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“No,” she said flatly. “I don’t like being commandeered.”
“Ah.” His expression lightened. “Does it happen often?”
“Of course not!”
He shrugged, and she felt the steely strength of his body beneath her fingertips. “How unfortunate. Perhaps you simply need to give yourself over to the experience. You might find you enjoy it.”
Oh, what nerve! She opened her mouth to reply, then stubbornly shut it again. She would not let him provoke her into causing a scene. She would not. Besides, it was time he realized he didn’t get to have everything his way. Pursing her lips, she deliberately shifted her gaze to the weave of his impeccably tailored jacket and tried to pretend the rest of him didn’t exist.
To her surprise, rather than making another outrageous comment, he actually fell silent. At first she was grateful…until it dawned on her that with the cessation of conversation between them, she was growing increasingly conscious of other things.
Like the hardness of the thigh brushing hers. And the size of the hand now pressed firmly to the base of her spine. Then there was his scent, all dark starry nights and cool desert breezes. Not to mention the warmth that radiated seductively from his powerful body.
Suddenly, she felt…funny. Hot, cold, short of breath and shivery. Alarmed, she tried to pull away, but it was not to be. Instead of letting her go, the sheikh gathered her even closer.
“Princess?”
She felt his heartbeat against her breast, and the funny feeling grew worse. “What?”
“Relax. You’re far too lovely to be so unyielding. And far too intelligent not to accept that sometimes the best things in life are those we initially resist.”
It was too much. She jerked her head up to stare at him. “I suppose you include yourself in the category of ‘best things’?”
He smiled. “Since you see fit to mention it, yes.”
“Oh, my. And here I’ve always believed conceit wasn’t a virtue but a vice.”
He made a tsking sound. “Such a sharp tongue, little one. But then, the past weeks can’t have been easy. Tell me, does it bother you that much to be passed over as Altaria’s ruler?”
Well, really! “Of course not. I’ve known all my life that women are excluded from inheriting the throne. What’s more, Daniel will be an excellent king. He has a very American sense of responsibility and a fresh way of thinking that should be good for the country.”
To her surprise, he actually appeared to consider her words. “I agree.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I’ve had occasion to do business with the Connelly Corporation in the past, and found your cousin to be a very resourceful man. Still, it’s not Daniel who concerns me, but you. It’s never easy to lose a parent. Even a disappointing one.”
Wonderful. And just when she thought he might have some redeeming qualities after all. “That’s hardly any of your business.” Particularly in light of the second part of the Connelly investigator’s report, which had revealed that her father died owing considerable amounts of money due to extensive gambling. The now familiar shame pressed her, but she thrust it away. She had no intention of discussing her father’s shortcomings with the sheikh, never mind her failures as a daughter.
He didn’t seem to notice the chill in her voice, however. “My own father passed away some seven months ago. I was never the son he wanted, just as he was never the father I needed. Yet it was still hard to lose him.”
“Oh.” Suddenly confused, she set her own concerns aside, wondering again if she’d misjudged him—and why he would say something so revealing. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Typically, he’s managed to complicate my life even now.”
“In what way?”
“It seems if I’m to inherit, I must marry.”
She was so startled by the disclosure that for a moment she couldn’t think what to say. “How…how unpleasant for you.”
“Not really. It’s been a challenge, but I’ve finally settled on a wife.”
Her budding sympathy evaporated at the complacency in his voice. “I’m certain she’s thrilled,” she said tartly.
Incredibly, he laughed, a low, husky chuckle that turned several female heads their way and had an odd effect on the strength of her knees. “Perhaps not yet, but she will be.” He looked down at her, his eyes gleaming with good humor…and something else.
It took her a moment to identify what she was seeing. And then it hit her.
Possessiveness.
Her breath lodged in her throat as she was struck by a terrible suspicion. In the next instant she found herself reviewing everything that had just passed between them—his sudden attention, his insistence they dance, that surprising revelation about his father. And for the first time she let herself wonder just what was prompting his uncharacteristic behavior. It couldn’t possibly be because she was the future wife he’d “settled” on. Could it?
