He was trying to embarrass her. And he was succeeding—but she’d be damned if she’d let him know it.
God, what a horrible man!
“How long before we’re home?”
“Sit down, Madison.”
“Answer the question.”
His eyes narrowed. “Try asking it with some courtesy and perhaps I will.”
“I want to know how long it’s going to take until—”
“Six hours.”
She blinked. “Six …?”
“We’ve been flying for four hours. Six more, and we arrive in Dubaac.”
“I said, home. New York. If you think you can frighten me by pretending we’re—”
“Why would I want to frighten you, habiba? My home is Dubaac. That is where we are going.”
“You mean—you mean, when you said—when you said—”
Tariq shot to his feet.
Crimson patches had ridden high on her cheeks when she’d finally emerged from his bedroom. Now, she’d lost color so quickly he was afraid she might faint, and he’d already been the cause of that once before.
He wasn’t going to let it happen again.
Bad enough he’d made love to her without asking if it was safe for the baby. At least, then, he’d had an excuse. The part of his anatomy that had been doing his thinking wasn’t much for logic.
But he could have dealt with what she’d just asked him with a little more finesse.
It was only that she drove him insane when she got that holier-than-thou look on her beautiful face.
“Sit!” he barked, and before she could protest, he caught her in the curve of his arm and drew her down on the love seat with him. “Are you going to pass out?”
“No,” she whispered.
No, indeed, he thought grimly.
“Put your head forward.”
“I’m fine.”
“Did I ask your opinion, habiba? Bend forward. Lean against me.”
She wanted to argue or, better still, ignore the command, but his hand was on the back of her head, gently but insistently easing it forward. With a sigh, she let her forehead settle against his shoulder.
The terrible truth was that she did feel woozy. The doctor had said her health was excellent but that in early pregnancy some women might feel that way.
“Ahh,” she said, and shut her eyes at the wonderfully cold sting of ice against the nape of her neck.
“Good?”
She nodded. Wonderful, was more like it, but why tell him that?
“Is it—is it the child? Are you—”
“No. It’s nothing like that. The baby’s okay.”
“Perhaps we should not have.” He hesitated; his voice lowered and she felt the warmth of his breath at her temple. “Perhaps we should not have made love.”
Madison looked up. “What we did,” she said, “was have sex.”
“Lean your head against me, damn it!” The ice cube moved lightly over her skin again. “Perhaps you should eat something.”
“We just had lunch …”
“Hours ago,” he said sternly. “Besides, you are eating for two now, remember? Yusuf!”
Yusuf came running, as if conjured by Aladdin’s lamp.
“My lord?”
“Bring us something to drink. Water. Juice. Something cold.”
“Certainly, your highness.”
Yusuf inclined his head and started toward the galley. Tariq’s bellow stopped him.
“Sir?”
“Bring something sweet, as well. Cake. Chocolate.”
“Of course, your highness.”
“And do it quickly!”
“I will, sir.”
Madison, face still tucked against Tariq’s shoulder, gave a little laugh.
“Doesn’t he know that dawdlers can be drawn and quartered?”
“Very amusing. Do you feel better?”
“Yes. I can get up now.”
“You cannot.” She heard the cube of ice plop back into the glass. “What you may do is lift your head. Slowly. Good.” His arm tightened around her. “Sit still and take deep breaths.”
“Are the words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ not part of your vocabulary?”
“Excuse me?”
“I said—”
“I heard what you said.”
Yusuf appeared with a tray. Tariq took a tall glass of iced orange juice from it and held it to Madison’s lips. “Drink.”
“Oh, for pity’s sake, I’m pregnant, not—” Her eyes lifted to Yusuf’s, whose face was a perfect blank. “I’m pregnant,” she hissed to Tariq, “not sick. I don’t need you to hold the glass for me.”
Tariq frowned but he handed her the glass, then watched carefully as she drained it.
“Thank you.”
“You are welcome.”
“I was speaking to Yusuf.” Deliberately, Madison smiled at the attendant, who looked horrified as he took the glass from her and scurried off.
Tariq glared at Madison.
“Do you think you will win allies by insulting me?”
“When are you taking me home?”
“I asked you a question.”
“Answer mine first.”
By Ishtar, the woman was impossible! Had she no sense of propriety? They would have to discuss her behavior, and soon.
“Not until you tell me if you feel
