Exotic Affairs. Michelle Reid

than you think,’ Evie murmured. ‘You are both arrogant, both pushy, both too full of yourself.’

      ‘While you are nothing more than our tragically misunderstood victim; is that what you’re saying?’

      Evie grimaced. Put like that, she had made herself sound pathetic. ‘Your own father still has to have his say in this,’ she reminded him.

      ‘He isn’t some kind of ogre, Evie,’ Raschid replied soberly. ‘If the idea of you carrying a baby can soften your mother’s attitude towards me, then there is a good chance it can soften my father’s attitude to you.’

      ‘What—so we can all play happy families together?’ Her tone alone said she didn’t see much hope of that ever happening.

      ‘At least you can give him a chance before you completely condemn him.’

      A chance? Oh, yes, Evie could at least give him that. But she didn’t really hold out much hope for a happy ending to this.

      ‘So, what happens next?’ she asked.

      Raschid removed his hands from her and straightened his shoulders in a way that reminded Evie of those occasions she had watched him donning his official robes.

      ‘I go home to Behran to break the news to him,’ he replied.

      ‘What—now—today?’

      ‘Yes.’ He took a quick glance at his watch. ‘In the next ten minutes to be more precise.’ He looked at her then, golden eyes darkened by questions.

      ‘I really caused you a lot of problems when I didn’t tell you about the baby two weeks ago, didn’t I?’ she murmured penitently.

      His shrug said it all. ‘I could have diverted my father from this course he has taken if I had known then, yes.’

      ‘I was such a miserable coward,’ Evie admitted.

      ‘No, you were not,’ he denied. ‘You were shocked, you were anxious, and you were trying to do what you believed was the right thing with your brother’s wedding day so close.’

      ‘Trying to please everyone and pleasing none,’ she translated with a rueful grimace.

      ‘Well, please me now,’ Raschid requested. ‘And stay here while I am away. As it is, your personal possessions are on their way here from your cottage as we speak, and Asim has agreed to stay here with you. He will vet any visitors or telephone calls.’

      Be her guard, in other words. ‘Is he a eunuch?’ she asked dryly.

      ‘No.’ His mouth twitched appreciatively at the reference. ‘But I trust him with my life so I can therefore trust him with your virtue.’

      ‘But can you trust me with his?’ Evie threw back provokingly.

      His answer came quick and fast—so fast she didn’t even see it coming until she was locked in his arms and being utterly consumed by the kind of kiss only Raschid could issue.

      ‘I can trust you,’ he affirmed as he drew away.

      And why could he sound so smugly confident about that? Because she was clinging to him, lost in him, drowning in him—as always.

      But then Raschid had trouble dragging himself away from her, and it was some consolation to feel his mouth come back to hers for a hot, hungry, final kiss before he could bring himself to remove her hands from around his nape and reluctantly step away.

      ‘I must go,’ he said gently. ‘My flight plan has been filed and I dare not miss my slot.’

      Which meant he was intending to fly himself to Behran, Evie realised with a small shaft of alarm that had its roots in the frightening fear that, with their luck right now, anything might happen to him during the long flight.

      ‘Take care, won’t you? And call me, whenever you can!’

      ‘I’ll call,’ he promised. ‘And I will see you again within the week.’

      Fine words, sincere words. But he didn’t call her, and neither did she see him within the next two weeks.