Chapter Fourteen #3
Magnificent before, he was stunning now, sort of rippling with health and muscle and she ran a hand on his very flat stomach and down to solid thighs.
‘You’ve been running.’
‘Yeah.’
‘A lot.’
‘A lot…’ he admitted. ‘When I can’t stand that you are not here, I go to the desert and I run.’
He was all masculine energy and she felt a little wobbly, but he adored her with his hands…
‘I missed you…’ She kept saying it between kisses, and kept saying it as he reclaimed her.
They made love side on, their legs scissored, and able to touch each other, to kiss, to rediscover each other.
‘Never do that again,’ he said, taking her deep. ‘Seriously, Liliana.’
It had been weeks.
She was breathless, but he was not. He took everything she had to give.
Made her say his name before he came.
‘Say it…’ he told her.
‘Rafiq,’ she begged, and she told him something else as she came. ‘I love you.’
They lay silent, coming down; even Rafiq was a bit breathless.
And should she have said she loved him?
Too needy? she thought, because he hadn’t said it back.
‘Too much?’ she asked and he turned and smiled.
‘I love hearing it.’
He pulled her in, and as he’d wanted to that first day, dropped a kiss on her head.
‘I missed you,’ she said.
‘I know you did,’ Rafiq said. ‘But I’m here now.’
He didn’t say it back, and then laughed when she dug him in the ribs.
And who knows where they led…
Right now, she was here.
‘Is Yara okay?’
‘Seriously?’ Rafiq teased, ‘I turn up at your work, I bring you here, we make love and that is your question?’
‘I’m worried for her and Jasmine.’ She took a breath. ‘I understand that you might have to marry. I don’t like it, but…’ She had sworn to never compromise, to never back down. Only this didn’t feel like that; it felt too right for that.
‘Stop,’ Rafiq said. ‘You told me to sort it, and I have. I have been in long talks with the King of Al-Nawar. He knows my stance about apologising, and now so does the world—I told him when we met that I shan’t apologise for falling in love. Do you know what he said?’
‘No.’
‘Nor should anyone have to.’
‘Do you think he knows?’
‘I am almost certain.’ He smiled. ‘You put me in the right direction. Yara and Jasmine are seen together. To have your lover as part of your retinue is forbidden in Al-Zahir, but in Al-Nawar the laws were amended a few years ago. There are no restrictions on being seen with your lover there.’
‘Yara’s father changed them?’
‘I believe so, and I believe not without an awful lot of thought and love. I don’t quite know how it happened, but I know my father was trying to lead me to it.’
‘Why would he be pushing for you to marry her?’
‘I think he guessed I knew. He trusts me to take care of her.’ He lay there, arranging himself on his thigh. ‘I can’t tell you all that was said in the inner sanctum, but he knows I shall always do my best by Yara. But you and the baby come first.’
Liliana lay there, loving the feel of his hand on her stomach as he stroked the soft skin, as he acknowledged the little life inside.
‘The baby has grown.’
‘I have too,’ Liliana said. ‘I know we can’t be married…’
‘Why not?’
‘It would cause offence.’
‘Not now.’
‘Your country would never accept me.’
‘My country is thrilled to see me happy.’ He pulled her into him. ‘They want the countries to move forward in unison. Did you notice the flowers by my side at the interview?’ He rolled his eyes. ‘I have been speaking orchids and fauna and eco…’ He groaned.
‘That was when I knew I loved you,’ Liliana admitted. ‘I knew that I could talk about flowers with you.’
‘Liliana, it nearly killed me when you couldn’t tell me about the baby. I never want you to feel that way again,’
‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘I wasn’t scared of your reaction or anything like that. I was worried about…’ She gestured to the bed. ‘This. I knew if I stayed, I might never leave.’
‘Get dressed.’
‘I want to stay here.’
‘Get dressed,’ he told her.
He had something he needed to say.
Properly.
They walked together through the grounds, not so much as holding hands, around the side of the gorgeous mansion and down a cobbled lane until they came to a gate.
There was no padlock on the walled rose garden.
The scent was incredible, and there were beds of lemons and apricot and bold reds, buds ready to pop open and some in full flower, and there was a little robin sitting on a high wall and singing as he led her down the next row.
He really did things properly; he was down on one knee and holding a polished wooden box.
‘Liliana, will you marry me?’
‘Marriage?’
He nodded.
‘Just us? I mean…’
‘Just us. Forever.’
It was a pearl, so perfect, and set high with two diamonds on each side, as if guarding its beauty,
‘It is a pearl farmed on the day I was born.’ Rafiq explained its meaning. ‘It is yours forever now. If you accept it, you must take it to your grave.’ He grimaced. ‘Sorry, I have to say that.’
She laughed, her eyes too full with happy tears. And she was straight back into his embrace and kiss, and of course the answer was yes.
She didn’t even need to say it.
Surely?
Oh, but she did.
‘Yes?’ Rafiq checked.
‘Of course.’
‘You will marry me?’
‘Yes!’
‘So we are betrothed.’ He held her close and in the fragrant rose garden she found a little more of their impossible but beautiful ways. ‘Then I can say it now. I love you, Liliana. My heart turned to you on the night we met.’
The terminology didn’t sound strange to her now, for it was exactly how she felt. ‘And my heart turned to you.’