the vast bedroom she was shown into, Gina’s focus was on the strongly built man whose long dark hair was spread out against a bank of plump pillows on the emperor-size bed where he lay. His impressive bronzed chest was bare apart from the stark white bandage encircling his ribcage. A spectacled man with a neat black beard, she could only assume was the court physician, attended him. She bit back a gasp when she saw the spreading red stain beneath another neatly applied bandage round his hard-muscled bicep. The physician was just withdrawing a hypodermic needle from Zahir’s uninjured arm, and both men glanced round immediately as Jamal opened the door and ushered her inside.
‘Dr Collins … you have me at rather a disadvantage, I am afraid. Come closer. I won’t bite you. I hardly have either the energy or the strength for that right now!’
How could he joke at a time like this? Gina thought as she hurried forward towards the bed. ‘You’re hurt. What happened?’
‘Some foolish rebel leader thought he’d make a name for himself by killing the ruler of Kabuyadir—that’s what happened! Luckily his ill-timed bullet only glanced against my arm and side. Do not look so worried, Dr Collins … my doctor has already assured me I’m going to live.’
Again the jokey manner. She could hardly understand it. Did he really take the fact he’d almost been killed so lightly? ‘That’s not funny. Don’t you have a bodyguard or someone looking out for you when you do this kind of thing?’ Because she was worried and upset, it was hard to control the quaver in her voice.
‘My bodyguard took a bullet in the leg and is now being taken care of in hospital.’
Zahir’s voice was full of frustration, and for a moment she saw regret and anger in his glance. She suddenly wished that Jamal and the doctor would leave them alone together, so that she could ascertain for herself how he was really feeling. Something told her he must be putting on a front of some kind. But then his rich dark gaze turned surprisingly warm as he surveyed her. To add to her surprise, he reached for her hand and possessively held it—clearly unconcerned that his physician and servant bore witness to the gesture.
They watched in silence as the doctor collected the tools of his trade and returned them to a bulky leather case. He spoke briefly in their shared language to Zahir, and his patient nodded as he listened. Then the man respectfully bowed, before backing away towards the door. Jamal held it open for him.
Catching his servant’s eyes, Zahir said in English, ‘You may leave us. I will be perfectly all right now. Shortly I will take the good doctor’s advice and get some sleep. Make sure news of the incident does not reach my sister’s ears before I get the chance to tell her myself.’
‘Yes, Your Highness.’
The door quietly closed, leaving them alone.
Staring down at the small slender hand he still clasped in his, Zahir raised it to his lips and planted a tender kiss there.
Biting her lip, Gina felt tears spring to her eyes. ‘You shouldn’t take such terrible risks,’ she murmured, and she didn’t care that he was a ruler of a kingdom. To her he was just a man—a man whose welfare she cared about more than any words could possibly convey.
‘I do not like this—that I make you weep,’ he said gently, brushing away the damp trail that wet her cheek. ‘And trust me—this is not how I’d planned to spend the night with you.’
She did a mental double-take as his provocative words registered. Tugging her hand free from his clasp, she stared. ‘Spend the night? What are you talking about, Zahir?’
‘Do you really not understand me?’
‘I told you already that I am here in a professional capacity only—that I—’ She couldn’t continue, because sudden self-consciousness had robbed her of the power to keep talking. The man lying atop the great bed, in black silk pyjama bottoms that fastened at least an inch and a half beneath his belly button, clearly did not share her problem. Tearing her gaze away from his perfectly taut stomach and slim bronzed hips, she found her body flooded with disconcerting heat.
His sculpted lips curved in the most licentious smile. ‘You can assume your professional capacity—whatever that means—during the day, but what is to stop us being together during the night? I know you are not immune to my attentions, even though you might hide behind the cover of your professional role.’
‘Look … I know you’re hurt, and you’re probably just looking for some kind of comfort, but I’m not jumping into bed with you just because—because it happened before.’ If you could honestly forgive me for my mistake in not coming back, Gina thought anguished. If you really believed in the love I thought we shared that night we were together … then nothing could stop me sharing your bed. But I know because of what you now feel about the Heart of Courage’s prophecy—and because you think I rejected you without a single regret—that that’s not the case.
‘I have a proposition for you.’ His dark-eyed glance didn’t waver. ‘That’s what I wanted to see you about.’
‘And that is?’
‘I am not going to waste time play acting and pretending I don’t desire you, so I will get straight to the point. Many wealthy and powerful men in my position take a mistress. I haven’t done so yet because I have never met a woman to meet all my requirements in every way. That is not until you came into my life again, Gina. I would like you to stay here in Kabuyadir. If you stayed you would not want for anything … ever. Anything you wanted that it was within my power to give you, you would have.’
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Beneath her robe her heart thudded painfully. Moving away from the side of the bed, she tucked a loose tendril of shining blonde hair back. ‘I gather I’m meant to take such an offer as a compliment?’
‘At least it shows I am not rejecting you as you so easily rejected me. At least I am being honest about the fact that I want you in my bed again.’
‘Lust is a poor substitute for genuinely caring about someone, Zahir.’ She wouldn’t say the word ‘love’ in his presence … not yet. Not while he was clearly intent on somehow making her pay for not returning to him three years ago. Still she would not close the distance between them, and a soft sigh escaped her. ‘Do you think I should settle for that because you feel I owe you in some way? Anyway, I can’t stay here indefinitely. Once I’ve given you all the information I have on the jewel—and seen it for myself—I’ll be heading home again. I have a job to get back to—a job that I’ve wanted for a long time and worked hard to get. I also have a father who hasn’t been very well lately, so I’m afraid you’ll just have to find someone else to fill the position of Sheikh’s mistress.’ She started to walk across the marble-tiled floor towards the door.
‘Gina!’
His call stopped her in her tracks. Alarmed, she turned to see that Zahir had moved to the edge of the bed and was getting to his feet. She saw him sway a little, and dashed back to his side.
‘What do you think you’re doing? For goodness’ sake, get back to bed before you do some irreparable damage to yourself!’
‘What do you care?’ he retorted sulkily, reluctantly allowing her to help him lie down and rest his head against the stack of plump pillows again. ‘You would leave on the first plane home without caring whether I lived or died.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘You
