Page 44 of The Sheikh's Willing Captive

She gasped and felt suddenly unsteady on her feet. She whirled around and staggered. This was unreal, she told herself. What was he saying? And how did he think he even had the right to do this? Weren't they already divorced? It was final. Just like every divorce, she told herself.

When she turned to him, she saw that he had stood up and was now facing her. Concern was written on his features. He advanced toward her, but she raised a hand and he halted.

"No," she exclaimed. "Don't come near me," she snapped. "You lied to me."

He shook his head. "I didn't. If I was going to lie to you I wouldn't have even told you about this. I wanted you to know the truth."

"Only after bringing me here under false pretenses," she retorted.

"No. I would never have done anything to dishonor you," he said.

She jammed her hands into her sides and glared at him. "How noble!" she exclaimed. "Does that even make a shred of difference?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Did we not just confess to one another that we still have feelings for each other?"

She groaned. "That was different," she said sharply. "That was before you told me about your little plan."

"I had no plan. I was merely acting on the reality of the situation." He reached out a hand. "What would you have me do, Paige. Now that I have another chance to keep you as my wife. Now that destiny has given me one final opportunity to possess the only woman I will ever love."

His words hit her with a physical force. She felt her pulse pounding and there was a roaring in her ears. For a long moment, she was completely lost for words. Had he meant any of that? She didn't know what she should say. Right now, all she felt was indignation that he could have been so callous as to bring her to this, of all places, with something like that in mind.

"I don't know what to say, Razim," she muttered.

"Tell me what's in your heart, Paige. That's all I want to know. Now that I have opened myself up to you, are you really saying you still wish to cast me aside?"

She frowned at him. "I'm not casting you aside, Razim. It's over. We did what we promised. And now it's time to move on."

Even as she said the words, something deep inside her cried out that she should restrain herself, in case she said something which would undo them irrevocably.

Razim's eyes narrowed, assessing what she'd just said. "I don't believe you," he said finally. "I know you, Paige. I know you better than you are willing to admit."

Razim moved toward her and took her hand. Inexplicably, she didn't tug it free of his grasp. Instead, she peered into his eyes.

"I love you, Paige," he murmured. "You know that to be true. But, you must come to me. Freely and of your own choice. Only then will we be able to repair the damage we have done. To our relationship and to our future."

"Didn't you hear what I said, Razim?" she pleaded. "We have no future. Don't you get it? I can't sleep with you again. Especially after what you've just told me."

His brows furrowed. She pulled her hands free of him and stepped away from him.

"Tell me you do not love me, Paige," he murmured. "Do that, and I will end this. Once and for all."

She stared at him. All she had to say was a simple phrase. And then she could carry on. Live her life without him. It should have been easy to say the words. She knew that to be true.

But, for some reason, the words would not come to her mouth. She stood, transfixed, staring at the sheikh who had just declared his love to her. How could she throw that back in his face?

Her heart ached and she fought a growing feeling of nausea. He was still watching her. Carefully. Expectantly.

This was the moment her entire life had been leading to. She knew that, even though she felt as if she had been cornered. As if she had been maneuvered into this. Anger mixed with all sorts of other emotions.

And then cried out and, as quickly as she could, she started to race back toward the tent.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Razim watched Paige run back to the tent. She grasped the opening flap and lunged inside, closing the entrance behind her.

Razim's heart sank. He'd done the honorable thing by telling her the truth. The only thing he could have done under the circumstances.

And she had rejected it.

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