Claiming the Desert Heir by Cristina Dawn

Author:Cristina Dawn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Harlequin Presents, Romance, Sexy, Billionaire, Royal, Baby, Sheikh, Marriage of Convenience, King
Publisher: Coquette Allure
Published: 2018-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Neither of them spoke on the ride back to Basmadan. A heavy silence settled over every breath, every hint of movement, every unspoken word. Outside, the sun had begun its descent behind the metal and glass skyline of Gulzar, taking with it the overbearing heat.

So the thick, musky aura that wrapped itself around Harper and squeezed had little to do with the humidity and everything to do with the anger wafting off of Zaid.

It choked her, crawled down her throat and rested there in a hard ball she couldn't swallow. As ubiquitous and unmistakable as the dirt staining her hands, her dress.

Zaid left her at the main staircase. She put a hand to the banister then stopped, watching as he moved in the direction of the gardens.

"Zaid--"

"You should get cleaned up."

"I couldn't leave him there. I had to do something."

He turned to face her then, his eyes dark, wild. "No, you didn't."

"He was young and he was scared. And no one knew what to do. But I did."

"That makes no difference."

"It makes all the difference," Harper said. "You act as though I'm some silly, naive girl. Like just because I don't have the life experience you do that I'm not smart enough, strong enough to take care of myself. But I am. I've been taking care of myself since I was eight years old. Since the first time my mother was too drunk to pick me up from school. And I've been taking care of myself ever since."

"You disobeyed a strict order."

"I don't take orders. Not from you. Not from anyone. I agreed to be your wife, not your slave. And I refuse to apologize for helping that boy."

Zaid let out a wry laugh, one that sent chills down her spine, caused her skin to pimple. "Don't presume I'm naïve enough to think your actions tonight had anything to do with helping that boy. There were others who could have taken care of him. You were intent on proving yourself, making yourself feel worthy of your place in that hospital. It was a selfish act."

A bitter truth soured on her tongue. He wasn't wrong. No matter how noble her actions, her intentions had been tainted with ego. She had wanted to prove herself, to prove to Zaid that she had more to offer than he could see.

A plan that had failed spectacularly, by the looks of it.

"Then I guess I'm a selfish person," she said. "But it's something we have in common. And if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing."

"That is not your choice to make. You are my queen."

"That boy, to his parents, is more precious than any king or queen."

"Is he more important than the one growing inside you?"

The earth lurched forward, threatening to swallow her whole. Her entire body vibrated with conflicting emotion, eroding what little remained of her pride.

Zaid stood, watching her, knowing he had called her bluff. That he had won.

And if he had won, that meant she had lost.

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