Royal Affairs: Desert Princes & Defiant Virgins

‘Unlock the door.’ Apparently unaware of his response to her, she gave the order sharply, a note of panic in her voice. ‘Unlock it now.’

‘I take orders only from the Sultan himself.’

‘Please …’ Her face had lost most of its colour, and he frowned.

‘You have just faced my blade without showing the slightest consideration for your personal safety,’ he drawled softly. ‘And yet you expect me to believe that you’re afraid of a locked door?’

‘Just open it,’ she said in a hoarse voice. ‘Please open it.’

Perplexed and exasperated in equal measure, Karim turned the key, watching as she relaxed. The rebel princess was afraid of a locked door? It was so incredibly unlikely that he almost laughed. If she was that easy to frighten then it should take very little to persuade her that life in the harsh climate of Zangrar, in the company of a ruthless Sultan, was definitely not for her.

‘I don’t fight women, Your Highness.’

She stilled and then gave a tiny shrug, some of her defiance returning. ‘You do now.’ With a single, graceful movement of her shoulders, she removed her jacket. ‘And, anyway, you won. Your ego is still intact.’

‘My ego requires no protection.’ He dragged his eyes away from her hair with difficulty, his brain and body fighting a vicious battle for supremacy. Intellect warred with basic masculine instinct, and the sudden tightening of his body reminded him that the power of basic masculine instinct was never to be underestimated. ‘I could have hurt you.’

Only now, when she stood without the thick, protective padding of the fencing jacket, could he see how fine-boned and delicately built she was. Her exquisitely perfect face revealed centuries of breeding, and Karim studied her closely, trying to reconcile the innocence of that face with her debauched reputation. And she studied him back, her gaze fearless and unfaltering.

Then she turned and hung her jacket in the cupboard. ‘You’re good. But you’ve had a wasted journey. I don’t want a bodyguard.’

‘Your wishes in the matter are irrelevant, Your Highness.’ Whether she wanted him or not, she was getting him. His mission was to persuade her to change her mind about marrying the Sultan, and he needed to be with her on the journey if he was to achieve that goal.

Her glance was curious. ‘Do you guard the Sultan himself?’

It wasn’t a question he’d anticipated, and it took him a moment to formulate an acceptable answer. ‘I have ultimate responsibility for the Sultan’s safety, yes.’

‘In that case, I’m sure he’s missing you. Go home.’ With a swift movement of her fingers, she removed the plastron, the half-jacket that protected her fencing arm. ‘Use your talents elsewhere. I don’t need them.’

‘You are no longer planning to marry the Sultan?’

‘Of course I’m marrying the Sultan. But I don’t need anyone with me on the journey. I prefer to arrange my own protection.’

‘And who have you selected to provide this service?’

‘Me.’ Her tone suggested that she considered the answer obvious. ‘If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that, when it comes to safety issues, the only person you can really depend on is yourself.’

‘You plan to travel through the desert alone and unaccompanied?’

‘Absolutely. And I hope no one threatens me, because I’m lethal when I’m threatened.’ As if determined to convince him of that fact, she fixed him with her cool, blue stare, and Karim lifted an eyebrow.

‘Clearly you are unaware of the fact that many men find a woman’s vulnerability to be one of her greatest charms.’

‘Those same men undoubtedly have miniscule egos and need to slay dragons in order to demonstrate their masculinity.’ She stooped to put her mask and glove in the cupboard. ‘I refuse to put my safety at risk in order to pander to a man’s need to flex his muscles in public. I slay my own dragons.’

For the first time in his adult life, Karim found himself speechless. He’d never met a woman like her before. ‘You cannot seriously be intending to make the journey to Zangrar alone? You have no knowledge of the route.’

‘I can read a map, use satellite navigation and I can talk on the phone. Princesses have a multitude of skills these days. We’re a very versatile breed. Haven’t you heard?’

What he’d heard was that the Princess Alexandra was a real rebel, and he could see that the rumours had foundation. There was a fire in her eyes and defiance in her stance, and even after five minutes in her company he could see that she was no man’s idea of a gentle, compliant wife.

She was a handful.

