Postcards From Paris: Bound by His Desert Diamond / Amorous Liaisons / The Secret to Marrying Marchesi

Not that she had any choice. Beside her King Gustav stood rigidly to attention, his gaze fixed straight ahead. If he had any misgivings about handing over his only daughter to this warrior prince, then he wasn’t letting it show. As far as he was concerned this wedding was a business deal, a means to an end, and his job was to deliver his daughter to her fate. And to make sure that this time nothing went wrong.

Sitting side by side in the vintage car taking them the short journey from the castle to the chapel on the Valduz estate, Anna had thought maybe this would be the moment her father would say something encouraging, comforting—she didn’t really know what. Instead he had simply checked his watch a dozen times, tugged on the sleeves of his morning coat and looked distractedly out of the window at the cheering crowds that lined the route as they passed. And when her hand had reached for his he had looked at it in surprise before awkwardly patting it a couple of times and handing it back.

More than anything in the world right now, Anna wished that her mother could be here to give her a hug, to make everything better. But sadly wishes didn’t come true, even for princesses, so instead she ended up blinking back the tears as she stared out of the window, forcing herself to smile and wave at the crowds brandishing their paper flags. But inside she had never felt more lost. More alone.

The chapel doors opened to reveal the stage set for the ceremony. And it was beautiful. This was the first wedding the chapel had seen since her parents’ nuptials and no expense had been spared, though it didn’t take a genius to work out where the money had come from. With a green-and-white theme, the ancient pews were festooned with alpine flowers, their scent mingling with the incense in the air. Huge arrangements of ivy and ferns were positioned at the top of the aisle and behind the altar at the end—somewhere that Anna couldn’t look at just yet. Because that was where Zahir would be standing. Waiting. That was where, in just a few short minutes from now, the ceremony would begin that would see her signing away her life, at least the only life she had ever known. Where she would hand herself over to this man, become his wife, move to his country, to all intents and purposes become his property to do with as he saw fit.

And Anna had been left in no doubt as to what that would entail, at least as far as the bedroom was concerned. It had been four weeks since that fateful evening in the log cabin, but the brutal memory of it would stay with her for ever—the way Zahir had taken her from wild ecstasy to the pit of misery before the aftershocks of delirium had even left her body. His rage when she had mentioned Henrik had been palpable, terrifying, a dark force that had shocked her with its vehemence, leaving her no chance to try and explain why she had said it, to justify herself. Instead she had hurried to pull on her clothes and followed him out into the night, the snow falling as he had unerringly led them back to where their vehicle was parked and sat beside her in stony silence as she had driven them back to the castle.

Zahir had returned to Nabatean the next morning and they hadn’t seen each other since, any contact between them limited to perfunctory emails or the occasional phone call. But his parting words still clamoured in her head. We will consummate our marriage on our wedding night. It had sounded more like a threat than a promise, but that didn’t stop it sending a thrill of tumult through Anna whenever she recalled it. Like now, for example. Because tonight was the night that Zahir would fulfil his prophecy.

But first she had a job to do. Glancing behind her, she forced a smile at her attendants, four little bridesmaids and two pageboys. The daughters and sons of foreign royalty she didn’t even know, they were nevertheless taking their duties very seriously, meticulously arranging the train of Anna’s beautiful lace wedding dress, the girls bossing the boys around, straightening their emerald-green sashes for them before clasping their posies to their chests, ready to begin.

The procession started, slowly making its way down the red carpet, the congregation turning to catch their first glimpse of the blushing bride, gasping at what they saw. Because Annalina looked stunning, every inch the fairy-tale princess about to marry her Prince Charming. She wore a white lace gown, the wide V neck leaving her collarbone bare to show off the diamond necklace that had belonged to her mother. With sheer lace sleeves and a nipped-in waist, it cascaded to the floor with metres of lace and tulle that rustled with every step. Every step that took her closer and closer to the towering, dark figure that stood with his back to her—rigid, unmoving, impossible to read.

