His trusted bodyguards had let her into the palace? Against his express orders?
“I don’t understand...” Sharif breathed. His heart lifted to his throat but he tried to ignore it, to force it down. He couldn’t allow this to happen. He couldn’t let himself love her. “You can’t be here, Irene. You have to go...”
“No.” Irene’s eyes were glowing. “You can’t make me leave you ever again.”
Slowly, afraid of making the dream disappear, Sharif lifted his hands to touch Irene’s upper arms. He felt the warmth of her through her cotton blouse. She was really here. He shuddered.
“Please,” he whispered. “This is killing me. Seeing you today, when I must marry another...”
Kalila’s voice came sharp behind him. “What the hell is she doing here?”
He turned to see her in the wide hallway, dressed like a beautiful royal Makhtari bride, covered with colorful silks and brocades and literally dripping in jewels.
“What am I doing?” Looking at her, Irene suddenly gave a warm smile. “I’m stopping this wedding.” She turned to Sharif. “Kalila Al-Bahar cannot marry you. Because she is already married.”
It was a dream. It had to be.
His grip tightened. Then he shook his head. “It is impossible. She would never do such a thing.”
But her smile only lifted to a grin. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me. So I can prove it.”
And she stepped aside to reveal the young, extremely muscular man standing behind her.
Kalila’s jaw dropped. A mixture of fear, rage and hatred suddenly emanated from her kohl-lined eyes. “Get out of my palace!”
“No,” Irene said, so powerful and calm that Sharif did a double take. “You will get out of mine.”
With a cry, Kalila rushed toward them, as if she intended to claw Irene’s eyes out with the red talons of her henna-covered hands. As Sharif stepped protectively in front of Irene, servants started popping their heads out of doorways. Kalila’s father came out of the throne room, his own entourage gathering behind him.
“What is going on?” he demanded. He looked at his daughter. “Kalila...?”
But she was looking only at the muscle-bound man. “Don’t say it, you piece of trash. Don’t even think of—”
“Sorry, babe,” the man said with a shrug. “She had a better offer.”
Sharif whirled to face Irene.
“Tell me,” he said urgently.
“Five years ago, in New York, Kalila married her personal trainer.” Triumphantly, she held up a piece of paper. “I have the marriage license to prove it.”
With a shriek, Kalila tried to reach for it, but Sharif was faster. Grabbing it from Irene’s hand, he looked it over. Then silently handed it to Ahmed Al-Bahar.
The man read, and his face turned scarlet.
“It’s a lie—all a trick—” Kalila gasped. “I would never throw my life away on a servant—”
“Letters in her own hand.” Irene held up a stack of envelopes, bound together with a black ribbon. “Love letters. Notes she sent with the blackmail money, begging him to come back to her.”
“Women always fall in love with me,” the personal trainer said with a smirk. He shrugged. “I can’t help it if she let me take advantage...”
“Dirty blackmailer!” she screamed.
“Lying bigamist,” he retorted.
“Aah!” She turned to Irene with murder in her eyes. “And you—how did you know? Who talked?”
“Yes,” Sharif breathed. He looked down at Irene. “How did you do this?”
“Let’s just say I have my sources.” She smiled at him, tears of happiness glistening in her eyes. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me without proof. So I bribed Rafael with the diamond necklace you’d hidden behind the liner of my suitcase.”
“The necklace?” he echoed.
She lifted an eyebrow. “You said it was mine to do with as I pleased. And I found what I wanted to do with it.” Reaching up, she stroked his cheek as tears now streaked down her face. “I wanted to save the life of the man that I loved.”
A lump rose in his throat. It was true. She’d saved him.
He took a deep, shuddering breath.
“Does this mean,” he whispered, “that you will marry me?”
With a horrendous shriek, Kalila collapsed in her wedding dress in a dead faint.
“Your Highness,” her father said behind him, “my daughter has dishonored us. And if not for her—” he glared at Irene “—the dishonor would have been greater.” He bowed his head, even as his whole body was tense. “I will deal with Kalila later. For now, I await your punishment.”