They will be able to tell the Prince today if it is working.’ He stopped and looked as though he regretted revealing so much, then, bowing his head, he gestured for her to precede him. ‘If you would come this way, the Prince has asked me to—’
Eva began to move, then stopped. ‘He’s alone—I mean, there’s no family or anything with him?’
‘No, he is alone.’
Eva narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘No.’ Smilingwith a confidence she was not feeling—she was not in the habit of blindly following her instinct—she turned to face the tall, forbidding figure beside her.
She might be a wife in name only, but the thought of Karim facing what could be bad news…the worst news…alone just seemed so wrong.
It was totally irrational, but she felt she should be there. He might not want a shoulder to cry on, especially hers, but she’d be someone to yell at if nothing else.
‘Sorry, Princess, I don’t quite understand…’
‘No.’
A wary light appeared in Tariq’s dark eyes.
‘The Prince has asked you to keep me out of his hair.’ She arched a brow. ‘Am I right?’
Tariq, looking nonplussed by the comment, let his arm fall back to his side. ‘The Prince is anxious that you are comfortable, that you have what you wish.’
‘I wish to see him.’ He might not want to see me.
‘I’m afraid that that will not—’
‘Look, I’m not sure what your job description covers, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include manhandling a royal princess, and that’s the only way you’re moving me from here.’
She held her breath, not totally sure what she’d do if he called her bluff.
She thought she saw the glimmer of a smile in his eyes as he inclined his head and said, ‘This way.’
The room that Tariq showed her to was on the top floor. He spoke to the two men who stood outside and they bowed and stepped aside.
She gave them a smile as she walked past, thinking, What are you doing, Eva? The man doesn’t need you. He is more than capable of looking after himself. He’ll just think you’re interfering.
On the threshold she paused uncertainly, bracing herself for Karim’s reaction when he saw her.
He didn’t react because he didn’t see her. Her glance moved from the tiny waxy-faced figure in the bed, so slight that her arm seemed too fragile to hold all the tubes that protruded from it, to the tall man standing by the window looking blindly out at the city below.
She saw the moisture on his cheeks and empathy so acute it hurt swelled in her chest.
Her heart aching for his grief, she moved towards him, her hand outstretched. ‘I’m so sorry, Karim.’
At the sound of her voice he turned his head. ‘Eva?’
She saw then that it was not grief and pain that shone in his eyes, but joy and relief.
Her hand fell away self-consciously. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude but—’
‘It is working,’ he said, his eyes on the figure in the bed. ‘She’s going to be all right.’
The expression on his face as he looked at his daughter brought a lump to her throat. ‘I’m so glad, Karim,’ she said softly.
‘You’re here?’ he said as if just registering her presence.
Feeling like an intruder, she absently rubbed her fingers across the ring on her left hand and nodded. ‘I just thought I might be able to do something to help, but I can see—’
‘You want to help?’ he said, his voice low and gravelly.
Unable to read his expression as he advanced with pantherlike grace towards her, Eva shook her head. ‘It was just a thought.’
He stopped just in front of her. The tension she could feel rolling off him in waves made her senses spin. His deep-set eyes glittered as he looked down at her. ‘You can help.’
‘I…’
He hooked a finger under her chin, growling, ‘Don’t talk.’ And brought his mouth down hard on hers.
Her shocked gasp was lost in his mouth as her lips parted under the sensuous pressure. She had not known a kiss could be like
Eva began to move, then stopped. ‘He’s alone—I mean, there’s no family or anything with him?’
‘No, he is alone.’
Eva narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘No.’ Smilingwith a confidence she was not feeling—she was not in the habit of blindly following her instinct—she turned to face the tall, forbidding figure beside her.
She might be a wife in name only, but the thought of Karim facing what could be bad news…the worst news…alone just seemed so wrong.
It was totally irrational, but she felt she should be there. He might not want a shoulder to cry on, especially hers, but she’d be someone to yell at if nothing else.
‘Sorry, Princess, I don’t quite understand…’
‘No.’
A wary light appeared in Tariq’s dark eyes.
‘The Prince has asked you to keep me out of his hair.’ She arched a brow. ‘Am I right?’
Tariq, looking nonplussed by the comment, let his arm fall back to his side. ‘The Prince is anxious that you are comfortable, that you have what you wish.’
‘I wish to see him.’ He might not want to see me.
‘I’m afraid that that will not—’
‘Look, I’m not sure what your job description covers, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include manhandling a royal princess, and that’s the only way you’re moving me from here.’
She held her breath, not totally sure what she’d do if he called her bluff.
She thought she saw the glimmer of a smile in his eyes as he inclined his head and said, ‘This way.’
The room that Tariq showed her to was on the top floor. He spoke to the two men who stood outside and they bowed and stepped aside.
She gave them a smile as she walked past, thinking, What are you doing, Eva? The man doesn’t need you. He is more than capable of looking after himself. He’ll just think you’re interfering.
On the threshold she paused uncertainly, bracing herself for Karim’s reaction when he saw her.
He didn’t react because he didn’t see her. Her glance moved from the tiny waxy-faced figure in the bed, so slight that her arm seemed too fragile to hold all the tubes that protruded from it, to the tall man standing by the window looking blindly out at the city below.
She saw the moisture on his cheeks and empathy so acute it hurt swelled in her chest.
Her heart aching for his grief, she moved towards him, her hand outstretched. ‘I’m so sorry, Karim.’
At the sound of her voice he turned his head. ‘Eva?’
She saw then that it was not grief and pain that shone in his eyes, but joy and relief.
Her hand fell away self-consciously. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude but—’
‘It is working,’ he said, his eyes on the figure in the bed. ‘She’s going to be all right.’
The expression on his face as he looked at his daughter brought a lump to her throat. ‘I’m so glad, Karim,’ she said softly.
‘You’re here?’ he said as if just registering her presence.
Feeling like an intruder, she absently rubbed her fingers across the ring on her left hand and nodded. ‘I just thought I might be able to do something to help, but I can see—’
‘You want to help?’ he said, his voice low and gravelly.
Unable to read his expression as he advanced with pantherlike grace towards her, Eva shook her head. ‘It was just a thought.’
He stopped just in front of her. The tension she could feel rolling off him in waves made her senses spin. His deep-set eyes glittered as he looked down at her. ‘You can help.’
‘I…’
He hooked a finger under her chin, growling, ‘Don’t talk.’ And brought his mouth down hard on hers.
Her shocked gasp was lost in his mouth as her lips parted under the sensuous pressure. She had not known a kiss could be like
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