Zahir Zahani. The man she knew so little of, but who was about to become her husband. The man whose hooded gaze burnt into her soul, whose harshly sculpted face haunted her very being. The man who somehow, terrifyingly, she seemed to have become totally obsessed with. Even during the weeks when they had been apart it had felt as if her every waking moment had been filled with the overpowering sense of him. And not just her waking moments. The force of his magnetism had invaded her dreams too, seeing her writhing around in her sleep, waking up gasping for air, her heart thumping in her chest as the erotic images slowly faded into the reality of the day.

Now she took her position beside Zahir, beside this immovable mountain of a man who still stared fixedly ahead. His immaculate tailored suit only accentuated the width of his back, the length of his legs, and when Anna risked a sideways glance she saw how stiffly he held his neck against the starched white collar of his dress shirt, how rigidly his jaw was clenched beneath the smooth, olive skin.

Next to him stood Rashid, who was to serve as best man. In contrast to Zahir’s complete stillness he fidgeted, shifting his weight from foot to foot, smoothing his hands over the trousers of his suit. He shot Anna a cold glance and again she registered that same peculiar sense of unease.

And so the long ceremony began. The sonorous voice of the priest echoed around the vaulted ceiling of the chapel—a chapel full of honoured guests from around the world. But Anna was only aware of one man, so acutely aware that she thought she must shimmer with it, radiate an aura that was plain for all to see.

Somehow she managed to get through the service, the daze of hymns, prayers, readings and blessings, only seriously faltering once, when Zahir slipped the platinum wedding ring onto her finger. The sight of it there, looking so real, so final, sent her eyes flying to his face, searching for a crumb of comfort, some sort of affirmation that they were doing the right thing. But all she saw was the same closed, dark expression that refused to give anything away.

Finally the organ struck up for the last time and the bride and groom made their way back up the aisle as man and wife. As they stepped outside, they were met with a loud roar from the crowd and a barrage of flashing cameras. It seemed thousands of people had gathered to be a part of this special day, braving hours of standing in the cold to catch a glimpse of their princess and her new husband. A short distance away, the car was waiting to take them back to the castle for the wedding breakfast, but first Anna was going to spend a few minutes chatting to the crowd. They deserved that, at least. Walking over to the barrier, she bent down to accept a posy of flowers from a young child, smiling at the sight of his chubby little cheeks red from the cold. The crowd roared louder and suddenly arms were reaching out everywhere, bunches of flowers thrust at them, cameras and phones held out to capture the moment.

‘We need to get into the car, Annalina.’ Zahir was right behind her, whispering harshly into her ear.

‘All in good time.’ She politely accepted another bunch of flowers. ‘First we need to acknowledge the kindness of these people who have been hanging around for hours waiting to congratulate us.’ She could feel Zahir’s displeasure radiating from him in waves but she didn’t care. They weren’t in Nabatean now. This was her country and she was going to set the rules. She continued to smile into the crowd, accepting armfuls of flowers that she then passed to a couple of burly men who had appeared behind them. She noticed they shot a startled glance at Zahir. ‘Why don’t you go and talk to the people over there?’ She gestured to the barrier on the other side.

‘Because this is not on the schedule, that’s why.’

‘So what? Life doesn’t always have to run to a schedule.’ She passed more flowers back to the minders, enjoying herself now, especially the sight of these burly men wreathed in blooms. ‘You need to loosen up a bit, accept that this is the way things are done here.’

But Zahir showed no signs of loosening up. Instead he continued to move her forward by the sheer wall of his presence, so close behind her that his barely repressed ire bound them together. Anna turned her head, hissing the words past her smile: ‘You might at least try and look as if you’re happy.’

‘This isn’t about being happy.’ No, of course it wasn’t. How foolish of Anna to forget for a moment. ‘Schedules are there for a reason. And impromptu walkabouts provide the ideal chance for a terrorist to strike.’

‘This is Dorrada, Zahir.’ Still she persisted. ‘We don’t have any terrorists.’

They had reached the car now, Zahir having to duck his head to get in to this ancient vehicle that had once been her father’s pride and joy. He seemed far too big for it, caged in by it, as the doors closed behind them, muffling the cheers of the crowd.

‘May I remind you that you are now married to me, Annalina? To Prince Zahir of Nabatean?’ He turned to face her, his eyes as black as stone. ‘And we do. From now on, you will treat security with the respect it deserves. Otherwise, you may not live to regret it.’

