he didn’t believe that she was truly in danger, but he was still standing there, wasn’t he? He was standing there because of her, and for the first time in her life she had a glimpse of what it might be like to not be totally alone.
Alexa studied the width of his shoulders and the power of his body, and wondered for a moment what he would say if she told him the truth about her life.
And then she turned and swam in the opposite direction, horrified that the thought had even entered her head.
That wasn’t going to happen.
Confiding in anyone was a mistake, as she’d learned at a pitifully early age when she’d still believed that life was fair and people were good.
And now, finally, hope had returned and the only way to give it a chance to blossom into a whole new life was to keep her thoughts to herself and not talk. Those skills had been essential to her very survival, and she wasn’t about to change that now. It appalled her to think she’d even considered it. Yes, he was watching over her, but only because that was his job. To read sentiment or emotion into his actions would be unforgivably naïve. And she wasn’t naïve, was she? Just horribly lonely—but she’d been that way for so long she didn’t understand why she would suddenly be reaching out to anyone.
Alexa pulled herself from the water, and then froze as she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. ‘Karim—’
‘Yes?’ The word hissed from his lips, but he didn’t turn.
Wondering what possible reason he had to be in such a foul temper, she kept her eyes fixed on the dust at her feet. ‘I think this might be one of those occasions when I need saving. If you’re not going to turn around, then I need to borrow your knife. We have a visitor.’
Karim turned swiftly, his hand already closing over the hilt of the dagger. Then he spotted the snake coiled in the shadows of a large boulder and breathed out heavily. ‘It’s all right. It isn’t dangerous.’
‘Really? How can you tell?’
‘The pattern behind its head.’
Alexa dropped to her knees to take a closer look at the snake, fascinated now that she knew there was no danger. ‘I’ve never seen a real one before. The camouflage is amazing. It’s exactly the same colour as the sand. I almost didn’t spot it.’ She ran a finger over the snake’s dry scales and it quickly slithered under the rock, as appalled by the contact as she was intrigued. Rising to her feet, she noticed the incredulity in Karim’s eyes. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘It was a snake.’
‘Yes.’
‘It was a large snake.’
Wondering what was responsible for his stunned expression, Alexa shrugged. ‘A large snake that wasn’t dangerous, according to you.’
‘You touched it.’
‘Yes—it felt dry. Amazing. Not slimy at all.’
He inhaled sharply. ‘Women are not usually overly fond of reptiles.’
‘Maybe I’ve just mixed with more reptiles than most,’ Alexa said lightly, glancing towards the rock to see if the snake had reappeared. ‘Sorry. Bad joke. If you really want me to have hysterics, then it could probably be arranged.’
‘You are unlike any woman I have ever met.’
Unsure whether his observation was a compliment or not, she sighed. ‘I’m just not afraid of snakes. Different things frighten different people, I suppose. Do you want a hysterical female on your hands? Because if not then I think I’ll just get dressed. I feel a bit vulnerable standing here half-naked.’
His burning gaze slid from her face to her breasts, and immediately she wished she hadn’t drawn attention to her state of undress. His eyes lingered before moving down over her waist to her skimpy pants. Aware that her flimsy wet underwear provided her with no cover whatsoever, Alexa turned quickly and pulled on her cargo trousers, ignoring the fact that the material clung to her still-damp body.
A shout from the camp disturbed them.
‘People are coming.’ Karim thrust her shirt towards her. ‘Get dressed.’
‘I’m doing my best, believe me.’ Fumbling with the buttons, her cheeks blazing, Alexa finally secured her shirt. The dip in the water had cooled her, but now she felt uncomfortably hot again and knew that it was nothing to do with the desert heat and everything to do with Karim. He was standing so close that they were almost touching, and she knew that even if they’d been traversing the Arctic Circle she would still have felt hot. All she could think about was her body—his body.
What was it about him?
Or was it her? Helpless to understand what was going on, she almost groaned in despair. Had she been locked up in one place for too long? Had her loneliness made her desperate? Had she developed some sort of fixation on her bodyguard because he was offering her protection? Some women did that, she knew. They were attracted to strong, powerful men. But she wasn’t that sort of woman. Since the death of her father, she hadn’t had a man’s protection, and she no longer expected or needed it. And she wasn’t interested in any other sort of relationship, either.
Yes, she was marrying the Sultan, but only because that was what she had to do.
She owed it to the people of Rovina, many of whom she knew had abandoned hope when her uncle had become the Regent.
Suddenly Alexa felt a flicker of disquiet as the reality of her situation slammed home. Duty or not, she was going to be marrying a man she’d never met, and that had suddenly taken on a new significance.
And she knew why.
Her gaze flickered to Karim. Sex suddenly seemed significant because for the first time in her life she was aware of herself as a woman. Karim had awakened her sexuality, feelings that she hadn’t known existed.
Her fingers shook as they fumbled with the last of her buttons. This was not the time to discover that she had a whole side to herself that she’d never imagined was there. She needed to focus on getting safely to the Citadel and marrying the Sultan, and it didn’t matter if he had four heads and no personality—she would still be marrying him.
She had to.
Her life depended on it.
The future of Rovina depended on it.
‘I will escort you back to the tent. There will be time to rest before we eat.’ His tone icy-cold and discouraging, Karim led her back along the sandy path that led from the oasis through the trees. ‘You should rest now. I’ll call you when it’s time to eat.’
‘I don’t need to sleep.’ How could she sleep when she was her own bodyguard? She needed to keep watch.
‘Then rest, at least.’ Karim frowned, as if her response had annoyed him. ‘I’ll be just outside the tent.’
She made no sense whatsoever.
And his reaction to her made
