Desert Rogues Part 2 (15 page)

The helicopter moved lower. Cleo squinted against the bright sunlight. There, at the base of a mountain, she thought she saw something. Buildings maybe? They blended perfectly with the surrounding rock. Was it possible that a medieval city still functioned in these modern times?

The original stone huts had given way to an elaborate walled city, complete with a castle. The location had been decided by two factors: the geography that allowed a stone city to blend into the surroundings and a river flowing from an underground spring. The water circled the city, then dove beneath the earth to be cleansed and renewed.

Sabrina's husband, Prince Kardal, ruled the city. Zara's new husband, Rafe, was in charge of security. Although a Bahanian princess, Zara now called the City of Thieves her home.

Cleo pressed a hand against the window as the giant bug slowly lowered itself to the stone landing pad in front of the main doors to the palace. She could see vast fields, irrigated by the river, and corralled cattle and goats. In the distance several dozen nomads made their way back to the desert, after visiting the city.

Once the helicopter came to a stop, a uniformed guard opened the door, put out a step for her and bowed.

“Welcome to the City of Thieves, Princess Cleo,” he said, straightening and offering a hand to help her down.

Cleo rested her fingers lightly on his palm. She stepped onto the worn stone and saw a courtyard filled with a busy marketplace. She had the sense of stepping back in time—as if life in the city had been like this for a thousand years. After all, it probably had. She half expected to see a dancing scarecrow and tin man singing about visiting a wizard.

But instead of Technicolor creatures, the main doors of the palace opened to reveal Zara and Sabrina. They both rushed toward Cleo and gathered her close in a group hug that brought tears to Cleo's eyes.

Zara stepped back first and glared at her sister. “Don't for a moment think I'm ever going to forgive you for running off and getting married without telling me about it.”

Cleo winced. “I didn't want to spoil your honeymoon. Are you really mad?”

Zara sighed. “No. I understand.” She looked at her sister's bulging stomach. “It's not like you had a lot of time to wait. I just wish I'd been there.”

“I would have liked that, too,” Cleo admitted as the weepy feeling started to get stronger.

Sabrina slipped between them both and drew them inside the castle. “Now, ladies, there will be no tears today. And no ill tempers. We're going to have a fabulous ‘girls only' day. We're going to stretch out on sofas and eat fattening food, while we trash our husbands and talk about shoes. Are we in agreement?”

Zara smiled at Cleo. “Yes. I agree. And I'm really glad you're here.”

For the first time since her marriage to Sadik, Cleo felt as if she could actually relax. “I'm glad I'm here, too.”

 

Zara and Sabrina took Cleo on a tour of the castle before they settled down for their girl talk. While sections of the ancient structure had been modernized, there were still rooms and corridors constructed of stone, with slits for windows and no heating, cooling or air-conditioning.

“There are fireplaces,” Sabrina said as they strolled through a large guest bedroom. “The stone walls are thick enough to keep out the heat, and something about the way the place is built actually takes advantage of the night breezes to cool the place off. But you wouldn't want to get lost around here. It's big enough that it could literally take days to find you.”

“I'm still using a map,” Zara confessed. “I also have a cell phone that I've had to rely on more than once. It's pretty embarrassing to phone Rafe and tell him to come find me.”

Sabrina laughed. “He hardly minds. You're still newlyweds.”

Zara sighed with contentment. “You're right. He doesn't mind at all.”

Cleo smiled because she was expected to, but she couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy for Zara's and Sabrina's happiness. They were both married to wonderful men who were completely devoted. They were—

A tall man dressed in traditional desert robes swept around a bend in the corridor. Cleo froze, then instinctively took a step back before recognizing the handsome prince. He nodded at both her and Zara, then swept Sabrina into his arms.

“How are you?” he demanded. “Do you feel well? Should you be resting? Are you hungry?”

Sabrina lightly touched her husband's face, then stepped free of his embrace. “Kardal—I'm great. Really. You've got to stop doing this.”

“You're my wife. Of course I'm concerned about you.”

“Yes, but if you make me crazy, I'll be forced to stab you in your sleep. Now get back to work.”

He kissed her fiercely, then spun on his heel and retreated.

Zara glanced at Cleo. “Sabrina has a secret.”