Even while contemplating the disaster that would ensue if this woman ever arrived in Zangrar, Karim was reflecting on the fact that this next battle between them might be every bit as stimulating as the fencing. Removing his own jacket, he stretched out a hand and dropped it onto the nearest chair. ‘Clearly you’ve never aspired to be like the princesses in the fairy stories.’

‘Passive victims, you mean?’ A thoughtful frown touched her forehead and then she gave a careless shrug. ‘I wouldn’t be stupid enough to take a poisoned apple from a stepmother who hates me, and I’ve always hated sewing, so there’s no way I’d prick my finger on a spinning wheel.’

‘But you are planning to marry a sultan,’ Karim pointed out silkily, and she smiled, showing no signs of trepidation at the prospect.

‘That’s right. I am.’

‘And the Sultan insists that you are escorted on the journey, Your Highness.’

The princess turned to face him, and their eyes locked in a battle of wills.

Supremely confident that there was only one possible outcome, Karim crossed his arms and waited.

And waited.

‘Fine.’ Her gaze slid from his, and she toed off her fencing shoes with a graceful movement. ‘If you want to come along then I suppose I can’t stop you. I just hope you don’t regret it. Who is guarding the Sultan while you are watching over me?’

Surprised by the speed with which success had been achieved, Karim felt a flash of suspicion. What was she up to? ‘His Excellency is presently on an important and most secret mission that relates to the future stability of Zangrar. His security is being handled—elsewhere.’

She put her shoes in the cupboard. ‘You haven’t told me your name.’

Distracted by the thrust of her breasts under the simple white tee-shirt, it took him a moment to answer. ‘You may call me Karim, Your Highness.’

‘And you may call me Alexa. I’m not big on protocol.’

Remembering everything he’d read about her lifestyle, Karim had little trouble believing that statement. ‘It would not be appropriate for me to call you by your first name.’

‘You weren’t worrying about what was appropriate when you dragged me into this room.’ Her gaze was speculative.

‘Clearly you’re a man accustomed to acting on your own initiative.’

‘You want a bodyguard who waits for permission before saving you?’

‘I don’t want a bodyguard at all.’ Tucking the last of her clothes into the cupboard, she slammed the door shut. ‘If there’s any saving to be done, then I prefer to do it myself. Let’s get that straight before we leave this room.’

Karim clenched his jaw in order to refrain from pointing out that the only thing she needed saving from was herself. Only the month before she’d been removed unconscious from a nightclub, and he knew that she’d had at least two car crashes and a boating accident in the past year, and from all of them she’d narrowly escaped with her life. The Princess Alexandra was clearly as reckless as she was bold.

‘The desert is full of dangers, many of which are concealed from all but those who were born and bred there.’

‘I have lived with danger all my life. I have a question for you, Karim.’ Without glancing in his direction, she slipped on a slim-fitting jumper in a deep shade of green. She still wore her fencing breeches, and he saw that her legs were long and slim.

‘Ask your question.’

‘How do you feel about the Sultan? Would you die for him?’

Karim reflected on the irony of that question. ‘Without a doubt.’

Scooping up her hair, she pinned it haphazardly on top of her head, disregarding the fact that several strands immediately escaped and tumbled down around her face. ‘And just how much do you know about my country, Karim?’

With perfect recall, Karim summarized the briefing he’d received. ‘Rovina is a small principality ruled by your uncle, the Regent, who has been in power since your parents were killed in an accident. You were the only heir, and too young to ascend the throne.’ He saw darkness flicker across her beautiful face, and wondered briefly whether that tragic event had been responsible for her wild behaviour. Without the guiding hand of a father, had she gone off the rails? ‘Your late father and the Sultan’s late father were friends, and made the agreement for you and the present sultan to wed when you reached the age of twenty-four. Your birthday is in four days.’ Was it his imagination or was her breathing suddenly more rapid?

‘You’ve done your homework.’

‘One year after that, on the day of your twenty-fifth birthday, you will be crowned Queen of Rovina. Knowing that, I am intrigued as to why you would wish to move to a different continent and marry a man you’ve never even met, and whose culture and beliefs are so different from your own.’ If he talked her out of the marriage now, he could save himself an arduous journey with a woman who was undoubtedly going to whine and moan her way across the baking desert, a climate not known for nurturing patience in those who experienced it.

