Bella and the Merciless Sheikh

‘If that were true, you would not be here now.’

‘Really?’ She gave a lopsided smile. ‘Do you know what I think? I think even you aren’t quite as strong as you’d like to think you are. I think our chemistry is pretty hot and it would be all too easy to let it take over and for us to think, What the heck—let’s just have a good time and enjoy our selves while we can. But there’s always a price for living in the moment.’

‘You are speaking from experience…’

‘Yes. And for once I’ve learned from that experience. I know you, Zafiq. You might be able to leave behind duty and responsibility for one steamy night, but you won’t leave it behind for long. It’s who you are. You’re a brilliant ruler and your people love you. They need you. And when the time comes you’ll choose a suitable woman to be by your side to give you children and all those other respectable, duty-like things.’ Bella swallowed hard. ‘And that isn’t going to be me, is it?’

There was a lengthy, protracted silence.

He took so long to reply that hope flickered to life in her heart.

Hoping desperately that she was wrong about him, she reached out her hand but he simply stared at it for a moment, a muscle working in his jaw. And then he looked her in the eyes.

‘I will not make the same mistakes in my marriage that my father made in his.’

It was like being stabbed through the heart and she pulled her hand back and rubbed it against her chest, trying to ease the pain. ‘Then this is good bye, Zafiq.’

‘Wait! I haven’t finished.’

‘But I have.’ Bella ignored his command, her hand on the door handle. ‘Honestly, Zafiq, this is so hard—you have no idea how hard, especially for someone like me. I don’t do this, OK? I don’t behave for the greater good, nor do I act unselfishly, so you’ve got to give me some help here! It’s—it’s like tipping away a drink when you’re an alcoholic, or saying no to chocolate when you’re starving.’

‘I’m an addictive substance?’

She was embarrassed she’d revealed so much about her feelings for him. ‘We’re not good for each other! Why did you even invite me tonight? I was doing OK in your stables.’ Sort of.

‘You’re saying you would have preferred to continue working in my stables?’

‘In a way, yes,’ she said miserably. ‘I did it to prove to everyone that I wasn’t Bad Bella, that I could be responsible. But I’d forgotten how much I love horses. And I’ve discovered that I love the responsibility. I love knowing I managed to win that race—well, Batal won it, I know, but I was on his back and I’m proud of that. It felt as though I’d achieved something.’

‘You achieved a great deal, and…I want you more than I’ve ever wanted any other woman.’

Sensing his struggle, Bella stared at him with a lump in her throat. Hug me, she thought to herself. Drag me into your arms and tell me you can’t live without me.

But he stood rigid, as if he were hanging onto control by a thread. ‘I have never offered another woman what I’m offering you now. I’m inviting you to live in the palace with me.’

‘As your mistress. I don’t want that, Zafiq. You treated me to dinner because I won the race, but that’s over now. And now I’m going back to the stables.’ Her knees were shaking, her stomach was quivering and every nerve in her body was straining to touch him. She’d never, ever in her life wanted anything or anyone as badly as she wanted him and denying herself was the hardest thing she’d ever done.