Page 40 of At the Sheikh's Pleasure
All the fire drained from her, leaving her weak and shaken.He’d won.He could stop her from leaving him, and he had.She looked around at the people, who were growing increasingly frustrated and arguing with the aircrew, and knew they wouldn’t be going anywhere until she surrendered herself to Zaire.
“Okay, I’ll come.”
With her head held high, she walked to the office surrounded by men, feeling like a criminal.She knew what she’d find when she was ushered into a room.Zaire was standing at the far end.He nodded to the men who all swiftly departed.
“You don’t need your soldiers now?”she taunted.“You don’t think I’ll walk straight out that door?”
“If you do, there will be more soldiers who will stop you.”
“So you have me trapped.”
He had the grace to wince at the word.“Temporarily,” he said.“Until you hear me out.”
“Go on then.The quicker you’ve said what you need to say and I can go, the better.”
“Why are you leaving?”
“Straight to the point.Good.”She took a deep breath.“I’m leaving because I refuse to marry a liar.”
His eyes flared briefly at the insult before his brow lowered.He was angry.He wasveryangry.
“Whatever I am, I am not a liar.”
“Terminology is hardly important.The fact is that you’ve been using me, Zaire.All along, from the very first moment we met, you were using me.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“Is it?Can you truly deny the fact that your country’s biggest problem is my country—the Kingdom of Harran?Can you?”
“It is certainly up there.”
“And that the best way to break my father’s allegiance with the Faud Federation is to make it appear that he’s broken the allegiance and fallen into one with you instead.And what better way than to seduce his daughter?”
He glowered at her.“That isnotwhat happened, and you know it.”
“I know nothing of the sort!What I know is that despite insulting me upon first meeting me, you went out of your way to get me into your bed.”
He held up his hand to stop the stream of accusations.“Okay, I know I was rude and insulting, but that was before I knew you.”
“You didn’t know me when you invited me on a horse ride into the desert.The only thing you knew about me was that if you broke me down, if you got me on side, then you would also be attacking my father and helping your own country at the same time.”
“Rosana, calm down, listen to me.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!I am not your puppy, nor your subject.I have every right to be angry and to communicate that anger!Never tell me what I should, or shouldn’t do, again.I’ve had a lifetime of that!”
Tears were pricking her eyes, and she turned around and walked away rather than let him see them.But she had no choice except to stop by the door, which could only be opened by a swipe card.She rattled the handle helplessly.
“I’m sorry, Rosana, but I’m asking you to hear me out.Please.I’d like you to listen to me, hear what I have to say, and then you’ll be perfectly at liberty to leave.”
Rosana glanced out the window and saw that the other passengers were still waiting.She’d imagined that the plane would be allowed to leave after Zaire had got hold of her, but it hadn’t.It wouldn’t go until she’d listened to what he had to say.
“Okay.Although that’s more than you deserve after what I heard.”She wished she could bite those words back, but anger had gotten the better of her.
“Tell me what you heard.”
“Why?So you can tailor you response to that?No, you tell me why I should trust you, because all the evidence points to the opposite.First, my father used me like a pawn in his political games, and now you have done the same.Shuffled around at will—notmywill, butyours.I can trust you no more than I can trust him.”
“But, after everything, how can youdistrust me?How can younotbelieve what we’ve experienced is true?”He opened his arms helplessly and shook his head in despair.“Tell me, because I don’t understand.”