* * *

Zahir’s eyes strayed across the crowded ballroom yet again, searching out Annalina. She wasn’t difficult to find. Still wearing her wedding dress, she was by far the most beautiful woman in the room without exception, moving amongst the guests with practised ease, charming them with her grace and beauty, occasionally taking to the floor to be whisked around by some daring young buck or crusty old dignitary.

Zahir didn’t dance. Never had he seen the need. But tonight he found himself wishing that he did, that he could have parted the crowd on the dance floor, firmly tapped on the shoulder whichever interloper it was at the time and removed Annalina from his clutches. Other men touching his bride did not sit well with him. More than that, it spread a hot tide of possessiveness through him, the like of which he had never known before. It was something he knew he had to keep in check.

At least until tonight, when he would have Annalina in his bed. Then she would be all his, in every sense of the word. It was that thought that had got him through today: the long-drawn-out ceremony, the tedious wedding breakfast and now this irksome ball that it appeared would never come to an end. His tolerance and patience had been severely tested, neither being qualities that he had in abundance. But the day was finally drawing to a close, the waiting nearly over. And as the time approached when at last they would be together, alone, so the thrum of awareness increased, spreading through him, until it was no longer a thrum but a thudding, pounding urge that held his body taut, rang in his ears.

From across the other side of the room Annalina looked up, meeting his gaze, a gaze which he knew he had held for too long, that was in danger of betraying him with its intensity. She angled her head, something approaching a smile playing across her lips, her eyes deliberately holding his, refusing to look away.

God, she was beautiful. A fresh wave of lust washed over him, tightening the fit of his tailored trousers. She might be all demure decorum now but tonight he would have those restrained lips screaming his name in pleasure, those searching eyes screwed shut against the delirium of his touch, his heated thrust. Bringing her to orgasm that night in the log cabin had been the single most erotic experience of his life. But the experience had ended badly—seeing him consumed with rage, fighting to maintain his composure, dangerously close to losing it. This was what Annalina did to him. She stirred up emotions that were totally uncalled for. Awoke the warrior in him when the situation called for restraint and respect—not pumping testosterone and raging hormones.

As the supreme leader of the army of Nabatean, Zahir had seen some terrible things, had done some terrible things, that still had the power to haunt him when he closed his eyes against the night. But that was war, the most brutal savagery imaginable, man turning on his fellow man. It had been a hideous, necessary evil but he was vindicated by the fact that Nabatean was now a successful, independent country, free from the oppression and tyranny of its war-mongering neighbour. Many would say that Zahir should be extremely proud of his achievements. That he had accomplished what no man had ever thought possible. But, despite his pride in his country, Zahir would never be able to accept praise for his victory, let alone celebrate it. Not when his parents had paid for his success with their lives.

He had learned his lesson in the most painful way possible. Never again would he allow himself the luxury of such gratification, no matter for how brief a period of time. Self-indulgent pleasure was to be avoided at all costs. He just needed to remember that when he was around Annalina.

Not that his feelings for her were all about pleasure, far from it. Annalina stirred up extremes of emotions that were as threatening as they were mystifying.

For a slightly built young woman, weighing, he would estimate, little more than eight stone, this was extremely perplexing. Even if she’d been a trained assassin, armed to the teeth, he knew he would have no trouble overpowering her, throwing her to the ground, dispatching her if necessary. But she wasn’t a trained assassin and she wasn’t armed, at least, not with a recognisable weapon. She was no threat. So why did his body insist that she was, firing the blood through his veins as if he had stepped into an ambush, had a blade at his throat?

Because Annalina’s weapons were of a different kind. Ice-blue eyes that flashed with a mystery all of their own. Plump lips, pert breasts, hair that tumbled over her shoulders...curves that begged to be stroked. These were her weapons. And Zahir was beginning to realise that they were more lethal than any he had come across before. They consumed his mind, invaded his consciousness, provoking feelings of anger, lust and a desperate need that had only increased in the weeks they had been apart. And there was another emotion, one he had never experienced before. Jealousy. The thought of Annalina with another man, past or present, innocent or not, gripped him hard enough to paralyse his whole body. It frightened him with its force, weakened him with its power.

