Page 62 of Desert King's Forbidden Temptation

He flew himself to the east, and drove to the cabin, noting the landslide had been largely cleared as he went. He needed to think. Space and time. He needed to be away from people, to get clarity and work out how to proceed. He had to pull emotion from the situation and see the facts as they stood. He needed answers.

In the cabin, he set to analysing all of the circumstances at play. His brother, Tariq’s potential lack of suitability to sit on the throne of Savisia, civil uprising, Ras Sarat’s finances, and finally Eloise. It was the last consideration that made the others seem irrelevant, but that wasn’t so.

And he knew Eloise wouldn’t see it that way.

She wanted him to marry Elana, for the sake of the kingdom of Ras Sarat. Any solution had to include a way to help that country.

And his own predicament?

How much was he prepared to sacrifice? How much could he gain?

He stayed in the cabin for two nights, and on the third morning, clarity shifted inside of him, as he began to see a better way forward. It would require the moving of many parts. The good will of almost everyone. But if he could succeed? He’d be king of the world.

He spoke to Mother first. ‘I’m going to make a statement. This could be a bumpy time. I cannot say that there will not be civil unrest as a result, or perhaps another claim on the throne.’

Her lips pulled into a serene smile. ‘You’ll manage.’

That pulled him up short. ‘Why are you so sure of that?’

She shifted in her seat a little. ‘When we found you in that hospital bed, you were utterly destroyed. The accident had scrambled you all up. The doctors thought you wouldn’t survive the first twenty-four hours, but you did. Then they thought you wouldn’t last the week. They thought you might never walk and look at you now. You’re a fighter, Tariq. You always have been. You have the strength of a thousand warriors at your back. And you’ll always have me there, too.’

Graciano was next. Their second meeting was of a different nature, for the simple reason that he brought his family—a wife, Alicia, an eleven-year-old daughter and a toddler. Tariq suddenly felt his heart expanding to include this family,hisfamily, his niece so like the mother Graciano had shown him in that photograph. It was only natural to include the Sheikha in the meeting, and she took such a shine to both Graciano and Alicia, the latter of whom was quite overcome at one point. Tariq saw tears glistening on her eyes and enquired if she was okay.

‘Graciano and I were both alone a long time before finding each other,’ she said quietly. ‘Your mother is so welcoming, so loving. It’s...been a lovely afternoon.’

Tariq had nodded softly. ‘Would you mind sitting with her a moment longer? There is business I must discuss with your husband.’

‘Your brother,’ she said with a warm smile, then put an arm around him. Such a casual, unexpected gesture of affection, he found it quite natural to return it.

But when he looked at Graciano and Alicia, and saw their easy, obvious love, all he could think of was Eloise, and the desperate, aching yearn he felt to see her again.

The last visit he had to make was to Ras Sarat. Not to Eloise, though it almost killed him to fly into the country without planning to meet with her—yet. But there was no hope of a future with Eloise—to undo the poisoned chalice—without first speaking to the Crown Princess.

Knowing how much this woman meant to Eloise had him viewing her differently, as he entered the pretty sunroom a servant led him to.

Her Highness stood waiting, wearing an elegant green silk dress, hair pulled back in a low bun. Jamil was right, he realised. She was very beautiful, but nothing within Tariq stirred.

He bowed low. ‘Thank you for seeing me.’

‘Of course.’

Tariq was a man of his word, a man of honour, which was why the next conversation was one of the hardest he’d ever had to have. ‘Your Highness, it is no longer possible for us to marry.’

Surprise etched itself on her features, but there was no disappointment. She stood right where she was, pretty features calm, head tilted, inviting him to continue.

‘When you were still a child, this country was being driven into the ground by corruption and greed. The current state of affairs is not your fault.’

Now, she did gasp, and her cheeks coloured pale pink. ‘Not my fault, perhaps,’ she said with a small nod, ‘but my responsibility.’

He admired her character greatly, then. She wasn’t looking to avoid this: she wanted a solution. ‘And marriage to me is indeed one way to help, but I have another.’

Urgency had her moving forward. ‘What? I don’t mean to sound offensive, but marrying you was not something I would have considered if there were any other way. And believe me, I’ve looked.’

He laughed gruffly at her frank admission. Perhaps it was because she was so close to Eloise, but he liked her instantly.

‘Have you heard of Graciano Cortéz?’

‘Of course.’

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