One Night Of Consequences Collection. Annie West

      He looked at her and his throat worked as he swallowed. ‘Do you love him?’

      Did she love him? ‘Why are you asking me that?’

      ‘Because I need to make sure I’ve done the right thing in letting you go.’

      ‘Letting me go?’ She shot him a fulminating look. ‘You told me to go. You’ve reconsidered, remember—you don’t want to marry me.’

      ‘Of course I still want to marry you. I only reconsidered the reason for our marriage.’

      Imogen shook her head. ‘You’re not making any sense. You cancelled the ceremony.’

      ‘Yes, but I didn’t want to.’

      ‘Then why do it?’

      ‘Because you told me the reason you were marrying me was because we had Nadeena and I wanted more.’

      ‘More?’

      ‘Hell.’ He swiped a hand across his face. ‘I need to start again. What I’m trying to tell you is that I love you.’

      ‘You love me?’

      Her shock must have registered on her face because his expression turned grim. ‘Yes, but if you prefer Minh then I’ll walk away.’

      ‘Nadir, Minh is gay.’

      ‘Gay!’ The look on his face was priceless and Imogen would have laughed if she hadn’t felt so ill. Had he seriously thought that Minh was her lover? Looking back, she supposed he might have got that impression initially but... ‘How could you think that I could be in love with him and make love to you?’ she demanded hotly.

      ‘As I explained to our daughter this morning, I’m an ass. Particularly where you’re concerned. I can’t seem to keep my head on straight when you’re in the room and every male who looks at you sideways is a threat.’

      ‘Are you serious?’

      ‘Yes. If you knew how many ways I wanted to hurt them—’

      ‘No.’ She gazed up at him, not really daring to believe this was happening. ‘The part about loving me.’

      Nadir cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her deeply. Imogen moaned and pulled back. ‘Stop that—it will only confuse things.’

      ‘On the contrary, our physical relationship is the only thing that’s not confused. Imogen, habibi, can you ever forgive me for being so stupid this afternoon? My only excuse is that when I saw you crying in the arms of your... friend I assumed it was because you didn’t want to marry me and I couldn’t bear the thought of hurting you.’

      ‘But why would you think I didn’t want to marry you?’

      ‘Because I realised today that I’m more like my father than I would like to think I am and that I was forcing you to bend to my will and I couldn’t do it. I wanted to set you free, to give you a choice.’

      Imogen dashed at the tears on her face. ‘I thought you had decided that you didn’t want me. That I wasn’t enough for you.’

      ‘Oh, habibi, you’re too much for me. You’re too wonderful, too beautiful, too giving. I’m pretty sure I fell in love with you the minute I saw you in Paris because I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since, only I didn’t want to see it because I was so afraid of getting hurt.’

      Imogen sniffed back more tears. ‘I’m guilty of the same thing and oh, Nadir, I feel exactly the same way. I fell in love with you the minute I saw you and I’ve never stopped. I love you so much it hurts.’ Elation rushed through her until she thought she might burst. ‘Pinch me—I can’t quite believe this is happening.’

      ‘Believe it,’ he growled, pulling her in close against him. ‘And mark my words when I tell you that there will be no more misunderstandings between us. No more worrying about how the other person feels. You know that I love you. That I will always love you and whatever children we have. Tell me you believe me.’

      ‘I believe you.’ She grinned up at him. ‘And not just because you command it to be so.’ And then she turned serious because she knew she had to be just as open with him. ‘I think part of the blame for today lies with me, though, because in my own way I saw what I expected to see and I didn’t fight for you. I didn’t fight for us. I won’t do that again. I won’t doubt either one of us again.’

      ‘And I will never give you a reason to. Now, please, habibi, if you wouldn’t mind giving me this?’ He took her ring from her finger.

      Then he got down on bended knee and Imogen didn’t think she could love him more but, before he could ask her the question she knew he was about to, there was a noise in the doorway and she looked up to find Minh standing there with Nadeena, his eyes as big as saucers as he took in the scene.

      ‘Ah, I think we’ll come back.’

      ‘No.’ Nadir rose and swiftly crossed the room. ‘I know we haven’t formally met but I am Nadir Zaman Al-Darkhan and I would like my daughter, please.’

      ‘Oh, right.’ Minh blinked up at Nadir and Imogen thought he might swoon.

      Then Nadir was in front of her again and taking up all her attention. He handed her Nadeena and then got down on one knee again. ‘I’m glad our daughter is here because I want her to witness how a man should behave when he’s in love with a woman so she will be in no doubt as to what to expect from a man in the future.’

      ‘Oh, Nadir—’ Imogen’s nose tingled as tears formed in her eyes ‘—I love you so much.’

      Nadeena clapped her hands and tried to reach for the ring Nadir held up but he shook his head. ‘Sorry, habibti, this is for your mother.’ Then he lifted his blue-grey gaze to hers. ‘Imogen Reid Benson, will you please do me the honour of becoming my wife later this afternoon?’

      ‘This afternoon!’

      ‘Yes. Apparently there is a room full of guests waiting for us.’

      ‘But I’m not ready!’

      Nadir gave her a wry smile. ‘Can I take that as a yes?’

      ‘Yes, oh, yes. Most definitely yes!’ She pulled him to his feet and stepped into his arms, where Nadeena promptly laid her head against his broad chest. Seeing it, Imogen did the same and Nadir cupped the nape of her neck and lifted her mouth to his.

      ‘I think I need a tissue.’

      Having forgotten all about Minh in the doorway, Imogen beamed him a wide smile. ‘I’m getting married.’

      Nadir brought her mouth back to his for one last searing kiss. ‘Yes, you are. In an hour. And you should know that I’ve told Zach that I intend to become King if he doesn’t want the position.’

      Imogen smiled and finally felt that everything was as it should be in the world. ‘He won’t. You were born to be King, Nadir.’ She reached up and ran her hand across his stubbled jaw, her eyes full of the love she felt for him. The love she would always feel for him. ‘You were born to be my King.’

      Nadir’s smile was slow and sexy. ‘A king who will be at your service. Always.’

      * * * * *

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