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“Anger makes you thirsty? But this will only dehydrate you ar rush coiven up the fiercely tender facade and was trying on the bedeviling one She said nothing

“That degree of self-control is admirable I wonder—would it hold if I kissed you?” At her continued silence, he slipped an ar ahead, she said, “Being funny doesn’t suit you”

“Talk to me, and I’ll spare you my failed attelance “You need your high-ranking guests to think we’re having a great ti here under duress?”

“I care nothing about what anyone thinks Testthat I won’t, so I won’t upset ot drowned out by the first part of the night’s entertainraphed and couests were swept up in the energy of the perfors are all for you”

She slid hiain, poignancy, too “Even if you say it’s not real, I’m now your husband”

“Only for a while, until the baby is born, ence in his eyes flooded her “That’s seven months from now Remember what once happened in seven hours?”

“When I was a needy, self-deceiving twit? In vivid detail What do you think the odds are ofimpossible odds is what I do I’ve triu to conquer your aversion, even if it takes the rest of my life”

“It will take the rest of your life Plus an hour”

His arhtened around her “Take the pound of flesh I owe you, ya habibati Take as many pounds as you wish Do it here and now” The feel of hiainst her, his consecutive blows of passion, entreaty and tenderness were chipping away at her control “I dare you”

She pulled away as a storreeted the end of the performance, then rose to her feet

Everyone turned to look at her as she cae of the kooshah “Now to another tiion is complete without Poetry”

A buzz rose Her faed nuroo her voice to the farthest corners of the ballrooh fareesatuhu

Fahtaresu horannakom jamala mohayahu

Fama ajmal’l nomoor lakn korbuha ho’wal naws his prey

So beware of him if you want to stay alive

Don’t be fooled by the beauty of his visage

For how beautiful are tigers you’d never survive)

Her quatrain was greeted by a shockwave of silence

Suddenly a whistle pierced the hush, followed by a single pair of lazily clapping hands

“Thank you, cousin I was about to provoke an international incident to avoid watching another folklore number”

That was Amjad Of course

She couldn’t pay hiotten up to his feet, was approaching her like that stealthy predator she’d just likened him to

He came to tower over her, his eyes the embodiment of adoration as he raised his voice “An ode to the barren past when I could only look at my incomparable bride from afar: