"It was my pleasure."
And then he leaned in, sank his mouth onto hers and, on her breathless sigh, his tongue entered her mouth, claimed possession and stirred a magnitude of erotic sensations all through her body.
Moments later he pulled his mouth away and gazed deeply into her eyes. "Do you want to share pleasure with me once more? Before you leave?" he asked huskily.
"Yes," she responded, not once thinking of turning him down and not caring how little time they might have.
He stood with her in his arms and she knew at that moment that no matter what the future held for her back in Tahran, Monty had given her memories to last a lifetime.
"Drive around the airport for a while, Ishaq, and pick me up back here in around twenty minutes."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Getting out of his car, Rasheed watched from a distance as Johari was first greeted by her friend Cel, who was holding a cute little puppy. He saw the joy on Johari"s face when she took the puppy into her arms. Her happiness at seeing the animal touched his heart. He continued to watch as the two women chatted endlessly and entered the airport terminal. He and Johari had said their goodbyes in the car since he had promised her that he would let her walk into the terminal alone. But he had not promised her that he would not follow at a safe distance to watch her finally leave the country to return home.
He felt a tightening around his heart upon thinking of how bad things were going to look when the truth was revealed to her. He had thought about speaking to her a few times yesterday and this morning but each time he"d tried he had not been able to get the words past his lips. The thought of her despising him for playing her for a fool was something he would not have been able to handle.
And then he was burdened with the thought that he had placed himself in the precarious situation of having to compete against himself for his future wife"s affections. But it was a situation he intended to work out and would do everything in his power to convince her that, whether he was Monty or Rasheed, he was the same man whose heart she had captured.
He paused when a uniformed guard approached her and then she and Cel were led through a long corridor for private international flights. This was a section of the airport he knew well. He continued following at a discreet distance and flashed a uniformed officer his special credentials when he was approached.
He had made it to the gla.s.s window when she returned the puppy to Cel and then gave them both a final hug before watching them walk away. And then as if she"d known there was no way on this earth he would have let her get this far away from him, she scanned the terminal until she saw him.
Rasheed drew in a sharp intake of breath and it took every ounce of his control to not cross the floor to her. He knew he was in enough trouble as it was. So he stood there and stared at her.
For a long, silent moment across the wide expanse of s.p.a.ce they continued to stare at each other. Suddenly she made a move in his direction. Seemingly out of the blue, a man appeared at her side, touched her shoulder and claimed her attention.
"Jamal!" Johari threw herself into her brother"s arms, glad to see him. And when she glanced back to where Monty had been standing just moments ago, he was gone. She glanced around the terminal but didn"t see him anywhere. At that moment she couldn"t stop the tears gathering in her eyes. She was choosing duty over love.
"Johari, are you all right?"
She glanced up into her brother"s concerned face and forced a smile to her lips. "Yes. I"m fine and I"m ready to go home now, Jamal. Please take me home."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Come on. Delaney is waiting for us in the jet. As soon as they finish refueling, we"ll be ready to go."
Chapter 15.
One week later Johari had wondered how long it would take for her father and brother to finally summon her to meet with them. Everyone had avoided asking her any questions and she hadn"t offered them any information. There was nothing that needed to be said.
Evidently after a week they now felt differently. As far as she was concerned she wouldn"t provide any more information today than she would have last week. She might regret causing them undue worry, but there was no way she would regret meeting and subsequently falling in love with Monty.
Monty.
She missed him so much she actually ached. And each night she dreamed he was there with her, holding her in his arms while she slept, only to wake up in the light of day to find herself alone. But she had stored up plenty of memories of the time they had spent together and all the things they had shared. These memories would sustain her.
And...there was a possibility she carried his child. She wouldn"t know for another week or so, but that was the reason she had not brought up any discussion regarding moving ahead with her wedding plans. Luckily, that was one subject her mother hadn"t broached either.
