The Sheik's Secret Bride (17 page)

The trick would be to keep her heart firmly out of reach. She couldn’t risk caring about him. In fact, if she were completely honest with herself, she was already a little nervous about having bonded. She didn’t think she was the one-night stand type. So she would have to be careful to keep her heart firmly locked up. Still, it might be worth it. After all how often did a woman like her get to
—

A young woman stuck her head into the tent. Liana dove under the covers while
Malik
rose. “Good morning,” he said. “Have you brought coffee?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the woman said in slow, careful English. She nodded at
Malik
, then moved toward the low table and set down a tray.

She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. The shapeless robe and veil over her face made it difficult to tell.

“Don’t worry,”
Malik
told Liana. “This is simply desert hospitality at its finest. It’s a great honor for her to serve us coffee.”

“Yeah, and she caught me in your bed. What on earth are the
tribespeople
going to say about that? Aren’t they fairly traditional in their beliefs about sex?”

Malik
didn’t meet her gaze. “It’s not a problem.”

She opened her mouth to question him more, but the young woman claimed her attention by approaching the side of the bed. She stopped and knelt on the thick rugs, then, with a glance back at
Malik
as if confirming he would stay where he was, she dropped her veil and smiled.

“Good morning, Princess Liana,” she said, speaking slowly, as if reciting a prepared speech in a language that was difficult for her. “Best wishes to you on the event of your marriage to the lion of the desert.”

“Married? Married?” Liana knew she’d been repeating the word over and over, but she didn’t know what else to say.

“It’s not what you think.”

She glared at
Malik
from her corner in the rear of the limo. She’d been silent for the first hour or so of their trip, but she couldn’t contain herself anymore. “Are we or are we not married?”

“We’re married.”

“Then it’s exactly what I think.”

This was not happening, she thought frantically as she stared out the window at the desert stretching to the horizon. It was a horrible dream brought on by lack of sleep, or too much sex or something, because she refused to believe it was real. She and
Malik
could not be married because there hadn’t been a ceremony. She was sure she would have remembered participating in one and reciting her vows, but she didn’t.

Of course she didn’t remember much of anything from the last hour except getting close to hysteria and insisting they return to the palace immediately. She wanted everything settled as soon as possible, and she had a feeling that wasn’t going to happen while they were out in the desert. She wanted to get back to the safety of the city. Once there, all this would make sense. She would find out there had been some kind of a mistake. That was it.
A mistake.
And soon everything would be put to right.

“Liana, you have to let me explain,”
Malik
said.

She spun to face him. “Explain away. I would love to hear how you and I got married, because I sure don’t remember it happening. And let me assure you, I’m not going to sit idly by while you attempt to run my life again. I don’t know what this game is, but I’m not playing.”

Malik
reached for her hand, but she pulled her arm out of reach. “Don’t touch me,” she said. “I’m not doing that again, either. You might be a wizard in bed, but I won’t let myself be caught in that trap a second time. I can be seduced, but I’m not stupid.”

He stiffened and glared at her. “I didn’t seduce you. I made it very clear that whether or not we made love was completely up to you.”

She pressed her lips together. Damn the man, he was telling the truth.
“All right.
I’ll give you that one. I did agree.” She’d more than agreed, she thought grimly, remembering their second time. She’d been the initiator. And it had been amazing. “But I never said I would marry you. This whole thing is probably a joke to you, but it’s serious to me. We’re talking about my life. I don’t appreciate being made a pawn in some twisted game.”

Malik
started to reach for her hand again,
then
stopped. “I didn’t trick you,” he said, then paused. “At least, I didn’t start out that way.”

“How kind of you,” she said sarcastically. “So it was an accident?”

“Do you want me to explain or not?”

She pressed her lips together.
“Fine.
I’m listening.”

“I invited you to join me for a welcoming ceremony,” he began. “That’s what I expected to happen. But when we
arrived
I saw right away that
Bilal
had arranged a desert wedding instead.”

He stopped talking. She waited, but after a couple of minutes of extended silence she knew he’d finished. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say. Oops, there was a mistake? Did it ever occur to you to explain it to me? To let me in on what was happening?”

“I knew you wouldn’t go through with it.”

“No kidding!” She was so frustrated she wanted to toss him out of the moving car. “Of course I wouldn’t have gone through with it. I don’t want to marry anyone. I certainly don’t want to marry you! I can’t believe you just blindly led me into this situation. Who do you think you are?”

Malik
straightened in his seat. Even though she knew it wasn’t possible, she would have sworn he grew taller and more powerful as he spoke. “I am
Malik
Khan, Crown Prince of El
Bahar
. I am the future ruler of this nation, and I have done you a great honor by taking you as my wife.”

She opened her mouth, but no words came. What on earth was she supposed to say to that? “Well, la de
da
,” she managed at last, although saying it didn’t make her feel any better. Fortunately, the limo had arrived back at the palace.

She waited until
Sandy
slowed the vehicle, then opened the door before he brought it to a complete stop and jumped onto the paved walkway.

“I want to see the king,” she demanded as she made her way past the armed guards at attention.

Malik
was already behind her. He grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Getting this mess straightened out. There’s been a mistake. Obviously you and I aren’t really married. I don’t know what you think you’re doing but it’s not going to work.”

