Page 26 of Desert King's Forbidden Temptation

He dipped his head in silent agreement. ‘Do you still...’ She wasn’t sure why, but she left the rest of the question unspoken.

‘From time to time. Not often now.’

‘Are they...’ She searched for the right words. ‘The result of a specific trauma?’

She could sense him pulling away, closing down the line of questioning, so it was no surprise when he lifted a hand and gestured to something. ‘Look.’

With a small sigh of frustration—because she wanted to learn more about him—she followed the direction of his finger and startled. Something was glowing just a hundred or so metres from them. As fluorescent as any light she’d ever seen, but the most striking turquoise colour. ‘What is it?’ she asked, spellbound.

‘A form of algae,’ he said softly.

She wrinkled her nose. ‘Well, now, I’ve always thought algae was a little bit gross.’

He laughed, a deep, gruff sound that made her pulse fire.

‘It’s stunning.’

They moved towards the water’s edge.

‘Some algal blooms are harmful, even toxic, but this is a natural reaction that takes place here every year. It lasts around a month.’

‘I can’t believe it’s real. It looks like something out of a fairy tale.’

‘It’s remarkable,’ he agreed.

‘Everything about this country feels somewhat magical.’ She regretted the admission as soon as she’d made it, but it earned Tariq’s full attention.

‘Oh? What else have you seen that you find magical, little one?’

Little one.The words punctured something dangerously close to her heart. She tilted her chin in defiance, silently reminding herself, and hopefully him, of all the reasons they couldn’t give into the temptation that swirled around them.

‘The palace. The gardens. The weather. The smell of flowers in the air. The birds.’ Right on cue, a night bird made a whipping sound, so light and ethereal the stars almost seemed to titter in response. ‘You’re very lucky to have grown up here.’

Silence met the pronouncement.

‘You don’t agree?’ she prompted after a moment.

‘I love this country,’ he said.

She frowned, wondering at the strange distinction. She didn’t like secrets at the best of times but feeling that this man was keeping something from her weighed heavily on her mind. And why should it? Because he wanted to marry her best friend? Or because she felt as if something had formed between them that demanded total honesty and transparency?

‘There is so much more for you to see,’ he said, voice distracted.

She drew her gaze back to his face.

‘The palace is one thing, and yes, I agree, it is beautiful, but there is much, much more.’

‘And one day, I’ll enjoy experiencing that,’ she said, somewhat wistfully. ‘If the marriage goes ahead.’

The air between them crackled.

‘Does that mean you’ve decided to recommend the match?’ His voice held a low, assessing quality.

‘Perhaps it’s better if you return to the negotiations with her cabinet,’ she said with a tightening in her spine. ‘While Elana will listen to me, I must listen to them. Only when all considerations have been met can I offer my own opinion.’

‘You think the terms of our financial agreements as important as your friend’s happiness as my compatibility with her?’

‘My friend is very like you,’ she said after a pause. ‘While I want her to be happy and adored, she wants only what is best for her country. The pressure of being on the throne is great—she wants to make the right decisions for her people.’

---