Royals Untamed!. Annie West

with his father.

      ‘You’ve won him over,’ Kazim whispered in her ear as the music became louder and the dancing more lively. He gestured to her to sit as they took their places for the festivities. ‘I should have known you would. You won me over just as easily.’

      Amber was saved from replying by a dancing display before them. Women in bright colours, adorned with gold jewellery, swayed and danced as the music soared to the domed roof of the palace. It was spectacular and took on a dreamlike quality. To think, just a few days ago she was waitressing in Paris, saving for the art course she had enrolled in...

      Soon the most delicious food she’d ever tasted began to be served and she made polite conversation with those around her. Every move she made, she could feel Kazim’s eyes on her, hot and passionate, openly devouring her. Even when he was apparently deep in conversation with others she felt his gaze slide to her, slip down her body as if he was removing every piece of silk from her.

      The torment continued for several hours and, just when she thought she couldn’t take it any more, Kazim came and stood next to her, took her hand and led her away from the festivities, just as he had done on their wedding night.

      Panic sluiced over her as she wondered what would happen when they were alone. Would he retreat to his sumptuous room within their suite? Cold fear trickled down her spine, as if she were beneath an icy shower. She hadn’t mentioned the money, hadn’t told him what her mother had come to tell her about how her father was using Kazim’s money.

      All those thoughts left her mind as he turned to look at her, the black depths of his eyes swirling with unashamed passion.

      ‘This is what should have happened on our wedding night,’ he said as he closed the doors of their suite and gathered her up into his arms, marching into his room and placing her on the bed.

      ‘I thought we’d already had our wedding night, in England,’ she teased, swept away with the moment. She totally forgot her earlier decision of adopting cool aloofness as he pulled off his headdress, revealing tousled dark hair that her fingers itched to slide into.

      ‘I am making amends for the past and tonight, here in my palace, in Barazbin we shall have our wedding night.’

      He moved towards the bed and a rush of heated desire swept over her, but his next words doused the flame of passion almost instantly.

      ‘Tomorrow I am going into the desert.’

      He was leaving her? She couldn’t face being alone in the palace now. Despite the fact that until tonight he’d only tolerated her presence out of duty, she wanted to be with him. ‘I’d like to come.’

      ‘It is not a place for a princess.’ He looked at her, shock evident on his face.

      His words didn’t deter her, not once the idea had taken shape in her mind, but as he pulled off his robes, revealing his glorious body she had to focus on what he’d said.

      She should tell him about the money her father had taken from him on false pretences, but as he strode, almost naked, towards the bed, all thoughts of that left her mind.

      ‘I need to be seen with you—is that not what you said in England?’ She pushed her argument forward, trying not to give into the fire which raged inside her body as he lay on the bed next to her, propping himself up with one hand and sliding the other over her silk-covered body. ‘Take me with you.’

      ‘The desert is not a place for a princess and, besides, I live like a nomad whilst out there.’ His hand trailed seductively over her breasts and her nipples hardened in immediate response. He smiled. A knowing and sexy smile.

      ‘Would it not help your cause if I came with you?’ She purred the question at him as her body moved in answer to his caress. ‘I could keep you warm at night.’

      Instantly his mouth claimed hers in a hard and passionate kiss, which left her reeling from its intensity. His hands pulled at the sumptuous gold silk impatiently and she pressed herself against his nakedness, feeling more powerful, more attractive than she ever had before.

      This was the man she loved with all her heart and she wanted to be with him wherever he went, despite all she’d said and promised herself.

      ‘Temptress,’ he growled as finally the silk gave way and his hands found her skin. His touch burnt as his fingers caressed her breast.

      ‘Please, Kazim, I want to go with you.’ He kissed her again and she wound her arms about his neck, surrendering to the moment. When the kiss ended she whispered seductively, ‘Take me with you.’

      ‘What man could refuse such an offer?’

       CHAPTER EIGHT

      THE HEAT OF the desert was far more intense than Amber remembered. Or was it the man who was now steering the four-wheel drive across the blistering expanse of sand which stretched for miles ahead of them that was causing the intensity? Memories of yet another night in Kazim’s arms made her pulse race and she stole a glance at his profile; lines of concentration were furrowing his brow.

      All her planned indifference to him was forgotten, lost in the passion he’d brought to life within her with just one glance, one touch. She loved him and as she had to be here in Barazbin at the moment she was going to make the most of it. Certain he didn’t love her, she needed to make each and every one of those moments last her a lifetime.

      ‘I’d forgotten how beautiful the desert is,’ she said, focusing her attention on the massive sand dunes rising up on either side of them, dominating the intense blue of the skyline. She had the impression that she and Kazim were small and insignificant, pawns in a much bigger game being played out against the majestic landscape.

      ‘It can also be a dangerous place. Just one storm and everything you see will change. The desert is like life—changeable. One storm and the whole course of life alters.’ She looked at him, startled.

      Was he was referring to his father? This was the closest he’d come to telling her about what had happened. Her eyes were drawn to the way his fingers gripped hard onto the steering wheel, as if the vehicle could give him strength.

      Her heart lurched in her chest and she started to reach out to him, wanting to touch him, reassure him, but the look he shot her when he saw her movement killed that thought instantly. He was back behind his line of defence. Once again unreachable.

      ‘What happened?’ she asked, hating the hesitation in her voice because whatever it was affected her and she had a right to know. ‘The night you got that scar?’

      ‘It is no concern of yours.’ His eyes met hers briefly as the vehicle swayed endlessly across the barren gold landscape. The intensity of the angry sparks in the deep blackness of his eyes almost made her hold her tongue. But why should she?

      ‘It is, Kazim. It has implications for me—for us.’

      He looked ahead again and she did the same, as if keeping her eyes from his handsome profile would help.

      ‘As I said at the polo match, I stood between my mother and father.’

      His voice was hard and level. She could feel the control he was exerting, feel it in the tension that had suddenly filled the vehicle, and all she wanted to do was get out of it, but ahead of her was nothing but sand dunes, sculpted by the hand of Mother Nature.

      Amber sighed in frustration, not just at the lengthy and incredibly hot journey but at his reluctance to talk to her. Obviously the hours in each other’s arms these last few nights meant nothing. He didn’t want her to get close, not emotionally. He had only been staking his claim on her, preventing her from returning to the life she’d made since leaving the desert.

      Should she now tell him about the money her father had deceived him over? The money that Kazim had thought he was giving to her? What would he say when he found out her father was attacking Barazbin as a way of avenging the dishonour