‘The wedding is an important event of relevance to all the citizens of Zangrar. Everyone in the country is aware of your existence.’
‘But if he knows who I am—’
‘He will be discreet. Do not worry about him.’ Karim pulled her small case out of the back of the vehicle. ‘The facilities here are basic, but you should be able to wash in the pool under those trees. Just watch out for the local wildlife.’ But if he’d been expecting a show of fear and revulsion at the warning, he was once again disappointed. She simply nodded, apparently more concerned with looking in the direction from which they’d just come.
‘By now, my uncle will have realized that we’ve left. He’ll be following us.’
‘Such perseverance on his part must make you wonder whether this wedding is wrong for you.’ Wondering why she refused to see what was so clear to others, Karim walked towards the tents, gesturing for her to follow him. ‘You don’t think he has your best interests at heart?’
‘No.’
‘And yet he has a great deal more life experience than you and knows you well, having cared for you since the death of your parents. It must worry him to see you so set on a marriage that he doesn’t believe will make you happy.’
When she didn’t answer, Karim sighed. Like most women, she seemed to make a point of rejecting all sensible advice that came her way. It was obvious to him that her uncle understood nothing about the workings of the female mind and had taken entirely the wrong approach. Had he insisted on the wedding taking place, there was a strong chance that by now the princess would have decided that marriage to the Sultan was definitely not for her.
No matter. If she wasn’t willing to accept the decision of others then she’d simply have to make the decision herself.
And he was going to help her.
True, he didn’t appear to have made an impact on her yet, but they still had three days of the journey to go through the harshest terrain in Zangrar.
He was confident that by the time they arrived at the Citadel she would have made the decision he wanted her to make.
But, as he urged her inside the simple tent, she turned towards him, her expression suddenly anxious. ‘I’ve got a really bad feeling about this. I think we should just rest for a short time and then carry on with our journey.’
‘You are not in charge, Alexa.’ He watched as frustration flickered across her beautiful face.
‘I could drive while you sleep.’
‘That would be beyond foolish. We will both sleep here.’
‘And if my uncle is already on our tail?’
Then he could add his persuasion to Karim’s. ‘I will protect you.’ Given that the only threat to her well-being was going to come from him, he wasn’t remotely concerned.
‘How can you protect me when you don’t believe there’s a threat? Admit it, you think I’m some sort of hysterical drama queen.’
Karim saw no reason to lie. ‘Some women are naturally more nervous than others.’
Alexa hooked her thumbs into the pockets of her trousers. ‘Do I strike you as the nervous type? Some women have more reason to be nervous than others, Karim. You might want to remember that before you stray too far from your gun.’
‘I am prepared to believe that your uncle does not want this marriage to happen, but I am sure he has your best interests at heart. You are the next Queen of Rovina. Clearly he does not think that this is a good time for you to leave the country, but that doesn’t mean that he would go to the lengths that you suggest. That would be self-defeating.’
She was silent for a moment, and he sensed that she was on the verge of telling him something important. Then she looked away. ‘Fine. If you don’t think we should travel at night, then we won’t.’
Her sudden compliance filled him with suspicion. ‘You are unusually co-operative, Your Highness. If you’re thinking of making a dash through the desert on your own, then I ought to warn you that we are sharing a tent tonight. You won’t be going anywhere without my knowledge and approval.’
‘Sharing a tent? Why would you want to share my tent?’
Karim felt his jaw tense. He didn’t want to share her tent, but nor was he so foolish as to let her out of his sight. ‘Your safety is my responsibility. My brief is to go wherever you go.’
It was her turn to look suspicious. ‘And yet you don’t believe that my uncle is a threat.’
No, but it was imperative that he stayed close to her if he was going to ensure that her experience of the desert was not a favourable one. ‘I believe that you are concerned,’ he said smoothly. ‘And hopefully my presence should reassure you.’
‘Oh.’ Her tone suggested that she’d hoped for a different answer. ‘Well, that’s better than nothing, I suppose. If you insist on sticking to me like glue, then please follow me to the pool. Are you going to swim?’
Karim gritted his teeth. It was hard to say which of the two of them was more tense. ‘I will not be swimming.’ The thought of being semi-naked in the water with this woman sent his body temperature soaring to dangerous levels.
‘I thought your brief was to go wherever I go.’
For a moment their eyes held, and awareness pulsed between them like a living force. With ruthless determination, Karim reined in the primitive reaction of his body, struggling to ignore the white-hot flash of lust that engulfed him. ‘I will keep watch while you bathe.’
‘Fine.’
Angry with himself, Karim paced towards the open flap of the tent and then turned slightly, responding to the tension inside him. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was watch while she swam naked. ‘You are sure you want to swim? Perhaps you would rather just rest before dinner—sleep again?’
‘I just had a sleep. I’m going to bathe. I’m ready when you are.’ She flipped open her case and pulled out a small towel. ‘I don’t have a costume or anything. I’ll bathe in my underwear.’
Karim felt beads of sweat sting his brow. He did not want to think about her in her underwear.
He didn’t want to think of her at all.
Alexa slid under the water, regretting her decision to swim. The pool had seemed to offer an obvious, practical antidote to the heat and dust of the journey. But what she hadn’t considered was the impact of being semi-naked with Karim standing so close. She was so hyper-aware of him that, far from feeling cool, she felt feverish and hot.
Not that he was likely to notice. He wasn’t even looking at her.
Instead he stood with his back to her, his eyes apparently fixed on some far point on the horizon. The late-evening sun shone onto the blade of his knife and it winked and flashed, a deadly reminder that this journey was not a pleasure trip.
But her fear was slightly
