‘Nadir,’ she whispered, shuddering against him as his strong fingers followed the line of her spine, spanning her waist before dropping lower to cup her bottom and bring her even closer. Unbearably close. Imogen squirmed and forked her hands into his hair to anchor herself to him, one leg already rising to rest over his lean hip.
And then suddenly she was free and he had stepped back from her, reaching out to steady her as she stumbled without his body weight to hold her up. ‘It seems I still turn you on as well, hmm, habibi?’
What?
Dazed, she blinked up at him and then his condescending words hit her and she was instantly appalled at her behaviour.
Had he just kissed her to prove a point? To prove how weak she was when it came to him? To prove how much power he still had over her? Her face flamed and she was so angry she wanted to punch him.
Realising just how close she was to hitting someone for the first time in her life, she lowered her bunched fists to her sides. ‘Don’t ever touch me again.’ Was she hyperventilating? She placed a hand against her chest. It felt as if she was hyperventilating. ‘I hate you, Nadir. I really hate you.’
‘Don’t be stupid about this, Imogen,’ he rasped, pulling his phone from his pocket again. ‘You can’t provide everything our daughter needs and I want her to grow up secure.’
‘I want that too. Which is why I would never marry you.’
From the stiffening of his spine she could see that he didn’t like that. ‘Be serious,’ she continued desperately, trying to appeal to his rational side. ‘You never wanted Nadeena.’
‘I may not have planned Nadeena.’ His expression grew fierce. ‘But she is here and this is the best solution.’
Imogen’s nostrils flared as if she was a lioness sensing danger. Nadeena’s emotional welfare was on the line and Imogen had vowed a long time ago that she would rather be a single mother than have her child raised by a parent who didn’t want her. Especially the autocratic tyrant Nadir had turned into. But then maybe he had always been that way. She had never challenged him before, had she? ‘This is the worst solution.’
Nadir put the phone to his ear. ‘Bjorn, tell Vince we’ll be at the airport within the hour.’
He rang off and Imogen felt icy-cold with dread. ‘You selfish bastard,’ she raged raggedly. ‘You won’t even consider my needs.’
‘Actually, I would say I was considering them very well.’
‘Ha!’ she scorned. ‘You’re nothing but a bully.’
His eyes flashed a warning she was in no mood to heed. ‘Careful, Imogen. I will only tolerate so much from you.’
‘Like I care,’ she fumed, restless energy making her muscles vibrate. ‘You can’t do this, you know. I have rights.’
She stared at him as if she really knew what she was talking about but inside she was quaking. Not that she’d let him see that. The stakes were far too high for him to think that he had the upper hand. For him to assume that she was a pushover.
‘What you have,’ he said in a carefully modulated tone, his face a cold mask, ‘is my child.’
A discreet knock at the door interrupted the stark silence that followed that statement and Nadir turned to answer it.
‘And Imogen?’ She glanced at him, hoping he was about to tell her this had all been a joke. ‘You will marry me.’
It was a great parting shot, she thought as she sagged against the arm of the sofa and speared wishful daggers into his broad back. But she would have the last word because she would never marry a man she didn’t love.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE PLANE TOOK OFF into the air and Nadir wondered if he needed to have his head examined for bringing Imogen and Nadeena to Bakaan with him.
He could have easily had Bjorn or any one of his men watch her. And what was with the announcement that he was going to marry her?
He scowled. He hadn’t intended to blurt it out like that but hell, that woman could make him do things he’d never intended to do. She always could.
Back in Paris it had been her coy smiles to get him to play tourist or to laze around reading the Sunday papers over brunch. Who had time for that, anyway? Not him. And the fact that he’d done it still rankled.
He’d been so overcome with lust back then he’d let her call the shots. He wouldn’t do that again. Not that he was planning to be an asshole about it. He wasn’t. But nor was he going to be hoodwinked by her nice girl persona either. Hoodwinked by her innocent sexuality.
No. She’d run once. He wouldn’t give her the chance to do it again.