Of course not. The very idea was ludicrous. Not only didn’t she care for him, she barely knew him, any more than he knew her. And yet, why else would he be looking at her as if she were a prime piece of real estate he’d decided to acquire?
The waltz ended. Determined to make an escape, she looked around, relief flooding her as she spied her cousin, the king, standing alone a few feet away.
“Daniel!” Forcing a smile to her lips, she took a step back the instant Kaj loosened his grip and hastened to her cousin’s side, linking her arm with his. “What luck to find you!”
Clearly startled, Daniel tore his attention from his wife, who was threading her way through the crowd, apparently headed for the powder room, and turned to look at her. “Catherine. Is everything all right?” Concern lit his jade-green eyes.
“Yes, yes, of course. It’s simply that I was dancing, and then I saw you and realized I’d forgotten to tell you I talked to your mother earlier and she’d like me to visit Chicago soon since Alexandra has asked me to be one of her bridesmaids.”
A frown knit her relation’s sandy eyebrows. Catherine felt an embarrassed flush rise to her cheeks since she was fairly certain his distress was caused by her rapid-fire statement, rather than the reminder of his sister’s recent engagement to Connelly Corporation executive Robert Marsh.
But all he said was, “I see.” Before he could comment further, he caught sight of Kaj, his frown disappearing as a welcoming smile lit his face. “Al bin Russard. How nice to see you again.”
“Your Majesty.”
“I take it you’re the one responsible for my cousin’s rather breathless state?”
“I believe I am,” Kaj said easily.
To Catherine’s disbelief, the two exchanged one of those men-of-the-world looks she always found totally irritating. She drew herself up, gathering what was left of her dignity around her like a cloak. “I really do need to talk to you, Daniel.”
“Right.” With an apologetic smile for the other man, he said, “If you’ll excuse us, then?”
Just as Catherine had hoped, Kaj had no choice but to take his leave. With impeccable manners, he tendered the pair of them a bow. “Of course, Your Highness.” He shifted his gaze to Catherine. “Princess, thank you for the dance. I look forward to seeing you again.”
Not if she could help it, Catherine vowed. With a flick of her head, she turned her back, dismissing him. Sheikh Kaj al bin Russard might not know it yet, but as of this moment she had every intention of excluding him from her life like the unwelcome intruder he was.
Two
“What are you doing here?” Catherine demanded from the doorway of the palace’s family dining room.
For all its elegant spaciousness, the room suddenly seemed far smaller than normal, due to the presence of Kaj al bin Russard. The sheikh sat at the far side of the gleaming satinwood table, his suit coat discarded, the sleeves of his white dress shirt folded back, a newspaper in his powerful hands. At the sound of her voice, he looked up. “Princess. How nice to see you.”
Catherine stared at him, clenching her teeth against a sudden urge to scream. Taken aback by her reaction, she struggled to rein in her emotions, assuring herself her extreme response to him was merely the result of surprise, frustration and a poor night’s sleep. Add to that her worry about her favorite gelding who’d turned up lame this morning, a meeting with her secretary that had run long so that she needed to hurry to avoid being late for an engagement in town, and it was no wonder the unexpected sight of the sheikh made her feel a little crazy.
“That’s a matter of opinion,” she retorted, watching warily as he pushed back his chair and rose politely to his feet.
“I suppose it is,” he said calmly.
She refused to acknowledge the way her pulse stuttered as he stood gilded by the sunlight that filled the room or how she once again felt the force of his masculinity. She’d made her decision about him, and the long hours she’d spent in bed last night tossing and turning, bedeviled by an unfamiliar restlessness, had only strengthened her conviction that he was best avoided.
“I believe I asked you a question,” Catherine said. “What are you doing here?” Last night circumstances had compelled her to be on her best behavior, but she saw no reason for false pleasantry today.
His gaze swept over her and a faint frown marred his handsome features. “Are you always this tense?”
Oh! She struggled for self-control. “Sheikh al bin Russard, this area of the palace is off-limits to everyone but family. I would suggest that you leave. Now. Before I’m forced to call security.”
