With perfect recall, Karim summarized the briefing he’d received. ‘Rovina is a small principality ruled by your uncle, the Regent, who has been in power since your parents were killed in an accident. You were the only heir, and too young to ascend the throne.’ He saw darkness flicker across her beautiful face, and wondered briefly whether that tragic event had been responsible for her wild behaviour. Without the guiding hand of a father, had she gone off the rails? ‘Your late father and the Sultan’s late father were friends, and made the agreement for you and the present sultan to wed when you reached the age of twenty-four. Your birthday is in four days.’ Was it his imagination or was her breathing suddenly more rapid?
‘You’ve done your homework.’
‘One year after that, on the day of your twenty-fifth birthday, you will be crowned Queen of Rovina. Knowing that, I am intrigued as to why you would wish to move to a different continent and marry a man you’ve never even met, and whose culture and beliefs are so different from your own.’ If he talked her out of the marriage now, he could save himself an arduous journey with a woman who was undoubtedly going to whine and moan her way across the baking desert, a climate not known for nurturing patience in those who experienced it.
‘You don’t think I should marry the Sultan?’
‘On the contrary.’ Karim issued the denial smoothly. ‘I’m sure a marriage between you would be a great success. Your Highness is clearly both brave and bold, and you will need both qualities in abundance if you are to tame our sultan.’
‘Tame?’
‘I once heard a woman remark that the Sultan of Zangrar resembles a tiger who has been taken from the wild and forced to live in captivity.’ Satisfied that he had her attention, Karim delivered what he hoped passed for a sympathetic smile. ‘The woman who eventually shares his cage would have to be particularly courageous.’
Alexa laughed. ‘If you’re trying to frighten me, Karim, then you’ve picked the wrong woman.’
‘I’m not trying to frighten you,’ he lied, concealing his surprise at her laughter. ‘On the contrary, the more I see of you, the greater my conviction that you are a match for the Sultan even in one of his most dangerous moods. I just wanted to be sure that you know your own mind. If you wish to back out of the agreement, then you may do so.’
‘I don’t wish that.’
As he stared into her wide, blue eyes he felt another powerful tug of chemistry followed by a vicious tightening in his groin as white-hot lust shot through him. He wondered whether it was too soon to inform her that there was only one way the Sultan would ever want her—and that was flat on her back, naked and without the wedding ring. ‘Clearly, there is no place for love or romance in your life.’
Her beautiful blue eyes shone with genuine amusement. ‘Are you telling me that you believe in love, Karim? Are you a romantic man?’
‘This conversation is not about me.’
‘Judging from your tone, I’ve touched on a sensitive subject.’ She studied him in silence for a moment and then paced over to the window, her eyes flickering to the palace grounds. ‘I’m not pretending this marriage has anything to do with love, because we both know that it doesn’t …’ Her words tailed off and she frowned, as if surprised at herself. ‘Why am I telling you this? My reasons for wishing to marry the Sultan are not your concern. Your brief is simply to escort me safely to Zangrar.’
Karim wondered what she would say if she knew that his brief was a great deal more complex than that. The Princess Alexandra was the only one who could break this ridiculous agreement, and it was his personal responsibility to ensure that she did exactly that.
She was not a suitable wife for a sultan.
Her motive for the wedding was clearly greed, and the fact that greed alone was sufficient to compel her to marry a man of whom she knew nothing, sickened him. A woman like her would do untold damage to Zangrar, and threaten the enormous progress they had already made.
Clearly unaware that Karim’s own objective was in direct conflict with hers, Alexa paced back and forth across the room, her eyes on the door as if she expected to be disturbed at any moment. ‘So, if you insist on traveling with me, then you’d better tell me your plans for the journey.’
‘We leave at dawn. The Sultan’s private jet is waiting at the airport.’
Had he not been watching closely, he might have missed the way that her slender fingers suddenly locked and unlocked in a manifestly agitated gesture. The princess was nervous about something. The question was, what?
‘My uncle is aware of those plans?’
As she turned to face him, he could almost feel her anxiety sharpening the atmosphere of the tiny room.
‘He requested a full itinerary.’
‘And you gave it to him. Excellent.’ She was silent for a moment, apparently thinking. ‘Then we leave at dawn. My uncle wishes you to join us for dinner. As the Sultan’s envoy, you are the guest of honour. But I have one more question before we leave this room.’
‘Ask it.’
‘Are you truly good at your job, Karim? Are you really the best?’
‘Your wellbeing is my highest priority, Your Highness. You have no reason to worry about your safety.’
Her laugh was hollow. ‘You think not?’
Was she afraid of some sort of physical threat? Resolving to question the palace security-team in greater depth, Karim frowned. ‘No one would dare lay a finger on the Sultan’s future bride.’
The princess watched him for a long moment, her wide blue eyes fixed on his face with disturbing intensity. ‘Except, perhaps, those who don’t want me to be the Sultan’s bride.’
CHAPTER TWO
ALEXA sat at the long table in the banqueting hall, her hands shaking so badly she could barely hold a knife and fork. She was so on edge that it was almost impossible to sit still. If it wasn’t for the fact that her uncle would have become suspicious, she would have excused herself from dinner. As it was, she didn’t dare. Too much was at stake.
Although she was staring at her plate, she nevertheless saw Karim’s hand reach for his wine, and her attention was momentarily drawn to the strength of his long, bronzed fingers. Then his arm brushed against hers and that simple, innocent contact was enough to send heat rushing to her pelvis.
Instantly she shifted away from him, bewildered and alarmed by her inexplicable reaction to him. What was the matter with her? Why was her body selecting this particular moment to notice the finer points of the male physique? Had her mind elevated him to hero status simply because he’d insisted on remaining by her side for the journey? Surely not, when she knew perfectly well that having him there was going to threaten everything that she’d been working towards.
She needed to be the one in charge, and she definitely couldn’t risk having some autocratic, commanding bodyguard thinking that he knew what was best for her. And she certainly wasn’t going to do anything as foolish as trusting anyone with her future.
‘You’re unusually quiet, Alexa.’ Her uncle William’s cultured tones cut through the murmur of conversation around the table, and he raised his glass to Karim. ‘I hope you have decent shops in Zangrar. Alexa isn’t going to be happy somewhere that doesn’t have shops. All that glitters has to be gold, that’s her motto—isn’t that right, my sweet?’
Knowing from experience that her uncle was always at his most deadly when he used his caring voice, Alexa felt a flutter of panic and focused on the subtle flex of muscle in Karim’s forearm as he returned his glass