Jewel in His Crown (16 page)

‘I did need breathing space.' Ruby rubbed her cheek comfortingly against his hand in a belated apology, hating the idea that he had been unhappy, as well. ‘I wanted you as well but I had so many other things—like my new royal life—to worry about. I was exhausted and living on my nerves and afraid that it would be a mistake to trust you too much.'

‘The greatest mistakes were mine. I was too impatient, too hungry for you.' Raja sighed, discomfiture darkening his beautiful eyes and stamping his features with regret. ‘I should never have touched you in that
tent. I rushed you into something you weren't ready for and almost lost you in the process.'

‘You can't plan stuff like that. I fell in love with you too,' Ruby murmured, looking at him with loving eyes, revelling in the tenderness of his embrace and loving his strength and assurance. ‘But I was so scared I was going to get hurt, that I was falling for a guy who would never feel the same way about me.'

‘I won't hurt you,
aziz
. You are my beloved and I can only be happy if you are happy with me—'

‘Obviously you got over that trapped feeling—'

‘I trapped you with me,' Raja pointed out, dropping the mask of his reserve completely. ‘I felt so guilty about letting you fall pregnant. That shouldn't have happened. I was selfish, thoughtless. I should have abstained from sex when I couldn't protect you.'

‘That night was worth the risk. I would make the same choice again,' Ruby told him, running a caressing hand across the muscular wall of his warm hard torso and smiling with satisfaction when he pushed against her and sought out her mouth again with barely restrained passion.

‘Some day I would like to take you back into the desert and show you its wonders.'

‘You were enough of a wonder for me,' Ruby countered, in no hurry to recapture the magic of sand and scorpions, before he kissed her breathless and all sensible conversation was forgotten.

‘I really do love you,' he told her some time later when they had sated their desire and they lay close and satisfied simply to be together.

‘I love you too but words are cheap—you didn't give me the poetry or the hand-holding,' she complained with dancing eyes.

‘Not the poetry, please,' he groaned, wincing at the prospect. ‘I don't have a literary bone in my body.'

Unconcerned, Ruby squeezed the fingers laced with hers and kissed his stubborn jaw line, loving the scent of his skin. She was very happy and she would settle quite happily for the hand-holding.

A
LITTLE
less than two years later, Ruby smiled as Leyla told her brother, Hamid, to put away his toys and began showing him how to go about the task.

A lively little girl of five years, Leyla was very protective of her little brother but bossy, as well. For the sake of peace, Hamid toddled across to the toy box on his sturdy little legs and dumped a toy car in it, ignoring the rest of the cars scattered across the rug. Of course, even as a toddler Hamid was accustomed to the reality that servants would cheerfully tidy up after him and go out of their way to fulfil his every need and wish.

Hamid, the heir to the united throne of Najar and Ashur, was treated like the eighth wonder of the world in both palaces. Hamid might easily have become spoilt by overindulgence but Raja was very aware of the potential problem and he was a strict but loving father. With his black curly hair and big dark eyes, Ruby's son was the very image of his father and an energetic child with a quick temper and a wilful streak. Ruby tried not to laugh as Leyla tried to pressure her brother into lifting more cars and he sat down and refused to move another step in silent protest.

Ruby still felt surprised to be the mother of two young children, nor did it seem possible to her that she and Raja had already reached their second wedding anniversary. The two years had flown by, packed with events and precious moments. Leyla's adoption had been a joy. Ruby still remembered the memorable day when she and Raja had collected the little girl from the orphanage and explained that they would now be acting as her mother and father and that she would be living with them from then on. A decree from the throne had made Leyla an honorary princess so that she would not be the odd one out among any siblings born to her adoptive parents. Happily many of the other inmates of the orphanage had also found adoptive homes since then.

Hamid's birth a couple of months later had provided an excuse for huge public celebrations in Najar and Ashur. Their son was the next generation of their ruling family and a very welcome reminder of all that had changed between the two countries. Ashur was no longer a devastated country on the edge of economic meltdown. Slowly but surely the infrastructure had been rebuilt and the unemployment figures had steadily fallen while more liberal laws had encouraged the development of trade and tourism. As the standard of living improved accordingly the Ashuri people had become more content and travel between the two countries had become much more common.

