raised one dark brow. ‘Your driver has been relieved of his duties, along with your incompetent bodyguards.’
‘You can’t do that,’ she breathed, aghast. ‘They are not at fault for my actions.’
His head cocked to one side. ‘It’s a little late for remorse now, don’t you think? If a driver can be persuaded to overlook protocol by a pair of fluttering lashes, then he has no business being entrusted with the responsibility.’
‘You can’t do this.’
‘Oh, I most certainly can,’ he purred, encircling her wrist with his strong hand.
‘For tonight, at least, your safety is my responsibility.’
She did not know why, shock perhaps, but she put up virtually no fight as he guided her into the limousine that lay in wait by the roadside. The team of guards retreated into their own imposing vehicles to the front and behind. Even when it became clear that they were driving in completely the opposite direction to her apartment, she could not speak. She felt cold, the skin on her arms prickling with gooseflesh.
If her driver and guards had truly been dismissed, then that meant they would have already alerted King Fabian. Her father had already made it clear that he was depending on her to ensure this union went ahead at any cost. Guilt gnawed at her stomach as she closed her eyes, focusing on the gentle sway of the car to distract herself from the many reasons why, once again, she was an utter disappointment to her parents. This was the first and only thing the King had ever asked of her directly, the first time he had spoken to her since...well, since he had decided she was no longer worth speaking to. She had finally been given an opportunity to prove herself, to save her kingdom. And, as per usual, she had failed spectacularly.
‘Are we to travel in silence?’ The Sheikh was facing her, one long leg propped over the other, making him seem larger and more imposing in the small space.
‘I fail to see how making idle chit-chat with you will make this situation any easier.’ She purposefully directed her gaze out at the passing blur of streetlamps and shadows.
‘You seem quite indignant for someone who chose to run away from her guards for a wild night out.’ His voice held only the smallest hint of impatience.
‘I am not the one who did anything wrong here.’
‘Aren’t you?’ He met her gaze evenly.
Before she could retaliate, the car came to a stop outside one of the most exclusive hotels in London. They were escorted inside by the Sheikh’s entourage, who shielded them both from view until they were safely inside a private lift.
The Sheikh’s suite spanned the entire top floor of the building, offering a breathtaking view of the London skyline. She was instantly drawn to look out at the majestic sea of lights of the city she had spent virtually no time exploring in the past five years.
She was aware of the bodyguards moving around as they performed a thorough check of the rooms. A handful of other men and women appeared briefly, speaking to the Sheikh in a language she assumed to be Zayyari. Her studies had included most European languages, along with ancient Greek and Latin, but she had no experience of Middle Eastern tongues. The way the syllables cut and rolled off their tongues was fascinating; it was a struggle not to turn and observe the conversations.
After a while she became aware of the lack of noise in the open-plan living space. She turned just as he reached her side.
Sheikh Khalil cleared his throat gently. ‘Have you spent all of this time appreciating the view or plotting on ways to escape, I wonder.’
She turned to face him fully. ‘At what point did I become your prisoner?’
‘Despite how others may portray me, I am not a tyrant. I assured your family that I would escort you to Monteverre personally and I will not go back on my word, even if you choose to end our arrangement.’
His gaze travelled briefly to her mouth before returning upwards. Did she imagine the slight dart of his tongue to moisten his lips before he spoke again?
He took another step so that he was by her side, one hand braced on the glass. ‘I came to London to meet my future Queen on neutral ground. To ensure that we might begin our union on equal footing and avoid history repeating itself. It seems I’m destined to fail on that point.’
Cressida lowered her gaze, knowing he was referring to his failed engagement with her older sister, Olivia. The fact that she was a replacement bride should offend her, but she couldn’t blame him for wanting Olivia as his first choice. Her sister was graceful and beautiful with a flawless talent for public speaking. Who wouldn’t want her as their Queen? The arrangement between Monteverre and Zayyar had been in negotiations for months until her sister had chosen to walk away before accepting the proposal.
‘You are our last chance, Cressida. Make me proud.’
‘Tell me why you didn’t reveal yourself straight away,’ she said, ignoring the echo of her father’s voice in her mind and firmly throwing down the gauntlet between them. She simply could not go ahead with the deal if tonight had been some kind of practical joke. She had some pride. But could she truly return to Monteverre a failure?
‘It was interesting to find myself meeting you without the complication of my own identity in the way,’ he said simply.
‘You see yourself as a complication?’ she asked quietly, mulling over his words.
‘When seeing a person as they truly are, yes.’
She raised her brows at his honesty. She knew all too well how the world changed once people knew you had a title in front of your name. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
‘I am not in the habit of using women as toys to amuse myself—was that what you accused me of?’ He raised one brow in challenge. ‘However, I will admit when I am wrong. I should have immediately announced my identity once I realised you had no idea who I was.’
‘Yes. You should have.’ She bit her bottom lip, trying not to look at him directly lest she be overtaken by another flashback to what it had felt like to be in his arms.
‘But perhaps none of that matters, as you have said you are finished with all of this and never wish to see me again.’ There was no playfulness in his words as he moved across the room to take a seat in the living area. ‘Truthfully, this entire deal has been a fiasco from the start, with your father’s lies and manipulations. It’s clear to me now that you can’t have been entering into this marriage willingly if this is how you choose to spend your free time.’
Cressida felt a prickle of irritation rise within her at his easy reclined posture and flippant judgement. There was no way she was going to beg this arrogant man to honour their agreement. And yet she was not quite ready to return to Monteverre if that meant her father lost the deal that would salvage their kingdom’s failing economy.
She settled for a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. ‘This is an unusual situation for me, Your Highness, not that it’s any of your business.’
‘Perhaps both of us acted on impulse, Princess. But still, now I’ve met you I can’t see how you will be happy away from the freedom and thrills of this kind of life. I have a duty to my people to give them a Queen who will be fulfilled by her role.’
‘Why