A faint, chiding smile curved his sensual mouth but otherwise he didn’t move so much as an inch. “You really must work on your temper, chaton. And not be so quick to jump to conclusions. As it happens, I had a meeting with the king this morning. When it concluded, he was kind enough to invite me to lunch. Regretfully, something came up and he had to leave, but not before he assured me there was no reason for me to rush through my meal.”
An embarrassed flush rose in her cheeks. Stubbornly she ignored it. Daniel wasn’t here now and she was. As for the sheikh, he might be fooling everyone else with his designer suits and civilized manner, but she hadn’t forgotten the way he’d looked at her last night. Beneath that polished exterior she sensed something intense and formidable, and she wasn’t about to lower her guard.
She glanced pointedly at the table, which was bare except for the paper and an empty cup and saucer. “I see. Well, it appears you’ve finished, so don’t let me keep you.”
“Actually, I was about to have some more coffee.” He moseyed over to the sideboard and lifted the heavy silver coffeepot off the warming plate, then turned to her, his expression the picture of politeness. “May I get you a cup?”
For half a second, she considered simply turning on her heel and walking away. Except that she was hungry, since she’d skipped last night’s midnight buffet in order to avoid a certain interloper and she’d long since burned off the tea and croissant she’d had in her room at dawn.
She was also certain that if she left now, the sheikh would no doubt conclude it was because of him—and her pride wouldn’t allow that. He was already too arrogant by half.
Squaring her shoulders, she strode around the table to the opposite end of the sideboard. “No. Thank you.”
“As you wish.” He poured a stream of steaming brew into his cup and set down the pot. He turned, but instead of returning to the table, he stayed where he was.
She felt his gaze touch her like a warm breeze. And for a moment everything around her—the ivory silk brocade wallpaper, the richly patterned rug beneath her feet, the soothing gurgle of the garden fountain beyond the open windows—seemed to fade as her skin prickled and an unfamiliar warmth blossomed low in her stomach. Appalled, she gave herself a mental shake and tried to convince herself that her response was merely the result of extreme dislike.
It was a delusion that lasted no longer than it took her to snatch up a plate, fill it with cold cuts, fresh fruit and cheese from the buffet, carry her food to the table and set it down.
Because suddenly he was right behind her. “Allow me,” he murmured, his bare forearm brushing her shoulder as he reached to pull out her chair before she could seat herself.
The heat from his body penetrated her every nerve ending; she might as well have been naked for all the protection provided by her cream linen slacks and sleeveless yellow silk sweater. Nor could she control the sudden weakness of her knees as his fingers closed around her upper arm and he guided her onto the chair. Or the way the warmth in her middle spread when his palm lingered far longer than was necessary.
Not until he stepped back and released her could she breathe again.
Shaken, she sat motionless on the chair, asking herself what on earth was the matter with her. She’d dealt with a variety of men’s advances from the time she’d become a teenager, yet she’d never experienced this sort of acute, paralyzing awareness. It was unnerving.
Worse, it made her feel uncertain and out of control, and that made her angry. “Don’t you have an oil deal or a camel auction or something that needs your attention?” she demanded as he picked up his cup, moved around the table and slid into the seat across from her.
“No.” He cocked an eyebrow at her and took a sip of his coffee. “All of Walburaq’s oil comes from offshore reserves, and its distribution is controlled by the royal family. As for camels, we don’t have any since, like Altaria, we’re an island nation.”
Her annoyance shifted from his presence to his presumption that she was actually that ignorant. “Yes, I know. Just as I know Walburaq is located in the Arabian Sea, was a British protectorate until 1963, declined to join the United Arab Emirates and is currently ruled by your cousin, King Khalid.” Doing her best to look bored, she picked up a small, perfect strawberry from the royal hothouse and popped it into her mouth.
“My, my princess, that’s very good. I’m gratified that you’ve taken time to study my country.”
She touched her heavy linen napkin to her mouth. “Don’t be. It’s nothing to do with you.” Which was nothing but the truth. Not that she’d ever reveal that her knowledge sprang from a futile attempt when she was younger to impress her father by learning about Altaria’s various trading partners. “I’ve always been good at history.”