Forcing himself to relax, he leant against a pillar festooned with winter foliage, flexing his fingers, half-closing his eyes. Eyes that still followed Annalina as she started talking to another guest—that narrowed further when he saw the man taking her hand in his, raising it to his lips, holding it there longer than was strictly necessary. He sucked in a breath. Control yourself, Zahir. And find enough patience for another hour. When they finally did come together, it would be all the sweeter for the wait.

He was glad now that they hadn’t had sex that night in the cabin. At the time it had only been blind rage that had stopped him. But now he knew the timing hadn’t been right. He had wanted her—God how he had wanted her! But deep down had he felt uneasy about despoiling such an exquisite creature? Felt unworthy, even? Now Annalina was his bride, his wife. Now he could legitimately claim her. And any unusually sensitive worries he might have had, any hesitancy about his rights or his responsibilities, had long since vanished in a sea of carnal craving.

Shouldering himself away from the pillar, he decided to go outside in search of some fresh air. He needed to cool himself down.

It was a beautiful night, crisp and clear, with a full moon shining on the virgin snow. Zahir paused to take in the view, the town of Valduz spread out in the valley below twinkling prettily, the mountains all around them soaring into the night sky. He set off around the side of the castle, his footprints sinking deep into the crunchy snow, breathing in deeply to relish the cold air that scoured his lungs. But then he stopped, his senses on high alert. Someone else was out here. He could hear the huff of their breath, a sort of shuffling noise, a mumbled voice.

Zahir moved stealthily forward, tracking the sound like the trained killer that he was. Now he could make out the shape of man leaning against the wall of the castle, see the glow of a cigarette burn more brightly as he took a deep drag before flicking it away into the snow. He watched as the figure raised a bottle to his lips—whisky, if Zahir had to guess—glugging from it greedily then wiping the back of his hand across his mouth before staggering a couple of steps sideways, then back again. The mumbling was him talking to himself. There was no one else was around. He was clearly very drunk.

Zahir stepped out of the shadows.

‘I think you’ve had enough of this.’ Removing the bottle from the man’s grasp, Zahir flung it behind him.

‘Hey!’ Lunging forward, the man peered at him with glassy-eyed aggression. ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’

Zahir silently positioned himself in front of this creature, squaring his chest, towering over him. He wasn’t looking for a fight, but neither was he going to let this guy drink himself into oblivion. Not here, at his wedding party.

‘You have no right to...’ Squinting up at Zahir, the man suddenly stopped. ‘Well, look who it is. The mighty desert Prince.’ A sneer twisted his thin lips. ‘What brings you out here? Trying to escape already?’

Zahir’s fists balled by his sides. This individual was seriously asking for a punch.

‘You don’t know who I am, do you?’ Pushing himself unsteadily off the wall, he straightened up, holding Zahir’s gaze, emboldened by the alcohol or stupidity, or both. ‘Allow me to introduce myself. Prince Henrik of Ebsberg.’ He extended a limp arm. ‘Delighted to meet you.’

Blood roared in Zahir’s ears, raging through his body, turning his muscles to stone. So this was the revolting individual who had once been engaged to Annalina. His fists by his sides flexed, then balled again, his nails digging into his palms.

‘Ha.’ With a dismissive laugh, Henrik withdrew his hand, folding his arms over his chest. ‘So my name’s familiar to you, then.’ He put his head on one side, the sneer still curving his lips. ‘You may not want to shake my hand, old chap, but perhaps you will accept my heartfelt commiserations instead. You have my deepest sympathies.’

A growl erupted from somewhere deep inside Zahir as he adjusted his stance, planting his feet further apart. ‘And just what do you mean by that?’

‘Oh, dear.’ With a giggle, Henrik moved his hand to his mouth. ‘Don’t tell me you don’t know. This is so much worse than I thought.’

‘Don’t know what?’ Zahir ground out the question, more as a diversionary tactic to stop his hands from travelling to this man’s throat rather than because he wanted an answer.

‘About your new bride. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Princess Annalina is not only as pure as the driven snow, she’s as frozen as it.’ Misinterpreting Zahir’s thunderous silence, Henrik warmed to his theme. ‘Yes, it’s true. Beneath that pretty exterior there lies nothing but a block of ice.’