The guard standing outside her father"s door nodded and then opened the door wide to announce her. "King Yasir, Prince Jamal. Princess Johari has arrived."
She slowly walked into the room and glanced around, trying to recall how infrequently she visited this room where her father conducted most of his business matters regarding the sheikhdom. It was a huge room and one she used to like to play in when she was younger.
She approached her father, who sat in a chair behind a huge desk. Jamal was sitting in a chair at his right. "Yes, Father," she said quietly. "You sent for me."
Her father stared at her for a moment and said, "It"s been a week, Johari, and now it is time to address your act of disobedience. Not only did you cause me and your mother undue worry, but Saud was taken to task for failing to keep you under his watchful care."
"But it wasn"t his fault. I-"
"Outsmarted him. We know, so he was not held at fault," her father said, shaking his head. "Playing hide-and-seek from your bodyguards was all for fun and games when you were younger, Johari, but your actions are unacceptable now. You are twenty-four, a woman promised to a man who will be king of a very important country."
"I didn"t hurt anyone by having some fun," she said, lifting her chin and meeting her father"s direct gaze.
"Whether you hurt someone is a matter of opinion, one we will let your future husband decide," her brother spoke up to say.
She turned her head to where her brother sat. "What are you talking about, Jamal?"
"What Jamal is talking about is the fact that once you became missing it was imperative to notify Sheikh Valdemon immediately," her father responded in a rather tired voice.
She frowned. "Why? It didn"t concern him. I only prolonged my time in the States. A big deal should not have been made of it."
Now it was her father"s turn to frown, and the one masking his face was considerably fiercer than the one on hers. "How can you say such a thing, Johari?" he asked in an angry voice. "You were missing for two weeks without a proper chaperone and bodyguard. The man who will be your husband had a right to know. And based on your actions, it would have been within Sheikh Valdemon"s rights to cancel the marriage contract between the two of you. If he had taken that option, it would have brought much shame on this sheikhdom, and all in the name of you wanting to have fun have fun."
Johari couldn"t do anything but lower her head. It hadn"t been too often in her life that her father had been upset with her. Now, not only was he upset but, she could tell by the tone of his voice, he was disappointed, as well.
There was no need to tell him or Jamal how she had needed that time to herself before marrying a man who would not love her. A man known for his numerous mistresses. How could she explain that she didn"t want to endure a loveless marriage and that she wanted to be loved and cherished the same way her father loved and cherished her mother? The way Jamal loved and cherished Delaney. And the way Prince Shudoya cherished and loved Arielle.
And...there was no need to tell him that if it was determined she was pregnant there would not be a wedding and she would accept her banishment to another continent if that was to be her punishment. She was not worried about being shipped off somewhere to live away from her family just as long as her child...Monty"s child...was with her.
"He will be here tomorrow to meet with you," her father said.
Johari s.n.a.t.c.hed her head up. "Who will?"
"Sheikh Valdemon." Now it was Jamal who was speaking. "I spoke to him this morning and he wants the marriage to take place as soon as possible, so there will be a private ceremony here tomorrow night. A wedding celebration will be planned at a later date."
Johari was taken aback by her brother"s statement. She was certain the color completely drained from her face. "Marry? Tomorrow night? But that"s not possible."
"It is possible, Johari, and if that is what the sheikh wants then we can and will accommodate him, considering your willful behavior," her father stated adamantly.
"I need to speak with the sheikh privately before I will agree to marry him," she said.
Her father"s frown deepened even more. "Agree? There is nothing to agree to, Johari. Need I remind you it is your duty? There will will be a private ceremony here tomorrow night. Unless, however, you can show just cause why there shouldn"t be." be a private ceremony here tomorrow night. Unless, however, you can show just cause why there shouldn"t be."