“Apparently.” He took another swallow of coffee. “It makes me wonder what other hidden talents you possess.”
In the process of reaching for another berry, Catherine stilled, her gaze locking with his. She had an uneasy feeling that they’d just moved onto dangerous ground.
It was a sensation that increased as he added softly, “I look forward to finding out.”
Alarm shot through her. She parted her lips to tell him in no uncertain terms that wasn’t ever going to happen. But before she could say a word, Erin, Altaria’s new queen, walked into the room.
Kaj came instantly to his feet. “Your Majesty.”
Catherine, schooled in the strict protocol her late grandfather had insisted on, started to rise, too, only to sink back into her chair as her cousin-in-law sent her a remonstrative look. Although Daniel’s wife possessed an air of reserve that sometimes made her seem rather distant, one of her first acts upon moving into the palace had been to insist that, among the family, royal etiquette was to be relaxed. It was a necessity, she’d wryly informed Catherine later, since there was little chance that Daniel’s very American brothers and sisters would ever consent to bow down and call him Your Majesty.
“Catherine, Sheikh.” Erin smiled. “Please, be seated.” Letting the footman who’d suddenly appeared pull back her chair, she sat down herself and promptly reached out to touch her hand to Catherine’s. “I’m so glad to see you. I haven’t had the chance to tell you how much I enjoyed the ball last night. It was simply wonderful. Thank you for showing me how such an affair should be done.”
“It was my pleasure,” Catherine said sincerely.
The regal young queen gave her arm a squeeze and then turned her attention to Kaj. She sent him a warm and gracious smile. “My husband informs me you’ve agreed to be our guest.”
“I beg your pardon?” Caught by surprise, Catherine couldn’t keep the dismay out of her voice.
Kaj shot her a quick glance, and she could have sworn that his hooded gray eyes, so pale in contrast to his inky lashes and olive complexion, held a glint of triumph. Yet as he turned to Erin, his voice was nothing but polite. “It’s very kind of you and the king to offer to put me up.”
“I assure you, it’s no problem. We have more than adequate room.”
Catherine had heard quite enough. Setting her napkin next to her plate, she pushed back her chair. “I’m sorry, but I have an appointment in town. If you’ll excuse me?” The last was directed toward Erin.
“Why, yes, of course.”
She stood, but before she could take so much as a single step, the sheikh was on his feet as well. “Pardon me, ma’am.” He bowed to the queen, then immediately turned his attention to Catherine. “Might I beg a favor, princess, and get a ride with you?” His smile—part apology, part entreaty—was charm itself. “I’m afraid I’m without a car today.”
Catherine couldn’t help herself. “Then how did you get here? Walk?” Erin shot her a startled look and she abruptly realized how she must sound to someone unaware that the sheikh had an agenda all his own. She swallowed. “It’s only…I’m running late and I’d hate to cut short your conversation with Her Majesty. I’m sure one of the servants can drive you later.”
“You mustn’t concern yourself with me, Catherine,” Erin interjected. “It just so happens I have a meeting in a few minutes.”
“Yes, but I really need to go straight to my appointment—”
“I wouldn’t dream of inconveniencing you,” the sheikh said smoothly. “I’d be honored to accompany you to your appointment. Afterward, if you wouldn’t mind, we can go to my hotel and collect my things.”
“Good, that’s settled, then,” Erin said decisively, coming to her feet and heading for the door. “I’ll look forward to seeing both of you at dinner.”
Catherine simply stood, her face carefully composed so as not to show her horror.
Yet there was no getting around it. Her day had just gone from intense-but-survivable annoyance to major disaster.
Long legs angled sideways, Kaj sat in the passenger seat of the sleek silver Mercedes, watching Catherine put the powerful sports car through its paces.
Pointedly ignoring the ever present security detail following in their wake, she drove as she did everything else. With grace, confidence and—at least where he was concerned—a deliberate air of aloofness. The attitude might have succeeded in putting him off, if not for her breathless reaction to his touch at lunch or the way she’d trembled in his arms when they’d danced last night.
Try as she might to pretend otherwise, she clearly wasn’t indifferent to him. But it was also obvious she had no intention of giving in to her attraction to him.