‘You don’t think I should marry the Sultan?’

‘On the contrary.’ Karim issued the denial smoothly. ‘I’m sure a marriage between you would be a great success. Your Highness is clearly both brave and bold, and you will need both qualities in abundance if you are to tame our sultan.’

‘Tame?’

‘I once heard a woman remark that the Sultan of Zangrar resembles a tiger who has been taken from the wild and forced to live in captivity.’ Satisfied that he had her attention, Karim delivered what he hoped passed for a sympathetic smile. ‘The woman who eventually shares his cage would have to be particularly courageous.’

Alexa laughed. ‘If you’re trying to frighten me, Karim, then you’ve picked the wrong woman.’

‘I’m not trying to frighten you,’ he lied, concealing his surprise at her laughter. ‘On the contrary, the more I see of you, the greater my conviction that you are a match for the Sultan even in one of his most dangerous moods. I just wanted to be sure that you know your own mind. If you wish to back out of the agreement, then you may do so.’

‘I don’t wish that.’

As he stared into her wide, blue eyes he felt another powerful tug of chemistry followed by a vicious tightening in his groin as white-hot lust shot through him. He wondered whether it was too soon to inform her that there was only one way the Sultan would ever want her—and that was flat on her back, naked and without the wedding ring. ‘Clearly, there is no place for love or romance in your life.’

Her beautiful blue eyes shone with genuine amusement. ‘Are you telling me that you believe in love, Karim? Are you a romantic man?’

‘This conversation is not about me.’

‘Judging from your tone, I’ve touched on a sensitive subject.’ She studied him in silence for a moment and then paced over to the window, her eyes flickering to the palace grounds. ‘I’m not pretending this marriage has anything to do with love, because we both know that it doesn’t …’ Her words tailed off and she frowned, as if surprised at herself. ‘Why am I telling you this? My reasons for wishing to marry the Sultan are not your concern. Your brief is simply to escort me safely to Zangrar.’

Karim wondered what she would say if she knew that his brief was a great deal more complex than that. The Princess Alexandra was the only one who could break this ridiculous agreement, and it was his personal responsibility to ensure that she did exactly that.

She was not a suitable wife for a sultan.

Her motive for the wedding was clearly greed, and the fact that greed alone was sufficient to compel her to marry a man of whom she knew nothing, sickened him. A woman like her would do untold damage to Zangrar, and threaten the enormous progress they had already made.

Clearly unaware that Karim’s own objective was in direct conflict with hers, Alexa paced back and forth across the room, her eyes on the door as if she expected to be disturbed at any moment. ‘So, if you insist on traveling with me, then you’d better tell me your plans for the journey.’

‘We leave at dawn. The Sultan’s private jet is waiting at the airport.’

Had he not been watching closely, he might have missed the way that her slender fingers suddenly locked and unlocked in a manifestly agitated gesture. The princess was nervous about something. The question was, what?

‘My uncle is aware of those plans?’

As she turned to face him, he could almost feel her anxiety sharpening the atmosphere of the tiny room.

‘He requested a full itinerary.’

‘And you gave it to him. Excellent.’ She was silent for a moment, apparently thinking. ‘Then we leave at dawn. My uncle wishes you to join us for dinner. As the Sultan’s envoy, you are the guest of honour. But I have one more question before we leave this room.’

‘Ask it.’

‘Are you truly good at your job, Karim? Are you really the best?’

‘Your wellbeing is my highest priority, Your Highness. You have no reason to worry about your safety.’

Her laugh was hollow. ‘You think not?’

Was she afraid of some sort of physical threat? Resolving to question the palace security-team in greater depth, Karim frowned. ‘No one would dare lay a finger on the Sultan’s future bride.’

The princess watched him for a long moment, her wide blue eyes fixed on his face with disturbing intensity. ‘Except, perhaps, those who don’t want me to be the Sultan’s bride.’

CHAPTER TWO

ALEXA sat at the long table in the banqueting hall, her hands shaking so badly she could barely hold a knife and fork. She was so on edge that it was almost impossible to sit still. If it wasn’t for the fact that her uncle would have become suspicious, she would have excused herself from dinner. As it was, she didn’t dare. Too much was at stake.