“Married?”

“Mommy?”

Two voices spoke at the same time. Liana groaned, then jerked her arm free and saw that Fatima and her daughter had come out to greet them.
Bethany
’s eyes were huge and her mouth quivered as if she wasn’t sure if she should smile or not.

“Mommy, did you really marry Prince
Malik
?”

“No, I did not,” Liana said, glaring at him, daring him to contradict her. “There was a little mix-up at the desert camp, but I’m going to see the king and we’ll get it all straightened out.”

“
Malik
?”
Fatima
asked inquiringly.

“There was a change of plans,” her grandson said dryly. “It wasn’t a welcoming ceremony after all. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

Liana planted her hands on her hips. “Don’t try and pass your actions off on others. You’re the one responsible.” She looked at the queen. “Excuse me,
Fatima
, but where is the king? I must speak with him right away.”

“I’ll take you to him,”
Malik
said stiffly.

“I’ll see him alone, thank you very much.” Liana started toward the palace. “You’ve already done quite enough.”

But it wasn’t to be. Even as she started down one of the many hallways,
Malik
caught up with her and took her hand. No matter how she pulled, he wouldn’t release her. And to make the situation even more humiliating, she’d turned the wrong way, so they had to backtrack to get to the king’s offices.

“You’re leaving as soon as we get there,” she told
Malik
under her breath. “I will not have this conversation while you’re in the room.”

“Then you won’t be having it, because I’m not leaving.”

“We’ll see about that,” Liana announced, even as she thought to herself that it was unlikely she was going to get her way in this matter. After all, she hadn’t gotten her way in very many other matters where
Malik
was concerned—except for the issue of living on her own in the housing by the
American
School
. And a lot of good that had done her, she thought grimly.
Malik
had let her go, only to trick her into marriage.

They rounded the corner and found themselves facing a large set of double doors. The royal seal filled the center of each door and two armed guards stood at attention. For a second Liana wondered if they would be allowed to enter, but then a male secretary came running up and opened the right-hand door for them, bowing and announcing
Malik
at the same time.

King
Givon
sat behind an impressively large desk. There were bookcases and a large sitting area by a window that looked over a stunning garden complete with a life-sized statue of an Arabian horse.

The king rose as they entered. “What an unexpected surprise,” he said, smiling at them both. “Miss Archer. I have missed having you here at the palace. I’m pleased you took the time to come and speak with me today.”

His polite greeting left Liana feeling momentarily off balance. She jerked her hand free of
Malik’s
and nodded at the king. “Your Majesty, I have a small problem and I need your help.”

Givon
raised his eyebrows then glanced at his son. “Are you that problem,
Malik
?”

“Sir,” Liana interrupted, “I would most appreciate it if we could have this conversation without the prince being present.”

“I see.” The king motioned for her to take a seat on one of the low sofas by the window. “And,
Malik
, do you wish to stay?”

“Yes, Father.”

Liana forced herself to settle on one of the soft cushions when all she really wanted to do was bounce to her feet and pace the length of the impressive room. The rugs underfoot looked as ancient as El
Bahar
itself, yet, despite their age, they were rich with color. Each design appeared to be more perfect than the one before, yet she knew that every rug had a tiny flaw worked deliberately into the weave.

King
Givon
sat next to Liana and took one of her hands in his. “I’m sorry, my child. I would dearly love to grant your request of an audience without the presence of my son, but as he wishes to be here, I cannot deny him. I hope you’ll understand.”

She didn’t at all, but she doubted it would help to say that. Instead she nodded and stared at her hands.
Her hands.
Her breath caught as she took in the patterns of henna staining her skin. Her eyes closed as she remembered reading something about henna being applied to the hands and feet of a bride. Why hadn’t she remembered this yesterday?

“I can’t believe it,” she murmured, then looked at the king. “Something horrible has happened. I understand that
Malik
is your son and the Crown Prince, but I hope you will put your personal feelings aside and hear me out.”

“Of course.”
The king nodded gravely.

Malik
moved to the window where he stood with his back to them. She had no idea what he was thinking, and she didn’t care. “Yesterday I accompanied Prince
Malik
out into the desert.” She briefly recounted her expectation that she was to participate in a welcoming ceremony, and how she’d found out this morning that she and
Malik
had somehow been married.

“It can’t be true,” she said urgently. “I never agreed to any of it. Someone has made a mistake. I won’t be married to him. I can’t be. No one asked me if I wanted to marry him.”

The king patted the hand he held. “The ancient ways are different here than in the West,” he began. “A traditional desert wedding doesn’t require the permission of the bride, only that of her family.”

“But I don’t have any family here.”

Wise dark eyes so much like
Malik’s
stared into her face. “Without family to care for you—” he began, but Liana cut him off.

She pulled her hand free and rose to her feet. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me or my daughter. I do a fine job all on my own.” She pressed her fingertips together.

“That is true,” the king agreed. “However, the old ways don’t make allowances for a woman who can support herself. Instead, a woman without family will be married off to the first man willing to provide for her. Under those circumstances, her husband is held to a higher standard because the woman is without protection.”
Givon
smiled. “In our own way, we try to see that all are taken care of.”