The king of Bahania's youngest daughter shrugged as she led the way down the corridor. They entered a large living area with several sofas pulled up around a large coffee table overflowing with trays containing a traditional English tea.

Cleo was still caught up in Kardal's need to see his wife in the middle of the day. They had been married for almost two years. Should he be over that by now?

The envy she'd been feeling twisted in her chest, making her wish for things that weren't going to happen—at least not in her marriage.

Sabrina sank down on one of the couches and motioned for the other women to do the same. But instead of leaning back, she sat forward and stared intently at Cleo.

“I'm pregnant,” she said.

Cleo had barely sat down, but she instantly sprang to her feet and hurried toward Sabrina. The two women hugged.

“I'm so happy for you,” Cleo said genuinely.

At least she could say
that
without feeling as if she were lying. She
was
happy Sabrina was going to have a baby. They could discuss infants and pregnancy to their hearts' content without boring everyone else, and their children would grow and play together.

Tears glittered in Sabrina's eyes. “I'm about two months along. I didn't say anything when I first found out because there was so much other stuff going on, but I'm ready to let everyone know.” She brushed at the tears on her cheeks. “I don't get it. I'm barely feeling any morning sickness, but I can't seem to stop crying.”

“Hey, that happened to me all the time, too,” Cleo said, returning to the sofa and plopping down. She glanced at Zara. “Feeling any pressure?”

Zara chuckled. “Maybe a little. But Rafe and I have talked about kids, and while we want several, we both would like at least a year with just the two of us. We want to travel and adjust to being married.” Zara glanced around at the soaring thirty-foot ceilings and the eight-hundred-year-old tapestries on the walls. “Plus I have to get used to living in the City of Thieves.”

“That's not a hardship,” Sabrina said with a wave of her hand. “It's great here. To be honest, I hate being away from the castle.” She leaned forward and began pouring tea. “Please help yourself.”

Cleo eyed the table laden with all kinds of cakes, cookies, sandwiches and scones. There were also silver-trimmed glass bowls filled with different kinds of salad nestled on ice, and plates of fruit.

They discussed Sabrina's pregnancy. Cleo mentioned the name of the doctor she was going to see for her monthly checkup, and Sabrina talked about the possibility of seeing a midwife from the village outside the main castle. The whole time they talked, Cleo could feel Zara watching her. Finally she turned to her foster sister.

“You might as well tell me what's on your mind. You know you're going to say it eventually.”

Zara tilted her head. She and Sabrina looked amazingly alike, with their long dark hair and big brown eyes. But while Sabrina was completely comfortable in her surroundings, Zara had the air of someone who expected to wake up from a dream at any moment.

“Are you happy with your life?” Zara asked.

The question surprised Cleo. It also made her choke as her herbal tea went down the wrong way.

Happy with her life? What was that? Cleo could recall specific events that had made her happy—an unexpected birthday party when she'd turned sixteen or a weekend trip with Zara. For her happiness came in measurements of hours, maybe even the occasional day, but never in terms of a life.

“I'm still adjusting,” she said, hedging.

Sabrina didn't look any more convinced by her answer than Zara did. “How's my brother treating you?”

She thought about his daily attentions each morning, when he brought her breakfast and talked to their unborn child. She thought of the tenderness of his embrace, when he pulled her close to make love with her.

“He's good to me…in an arrogant-prince sort of way.”

Zara and Sabrina exchanged a glance. “Then why are your eyes so sad?” her former foster sister asked.

Cleo set down her tea. Part of her wanted to tell the truth because she needed to talk to someone. She felt a little strange about confiding her deepest feelings in front of Sabrina, but the odds were that Zara would tell her, anyway. Besides, Sabrina knew Sadik—maybe she could offer advice.

“He cares about the baby,” Cleo said slowly. “I know he has committed himself to the marriage.”

“But?” Zara promoted.

Cleo put her hand on her round belly. “We didn't plan this. Once I went home, Sadik never bothered to get in touch with me. I'm not sure he would have ever thought of me again if I hadn't shown back up on his radar scope. He wouldn't have married me if I hadn't gotten pregnant.”

Sabrina set down her cup, as well. “I get it,” she said sympathetically. “You're in love with him. I'm sorry I didn't see it before. I mean I should have guessed.”

Zara looked stunned. She glanced from Cleo to Sabrina, then slowly shook her head. “No,
I
should have seen it. Oh, Cleo, you went and fell for him, didn't you?”

