“I would stay for weeks if it were possible.”
“I imagine it’s been very hectic since your uncle died.”
“I have been the heir for over a year now, but yes, it has still been quite an adjustment. There is much to do when one is responsible for an entire nation.”
“But we have a parliament now. Surely that helps.”
“I think it does, yes. But there is still much work to be done. Fortunately, wherever I am, I am connected. Imagine the days before we had computers and cell phones.”
“A trip out here would have been a true vacation then.”
“Yes. Now, it is simply another stop. A different location, but the world does not truly go away.”
It occurred to her that she didn’t really know anything about him. “I’m sure I must have known this before, but how many siblings do you have?”
“Three brothers and one sister, who came much later in life. She is ten now.”
“I always wanted a sister. Or a brother,” Isabella added. She’d been so lonely, with her books and tutors and no other children to play with.
Adan seemed to know without asking what she meant. “I would like siblings for Rafiq, as well. He would enjoy having other children to play with.”
Isabella studied the steaming liquid in her cup. “I’m surprised you didn’t remarry by now.”
He shrugged. “Time passed faster than I thought. I don’t think I realized it had been two years until very recently.”
“Do your brothers have children?”
“Not yet,” he said. “Only one of them has married. The other two seem to think playing the carefree bachelor in Europe to be more fun.” His eyes narrowed. “What about you, Isabella? Did you find playing the bachelorette fun?”
A shiver crept over her, not only because the sun had gone down and the desert was cooling. “I didn’t date, if that’s what you mean.”
“Why not? You are a beautiful woman. And you must have got lonely.”
Her heart throbbed. “Did you?”
His eyes glittered in the half-light of the torches. “Ah, answering a question with a question. Classic avoidance. And yes, I did get lonely.”
“So did I. But I didn’t date.” She sighed and told him the truth. “It didn’t feel right somehow. But I did let a man kiss me once.”
He looked as if he could bite a nail in two. A fresh wave of irritation flooded her.
“It’s not like I knew about you,” she said. “And it was only a kiss. I’ll bet you can’t say the same,” she added defiantly.
“I’ll bet I can,” he replied coolly. “I’ve kissed no one but you since the day we were married.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I don’t believe it.”
He set the coffee down. “Believe it, Isabella. I’ve hada child to raise and a business to run—and then I had a throne to prepare for. There’s been no one but you.”
She blinked in surprise. “But you were getting married again!”
“Jasmine is an old friend.”
“I—I don’t know what to say.” She really didn’t. A man like him … celibate?
“There is nothing to say.” He stood abruptly. “Perhaps it’s time we called it a night, yes? It’s been a long journey and it’s getting late.”
She got to her feet, too. “What’s the point in getting angry with me? It’s not my fault.”
“Nothing is, is it?”
She clenched her fists at her side. “What do you want from me, Adan? I’m trying.”
“And I’m not?” he asked dangerously.
Isabella blew out a breath. “That’s not what I meant. I meant this is hard, for both of us, and there’s not a lot we can do about the past now.”
“I’m beginning to think this was a bad idea after all,” he said softly, his gaze dropping briefly to her lips before spearing her again.
“We just got here. You promised me two weeks.”
“Promises, as you very well know, are easily broken,” he said. And then he stalked into the house, leaving her lonely once more.
CHAPTER EIGHT
A DAN couldn’t believe he’d told her. He’d confessed to her that he’d
“I imagine it’s been very hectic since your uncle died.”
“I have been the heir for over a year now, but yes, it has still been quite an adjustment. There is much to do when one is responsible for an entire nation.”
“But we have a parliament now. Surely that helps.”
“I think it does, yes. But there is still much work to be done. Fortunately, wherever I am, I am connected. Imagine the days before we had computers and cell phones.”
“A trip out here would have been a true vacation then.”
“Yes. Now, it is simply another stop. A different location, but the world does not truly go away.”
It occurred to her that she didn’t really know anything about him. “I’m sure I must have known this before, but how many siblings do you have?”
“Three brothers and one sister, who came much later in life. She is ten now.”
“I always wanted a sister. Or a brother,” Isabella added. She’d been so lonely, with her books and tutors and no other children to play with.
Adan seemed to know without asking what she meant. “I would like siblings for Rafiq, as well. He would enjoy having other children to play with.”
Isabella studied the steaming liquid in her cup. “I’m surprised you didn’t remarry by now.”
He shrugged. “Time passed faster than I thought. I don’t think I realized it had been two years until very recently.”
“Do your brothers have children?”
“Not yet,” he said. “Only one of them has married. The other two seem to think playing the carefree bachelor in Europe to be more fun.” His eyes narrowed. “What about you, Isabella? Did you find playing the bachelorette fun?”
A shiver crept over her, not only because the sun had gone down and the desert was cooling. “I didn’t date, if that’s what you mean.”
“Why not? You are a beautiful woman. And you must have got lonely.”
Her heart throbbed. “Did you?”
His eyes glittered in the half-light of the torches. “Ah, answering a question with a question. Classic avoidance. And yes, I did get lonely.”
“So did I. But I didn’t date.” She sighed and told him the truth. “It didn’t feel right somehow. But I did let a man kiss me once.”
He looked as if he could bite a nail in two. A fresh wave of irritation flooded her.
“It’s not like I knew about you,” she said. “And it was only a kiss. I’ll bet you can’t say the same,” she added defiantly.
“I’ll bet I can,” he replied coolly. “I’ve kissed no one but you since the day we were married.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I don’t believe it.”
He set the coffee down. “Believe it, Isabella. I’ve hada child to raise and a business to run—and then I had a throne to prepare for. There’s been no one but you.”
She blinked in surprise. “But you were getting married again!”
“Jasmine is an old friend.”
“I—I don’t know what to say.” She really didn’t. A man like him … celibate?
“There is nothing to say.” He stood abruptly. “Perhaps it’s time we called it a night, yes? It’s been a long journey and it’s getting late.”
She got to her feet, too. “What’s the point in getting angry with me? It’s not my fault.”
“Nothing is, is it?”
She clenched her fists at her side. “What do you want from me, Adan? I’m trying.”
“And I’m not?” he asked dangerously.
Isabella blew out a breath. “That’s not what I meant. I meant this is hard, for both of us, and there’s not a lot we can do about the past now.”
“I’m beginning to think this was a bad idea after all,” he said softly, his gaze dropping briefly to her lips before spearing her again.
“We just got here. You promised me two weeks.”
“Promises, as you very well know, are easily broken,” he said. And then he stalked into the house, leaving her lonely once more.
CHAPTER EIGHT
A DAN couldn’t believe he’d told her. He’d confessed to her that he’d
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