Claimed by the Desert Sheikh--3 Book Box Set by SUSAN MALLERY

Author:SUSAN MALLERY [Mallery, Susan/Stephens, Susan/Gates, Olivia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4608-0739-2
Publisher: Mills & Boon Special Release
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

There were so many unanswered questions, but all Beth was aware of was a creeping sense of dread. There was such intensity in Khal’s gaze as he stared down at their baby daughter. She understood it, but it frightened her. There was a sense of loss too, lodged in the pit of her stomach like a heavy weight. Her feelings for Khal were unchanged, but that sense of loss was for something that had never been hers.

Oblivious to these undercurrents between her parents, Hana woke. The bond between father and daughter was instantaneous. Stretching out her tiny hand, Hana claimed Khal, curling her palm around his index finger. The look on his face transformed him, and when he smiled back at Hana Beth knew for certain that all their lives must change for good now. Instinct drove her to take up position on the opposite side of the cot to Khal, where she remained like a lioness in defence of its cub. Since Khal’s shock appearance she hadn’t been thinking straight, but she was acutely alert now. She had to keep her wits about her. Khal was supremely powerful, and used to wielding that power. If he decided to walk out with Hana, what could she do? And if he took their baby to Q’Adar would she ever see Hana again? The only thing left to her was to open a line of communication between them. “Say hello to your daddy, Hana,” Beth said, hoping this might touch Khal’s icy heart.

“Hana’s a baby,” he said impatiently, “and she can’t speak yet.” Lifting his head, he gave Beth an admonishing stare. “And when you address a royal child you should remember that baby-talk is inappropriate.”

Beth recoiled inwardly. Was this something he’d learned in the royal nursery at Q’Adar? She couldn’t imagine it had come from his mother: from a nurse, perhaps. But didn’t a baby love the tone of its parent’s voice, and couldn’t it hear the affection and love? Was that wrong now? As Khal turned his back on her Beth felt like she had been slapped in the face. She didn’t have a model for parenting, and had done her best using instinct. That instinct was telling her now that Khal had just reinforced their respective positions in life, and that he was going to take Hana to the opposite side of the great divide. She spared a reassuring glance for Faith, who was doing her best to seem invisible, and then moved deeper into the shadows where she and Khal could talk discreetly. She beckoned him over. His dark eyes queried her impertinence at ordering him, but she stood her ground until he joined her. She told him straight. “Please don’t inflict your cold, unfeeling ways on Hana.”

Khal’s eyes were like black diamonds, hard and unmoving. “You’ll do as I say where our daughter is concerned.”

“Our daughter,” Beth whispered, trying to remind him that she had a say. But she also had to remember that this was

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.