That alone made her an irresistible challenge, he mused, since he couldn’t remember a time when women hadn’t thrown themselves at him. And though he’d be the first to concede that some of those women had been drawn by his power and money, he also knew that the majority had been attracted by him— his personality, his looks, his unapologetic masculinity.
But not Princess Catherine. To his fascination, she seemed intent on not merely keeping him at arm’s length but on driving him away. Not that she had a chance of succeeding…
“Quit staring at me,” she said abruptly, slicing into his thoughts.
He settled a little deeper into the dove-gray leather seat. “Now why would I want to do that?”
“Because I don’t like it.”
“But you’re very nice to look at, chaton.”
Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Do not call me kitten,” she snapped. “I have a name. And whatever your opinion of my appearance, I dislike being studied like some sort of museum exhibit.”
“Very well. If it makes you uncomfortable… Catherine.”
Her jaw tightened and he smothered a smile even as he dutifully turned his head and pretended to examine the view.
It was magnificent, he conceded. In between the small groves of palm trees that lined the narrow, serpentine road they were traveling on, aquamarine expanses of the Tyrrhenian Sea could be seen. Red-roofed, Mediterranean-style villas hugged the craggy-coastline, while a dozen yachts were anchored in the main harbor, looking like elegant white swans amidst the smaller, more colorful Altarian fishing boats.
Yet as attractive as the surroundings were, they didn’t interest him the way Catherine did, and it wasn’t long before he found himself surreptitiously studying her once again.
He felt a stirring of desire at the contradiction of her, her air of cool containment so at odds with the banked fire of her hair and the baby smoothness of her skin, which practically begged to be touched. She wasn’t a classic beauty by any means—her mouth was a little too full, her nose a little too short, and the way her dark-green eyes tilted up at the corners gave her a face a faintly exotic cast. Yet, looking at her pleased him. And made him hunger to do more.
The realization brought a faint frown to his face. Catherine, after all, was going to be his wife. He expected theirs to be a lifelong commitment, and if he’d learned anything from the debacle of his parents’ marriage, it was that excessive emotions were not to be trusted. It was all right to find his future bride desirable. Just as long as he didn’t want her too much.
Of course, given Catherine’s current attitude toward him—and he’d known enemies of the state who’d been treated more warmly—being overcome by uncontrollable lust was probably the least of his worries.
With that in mind, he couldn’t resist reaching out and resting his hand on the top of her seat as he turned to face her more fully. “Where, exactly, are we going?”
For a moment he wasn’t sure she would answer. But then she sliced a quick glance at him. “If you must know, I like to drop in from time to time on the various charitable organizations supported by my family.” She took advantage of a straight stretch of road to accelerate.
“Ah.” He pictured her striding down a hospital corridor, doctors and administrators trailing like so much confetti in her wake as she looked in on patients. Or asking pertinent questions of the scientists at the Rosemere Institute, the cancer research facility founded by her grandfather.
Pleased by her sense of responsibility, he shifted a fraction more in her direction, just far enough to slide his fingers beneath the silken tumble of her hair.
A slight shiver went through her, and her lips tightened. “Today—” without warning she hit the brakes and made a sharp left turn, dislodging his hand “—I’m visiting an orphanage.”
The explanation was unnecessary since by then they were sweeping past a high stone wall marked with a brass plaque that read “Hope House—where every child is wanted.” Beneath that, in letters so small he almost missed them, were the words, “Founded 1999 by Her Highness, Princess Catherine of Altaria.” He shot her a startled glance that she ignored.
Seconds later she slowed the car as they approached a rambling two-story house wrapped by a wide, covered veranda. Pulling into an adjacent parking area, she switched off the engine, opened her door and exited the car, all without another word to him.
With a slight shake of his head, Kaj reached for the door handle. But before he could exit, an explosion of sound had him twisting around. He watched, bemused, as a small army of children burst out of Hope House’s front doors, swarmed across the veranda and down the steps, all chattering at once as they ran toward the car.
“Princess, you came!”
“Amalie was ascared you forgot.”
“I told her she shouldn’t worry. I told her you’d be here soon!”