For once her hormones seemed to be asleep because she managed to nod without breaking into tears. “I didn't mean it to happen. Obviously, he doesn't love me. He's still in love with Kamra—he told me so,” she added quickly when Sabrina started to protest. “He gave her his heart, so he doesn't have it to share with me. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do now. I asked the king if I could leave, but he won't let me.”

“Of course not,” Sabrina said gently. “You're carrying his first grandchild. Any child I have will be heir to the City of Thieves, and Zara's children won't be in line for the throne. Besides, the king really likes you, Cleo. He's not going to let you walk away.”

“I found that out.” She spread her hands, palms up. “So I'm trapped. I love a man who won't love me back. Maybe one of you would like to slap me and tell me to snap out of it. That or offer really good advice about how to make this work. I figure we're in the marriage for the long haul. I'd like to make it a happy relationship. If not for us, then at least for our children.”

There was a long, awkward silence. So much for brilliant advice.

Sabrina stood and moved around the coffee table. She sat next to Cleo and took her hand. “Don't give up on Sadik's heart. I saw him with Kamra years ago and the thing is, I don't remember anything. When they were together it was uninteresting. When you two are together sparks fly.”

“At the risk of telling you more than you want to know, that's just about sex.”

Sabrina grinned. “You've had sex?” She touched Cleo's belly. “No kidding. I think we're all aware of that.” Her smile faded. “I meant what I said about Kamra. He never looked at her the way he looks at you. There's definitely something between you. If it's passion, then that's something to build on.”

Sabrina squeezed her fingers. “Don't forget how my brothers were raised. There were virtually no mother figures around. They were shuttled off to boarding school at a ridiculous age. They don't know how to express their feelings. Sex may be all Sadik is capable of right now.”

“But he loved Kamra.” And he refused to love her.

“Did he love her?” Sabrina asked. “Or does he want to remember loving her? If he builds a shrine in his mind, then he gets to have happy memories. But what I remember is that she was spineless. I don't think she ever had an opinion of her own. She would have made him crazy in a matter of months.”

“I make him crazy now.”

“Maybe, but in the best way possible. Don't give up. Not on him or your marriage. I think you have the potential for something amazing.”

Cleo desperately wanted her sister-in-law's words to be true. Given her current situation, she didn't have any choice but to hope.

A
t four that afternoon Sabrina and Zara walked Cleo to the entrance of the palace. Cleo could hear the approaching helicopter in the distance. She supposed that transportation-on-demand was one of the “princess perks.” It beat having to travel to the City of Thieves by car…or even camel.

“Just let me know when the childbirth classes start,” Zara was saying. “I'll be there. Once you get close to delivery, we'll have a helicopter standing by. When you're within a week of delivering, I'll move into the palace.”

Cleo hugged her sister close. “I know Rafe is going to hate me for taking you away from him, but thank you for offering to be with me. It means a lot.”

“Rafe understands,” Zara promised. “Besides, if he gets lonely, he can always come spend the night with me.”

Sabrina touched her own still-flat stomach. “My big request is that you both lie about how bad childbirth is. I want to hear happy, pain-free stories. Don't tell me about screaming or blood or anything icky.”

Cleo laughed. “You got it. You'll get the made-for-TV version.”

As the helicopter touched down, Sabrina and Zara promised to be in touch soon. Cleo waved goodbye, then headed for her ride. As she approached the buglike vehicle, she was surprised when the door opened and a familiar, tall man stepped down.

Flying in the face of common sense and all that was reasonable, her heart skipped into overdrive. It was as if the silly organ hadn't figured out it was foolish to fall for a man still in love with someone else. But despite the lecture, Cleo couldn't help but be happy at the sight of her husband.

He hurried toward her.

“I came to escort you home,” he said, bending down to kiss her lightly, before taking her hand in his. “Had you told me you wished to visit your sister and Sabrina, I would have come with you this morning.”

Startled, she couldn't help asking, “Why?”

“So you would not make this journey alone.”

Cleo thought about the pilot and copilot who had accompanied her. She'd hardly been by herself. “I was fine.”

He frowned at her. “You are my wife. I expect better than ‘fine' for you.”

