Slowly she turned. Kamal, dressed as finely as any European gentleman, stood on the end of the dock.
“You cannot be real,” she whispered, half covering her eyes with her hand.
As he strode toward her, she took a shaky step backward. She heard him shout as her foot came down into empty air. She gave a cry as she fell backward.
Kamal caught her and pulled her back onto the dock. “I have saved you from a soaking,” he said. “Will that gain me something other than curses?”
“You are truly here,” Arabella said.
“Yes,” he said.
“You look so very fine.”
“I thank you, my lady.” He grinned, his blue eyes twinkling down at her, and gave her a bow. “Did you believe the savage barbari
an could not clothe himself as a gentleman?”
“I was thinking of you bedding other women. Elena—your harem.”
“Elena is now wed to a Turkish captain. As for the other women, I seem to have lost my taste for them. The only woman I want is a stubborn hellion who makes me want to thrash her one moment and love her the next, until we are both exhausted with pleasure.”
“Oh.”
“I was not expecting you to still appear so slender. Indeed, you are too thin.”
Arabella cocked her head to one side. “You believed I would stuff myself with food without you?”
“No, but our babe—” He broke off suddenly, realizing that the earl had used his honor against him. He grinned, then threw back his head and laughed deeply, “You, my love, are about as pregnant as I am.”
“You came,” she said dully, “only because you thought I carried your child?”
He grew immediately serious, and said quietly, “That I believed you pregnant gave me the excuse to come to you.”
“And now will you leave again?”
“I fear if I tried, your father would have me locked up. He has been concerned about you.”
“I am not unhappy,” Arabella said, “I want no man’s pity. You can take yourself back to Oran to your harem.”
“But I no longer maintain a harem. You now behold, Arabella, a simple man who owns three ships and little else, a man who indeed has very little to offer you. Not even a gentleman’s title.” He paused. She was as silent as a rock. “All right then. If you won’t speak to me, you might as well kiss me.”
He pulled her against him and lowered his head. She felt his mouth against hers. Ah, the feel of him, his scent, his sweet taste.
“If we continue,” he said, “our babe will quickly become a reality. Arabella, we must talk.”
“Yes,” she said, nearly beside herself. “Yes, we must talk.”
He smiled at her. “I will take care of your needs once we are married, and not before.”
The earl watched his daughter tug Kamal’s hand, leading him into the shelter of the forest. He smiled as he turned to walk back to the villa. He imagined that his son-in-law would do quite nicely in shipping. All in all, his mild deception had worked quite well.
“I will do whatever you wish, my lord,” Arabella said, and kissed Kamal’s nose.
“I do remember how pleasurable it is to gain your obedience.”
Arabella rubbed her cheek along his smooth jaw. “It has been two months, Kamal. It seemed like forever.”
“I know, for me also. I saw my mother, Arabella, in the convent in Sicily. She was very quiet, withdrawn. I almost wished to hear her cursing, vowing vengeance.”