As she rose from the bed, she spotted the telltale signs of her lost virginity on the sheets and her face flamed all over again. Glad Zufar wasn’t around to spot her embarrassment, Niesha located her discarded dress and fled the room before he could return.
Her walk of shame wasn’t any less cringe-inducing because she was the Sheikh’s new bride, because of course the palace was wide awake and the usual bustle of people that went into making the place run like a well-oiled machine were up and about. Her state wasn’t helped when her attendants, headed by Halimah, who looked as if they’d been lying in wait for her, descended on her the moment she entered the main wing of the palace.
Within minutes everyone knew she’d spent the night in Zufar’s bed.
Niesha managed to hold her head high as she was escorted back to her rooms.
Again, a stunning array of clothes had been hung out for her, this time lighter linens and soft chiffons in pastel colours. Unsure how long she had before her breakfast with Zufar, she declined having her hair washed and didn’t linger in the bath.
Twenty minutes later, dressed in a knee-length ivory and navy block dress with a delicate lace waistline fringe, capped sleeves, and navy platform heels, she retraced her steps back to Zufar’s private quarters. An aide led her into the dining room, where he sat at the head of a long antique dining table, reading a newspaper.
Even performing the mundane task of reading while he ate, he was a spectacular sight, dressed in an impeccable suit she knew had been specially imported from Milan.
When she neared him, he deftly folded the paper, inclined his head in a regal nod and watched as she was seated. She kept her hands folded in her lap and her spine straight, tinglingly aware of his direct gaze as her tea was poured and various dishes placed before her.
‘You left my bed before I could show you the less...public passage from my room,’ he said with a stiffness that spoke of his displeasure the moment the staff retreated.
Niesha fought the blush that threatened. ‘Oh...I...didn’t know—’
He waved her response away. ‘It is done. And since you won’t need to leave my bedroom again in the future, we will not speak about your precipitous exit. Eat your breakfast.’
Niesha stared down at her plate, trying to summon an appetite, while curbing a bite of irritation. Slowly she reached for a piece of toast, buttered it and added a dollop of jam made from dates and honey. It melted on her tongue, but, wh
ere she would probably have groaned with the delicious taste, she chewed thoughtfully.
‘Something wrong?’ he queried after a minute.
‘You made it sound as if I needed your permission to leave.’
His gaze scoured her face. ‘Or perhaps I wished to spare the blushes that come so readily to your cheeks,’ he retorted.
It took great effort not to lift her hands to her hot face. ‘I’m sorry if my comportment is lacking.’
Something flashed in his eyes before they regained that remoteness again. ‘On the contrary, you’re the epitome of a blushing bride. Legions of people across the world lap up that sort of thing, I’m told,’ he said lazily.
She barely managed to stop herself from asking who’d told him. Did she really want to know who he’d been discussing her with? Or whether he had an opinion on blushes one way or the other?
But even as she thought that, she felt his gaze tracking another rush of heat to her face. One day she would master her flaw. Today she had other matters on her mind.
‘What you said yesterday, about the honeymoon... Is it still happening?’
Steady eyes rested on her. ‘Of course. Why should it not be?’
Because he’d planned it for another woman. Under the circumstances, the idea shouldn’t have lodged a tiny stone beneath her breastbone but she couldn’t forestall the ache. She shook her head. ‘I was just double-checking.’
‘If you’re feeling a little...bruised because I’m taking you where I would’ve taken Amira, don’t be. Like you, she and I had an understanding. The continued prosperity and smooth running of the kingdom comes first. Which is why this trip was always going to be partly a business one.’
She wasn’t sure whether knowing she was so interchangeable made her feel better or worse. Or that he wasn’t bothering to soften where his priorities truly lay. ‘When do we leave?’ she asked when she’d smothered the growing hurt in her chest.
‘In three days. We will stay at the Emerald Palace for two days, then leave for Europe.’
He went on to name the other places they would be visiting, places Niesha had dreamed of exploring once upon a time. But the joy she’d felt then was severely lacking now. She finished sipping her tea, nodding when expected, all the while feeling the cloak of loneliness and abandonment encroaching once more.
Would she ever be rid of this feeling? She was tied to one of the most powerful men in the world, and yet she felt...hollow.
‘I seem to have lost you.’ His hard, abrupt observation prised her from her thoughts.
Before she could respond, a knock rapped on the dining-room doors. An instant later, a ping sounded on his phone. He touched the screen as the door opened, and his private secretary strode in.