She wasn't sure what to say to that. Rather than speak, she allowed Sadik to help her into the helicopter. He fastened her seat belt, then settled next to her. Once they were airborne it was difficult to speak over the engine and the whipping of the rotors, but Cleo didn't mind. It was enough to be next to Sadik, holding his hand.

Maybe Sabrina had been right. Maybe there was a chance that they could make it work. After all, the precious ghost of Kamra might still have possession of his heart, but it could not give him a child. A child would be a strong bond between them.

Cleo vowed then and there to release the past and her pain about his lingering affection for his late fiancée. Instead she would focus on all that was positive between them. They were going to have a child. Sadik had promised to be a supportive and faithful husband. They enjoyed each other's company and there was great passion between them. Somehow she would make that enough.

 

Cleo pushed aside her dinner plate and reached for the wallpaper sample book.

“Sadik, you have to be practical. Despite your claims to the contrary, the baby
could
be a girl.”

Her husband of two months dismissed her with a flick of his hand. “I am a prince of Bahania. I only have sons.”

“While I can appreciate that, you do know it's not your decision.” She shook her head when he would have interrupted. “I know that technically the father determines the sex of the child. My point is, you don't get to pick which sperm decides to do the happy dance with my egg. What if it was a girl sperm?”

Instead of answering, he simply stared at her. No doubt his point was that as he was a Bahanian prince, his girl sperm would have the good sense to stay behind the boy sperm, thus ensuring the birth of a male child.

She gave a mock sigh of surrender. “Fine. We'll assume the baby is a boy. But on the one-in-a-million chance that it's a girl, I would prefer we not pick trains and airplanes for the border print. Either we find something neutral or we wait until the baby is born.”

They sat at the dining-room table in their suite, having just finished dinner. Sadik still wore the suit he'd put on for work, but he'd removed his jacket and pulled off his tie.

Now he reached across the table and took her hand in his. “Whatever you would prefer, Cleo. If you like your teddy bear paper, then that is my wish, also.”

She wasn't surprised by his statement. In the past few weeks, they'd both gone out of their way to defer to the other person's opinion. She supposed they were figuring out how to make their marriage work. Once she'd given up on the idea of having Sadik love her, everything else became easier. He was supportive, attentive and affectionate. Whenever she got a knot in her stomach or thought how much better things
could
be, she reminded herself that this was enough.

“Bears it is,” she said, opening the sample book to that page and writing down the order number. “I'll call about it in the morning.”

“I can have my secretary order the paper.”

She smiled. “By the time I explained what I want, I could have just as easily called the company myself.” She flipped to another page on the pad. “Also, we have to coordinate what day we want the baby's room painted.”

“I remember. You pick the most convenient day and I will arrange for us to use one of the guest rooms for the night.” He rose and drew her to her feet, then kissed her lightly on the mouth. “I do not want you breathing in the paint fumes. We will stay in a guest room until the paint is dry and the smell is gone.”

She knew there was no point in arguing. The baby's room was on the other side of the suite, and she doubted the paint would bother her. Still, Sadik was being sweet, and she didn't want to discourage that kind of behavior.

He led her to the sofa in the living room. When she settled herself on the soft cushions, he sat on the coffee table in front of her and lifted one of her feet onto his lap. Strong fingers massaged her arch. As he rubbed away her tension, she let her head fall back.

“You do that very well,” she murmured.

“I read about it in one of my books.”

She opened her eyes and glanced at the stack of books on pregnancy that Sadik had ordered from the Internet. He hadn't simply ordered them—he'd read every word and he'd remembered what he'd learned. He was constantly spouting off information she didn't know. Of the two of them, he was far more mentally prepared to have the baby than she was.

“Circulation is most important for the pregnant woman,” he said matter-of-factly. “It is why I encourage you to sleep on your side and not on your back. There is a large vein that returns blood from your lower body. When you sleep on your back, you cut off that route. You must use your body pillow.”

“Yes, Sadik,” she said meekly.

He raised his eyebrows. “You say the words, but I do not think you agree with the seriousness of the matter.”

“When you're doing that to my toes, it's hard to take anything seriously.”

He responded by changing the subject. “Have you chosen the furniture yet? It will all have to be made by hand, so there is not much time.”

They'd pored through dozens of catalogs, along with visiting local baby boutiques. “I'm leaning toward using antiques that are here in the palace. The king showed me some of the things placed in storage last week.” She smiled. “Maybe I can find your old crib.”