Raja and Ruby enjoyed great popularity. Ruby had never got the chance to have much input into the ruling aspect of their royal roles because soon after Raja's
father, King Ahmed's death the previous year elections had been held to pick a government and the monarchy now held more of a constitutional role. Raja had been devastated by the older man's demise and he and Ruby had grown even closer when he shared his grief with her.

Ruby had never even dared to dream that she might be so happy in her marriage. But Raja made her feel incredibly happy and secure. He was wonderfully patient and loving with the children and endlessly supportive of her. Living with Raja, she felt irresistible and very much loved.

Tall, breathtakingly handsome and still very much the focus of his wife's daydreams, Raja appeared in the doorway of the nursery and smiled at Ruby, making her heart lurch in response. ‘It's time for us to leave.'

Ruby emerged from her reverie as Hamid and Leyla pelted over to their father and jumped into his arms. Raja hugged the children and then set them down with the suggestion of firmness, nodding to the staff waiting to take over and extending a hand to Ruby to hurry her away.

‘Why won't you tell me where we're going?' she pressed as he walked her out of the palace and led her over to the helicopter parked on the landing pad he had had built.

‘It's an anniversary surprise,' he told her again.

When she realised that the helicopter was flying over the desert her heart sank a little. A surprise including a tent would not be welcome. As the craft began to land
a glimpse of a familiar rock formation made her soft mouth curve down.

Raja sprang out and swung round to assist her out. ‘I've organised electric and a bathroom but I'm afraid there's no supermarket,' he teased her.

Ruby blinked in astonishment at the vast tented structure within view. ‘What on earth?'

‘The sort of desert lifestyle you can enjoy,
habibi
,' Raja pronounced with satisfaction. ‘Every convenience and comfort possible has been organised so that we can celebrate our wedding anniversary and remember how we first came together here…'

‘That is so romantic.' In the shade of the tent canopy, Ruby turned in the circle of his arms, her eyes tender. She knew that for his sake she was going to pretend to enjoy every moment of the desert sojourn he had arranged for them.

‘I would have done this last year but Hamid was so young I knew you wouldn't want to leave him even for a night,' he explained earnestly.

As she entered the main body of the tent Ruby's jaw dropped at the opulence. There was carpet and proper seats and even overhead fans to cool the interior. There was a proper bedroom and when she found the bathroom at the back of the structure she beamed at him in wondering approval. ‘You really do know the way to a girl's heart,' she told her husband. ‘How the heck did you arrange all this without me finding out about it?'

‘With a great deal of ingenuity and secrecy. I've been planning it for weeks,' he confessed, closing his hands over hers to draw her close and kiss her with hungry
fervour. ‘Happy anniversary, Your Majesty. May we enjoy many many more together…'

Gazing up into his brilliant dark golden eyes, Ruby felt dizzy with love and longing and thought with a little inner quiver of bathing naked in the cliffside pool with him later. She knew her demand for a bathroom had persuaded him that she wouldn't wish to revisit that particular experience but she was already planning to surprise him with her contrariness.

‘I love you so much,' Raja breathed huskily.

‘You were going to get all your favourite food for dinner tonight—now you're going to miss out—'

‘No, we won't. We have a chef coming in a few hours to take care of our evening meal,' Raja whispered.

‘You think of absolutely everything.' Ruby was entranced and she leant up against his lean, muscular chest, listening to the solid reassuring thump of his heartbeat. ‘That's one of the reasons I love you. You cross every t and dot every i—'

Tipping up her chin, Raja sealed his mouth to hers and the world spun dizzily on its axis for Ruby. He swept her up in his arms and carried her through to the comfortable bed awaiting them. Happiness bubbling through her, she made the most of his passion, which was only another one of the many reasons why she loved him to distraction.