and tenderness and passion; her short stay here had been so full of color and life, they’d made the thirteen long years before seem nothing more than a lonely gray dream.
If only she could stay here forever.
Staring out at the reflected sunlight of the turquoise pool, she tried to push the thought from her mind. Shehad only one day left here. She should enjoy it. Tomorrow morning, Kareef had to be back in the city. His diplomatic engagements could no longer be kept waiting; nor could he put off the royal banquet, which would be attended by the foreign dignitaries who’d come for his coronation.
Tonight, the dream would end.
Stop thinking about it, she tried to tell herself. You’ll only ruin the precious hours you have left. But she couldn’t stop herself. Even when she’d been in bed that morning, cuddled in Kareef’s arms as he slept beside her, she’d stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom and wished with all her heart that she could stay here forever.
In his bed. In his arms.
She’d wished she could remain his wife.
The wish had been so powerful it had nearly choked her. And so she’d fled the bedroom and thrown herself into the pool, to stare up at the sky, to let the water and chlorine and hot sun dissolve her tears.
But now, as she held him on the lounge bed beneath the loggia beside the pool, she was almost tempted to ask him if there were any chance. Any chance at all. The words were trembling on her lips. Even though she already knew the answer.
“Kareef?” she whispered, then stopped.
“Hmm?” His face was pressed against hers, his body still naked beneath the sun. He didn’t open his eyes. The sun had already half-dried the dark wave of his hair.
She took a deep breath. “I was…I was wondering…”
Then a sparkle caught her eye. She looked out by the pool and saw the pants he’d discarded carelessly beforehe’d jumped into the water. Something had tumbled out of the pocket, now glistening green in the light.
The emerald.
The tiny heart-shaped emerald on a gold chain her parents had given her for her sixteenth birthday. She’d been wearing it when Kareef had asked her to marry him that day in the thicket of trees behind the riding school. According to the ancient Qusani ritual, she’d been required to give a token as pledge of her faith. So she’d pulled the gold chain off her neck, and placed it in his hand as she’d tearfully spoken the words that would bind them.
And now, after thirteen years, he was carelessly carrying the necklace around in his pants pocket, awaiting the moment he would divorce her.
Staring at the emerald glinting in the sun, she blinked hard as all her dreams came crashing around her.
Kareef lifted his head. “What is it?” he said lazily, his hand lingering on her breast. He sighed. “Don’t tell me. Do you already want more?” He yawned, but was already smiling as he reached for her. “You tire me out, woman….”
She closed her eyes. She did want more. More of him. More of everything. And she suddenly couldn’t allow him to touch her—not when she felt like crying, thrashing, wailing like a child for what she could never have.
He stopped. “Jasmine?”
“It’s nothing,” she whispered. “I’m just—” her voice broke “—happy.”
“As am I.” Kareef’s hand suddenly tightened on her own. “But you know our time cannot last.”
Her eyes flew open. Already? She wasn’t ready for him to speak the words. Her eyes fell upon the emerald necklace hanging out of his pocket in the shorts crumpled by the pool. She wasn’t ready! Not yet!
With a nimbleness born of fear, she leapt to her feet, backing away. “It’s a beautiful day. Shall we go for a ride?”
The way his jaw dropped would have been comical, if her heart weren’t breaking.
“A ride?” he repeated in shock.
“Horse riding,” she explained succinctly.
Frowning in bewilderment, he rubbed the back of his head. “But you hate riding. You…hate it.”
Was
If only she could stay here forever.
Staring out at the reflected sunlight of the turquoise pool, she tried to push the thought from her mind. Shehad only one day left here. She should enjoy it. Tomorrow morning, Kareef had to be back in the city. His diplomatic engagements could no longer be kept waiting; nor could he put off the royal banquet, which would be attended by the foreign dignitaries who’d come for his coronation.
Tonight, the dream would end.
Stop thinking about it, she tried to tell herself. You’ll only ruin the precious hours you have left. But she couldn’t stop herself. Even when she’d been in bed that morning, cuddled in Kareef’s arms as he slept beside her, she’d stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom and wished with all her heart that she could stay here forever.
In his bed. In his arms.
She’d wished she could remain his wife.
The wish had been so powerful it had nearly choked her. And so she’d fled the bedroom and thrown herself into the pool, to stare up at the sky, to let the water and chlorine and hot sun dissolve her tears.
But now, as she held him on the lounge bed beneath the loggia beside the pool, she was almost tempted to ask him if there were any chance. Any chance at all. The words were trembling on her lips. Even though she already knew the answer.
“Kareef?” she whispered, then stopped.
“Hmm?” His face was pressed against hers, his body still naked beneath the sun. He didn’t open his eyes. The sun had already half-dried the dark wave of his hair.
She took a deep breath. “I was…I was wondering…”
Then a sparkle caught her eye. She looked out by the pool and saw the pants he’d discarded carelessly beforehe’d jumped into the water. Something had tumbled out of the pocket, now glistening green in the light.
The emerald.
The tiny heart-shaped emerald on a gold chain her parents had given her for her sixteenth birthday. She’d been wearing it when Kareef had asked her to marry him that day in the thicket of trees behind the riding school. According to the ancient Qusani ritual, she’d been required to give a token as pledge of her faith. So she’d pulled the gold chain off her neck, and placed it in his hand as she’d tearfully spoken the words that would bind them.
And now, after thirteen years, he was carelessly carrying the necklace around in his pants pocket, awaiting the moment he would divorce her.
Staring at the emerald glinting in the sun, she blinked hard as all her dreams came crashing around her.
Kareef lifted his head. “What is it?” he said lazily, his hand lingering on her breast. He sighed. “Don’t tell me. Do you already want more?” He yawned, but was already smiling as he reached for her. “You tire me out, woman….”
She closed her eyes. She did want more. More of him. More of everything. And she suddenly couldn’t allow him to touch her—not when she felt like crying, thrashing, wailing like a child for what she could never have.
He stopped. “Jasmine?”
“It’s nothing,” she whispered. “I’m just—” her voice broke “—happy.”
“As am I.” Kareef’s hand suddenly tightened on her own. “But you know our time cannot last.”
Her eyes flew open. Already? She wasn’t ready for him to speak the words. Her eyes fell upon the emerald necklace hanging out of his pocket in the shorts crumpled by the pool. She wasn’t ready! Not yet!
With a nimbleness born of fear, she leapt to her feet, backing away. “It’s a beautiful day. Shall we go for a ride?”
The way his jaw dropped would have been comical, if her heart weren’t breaking.
“A ride?” he repeated in shock.
“Horse riding,” she explained succinctly.
Frowning in bewilderment, he rubbed the back of his head. “But you hate riding. You…hate it.”
Was
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