Yes, there is just cause, she wanted to scream. I could be pregnant with another man"s child and I won"t marry him until I am sure that is not the case. So there is no way I can marry him tomorrow. She could easily recall when Jamal was destined to marry Princess Raschida and how he had discovered the princess"s devious plot to hide her pregnancy by another man from him, trying to pa.s.s off the child as Jamal"s. Johari would not do such a thing to Sheikh Valdemon. She could easily recall when Jamal was destined to marry Princess Raschida and how he had discovered the princess"s devious plot to hide her pregnancy by another man from him, trying to pa.s.s off the child as Jamal"s. Johari would not do such a thing to Sheikh Valdemon.
"Johari? Is there a reason why a marriage between you and the sheikh should not take place?"
It was Jamal who was asking the question. She met her brother"s gaze and for some reason she felt the brother who knew her well, at that moment, realized there was something she was not telling them. She lifted her chin and said, "I won"t answer that, Jamal. I need to meet with Sheikh Valdemon and I will let him decide."
Without saying anything else, she quickly left the room.
Upon awakening the next morning Johari received word that Sheikh Rasheed Valdemon had arrived at the palace and had agreed to meet with her. It seemed the entire palace was buzzing and all the young female staffers were whispering about how handsome the sheikh was. She ignored their chatter, not at all impressed and thinking no man could possibly be more handsome than her her Monty. Monty.
She deliberately stayed in her room most of the day, even taking her breakfast and lunch there. Her mother paid her a visit when she was eating lunch and Johari couldn"t help noticing the excitement that was shining in her mother"s dark eyes.
"You don"t appear to be excited about this being your wedding day, Johari."
She stopped eating to look up at her mother, fairly certain her father had shared the details of yesterday"s meeting with her. "I"m sure you"re aware, Mother, that a wedding might not be taking place." Johari was grateful her mother did not ask her why she felt that way.
She had showered and dressed in a skirt and blouse when she received word that Sheikh Rasheed Valdemon of Mowaiti was ready to hold a private meeting with her. Instead of meeting with her in one of the conference rooms in the same wing as her father"s office, as she"d a.s.sumed, she was told he would meet with her in one of the entertainment rooms in a wing of the palace that was seldom used. Johari was further surprised when she was informed there would be no chaperone for this particular meeting.
Just as well, she thought as she walked the long corridor to where the meeting was to take place. The fewer people who knew of her predicament the better. She intended to tell the sheikh everything, including the fact that she was in love with another man, and like she had told her father, the decision as to whether there would be a wedding later today would be his.
The room that had been selected for their meeting was usually kept private except for when her father entertained dignitaries from neighboring sheikhdoms. One of the features in the room was a huge fountain in the center of the room that had been sculpted in the shape of one of the Egyptian waterfalls.
She knocked on the closed door and a deep, husky voice speaking in her native tongue indicated she could enter. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind her. She could not recall the last time she had been in this room, not since she was eight or nine. But just like all the rest of the rooms of the palace, it was richly decorated in colors of red and gold. Another thing she noticed was that the blinds hadn"t been opened, which gave the room a dark effect except for the few wall lanterns that were lit and shining brightly.
Her gaze swept the room and then she saw him. The sheikh"s back was to her as he stood staring at the huge waterfall. He was wearing royal sheikh attire complete with his native headdress.
Even with his back to her he emitted a power that she couldn"t help but feel. She knew this was a man who issued orders that were obeyed. He was also a man who over the past six years had taken an impoverished country and turned it into a thriving one.
She found herself clearing her throat and then saying in her native tongue, "I am here for our meeting, Your Highness."
Instead of turning around to acknowledge her presence, he responded likewise in their native tongue. "You wanted to meet with me before the wedding, Princess Johari?"
She was slightly annoyed that he hadn"t turned to look at her, and wondered if the reason had anything to do with his disgust with her behavior in the States. If that was the case then he was about to become more annoyed with her. "Yes," she said. "I need to advise you of some developments."
"Such as?"
