Page 22 of Forbidden Passion

Ciara swallowed, not sure how to answer that question. How could her brother know that Falk had spent the night with her? Had he told her brother? Had Falk gone to Ramit and demanded that they marry? That was underhanded of him, and yet, Ciara couldn’t stop the warmth blossoming in her chest.

But no. Falk wouldn’t have told her brother about their…activities last night.

Would he?

“Adventure?” she prompted, hiding her confusion behind the porcelain cup. “What adventure?” Surely he couldn’t know! No way! Had her bodyguards ratted her out? They never had in the past!

“The closet incident?” Ramit prompted. “I heard from the palace guards that you were accidentally locked in a supply closet.” He twirled the delicate cup on the saucer. “Are you going to try to convince me that you were in dire need of cleaning supplies?”

Oh, that! Relief rushed through her and she had to lower her lashes. Were her cheeks heating up? She certainly hoped not! Blushing would raise more questions. Because of Falk’s…attentiveness…last night, Ciara had completely forgotten about the damn closet.

“No, I didn’t need cleaning supplies,” she replied, then lifted her gaze, looking directly at him. “Aren’t you going to ask me why I was silly enough to get locked in a closet?”

He snorted. “You’ve never been silly, Ciara. Even with your dolls as a kid, you were teaching them math.”

She’d forgotten those long ago “lessons” and chuckled. “You’re right.” Those doll-lessons had been a small reprieve from her nanny’s constant haranguing.

“So, what happened?” He leaned forward, forgetting about his coffee as he stared at her from across the long table. “Are you going to try and hide it from me just like you did last night? I’m guessing that you didn’t want to ruin the party, which I appreciate. But please don’t ever do that again, Ciara.”

She sighed and set her cup down, listening carefully to the delicate clink. “I can handle my own problems, Ramit.” She leaned forward, mimicking his pose.

“You left your bodyguards behind. Why?”

One side of her mouth quirked upwards. “Because I’m an introvert and I needed a moment of quiet before re-entering the party.”

“So, you walked down one of the back hallways? That seems like more than just a little peace. It sounds like you were running from someone.” He paused for a moment and Ciara held her breath, praying that he didn’t realize the truth. He couldn’t know! Could he?

“What’s going on, Ciara? You’ve been abnormally moody ever since you returned from Switzerland.” Then he shook his head. “No, it’s been longer than that.” He tapped his finger absently against his coffee cup. “Are you impatient to be married? Should I urge Zayed to set a wedding date? You have been betrothed for a long time. Maybe we should…?”

“No!” she gasped, shaking her head. “No! Zayed and I aren’t ready to set a date. Not yet.”

“Not ever?” he offered. “Is there someone else that might be a better match for you?” he suggested. “Perhaps someone that you spoke with last night? Someone that might…?”

“She’s fine!” a deep voice blurted as Falk stepped into the dining room. He walked over to the breakfast bureau and poured himself a cup of coffee, then turned, leaning his hip against it. “Isn’t that right, Ciara? Are you eager to set a wedding date?’

“Not at all,” she replied, her anger simmering unexpectedly. Why was she mad at him? They’d spent hours wrapped in each other’s arms last night! They’d spent those hours pleasuring each other. So why was his question so…grating to her nerves this morning? One moment, she was arguing with her brother about something, the next moment, Ciara was furious with Falk. What was going on with her?

Ciara’s lips compressed with irritation so she turned back to her brother. “No, I’m not ready to set a wedding date. Right now, I’m focused on ensuring that Maggie feels comfortable and taking the time to get to know Nadia. You’re tiny daughter is adorable and I truly enjoy spending time with her.” And ensuring that the nanny Ramit hired didn’t torment the little darling! “Maggie needs help right now, Ramit. Soon enough, she’ll be overwhelmed by all of the responsibilities ofbeing your wife. Let her ease into her role slowly.” She stood up, abandoning her coffee. But as she walked out of the dining room, she glared at Falk for a long moment. “None of us will do anything to make Maggie feel uncomfortable in her new role.”

And with that warning, she walked out of the room.

Chapter 18

Myala walked into the middle of the suite her father had reserved for their stay here in Ditra. Looking around, she wondered what her living quarters would be like once she married Sheik Falk. Shivering with anticipation, she moved towards the coffee cart that had been delivered.

“Good morning, Father,” she said, kissing his cheek as she passed him by.

“Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?”

“Not really,” she admitted with a heavy sigh as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She eyed the heavy cream that her father put into his coffee, then shook her head, smoothing a hand over her flat stomach.

No cream until she’d snagged Sheik Falk. After that, she could let herself gain a bit of weight. If he complained, she’d simply tell him that she needed the extra fat stores to help her become pregnant. Men knew nothing about women’s bodies. They believed anything women told them. Correction, they believed anything women told them as long as it suited their personal goals. If something about women’s bodies inconvenienced their world order, like a woman needing a bit more time sexually, or if she might be in pain, then men ignored those issues.

Mentally grumbling to herself, she perched prettily on a nearby chair. “Do you have any business with Sheik Falk today?” she asked.

Her father looked up at her over his glasses, giving her that patronizing smile that she hated. “Not that I know of,” he replied. “I’m only here in a ceremonial capacity this week. You know that. We’re trying to demonstrate that our countries areunited as a region.” He lowered the file he’d been reviewing to his lap and folded his hands over his crossed legs. “I have meetings with the generals here in Ditra, and those generals will travel to Itim in the next few months for more of these silly, ceremonial photo opportunities.” He waved a hand negligently. “It’s all for the public and seems like a monumental waste of my time. But you know how I follow orders precisely.”

She did know that, Myala thought and looked down at her coffee. “You’re right, Father,” she replied. Then she had an idea. “Are you going to attend any of this week’s festivities?” she asked. She hadn’t been invited to the wedding week’s festivities. But she knew that her father could easily wrangle an invitation to some of them through his military counterparts!

---