Although she was staring at her plate, she nevertheless saw Karim’s hand reach for his wine, and her attention was momentarily drawn to the strength of his long, bronzed fingers. Then his arm brushed against hers and that simple, innocent contact was enough to send heat rushing to her pelvis.

Instantly she shifted away from him, bewildered and alarmed by her inexplicable reaction to him. What was the matter with her? Why was her body selecting this particular moment to notice the finer points of the male physique? Had her mind elevated him to hero status simply because he’d insisted on remaining by her side for the journey? Surely not, when she knew perfectly well that having him there was going to threaten everything that she’d been working towards.

She needed to be the one in charge, and she definitely couldn’t risk having some autocratic, commanding bodyguard thinking that he knew what was best for her. And she certainly wasn’t going to do anything as foolish as trusting anyone with her future.

‘You’re unusually quiet, Alexa.’ Her uncle William’s cultured tones cut through the murmur of conversation around the table, and he raised his glass to Karim. ‘I hope you have decent shops in Zangrar. Alexa isn’t going to be happy somewhere that doesn’t have shops. All that glitters has to be gold, that’s her motto—isn’t that right, my sweet?’

Knowing from experience that her uncle was always at his most deadly when he used his caring voice, Alexa felt a flutter of panic and focused on the subtle flex of muscle in Karim’s forearm as he returned his glass to the table.

She hoped he was as tough as he looked. He’d unwittingly landed himself right in the middle of palace crossfire with no flak jacket to protect him, and she knew that if he happened to be standing between her and her uncle when the final moment came then he’d die alongside her.

Her conscience nagged her.

Why hadn’t he just gone home as she’d ordered?

She hadn’t wanted to drag anyone else into this.

Aware that her uncle was watching her, Alexa faked a yawn and tried to look like a girl incapable of planning anything other than her next shopping trip. ‘I’ve heard that some of the souks sell amazing silks. I’m looking forward to designing myself a whole new wardrobe.’

‘I admit that I’ve probably overindulged her a little since her parents were killed.’ William addressed his remark to Karim. ‘I just hope that the Sultan will be as generous as he is wealthy.’

‘The Sultan’s generosity is not in question, but it is hard to spend money in the desert, and that is where much of his time is currently spent.’ Karim spoke in a matter-of-fact voice and Alexa turned her head and looked at him, unable to hide her surprise.

‘He lives in the desert?’

‘Since the death of his father, the Sultan has spent much of his time in the desert with his people. His wife will be expected to support him in that role. If you wish to augment your wardrobe, you might be wise to include robes and sturdy desert-boots.’ He reached for his glass. ‘The sort that repel the bite of a snake.’

Reflecting on the fact that dealing with snakes would be a piece of cake after living with her uncle for sixteen years, Alexa gave a shrug. ‘I’m sure I can live in the desert if I have to. I mean, when all is said and done, it’s just a giant beach, really. Sand, sand and more sand.’ She kept her tone as light as the subject matter. ‘I’m sure the Sultan isn’t going to want his wife dressed in rags. With all that money at his disposal, he’s hardly going to begrudge me a few pairs of shoes.’

William’s eyes narrowed. ‘He might, when he finds out how much they cost! Karim, I’ve been telling my niece that this marriage is ridiculous. Her father arranged it when she was a child, before he had any idea what sort of a woman she would become. And the truth is that she is not a woman who is going to be happy incarcerated in a dusty old fortress in the middle of a baking-hot desert.’ He softened his words with a smile and reached for his wine. ‘No offence.’

Alexa felt Karim’s sudden stillness, and wondered whether it was possible to die of embarrassment.

Reminding herself that Karim’s thoughts and feelings had to be secondary to William’s, she forced the expected response from her mouth. ‘I’m sure the Sultan entertains occasionally. As long as there’s a party going on, and everyone is having a good time, it doesn’t really matter where it is.’ Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Karim’s long, strong fingers tighten on the stem of his glass.

‘Parties are not high on the Sultan’s agenda. When he entertains, the guest list includes foreign dignitaries and other heads of state. The purpose of the gathering is all about diplomacy and international relations.’