She paused for a second and then decided to just get it out. "While in the United States, I met someone. A man I fell in love with. And I think you should know that we were intimate and I could be having his child."
That confession should turn him around, she thought, and when it didn"t, when he just continued to stand there silently with his back to her, she was puzzled. "Your Highness, did you hear what-"
"Do you know for certain that you are pregnant?"
She stared at his back, more confused than ever. He was asking the question as if a pregnancy was something he was antic.i.p.ating happening. "No, but if you marry me tonight without knowing for sure then you could possibly claim someone else"s child."
"Not necessarily. In fact, I know not."
It was then that he slowly turned to face her. She frowned at the dark eyes staring back at her and when he reached up to remove his headpiece, her head began spinning and she thought she was going out of her mind. Her breath caught and the name she had held to her heart slipped from between her lips. "Monty!"
Rasheed stared across the room at the woman who had been in his dreams each night, the woman who was on his mind each day. The one and only woman who had captured his heart. She stood staring at him, speechless and as beautiful as he remembered.
"Monty, I don"t understand. What are you doing here? And where is Sheikh Valdemon?"
He slowly crossed the room to her. "The reason I am here is because I am one and the same. My friends know me as Monty. To others I am Sheikh Rasheed Valdemon of Mowaiti."
He watched as it slowly began to dawn on her what he"d said and what his admission meant. And he was very aware of the exact moment the surprise in her eyes turned to anger. "You deliberately misled me into believing you were someone else," she said in an accusing tone. "That night in New York, when you first approached me at the club, you knew who I was, didn"t you?"
Rasheed saw no reason to be less than honest with her. "Yes. In fact, my only purpose in coming to New York was to find you and send you back to Tahran."
She lifted her chin in a defiant manner. "And just how did you manage to find me? Everyone else was looking for me in California."
He nodded. "Yes, you deliberately sent them to the wrong area of the country. However, a friend of mine is an ace when it comes to tracking people. I hired him to find you and he did so within forty-eight hours without falling for your false leads."
"And once he found me, you decided to make it all fun and games?" she snapped.
He crossed his arms over his chest. "At the time I figured why not, since you"d made a point that you were looking to have some fun anyway. In fact when I walked into that nightclub you were dancing on the tables."
He noted the embarra.s.sment that stained her features. "Yes, I wanted to have fun but it wasn"t my intent to be used!" she shouted angrily.
She turned to walk away, intent on leaving the room. He reached out and grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. The moment they touched, sensual sensations that they had previously experienced raced through their bodies.
He pulled her close to him so she could look directly into his face. "And tell me, Johari. Just how did I use you? Did I force you in any way? I don"t recall kidnapping you any of those times you were on my jet or when you went to my islands. In fact you seemed rather happy to be there. To my way of thinking, I kept you out of trouble. And also to my way of thinking, I gave you everything you wanted."
Another blush stained her features. "And you were probably laughing behind my back while doing so."
"Trust me, the only laughing moments are those we shared together. Otherwise, the tone between us was serious, pretty intense and s.e.xual if you were to ask me, or if I need to remind you."
She glared at him. "Well, I"m not asking you nor do you need to remind me of anything," she said. "In fact, I don"t want to have anything to do with you!"
"That"s not possible with your admission of two things tonight. You love me and there"s a possibility that you might be pregnant with my child. Make no mistake about it, Johari. I want both. I intend to keep your love and I want you to have my baby. If I didn"t want those things then you wouldn"t be in the predicament you"re in now. I was well aware of each and every time I made love to you without protection."
Shock showed on her face. She would have stumbled back if he did not have a firm grip on her arm. "Are you saying you deliberately tried to get me pregnant?"
"What I"m saying is that I deliberately didn"t use protection. It felt better that way inside of you and since you were going to be my wife anyway, I decided it wouldn"t bother me in the least if you were to have my child."
"Because you had me no matter what! And you led me to believe you were American and then Greek. You made a fool out of me!"