Page 50 of Desert King's Forbidden Temptation

The Spaniard stared at it, and then lifted his eyes to Tariq’s, causing the Sheikh a moment of confusion. Had they met before? There was something in the other man’s eyes that was completely familiar.

‘Your Highness,’ Graciano said with a curt nod, belatedly reaching out and taking his hand. ‘Thank you for meeting with me.’

‘I was interested to hear of your development. I’d like to know more.’

‘I have all the information over there, but that’s not why I requested this meeting.’

Curiosity moved through Tariq. ‘Isn’t it?’ He moved away a little, giving him some space to observe the other man’s body language. ‘Then why don’t you enlighten me.’

Something was bothering Cortéz. He paced the room from one side to the other, then stopped abruptly, dragging a hand through his hair in a gesture Tariq found strangely familiar, before turning to Tariq with a look of uncertainty.

‘You don’t remember me.’

Tariq was careful to give nothing away. ‘Should I?’

The other man’s features shifted, disappointment obvious. ‘No. You were too young...’

Something like adrenaline prickled along the back of his neck.

‘Have we met?’

‘You could say that.’

‘I meet a lot of people,’ Tariq said after a pause.

‘I’m sure you do.’

‘Is it important that I remember?’

Graciano’s laugh lacked humour. ‘I was hopeful.’

‘I’m sorry to disappoint. Now, your development—’

Graciano’s eyes flared, irritation obvious now. ‘I came to talk to you about your family.’

It was like being speared by a bolt of lightning. The sensational words seemed to ricochet off the walls, making Tariq’s heart feel as though it were breaking into pieces.

‘That will be all,’ he dismissed his guards with a curt nod, waiting until the room was empty save for the two men, then turning back to Graciano with the full force of his attention.

It was possible Graciano meant the Sheikha and late Sheikh.

Possible that Tariq was jumping to the wrong conclusions.

‘What exactly did you want to discuss?’ Tariq said, his voice emerging cool and level.

‘What do you know of your parents?’

He stiffened. ‘My parents are—’

‘Dead,’ Graciano interrupted, but gently, sympathy in his features. ‘They died when you were a baby. It was a car accident. You are aware of this?’

Tariq was careful not to betray his feelings but inside, a part of him was crying out, tortured by what Graciano was saying, tortured and hurting.

‘I think you should do the talking,’ he said eventually, careful not to betray his feelings.

‘If you wish.’ Graciano dipped his head in a nod. ‘Your parents were killed. You were taken to a hospital, badly injured. It’s a miracle you survived, in fact. I believe your adopted parents saw you, took pity on you, and brought you home with them, where you were nurtured back to health, cared for by the best doctors in the world, and raised as their own son. Of course, it was never intended that you would assume the throne. They simply fell in love with you and wanted to give you a better life. Am I right?’

Tariq’s lips compressed in a grim line. So far as he knew, only four people on earth were aware of this: his mother, the doctor in Spain, Tariq and the prime minister of Savisia.

---