Undercurrents. Yeah, he thought, that about described it, all right. Underneath all the bright lights and highbrow music, the dazzling smiles and graceful bows, elegant tuxes and designer gowns in rainbow colors swirled together like ribbons in a washing machineunder all that, like a subterranean river, ran a ribbon of tension, a hum of intrigue he could feel in his bones. He wondered whether it was something going on between these Tamiri people and their nearest neighbors, the Montebellans, or if it was just standard operating procedure for royal courts. Not unlike what goes on every day in Washington, D.C., he thought, or for that matter, any state capitol back home.
This thing with Leila Kamal, thoughthat was another story. That particular intrigue was entirely personal, and the tension a steel rod running straight down the back of his neck. It had made for one helluva nerve-wracking evening, trying to avoid eye contactor any sort of contact whatsoeverwith the woman, while being at the same time aware of her with every nerve in his body. Nervewrackingintensebut now, thank God, it was over. Finally, he could relax.
With another gusty exhalation, he peeled off his necktie and headed for the bathroom. There, while his fingers dealt with the studs on his shirt, his eyes gazed dispassionately back at him from the ornately framed mirror above the sink.
You were damned lucky, Gallagher.
Oh yeah. He knew just how lucky hed been. Hed played with fire and somehow managed not to get burned.
That narrow brush with disaster had left him shaken, but hed managed to put it behind him. All he needed now was a good nights sleep, and tomorrow some mutually advantageous wheeling and dealing with the old sheik, and hed be himself again.
Stripping off his shirt, he briefly considered another shower. But he was tired, just wanted to hit the sack, so he turned on the tap above the sink instead. He was hunched over the bowl, cupped hands filling up with water to splash over his face, when he heard a light tapping on his chamber door.
What now? One of the servants, probably, they were always bringing him somethingtowels or fruit or herbal teathough it seemed pretty late for that. Frowning, he turned off the faucet, grabbed a towel and went to open the door.
When he saw who was standing there, he wondered why he didnt have a heart attack on the spot. At the very least, he was pretty sure he knew now what it might feel like to be speared in the belly with an icicle.
Chapter 4
Princess It gusted from him before he could think. Whatre youwhy And while he was sputtering like that she slipped past him and into his room.
He had a fleeting impression of a light, spicy scent, hair that flowed down her back like an ebony river, a gown made of something pale and floatyshed glow in the dark like a candle!
Hed never felt more exposed, or more cognizant of the danger he was in. If anyone happened to walk byif she so much as raised her voice, cried out, Cades goose was as good as cooked. Even in this part of the world he doubted they still executed people for such transgressions, but at the very least, any hopes he had of doing a deal with the Tamari people would be out the window, and he might even be outliterallyhimself. As in, given the bums rush. Bounced unceremoniously out the door on his butt. Right now, this minute, in the middle of the night.
Plus, Elena was never going to forgive himnever.
With icy dread crawling down his spine, he gave his face an absentminded mop with the towel, glanced quickly up and down the corridor, then silently pulled the door closed. He felt as if the door of a trap had just slammed shut behind him.
Leila moved as if through a wall of suffocating heatholding her breath, feeling her cheeks burn and sweat bloom on her forehead. Knowing instinctively the source of the heat, she kept her face turned away from himas if that would help!
She reached with her hand to touch the back of the sofa and leaned against it a little, testing it for support, then brushed her fingers over the fabric to hide the fact that shed done so. She heard the door close behind her and silence fill the room. In it the thump and swish of her pulse sounded loud as the storm surf striking the rocks below the cliffs.
Princess His voice was harsh.
And though she didnt want to, she flinched. Still, as she turned she knew her smile would appear bright and determined. I thought you were going to call me Leila.
Breath gusted from him, as if hed been holding it in too long. For Gods sake, what are you doing here?
But she could not answer. Suddenly she had no moisture in her mouth; she could not seem to move her tongue. Nor her eyes, either, for somehow they had become stuck to the naked masculine chest in front of her, and not even for her life could she tear them away. She did not understandshe had seen mens chests and torsos beforehadnt she? In pictures, at the very least. But if she had, it did not seem so. To her this felt like the first time she had ever laid eyes on such a sightever.