‘Hold your tongue.’ Zahir bent down, his face just inches away from his prey. ‘You will not speak of my wife in such a way. Not if you know what’s good for you.’

‘Why not?’ Henrik blithely carried on. ‘I’m only telling you the truth. Annalina is the original ice maiden. You will get no satisfaction from her. Take it from me. I should know. I’ve been there.’

Unbidden, Zahir’s hands flew to Henrik’s throat, grasping a handful of shirt and lifting his feet clean off the ground. The fury that engulfed him was so strong he could taste it, feel it rising up his throat, burning behind his eyes. The thought that this man had even touched Annalina was enough for Zahir to wish upon him the most slow and painful death. But to brag about it. To speak of her in that hideously insulting manner... Death would be too good for him.

He looked down at Henrik, now squirming in his grasp. Then, taking a deep breath, he let him go, watching as he fell to his knees before scrabbling to stand upright again.

‘Tut, tut.’ Brushing the snow from his hands, Henrik staggered a couple of steps away. ‘It’s not my fault that you’ve married a dud, Zahani. You should have taken a leaf out of my book and had the sense to try her out first. I had a lucky escape. But you, my friend, have been duped.’

‘Why, you little...’ Raging fury had all but closed Zahir’s throat, grinding his words to a low snarl. ‘Get out of my sight while you can still walk.’

‘Very well. But it won’t change anything. The fact is, pretty Annalina is frigid. If it’s any consolation, I had no idea either—not until she was in my bed, until she was under me, until it came to the actual point of—’

Crack. Zahir’s fist connected with Henrik’s nose, making a noise like the fall of a branch in the forest. With this vilest of creatures now splayed at his feet, his first thought was of satisfaction, that he had finally silenced his revolting words. But rampant fury was still pumping through his body, the temptation to finish what he had started holding him taut, tensing his muscles, grinding his jaw. He looked down at Henrik, who was whimpering pathetically, blood pouring from his nose.

‘Get up.’ He realised he wasn’t done with him yet. He wanted him on his feet again, wanted him to fight back, to give him the opportunity to have another swipe at him. But Henrik only moaned. ‘I said, get up.’ Bending down, Zahir lifted him by the scruff of the neck again, holding him before him like a rag doll. ‘Now put your fists up. Fight like a man.’

‘Please, no.’ Henrik raised a hand, but only to touch his damaged nose, recoiling in horror when it came away covered in blood. ‘Let me go. I don’t want to fight.’

‘I bet you don’t.’ Zahir set him down again, watching Henrik’s knees buckle in the struggle to keep him upright. ‘Call yourself a man, Prince Henrik of Ebsberg?’ He spat out the name with utter revulsion. ‘You are nothing more than a pathetic piece of scum, a vile and despicable low life. And if I ever hear you so much as utter Princess Annalina’s name, let alone defile her character as you have just done, you will not live to tell the tale. Is that understood?’

Henrik nodded and Zahir turned away, taking several steps, inhaling deeply as he did so, trying to purge himself of this man. He was ten or twelve feet away when Henrik called after him.

‘So it’s true what they say about you.’

Zahir froze, then slowly turned around.

‘You really are an animal. The Beast of Nabatean.’ His words slurred into one another. ‘You do know that’s what they call you, don’t you?’ He started to giggle idiotically. ‘Despite your marriage, Europe will never accept you. So you see, you and Annalina, it’s all been for nothing. Beauty and the Beast—you deserve each other.’

The space between them was closed in an instant, even though Henrik was backing away as fast as his collapsing legs would let him.

Zahir’s fist connected with Henrik’s face again—this time it was his jaw. And, when he fell to the snow again, this time there was no getting up.

CHAPTER TEN

CLOSING THE DOOR, Anna leant back against it and looked around. The room was empty. She was the first to arrive. Swallowing down the jittery disappointment, she drew in a deep breath. It was fine. She would have time to prepare herself before Zahir came to her. And when he did she would be ready. They would make love and everything would be wonderful. This was the night that finally, please God, she would lose not only her virginity but the terrible stigma that had haunted her for so long.