on their cruise. They’re probably somewhere around Australia about now.”
Kamal frowned. “Well, perhaps I can send a helicopter if they’re too far from their next port.” He kissed the top of her head. “If it is important to you, I will make sure they are here. Do you wish Shira to return for your wedding as well?”
Erin looked up at him. “You’re not going to let this whole rapid marriage thing drop, are you?”
“Absolutely not. You will be marrying me before the month ends. Now, answer the question.”
“Yes, I want Shira here. I didn’t know she had gone back to the States until we were already in the air.”
“She is scheduled to return in six weeks with my brother. I will contact him in the morning and make sure that they return sooner than that. You may provide me with a list of items you wish brought to Jawhara, and he will ensure that it is taken care of. I have already notified your employer that you will not be returning to your job. They wish you well.”
Erin was stunned. “You talked to my work? Why would you do that?”
“What is the problem? You will not be returning to their employment. This way they are free to hire another attorney.”
Erin digested this information quietly. Her initial response was to balk at his highhandedness, but everything he had done were things she would have had to do anyway. He simply took the choice of timing away from her.
“I wish you had spoken to me about that before you did it.”
“Why?”
“Well,” she began, “I would have liked to talk to a few people before simply disappearing. I have friends there, and there are clients that needed to be turned over to another lawyer. I needed to update them on the status of filings and so forth. It wasn’t appropriate for me to leave them in the lurch like that.”
“I provided them all the explanation they needed, and the director did say that you kept excellent records. If she has questions, she can always reach out to you. Besides, they did a miserable job of ensuring your safety.”
“Kam, that incident the other day was my own fault. I didn’t check that the door was locked after I entered the building.”
“Regardless, if you had not been keeping company with people in those situations, you would have not been in harm’s way. You will never have to worry about that again.”
“But what if I want to help people? I can’t sit around the palace all day doing nothing.” Erin was getting upset, and the relaxation and peace that had come after their lovemaking were quickly disappearing. She lifted his arm off her shoulders and gave herself a bit of distance between them.
Turning, Kam took her hands in his, he kissed both, then looked at her with conviction. “I did not say that you had to sit around the palace and do nothing. I will find you something to do. Something that not only challenges that brilliant mind of yours, but also helps my people. Your visit with the refugees, while dangerous, was insightful, and if not for your quick thinking, things could have been much worse.”
“Really?” Erin queried, letting her anger go.
“Really.Afterwe are married.”
Erin smiled and leaned against him. He wrapped his arm around her and tucked her against his side. Kamal was consistent and steadfast in his belief that they were going to be married within the month. She still had her doubts but knew that she couldn’t out-stubborn him.
“You are not going to argue with me again?” Kamal asked.
“No. What would be the point?” Erin tried to sound resigned. Feeling his laughter, she knew she had failed. “I guess you leave me no choice but to marry you. After all, you’ve promised me a position I can’t refuse.”
“You will be my queen. The mother of our children.”
Erin climbed up to straddle Kam’s lap. She put her finger over his lips to shush him. “Can we get through having our first child before I begin contemplating a second?”
Kam kissed her finger. “But of course, habibti. I will always have your best interest in mind. Never doubt that.”
“I won’t.” Erin dipped her head to take his lips in a kiss filled with promise. For several minutes, she enjoyed taking the lead, finally getting her chance to explore Kamal. She could feel his interest as his cock pressed against her stomach. She shifted her body, unable to resist teasing him, but it didn’t last long.
Pulling her to his chest, he rolled them both over so he was once again on top. He worshiped her body, tasting her skin and seeking out all the hidden spots that caused her to shiver and moan. With his hands and his tongue, he took her to new heights, banishing any thoughts she might have had of not spending her life with him.
Erin couldn’t quite catch her breath, and as he trailed his lips down her torso, stopping here and there to nip and then soothe the small hurt with his lips and tongue, she forgot all the reasons why demanding her independence had been so important.
Being here with Kamal was where she wanted to be. It was where her heart had landed and where her future began.
EPILOGUE