Page 23 of Unknown Royal Baby

Soft fingers touched his and he snapped his eyes open, surprised to find he’d shut them.

Avril was crouched before him, curling his fingers around a glass of water. ‘Sip it slowly and don’t move. I’ll be back. I’m calling a doctor.’

‘No doctor!’

Her jaw angled pugnaciously. ‘You’re obviously not well.’ When he didn’t reply she added, ‘I don’t want the hassle of a diplomatic incident. Imagine the complications if a head of state collapsed in my home.’

Her pragmatism gave him the jolt of normality he needed. He sipped the water and forced his mind to go blank, as blank as possible in the circumstances. When that didn’t work he focused on his breathing. Soon he had himself under control.

‘My apologies. I know what’s wrong and I don’t need a doctor. I didn’t mean to scare you.’

He saw he’d done just that. Avril’s expression was tense and she was still squatting before him, so near he felt he could lose himself in those golden brown eyes.

She rose but stayed close as if worried he’d stand up. ‘You scared the life out of me. Are you unwell?’

‘Not unwell.’ Technically.

‘And? You went as white as a sheet, then grey when I reminded you we’d only had one night together.’ She paused, eyes narrowing. ‘You looked...stunned.’

Isam knew he should divert the conversation in another direction. He’d become adept at that in the last months.

But something stopped him. Her genuine fear when she thought he was ill? Or the memory, the one that had kept him awake last night, of touching velvet-soft skin and hearing Avril sigh in pleasure?

Suddenly he felt exhausted at the need to keep his secret.

‘How could you be stunned? You know it for a fact.’

He didn’t answer. But he wondered what she saw in his expression for her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

‘Isam? I don’t like that blank look. It’s as if you’re looking but not seeing.’

He was seeing, all right, but not enough. He drew a shuddering breath and gave her the truth. ‘I take your word for the fact we just had one night. I’m afraid I don’t remember. I have amnesia.’

CHAPTER SIX

ISAMWATCHEDHERstumble back a step, eyes round with shock. ‘Amnesia? That’s...’ Slowly she shook her head. ‘Do people really get that? I thought it was only in movies.’

A bitter laugh cracked open Isam’s tight lips. ‘I wish.’ Howmuchhe wished it only occurred in fiction. ‘Unfortunately, I’m living proof it’s real.’

‘You mean, you don’t rememberanything?’

He hesitated. Very few people knew the full truth about his condition. Given his position as ruler of Zahdar, it was thought best to keep the situation confidential. The last thing his people needed was to lose confidence in him. The potential damage to investment, to the massive development projects he and his father had initiated, even potentially to the peace of his nation, was too great.

But already he and Avril shared a potentially inflammatory secret, their daughter. He had to trust her. Besides, instinct urged that she wouldn’t betray him.

But can you trust your instincts? Maybe even the memories you do have are flawed and your image of yourself distorted.

That was what some would have him believe. But Isam couldn’t allow himself to think that way. Hehadto believe in himself, and now, in Avril.

‘I have lots of memories. It’s only what happened in the six months or so before the chopper crash that are foggy.’

Foggy. That’s a nice euphemism. Why not admit it’s basically a great, yawning gap?

‘And I don’t remember the crash or its immediate aftermath.’

The doctors said it was because of the blow to his head, but the emotional trauma of losing his father to such catastrophic injuries was partly responsible.

Apparently, despite Isam’s own injuries, he’d managed to pull his father and the pilot from the chopper before help arrived, though they were probably dead on impact. He’d heard a whispered comment that the scene was one of the most devastating even the seasoned rescuers had ever seen.

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