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truly believe that your uncle might follow us?’
‘Maybe not in person, but he’ll send his men.’ Her eyes shifted to his face. ‘If he can stop this wedding he will, Karim.’
Suffering from an almost agonizing attack of sexual tension, Karim found himself wishing that her uncle had shown more skill in his persuasion techniques. At least then he wouldn’t be facing a night alone in the desert with a female who made him feel uncomfortably out of control.
‘We will stay here tonight. It is a regular watering-hole for camel trains. The accommodation will be simple but sufficient for our needs.’ And hopefully sufficient to convince her that life in a hot desert-country was not for her. For the sake of his sanity, he hoped she would make the decision sooner rather than later. He could have her back at the airport within a day.
Clearly oblivious to his physical torment, she peered out of the window. ‘I didn’t think trees grew in the desert.’
‘They are date palms. And even in the arid desert, there is water.’
‘So, who stays in this place usually?’
‘Wandering desert tribes. And tourists wanting to discover the “real” Zangrar.’ He opened the door of the vehicle. Immediately a man hurried towards them and fell to his knees. Feeling another surge of tension, Karim spoke softly and watched as the man scrambled to his feet quickly and backed away.
Alexa climbed out of the car and joined him, astonishment on her face as she watched the man. ‘Why did he bow? What did you say to him?’
Without missing a beat, Karim slammed the car door shut. ‘Unfortunately he guessed that you are the royal princess who is to marry the Sultan. I told him that we don’t want your identity revealed.’
‘Karim, I look like any other tourist. How could he possibly know who I am?’
‘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