LookLeila He took a step toward her, face darkened, both hands upraised and fingers tensed, as though he wanted to grasp her with them.
Her breath caught and her heart gave a frightened leap. Even she could see that it was not a welcoming gesture. But not a violent one, either. She thought he seemed more distraught than angry, and her fear was not for her physical safety. He would not harm her, she was certain of that.
Just as she was certain now that she had made a terrible mistake in judgment. Somehow, because of the vast difference in their cultures, probably, she had misunderstood him. She knew that he had not meant what she had thought he meant. Not at all.
I shouldnt have come.
All of that passed through Leilas mind in the time it took her to utter a single dismayed gasp. In the next moment, memorysensual, visceral, overwhelmingslammed her with the force of a physical blow. Hard lips, smooth andgentle lipsliquid warmth, breath smelling of tobacco, tremblingpressure and pounding pulse
Her body felt cold, and her legs as if they would not support her weight. She heard a rushing sound in her ears. But I had to comeI had to. What else could I do?
She took one step forwardand into a void.
Swearing vehemently, Cade caught her as her knees buckled. Then, since there didnt seem to be anything else to do, he scooped her up in his arms. This is insane. Ludicrous.
While casting frantically about for a place to deposit his unconscious burden, he caught a glimpse of himself and her in the gilt-framed mirror above the tile and marble fireplaceheaving breasts in a filmy gown against the backdrop of his own naked, sweaty chesther pale throat a taut and graceful curveraven hair cascading over his arms like a waterfallDamn, he thought with a snort that was part irony, part disgust and most of all dismay. I look likethe cover of one of those romance novels women are alwaysreading.
Hed about decided to lay his swooning princess on the sofa when he felt her arms come to twine around his neck. He barely had time to register that fact before her hair began to stir against his skin, an incredible, unimaginable softness.
He shivered involuntarily and felt his nipples harden. As if in response to that, she turned her face toward him and touched him just there in a series of tender and tiny kisses, rather like a kitten, he dimly thought, making tracks across his chest. His heart, already beating hard, gave a lurch.
Princess His voice was faint and airless. What the hell do you think youre doing? Her lips were working their way across his collarbone and upward along the side of his neck. His jaw muscles felt so rigid he half expected to hear them creak when he added almost desperately, Heycut that out.
Poised to deposit her on the sofa, he halted, muscles quivering, beset by a new dilemma. If he put her down now, she would almost certainly pull him down with her, which would be nothing short of disastrous. If he went on holding her, with that unnerving weakness creeping through his body, he was afraid he might drop her. To head off that possibility, he brought one knee up under her bottom, braced his foot on the cushions, and tried to shift her to a more secure position in his arms.
Big mistake. Hadnt this happened to him once before?
Yes, and once again as on the terrace, he felt her body mold itself to his as if it had been custom-made for that purposean all-over body glove, silky-soft, supple as finest kid. Tiny puffs of her breath brought his sweat-damp skin alive with goose bumps. Her spicy, exotic scent made his head swim. The weakness in his arms oozed into his legs, while in the center of his body his heart was banging like an energetic and enthusiastic bass drummer, sending joyful, giddy impulses and invitingno, compellingthe rest of his body to follow along.
His bodys predictable response was, Oh, yeah. Imthere! And his heart chimed in with, Sure would liketomaybe it would be okaydont you think I could?
To which the rational part of his brain emphatically replied, No way, Jose!
Princess he began, but the rest was muffled. Leilas lovely and adventuresome mouth had reached its destination at last, and anything else he might have added was swallowed up in its sweet, intoxicating warmth.
For a momentjust a moment, it seemed to Cade he was fighting a losing battle. He thought how easy it would bewhat a relief it would beto just say the hell with it and give in. He thought it would be a little like drowning, to let himself go wherever this might take him, and damn the consequences.
He might have been able to do thatjust maybeif it hadnt been for the strident and insistent clamor of his reason. Cade, you cant! Shes a princess, most likely a virgin!Youre a guest in her fathers house! You have to stop this.Now!
