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Before he took her lips, forced his breath into her lungs, he grated, “Now repeat after e”

She tossed her head on the bed, writhing again He pressed harder between her splayed thighs, fighting not to reach down and take hold of her hips, tilt her, thrust at her as his body was roaring for hi her heat with his hardness, the pressure he exerted still wrenched dueling moans from their throats “Say it, Carmen Zao’wajtokah nafsi”

“God, Farooq…” she pleaded “Be reasonable You don’t want to marry me We can find another way…”

“There is no other way Now say it, Car beneath hi hier, the affinity he hadn’t been able to duplicate with anyone else He knew that, if he wanted, he’d be buried inside her in seconds, would find her aset her to pro when he was inside her But he didn’t want her consent that way “Say it, Car Mennah’s name issue froain

Staring at hidom’s seas in a storm, she finally nodded her acquiescence, her defeat “Zao-zao’wajtokah nafsi…”

Triu words the most coveted conquest he’d ever made “Wa ana qabeltu zawajek” He heard the elation in his voice, was unable to leash it in, saw her wincing at its harshness “And I accept your e Alas’sadaq el ain, Carmen, what are your demands? Make them”

“I just want Mennah”

“And you will always have her What else do you want?”

“I don’t want anything”

She was lying again She had to be She wanted luxuries and privileges, like any woman That hy she’d been with hiet the for the about so else She wanted him He could s through her as it was tearing through hi she wanted He’d have it all, too

He’d give his daughter his love, her birthright And he’d quench his lust for Carate her to the role of Mennah’s ht even divorce her if he wished He didn’t need her consent for that He’d decide it, and it would be done

But if his memories of what they’d had were anywhere near accurate, if the agony he was in at theti else, ya Somow’el Ameerah?”

Carmen squinted up at the thin, dark, bird-of-prey-like e loud with deference

He’d called her Soet her head around it Wondered if she ever would

It had been Somow’el Ameer Farooq this and Somow’el A All the way out of the country It had taken his ell, under a dozen words—to get her out of there It had taken even less to hness of the princess Her royal highness in Arabic He’d waved his ic wand and made her a princess…

It had really happened He’d storain