The Sheikh's Bartered Bride

"I will never let you go."

"I have a say in it, Hakim."

He spun around and pounded one fist into the other palm. "When will you cease to fight me on this? You are my wife," he raged, shocking her into stillness with his unexpected anger. "I will not let you go. You are the mother of my children. Even now, you could carry my baby. Do you consider this when you make your plans to leave me?"

"I haven't made any plans." At least not since the first attempt to leave Jawhar on her own.

She laid her hand over her belly, a warm feeling suffusing her, even in the face of her husband's anger. "Do you think I might truly be pregnant?"

He spun around to face her. "If not, it is not for lack of trying on my part."

The admission stunned her. "You'd do anything to keep our marriage."

"Believe it."

He'd promised her fidelity, honesty and that she would come first in his consideration. It was a better recipe for marriage than many she'd seen and according to Latifah, love came later. Even so, there was no guarantee he would ever come to love her.

And if he had loved her, what was the guarantee he would always do so? In Hakim she had a husband who would always keep his promises.

"I don't want to end our marriage. I don't want to leave you."

His smile sent her pulses racing. In that moment of her capitulation, he looked marvelously happy. He could not be so happy if she personally meant nothing to him.

She put her hand out. "Let's get a little more practice in at starting a family."

Rich, deep laughter reverberated around her as Hakim led her to their room and a night of loving unlike any they had yet shared.

CHAPTER TWELVE

A little over three weeks later, they flew back into Sea-Tac, greeted by the typical gray skies and wet weather of a Seattle winter. Catherine mourned the loss of the warm sunshine of Hakim's desert home. Her husband clearly reveled in his Kadar lifestyle. Being honest with herself, she had to admit she had as well.

A great deal of it had been Hakim. He'd been so attentive and wanted to share every aspect of his life as a sheikh with her. She'd visited the settlements in his region, learned the only library available was at the palace and discovered an instant rapport with the people they came into contact with.

She had enjoyed their warmth and unreserved welcome for their sheikh's wife. The only downside had been the many requests the people made for Hakim's return. His political responsibilities were being seen to by a cousin from his father's side of the family, but his people wanted the Sheikh of Kadar to come home permanently.

She didn't understand his refusal to even discuss it. Could King Asad truly be cruel enough to expect Hakim to give up his homeland to oversee business interests? It didn't fit with the man she'd observed on their second visit to the capital.

Hakim drove them home from the airport in his Jaguar.

"We will have to arrange a visit with your parents now that we are back in Washington."

She noticed he never called Seattle home.

She swallowed a sigh. She'd have to face her father sometime. "Does Mom know? About Dad's deal with your uncle I mean."

Hakim's jaw clenched and he shook his head once in negation. "He did not think she would understand."

Just as Catherine had not understood, but she was glad her mom had not known. It would hurt that much more to think both her parents had been so willing to barter her life away.

"I'll call Mom and schedule something in a couple of weeks."

"Your father is scheduled to travel to Kadar the week after next to investigate the most likely mining sites."

He certainly wasn't letting any grass grow under his feet. "I guess we'll have to wait to see him until after he gets back."

With a little luck, it would take him several weeks to choose a site. By then she might have her emotions under control enough to see him without going totally ballistic.

"Why not before he goes? Surely this can be arranged."

She sighed. "I'm not sure I want it arranged."

"I thought you had reconciled yourself to our marriage."

Her gaze snapped to him. His jaw was taut, his expression unreadable.

“I am.”

"Then why do you not want to see your father?"

"Because he betrayed me."

"As you believed I betrayed you."

She couldn't deny it. "Yes." She hated this. Everything had been fine until he brought up her father.

"And you cannot forgive."

That stopped her. She'd forgiven Hakim because forgiveness had been necessary to the healing of the wound in their marriage. But she'd never told him, assuming he knew because she'd stayed with him.

Apparently he didn't.

"I do forgive you."