Terrifying.
Because loving him was an astoundingly simple thing to do. She’d been dazzled by him from the moment they’d met. Infatuated before they were wed. But now… she was in love. Truly and deeply in love for the first time.
Josie swallowed, slowly turning to look at the handsome face of the man sleeping beside her. One side of his face was turned toward the silver moonlight glowing softly through the white canvas. The other side of his face was in shadow, dark and harsh.
And that was Kasimir’s soul. This was the man she’d given herself to—body and heart. The man she loved had one side filled with light. This side encouraged, protected, demanded, respected. He was strong and calm in a crisis; he’d rushed to the side of the injured boy.
But Kasimir’s other half… was filled with darkness.
There are rumors about me, he’d said. That I am more than ruthless. That I am half-insane, driven mad by my hunger for revenge.
But loving him changed everything. She no longer wished to escape him. Or even to be his make-believe wife for a few weeks in a marriage of convenience.
Josie wanted to be his real wife. Always and forever. Complete with children and the white picket fence.
But Prince Kasimir Xendzov was not a white-picket-fence kind of man.
She turned her head, blinking back tears. Such a risk. Such a stupid risk. She loved the good in him—the man he’d once been, the man he could be again.
But the pain of past betrayals had warped his soul, turning him dark and ruthless. Giving him reason to keep the world at a distance. Her heart twisted in her chest.
Could she make him see that forgiving his brother wouldn’t be weakness, but strength—freeing him for a new life? Could she show him that the world could be so much more? She yearned to show him his life, his future, had just begun.
Just as hers had…
With a low sigh, she nestled closer to him in bed. His eyes remained closed, but his strong arms instinctively pulled her closer against the warmth of his body.
It felt so protective, so good. Closing her eyes, she pressed her cheek against his chest.
She would find a way. She yawned, safe and sleepy in his arms. Kasimir had changed her life.
For so long, Josie had been afraid. Since she was twelve, Bree had protected her like a mother hen, not letting her take risks, warning her about the evils of the world. Josie had listened. After all, Bree, older by six years, was the smart one. The strong one. Josie was the burden. The helpless, hapless one. The one who, just by being born, had caused her mother to die. What right did Josie have to ask for anything at all? What right to speak her mind, to make a fuss, to live her dreams?
But Kasimir had changed her, completely and irrevocably. He’d forced her to be who she really was inside. And shown her that living boldly was the only way to honor the sacrifice her mother had made, and the life she’d been given.
He’d done that for her. She yearned to do something for him. She wanted to teach him that being vulnerable, that trusting others, could be his greatest strength. Josie snuggled deeper into his arms. She would help him break free from the chains of anger and revenge….
Morning sunlight was bright against the white canvas of the tent when Josie opened her eyes. She sat up abruptly. She was alone amid the tangled sheets of the bed. Much of the tent, too, was empty. She saw his packed suitcase beside her own backpack at the door. Weird. Were they going somewhere?
But where was Kasimir?
Kasimir. Just his name was like a song in her heart. Rising from the bed, she splashed fresh cool water on her face from the basin, then pulled on a clean T-shirt, a cotton skirt and sandals from the wardrobe and went outside.
Her heart pounded as she looked for him. She was going to tell him she loved him. Now. Today. The instant she saw him.
But where was he? All of the servants in the encampment seemed to be rushing around strangely, boxing up, packing. She wondered if they were tidying up from the wind storm the night before. Maybe it had been a big one. Not that Josie had noticed. She’d been too distracted by the sensual storm in their bed. A sweet smile lifted her lips. She started towards one of the women, to ask if she’d seen Kasimir. Then Josie stopped.
He was standing alone on the highest dune. His powerful dark silhouette dazzled her. He was like the sun—her northern star.
With an
intake of breath, she climbed the sand dune towards him, as fast as she could go. Looking around, she realized she’d come to love the vastness and beauty of the desert. It didn’t feel so lonely anymore, or make her feel small.
As long as she was with Kasimir, the world was a wondrous place.
She stopped. Was she making a mistake to tell him she loved him? Would it ruin everything?
She looked at him again, and her shoulders relaxed. Her momentary fear floated away, evaporating like dark smoke into the blue sky, like a shadow beneath the bright Moroccan sun. She didn’t have to be afraid. Not anymore. Kasimir had believed in her.