He obviously thought she was shallow-minded and frivolous, which didn’t surprise her. What did surprise her was the fact that she minded what he thought. Why would she care about the opinions of a bodyguard? His views were irrelevant. They had to be. Tonight of all nights it was essential that she maintained her image of a woman who thought about nothing deeper than what to wear at her next social engagement. If William knew what was truly on her mind, he would be turning all of the keys in all of the doors.

‘Foreign dignitaries sound pretty dull.’ She suppressed a yawn. ‘I’m sure I’ll be able to help the Sultan liven things up a bit.’

William’s gaze flickered from her to Karim. ‘Her head is full of romance. She’s expecting Arab stallions, a desert and a glamorous Sultan who is going to sweep her off her expensively clad feet.’

Aware that the expression on Karim’s face had gone from mild impatience to thunderous disapproval, Alexa wondered if he was about to lose his temper.

Her heart thumping against her chest, she braced herself for a terrifying display of masculine aggression—but when he finally spoke Karim’s tone seemed almost bored.

‘There is nothing romantic about the desert. It is a harsh, unforgiving landscape that contains any number of threats. A sandstorm is one of the most deadly natural phenomena known to man, and the desert in Zangrar is inhabited by scorpions and snakes so dangerous that one bite produces sufficient venom to kill ten grown men.’

‘Scorpions and snakes. You see, Alexa?’ William leaned back, and someone hastily stepped forward to remove his plate. ‘It is a long way from Rovina.’

‘Indeed, it is,’ Alexa said quietly. She was banking on it. ‘Nevertheless, my father arranged this marriage, and I shall do as he wished. I owe it to his memory.’

And she owed it to the people of Rovina. The only way she was ever going to reach her twenty-fifth birthday was if she married the Sultan.

Karim’s dark gaze fixed on her with brooding intensity. ‘You are very young, Your Highness. Your uncle is obviously worrying about how you will fare in a country like Zangrar. You would do well to listen to his advice.’

‘I’m not afraid of anything I’ll find in Zangrar.’

‘Then perhaps you are not sufficiently enlightened as to exactly what awaits you.’ He spoke softly, his words only audible to her, and she lifted her gaze to his, wondering what he was alluding to.

Their eyes met and held, and Alexa felt a shiver of awareness and a flash of the same sexual chemistry that had singed her earlier in the day. ‘You’re doing it again—trying to frighten me.’

He lifted a dark eyebrow in sardonic appraisal. ‘Are you frightened, Your Highness?’

‘No.’ But that was only because she knew what true fear was.

Alexa glanced across the table at William and saw him smiling at her. Her pulse-rate doubled. If the Sultan’s bodyguard really wanted to know what frightened her, then he need look no further than the man sitting across from them. Over the years she’d learned to read her uncle’s moods, and if there was one thing that scared her more than his temper it was his smile.

His smile widened as he looked at her. ‘I hear she fenced you earlier, Karim. Hardly a ladylike sport, I’m sure you’ll agree. I think you’re going to find that the Princess Alexandra is unusual in many ways. Most of the time you wouldn’t even know she was a princess, from the way she behaves.’

Alexa noticed the sudden tightening of Karim’s mouth, and knew that William’s repeated attempts to undermine her were succeeding. Not for the first time in her life, she was seriously tempted to pick up her knife and silence her uncle in the most permanent way possible.

‘I have many qualities which the Sultan will appreciate,’ she said lightly, and then saw the glimmer of disdain in the bodyguard’s eyes and realized that she’d actually made the situation worse, not better.

Not those qualities! she wanted to shout. Why were men so basic? Why did they only ever think about one thing—sex? Well, actually, it was two things. Sex and power. Forget everything else—they seemed to be the only two things that motivated the male species.

And normally she didn’t even think about sex. So why was it that, since the Sultan’s bodyguard had removed his fencing mask and revealed his impossibly handsome face, she’d thought about little else?

Or perhaps it was just that this whole situation was turning her slowly loopy. There was so much at stake. And so many things that could still go wrong.

She was a nervous wreck.

Marrying the Sultan was the only way that Rovina would have a future, and if anything happened to prevent that …