He placed one foot on the ground and reached for her other leg. “I would prefer our son not be forced to use my old castoffs.”

“They're not castoffs. They have sentimental value.”

“Not to me.”

“You were a baby. You can't remember.”

“I recall enough. You may use any antiques you wish but not things I had as a child.”

Sadik could be difficult and arrogant and stubborn, but except for the topic of their baby's gender, he was almost never unreasonable.

She pulled her foot free of his touch and leaned toward him. “I don't understand.”

“I know.”

She reached toward him, but before she could touch him, he rose to his feet and stalked to the far side of the room.

“Sadik?”

“I ask that you not argue with me on this matter.”

“If it means so much, I promise I won't look for anything that belonged to you. But I don't understand why you're being so insistent.”

He stood by the French doors leading out to the balcony that encircled that level of the palace. The sun had long since set and they hadn't pulled the drapes, so as he gazed at the glass all he could see was a reflection of the room. Cleo stared at that same reflection, trying to read her husband's expression.

“Are you angry?” she asked.

“No.” He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets. After what felt like several minutes, he turned to her and drew in a deep breath. “Some time ago you told me of your past. How you had grown up in poverty, with a mother who was rarely around.”

She nodded.

“You were surprised that I did not judge you or find you wanting. You were surprised when I admired your strength for overcoming the conditions under which you had been born.”

“I remember.”

“I am Prince Sadik of Bahania, second-born son to King Hassan. I am the master of my fate.”

She smiled gently. “I've actually heard that speech before.”

“I know. Sometimes I say it to make myself believe it is so.”

What was he talking about? “There's no question of you being the king's son.”

“Agreed. I do not fear being branded illegitimate. My parents were married.” He returned to the sofa and sat down next to her but not touching. He didn't look at her. “My father had two great loves in his life. Zara's mother, and Reyhan and Jefri's mother. His first arranged marriage produced my older brother, Murat, and his second produced me. There was no love lost in either case. Murat's mother died in childbirth, and my mother killed herself rather than be with him. Or me.”

All the blood rushed from Cleo's head, leaving her feeling as if the room had begun to spin. Her heartbeat sounded loud in the silence. She struggled to find words.

“What happened?”

“She took pills. I was still very young and did not realize the significance of what she had done for some time. It does not matter.”

But of course it mattered. Cleo knew it mattered very much, although she couldn't say exactly how.

“So you were left alone?”

He shrugged. “My father was king. He had affairs of state. There were nannies for a time, then I was sent off to school when I was seven.”

Cleo might not have a drop of royal blood in her veins, but she knew what it was like to grow up lonely. She couldn't fix Sadik's past, but she could promise him that history would not repeat itself.

“When I was very young, I swore that no matter what, I would never abandon my child the way I'd been abandoned,” she told him. “No matter what, Sadik, I will be there for our child.”

“As will I.”

Sadik stared into Cleo's beautiful face and saw the conviction blazing in her eyes. At that moment, as they shared their vows, he felt closer to her than he had ever felt to anyone. He had never shared the horrors of his past before. His brothers knew, of course, but they did not speak of such things. He had never talked of it with his father. Yet the information was all there, in the back of his mind. The knowledge that his mother could not have been bothered to stay alive to be with him for the first few years of his life.

He told himself he was a grown man and such events from his past had no meaning. Most of the time he believed the words.

He shifted on the sofa and held out his arms. Cleo came to him instantly. She snuggled close, her growing belly pressing into his side. He accepted her comfort, enjoying the heat of her body and the way her small hands clung to him.

Her nearness made the ghosts of the past fade as his body responded to her curves and her fragrance. Desire filled the empty places inside of him. But he did not reach for her. Not yet. Instead he waited, wanting her to be the one to reach for him.

Over the past few weeks he had seen a change in Cleo. She no longer demanded that he love her. The word never passed her lips. He had seen her trying to make their marriage a success and he did his best to improve things between them. Yet despite her smiles and easy laughter, he sensed there was something missing. When he touched her in bed, she was always willing, yet she never touched him first.

He did not mind seducing her each time. Seducing Cleo was the stuff of dreams. But he knew there was still a wall between them. Sometimes he thought even
she
did not realize there was something wrong. Because he knew her so well—the sound of her breathing, the beat of her heart—he could not likewise be fooled.