He wasnt sure how much longer he might have resisted the voices of sanity inside his head, or if in fact hed ever have found the strength to end it. What saved him was anger. It came suddenly and unexpectedly, a bright and savage flare of resentment. Foolish womanwhat the helldoes she think shes doing? Spoiled bratshes going toruin meruin everything!
He let go of her abruptly, and felt her round and firm little bottom come to rest on his drawn-up knee.
No, he said hoarsely as, jerky and shell-shocked, he peeled her arms from around his neck and thrust her from him. The places where shed touched him felt like fresh abrasions.
Little by little, in ungraceful adjustments, he managed to stand her on her own two feet, and himself as well. And all the while she said not a word, while her eyes gazed up at him, black as ink, glistening dangerously. Her lips, pink and soft and still glazed from his mouth, parted slowly. If she speaks, he thoughtOr worse, if she cries
He grasped at his anger like a drowning man reaching for a life preserver and spoke in a ragged and guttural voice. I said no. Do you understand me? He pulled himself away from her, raked a distraught hand through his hair and fought to get his breathing calmed down. This isnt going to happen, okay? Not tonight, not ever. Im sorryyou have to go. Come onout.
Since she didnt appear able or willing to move on her own, he took hold of her arm and gave it a tug. Just a small one. Then he watched in horror as her gown slipped down over one creamy-smooth shoulder. He let go of her arm in a hurry. Ah, hellPrincess He closed his eyes and said it with a groan, almost pleading.
Then, through the pounding of his own pulses he heard a sharp, heartbroken sobfelt the rush and flurry of her passingand at last, the click of an opening door.
Regret pierced his heart without warning, pierced it like an arrow and sent it plummeting into his belly. Belatedly he was aware of how young, how innocent Leila really was, and how grievously his rejection must have hurt her. He felt as if hed kicked a puppy, or trampled a lovely blossom into the mud.
Hoping to explain, to soften it for her somehow, he lunged after her as she hurled herself through the doorway, out into the hallwaystraight into the arms of her father, the sheik.
Sheik Ahmed Kamal had been feeling quite pleased with himself, and enormously satisfied with the way the weekends events had unfolded. The wedding ceremony had been as solemn and dignified as should bein spite of the tendency on the part of young people nowadays to want to adopt certain deplorable Western customs instead of adhering faithfully to traditional ways. The grooms banquet had been enjoyable for all in attendance, sumptuous and generous as was appropriate for a royal couple yet neither excessive nor ostentatious. The exhibition polo matches had been enjoyed by the many guests in attendance, and had resulted in gratifying wins for the Tamari team. Tonights state dinner and reception honoring the king and the crown prince of Montebello had been a grand success.
Yesand its aftermath even more so. Sheik Ahmed was, in fact, just returning from a most productive private meeting with his Montebellan counterpart, after having personally accompanied the royal contingent to their quarters in the guest palace on the other side of the gardens. He was in an expansive mood; his belly was full of good food and his mind full of plans for Tamirs future, plans that involved economic expansion in a number of areas near and dear to the sheiks heart.
Now, accompanied by his cadre of loyal bodyguards, he was making his way toward his private chambers at the end of a long, empty passageway adorned with mosaics and murals and softly lit by recessed lamps. He was looking forward to discussing the weekends activities with Alima, his beloved wife, and afterwarda well-deserved rest.
And thenwhat was this? His youngest daughter, blinded by tears and with garments in disarraygarments, moreover, that would be appropriate only for a womans chambers, or her husbandshis beloved child running headlong into his arms!
Daughter, what is the meaning of this? the sheik thundered, holding her at arms length while he made hurried and necessary adjustments to her costume. He spared no thought at all for his contingent of bodyguards; being both well-trained and loyal, they had already turned their backs and averted their eyes from the deplorable spectacle.
Besides, if the truth were known, at that moment Sheik Ahmeds thoughts were in too much of a quandary to worry about what his bodyguards might or might not have witnessed. On the one hand, there was a fathers understandable wrath at finding one of his offspring in a place and circumstances she had no business being at such an hour. On the other handthe fact was, the sheik had a secret softness in his heart for his youngest child, and seeing her face so pale and frightened, her eyes overflowing with tears, gazing up into his